Why the Green & Ag Caint as Gaelige?

We're making a bit of a fuss again about St. Paddy's Weekend this year at Grace. Every year we get asked why? Wear the Green on March 15, and on March 17 (Sunday & Tuesday). The St. Patrick's Outreach on Tuesday, traditional Irish music & song & the Irish language on Sunday morning. Ag caint as Gaelige arís sa cruiniú ar an Domhnaigh. Well it's a lot of fun but.....it is a celebration of the real Patrick who introduced & spread Biblical Christianity to Ireland. The historical character who brought real change and the hope of the world into Ireland. And it's our national holiday!

Isn't the real question why are so many Evangelical Churches in Ireland ignoring it?

Secret Ballots

The results of the leadership vote are sealed & delivered here at Grace Cork. Mike & I are delighted to be returned with such an overwhelming mandate of 99.6% yes vote. So, we continue on with the work, the ministry, the hope of the world being revealed in our corner of the Universe. Not the easiest of processes but so well worth it in the end. Thanks everyone......

Vulnerable Vote

When this Church was founded 12 years ago by a small group of friends (11 of us in all) I personally felt it would be healthy and more transparent if every three years we would have all the adult membership vote by secret ballot on whether or not they believed those in leadership should continue or not. And also to nominate new people to the various leadership roles when necessary. In February 2009 we are in the midst of going through this process again, with Michael & myself up for re-affirmation.

It's not an easy season for either of us. In fact we both feel a bit vulnerable and exposed. But neither of us would have it any other way. "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to all of us" the book of Acts records. And there are a number of other NT scriptures about this such as Acts 1 & Acts 6 etc.

We have gotten a bit of flack about this from time to time from some leaders of other churches over the years, as well as a few eyebrows raised. Maybe they are insecure in their own situations. But....who better to be accountable to than to the people you serve and who see you up close week after week. Having a denominational overseer in another country or even another city seems a bit unreal to me. You may get the odd person in your own church with a grudge over something or other but the vast majority of Christians vote by their conscience. And if you are serving the Lord and His people then it's in His hands anyway.

I was asked what would I do if I was voted out. I'm not fully sure. Am I too young to write my memoires? I think the Lord isn't finished with me yet, whatever the outcome of the vote. I just want to serve Him, and if that means cleaning the toilets before or after Church that's fine Nothing worse than a pastor/church leader with grand notions about himself. Anyway...I heard Fianna Fáil might be looking for a candidate or two fairly shortly.

The Prophet Killers

Paul the great New Testament writer gave some brilliant Godly advice to the younger Timothy, encouraging him to "watch his life & doctrine closely". His words are just as much needed today as they were 2000 years ago.. There are still con men around who are out to rip off or control sincere believers, and there are many who push heretical doctrines that can deeply warp our relationship with God or even cause us to make ship wreck of our faith. We need to examine our conscience on a regular basis, to repent of sin in our lives & after that to rest in His amazing Grace. When we hear a teaching we need to go, like the noble Bereans, and search the scriptures for ourselves, to see if what was said is true. In other words to"test all things". All of this is good and part of the normal Christian life. But some just keep on going and don't know where to stop. They cross a line from testing to constantly attacking. Taking on the garb of the Pharisees they are just like them. Jesus cried out against them in Matthew 23 saying "Woe to you Pharisees & hypocrites...direct descendants of those who murdered the prophets....whom you kill or flog or pursue from town to town".

In their eyes and hearts there is always a threat and a danger and somehow they are the ones God has called to put the rest of the church right. They are the ones who are protectors of the "truth". Anyone who disagrees with them is in league with the devil. Only they, and perhaps a tiny number of others (it's always a very small group) can keep the rest of us from certain disaster. They have inherited the mantle of "tithing mint & cumin & garden spices yet neglecting justice and the love of God" Luke 11:42

At Grace we have thankfully been spared this type of constant judgment for the most part. We have only had the odd brief encounter with the Prophet Killers, who usually moved on into wonderful isolation where they kept themselves "holy" and uncontaminated from the rest of the Body of Christ. But I have seen the destruction they have left behind in other churches and movements. Vicious! In my experience the Prophet Killer has a lot of turmoil going on in their own lives and as a coping mechanism they turn their focus to projecting their frustrations on others. As it's not acceptable in Christian circles to simply slander and attack in a raw and naked way, these people disguise their carnality in "Christian" clothes and become instead a self styled "watchman on the walls".

When you see someone cross the line from Biblical Follower to Prophet Killer, here's what Paul said to Titus in chapter 3. "Avoid foolish controversies & quarrels because they are unprofitable and useless. Warn the divisive man twice. You may be sure such a man is warped & sinful. After that have nothing to do with him." Biblical wisdom or what!

Oh Where have all the "Quakers" Gone?

The worldwide Banking/Financial Crises seems to be huge and beyond the life experience of almost everyone. Nobody knows exactly how things will work out or how it will affect each of us as individuals or as families. The Irish government worked throughout the night last week to bring in emergency legislation in order to save the Irish Banks from collapse. Such drama!

But I can't help thinking of how all this trouble could have been avoided if only our bankers had something called Ethics. I could say Christian ethics, but in reality all ethics are Christian based, if you think about it. And I also began to think of how the banking industry started out in the 1600's with the Quakers & other non conformist Christians of the time. The reason they succeeded is that they were honest and reliable and therefore trustworthy, because they worked according to Biblical guidelines. No one else had the same level of trust as those Christians had. And so it was the Christian run banks who won the trust of both the gentry and the man in the street. And it was under their direction that banking became a vital part of everyday life.

How things have changed though. The culture of greed and machismo has destroyed our trust in the banking sector. And so the question. Oh where have all the "Quakers" gone? By "Quaker" I mean Christians with ethics in the banking industry. The modern day Quaker church is not evangelical by and large.....(in fact they have become more new age). But the original of the species were very much evangelical, Bible believing, Holy Spirit Filled.

When all the powerful leaders of the world gather to try and resolve this global crises how good it would be if they looked at the historical roots of banking. And how great it would be if once again Christianity and Ethics were moved back centre stage to the banking industry. Any modern day "Quakers" out there?

BUILDINGS BUILDINGS

I'm often asked by both believers and non believers alike, "so where is your church located?" They obviously mean where is the church building. When I explain that it's the people who are the church not some chapel or whatever I get the glazed look thing and so move onto explain that we have made a deliberate decision to meet in a Catholic school rather than buy or rent a full time building.

The ECB (European Central Bank) raised the lending interest rate yesterday (July 3rd) which means many churches who are already struggling with mortgage repayments will now have to come up with even more money to fund their debt. That's really hard for those congregations, especially in a time of national & world economic slowdown.

It causes me to question though, why is it such an important thing with so many Evangelical churches to have their own building? I mean, it's not like it was a big thing in Scripture. And I think it's often a hindrance for new people coming in to check out a church, especially in Ireland. The visitor is really coming onto your own personal property, whereas coming into a local community school is way easier for the average guy in the neighborhood. We have had a good number of new people come in saying exactly that. And most of them have stayed on with us.

You do have a number of unique problems when you rent a facility for part of the week. It's vital that a good relationship exists between the church leadership and the principle and staff of the school. Mutual respect and honesty is vital. You also have a lot of work in setting up and clearing up, twice a week in our case. But you are also spared a lot of maintenance & expense issues, so I think one compensates for the other.

We have been blessed with the school we meet in. We have access 52 weeks of the year and a full time storage room on site, our own keys, classrooms, 2 halls, kitchen, and car park, all within 10 minutes walk of the city centre. Our landlords are a pleasure to deal with. It's often very difficult for a new Evangelical church in Ireland to achieve this. It took us a number of years to do so.

But it really is worth it. From a financial, evangelistic, and social point of view. It is true that you don't have the same security of tenure that you would if you owned your own building. And despite our good relationship we have no securities at all. But in our case that has only proved positive too. In our 11 year history we have outgrown our 3 different facilities 3 times. On each occasion we had the flexibility to either move on or try something new, such as currently with our Parallel Services.

Spiritually I also think it keeps both the church leadership and congregation on our toes, and helps keep us from getting too settled. And it avoids the usual money/property/decoration hassles that arise in many churches.

It's a bit of a cliché I know but, maybe it's time for churches like ours to think outside the traditional box on this issue. You never know the blessings God has in store when you do.

The Death of David

No. I'm not talking about King David from the Old Testament. My neighbour, with whom I had been building something of a friendship, has just died suddenly. He was only in his late forties, & leaves behind a devastated wife and 10 year old daughter. He had lost both his legs a few years ago when a drunk teen age "joy rider" in Dublin crashed into him. So he got around fairly sucessfully with artificial legs.

The thing is, as I was getting to know him a bit, I found myself reluctant to some extent to let him know what I worked at. It always seems to be a conversation stopper in Ireland.

"So, what do you work at yourself?" the conversation usually goes....

"Well I work as a pastor for a non-denominational church" says I usually.

"A what?" comes the usual reply, "I mean what's that?" they ask with a worried look coming over their face.

"Like a minister.."....

"You mean a priest?"

"Well, I am married, but yes, something like that."

"Oh right, well I'll catch you again I suppose, bye!"

Because of this, I normally keep that side of things discreet until I build a better rapport & trust with the person. Sometimes it makes sense when you can build that up over time and then gradually introduce it. But it also means that I keep quiet about my faith, which is the most important thing in my life. And when I think I have a long time to tell someone the Good News of what Jesus did in my life I can justify it.

But I thought I'd have years to tell David about Jesus. I was wrong.

I know he didn't have much of any kind of faith, a nominal Catholic like most Irish people. I failed David. And I don't know what the eternal consequences are.

If you know of any David's in your life, don't do what I did, saying nothing. Time is so short, shorter than most of us realise. And eternity is forever. God give us wisdom and courage, God give me wisdom and courage.........

An Taoiseach Nua

Tá Taoiseach nua againn, níl aon nuacht nua ansin. Ach, cad é an céad rud a thosaigh sé ag caint faoi? Bhí sé ag caint faoi an Teanga. Is é Brian Cowen an 3ú Taoiseach Gaelgóir i stair an Stát (os comhair 80 bhlian ar fad!) Tá a lán suim ag an Taoiseach nua i nGaelige. Agus, tá suim an teanga ag Enda Kenny an Ceannaire ó Fine Gael agus leis an Ceannaire Eamon Gilmore freisin, Gaelgóirí an trúir acu go léir. Agus le Trevor Sergant agus a lán duiní eile i measc an Dáil agus an Seannad.

Tá ceist agum. An bhfuil an Eaglais ag éisteaht? An bhfuil na tréadaí ag éisteacht? Nach bhfuil sé an tábhachtach ar fad. Nach bhfuil athrú ag na duiní faoi an teanga sa tír seo. Tá siad níos páirteach ná roimhe, ó barr go bun. Tá níos mó de na páistí i n-ár Eaglaisí ag dul go dtí na nGaelscoileanna. Tá níos mó suim ag na dúiní Chriostaí sa teanga, na dúiní Eireanach agus na dúiní as na tíortha eile. Tá an teanga níos tábhachtach ins an lá atá againn innubh ná a raibh sé. An bhfuil aon Gaelige a úsaíd i na hEaglaisí Soiscéalachi i nEireann. Ceapaim nach bhfuil. Tá cúpla focail againn i Pobal Chríostaí Grás gach Domhnach leis na amhrání agus an seanmóir. Ach, céard faoi na hEaglaisí eile? Bí ag éisteach a cáirde le nuacht an lá, nuacht an Tír, nuacht an Phobail. Mar, is é sin an chroí, is é sin an todhchaí!

CRISIS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

A few weeks ago the Catholic Bishop of Cork called a crisis meeting for his Diocese of Cork and Ross. This is in response to the crisis in vocations the Catholic church is having. In other words, they are finding it almost impossible to attract in young men to the priesthood. On the ground in Cork it is having a very real effect on the day to day running of the local Catholic parish churches. A number of my older relatives have been talking about various Masses being cancelled because there aren't enough priests to go around, not to mention how numbers attending Mass are falling constantly.

There are now plans to amalgamate some parishes and give more power to the lay committees who are increasingly being asked to take over much of the priest's non-sacramental role. Most of the priests in the Diocese of Cork and Ross are now over 55 with almost no younger men coming in to fill their shoes. The congregations at most Masses are also mainly older people, especially within the City and commuting belt. The only exception to this very strong trend is among the large Polish immigrant community, who still take their Catholicism very seriously, with many being very willing to walk for quite a long time in all weathers in order to attend Mass. However they tend to go to their own Polish language Masses and so not really have as much of an impact as their numbers would otherwise allow.

How should we as local Christians respond to this situation? Especially those of us who have originally come from a Catholic background and are now involved in the non-denominational fellowships often known as the New Irish Church Movement. Well, the temptation for some may be to gloat and say "I told you so!" How many of us saw the writing on the wall years ago and began to make plans to ensure a spiritual future for ourselves and our children. But...this attitude gets nobody nowhere. It's hurtful to those within the Catholic church and brings a harsh & cold atmosphere and attitude into our own gatherings. How much better to approach this situation another way.

Rejoice at the number of younger, and older, men and women who are both able and willing to get involved in the running of our local fellowships. Thank God regularly that we are seeing continued growth in spiritual terms and in numerical terms, not least the many young people who are coming to personal faith in Jesus Christ! And recognise, that most of those who are now committed to their local Catholic church take their faith seriously. Gone are the many who once went to Mass only because they wanted to keep in with society around them. This in effect means two things.

1. The religious "hold" that kept many from even listening to the Gospel is now largely gone. At times this hold seemed to have a dark spiritual force behind it resulting in many young Irish Christians being fairly badly persecuted in the 70's and 80's.

2. Those who remain within the Catholic church are now a lot more sincere, and humble, and willing to respect those from a different faith, even those, who like me have "turned". It seems to me we are no longer regarded as lepers, though some older people still cling on to this attitude.

This all means that from an Evangelistic point of view it is now a lot easier to "out" yourself as a Believer in Cork, and we have a far better chance of showing some a more excellent way and leading them to a personal relationship with Jesus. It also means that in many different forums we now have a voice that is accepted, whether that is with local Government, NGO's, Media, or simply renting a hall.

I don't rejoice in any faith community's crises, but I very much welcome the positive changes it brings to my life, to the lives of our community at Grace, and to our children's lives, as we follow Jesus as Christians in Cork during 2008 and beyond!

CHRISTIAN SINGLES & DATING

As I write this blog I have a bit of a heavy heart. Maybe a better word is concerned. Lots to rejoice about, an awful lot! But, January is a month when many of us take stock of our lives and reflect on where we are going. And one thing I'm picking up a lot at Grace is how lonely it can be for the Christian single man or woman.

We have a lot of community activities on the go all the time as a church. It helps us all, married, divorced or single, to make friends and connect with those we click with. But if you're looking for a future marriage partner it doesn't always work out that you will find that significant other within your own church. Many at Grace have of course found their wife/husband at Grace. We've had lots of weddings over the last 3 or 4 years and many more about to happen this year and next where this has been the case.

There are also a number who have found their partners on Christian Dating Web Sites. I don't see any problem with this method myself, once it's run on Christian principles and not in any way seedy. But, it seems many young Christian singles feel very uncomfortable about such a method.

So, what to do?.....My fear is that some will in their need, begin to look to the world for their future partner. And so bringing upon their own heads heartache and trouble.

I'm going to set my face to see if we can do something proactive about the situation this year. If you are one of the many Christian single men or women at Grace, take hope! Your future partner may not be appearing on the horizon in Cork, but there are many other good Christian churches on the island of Ireland with Christian singles in a similar situation. We need to organise a safe place for you all to be able to meet up. With a little planning & connecting, and much prayer, maybe by this time next year you will have found your significant other who also loves and serves our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

If you don't find him/her within the year, you can always take out a lawsuit against me. I'm the guy with the red hair and the guitar called Michael O'Donovan, very definitely NOT the bald guy!