Faith arise!

A superb day

I had an excellent weekend with many sincerely boosting encounters. On Saturday I travelled to Helsinki to attend "One heart and one soul" - prayer day. One of the leaders of  Swedish 24-7 prayer movement called Andreas Palm joined us over lunch. It was good to hear about mission teams  they are sending out next summer, for example one team is heading to a New Age festival to set up a prayer room there, and to several festivals like Roskilde. Andreas invited people from Finland to join in the teams, and I pray that  someone from here actually will. I love the idea, especially about ministering to New Age people! We also talked about the Swedish pioneering missionaries like Tommy Neuman, and the developments of the Swedish 24-7.

During the prayer day I attended a seminar about  mentoring and postmodernism. The mentoring part was good. Even to start discussing faith in postmodernism would take a lot of time, and prefarably a more interactive setting. But since I'm always looking for opportunities to discuss this and since those are very rare in Finland, I was happy to disturb the seminary by my constant attempts to make it more  personal  and interactive, and  point out that most of all, paradigm shift is about dying to old models (and to many personal ambitions in many cases), so to speak a slow and often painstaking process.   

During the day I met up with several friends with whom I've been processing the paradigm shift, organic church and postmodern faith as a part of informal Connect Finland journey. With Heli, Petra , Laura , Ari, Nea , and Pauli  we discussed several things, and later over dinner started to plan for the next gathering that could happen in August. I got reminded how much has happened since we last had a first gathering to process these things last May.

If we would organise a gathering  now, we could start from a different point, with our own stories, since many of us has travelled quite a journey since last May. Journey that  has been coloured by the threatening walk out of the church box and controlled seemingly safe zone, and the overwhelming joy of following Jesus in to the places and relationships he has wanted us to. In those places we have learned the meaning of sharing the journey in covenant-type relationships, and  most of all been  reminded what it means that "God so loved the WORLD ..".

The best journey this far, I'd say. 

Surprisingly good news

Walked by two men discussing on the street in the centre of my city yesterday, and happened to hear a part of the discussion. The other man shared:

It's about a man, it has very little to do with religion and organised churches. It's about radically following a man, who is Son of God...

Isn't it good news, who wouldn't want to follow the Son of God, who was crushed for all our iniquities, so I don't need to be that? It's refreshing to hear that the work and person of Jesus being proclamed, instead of the contructions we have built around him.

One heart and soul - Prayer day in Helsinki

Eva Sarsa and friends organize a prayer day called One heart and soul  at Andreaskyrkan in Helsinki Sat 29th APRIL. Purpose of the day is to build bridges and network, especially to spiritual mothers and fathers, and pray into mentoring and unity. I'm planning to attend, and while in Helsinki, get together with some close friends and hopefully make some new.

A churchless faith

My friend Marc blogged about Alan Jamieson's book called A Churchless faith . The  book explores  out-of-church phenomenon  in  Evangelical  churches. Seriously timely report on the reasons why people  leave organized churches as part of their walk with God.

I think there are similarities to our maturing as people; when we're babies, we're being fed and nurtured at home. But when we grow up, it all becomes more complex, and we need to work to build our own life, that in more mature stages will give birth and provide for emerging next generations. I think this giving birth to something new is a natural outcome of our intimate walk with God. But to me, much of the organised church is like a couple that gets married, yet lives in the house of the parents, and expects Mom to continue to cook for them. The thing I admire in the believers in the North is that you only meet people who have developed their own walk (of course side by side with others) with God, and you notice it by the depth and conviction of their faith.   

Power of the gospel

One of the nomads who has been led to Kautokeino in Easter is a Native Americn evengelist called Sam. We first met this man in the World Christian Gathering on Indigenous People last August in Sweden. He is one of those rare people who seem to speak only about Jesus, and consentrate on Him in everything. One night we gather as an international company and he shares about his walk with God and the godness of Jesus till one a.m. Immense joy to be around such people! Sam used to be a drug dealer and  an  alcoholic  who was  detoxed  on the  spot when  he  met  Jesus.  Now he's  been  called  to  travel around and witness of His power to set free and restore. We talk and share something about the lonelyness of such nomadic lifestyle, and it's challenges. Sam reminds me that we are called to be Jesus to people we meet, nothing more nothing less. And I feel freshly that it is the power of the gospel that changes peoples lives, power that is radical, that comes outside of us, yet is to be recieved by faith.

Easter in Sapmi

Easter was just a perfect time to visit Kautokeino, and get to experience and understand more about the Saami culture. I got to see a lot, thanks to my ever enthusiastic host Sara Victoria.

Among other things I experienced a world cup competition on reindeer driving. It's an important happening on Easter Saturday and the local people really dress up in their regalia, which gives the whole happening a really festive outlook. Others come to follow the race by scooters and in a very relaxed way people make fires to grill something to eat and make coffee and enjoy the sunshine sitting on reindeer skins and chatting. And the best thing for Saamis is to have all the family and relatives gathered together for Easter.

The nature in the north is very different even from that in Southern Finland where I live. There is still a meter snow in the end of April. Its legal to drive scooter, which is the most practical way of getting around in a village in the midst of thundra, until the first week of May, but the temptation to keep driving is big, since the weather allows it quite a bit longer.The amount of light is also different; the midwinter night is long gone and now it's dark only for three hours at night...so it's all light and bright when we finish the talks and prayers and hit the bed.

Kautokeino is a cultural capital of the Saami people, but what I found intriguing is the amount of tourists it gathers, especially on Easter. We had some gatherings for believers, and people from different nations showed up. Many people come to north to seek sprituality, either from the nature or the ancient Norse worship places on the mountains, and many spritually sensitive people are drawn there. I think it's encouraging, and I really felt there are open doors to speak into many people's lives there when something has first been established in the spirit locally. In the remote areas the need for discipleship is great, and I have someone in the village now seeking for a job for me so that I might maybe stay there for some time in the future.    

450 km north of the Arctic circle

This spring I was invited to spend Easter in Kautokeino Saami village (north of Finland on Norwegian side, 450km north of the Arctic circle). For the Saami people the Easter is a high time with a famous Easter festival: weddings, Saami song contest, reindeer racing world cup, open air scooter-drive-in cinema, scooter race and I'll report what else. We are will be gathering with a bunch of youthful believers with Saami background (excluding myself) to celebrate resurrection in culturally relevant places and ways.  Looking forward to seeing the diversity and colorfullness of the  Northern life. 

It's truly a shared journey

I've been reminded lately of these words: "Covenanting with each other will take you to the next level." There is something in walking in deep, committed,  God-ordained friendship with each other that releases dynamics that we could never achieve outside of covenant. I think it's mainly because covenant-type relationships place us where God wants us to be; being sincere, trusting, vulnerable, dependent on each other and listening and obeying God's voice together. And I'm amazed and empowered by the fact that the authority that comes with covenant comes from outside of us and our deeds.

A friend once sent me a document about the differences between CONTRACT and COVENANT. Some of the differences:
Contract will limit you, do as little as you can. - Covenant will increase you, do as much as you can.
Contract: Give as little as you can.- Covenant: Give as much as you can.
Contracts are taken because of fear. - Covenants are taken because of faith.
Contract is taken to ensure your own rights. - Covenant is taken to ensure the good of the other.   

Restoring connectedness

Last week Finland got to follow the main newspapers gossiping the incident of the recently divorced prime minister Matti Vanhanen asking a woman for a date by text message. In many ways hilarious, but also somehow sad incident that makes one once again wonder the amount of isolation and disconnectedness in our world.

Talking about the church of the future, I think building new dimensions of connectedness is one of the real healing elements needed. But where do we start since people in most pubs are more connected than average church goers? These days I realise in my own life that confronting your own hurts and not accepting the easiest solutions to get rid of bad feelings helps you to identify with those whose life is more than complicated on many levels. Just thinking how radical the promise of bringing orphans and widows into families actually is. Many ways the very heartbeat of the gospel...but where have we been...building our programs and fixing our walls just to exclude one more time. Following Jesus in a new way, maybe more missionally, building connections to the world all around us has been a painful experience for me, stripping me of fixed answers...yet making me understand in so much deeper level creation's need for God's involvement...and  our  need for  incarnational theology.

I might be writing some posting with some deep tones in the coming days and weeks...since I feel like the fellowship of the ring in the mines of Moria hearing the drums from deep places...like disciples in the Garden when those sent for Jesus came; will I reach my sword and fight or will I share in his death and resurrection and maybe one day find a solid foundation of incarnational ...love?