You Are Very Welcome

We believe the umbrella of God’s love, as exemplified in Jesus Christ, is big enough for everyone to be welcomed. We believe that love, not doctrine, holds us together. We believe the deepest expression of our faith is found in the way we treat others. We believe it is important to take the narrative of the Bible seriously, embracing the message of the Messiah, Jesus We believe it is important for faith to value both the mind and the heart. We believe that we learn from one another’s diverse experiences and perspectives, and it’s okay if we don’t share all of the exact same beliefs. We believe listening to others and respecting them is a deeply spiritual act, even when we disagree. Not all claims to truth are the same, to be sure, but we believe every claim should be measured by love. We believe the wisdom offered from other faith traditions can complement and enrich our spiritual journeys. We believe church should be a place that welcomes those who believe in God some of the time, or none of the time, or all of the time

Upcoming Events:

The Save the 8th Amendment march will be on in Dublin the 1/7/17.

Current

Studies

We are involved in a few different readings right now.  1:we are asking members to examine the women of the bible and to share their own ideas on this. 2: we are continuing to read ‘Eternity in Their Hearts’, (Don Richardson). 3: also some are reading ‘Rediscovering Christianity’ (Vincent Donovan) a wonderful account of mission among the Masai by a Catholic priest.

TEP

We just sent another €2000 to Tanzania to top-up the Dar Es Salaam account.  This brings our total contribution to €10,000 so far this year.  The applications for this year were far too many for us to sponsor and it was with sadness that we had to say no to so many new students.  However we did manage to add about 10 new students for 2017.

Masai Stories

(click for photos)

Having being praying for a Masai pastor and his wife, Nathaniel & Theresa Ndoholi, we were shocked to hear the news that he had been ransacked and savagely attacked, ending up in the ICU for nearly 8 days.  It was a near death experience for Nathaniel as he had some very severe machete knife wounds to the head.  Thank God, we made a collection to pay his bills and to restore his lost cows, sheep and chickens. We sent money over a period of a few weeks to pay for his loss.  He now has 5 cows and 1 bull, his hospital bills are fully paid and his wife, Theresa, and their twins are rejoicing at the provision of God.  We also took his 2 children into our TEP sponsorship program and they are now at school.

You Are Very Welcome

We believe the umbrella of God’s love, as exemplified in Jesus Christ, is big enough for everyone to be welcomed. We believe that love, not doctrine, holds us together. We believe the deepest expression of our faith is found in the way we treat others. We believe it is important to take the narrative of the Bible seriously, embracing the message of the Messiah, Jesus We believe it is important for faith to value both the mind and the heart. We believe that we learn from one another’s diverse experiences and perspectives, and it’s okay if we don’t share all of the exact same beliefs. We believe listening to others and respecting them is a deeply spiritual act, even when we disagree. Not all claims to truth are the same, to be sure, but we believe every claim should be measured by love. We believe the wisdom offered from other faith traditions can complement and enrich our spiritual journeys. We believe church should be a place that welcomes those who believe in God some of the time, or none of the time, or all of the time

About Us

We are a fluid community emerging in the late 70’s and have been transformed many times as we sought to follow the life of faith. We have removed the last trappings of church in the 2000’s and now exist as a post modern community of faith and unbelief. We understand the scriptures to be a narrative of God’s search for the lost creation and ultimately its complete restoration through the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. We are committed to a non-violent way of life and see non-violence as the only option for Christian believers. Our Vision: Never lose sight of the narrative of God revealed in the scriptures of Israel and  the manifestation of the Messiah in the New Testament time.  Live a life of faith and love to show God to this present generation. (N T Wright on Narrative Theology CLICK HERE)

Dan Day

Prophetic prayer Dan Day is married to Noreen and has 4 children, Stevan, Philip, Jonathan and Evan.

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” Jean Baudrillard 

Forgetting what lies behind Paul of Tarsus

Julia & Doug Heffernan

Bible Study, Tanzanian Education

Project & African Mission

Doug Heffernan has been with the community, in its many and various formations, from the start in the late 1980’s.  He is married to Julia and has 3 married children, Robert, Denise and Gerald

About Us

We are a fluid community emerging in the late 70’s and have been transformed many times as we sought to follow the life of faith. We have removed the last trappings of church in the 2000’s and now exist as a post modern community of faith and unbelief. We understand the scriptures to be a narrative of God’s search for the lost creation and ultimately its complete restoration through the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. We are committed to a non-violent way of life and see non-violence as the only option for Christian believers. Our Vision: Never lose sight of the narrative of God revealed in the scriptures of Israel and  the manifestation of the Messiah in the New Testament time.  Live a life of faith and love to show God to this present generation. (N T Wright on Narrative Theology CLICK HERE)

Julia & Doug Heffernan

Bible Study, Tanzanian Education Project & African Mission

Doug Heffernan has been with the community, in its many and various formations, from the start in the late 1980’s.  He is married to Julia and has 3 married children, Robert, Denise and Gerald

Dan Day

Prophetic prayer Dan Day is married to Noreen and has 4 children, Stevan, Philip, Jonathan and Evan.

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” Jean Baudrillard 

Forgetting what lies behind Paul of Tarsus

Gatherings

The purpose of the early communities were varied and many.  Mostly they centred on the ‘Agape’ meal also known as the ‘Love Feast’. Then you had the ongoing but intermittent visits of the apostolic teams that would return to see if the community was progressing and to give further insights into the message of God and the Messiah Jesus. The ‘Eucharist’ or the ‘Mass’ as we know it today would have been alien to these early gatherings.  The community was centred around the new family of the Messiah and not buildings or leaders.

Saturday

On Saturday evening we come together to celebrate the communion meal, where everyone brings food for themselves and also some to share with others. We open the meal with a thanksgiving prayer and then pass around the common bread for all to share.  Then we eat and talk for a few hours and at the end we say another prayer and pass around the the common cup of wine to share.  During the meal we may, pray, share personal or biblical stories and offer prayer for healing for those who request it.  We also may have a group study of some biblical book or topic and often a relevant Christian book on a specific subject we are examining. Click here for “A short intro to the Agape Meal”

Sunday

Every month on the 3rd Sunday we get together for lunch in one of the member houses, on a rota basis.  We again all bring something to share for lunch and eat and enjoy our time together.  If the weather permits we will then go to the beach or nearby forestry are for a walk and talk.  This is al;ways good fun and not only do we get some quality time together, we al;so get some exercise. and relaxation time.

Daily Community Life

Friendship and love shared in prayer and covenant on a daily basis is the essence of community. However living the Christian life is often seen as an individualistic past time or a nuclear family pastime.  The new testament however shows a community of people sharing a common life of faith together.  The importance given to terms such as, brothers & sisters, again tells us that the community is the new family of the kingdom.  Again and again , Jesus brings us to understand that the patriarchal family of the past and present is no longer the way to live family.  He points to a new way, a new family, based on faith relationships not blood relationships.  So time spent with family on any day of the week other than meeting nights is a really important way of fostering a life of faith and trust. Many in this time live lonely, cut off lives without real friendship and without the bonds that make life worth living.  The new family of faith is now the de facto support system for all the troubles and blessings that occur in our lives.  We are no longer alone.

Gatherings

The purpose of the early communities were varied and many.  Mostly they centred on the ‘Agape’ meal also known as the ‘Love Feast’. Then you had the ongoing but intermittent visits of the apostolic teams that would return to see if the community was progressing and to give further insights into the message of God and the Messiah Jesus. The ‘Eucharist’ or the ‘Mass’ as we know it today would have been alien to these early gatherings.  The community was centred around the new family of the Messiah and not buildings or leaders.

Saturday

Our Practice: On Saturday evening we come together to celebrate the communion meal, where everyone brings food for themselves and also some to share with others. We open the meal with a thanksgiving prayer and then pass around the common bread for all to share.  Then we eat and talk for a few hours and at the end we say another prayer and pass around the the common cup of wine to share.  During the meal we may, pray, share personal or biblical stories and offer prayer for healing for those who request it.  We also may have a group study of some biblical book or topic and often a relevant Christian book on a specific subject we are examining. Click here for “A short intro to the Agape Meal”

Sunday

Every month on the 4th Sunday we get together for lunch in one of the member houses, on a rota basis.  We again all bring something to share for lunch and eat and enjoy our time together.  If the weather permits we will then go to the beach or nearby forestry are for a walk and talk.  This is always good fun and not only do we get some quality time together, we al;so get some exercise. and relaxation time.

Our History

The community originally known as the Ballyphehane Christian Fellowship was formed after a meeting of  Doug Heffernan, a born again believer and Denis Linehan, a charismatic Catholic at a prayer meeting in the Ballyphehane convent, in the late 70’s, They formed a close relationship over the next few months. Later Denis expressed a desire to start a meeting in his own home and together with his wife Moira invited Doug to share bible teachings in their home at 61 Plunket Road, Ballyphehane. Doug began a series of teachings on the glorious church , without spot or wrinkle, based on the book of Ephesians. When these teachings were finished,Denis & Moira suggested that the meetings should continue and that others should be invited to the meetings. Ballyphehane Fellowship was one of the first house churches in Ireland and went on to be a radical community of believers. more

Catholicism

Ireland in the 60’s & 70’s was beginning to realise that the Catholic church was a human institution with many flaws. A new hunger  for God and questioning of the status-quo caused the emergence of new spiritualities.

Born Again

Evangelical

In the late 60’s, through the work of the ‘Christian Centre’, 40 Leinster Road, Dublin,  a new form of independent Christianity emerged. Led by Glen Lyndsay , Brendan Browne and MIke Finnegan and others, this community began to evangelise the ordinary Irish person in their own localities and developed, for the first time, an approach that was non protestant and not anti Catholic.  They began to hold meetings in Hotels and bars and any place that would have them, and through simple presentations saw hundreds come to know Jesus the Messiah. Julia Heffernan became a believer in Leinster  Road 1971. Catholic Charismatic There was a nationwide emergence of a vigorous and deeply charismatic renewal movement in the 70’s.  They embraced the Messiah, Jesus, and began to gather in hundreds and thousand over the next years.  Major cities would have large gatherings and eventually there was the National Conferences that drew thousands.

House Church

Over the 70’s & 80’s a new Irish expression of faith emerged separate from the traditional churches.  Every town and village had a small prayer / bible meeting, led by local people.  These over time became the first house churches in Ireland but sadly these were mostly engulfed by the pentecostal and other denominations.  Ballyphehane Fellowship managed to remain independent and endeavoured to form loose relationships with other groups over the years. This became increasingly difficult however as the house churches were taken over by Pentecostal and other Protestant denominations.

Celtic Spirituality

While worshipping at a community gathering in the late 90’s, a clear word from God came  declaring that ‘Celtic’ would be important in the future expression of the community.  This led to a search as to what this could mean and eventually brought the fellowship back to its ‘Celtic’ roots.  This enabled the group to discard adherence to born again evangelicalism with its American culture. Also the realisation dawned that the faith now enjoyed by the community preceded Protestantism or Catholicism.  The community immersed itself in the Celtic traditions , music and culture leading to a new spiritual identity, free from denominationalism and sectarianism. The group joined with many other ethnicities at a conference in Maryland, at C. P. Schmitt’s church, Immanuels, where he hosted one of the first conferences that had representatives from ethnic groups, such as the Inuit, Native Americans, Native Australians and Native Celts. Today we nationalism and flag waving in churches, so many churches in Ireland are wrapped in a sectarian nationalistic spirit, this has nothing to do with Celtic Spirituality.  Time to repent and embrace the worldwide family of God, where there is no longer Jew nor Gentile, male or female, bond or free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Post Modern?

In the early 2000’s it became clear that ‘church’ as we practised it was not meeting our deep spiritual needs. This led to the rejection of the last forms of religiosity and evangelical ritual and the emergence of the community that now exists.  No worship group dominating, no teachers manipulating, no kid’s meetings, no women’s meetings, no men’s meetings, no youth meetings….just the community coming together to share the meal and to share their lives in love and faith. An expression that allows God to use all of the community to form the ongoing vision and mission.

Our History

The community originally known as the Ballyphehane Christian Fellowship was formed after a meeting of  Doug Heffernan, a born again believer and Denis Linehan, a charismatic Catholic at a prayer meeting in the Ballyphehane convent, in the late 70’s, They formed a close relationship over the next few months. Later Denis expressed a desire to start a meeting in his own home and together with his wife Moira invited Doug to share bible teachings in their home at 61 Plunket Road, Ballyphehane. Doug began a series of teachings on the glorious church , without spot or wrinkle, based on the book of Ephesians. When these teachings were finished,Denis & Moira suggested that the meetings should continue and that others should be invited to the meetings. Ballyphehane Fellowship was one of the first house churches in Ireland and went on to be a radical community of believers. more

Catholicism

Ireland in the 60’s & 70’s was beginning to realise that the Catholic church was a human institution with many flaws. A new hunger  for God and questioning of the status-quo caused the emergence of new spiritualities.

Born Again

Evangelical

In the late 60’s, through the work of the ‘Christian Centre’, 40 Leinster Road, Dublin,  a new form of independent Christianity emerged. Led by Glen Lyndsay , Brendan Browne and MIke Finnegan and others, this community began to evangelise the ordinary Irish person in their own localities and developed, for the first time, an approach that was non protestant and not anti Catholic.  They began to hold meetings in Hotels and bars and any place that would have them, and through simple presentations saw hundreds come to know Jesus the Messiah. Julia Heffernan became a believer in Leinster  Road 1971. Catholic Charismatic There was a nationwide emergence of a vigorous and deeply charismatic renewal movement in the 70’s.  They embraced the Messiah, Jesus, and began to gather in hundreds and thousand over the next years.  Major cities would have large gatherings and eventually there was the National Conferences that drew thousands.

House Church

Over the 70’s & 80’s a new Irish expression of faith emerged separate from the traditional churches.  Every town and village had a small prayer / bible meeting, led by local people.  These over time became the first house churches in Ireland but sadly these were mostly engulfed by the pentecostal and other denominations.  Ballyphehane Fellowship managed to remain independent and endeavoured to form loose relationships with other groups over the years. This became increasingly difficult however as the house churches were taken over by Pentecostal and other Protestant denominations.

Celtic Spirituality

While worshipping at a community gathering in the late 90’s, a clear word from God came  declaring that ‘Celtic’ would be important in the future expression of the community.  This led to a search as to what this could mean and eventually brought the fellowship back to its ‘Celtic’ roots.  This enabled the group to discard adherence to born again evangelicalism with its American culture. Also the realisation dawned that the faith now enjoyed by the community preceded Protestantism or Catholicism.  The community immersed itself in the Celtic traditions , music and culture leading to a new spiritual identity, free from denominationalism and sectarianism. The group joined with many other ethnicities at a conference in Maryland, at C. P. Schmitt’s church, Immanuels, where he hosted one of the first conferences that had representatives from ethnic groups, such as the Inuit, Native Americans, Native Australians and Native Celts. Today so many churches in Ireland are wrapped in a sectarian nationalistic spirit, this has nothing to do with Celtic Spirituality.  We see an ugly nationalism and  Irish flag waving in churches.  It is time to repent and embrace the worldwide family of God, where there is no longer Jew nor Gentile, male or female, bond or free, Catholic or Protestant, Irish or English, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Post Modern?

In the early 2000’s it became clear that ‘church’ as we practised it was not meeting our deep spiritual needs. This led to the rejection of the last forms of religiosity and evangelical ritual and the emergence of the community that now exists.  No worship group dominating, no teachers manipulating, no kid’s meetings, no women’s meetings, no men’s meetings, no youth meetings….just the community coming together to share the meal and to share their lives in love and faith. An expression that allows God to use all of the community to form the ongoing vision and mission.

Jon Zens 

Jon Jens is the father of the house church movement.  His writings are foundational in our understanding of community and the non religious way of faith.  Hi searching together magazine has contained important teachings which have released many from the bondage of church systems. These can be found here

Keith Gerner 

Keith Gerner and Sandy Thompson were the longest lasting Apostolic input we had.  They helped us through many difficult times and fathered us when possible. Sandy was a wonderful man who really loved us and was a father to us. We miss Sandy Thomson due to his untimely death. Keith is still going and resides in Northern Ireland.

Bob Mumford, 

father of the discipleship movement in the USA.  He gave us the right top be free from denominations and religion.

Gerald Coates

Leader of Pioneer network of churches and a foundational Apostle in the house church movement in the UK.  Tremendous influence on the community when we were younger. His keynote message was non religious Christianity.  Together with John Noble they turned the land upside down in their generation.

Bill Britton

Bill was a wonderful father in the faith to us in our early years and he taught us about the manifestation of the sons of God as they ultimate goal of salvation. His tract ‘My Beloved Enemy’ still brings a new depth to the dealings of God through persecution and suffering.

N T Wright

Tom Wright s a leading British New Testament scholar and retired Anglican bishop. In academia, he is published as N. T. Wright, but is otherwise known as Tom Wright. Between 2003 and his retirement in 2010, he was the Bishop of Durham. Thanks to Bob Heffernan, we have found great theology in the writings of Tom Wright. His many books are wonderful and informative reads and a list can be found here. BOOKS

Charles P. Schmitt

The foundational teachings that came from C P Schmitt on covenant relationship and leadership were a foundation laid in the 80’s and which is still very much a true part of our common life.

Jon Zens 

is the father of the house church movement.  His writings are foundational in our understanding of community and the non religious way of faith.  His searching together magazine has contained important teachings which have released many from the bondage of church systems. These can be found here

Keith Gerner 

and Sandy Thompson were the longest lasting Apostolic input we had.  They helped us through many difficult times and fathered us when possible. Sandy was a wonderful man who really loved us and was a father to us. We miss Sandy Thomson due to his untimely death. Keith is still going and resides in Northern Ireland

Bob

Mumford, 

father of the discipleship movement in the USA.  He gave us the right top be free from denominations and religion.

Gerald

Coates

Leader of Pioneer network of churches and a foundational Apostle in the house church movement in the UK.  Tremendous influence on the community when we were younger. His keynote message was non religious Christianity.  Together with John Noble they turned the land upside down in their generation.

Bill Britton

was a wonderful father in the faith to us in our early years and he taught us about the manifestation of the sons of God as they ultimate goal of salvation.

John Noble

one of the first house church apostles in the UK penned a classic little book- ’Forgive Us Our Denominations’

N T Wright

Tom Wright s a leading British New Testament scholar and retired Anglican bishop. In academia, he is published as N. T. Wright, but is otherwise known as Tom Wright. Between 2003 and his retirement in 2010, he was the Bishop of Durham. Thanks to Bob Heffernan, we have found great theology in the writings of Tom Wright and his many books are wonderful and informative reads. BOOKS

Charles P. Schmitt

The foundational teachings that came from C P Schmitt on covenant relationship and leadership were a foundation laid in the 80’s and which is still very much a true part of our common life.

Masai

Bravery is not everything, and however brave a man may be, two

brave men are better.

Masai proverb

Tanzanian

Leaders Weekend

Over the last number of years we have been running a special weekend retreat for pastors and wives in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. We have been privileged in recent times with the attendance of many Masai couples and in 2016 Doug encouraged them to participate in their native dress and it was wonderful to see these wonderful warriors in full dress and their wives in their traditional dress.

Masai Friends

It has been a wonderful experience to make friends with a group of Masai people, near Chalinze, Tanzania.  They are all seekers after God and very open and welcoming to us.  Over the coming years we hope to deepen this relationship and see what God can do with us together.

 

Supply support

We continue to support Masai families in the Chalinze area. Supplying water tanks, medical aid and support local Masai projects.  We also continue to sponsor children and adults, through TEP.

‘Supply Rain

Water Storage

Tanks’

Our main project for is to supply water in the Masai lands near their  primary school and multi purpose building near Chalinze, Tanzania

Masai

Bravery is not everything, and however brave a

man may be, two brave men are better.

Masai proverb

Tanzanian

Leaders

Weekend

Over the last number of years we have been running a special weekend retreat for pastors and wives in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. We have been privileged in recent times with the attendance of many Masai couples and in 2016 Doug encouraged them to participate in their native dress and it was wonderful to see these wonderful warriors in full dress and their wives in their traditional dress.

Masai Friends

It has been a wonderful experience to make friends with a group of Masai people, near Chalinze, Tanzania.  They are all seekers after God and very open and welcoming to us.  Over the coming years we hope to deepen this relationship and see what God can do with us together.

 

Supply support

We continue to support Masai families in the Chalinze area. Supplying water tanks, medical aid and support local Masai projects.  We also continue to sponsor children and adults, through TEP.

‘Supply Rain Water

Storage Tanks’

Our main project for is to supply water in the Masai lands near their  primary school and multi purpose building near Chalinze, Tanzania

Tanzanian

Education

Project

www.tep.ie

  History

Begun in 2005, TEP has grown from the original plan to start an orphanage, to its present day ‘student sponsorship’ program. 

  Sponsorship

We have sponsored over 135+ students at all levels of training and education in Tanzania.  We have now helped poor students achieve their dream of a complete education.  We have many successful students who are now employed and helping themselves and also the family unit they belong to. Some have become teachers, journalists, truck drivers, tailors and many more.

Projects

Our goal each year is try and add some more students, We also have a long term plan of purchasing land and building a school / daycare centre. We built an afterschool centre in Chalinze in 2023. We supplied water to the building and weare now suporting the extension of this building. 2023/24 we hope to add another classroom and an office.

Our Primary

School Project

What do we need to build a school? 1 A vision 2nd-a water supplyon the property cost €5000 3rd-initial phase of building cost €10,000 4th- final phase cost €20,000 Total cost -€35,000. You get a lot for your money in Tanzania. To build in Europe x10.

Tanzanian Education

Project

www.tep.ie

  History

Begun in 2005, TEP has grown from the original plan to start an orphanage, to its present day ‘student sponsorship’ program. 

  Sponsorship

We have sponsored over 135+ students at all levels of training and education in Tanzania.  We have now helped poor students achieve their dream of a complete education.  We have many successful students who are now employed and helping themselves and also the family unit they belong to. Some have become teachers, journalists, truck drivers, tailors and many more.

 Projects

Our goal each year is try and add some more students, We also have a long term plan of purchasing land and building a school / daycare centre. We built an afterschool centre in Chalinze in 2023. We supplied water to the building and weare now suporting the extension of this building. 2023/24 we hope to add another classroom and an office.

Our School Project

Our Primary School Project

What do we need to build a school? 1 A vision 2nd-a water supplyon the property cost €5000 3rd-initial phase of building cost €10,000 4th- final phase cost €20,000 Total cost -€35,000. You get a lot for your money in Tanzania. To build in Europe x10.

Narrative Theology

TEXT

Narrative theology

Narrative theology is the idea that Christian theology’s use of the Bible should focus on a narrative representation of the faith rather than the development of a set of propositions reasoned from the Scriptures themselves or what is commonly called a “systematic theology.” Basically, narrative theology is a fairly broad term, but often-times it is that approach to theology that primarily looks to the meaning in story. This then is typically joined by a rejection of the meaning derived from propositional truths or its systematic theology. At other times, narrative theology is associated with the idea that we are not primarily to learn principles, rules or laws from Scripture, but rather we are to learn to relate to God, and how to play our part in the greater panorama of our salvation. Other combinations of such a theology are also common. As such, there have been many debates and critics of the narrative or post-liberal theology-centred issues including that of incommensurability, sectarianism, fideism, relativism, and truth. Nonetheless, when used correctly, narrative theology can provide building blocks for systematic theology and for biblical theology (i.e., the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity). Narrative theology teaches that the Bible is seen as the story of God’s interaction with His people. Supporters of narrative theology maintain that this does not mean the Bible doesn’t make propositional truth assertions, but that the primary purpose of Scripture is to record the relationship between God and His people and how we today, in this post-modern world, can continue in this story. This then is to take precedence over the more exacting analysis of systematic theology. Supporters of narrative theology go on to argue that narrative theology is less likely to pull verses out of context to support doctrinal positions. MORE

Simple church 

Simple church involves face-to-face meeting of adults and children who are committed to developing a common life in Christ. They meet weekly in a house, apartment, or other convivial space. More important than the setting is their mutual care for and accountability to one another. As an extended Christian family they desire to sing, pray, learn, share, love, play, and have a meal (which is also their Lord’s supper) together. Through their mutual ministry to one another they learn to identify and use the gifts God had given them and they are therefore more confident in engaging in mission through various individual ministries in their homes, neighborhoods, work places, and wider communities. While they view themselves as church they also recognize the importance of congregating regularly with a larger group of God’s people. Simple churches have prioritized face-to-face relationships and common life to such a degree that their fellowships take forms that are significantly different from traditional churches. Their commitment to community is impressive in that they intentionally limit group size so that members cannot be a part of the church without being truly connected with the church members. more

Postmodernism

Postmodernism seems to mean anything, everything, and nothing. It's today's academic Rorschach blot on which nervous modernists and others project all their fantasies, both benign and terrifying. Whatever they're most afraid of, that's what postmodernism is. On the other hand, whatever they most secretly desire, postmodernism promises. So postmodernism is not one thing. Postmodernism originally referred to specific movements in art and architecture, which reacted to a specific movement called modernism, which happened quite a while ago. Postmodernism itself is no longer as central an issue in art and architecture, and the word has been applied in a number of new ways. For some, postmodernism refers to a renewed attention to "the other," "the marginalized." Many streams of postmodern thought are animated by the desire to do justice to the claims of those whom the dominant culture has excluded politically, economically, and (probably not least of all from the postmodern perspective) rhetorically. That is, they've simply been omitted from the discourse within Western intellectual life. So women, non- northern Europeans, gays, lesbians, and the poor all loom large in the postmodernist consciousness as hitherto unrecognized groups who deserve the same kind of historical and philosophical attention as their polar opposites, which would be wealthy, white, heterosexual men. Second, this attention to the marginalized has led many postmodernists into a profound scepticism toward modernity's assumptions about knowledge, truth, and reason. These postmoderns question the extent to which modernity's attempts to make truth claims is valid. They've discovered that at the base of almost every truth claim is a story, a story that privileges certain groups and marginalizes others. Jean Lyotard, the French champion of many postmodern themes, said that postmodernism requires a suspicion of the overarching stories (often called "meta-narratives") that support our claims of truth. Any claim to know truth or any attempt to commend truth to others is likely to be just a power play, they argue, an attempt to impose one's own meta-narrative in the guise of an absolute truth. In this way, postmodernism is relativist. But it's not relativist across the board, because it actually has a certain perspective, the perspective of the truth claims of the marginalized, who are given quite a lot of validity in the postmodern epistemological scheme. Third, postmodernism is also used to refer loosely to advanced consumer capitalism, in which the prevalence of choice has rendered everything level. Western consumers now find themselves in a sea of options and choices. Everything is relativized in this setting—not so much by the claims of the marginalized or even by a rigorous epistemological process but by your ability to choose anything. Everything is open to you as a consumer. The first sense (concern with the marginalized) and the third sense (consumer capitalism) of postmodern, then, have little to do with each other. Yet both find common ground in radical scepticism about ultimate truth, because that not only emerges from many postmodern thinkers' reading of history, but also makes it easier to be a good consumer. more

Celtic Spirituality-not just chicken soup for the soul

There are ample reasons to be cautious about the Celtic Christian tradition, but it would be a huge mistake to dismiss it as a post-modern fad. Here I speak personally. Exposure to the Celtic perspective on the Christian gospel has been (for both my wife and me) a rich source of recovering basic Christianity. This is not because of any sentimental attachment to the ambience of Scotland, Ireland, or Wales, or any sense of going back to distant ethnic roots. It is rather that some basic Christian insights have been preserved here. Two sorts of sources have helped to convey those insights. The first is a powerful written record of experiencing the triune God. This is nowhere clearer than in that astonishing giant of a hymn called "St. Patrick's Breastplate." The hymn is likely not by Patrick, but it can certainly be traced to the Ireland that he helped influence (most scholars date it to the eighth century). The "breastplate" in the title refers to the hymn's drawing on an ancient—probably pre-Christian—tradition of invoking supernatural help in times of trouble. But here that ancient human response to vulnerability has been gloriously baptised. It begins with an invocation to the Trinity: "I bind unto myself today/the strong name of the Trinity"--and then proceeds, through several verses, to invoke the reality of the whole extended community of creation: the angels and archangels, the saints and patriarchs, even the rocks and the sea. The climax of the hymn (and here both the meter and the tune change) is an appeal to the biblical truth that "all things hold together" in Christ, "without whom nothing was made": Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. Then the hymn returns to the opening invocation: I bind unto myself the name, The strong name of the Trinity, By invocation of the same, The three in one, and One in Three, Of whom all nature has creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word, Praise to the Lord of my salvation Salvation is of Christ the Lord. more

Narrative Theology

TEXT

Narrative theology

Narrative theology is the idea that Christian theology’s use of the Bible should focus on a narrative representation of the faith rather than the development of a set of propositions reasoned from the Scriptures themselves or what is commonly called a “systematic theology.” Basically, narrative theology is a fairly broad term, but often-times it is that approach to theology that primarily looks to the meaning in story. This then is typically joined by a rejection of the meaning derived from propositional truths or its systematic theology. At other times, narrative theology is associated with the idea that we are not primarily to learn principles, rules or laws from Scripture, but rather we are to learn to relate to God, and how to play our part in the greater panorama of our salvation. Other combinations of such a theology are also common. As such, there have been many debates and critics of the narrative or post-liberal theology-centred issues including that of incommensurability, sectarianism, fideism, relativism, and truth. Nonetheless, when used correctly, narrative theology can provide building blocks for systematic theology and for biblical theology (i.e., the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity). Narrative theology teaches that the Bible is seen as the story of God’s interaction with His people. Supporters of narrative theology maintain that this does not mean the Bible doesn’t make propositional truth assertions, but that the primary purpose of Scripture is to record the relationship between God and His people and how we today, in this post-modern world, can continue in this story. This then is to take precedence over the more exacting analysis of systematic theology. Supporters of narrative theology go on to argue that narrative theology is less likely to pull verses out of context to support doctrinal positions. MORE

Simple church 

Simple church involves face-to-face meeting of adults and children who are committed to developing a common life in Christ. They meet weekly in a house, apartment, or other convivial space. More important than the setting is their mutual care for and accountability to one another. As an extended Christian family they desire to sing, pray, learn, share, love, play, and have a meal (which is also their Lord’s supper) together. Through their mutual ministry to one another they learn to identify and use the gifts God had given them and they are therefore more confident in engaging in mission through various individual ministries in their homes, neighborhoods, work places, and wider communities. While they view themselves as church they also recognize the importance of congregating regularly with a larger group of God’s people. Simple churches have prioritized face-to-face relationships and common life to such a degree that their fellowships take forms that are significantly different from traditional churches. Their commitment to community is impressive in that they intentionally limit group size so that members cannot be a part of the church without being truly connected with the church members. more

Celtic Spirituality-not just chicken soup for

the soul

There are ample reasons to be cautious about the Celtic Christian tradition, but it would be a huge mistake to dismiss it as a post-modern fad. Here I speak personally. Exposure to the Celtic perspective on the Christian gospel has been (for both my wife and me) a rich source of recovering basic Christianity. This is not because of any sentimental attachment to the ambience of Scotland, Ireland, or Wales, or any sense of going back to distant ethnic roots. It is rather that some basic Christian insights have been preserved here. Two sorts of sources have helped to convey those insights. The first is a powerful written record of experiencing the triune God. This is nowhere clearer than in that astonishing giant of a hymn called "St. Patrick's Breastplate." The hymn is likely not by Patrick, but it can certainly be traced to the Ireland that he helped influence (most scholars date it to the eighth century). The "breastplate" in the title refers to the hymn's drawing on an ancient—probably pre-Christian—tradition of invoking supernatural help in times of trouble. But here that ancient human response to vulnerability has been gloriously baptised. It begins with an invocation to the Trinity: "I bind unto myself today/the strong name of the Trinity"--and then proceeds, through several verses, to invoke the reality of the whole extended community of creation: the angels and archangels, the saints and patriarchs, even the rocks and the sea. The climax of the hymn (and here both the meter and the tune change) is an appeal to the biblical truth that "all things hold together" in Christ, "without whom nothing was made": Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. Then the hymn returns to the opening invocation: I bind unto myself the name, The strong name of the Trinity, By invocation of the same, The three in one, and One in Three, Of whom all nature has creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word, Praise to the Lord of my salvation Salvation is of Christ the Lord. more

Postmodernism

Postmodernism seems to mean anything, everything, and nothing. It's today's academic Rorschach blot on which nervous modernists and others project all their fantasies, both benign and terrifying. Whatever they're most afraid of, that's what postmodernism is. On the other hand, whatever they most secretly desire, postmodernism promises. So postmodernism is not one thing. Postmodernism originally referred to specific movements in art and architecture, which reacted to a specific movement called modernism, which happened quite a while ago. Postmodernism itself is no longer as central an issue in art and architecture, and the word has been applied in a number of new ways. For some, postmodernism refers to a renewed attention to "the other," "the marginalized." Many streams of postmodern thought are animated by the desire to do justice to the claims of those whom the dominant culture has excluded politically, economically, and (probably not least of all from the postmodern perspective) rhetorically. That is, they've simply been omitted from the discourse within Western intellectual life. So women, non-northern Europeans, gays, lesbians, and the poor all loom large in the postmodernist consciousness as hitherto unrecognised groups who deserve the same kind of historical and philosophical attention as their polar opposites, which would be wealthy, white, heterosexual men. Second, this attention to the marginalized has led many postmodernists into a profound scepticism toward modernity's assumptions about knowledge, truth, and reason. These postmoderns question the extent to which modernity's attempts to make truth claims is valid. They've discovered that at the base of almost every truth claim is a story, a story that privileges certain groups and marginalizes others. Jean Lyotard, the French champion of many postmodern themes, said that postmodernism requires a suspicion of the overarching stories (often called "meta- narratives") that support our claims of truth. Any claim to know truth or any attempt to commend truth to others is likely to be just a power play, they argue, an attempt to impose one's own meta-narrative in the guise of an absolute truth. In this way, postmodernism is relativist. But it's not relativist across the board, because it actually has a certain perspective, the perspective of the truth claims of the marginalized, who are given quite a lot of validity in the postmodern epistemological scheme. Third, postmodernism is also used to refer loosely to advanced consumer capitalism, in which the prevalence of choice has rendered everything level. Western consumers now find themselves in a sea of options and choices. Everything is relativized in this setting—not so much by the claims of the marginalized or even by a rigorous epistemological process but by your ability to choose anything. Everything is open to you as a consumer. The first sense (concern with the marginalized) and the third sense (consumer capitalism) of postmodern, then, have little to do with each other. Yet both find common ground in radical scepticism about ultimate truth, because that not only emerges from many postmodern thinkers' reading of history, but also makes it easier to be a good consumer. more

Gallery

Missions

Plastic surgery is a postmodern veil. Nawal El Saadawi

Gallery

Missions

Plastic surgery is a postmodern veil. Nawal El Saadawi

Celtic Prayer Centre

Dromadabeg

Rathcallan

Ladysbridge

County Cork

Ireland

Whatsapp/Mobile: +353-857168913 Email: info@celticprayercentre.ie Web www.celticprayercentre.ie

Celtic Prayer Centre

Dromadabeg

Rathcallan

Ladysbridge

County Cork

Ireland

Whatsapp/Mobile: +353-857168913 Email: info@celticprayercentre.ie Web www.celticprayercentre.ie