A good assesment of the Church in the west and thoughts on allowing for renewal (A Public Lecture by Justin Duckworth (the dreaded Bishop of Wellington)

I don't have much to say on this I simply want to point people to a challenging and encouraging lecture (I know sounds strange right). Laidlaw College very graciously have placed their public lecture by Justin Duckworth the Bishop of Wellington online.

I found it to be a good and helpful and hopeful assessment of where the church is at... in New Zealand and the western world. Duckworth is straight up when he says that the church is 'compormised, flabby and idoliterous' but also moves straight to hope in that this has always been the wrestle we've had (and reading through Judges at the moment for my daily devotions I can see it in historically with God's people way back). Hope comes from Duckworth's look at history when movements have risen up to bring the church back to faithfulness to Christ. He mentions the desert fathers, the Franciscans and in passing the Methodists and Salvation Army... Suggesting even Hillsong could be seen as one such group in the area of church music... The main point he is making is that these just may be apostolic movements, God moments that call the church back to Fidelity.

What I found very useful was Duckworth's reflections on how to foster and encourage these movements. I found myself grieving when he outlined the process by which the church domesticates is dreamers and people who God calls to be on the edge. There were parts in that story that I could relate to, painfully. But there was also wisdom and hope as Justin Duckworth talked about how to nurture and give liberty for fresh vision and passion for Christ to arise, and how those in the church can both support and protect such movements.

Here is the link to the video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_dmNkuouvs