tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35325659261639726022024-03-14T09:07:15.184+01:00To whom it may concernAndreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-86440631337131733062008-04-11T19:07:00.013+01:002008-04-12T17:44:45.893+01:00Some notes on hopeful directions, foundations and practices<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is for those of you that (like me) are looking for ways to navigate as, in (or even out of!) a flawed and struggling church in post-christendom.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The excerpt is from a book called <em>"The secret of the strength: What would anabaptists tell this generation?"</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">---</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>"I am the way and the truth and the life."<br /></em><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>To the Protestants, the Bible was the manifesto, an end in itself. Once they<br />reached an agreement on how to "properly" interpret it, they revered it and treated it with gallant devotion. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>They preached and persecuted and fought mighty wars in defense of the Bible and its doctrines.<br /></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>To the Anabaptists, the Bible was simply the book that took them to Christ.<br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>The Protestants found the "key" to Bible interpretation in the epistles of Paul. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>But </em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>the Anabaptists found it in Christ and his Sermon on the Mount.<br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>The Protestants saw in Paul a great theologian, the expositor of the doctrines of faith and grace. </em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>The Anabaptists saw in Paul a man who forsook everything to become a "fool for Christ's sake." They found community with him in his martyr's death.<br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The Protestants lived to obey their authorities. They spoke much about "Godordained authority" and held their princes and church leaders in highest esteem. </em></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The Anabaptists lived to obey Christ.<br /></em></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The Protestants worked en masse and waited until "everyone was ready" to make<br />changes in religious practice.<br />The Anabaptists did, on first opportunity, what they thought Christ wanted them to do. If no one else joined them, they did it alone.<br /></em></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The Protestants followed a logical course. Theologians, princes and educators planned what to do in a way that made sense.<br />The Anabaptists followed Christ without making plans. That did not make sense. But it was the secret of their great strength. </em></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>And it led them . . .</em></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">---<br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Many of the convictions, offices and practices of the church that we hold in high esteem, perform and find solace in are seriously hampering it´s witness. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">How do we "get it right"?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">We might find some good help from those radical christian groups during the christendom-era who never won the popular vote. One such group was the anabaptists who in its genesis rediscovered healthy practices of discipleship that the reformers failed (or dared not?) to find. (Eventually, hampered by persecution, the anabaptists scattered).</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I recommend those of you who <em><strong>do</strong></em> give a damn about "church" and it´s place in contemporary society to read this compelling book by Peter Hoover! Available as a pdf-file </span><a href="http://elmendorfbooks.com/sos/Sos.pdf"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And why not read Frank Violas and George Barnas </span><a href="http://www.paganchristianity.org/"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">"Pagan Christianity"</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> to take a serious look at the <em>real</em> historical foundations for some current practices of the contemporary church and ask your self the question - <em>Is this the way to do it? </em></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">For a primer on the issue of being "church" in post-christendom, and in investigating hopeful ways of "doing it", I suggest you read </span><a href="http://www.metanoiabooks.org.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1637"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">"Church after christendom"</span></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">by</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">Stuart Murray.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></p></span><p><br /></p>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-47840341406274395892008-03-28T19:43:00.004+01:002008-03-28T20:00:57.733+01:00Right and wrong<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">This <span style="color:#ff6600;"><a href="http://anabaptist.lifewithchrist.org/permalink/40460.html"><span style="color:#ff6600;">post</span></a> </span>by Graham on the Leaving Münster <a href="http://anabaptist.lifewithchrist.org/index.html"><span style="color:#ff6600;">blog</span></a> connects in an interresting way to my <a href="http://andreaswandersson.blogspot.com/2008/03/paraphrase.html"><span style="color:#ff6600;">previous post</span></a> on laying foundations/planting a church, and the core values connected to this practice.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">He´s actually writing the post out of a re-examination on the issue of restorationism provoked by a reading of <a href="http://www.paganchristianity.org/"><span style="color:#ff6600;">"Pagan Christianity"</span></a>, by Frank Viola and George Barna. (A book I´m looking forward to reading myself!)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-32854788858777815332008-03-18T12:10:00.035+01:002008-03-28T21:09:38.532+01:00A paraphrase...<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Here´s a long one for you!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Recently <span style="color:#ff6600;"><a href="http://unitedopen.blogg.se/1202976941_thursday_14th_of_febr.html#comment"><span style="color:#ff6600;">this</span></a> </span>post (from United in Copenhagen), on churchplanting strategies and leadership, appeared on the <a href="http://unitedopen.blogg.se/"><span style="color:#ff6600;">blog</span></a> for the leadership and church growth <a href="http://www.united.nu/index.php?id=493"><span style="color:#ff6600;">conference</span></a> hosted by <a href="http://www.united.nu/"><span style="color:#ff6600;">United</span></a> . Some good stuff there. Some that culturally just wrooms past me...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">And so to the churchplanting and leadership post...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Without <em>any</em> undue disrespect for my fellows in the faith, and without saing that their choice of methodology for "doing church" is necessarily one to disband completely, I want to leave this paraphrase here in order to, let´s say, highlight an <em>other</em> way of building "from scratch". One that is <em>equally</em> rooted in the gospel story i think! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Here we go! (and remember: This is a <em>paraphrase</em>, so read the <a href="http://unitedopen.blogg.se/1202976941_thursday_14th_of_febr.html#comment"><span style="color:#ff6600;">original post</span></a> first!)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">---</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Starting a new fellowship often means: Big vision, lots of enthusiasm and low budget. There are <em>so</em> many things you need to invest in: Paying hostel rooms for homeless people, buying clothes and food for them and paying staff to ride around in cars dispersing the stuff three days a week. You might even need to rent some facilities where we can store up some of the stuff, and eventually hold meetings in.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">We have learnt that caring for the needy (among ourselves and in the city) is high priority!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Here are some practical tips on how to start building up a thriving ministry for the poor in your churchplant from day one.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Divide the total amount of monthly income that you have within the core group, and divide it in to slices.(after rent, food and other running costs are accounted for.) Of the "cake" that is left give: <strong>50%</strong> directly to the needy (including renting storage facilities), <strong>35%</strong> to other mission-initiatives (local and global), <strong>15%</strong> to staff/personell costs and <strong>10%</strong> for miscellanious costs or, possibly, savings.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Have a board of advisers to help you set and decide what in any given situation should be the <em>minimum</em> % given directly to the poor and to missional work. (50% is just my advice here. The church of the first two centuries roughly spent some <em><strong>70-90%</strong></em> of their income directly on the poor!)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em>If</em> you pay staff: Pay well, but <em>never</em> fall into the trap of clericalism that so seriously have distorted the ministry of the church in christendom. (Meaning: Never, unless necessary, have full-time staff. Have people work bi-vocationally so that you can invest your money straight in to the poor and missions. Your way of spending money and how you disperse the "ministry" into everybodys hands and feet has to mirrior a holistic view of how the church can express the "good news".)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Who should you put on salary first? A more open question than many may think it is at first. <em>If</em> you put someone on salary, my suggestion is that it does not necessarily have to be a "senior pastor" or the leader of the team. It could just as well be the peeps working the closest to the poor, or the ones with the largest home (= can fit your gatherings and supply food). It could be a youth worker or someone setting time apart visiting the elderly in your neighbourhood. Talk it through, mine the gospels for guidance, pray and be creative!</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em>Never</em> hire people fulltime <em>unless</em> your missions work or your ministry among the needy eventually requires it! We all "do the stuff". Paying people to comit to a ministry can release creativity and time to do great things, <em>but</em> can just as easily turn people into "experts" thus detering others from regarding themselves as being in "full-time ministry"... which we actually are, everybody, all the time.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em>Take care of the needy!</em> I say it again ´cos it does you no harm to hear it again: <em>Take care of the needy!</em> And take care of those who work the hardest for the kingdom among you, whoever they are and during whatever season in your life as a community it may be! Treat them, and each other, as if they are precious family too you - which they are! It´s hard to succeed in living the life of discipleship without a family/deep relations, so make sure that you care for each other! </span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Well, this is where the paraphrase ends! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I</span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">n no way do I suggest that this is "the way" of doing it (It is, at best, a rough draft!). I´m not claiming that this is "the truth" on this <em>particular</em> bit of laying foundations for a new church but, as I wrote earlier, it is equally rooted in the gospel story! </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I agree that there are many ways of "doing church" that are valid given the context they are in, but at the same time we must be open for critique! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">My position for this particular criticism (in the shape of paraphrase) is <em>not</em> one of clerical power or one based on a theological or ecclesiological splitting of hairs, but rather a humble and slightly uncertain one from the margins. No one needs to listen to me! I am not part of a rapidly growing or "successful" church, rather one struggling in many ways to find out what it actually means to be followers of Jesus together. I have experienced the struggle of being a church leader in a "new church", relating on a personal level to people we may describe as needy and have had some real battles in trying to grapple how I, my family and our church community can connect and serve everyone in our surrounding commuity, <em>especially</em> the poor and needy. I have done this <em>without</em> carrying a salary (bi-vocationally), and have found this a great experience of growing towards a holistic view of "ministry" and church leadership. So it is possible...</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I have to acknowledge, of course, that much of the above probably is true for anyone doing church, but the text that I chose to criticize here, in my humble opinion, lacks some essentials in expressing that reality. A reality any church, anywhere is called to represent - The kingdom of God where the poor, the needy and the socially disadvantaged are due for great attention, financially as well as any other way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">What ar</span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">e your thoughts on this? </span></p>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-236308439885898602008-03-17T00:39:00.003+01:002008-03-17T00:50:31.945+01:00So this is happening<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Well here´s how it´s going to be!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">As of today I have <em>two</em> blogs. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This one remains, but more rarely updated.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The other one, in swedish, will be my main outlet. Welcome <a href="http://andreasweisterandersson.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">there</span></a>!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">As for increasing my activity (as I hoped to do) I´ll have to admit that under current circumstances I won´t have time for more activity than a couple of posts/month, at least for a while longer. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Things are happening in life (and I´ll get back to <em>what</em> is happening in future posts!) that will take up energy and time for the rest of spring.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Thanks everyone for helping me out by voting and suggesting!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-79012369508374757922008-01-28T23:26:00.000+01:002008-01-29T14:41:14.954+01:00A brief update and a reminder<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I have pledged to fast from blogging until early march, and only break this temporarily to remind any reader to vote on the issues raised in <a href="http://andreaswandersson.blogspot.com/2007/12/shape-of-blog-to-come.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">this earlier post</span></a>. Please do! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I´ll just use this space to also mention some reviews of our latest Plunge album <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/AlbumPP.asp?id=931"><span style="color:#ff9900;">"Refreshingly Addictive"</span></a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Both of them are from <a href="http://www.allaboutjazz.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">All About Jazz</span></a> and written by <a href="http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=28216"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Budd Kopman</span></a> and <a href="http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=28177"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Eyal Hareuveni</span></a> respectively.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Israeli Hareuveni in particular seems to have been caught by some <em>"deeper and more mysterious terrains" </em>that<em> </em>the music seems to venture into, and draws some interresting spiritual parallels only possible due to his own cultural and religious heritage?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-13624553559916266252007-12-28T22:12:00.000+01:002007-12-29T19:01:11.455+01:00Hope from The Margins<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>"... we should watch the margins and discover the activity of God in the inner city, on the housing estates, in the prisons, amongst refugee groups... the (-se) movements<span style="font-size:78%;"> (anabaptists, waldensians, the celtic churches etc... my addition!) </span>that were marginalized by the prevailing powers of their time that seem to offer alternative perspectives for a post-christendom society. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>Similarly, we may need to look less to North America and more to the Two-Thirds world for partners, who have already moved out from under colonial patterns, and who can help us understand our own culture and discover more fitting patterns for our society.</em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The emphasis in the coming years must be on contextual missiology and ecclesiology, whisch involves careful listening to those beyond the church walls, and to those prophetic voices on the margins of church life.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Above all, regardless of the shape of new forms of church, we need to refocus on centring the life of the Christian community on Christ. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Jesus was born in poverty and obscurity, and spent much of his life challenging the social pressures to use existing power structures. His way challenges the focus of our attention... we live in a society that is heartily sick of Christianity and the institutional chrurch but that has yet to encounter the radical Jesus. New ways of being church need also to be new ways of telling the story of Jesus and helping people to encounter him...</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">... It may be that the teaching, relationships, values and character of the Jesus of the gospels will be the crucial point of contact with contemporary culture. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">What way of being church will reveal this Jesus to our society?"</span></em><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><strong><a href="http://www.anabaptistnetwork.com/node/91"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Stuart Murray</span></a></strong> and <strong>Anne Wilkinson-Hayes</strong> in the closing notes of <strong><em>"Hope from the margins"</em></strong>. Find it <a href="http://books.ekklesia.co.uk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=64&products_id=1046"><span style="color:#ff9900;">here</span></a> or <a href="http://www.trotank.se/?page=products&subPage=bookHFM"><span style="color:#ff9900;">here</span></a> (in swedish).</span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-35228900395326968732007-12-13T12:26:00.000+01:002008-01-28T23:48:29.679+01:00The shape of The Blog to come<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Some notes on publishing ratio and comments on this blog.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>One</em> of the reasons I don´t publish stuff that often on this blog is obviouisly the fact that english is my second language. Since most people that read this blog are swedish, and therefore in the same seat as me, not many comments are made nor many discussions held. An obvious result!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>An other</em> reason is a slight bent from my side towards crafting articles or short essay:ish material rather than material suitable for an open forum discussion. This takes some time for me and might also, unfortunately, deter people from giving their views.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em>A third</em> reason is the fact that I´ve had long periods since launching the blog where I simply have not had the time to just produce material or engage properly in making this blog into more of a forum... and I´d really like to!</span><br /><br /></div><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">So...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I´m going to try and make some changes to this during winter.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- One aim is to simply publish more short stuff with a rougher edge to take some of the pressure off and enable response and comments. (</span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Brief comments/reflections on my own musical work, brief stories from the journeying of our small community of Jesus followers, brief quotations from other blogs or writers etc...)</span></p><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- Another aim is to publish some longer stuff (essay:ish material) as open inviations to an online discussion. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This will probably include </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">some longer reflections on Jesus Sermon on the mount and the possibilities it opens up for mending vicious cycles in our lives and in our western culture. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">(Probably focusing on conflict solving, non-violent activism and Gods generosity breaking "the myth of scarcity" that rules us more than we know or want to admit!)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- ... of course all of this needs to coincide with me having more time to publish things, and that remains to be seen! It is my sincere ambition though!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This leaves me with the hardest decision. The language! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Lately I´ve been a a bit keen on switching to swedish since this would enable me to work a lot faster and make it simpler for the readers that speak my native tongue to connect and leave comments. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This is where I need some help! What do You think? Switch to swedish or stick to english?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I´m taking a break from blogging january/february (a planned one this time!), so there´s plenty of time to respond! Please do!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Peace!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-36985766516260438122007-12-10T10:39:00.000+01:002007-12-10T18:39:34.549+01:00The art of not ducking the responsibility and joy of obedience<div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">A brief quote.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>"We have listened to the Sermon on the Mount and perhaps have understood it. </em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>But who has heard it aright? </em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>Jesus gives the answer at the end (Matt. 7:24 – 29).</em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>He does not allow his hearers to go away and make of his sayings what they will, picking and choosing from them whatever they find helpful and testing them to see if they work.</em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>He does not give them free rein to misuse his word with their mercenary hands, but gives it to them on condition that it retains exclusive power over them. </em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>Humanly speaking, we could understand and interpret the Sermon on the Mount in a thousand different ways.</em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>Jesus knows only one possibility:</em></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><div align="left"><em><br /></em></div></span><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>... simple surrender and obedience, not interpreting it or applying it, but doing and obeying it. </em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><em>That is the only way to hear his word. He does not mean that it is to be discussed as an ideal; he really means us to get on with it."</em></span></div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Dietrich Bonhoeffer</em> </strong>(from the opening of Eberhard Arnolds book "Salt and Light". Download the free e-book <a href="http://www.plough.com/ebooks/SaltandLight.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">here</span></a>!)</span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-71871761818049530932007-11-26T08:43:00.000+01:002007-11-26T08:59:08.288+01:00Beatitudes of buylessness<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A song lyric fitting the season that is fast approaching...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Beatitudes of Buylessness</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>"Blessed are the Consumers, for you shall be free from Living By Products…</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are you who stumble out of branded Main Streets, for you shall find lovers not downloaded and oceans not rising.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed is the ordinary citizen who holds onto a patch of public commons, for you are the New World.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed is the artist who is not corporate sponsored for you shall give birth to warm fronts of emotion and breakthroughs of Peace.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are you who confuse “Consumerism” with “Freedom,” for you shall be delighted to discover the difference.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are the advertisers and commercial celebrities, for you are waiting for the remarkable restfulness of honesty.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are city neighborhoods that people have flown from in fear, for your children shall return to illuminate the dark economy.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are the workers in the supermalls, for the town your employers’ killed shall come back to life!</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed is the breadwinner with out-sourced dreams who sits in the SUV stuck in a Christmas from Hell, this year a gift will set you free</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are the young women in sweatshops, for the things you make will fly you like magic evening gowns to the City of Light</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Blessed are you who disturb the customers, for you might be loving your neighbor."</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">words:bill talen </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">music: william moses</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> (From the motion picture <a href="http://wwjbmovie.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">"What would Jesus buy?"</span></a> featuring <a href="http://www.revbilly.com/features/detail.php?id=61"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Reverend Billy</span></a>)</span></span><br /></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-2417600787811467042007-09-29T10:41:00.000+01:002007-09-29T10:44:07.866+01:00Ko Htike<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Check Ko Htike´s <span style="color:#ff9900;"><a href="http://www.ko-htike.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">blog</span></a> </span>out for dissident reports from inside Burma!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-16388386616302561992007-09-28T11:08:00.000+01:002007-09-30T15:15:31.577+01:00Burma<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Recent <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7010202.stm"><span style="color:#ff9900;">events</span></a> in Burma will not have escaped You I´m sure! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">General <a href="http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=1051"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Than Shwe`s</span></a> government decided on the 15:th of august to increase the price of fuel... big time! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Petrol and diesel prices doubled and the price for compressed gas used to power public transportation buses increased fivefold!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Public transportation prices rose inevetably...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">A grim knock-on/domino effect also upped prices for rice and cooking oil...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The cost of living in an allready poor country now not only grazed the border of the absurd, it crossed it!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">People were pissed off, obviously, and on the 18:th of august main city Rangoon saw the first protest march which numered 400! The largest demonstration in the military regime for nearly twenty years!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">More demonstrations followed and also the inevitable quelling of protests from the regime with police arrests.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">However, demonstrations continued on a smaller scale throughout the country. After a peaceful rally was broken up by force on the 5:th of september and a small number of buddhist monks were hurt the monks began participating in large numbers, effectively making them the moral leadership of the growing protests against the regime.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Lately the violence against the protesters has increased and the ugly face of oppression and brute force has uncovered itself... it is an ugly one!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Also, the five main monasteries have now all been sealed off in an attempt to quench the leadership of the clergy and diminish the thrust of the protests aiming to <em>"wipe the military dictatorship from the land of Burma". </em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">What are we seeing here?</span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em>Violence!</em> Batons cracking heads, bullets fired from close range at <a href="http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=38979&c=1"><span style="color:#ff9900;">japanese journalists</span></a>, monks taken hostage and beaten.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><em>Oppresive action! </em>The increasing prescense of miltary forces, sealing off monasteries, scare tactics, firing bullets over head and dawn to dusk curfews... not to mention the price increase that started everything!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">No one ever said that peacemaking or marching o the streets for justice would get you friends in high places!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The longing for freedom and the peacful marching of people in protest can create nothing but unrest for the Burmese government because it threatens the status quo that it wants but ultimately can never have. The government knows this and acts/reacts accordingly... grabbing hold of what it thinks it owns with the means of guns, threat and censorship.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This is one true face of evil...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Also: What the monks have shown us is in many ways (part from the odd way of taking government officials hostage on one occasion!) the essence of what moral leadership is - Its about leading the way through <em>action and practice</em>. In this case by heading up the demonstrations and displaying the cost of freedom and justice with their own wounds!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">That sounds familiar.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Who made that example with his own life?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Who made that the ultimate way of life and action for anyone where justice and freedom is lacking and violence and oppressive action are commonplace?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">It´s a bit odd that buddhist monks (my prejudice was that they were "politically" passive!) and ordinary burmese people in the midst of a violent crisis so powerfully reminds me of the way of Jesus. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Yes, a bit odd, but their courage energizes me!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">And...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Tonight, presenting the third night of the <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/ArticleDisplay.asp?id=955"><span style="color:#ff9900;">KOPAFestival</span></a>, I´ll be wearing <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/382199.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">red</span></a>!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Than Shwe! The world is watching!</span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-17645686097839299072007-09-17T18:36:00.001+01:002007-09-17T18:51:34.184+01:00Odessa and Kopasetic<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">The following weeks will be busy indeed.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Tomorrow (as part of a group of five) I leave for Odessa in the Ukraine to support and serve some people bravely trying to be followers of Jesus there, far away from their native swedish culture.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">When we get back next week the <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/ArticleDisplay.asp?id=955"><span style="color:#ff9900;">KOPAFestival</span></a> gets going where I´ll be doing a solo performance as well as a concert with <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/AlbumPP.asp?id=931"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Plunge</span></a> and <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/Musician.asp?id=525"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Bobo Stenson</span></a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-5392455143718659632007-09-17T16:41:00.000+01:002007-09-17T18:34:29.356+01:00Breakfast in bed as sustainable consumption<span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I recently celebrated my 32:nd birthday and was woken up at 6 a.m by lovely <a href="http://www.myspace.com/annaweisterandersson"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Anna</span></a> in a fashion fitting a disipline of consumption we´ve been trying to consiously embrace since this summer. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This lovely woman served me a delicious </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">chocolate cake from <a href="http://www.barista.cc/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Barista</span></a> and also gave me a grey sweater from <a href="http://www.umabazaar.se/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Uma Bazaar</span></a> (imported through <a href="http://www.kuyichi.com/kuyichi"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Kuyichi</span></a>). A café and a store that both attempt to make fair trade and organic food/clothes more commonplace.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I call this a "discipline" for two reasons:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- First: The somewhat "negative" sense of "restraint of trade" and conscious behaviour in the word is a true one. We have found it difficult at times <em>not </em>to buy the often cheaper (and commercially more accessible) products that we enjoy and crave. Buying the more <em>realisticly</em> priced fairtrade and organic products limits our possibilities to consume and therefore asks serious questions to a society and cultur that is largely driven by consumerism. Questions that I suggest might have to to with the justice apparent in what Jesus calls "The Kingdom of God".</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- Second: "Discipline" and discipleship are, in a deep sense, related words. Being a follower of Jesus (a disciple)means taking on disciplines that transform You and reveal a healthy and sustainable way of life. A life reflecting this "Kingdom of God" in our everyday lives. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The most reasonable way to live in any circumstance one might say. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">My wife reminded me of that while celebrating my birthday with a chocolate cake breakfast in bed</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-62641894055026031972007-09-07T13:54:00.000+01:002007-09-10T12:19:05.835+01:00Dr King said it well<p><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b80Bsw0UG-U"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b80Bsw0UG-U" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><em>"... My ministry is in obedience to the one who loved his enemies so fully that He died for them...</em></span><em><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >There will be no meaningful solution until some attempt is made to know these people and hear their broken cries..."</span></em><br /><em><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span></em><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >Some core sentences from Dr Martin Luther Kings speech on why he was opposed to the Vietnam-war! It is almost 40 years old and has its context in the USA, but still speaks straight in to any conflict of man on any scale with painful truth and clarity.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >Hearing Dr Kings confession of foundation and point of reference for action, I can be nothing but astonished and humbled.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >And only one thing can be suggested for action wherever there is violence, opposition and war. </span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >Not the politics of neutrality or flip-floping</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >Not the agressive politics of war.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >... But only the costly embrace of the enemy and the recognition of their brokeness. The embrace of the soldier, the bully, he/she who is a thorn in your side, the strangers whom we demonize...</span> </p><p><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >This is love</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >The urging to love our enemies is not about gaining a sentimental affection to people we don´t like - or even hate. It is an urging to be like Jesus, to embrace his vocation and to walk the walk of life His way.</span> </p><p><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Offer to serve your enemy!</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >Dr King knew this and he embraced it and faced pain of his own. </span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >Being a follower of Jesus, he counted that as a privilege.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" >I hope I can someday reach that maturity as a man.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><br /></p><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-26466648347822225952007-08-13T10:03:00.000+01:002007-08-13T15:36:28.583+01:00At one with the tide<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">The fruits of gigging and recording with Niklas Hegfalk are now available on <span style="color:#ff9900;"><a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=63936633"><span style="color:#ff9900;">his My Space</span></a> </span>site (Titled "At one with the tide). </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Take a listen to his heartfelt and sincere music... and check out that (slightly less than) virtuoso drummer.</span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-22924684086563813232007-08-05T12:23:00.000+01:002007-09-06T13:13:31.199+01:00More Bergman and cocoa related hope<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Some more on the passing of Ingmar Bergman and the Italian moviemaker Michelangelo Antonioni. Read <a href="http://www.godisnotelsewhere.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Gareth Higgins</span></a> blog on <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/08/gareth-higgins-antonioni-and-b.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">God´s politics</span></a> that deals with spiritual growth and artistic expressions while musing on the artistry of theese two movie icons.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Also: Being finally moved to action through experiencing the chasm between the raw deal for Ivorian cocoa farmers and the just rule of God (see a <a href="http://andreaswandersson.blogspot.com/2007/08/cocoa-related-hope.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">previous blog</span></a>), me and some friends are moving towards some kind of microfinance enterprise in the Ivory Coast. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">So please:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Pray for us to be able to sustain this idea into action.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Encourage us to do it. Urge us even...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-90714582702253777122007-08-01T10:24:00.000+01:002007-08-18T21:43:22.274+01:00Cocoa related hope<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This morning i saw a short documentary on BBC World called </span><a href="http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/ProgrammeFeature.aspx?id=106&FeatureID=299"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ff9900;">"Bittersweet"</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> . And it did indeed leave me with just that mixed taste in my mouth. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The short recap of it is this:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The Ivory Coast is the single largest export country for cocoa beans in the world. The demand for cocoa products has steadily increased since the 80:s but the money paid to the farmers has stayed the same thus creating a huge gap between demand and salary. With increasing demand, cocoa farmers are getting poorer and the working conditions are getting worse - many working for <em>minimum or no wages</em> and many are child laborers forced to work and away from school to support their families. In 2003 there was approximately <em><strong>103.000</strong></em> child laborers working in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in what has been described as the worst form of child labour.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">In 2001 a bill was passed in the US congress obliging the chocolate industry not to use child slave labour in the process of harvesting cocoa beans. The result has so far been poor or none.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">About the mixed taste then:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A <em>bitter</em> taste - coming from the (in many ways unvoluntary!?) sad numbness of the big corporation (<em><span style="font-size:78%;">Nestlé ,Cargill</span></em>) ceo:s and the middle men (those who buy and sell the unrefined product), the hunger </span><span style="font-size:85%;">for profit disregarding the suffering of others (minimum or no-wage workers in the cocoa plantations) and the fact that I, as a consumer, for so many years never realised that my sweet tooth was being pleased by and through someone elses slave like labour.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">This, using the language of theology, is - evil! </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">It is proof of a broken world</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">More on taste now:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A <em>sweet</em> taste - from the fact that there <em>are</em> congressmen and faitrade company ceo:s that <em>want</em> to make a change even if it will end up doubling the retail prices for our favourite Twix-bars and M&M:s. A sweet taste also from the fact that my knowledge of who my "neighbour" is allows me to participate in a change. A change and an<em> activity</em> (You might even say way of life) that Jesus calls <em>"The rule of God"</em> . (or The Kingdom of God/heaven)</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">This rule is about justice. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The kind of justice that operates on behalf of the poor and powerless (or slave-laborers on cocoa plantations) and <em>opposes</em> the numbness and greed that put them into that kind of life. This justice - and the way of life it is significant of - creates an opportunity for me and you to buy chocolate (or tea, coffee, rice, sugar, fruit, clothes etc) that provides decent wages, decent education and freedom to people that are now on minimum or no-wage and risk staying there the rest of their lives. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">However, we might think of<em> an opportunity</em> as something that <em>we </em>make a buck out of rather than ending up paying doubled prices for our favourite choc-bars. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">It´s a matter of identity. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Jesus speaks about neighbour love, and when he does that his focus is not on me (suprise?). It´s on my neighbour and on how God sees him/her. I can only <em>be my true self</em> if I stop "reflecting on me" first, and instead take on the identity of a generous, neighbour-loving God and see to my neighbours needs.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">So who is my neighbour in a globalized world, a glocal village?</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If God´s rule is about justice, then I´m pretty sure <em>one</em> of my neighbours must be that 10 year old boy harvesting cocoa beans for no wage, missing out on a proper education. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">My <em>opportunity </em>then, to promote the just rule of God (read: In this case decent wages, educational possibilities etc) is to stop and to start!</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Stop </em>buying stuff that is not fairly and ethically traded! </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Start</em> buying stuff that is <a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">fairly</span></a> and etichally traded and start looking for <em>opportunities</em> to promote justice in your global neighbourhood. Why not write some letters to the ceo:s of <a href="http://www.nestle.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Nestlé</span></a> and <a href="http://www.cargill.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Cargill</span></a>?</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Those are the <em>basics!</em></span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Basics</em> folks...</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Further steps might include: </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Getting your group of close friends, your church or company to start or support <a href="http://www.grameenfoundation.org/welcome/microfinance/?gclid=CLnf1IuL1I0CFRo9EAodPQ2WYQ"><span style="color:#ff9900;">microfinance</span></a> <a href="http://www.aerdo.org/resources/organizations/christian_microcredit.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">enterprises</span></a>. Taking a decision (and this is "mandatory" for churches only...) on spending 50% of your money on work among, and on behalf of, the poor and powerless in and outside of your local community. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Actually it seems that the church of the first two centuries largely <em>did that</em> in one way or another ... well actually they seem to have spent far more than 50%, but let´s start somewhere managable shall we?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">You can find a <a href="http://www.globalexchange.org/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Global Exchange</span></a> document on the situation in The Ivory Coast, on child labour, fairtrade and the chocolate industry <a href="http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/chocolatereport05.pdf"><span style="color:#ff9900;">here</span></a>.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-64051643282714269982007-07-31T18:35:00.000+01:002007-07-31T22:15:44.736+01:00Random musings on pike-fishing and the sad passing of a director<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">What to do? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It´s been a long time since I last blogged and I stand before the choice of giving a full account of my summer so far or simply picking up where i left off. I´ll do the latter... primarily.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Yesterday swedish moviemaker/director icon <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/235714.stm"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Ingmar Bergman</span></a> passed away, and the world is a poorer place for it. Allthough his art never became a huge direct influence on me, the <em>indirect </em>influence has surely been noticeable. Not the least the way many of his films reflect the struggles of coming to grips with the morally strict and legalistic upbringing provided by his father Henrik who was a christian minister. This has informed many discussions on faith and the structured chruch that I´ve had.</span> <span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Moreover, Bergmans view of the church and, given by that, the character of God has helped form the debate and cultural climate in an increasingly post-christian sweden more than many may think.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">To put it simply - Bergman arrived at the fact that God could not exist because of all the evil, all the moral uptightness and the lack of passion for the creative that he faced in/through his own father and this, allthough far from exclusively due to Bergmans influence, has become a popular image of christians. They are people of lacking and negative responses: No passion, no foul language, no movies, no theatre, no abortions, no, no, no...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">This saddens me. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I allways thought that followers of Jesus would <em>mend</em> wounds not cause them! I thought that "church" ment a group of people sharing the mission of being good news in any given community and culture and time. Good news for the poor, the opressed and marginalized, the sick. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I thought "church" reflected Gods love through caring for the poor, the opressed and marginalized by sharing its life with them and speaking on their behalf. I thought that "church" ment spending time with the sick, caring and praying for them and even seeing some healed beyond the expectations of scholastic medicine.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I thought that "church" had to do more with saying <em>yes</em> to God and the work of love he wants to see than <em>no, no, no...</em></span><em><br /></em><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">I thought that "church" was <em>passionate</em> about that...</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">saying <em>yes</em> to God!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">What if Ingemar Bergmans dad had been like that? Would the world ever have seen a master-director from Sweden portraing the death of God and the dissolution of "church"? Or could the world have seen a man, imitating his dad rather than distancing himself from him, giving his life to be with the poor, the outcasts, the marginalized and the sick? It is likely (but not necessary!) the latter option would have left him without the Oscars and the artistic acclaim, but which is the most beautiful? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">You decide.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">What about the part of the summer that has not been blogged about then? Does that exist? </span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The two weeks we spent in </span><a href="http://www.kalix.se/"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff9900;">Kalix</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">? - They were lovely simply because nothing happened! Nothing? Well, we did some</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> pike-fishing and read some books...</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxJhwxaqkZWzsvWspQKBpRcdTEP7hVry7pSg0HFHpgBecQgfhR-MijsbQqTLBAxYwPfJTWD7D93McwWQQMYwepoLNNzKQV0G9vMfyL726XjnXdKOZT3kjtH2Efs1kjfNSxJzDKavlxEpy/s1600-h/P6270055.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093432945372136146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxJhwxaqkZWzsvWspQKBpRcdTEP7hVry7pSg0HFHpgBecQgfhR-MijsbQqTLBAxYwPfJTWD7D93McwWQQMYwepoLNNzKQV0G9vMfyL726XjnXdKOZT3kjtH2Efs1kjfNSxJzDKavlxEpy/s200/P6270055.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And what about the 10-day concerttour of the american midwest, </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">and the week of meeting other Jesus followers and leading seminars on "The post-christendom church" at the Nordic Vineyard summercamp? - I´ll return to them in future blogs, directly or indirectly. Promise!</span></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-54596969363773042282007-07-01T17:40:00.000+01:002007-07-31T11:18:29.105+01:00Politics of terror and politics of peace<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">As Mr Tony Blair now officially has resigned from his position as british prime minister and Gordon Brown has stepped in, I feel an urge to restate some thoughts published on this blog in early may. The questions posed there seem all the more urgent regarding the terror-related <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6259354.stm"><span style="color:#ff6600;">events of late</span></a> in britain. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Read the blog <a href="http://andreaswandersson.blogspot.com/2007/05/tony-blair-has-announced-that-his.html"><span style="color:#ff6600;">here</span></a></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-64827554754733299212007-06-19T10:35:00.000+01:002007-07-01T17:38:58.944+01:00James<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExuAW6k1vcuspOE3zvkI3rBuDQJE9oTchgOGEZKZsjAY_O1s8pRsimWSFZO_R27iWKVvf5v5vX5vQitKXMr3bdCvtBuiPSLaHZXp2ZD8DkdpLx5lRPc1mn9yWfXZ1ga6D9DqWUJBBw5fv/s1600-h/James.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077711558278383970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExuAW6k1vcuspOE3zvkI3rBuDQJE9oTchgOGEZKZsjAY_O1s8pRsimWSFZO_R27iWKVvf5v5vX5vQitKXMr3bdCvtBuiPSLaHZXp2ZD8DkdpLx5lRPc1mn9yWfXZ1ga6D9DqWUJBBw5fv/s200/James.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">One year has passed since James died. It was a death too early, too tragical and too surprising to really grasp at the time. We’d just met the day before and James, being low and uncertain about some work decisions, wanted to talk about things and pick up some additional advice on what to do. We parted, hugging, aiming to talk the next day and perhaps meet up for a coffee. We ended up not getting in touch, as sometimes happens, and two days later James older brother phoned me to let us know that James had died. At that point me and Anna had already left for my parents some 1600 kilometres away from Malmö, making the early stages of grieving a very surreal experience.<br /><br />I miss him so much!<br /><br />I miss a good and loyal friend<br />I miss an honest and truth-telling man.<br />I miss a gifted poet.<br />I miss a passionate Jesus-follower.<br />I miss a man critical, in word and practice, of a nauseating “christendom-culture” too often prevalent in contemporary churches.<br />I miss a man whom I did not always agree with, in thought or practice, but someone I never feared loosing as a friend on account of that.<br />I miss a man who dared criticise my life decisions and dared take criticism himself.</span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I miss the man who hugged me and said “- See you later then…”</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Yes, see You later James!</span></div>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-24211746866354604752007-06-10T14:26:00.000+01:002007-07-02T19:13:25.753+01:00Off to USA and The Ukraine<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Sometimes it seems like everything happens at once! Since thursday afternoon a number of things have left the "uncertain" or "maybe" box and jumped straight to the neighbouring box of "definitely happening".</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">In short, this is what has transpired:</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- On thursday afternoon I found out that I will be made redundant from my job as a p.a for a disabled man effective june 25:th! It has been a journey of seven years as a p.a and a journey of humbling, great learning and social barriers crossed for me! Most of all I have gained a good friend in the guy I have worked with. Thanks man!</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">- Knowing that I would not be working in july made me and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/annaweisterandersson"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Anna</span></a> decide on joining Christoffer Wallins amateur big band for a trip to USA on july 9 - 18. Anna has been a regular in their concerts of late and I´ve been helping out with sectionplaying and taking some solos on the odd occasion. They <em>needed</em> to know if we were coming on thursday afternoon as they had to finalize the flight-tickets then. So I called my work, got the notice to leave and now we´re off to the midwest! Funny...</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;">- I also took the decision to leave for a week-long trip to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Odessa</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> in the Ukraine in late september. I´ll be joining a small group from our </span><a href="http://malmo.vineyard.se/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">fellowship of Jesus followers</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> as they travel to aid and support a recently started community of faith there. I´m not sure exactly what i´ll be doing, but a good guess is some bible teaching and leading discussions on that alongside some social work. I´m really looking forward to going as this type of work is something I´m very passionate about!</span></div><br /></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-7991246742846023242007-05-31T13:27:00.000+01:002007-07-01T17:39:22.813+01:00Waiting for the Plunge<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Well, it seems the release of the new <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/Contents.asp?id=479"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Plunge</span></a> album will be delayed until late summer as the process of manufacturing (printing etc) has dragged on a bit more than expected. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">We won´t have time to do a proper releasegig before we all disperse for summer (with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/peternilssonmusic"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Peter</span></a> actually moving home-base to New York for the rest of 2007) so we´ll have to do it in early autumn when he is back for a month of gigs (including the <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/ArticleDisplay.asp?id=812"><span style="color:#ff9900;">KOPAFestival</span></a>)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The album will of course be available in stores and from the <a href="http://www.kopasetic.se/Default.asp?id=3"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Kopasetic website</span></a> well before that, but we´ll put a hold on the pr machinery until later...</span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-24705471281850000812007-05-29T16:39:00.000+01:002007-07-01T17:21:51.239+01:00Following Jesus after christendom<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">As <a href="http://malmo.vineyard.se/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">we</span></a> (for now!) have all but finished working with Jesus "sermon on the mount" as a paradigm for everyday life and practice I am now in the early stages of preparing some seminars for the <a href="http://www.vineyard.se/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Nordic Vineyard Church</span></a> movement.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">At this years Vineyard Nordic <a href="http://www.vineyard.se/digitalAssets/191_742_Vineyard2007_web.pdf"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Summer camp</span></a> I´ll try and adress <em>some </em>hopeful ways forward for being church/followers of Jesus, and for a healthy theological reflection on life in <a href="http://www.postchristendom.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">post-christendom</span></a> europe (in this case scandinavia). This will take place under the title <em>"Pushed aside or liberated"? </em>(- Finding hopeful practices of discipleship and a sustainable theology in post-christian scandinavia)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">In february 2008 I will participate in a weekend of seminars in the <a href="http://kbh.vineyard.dk/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Copenhagen Vineyard</span></a> focused on various ways to reflect theologically about healing (physical, relational, emotional). The fancy title is: <em>"What do You want me to do for You?"</em> (- Christological perspectives on mission and healing in a post-christendom context)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">If You have reflections on the above or suggestions for issues that You find important concerning theese subjects, please feel free to respond to this post! I´m happy to recieve Your suggestions!</span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-2502888320069053012007-05-29T16:14:00.000+01:002007-07-01T17:22:16.097+01:00Visits and weddings<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">It´s great to see old friends! This week <a href="http://jonathanmorgan.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Jonathan</span></a> has been over from Wales for Helena and <a href="http://limpistol.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Christoffers</span></a> wedding + some leisure time in his up-til recent home, Sweden. The peak of his visit was (arguably) his first time visit to <a href="http://www.ribban.com/"><span style="color:#ff9900;">kallbadhuset</span></a>, the sauna and relaxation facility situated at the Ribersborg beach in Malmö. The temperature sniffed at 25 degrees and the sun was out.... mmm, lovely!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">And the wedding? A great day in Kivik filled with old and new friends, a warm ceremony, lovely music, great food and of course Helena and Chris themselves!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99YTBNMfyHjhZcRLGajnLWjcggWvM64Bs65lm-eIWDjhHji5V5Z0hABdk2HQLxb5ZKd3d3dIGObCN045T-Wp1CPTOOurZczUeGjKWKu3ltrygQLwzQlcJxmki-F2mlxmPDv-2KtQqE_PF/s1600-h/Helena+och+Christoffer+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070010254959527378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99YTBNMfyHjhZcRLGajnLWjcggWvM64Bs65lm-eIWDjhHji5V5Z0hABdk2HQLxb5ZKd3d3dIGObCN045T-Wp1CPTOOurZczUeGjKWKu3ltrygQLwzQlcJxmki-F2mlxmPDv-2KtQqE_PF/s200/Helena+och+Christoffer+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532565926163972602.post-82607316347443526492007-05-25T08:01:00.000+01:002007-07-01T17:22:36.986+01:00Anna<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Finally my darling wife Anna has joined the addictive quasi-community of MySpace. Go visit <a href="http://www.myspace.com/annaweisterandersson"><span style="color:#ff9900;">her site</span></a> right now for some soulful and heartfelt gospelmusic!</span></div>Andreas W Anderssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00547542790871950856noreply@blogger.com0