I am scrolling through my Facebook feed and it seems to me that every Christian Network I am still a part of has become a battleground where arguments for and against a positive inclusive stance on LGBTQ issues are wielded as weapons to prove that the other side is heretical. There seems to be a…
The mind is a curious thing, every time we think we know something or someone the knowledge becomes cemented, static and we file it away for storage. The trouble is that life is change and anything cemented, static is dead. This is why life can only be found in our unknowing, changeable and in the…
Today I want to talk about transfiguration, it is a big religious word that ranks right up there with eschatology and soteriology and yet, I think, should be part of our daily practice as Christians. Transfiguration, from Latin transfiguratio, is primarily a religious term, and refers to the experience of momentary divine radiance. The most…
We live in a secular society, which for most people means separation of church and state. We have this idea that church simply should not be political or involve itself in matters of state. In the same way we have this notion that church has nothing to do with science and that science have nothing…
The text was supposed to read: I Love you! But in It’s infinite wisdom my smart phone decided to autocorrect it to: I live you! At first it frustrated me, it happened over and over again in all kinds of texts, updates, blog posts, the word love corrected to live. And then the point began…
Anyone who has seriously read their bible knows this is true. There are no clear doctrines found in the bible. If this was the case then all churches would adhere to the same set of doctrines but as we all know the universal Christian church has split into countless fractions all over tiny (or sometimes…
We all know we need closeness, connection and human touch, here are ten reasons why we should intentionally introduce embracing, hugging and cuddling as a practice in our lives. After you read this post of why, think about how you will implement the art of long embraces and cuddles in your daily life and community.…
I am guessing that when one is turning forty it is normal to look back and evaluate, how far one has come and what has prompted ones development thus far. In one sense I don’t think that my fortieth is any different from any other birthday, it simply is another step forward. Still I look…
I don’t know how it happened, but it did. Suddenly I was forty and the numbers on the cake do not lie. It is strange to wake up and realise that my body is forty even though on the inside I still feel like seventeen. I have had a great week, last tuesday (my birthday)…
I have been asked over and over again why I joined TSA (the Salvation Army) and why I insist on remaining in TSA. I remember sitting at WBC (William Booth College in London) at a lecture given by the leader of the methodists of England, he said that the only thing that gives a religious…
During the last couple of years many friends and people I do not yet know have told me to beware the slippery slope. They have in no uncertain terms let me know that if I start questioning the tradition bound given truths of the church that I would eventually loose my faith. Today having wandered,…
So, here we are. Many words have been written and countless comments have been made on and off site. Many topics have been discussed and now I find myself a bit lost. where do we go from here? So dear reader, what do you think. If you read this blog, what would you like to…
I am watching a fellow Salvationist lament on the LGBTQ oppressive teaching they are getting at a Salvation Army event. I grieve with here and cringe inwardly at the damage being done in yet another Bible study where no consideration is being given to the possibility of HBTQ people in the room. At the same…
The Song of songs is a much debated and unique book in the Old Testament. It is near impossible to find consensus on any statement about the book except that it is unique. The book has no parallel in the rest of the Jewish or Christian Canon. It becomes difficult to assert anything about authorship,…
The last couple of days I have spent at Subverting the norm II, a conference about radical theology, postmodernism and the church. It has been three days of deconstruction, radical thought and repentance. It has been such a privilege and honour to spend three days with some of the greatest theologians involved in this ongoing…
Steve Chalke, theologian, author and leader of Oasis Church has decided to break the silence and believe out loud. It is encouraging to see that more and more evangelical leaders are stepping up to the plate, ready to take a stand for christlike inclusion and justice. If you want to read the longer (and annotated…
The conversation goes on and on, and we toss around words that are loaded with presuppositions, the verb “to believe” is not the least of them. I have written extensively about this, but it seems it’s a topic worth another go. What does it mean to believe, to have faith and to be faithful? I…
I was asked last week, why do I blog? Do I have a need to be heard, seen or is it something else? This has led me to reflect on why I am writing this blog, I have come up with a few answers to the question. I write because I need to see my…
A dear friend and mentor wrote: You ask whether your post will make you an outcast from the Christian community. I hope it does not because we could do with a dose of clear thinking, careful theological reflection, and honesty on this subject, and others. Of course, the Christian community cannot bear such questions because,…
The biggest problem with wearing a mask is that as long as we wear it only the mask receives love. The psychology is as simple as it is diabolical, I know that what I am presenting is not real me, therefore I also know that the person you are loving is not really the real…
Yesterday we had the honour of having two good friends on furlough visit us at work. We sat down for an hour and talked about the church where they where now serving, life in general and much, much more. In the middle of our conversation they told us an incredible story (and I mean that…
So if you been following this blog for a while, you may have noticed the silence of late. There are many reasons for this. For one, I have been ill with strep throat although it is of course entirely possible to blog while you are ill. No the silence is due to the fact that…
“God is not sexual” my friend stated matter-of-factly. It is odd that he did because he also does not believe in god. How the god he does not believe in can be, or not be, anything is beyond me. It is a common notion though to separate the divine from the worldly. It is even…
Every now and then I post something like this. It is always with one tablespoon shame and a teaspoon of hope. It’s with a handful of trepidation and some good old fashioned fear thrown in for good measure. I read a lot, if you know me and hang out with me, then you know that…
I don’t know how I never saw it; One of the tenets of classical biblicism is faithfulness, I mean I even have it tattooed on my body, inked onto my skin so as to never forget. It is a label given to me by the voice of god on top of a mountain in wales.…
Geek as I am, I have stumbled upon “Pirate Box” and realised i must build one (and I shall, and I will, and it will show up at a cafe near you, if you are anywhere near Malmö, Sweden.) However as I am home still something sick and I can’t start this exciting project right…
Following many words and much wrestling with the scriptures, doctrines, and my own faith, I have come to find, that no matter how I read the biblical text, I can never escape from my commission to love the Lord with all my soul, with all my heart and with all my strength. And to love…
Last night I passed the mythical 50.000 word mark on my novel S-tech – Soul Filter. The novel is not yet finished although it is definitely on the last stretch. The few who have read the first part of the book are asking for more so I guess I need to decide whether I should…
It is that time of the year again. Time to realise I have gotten older and ask myself what I did with the last year. As it turns out I have done quite a lot and think I may have much in the last year to be thankful for. I am in the middle…
So here we are week one of NaNoWriMo over, so far so good, I logged 18.000 words in the first week which si the longest piece of writing I have ever written. I feel a bit like Sam Gamgee when he stops and says: “This is it, if I take one more step, it’ll be…
As every other wannabe writer, I have a whole drawer full of ideas for books, both novels and theological fiction.It has always been my aspiration to put these ideas into action and publish some of them. As every other wannabe writer I have been putting this of for years. So I have decided this year…
From Wikipedia: Piracy is a war-like act committed by non-state actors (private parties not affiliated with any government) against other parties at sea. The term applies especially to acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. People who engage in these acts are called pirates. What could this possibly have to do with Christianity? Christianity…
The old ram trotted past the weird couple walking ahead. An old man and his adolescent son, fear and angst reeking of the uprights, making their way up the old mountain path. The ram didn’t worry, he was to old. And certainly to old to care. He new it was his time, but each time…
I was in the middle of conversation at Street Church during the Malmö festival that the thought struck me. The word just popped into my head and fit so nicely on the tongue. Bonsai Christians. For those of you who are confused, Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing a plant in a tray (Bon…
We are talking about homosexuality, grace, church at the corps right now. It is astounding to note how much bad theology and how sloppy exegesis we have let become the foundation of our stance on the issue of homosexuality. It is scary to realise that we have let a handful obscure (hard to translate with…
Listen! View at audioboo.fm
So I am having a Conversation with Peter Baranowsky on Facebook about Love Wins and I am getting duly frustrated. I am probably not frustrated with Peter (whom I respect and love) but more so with the position that Peter and many of his fellow evangelicals have taken against … Against Rob Bell, against Emergent…
Here are my chapter by chapter reviews of Bells book Love Wins. Chapter 1: So far Bell is asking all the right questions. The questions we have all asked or wanted to ask, or perhaps been told not to ask depending on our particular church culture. They are uncomfortable questions, that will fill you with…
Have you ever loaned a book to someone who take ages to return the book? Have you ever loaned a book to someone who never returned it? Have you ever had someone you don’t really know ask to borrow a book and you hesitated to loan it in case you wouldn’t get it back? Enter…
What a brilliant day! When I logged in to my mail account I see that my preorder of Rob Bell’s much disputed book “[amazon_link id=”006204964X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Love Wins[/amazon_link]” and lo and behold Brian Mclaren’s new book “[amazon_link id=”0061854018″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Naked Spirituality[/amazon_link]” was autodelivered to my [amazon_link id=”B002FQJT3Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]kindle[/amazon_link].…
It all started with me reading Gaunt’s Ghosts and the omnibus being to big to hold comfortably in one hand. That combined with the fact that Hanna does not like me to read in bed (the light disturbs her) made me get Stanza for the iphone. I didn’t think I would like to read electronically…
Walking down the street with Angelina, we are talking about life. I say to her: Did you know that creativity is a gift from God. Angelina smiles and replies: Cool, that means I get new gifts from God every day….
Here is the resources talk by John Eldredge from Advanced Bootcamp at Frontier Ranch 2010. Find the books here
I wake up Sunday morning, close my eyes in prayer and see a beautiful lake at the foot of a beautiful mountain with snow covered peaks piercing the clouds. My vision is back! I can feel peace and a quiet strength inside as I walk to the last session of the weekend. We worship and…
I look at the calendar, it’s the first of December!? Really? You have got to be kidding me! Where did the time go? I am on my way to Colorado for Advanced. Yet again I feel rushed, not ready. I was going to prepare, read some books, pray, ask God for advance words. Instead I…
I have now completed lesson three wit the girls and I have watched much more of the Bullyproof DVD collection to stay ahead. One thing that strikes me right away is what an awesome system to raise young cowboys and warriors. This system is designed first of all to create a bond between parent and…
So last week I started training Gracie Jiu-jitsu with my girls. Anja is four and Angelina is six years old (Angelina has been cheating by doing a term of Judo first). I signed the girls up at Graciekids and started with the first free sample lesson from the gracie games (crazy horse) and the girls…
At the latest symposium in Atlanta, Schola Saint George instructor, and my mentor was finally recognized as Magistro (the highest rank available in SSG). Here is an excerpt from the SSG website. On May 30, the SSG was proud to make a long-overdue recognition. Colin Hatcher, who was present in the first SSG class in…
It’s always there isn’t it! Today my father was in town and there was talk of them coming by our Sunday service. I spent all the extra energy to make it a spectacular service, after all my dad has never seen me lead a service nor preach, and I was so happy that he would…
I have long tried to envision the day when I finally arrive at the starting blocks. When I can finally say that I have come to the first step of my journey onwards. When you begin with the Martial arts it is a common misconception that the black-belt is the goal of any given art.…
A little while ago I posted this video on youtube: And I got many interesting responses including this insightful comment from my friend and mentor Colin: This is the difference between honour and reputation. A traitor knight has a fine reputation but he has no honour. He cultivates his reputation, which governs all of his…
I was just a little bit nervous as I set out on the journey to Wales. I was not prepared, I hadn’t prayed much leading up to this trip, I hadn’t read anything to prepare me. I was a mess. At the same time I knew that whatever I was in for I already knew…
It has again been a long time since i updated this site. This is not due to lost interest in things chivalrous or that I have abandoned the quest for knighthood. This has been a time of facing up to the latest challenge, stepping out into my calling, my purpose, my dream to create a…
The time has come for Angelina to start school in Sweden, as we do not live in the right neighbourhood where the corps is she will have trouble getting in to the same school as her friends from pre-school. Please pray that the impossible becomes possible for Angelina and that she will be allowed to…
The Apologetics Study Bible by Norm Geisler My rating: 1 of 5 stars This Study Bible while filled with a lot of amazing facts is a very biased book, it promotes a very specific strain of theology and therefore, in my opinion is a poor study bible for the serious bible student or scholar. View…
A lot of geeky posts right now, for that I appologize. But beta testing is fun. It is even more fun when people are doing old things in new and exciting ways. I have had my eyes on bumptop for quite a while. And now the mac alpha version has come out and I have…
Yesterday I posted about my 6 remaining Google wave invites. So far I have not had a single reply. I make one more try. I am looking for people interested in the emergent comversation or churchplanting. If I can find none, then I will randomly select people randomly from my adress book. If you want…
I have now received some invites for google wave. This has been something I have been longing for as the wave is quite boring until you have people to collaborate with. However, it is proving harder than I thought to choose who to invite. Therefore I will extend invites to people who can be beneficial…
I have done some beta testing in the past, mostly games (Anarchy Online, Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft) but now I am having loads of fun beta testing some other stuff. Google Wave So I finally got a google wave invite. Wave looks very promising but it is extremely booring. Having a wave account…
I haven’t posted a tech/geek post in a very long time but now I just feel I have to. As many of you know, I switched to Mac a while back and I must say I am fairly happy with the switch. Together with the switch to mac and getting an iPod came the switch…
My good friend Mackan asked me if I would get him ready for a MMA (mixed Martial Arts) competition in Belgium in October and I could not resist the opportunity to do some ground fighting and to work on my standing game. And while my Fiore Abracare skills are up to specs, I am unsure…
Wow, it has been a long time since I had time to sit down and write a blog post. Do I have time right now? Not really. Be that as it may, here I am writing. Since wrote last I have been to Boston where we had a fabulous SSG gathering and where I graded…
In the midst of our essay madness, apartment hunting and the girls getting ill it is time for another trip. I thought that Rent-A-Don was going to be my only Longsword event this year but as it turns out I will be going to another one. When asked to come to the get together in…
“God has chosen to make known this great message, which had for long ages been a complete secret. It is an unprecedented, radically inclusive message. It is not just for the Jewish people but for people of all cultures. The secret is unspeakably rich and glorious, and here it is – The secret message ,…
Writing my New Testament essay on the Kingdom of God, I fear the Kingdom may fully come before I finish.
We are moving to Malmö (as most of you know) and as it is we still have no place to live. We are looking for a place close to the corps as we are hoping to plant a new corps parallel with the old one in that building. It is not easy to find a…
Long time ago (I believe it was at Double wars 2004) I decided I must go to Rent-a-Don. Unfortunately it has never been possible, until now. I live in England what could possibly stop me from going to an event here. So last week I resolutely packed my bags and picked up my tickets (Sponsored…
After a conversation with our CS I can now let you know that the long awaited post about our orders will be posted tomorrow at noon (GMT+1) So, soon and very soon ….
I am deeply moved by all the kind words and prayers we are receiving on Facebook, and via email today as we are getting ready for maybe one of the most important meetings of our lives (well at least for the next couple of years!). Keep praying guys, we really need it! And all the…
At two o’clock today we will commence our appointments consultation. Trying to be prepared is very hard as we do not know what to prepare for, so if you have the time, pray for us on this very important day. I have woken up every half hour through the night and Hanna has unfortunately contracted…
Tomorrow is the day when we find out what the Salvation Army has planned for our future. People keep asking me if I have figured out where we are going (like there where only one or two possible choices). But at last glance in the dispo there where about 160 corps to choose from and…
I have the theme tune of mission impossible playing in my mind constantly, and have all sorts of bizarre scenarios of what Saturdays consultation will be like. Most of them have some sort of feel of Mission Impossible or any other secret agent movie. I am reminded of the chapter in Brian Mclaren’s The Secret…
Trying to put my mind on essays is very hard right now as all I can think of is the upcoming appointment on Saturday. So I try to distract myself in any way I can. Enter Multiwinia. It is mindless stick-man slaughter, but in the age of post-modernism one has to ask what about stick-man…
Every now and then I must post a geeky post. It is just not possible not to do it because I am a geek. So I was looking for a game to play and blow off some steam. I was delighted to find a port of Neverball for mac but as great as the game…
This blog has faded some as I have been concentrating on writing in Swedish over at the awakening heart (Need to brush up my Swedish for the upcoming move). We have now been in England for 18 months and will be returning to Sweden in August. We have been waiting for some time to receive…
As Hanna and I are transitioning towards moving back home to Sweden, I have taken to writing on my Swedish blog, to the annoyance of many of my faithful readers. Well fear not, the internet is a wonderful and magical place. Now you can access my Swedish blog in your preferred language!! So bookmark the…
Pa-tience [‘pā sh ens] noun. 1. The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset. 2. chiefly British term for solitaire As we are still waiting to find out about where we are going to be posted we find ourselves living in the twilight zone. It is a place…
Every now and then there has to be a post like this, and so here it is. When I was 13 I worked in a warehouse and hurt my back. Since then I get back pain every now and then paralysing me and rendering me unable to move for a few days. When I train…
The room was full of electric nervous energy. Not that anything was going to change… At the same time everything is about to change for the majority of the people in the room. It was a weird place to be as a spectator. I knew our appointments where not among the brown envelopes on the…
As many have been given their new appointments only to discover that their new appointments includes “Getting your head around NCD” I thought I would repost my NCD links and recourses for you to enjoy! If you are going to read one book on NCD, I would recommend you to start with Color your world…
I stumbled across some great N.T. Wright clips at: http://100huntley.com/browse.php?tag=theology great stuff!
How do we even begin to describe this event?! It has been a journey, it has been a battle but it has also been a glorious victory. We had some setbacks like the fact that the translator got really ill halfway through the first meeting, our car breaking down, lots of irritation and distorted communication.…
So today we fly of to Riga, to prepare for three days of Boothcamp, a National Latvian youth camp in the small town of Drusti. It is the second time we do this camp but a first for Hanna to speak at an event like this. At the camp we will be teaching “Epic” and…
Many don’t even know it, even fewer will acknowledge it. But it is true. Not only is Christian life in itself warfare, but as you give your vows on your wedding day, you are immediately propelled right up to the front line in this war. Both John Eldredge, Rob Bell and many other Christian writers…
How can I describe your presence, I can’t, I won’t There is nothing that compares to it. Words would taint it, sully it, how can I do that to you. But, what else can I talk about, there is nothing else worth mentioning. It is the sweet darkness of death, the insensitive stark light of…
Some people have reacted and commented on last nights post. Here is the follow up from today’s journal entry…. so my prayer this morning was: Either I am blind or everyone else is, I pray that it is me! I do not challenge you to prove that I am right, I long to be proven…
I am tired, sad and hungry …. there must be more to it than this. The Bible promises more, my memory is filled with glories past, so why is there not anything here and now to quench my thirst? Here is my journal entry from today: Talking about God like he is not in the…
We have started 24-7-5 prayer here at WBC which means 24/7 prayer on 5 continents by the Salvation Army Cadets and colleges. I had my second session in the prayer room last night and just as the first session the hour flew by like no time at all. It was like I hadn’t prayed for…
Just upgraded my blog to wordpress 2.7 and WOW if you are blogging on wordpress do not wait another second upgrade to 2.7 Coltrane NOW!!!! The new dashboard is a bloggers dream!
So this is Christmas….. Christmas music pouring out of my speakers, christmas lights appearing in window after window around us and Advent koinonia at the college. One thousand and one sermons about waiting. It seems that no matter how old we all get, we are all holding our breath until Christmas eve (well Christmas day…
I was told last week that the “iPod Generation” consists of people ages 18-34. This disqualifies me since i turned 35 last wekk. What am I to do then when my wonderful wife bought me a brand new iPod nano, a red one? Well I guess the least I can do is make a cartoon,…
So here I am with my new Macbook and with a new OS I need to find good solid bible software. I need a good McBible or perhaps it should be called iBible. I started out with MacSword. I have always loved the Sword project as it is GPL and therefore it comes at no…
As I was walking Angelina to school last week she told me that everyone was smiling at her. I said yes, that is because you are so beautiful. Angelina thought on this for a moment, then she said. Yes, they like all my colours. That really stuck with me, it made me think of Ephesians…
As Cadets at the Salvation Army college we have the privilige of meeting a lot of officers. Some newly commissioned, some old in the game and some retired. What strikes me is how many of these officers seem to be burnt out and jaded. I do understand that being a Salvation Army Officer is hard…
One of the things that really get me is how we (as in Christians in general but in the Salvation Army in particular) seem to live out practical agnosticism. It crops up everywhere, in class we are taking about sermon prep and how to get inspiration for sermons. I just assume that God is our…
We did it! We packed the whole family on a train and took off to Disneyland. The girls loved it, for Anja it was love at first sight when she met Minnie and Mickey in the hotel lobby on the first day. Angelina was a bit more wary, she hid from the characters like a…
Today I was back at the drop in at Southwark. I had a great time chatting to the team and to the people showing up for beans and toast at Southwark. Another thing going on right now is that I am plowing through Wild at heart and The way of the wild heart written by…
Well we have had Sundays at Southwark before, just not any where we have been preaching or leading. Today I preached on God’s promises when in Love. It was very different to preach at Southwark than to be part of the congregation and I felt like I had to work real hard to get the…
Today we went to Brighton. It was a day out with Southwark corps and after a bit of confusion regarding buses (and no trains running out of Denmark Hill) we ended up taking the train from Victoria to Brighton. Brighton pier was just beautiful and alltough it was rather cold and really windy it was…