Patrik Olterman
Conspiracy theory
Read more: Conspiracy theoryI posted a short update to Facebook a few days ago that was accused of being to new agey. Why? Because instead of thanking god for what is happening in my life right now I said: isn’t it great when the universe conspires to give you your deepest desire. Have I started worshipping the universe?…
Art is not carnal
Read more: Art is not carnalThis is a blog post that should not need to be written. Art and artistic expression has been part of the church since it’s inception. And while art often is a physical expression (but not always, for example poetry) it is not carnal as defined by the false dichotomy of carnal/spiritual or materialistic as in…
Ministry is not a program
Read more: Ministry is not a programMinistry is an interesting word for many reasons, the most important reason is that it does not mean what most people assume it means. For me as a Swede it has double significance as it is one of the Christian buzzwords that do not exist in the Swedish language. The closest we get to the…
Grace has no exceptions
Read more: Grace has no exceptionsGrace, it’s such a beautiful concept. Grace an (undeserved) gift freely given. We read in the scriptures that god loved us before we knew about god, before we saw god, before we had our first god experience. God’s grace is scandalous, outrageous and completely free, for EVERYONE. There are NO exceptions! There are no…
Community is not a meeting
Read more: Community is not a meetingThe holy grail of church planting in my opinion is the building of a community. The way we traditionally do this is by planning activities in our church buildings and we put on meetings. That is we create structured environments in which people can meet and greet. I am not saying there is anything wrong…
The Bible is not a book of doctrines
Read more: The Bible is not a book of doctrinesAnyone 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…
Church is not an adress
Read more: Church is not an adressIn evangelical circles we keep saying this, Church is the people not the building, but do we really understand it? The word church comes from the german kirche which in turn comes from the greek word kurios meaning lord. So the word church means “those who belong to the lord”, well you could of course…
Christianity is not a checklist
Read more: Christianity is not a checklistIt’s not! Ask yourself this, are you a Christian? If so, why are you a christian? Is it because you believe certain things? The right things? Is it because you do certain things? Or are you a Christian because there is a divine reality of love and you live or at least wish to live…
Jesus is not a religion
Read more: Jesus is not a religionWhile one can assume that Jesus may have been a religious man, Jesus himself is not a religion. He did not come to start a religion, he did not found a church and he did not write a sacred text nor did he ask anyone else to do so. I think if Jesus had intended…
God is not a belief system
Read more: God is not a belief systemIt is a simple truth really: god is god. God is not what we believe of god. God is not our theology or our doctrines. Since the dawn of time humans have had various ideas, religions, doctrines, theologies about god. God has remained god all that time. I will not say that god is unchanging,…
What is Salvation?
Read more: What is Salvation?I have been returning to thoughts about this the last couple of days in several conversations with friends. As an officer of the Salvation Army I think it is an important question that needs to be contemplated often. For many people Salvation is a word that is not used much, it is an antiquated religious…
The things Pope Francis did not say…
Read more: The things Pope Francis did not say…The last couple of days there has been a post circulating on the internet with a bunch of statements allegedly made by the current Pope. People are upset that a pope would say such things (although he didn´t) and what it would mean for Christianity at large. Other people are praising the Pope for these…
Jesus was not a Christian!
Read more: Jesus was not a Christian!It may seem an obvious statement for anyone who, like me, have studied the scriptures at any depth. Jesus was a Jew and most Christians would readily admit this fact. But as obvious as it may be we still tend to think of Jesus as a Christian, because, lets face it what else would he…
To be embraced …
Read more: To be embraced …That you would embrace me That you would surround me your divine light That is bliss to me That you would surrender to my embrace That you would allow me to lead you in our dance That is to wondrous for words That you would look at me and smile That you would accept me…
Notes from (over) the edge – book review
Read more: Notes from (over) the edge – book reviewSo this last week I have been reading the long anticipated book: Notes from (over) the edge by Jim Palmer. This is a very different book than Jim’s other work. It feels like Jim lifted the curtain and let us peak behind into his mind and his thinking that has fuelled the rest of his…
We need to cuddle more!
Read more: We need to cuddle more!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.…
Looking back before turning the page…
Read more: Looking back before turning the page…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…
Falling upwards
Read more: Falling upwardsI 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)…
Is god opposed to pleasure?
Read more: Is god opposed to pleasure?In recent conversations the topic of pleasure has come up time and time again. It seems that from a Christian point of view we are as a community ambivalent about god’s view on pleasure. It seems that somewhere deep down we do believe that although god is good and want good things for us, we…
Why authentic Christianity must fail
Read more: Why authentic Christianity must failA depressing title I know, but please bear with me and hear me out. After four years in a church plant where we desperately are trying to model and live out an authentic Christianity at the same time as we are trying to build a church community, I have come to realise that authentic christianity…
The charism of the founder
Read more: The charism of the founderI 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…
The truth of the slippery slope
Read more: The truth of the slippery slopeDuring 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,…
Where do we go from here?
Read more: Where do we go from here?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…
What’s in a name?
Read more: What’s in a name?The last week I have been contemplating this question: What does it mean to be a Salvationist? A Salvationist (for those of you who are not in the Salvation Army), is a soldier in the Salvation Army, but what does that mean? Is being a Salvationist believing certain things or doing certain things? Let me…
Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 5: Conclusion and bibliography
Read more: Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 5: Conclusion and bibliographyThe primary focus of the Song is the passion and the desire between the two lovers yet there seem to be something deeper underneath the surface. Rob Bell astutely asserts that: “You can’t talk about sexuality without talking about how we are made. And that will inevitably lead you to who made us. At some…
