We have moved to www.theprognosis.org

A few weeks ago, amid the heated discussion that saw such posts as "Label Up" and "Labeled over and Out" etc, proGnosis came under the criticism of a certain Mr. Anonymous (the gender of our anonymous rebuker has been decided by Jon Thomas in his initial reply see here).

Feel free to read over again the series of posts, subsequent comments and then the last but not least "smacked bottom" by Mr. Anonymous. If however you are to lazy then allow me to summarize:

Jonny Raine, confused by a book title, discussed with us the nuisance of labels. Provoked by a declaration that 'Evangelical' isn't what we should call ourselves, Lewis hit back, standing firm on a phrase that he thought defined him quite well. Lewis unfortunately hadn't gotten the gist of Jonny's arguments, that labels, while correct to the person who uses them, might mean something completely different to someone who hears them being used.

Phew, at last, we were getting some where. Finally we all understood, it wasn't what we called ourselves that mattered, it was Jesus and, in our cases, belonging to him. Really it harked back to Jon Thomas' very first blog, and I suppose the very essence of what proGnosis is about. Finding a fruity itch that people are swallowing at the moment, peeling back the layers and exposing the cross at the centre.

"Last week a review of proGnosis went in my church bulletin. I raved about how you encouraged readers to follow Christ with their heads as well as their hearts. I think I’d be a little bit embarrassed if they had been logging on in the last few days. "

The thing is, we had encouraged readers to follow Christ with their heads as well as their hearts. We had made it all about Jesus, we had tried to demolish the divisive and confusing wall of labels for the gospels sake.

Had someone from my church (which struggles with the very real need to drop the label Evangelical for the very reasons cited in the discussion) I'd have been proud, very proud. Because in the way that proGnosis should, we identified a problem, discussed it, clarified it and came out with a united answer spelt Jay Eee Es You Es.

Well, for me at least, Summer 'festival' season is over. And to be honest I'm glad. I've always been a little uneasy about the entire ethos behind summer (or Easter) festivals, even weekend conferences send a shiver up my spine. Why? Well i think it's probably due to the mentality that I see in my fellow delegates. Very often these festivals/conferences seem to be the highlight of their years, sometimes lives and a terrible amount of hero worship DOES go on. I get the impression that folks end up wishing their whole lives away to be there again next year to enjoy the experience (rather than learn the lessons and then live another year more like Christ as a result.) Yes I think it's peoples motives that disturb me the most.

Anyway, last week a team of us set of for the Cheltenham Bible festival, (Tom Clewer and Jon Thomas of proGnosis included (complete with WAG's)) primarily with the intention of serving in the 11-14yr olds work, but unashamedly with some desire to learn from the vast wealth of experience and Bible knowledge that such an event affords. (Bible knowledge at a Bible festival, why not?)

The 11-14yr olds work went great!!! Thanks for asking. But it was the rest of the long weekend that left me disappointed. Granted, due to our involvement in the youth work we were unable to attend both the morning meetings (with the Highfields band and Don Carson preaching) and the evening meetings (with a variety of speakers). But with this duly noted, one could have expected a schedule which boasted another 7 hours of 'seminars' a day to offer something...anything?!? In this volunteers opinion, it didn't. We seemed doomed to repeat the same session over and over again, at a level I would expect the 13 yr olds in my church to be capable of leading. Never did we get the opportunity to get past Matthew 28:16-20. A fine lesson, granted, but not on the hour, every hour, for 3 days. Nor were the topic titles very appealling. Of over (quick maths) 50 seminars available possibly two actually grabbed my attention. If there was an itch, it wasn't being scratched.

The basic problem with the seminars was this. It was assumed we knew nothing and the next 50 minutes were spent trying to build a framework...only for the session to end, us to be non the wiser and start the next session, you guesed it, building a framework. I can't complain about the framework, basically tell people about Jesus. But when you attend a seminar entitled "Getting God to work" do we really need to spen the whole time convincing people they should tell others about Christ? Hardly, why else would they be in the seminar?

Luckily, the people we had encouraged to attend as delegates rather than volunteers were unable to make it. Had they I'd have been extremely embarrassed that they'd shelled out £90 (minimum) for something not quite up to what we experience in church on a weekly basis.

There were positives of course, David, Flo, Hazel and Naomi did an excellent job running the volunteers break room, complete with coffee, tea, doughnuts, juice and even melon! Matt Giles, the up and coming singer song writer, performed fabulously two days running all be it in front of disappointingly low numbers.

All in all...at least it was Sunny

Ok, in 24 hours I'll be heading off for Cheltenham - to the all new FIEC Bible festival (sounds a bit Christadelphian to me!). Anyway, with the big Don being there (Mr Carson to the uninitiated), Stuart Townsend (the premier hymn writer of our day - second only to Huw Williams), and a whole host of other great speakers and Christians - the question I've been asked to answer is .... Where is the line between admiration and idolatry (set by our own Mr Anonymous)?

For me the answer lies in Philippians 2:19-30. Here we see Paul putting up Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples to follow (people we should honour -verse 29). But what I love is what they are highlighted for:

• They loved others (v20 and 25, 26)
• Timothy loved the interests of Jesus (v21)
• Timothy loved the work of the gospel (v22)
• Epaphroditus was a risk taker for the gospel (v30)

In a sense both men loved the gospel and its impact on the world - and they were willing to risk everything for that (remember poor Timothy in Acts 16:3?!).

In that sense what we are admiring in them is what we admire in Jesus. In that case we can admire them, but only worship Jesus.

Paul summed it up well when he said, ‘buy my latest book, it'll set you free'. Nope. ‘Listen to me latest album it'll take you into the presence of God.' No. In fact, he didn't even have an endorsement that said ‘the greatest book since ‘slicing bread', guaranteed to change your life.' No, all Paul said was this - and this all anyone can say ‘Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ' (1 Corinthians 11:1).

We should admire men and honour them when appropriate - but only if they point us to Jesus whom we should worship with all we have.