IBTS Community Blog

Our EBF President, Hans Guderian, was in Brussels on 12 May for a meeting of various Christian spiritual movements to join together in action for peace and reconciliation in Europe. Here are some of his reflections :

On behalf of my German Baptist home union I had the chance to participate last Saturday, May 12, 2012, in the third meeting of Christian movements and communities in the European capital Brussels. There are more than 200 movements which belong to this network of spiritual communities “Together for Europe”.

 The basic shape of the day consisted in an ongoing “Steady Prayer Time” shaped by the different movements and communities, several forums e.g. to the themes “economy in fellowship”, a “studio for youth and young adults”, a “workshop for married couples”, an action “for the poor ones in the city” and an open-air-musical. I had the opportunity to talk with several participants (among them leaders of the “Focolare-movement” and monks of the Premonstratensian order) and also with Gerhard Proß from the YMCA in Esslingen/Germany, the organiser and leader of this action day “Together for Europe”.

The first larger joint event where I was able to participate after my arrival in the early morning was the Ecumenical Worship Service in the church “Notre-Dame du Sablon”, located close to the centre of Brussels, with about 200 visitors. The liturgy here reminded me a lot to the prayer meetings of Taizé. For me personally this worship service was a soothing wonderful spiritual experience. Short choruses alternated with Biblical readings, a dignified handled open time of joint prayers, a short sermon and a spiritual symbolic action of a spoken out blessing assurance towards the respective neighbour under the sign of the cross marked on the others forehead.

The highlight of this day was the great Plenary Assembly in the “Gold Hall”, a great conference hall in the centrally located “Square Meeting Centre” in Brussels, with about 1,000 invited guests from politics, society and church. The three-hours-long programme (with a break of half an hour in-between to have some time for individual encounters) was very professional and competent.  Different languages were used. There was simultaneous translation into ten languages. Parts of the programme were transmitted to approximately 140 cities in a live streamed via video-conference.

Contents wise the focus had been on the proclamation of the „Seven Yes to Europe“: Yes to life, Yes to the family, Yes to creation, Yes to a just economy, Yes to solidarity, Yes to peace and Yes to social responsibility. I was quite impressed and encouraged to realise in which good way Biblical ethics had been combined here with Christian spirituality and worldwide social and political responsibility. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s May at IBTS – one of my favourite times: the weather’s beautiful, the academic year is drawing to its close, and as there are many student essays to comment on or mark, I can do it outside, in the courtyard!! Before the sun gets too bright to be looking at a laptop screen, I can also write a blog entry – so here it comes.

Our Board of Trustees has given us the permission to recruit students for CAT programme for the academic year 2012-2013. There are a number of applications we have already received, but we would very much like to have a variety of countries represented – those of you who have been at IBTS know what a powerful experience that is. At this point, it is getting too late to procesds those who would need a Czech visa, but of course the European Union countries don’t need one. So here’s a request to all our readers and followers from the EU: if you know a young person who is longing to be of service to God and God’s people, who perhaps plans to enter another profession but would like to gain some basic theological background and a broader perspective on Baptist identity,  someone who would enjoy nine months in IBTS community, encourage them to apply! Application form and the description of the programme here (click on Handbook and Application Form).

With sunny greetings, and with gratitude for your prayers which I know many of you are offering on the behalf of IBTS:

- Lina

Many of you will know Vanessa Lake, who has been both a student and later staff member at IBTS. Now in her home country and working at Calvin Seminary, she recalls life at IBTS  in this moving audio. Many of those who have been at IBTS are likely to echo her words… Thanks, Vanessa.

Some of our staff are taking part in a project exploring aspects of Orthodox theology. Tim found this prayer, which we thought our readers might appreciate:

Grant that with peaceful minds we may face all that this new day is to bring.

Grant us grace to surrender ourselves utterly to Thy Divine Will.

Instruct and prepare us in all things for every hour of this day.

Whatever tidings may come to us this day, may we accept them tranquilly, firmly convinced that everything that happens to us fulfils Thy Divine Will.

Govern our thoughts and feelings in everything we do and say.

When things unforeseen occur, let us not forget that all comes down from Thee.

Teach us to behave sincerely and rationally towards every other human being that we may bring confusion and sorrow to none.

Bestow upon us, O Lord, strength to endure the fatigue of the day, and to bear our part in all its passing events.

Guide Thou our will and teach us to pray, to believe, to hope, to suffer, to forgive, and above all to love.

Amen

IBTS’s been very quiet over Easter! Most of the students were away, either back at home or visiting some friends, and so were a number of the staff.  But those of us who stayed around enjoyed those rather special moments of ‘contracted community’ when one can experience very close connections with the other ‘remnants’, often leading to unexpected sharing times and insights, intimate worship times, and fun… Of course many of our community come from the parts of the world where it’s Easter Monday today – so “Christ is risen; He is risen indeed” has been echoing throughout the campus for over a week now, and is still continuing, especially in the emails we’re receiving from our part-timers in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere.

On the first Easter Day eight days ago, it actually snowed here in Prague!.. And yesterday, on the second Easter Day, it rained; as it does today. But winter’s giving its way to spring, even if reluctantly.  This morning I read a poem about spring written some time ago by a Czech poet of a tragic life, who spent much of his life in an exile in Britain, and wanted to share it with those of you who like to savour good poetry.

Ivan Blatný, ‘Spring’:

A cauliflower settles on the roof of a bungalow,
a swallow returns, you watch it in the sky,
and early buds are tight as bronze, they glow,
the dung-cart’s waiting, as in times gone by.

The heavens purr and snore, they are sleeping still,
but it will clear up, but it will be a fine day.
A train whistles in the distance, distance whistles
in the distance, silver drops tap planes in play.

In the playground, boys at goalposts in their tracksuits,
a cauliflower settles on a spruce new basket,
good French sun, come and bless us with your light.

I would love to be off: I am opening the door;
I would love to be off: on the Riviera shore
I’d see the sky and the whole world grow bright.

(tr. Edwin Morgan; and you can find out more about Blatný here)

- Lina

P.S. Those of you who have been at IBTS and have seen our neighbour the farmer whose house and land’s the first thing you walk by when exploring our valley, will know that although boys in tracksuits may not be part of the experience at IBTS, dung-carts are!

It’s always nice (REALLY nice!) to hear from our blog followers – and it’s especially nice to realise there are people who read us who we may even not know personally (yet)! Here’s one of them – Jonas from Sweden tells us a little bit about his church in Arvika:

In Arvika in Sweden the baptist church was started 1882. The work of the Church was fruitful and the church prospered for many years and even planted churches in neighbouring villages. Later years the church shrunk, and 2003 the now small baptist church became part of the Mission Covenant Church in Arvika, but still as baptist group with connections to the Baptist Union of Sweden.

It would be tempting for our small baptist community just to live on memories from the glory days in Arvika. Maybe keeping some old traditions, but in practice slowly slip into the broadly evangelical free church Christianity in Sweden and forget our identity as baptists. But, last year we decided to start a website for our small group of baptists. We use the website to describe our history and what it means to be a baptist in Arvika today. The website helps us develop our identity as baptists and it is also our voice as baptists into the city of Arvika.

One of the younger members has taken the Horizons youth leader training from the EBF, a wonderful training that helps us reach the youth of our city. When developing the website books and articles from IBTS has been very useful, showing the way for an up to date baptist identity that helps us being good witnesses for Christ in the culture of a late modern Sweden.

The Dictionary of European Baptist Life and Thought is truly a blessing when trying to navigate trough theological questions from a baptist point of view. Since we do not have a baptist pastor in our community this is an important help for us.

We want to be ecumenically minded, but still with a baptist identity. The European Baptist Federation and the IBTS community has been a good help for us in Arvika. Thanks to you all.

Jonas

John 1. 28 tells us John the Baptist was baptizing at “Bethany beyond the Jordan” (1.28) and it is to there that Jesus came to be baptized. Archeologists and Biblical scholars have identified that site as in the Kingdom of Jordan (not the false claims made on the other bank) and this site, now preserved in a natural form (unlike most of the sites elsewhere in the Holy Land) has become a placed visited by those who want to see the supposed cave of John the Baptist, the hill where Elijah was taken up into heaven and, of course, the spot where the early church believed Jesus was baptized.

The Jordanian authorities try to keep it as a wilderness, with the reeds blowing in the wind. It has a naturalness about it which does promote a sense of worship. However, sadly, the churches have pressed the Jordanian government to allow buildings to be erected nearby. Prof. Dr. H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, a renowned Muslim scholar (one of the originators of the Common Word dialogue between Muslims and Christians) encouraged the churches to consider having one Christian building which all could share. That, it seems, is not possible for ecumenical relations have not advanced so much. Today, denominations are rushing to erect their own tabernacles at the site – Armenian Apostolic, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox – all on a grand scale. This is disappointing. Apparently we Baptists have our own plot of land on the banks of the Jordan, but perhaps appropriately, there is only a simple, natural, shelter and not even a sign to say we are standing on the property of the Baptist World Alliance. This has a Gospel simplicity about it, which commends the place to me.

- Keith

We had another lovely week with the people from Northumbria Community. For you to get a taste, here are some reflections of our CAT students.

For me was really good to hear about the Celtic prayer, because since I came to IBTS I was trying to find the way how to pray . . . This week I realize that I should pray as I can, not as I can’t; this was like God speaking to me. I’m simple guy and I don’t want to be something what I’m not. And here is the life which Jesus shows us how to live and how to love one another. This what I’m seeking, even if sometimes it is really hard to live as a Christ, but if we are around people who are seeking this as well, we can find community. This is what the Northumbria community did this week and I think that IBTS is community for me and for others as well.

A thanksgiving letter to Northumbria Community team

This didn’t feel like a week, because it passed so quickly! But how many things we had together, in one community, in one Spirit, in one unity. So many words spoke to me. God did some work with me too. And the last evening… Was so amazing! We had lot of worship, prayer, preaching, and drama. And the music peaces in the end… Great time, new experience, good feelings. Be blessed, ‘our family’. =)

During this week I felt differently, more open to friendship between us. I am thankful to God for experience from these last days.

First what I liked is their three times prayer: beginning of the day with prayer, continuing with prayer (midday prayer) and finishing day with prayer with whole community. I think strong prayer united us as Christian. Second, what changed me was the idea that our heavenly Father loves us and cares about us, but He cares also about poor people and homeless, who are not accepted and are oppressed by society. We should put down the walls and turn to the poor. The church has to be as home for them, where they can find support and love. Next thing, what I learned and what was new for me was prayer time in the city. Not just go and pray, but seek God.

Be simple, be hospitable, seek God – these are things which are necessary for us, Christians.

Northumbria Community has surprised me and gives me the new way of thinking about spiritual life. Before I have never thought that it is possible to practice monastic style of life away from monastery, but now I see that we don’t have to be in monastery for living monastic life. Thank you that you come to us and show us a new way how we can to grow spiritually. I’m also surprised by this people who emphasize caring for the poor so much.

God has created so many wonderful people. During my short life I will be able to get to know only a few of them. This week was one when I could expand this group of people with some more members. I find it very amazing what it means to be brothers and sisters in Jesus. I have never met them before, but we love each other with real love. I also find fascinating how God uses us in others’ lives either through a gradual change or a sudden thought or as He likes.

I could talk about a lot of things, but I want to focus on only one. Ken had a presentation on the heart of God. Throughout the months I have been spending here at IBTS, and especially this week, I started to be a lot more concerned about this aspect of our faith than I was before. I think we, the church, are covering our own eyes quite intentionally and deceiving ourselves to explain this strange behavior. Some questions came to my mind. Why is it that we don’t do mission neither towards the higher classes nor towards the lower classes of society? We are stuck and actually we know that. Ken concentrated on the lower classes, and I also believe that this is an issue for some more reasons too, like the Christian heart we ought to have. As I was wondering about this, I just felt sad because in many cases I don’t see that people have a Christian heart. They don’t have the fire. I know it has a lot of different causes and I don’t intend to go into it, but it made me think. Where are we, Christians? Why are we not protesting against injustice? Why are we not selling our second cars? Why are we not visiting anybody who doesn’t have a family and is about to commit suicide? Is that so hard to do that? If yes, there is a lot to learn yet. We are constantly trying to put the Kingdom of God inside our buildings instead of expanding it.