Been a while since I hit some keys on this page. But I do have a good excuse. We were about to head of to Youth Snow Camp at the beginning of September. When the week before I started vomiting - so of to the GP Doctor I went to hear that to the Snow Camp I would not be going. So I entrusted the Snow Camp to my dear wife, and I sat at home, sick as a dog. Now when you are at home by yourself you generally don't look in mirrors and so it was with me, until on the day my wife was due back I had a shower. It then that I noticed I was as yellow as someone straight out "The Simpsons". Me being me, I thought it must be lack of water and salt in the body and so I drunk and ate more -which just made me vomit more. Anyhow, my nurse sister in Auckland found about my yellow state and after a doctor came to see me - I ended up in hospital. It was a place where I was to stay for the next two weeks. I won't go into the dramas of that stay now, but I did journal it. What I will say is that I have Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is a form of cancer of the glands in your body. I am a couple of months into a fortnightly chemotherapy treatment that will go for 8 months. All I will say is that Chemotherapy sucks. At present I am quite well in between Chemos - but get sick for a couple days after each one. But anyhow, that is where I am at but let me ask the bigger question - where is God in it?
I was told the other day - not to worry it is all a part of God's plan. I have decided that is wrong. In this world God gets blamed for a whole lot of things that I believe break his heart and in fact he hates. Things such as cancer, poverty, rape, etc how can you say these things are all a part of God's plan as if God has intentionally placed these things in our paths or the paths of others around the world. I don't believe you can. Romans 8 talks about the whole world groaning as as a woman in labour pains waiting for Jesus' return when we will get free from the curse of death and decay. I believe in this we find the answer to my Hodgkin's and everything else. You could say I am feeling the "groan" - I am feeling the result of a fallen world - just as with poverty we see the result of a fallen world. When creation fell - the earth changed, and death and decay became a part of life. Humanity has turned from wisdom and through bad health practices, greed, etc we have stuffed the environment of the planet created for us and most of the world barely has enough to eat. Most of it is based on our decisions - yet we still blame God. My cancer is simply a result I believe, of living in a fallen world. It is not God' ultimate plan for me - we see God's ultimate plan in Eden and will taste it in a new heaven and new earth - for now through we live in a fallen world with things like poverty and cancer. This then poses a question - could God have prevented it? I say yes - he could off. But for me not preventing something is very different from intentionally giving someone something. God didn't prevent me from getting Hodgkin's - why cause I believe God can use the bad things of this world and bring good out of them. It doesn't mean he takes joy in it. I believe God hates the cancer in me more than I do - he created us and me for heaven not this. But God loves everyone - and I believe he is letting me go through this to change me and in some way to bring good out it. Oneday, God will step in, he will call stop to the suffering, death and decay, but that day it will be final and after that will be judgment. The Bible says that God waits cos he wants as many people to turn to him as possible before that day. Of course this is harder to reconcile when you think poverty. What good can God bring out of poverty? That I believe is a harder question I don't know the answer to. Good can easily be seen in the result of some people to poverty, but it is harder to find good for the thousands dieing of it in heat of Africa etc. But, again I hold that God hates poverty and oneday will step in and stop it. For more on poverty, what causes it and our response to it in rich nations read "Rich Christians In An Age Of Hunger - By Ronald J. Sider.
Well there are thoughts from me - mumbled and jumbled as they are.
Til next time
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Sacrifice
I work in the Church, with youth and adults and a lot of them are volunteers. To be honest as a paid worker in the Church I wringe about volunteers or should I say the lack of them. Yet the volunteers that I do have helping me in youth ministry, at The Station (or evening service) and among the many other things are awesome. They give up a lot and show real commitment. There are some of the younger youth leaders that really get in there and grasp the concept of leadership.
Yet I was thinking this week about some of the leaders that I seen both youth and older but in particular I was thinking of youth leaders. I was thinking about the ones that were great leaders and the ones who through they had potential, I never quite saw it while they hang out here in Taupo. In the end it came back to a word "sacrifice". It's not a nice word, nor a very popular word. In the end I think we are all a self-centred bunch (or maybe I just speak for myself there). But I think to have impact in leadership really at some point is going to require sacrifice on our part. It means turning up to stuff when we are tired and would prefer to be somewhere else. It means going to some events and maybe sacrificing your own good time with your mates to hang out with someone on the fringe and see them have a good time. It means putting in an effort when you are asked to lead something and being prepared and doing it well. In the end, leadership requires sacrifice. Now sometimes I think this is a maturity issue and people grow into sacrifice more with age and as they find their own acceptance in world and of themselves. I remember my old pastor Maurice Milmine always describing leadership as a mantle that you had to pick up and own. But as I think back and think back over my time here at TBC and observing at Kids Camps - it is clear that the best leaders, the ones who make the most impact, were the ones who have taken up the mantle of leadership, owned it, and are prepared to sacrifice on some of their own self-centreness because of it.
Til Next Time
D
Yet I was thinking this week about some of the leaders that I seen both youth and older but in particular I was thinking of youth leaders. I was thinking about the ones that were great leaders and the ones who through they had potential, I never quite saw it while they hang out here in Taupo. In the end it came back to a word "sacrifice". It's not a nice word, nor a very popular word. In the end I think we are all a self-centred bunch (or maybe I just speak for myself there). But I think to have impact in leadership really at some point is going to require sacrifice on our part. It means turning up to stuff when we are tired and would prefer to be somewhere else. It means going to some events and maybe sacrificing your own good time with your mates to hang out with someone on the fringe and see them have a good time. It means putting in an effort when you are asked to lead something and being prepared and doing it well. In the end, leadership requires sacrifice. Now sometimes I think this is a maturity issue and people grow into sacrifice more with age and as they find their own acceptance in world and of themselves. I remember my old pastor Maurice Milmine always describing leadership as a mantle that you had to pick up and own. But as I think back and think back over my time here at TBC and observing at Kids Camps - it is clear that the best leaders, the ones who make the most impact, were the ones who have taken up the mantle of leadership, owned it, and are prepared to sacrifice on some of their own self-centreness because of it.
Til Next Time
D
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Amos
Ever read Amos - it's one of those short little books at the back of the Old Testament. I read it the other day alongside a little bit of a study guide and was amazed at how well such a book still speaks to us today. Amos is pretty much full of doom really - as God kind of let's Israel know that they are going to pay for their rejection of him. So Amos starts with God pretty much telling everyone including Israel that they are going to get what is coming to them. But what is interesting is that Amos was written during a time of brief prosperity for Israel. Things were going well and money was in the land. And although Amos has a go at them for their injustice, false worship etc, it seems that the ritual of sacrifice and worship was still be kept. But the following verses really hit me....
(From NLT 2nd Edition)
There are many other verses like this in the OT - check out Isaish 58 for perhaps a more hard hitting one. But somtimes - I think we can so easily slip into the mode Israel had here. They did the right thing, they had their festivals and their offerings. We today can have our Services or youth rallies with their great music etc. But in the end if our lives are not reflecting a river of justice and righteous living then maybe all our 'services and rallies' are is show and pretense.
Maybe we need to think harder about really matters to God in ministry and life?
Maybe Micah 6:8 is a good place to start?
Til next time
D
Amos 5:21-24
I hate all your show and pretense - the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty river of justice, and endless river of righteous living.
(From NLT 2nd Edition)
There are many other verses like this in the OT - check out Isaish 58 for perhaps a more hard hitting one. But somtimes - I think we can so easily slip into the mode Israel had here. They did the right thing, they had their festivals and their offerings. We today can have our Services or youth rallies with their great music etc. But in the end if our lives are not reflecting a river of justice and righteous living then maybe all our 'services and rallies' are is show and pretense.
Maybe we need to think harder about really matters to God in ministry and life?
Maybe Micah 6:8 is a good place to start?
Til next time
D
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
EPIC
At our sunday night service called The Station .... we have just finished the DVD series epic by John Eldredge. It's a DVD of John Eldredge sharing the Biblical story by dividing it into 4 different acts, like acts in a play. Act One is the Eternal Love of the trinity that exists before time and before creation as we know it. Act Two is the entrance of evil. Act Three is the Battle for the human heart - which basically covers the whole Bible story as we know it. Act Four is the Kingdom Restored or heaven. It was an interesting way of looking at the Biblical Story - because it centres on just that - the story. As John says on the DVD in this age of reason we have to a degree lost the story and narrative in which we live life and how life in this world unfolds and replaced story with scienific reason etc. Personally, I think the DVD builds momentium as it goes through, but hardy surprising as he gets a lot more material to work with. Like any John Eldredge material (of which his book "Wild At Heart" is the best known) he draws a lot from books and movies saying these stories show glimpsies of "the" story. Why is it that all stories have a villian - because our story does. Just as all stories have a hero - cos our story does.
Anyhow, for me personally what really hit me from the DVD set was what John Eldrege says about evil. We have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy. We live within a period of time that only be described as a war zone for the human heart. One night John Eldredge makes a quote something like
"Life will become very confusing for you if you only have two people on the stage - God and You. For when life goes bad, or when evil happens. Who gets the blame?"
In reality I think sometimes we can forget the third person on the stage, that being the devil and his cohorts. We do live in a war zone. The devil really does want to take us out. As well as each and every generation. I just finished listening to a podcast of a sermon from Mars Hill - Rob Bell's Church where a guy called Dr Greg Boyd speaks on exactly this. The link is below if you want to listen.
http://www.marshill.org/teaching/index.php
Maybe in terms of mission, life and ministry we need to be more aware of the enemy that fights against us and those who we would minister to?
Maybe we as part of our calling do have a role to "destroy the works of the devil" just as Jesus did - using love, peace and kindness to do it just as Jesus did?
Maybe we need to be aware that some of what we see as society problems are in fact the works of the devil seeking to steal, kill and destroy this generation?
Til next time
D
Anyhow, for me personally what really hit me from the DVD set was what John Eldrege says about evil. We have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy. We live within a period of time that only be described as a war zone for the human heart. One night John Eldredge makes a quote something like
"Life will become very confusing for you if you only have two people on the stage - God and You. For when life goes bad, or when evil happens. Who gets the blame?"
In reality I think sometimes we can forget the third person on the stage, that being the devil and his cohorts. We do live in a war zone. The devil really does want to take us out. As well as each and every generation. I just finished listening to a podcast of a sermon from Mars Hill - Rob Bell's Church where a guy called Dr Greg Boyd speaks on exactly this. The link is below if you want to listen.
http://www.marshill.org/teaching/index.php
Maybe in terms of mission, life and ministry we need to be more aware of the enemy that fights against us and those who we would minister to?
Maybe we as part of our calling do have a role to "destroy the works of the devil" just as Jesus did - using love, peace and kindness to do it just as Jesus did?
Maybe we need to be aware that some of what we see as society problems are in fact the works of the devil seeking to steal, kill and destroy this generation?
Til next time
D
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Underdogs
Ok so normally I don't show things like but this is amazing. I love the attitude of the judges when he says he is going to sing opera and then their faces when he starts. On YouTube you can see his other performances as he goes on to win the whole show.
On TV here in New Zealand we had another story like this recently about a guy who had moved to Britain to start a new life. He played piano and worked as a cleaner in some university. He had asked if he could use the Chapel's piano to practice. Oneday a guy notices him practicing through the video security cameras. The guy is amazing. In the news article it shows him now playing regular concerts at the same university and else where.
Two great stories of underdogs with awesome talent - we need a little heart warming sometimes. Good stuff...
Til Next Time
D
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Mission
So today New Zealand is going be called a "secular" country by our Prime Minster Helen Clark. Personally, it doesn't get me in an uproar as we have been a secular country for along time. Which more than anything goes to show why the Church must be involved in mission. I have been doing the Perspectives course over the last 10 weeks. It is a course on mission, starts covering the Bible, mission history and then moves to modern day. While the course very much centres around cross-cultural mission, and the going overseas (in my opinion, way to much), it is still challenging to read and hear the work that cross-cultural missionaries put into reaching out to others. Do we in New Zealand plan and attempt to reach out in the same way? Do Christians even view their life in terms of mission here in New Zealand? I mean the research, the focus and the work that cross-cultural missionaries put in, is something I believe we need to learn from in secular New Zealand.
Also been reading a very good book that talks about this at the mo. Exiles by a guy called Michael Frost. Frost has been thrown in with the emergent group which seems to me to be a little odd. As in the end, Frost is about Mission and reaching out. The sub-title to his book is "Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture". A shame because some of the people that are reacting to the emergent stuff still need to hear the missional stuff from guys like Frost. Anyhow, I will review the whole book when I finish it. For now I will mention just one thing and that is how Frost talks about the third place. In life he says that we have three main areas. The home, work and a third place, which may be a sport's club, hobby group, pub, coffee house etc. Frost argues that Jesus hang out in the third places and this is where mission happens. He also mentions how often for Christians the Church becomes their third place and how four places in someone life is simply to many. This makes sense to me. But as an employee of a Church, how easy it is for life to become surrounded by Christian activities and for mission to be something I talk about but never do.
Maybe the fact NZ is going to be called a "secular country" is actually good to the degree that it shows us the mission needed here on our own shores?
Maybe - or in fact I know - I need to work a third place into my life away from the Church?
Maybe we do need to learn from Cross-Cultural Missionaries their focus and determination to reach people is needed right here?
Maybe as Frost said at a recent conference - the reason we struggle with worship and community is because these things flow from mission and being on the edge and as a Church in New Zealand we haven't been the edge for a long time?
Til next time
D
Also been reading a very good book that talks about this at the mo. Exiles by a guy called Michael Frost. Frost has been thrown in with the emergent group which seems to me to be a little odd. As in the end, Frost is about Mission and reaching out. The sub-title to his book is "Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture". A shame because some of the people that are reacting to the emergent stuff still need to hear the missional stuff from guys like Frost. Anyhow, I will review the whole book when I finish it. For now I will mention just one thing and that is how Frost talks about the third place. In life he says that we have three main areas. The home, work and a third place, which may be a sport's club, hobby group, pub, coffee house etc. Frost argues that Jesus hang out in the third places and this is where mission happens. He also mentions how often for Christians the Church becomes their third place and how four places in someone life is simply to many. This makes sense to me. But as an employee of a Church, how easy it is for life to become surrounded by Christian activities and for mission to be something I talk about but never do.
Maybe the fact NZ is going to be called a "secular country" is actually good to the degree that it shows us the mission needed here on our own shores?
Maybe - or in fact I know - I need to work a third place into my life away from the Church?
Maybe we do need to learn from Cross-Cultural Missionaries their focus and determination to reach people is needed right here?
Maybe as Frost said at a recent conference - the reason we struggle with worship and community is because these things flow from mission and being on the edge and as a Church in New Zealand we haven't been the edge for a long time?
Til next time
D
Thursday, May 10, 2007
GOD
I wonder what it would be like to believe in no God? I mean I'm serious - some of you reading this may fall into that catalogy, but for me all I can do is wonder.
I became a Christian when I was pretty young, so for me God is a reality. I can't imagine not believing in God. I don't know if that is a bad thing. I suspect it's not. I mean for me my whole way of viewing the world, life, faith involves God. I can't talk about anything much without the effect of God showing through. This may be invisible to many people cos it doesn't mean I go around preaching all the time. What it means is behind my view on just about everything is God, and that's just me - weak, feeble minided little Christian fella that I am. If someone was to ask me to come and speak or do something but leave God out of it - I don't know if I could. I mean, I could be careful not to mention God and that sort of thing, but God would still be there, behind the thoughts, expressions, and views. Me, God and the book all kind of go together now - I can't imagine life without them.
Anyway what got me thinking about this is I pushed the wrong link on an email today and ended up at teh Christianitytoday site. So looked over the site and found this debate happening between an atheist and Christian. You can read their posts here
I became a Christian when I was pretty young, so for me God is a reality. I can't imagine not believing in God. I don't know if that is a bad thing. I suspect it's not. I mean for me my whole way of viewing the world, life, faith involves God. I can't talk about anything much without the effect of God showing through. This may be invisible to many people cos it doesn't mean I go around preaching all the time. What it means is behind my view on just about everything is God, and that's just me - weak, feeble minided little Christian fella that I am. If someone was to ask me to come and speak or do something but leave God out of it - I don't know if I could. I mean, I could be careful not to mention God and that sort of thing, but God would still be there, behind the thoughts, expressions, and views. Me, God and the book all kind of go together now - I can't imagine life without them.
Anyway what got me thinking about this is I pushed the wrong link on an email today and ended up at teh Christianitytoday site. So looked over the site and found this debate happening between an atheist and Christian. You can read their posts here
So anyhow thats what got me thinking. I wonder what its like being an atheists? Just started a group up in one of the local high schools called D.O.G - Discussions On God. Last week went pretty well - just a place for people to post questions and us to debate them a bit in regards to Christianity and God. In one of the Rob Bell Nooma Videos - called Breathe, Rob Bell mentions how some believe the name of God is breathing (based on how The Hebrew YHWH is pronounced). He also makes an interesting statement about Moses when he saw the burning bush. He says that in fact the land had always been holy - it was just that Moses just realised it.
Maybe as a Christian part of the reason I can't imagine life without God is because - in the Christian mindset there is none - life itself is a gift from God?
Maybe in reality to view the world, life, love, pleasure, laughing, crying, death, suffering without God is the ultimate in blindness?
Maybe I'm the deceived one - though I doubt it?
Til Next time
D
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Camp Time....catch up
Long time no write really.....thought about time I put finger to keyboard....
Easter Camp - I'm pretty sure no one from the Easter Camp team reads this blog - but if they do they should be real happy with a great camp. About 30 youth from Taupo made the trip and all enjoyed it. Many were really challenged by Mic Duncan and the way he preached in such a manner as to call the youth to a Christian life lived - not simply one decision made. Was good stuff. So thanks Easter Camp team for a job well done - your camp really blessed our youth.
After that it was up to Auckland for my wife and I, caught up with family and an Aussie friend that we met in East Timor of all places. She was on her way to do a course in Brazil and dropped in to New Zealand to catch up. Our jokes to her about being a professional YWAMer were really just bad attempts to veil our jealousy at the fact she is always travelling around the world.
Then back to Taupo for another camp down at Lake Taupo Christian Camp. Was a another good time the highlight being a Cowboys and Indians Spaghetti battle. All the campers were the Indians and the cowboys were a group of older camp staff and people like me. Then it was straight war. Cans and cans of spaghetti - with spaghetti (not the cans) hurling through the air everywhere. The only problem was it was spaghetti and sausages - those sausages hurt. But yea another great camp.
Here at Branded my student leaders decided that the youth needed the "Sex" talk, and the slippery slope of doom (which an illustration I use about taking it slow physically so you don;t get into trouble later - the youth named it not me). We did it last night it was fun. We had 13 year girls turning up early really excited about the topic. But again it really struck me talking with my shelter group afterwards and they were saying how all they get school is "use protection" the thought of saying no or waiting according to them is not even mentioned. Now I'm way beyond expecting Biblical principles to be taught in secular New Zealand, but considering Taupo has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in NZ it seems odd that people can't see the connection.
Anyway on a personal note - went to the doctors the other day. All my glands have swelled up. Doctor was funny as he didn't seem to care about my swollen glands but was determined to find out what was wrong with my skin (I have dry and itchy skin - that drives me insane each night, and leaves sores up my arms). So after a blood test (as the doctor did in the end look at the glands), I'm back for a proper biopsy tomorrow and they might finally find out what's wrong with my crazy skin which would be awesome. Thanks God.
Anyway that's me nothing to deep this time around just a catch up.
Til next time
D
Easter Camp - I'm pretty sure no one from the Easter Camp team reads this blog - but if they do they should be real happy with a great camp. About 30 youth from Taupo made the trip and all enjoyed it. Many were really challenged by Mic Duncan and the way he preached in such a manner as to call the youth to a Christian life lived - not simply one decision made. Was good stuff. So thanks Easter Camp team for a job well done - your camp really blessed our youth.
After that it was up to Auckland for my wife and I, caught up with family and an Aussie friend that we met in East Timor of all places. She was on her way to do a course in Brazil and dropped in to New Zealand to catch up. Our jokes to her about being a professional YWAMer were really just bad attempts to veil our jealousy at the fact she is always travelling around the world.
Then back to Taupo for another camp down at Lake Taupo Christian Camp. Was a another good time the highlight being a Cowboys and Indians Spaghetti battle. All the campers were the Indians and the cowboys were a group of older camp staff and people like me. Then it was straight war. Cans and cans of spaghetti - with spaghetti (not the cans) hurling through the air everywhere. The only problem was it was spaghetti and sausages - those sausages hurt. But yea another great camp.
Here at Branded my student leaders decided that the youth needed the "Sex" talk, and the slippery slope of doom (which an illustration I use about taking it slow physically so you don;t get into trouble later - the youth named it not me). We did it last night it was fun. We had 13 year girls turning up early really excited about the topic. But again it really struck me talking with my shelter group afterwards and they were saying how all they get school is "use protection" the thought of saying no or waiting according to them is not even mentioned. Now I'm way beyond expecting Biblical principles to be taught in secular New Zealand, but considering Taupo has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in NZ it seems odd that people can't see the connection.
Anyway on a personal note - went to the doctors the other day. All my glands have swelled up. Doctor was funny as he didn't seem to care about my swollen glands but was determined to find out what was wrong with my skin (I have dry and itchy skin - that drives me insane each night, and leaves sores up my arms). So after a blood test (as the doctor did in the end look at the glands), I'm back for a proper biopsy tomorrow and they might finally find out what's wrong with my crazy skin which would be awesome. Thanks God.
Anyway that's me nothing to deep this time around just a catch up.
Til next time
D
Monday, March 19, 2007
The Word "Church"
At the Church I attend one thing that seems to be pushed is the whole thing of worship is not just singing. Fair enough. Our whole life should be worship and we shouldn't just think that worship begins and ends with the songs we sing. So now in the services on Sunday I've noted people are really careful not to say it's time to worship but rather we going to have a time to sing. We're song leaders not worship leaders etc etc. None of this really bothers me - worship should be more than singing (through I still argue there is no better corporate medium than singing). What did get me thinking the other day was do we need to do the same thing to the word "Church". I would argue that singing has more to do with worship than attending a service for 70 minutes has to do with Church.By my understanding the Biblical message of the Church is far larger than Sunday. The Bible talks about a body of people, each unique, each vital, joined to Christ the Head and growing together in maturity. It talks of ambassadors of Christs kingdom working to bring his dream on earth, empowered by the Spirit of God. It talks of the Church as being something we are, not something we attend. Just as worship is far more than singing - being the Church means far more than being counted and paying your tax on Sunday morning.
Maybe, we need to stop calling the gathering, service whatever word we use on Sunday morning "Church"? It is far to limiting and enforces the false and damaging notion that all things that are really Church happen on Sunday.
Maybe, we need to be far more careful how we talk about Church? The other day I was reading and someone was writing about his dream for Church this year - everything was related to Sunday services - everything. The danger in this is that because his view of Church was to small so was his dream.
Maybe we need to go back to the kingdom - after all it is the kingdom that Jesus preached not the Church?
Maybe if our vision of Church gets bigger the people doing real vital work for the kingdom midweek in their work places, cafes and homes will see that this is kingdom work and the Church in action, Christ's body in motion, even is it a Thursday not a Sunday?
Maybe there all just words and really it all doesn't matter?
Who knows?
Til next time
D
Maybe, we need to stop calling the gathering, service whatever word we use on Sunday morning "Church"? It is far to limiting and enforces the false and damaging notion that all things that are really Church happen on Sunday.
Maybe, we need to be far more careful how we talk about Church? The other day I was reading and someone was writing about his dream for Church this year - everything was related to Sunday services - everything. The danger in this is that because his view of Church was to small so was his dream.
Maybe we need to go back to the kingdom - after all it is the kingdom that Jesus preached not the Church?
Maybe if our vision of Church gets bigger the people doing real vital work for the kingdom midweek in their work places, cafes and homes will see that this is kingdom work and the Church in action, Christ's body in motion, even is it a Thursday not a Sunday?
Maybe there all just words and really it all doesn't matter?
Who knows?
Til next time
D
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
The Mission
The Mission
Words & Music Peter Furler & Steve Taylor
Song From NewsBoys "Go Album"
When the runners came from Bethlehem
All breathless with Good News
They were passing a baton forward through time
The commission, from God's lips to our ears
Carried by his saints two thousand years
Connects us all to the same lifeline
As I fix my eyes ahead
I can feel the Spirit's breath
I can hear the mission bell ringing out loud and clear
It's the revolution Jesus started and it's here
Echoing across the world from the shores of Galilee
I can hear the mission bell call for you and me
I wanna run with fire
It's my heart desire
Lifting Your love higher
In the history of our faith's arrivals
Great awakenings, Welsh revivals
Saints and martyrs, summoned by new birth
Patricks save of the Irish nation
William Carey's expectation
Lambs and lions called to the ends of the Earth
Gotta put my hand to the plow
Not looking back. not now
Just started a Persectives Course here in Taupo. It's a 13 week course all about missions. I am convinced the Bible is a Book of mission. God is a sending God - to be a follwer of Christ is to be one who has been sent out into a world to be ambassdor of his kingdom. It may not mean going overseas - who says missions must mean work in another country? Maybe, in fact this definition of a missionary as one who must go overseas is actually one that now hinders mission here in little old NZ? From the moment God sent Adam forth to multipy, to the calling and double sided blessing of Abraham, to great commission of Jesus himself. The Bible is bloated with mission, it overflows with a God who calls us to go.
Maybe we have lost that?
Or maybe we simply have no idea how it do mission in New Zealand anymore?
Maybe we need to think about it?
Maybe we need to realise that when call people to Christianity we don't simply call them to the forgivness of God and the hope of heaven but we also call them into the plan of God, the call of God, the mission to go?
Til Next Time
D
Monday, February 05, 2007
Poverty And This Generation
Well Parachute Music Festival has been and gone for another year. For those from overseas - Parachute is New Zealand's big Christian Music Festival. This year Thousand Foot Krutch, Falling Up, Third Day plus others came along. Was a bit of a different festival for me as I had to come back on the Sunday to take a wedding, which gave the whole festival a very different feel. But the bands I saw were good - TFK rocked and made me please I'm too old for the mosh pit, Falling Up were great and I know some of the Youth from here really took to them, for the me the surprise act of Rebecca St James - just a short set but some real special moments.
But on the music note before I say what really hit me at Parachute - I have a few more words to do with music. They are Skillet - Comabose. Best CD I have heard in ages - great variety and songs. Check out the web page here....
But on the music note before I say what really hit me at Parachute - I have a few more words to do with music. They are Skillet - Comabose. Best CD I have heard in ages - great variety and songs. Check out the web page here....
But anyhow - at Parachute they had a debate. The theme of the debate was basically that getting rid of poverty was the job of this generation. Interesting question that. As a U2 fan I've read Bono saying "we have the technology, we have the money - do we have the will etc". Personally, I can't see how as Christians we can ignore worldwide poverty, yet Ronald Sider in his book "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger" (good book), quotes from a study that says when it comes to things like poverty that faith seems to play no part in peoples beliefs or actions. Those with an active faith seem to show no more concern than those without an active faith. How unbelieveable is that??? This has all lead me to commit to doing some serious study on the Kingdom of God. I think as Christians we have fallen into a trap of thinking Christianity is about a one-off decision - then we hang around trying not to sin to much - then we die and go heaven. Theology talks about the "Now and not yet of the Kingdom of God". We seem to have become obsessed with simply waiting for the "not yet". Then God will come and fix it all up. Till then who cares about such things as poverty? But the Kingdom of God is also now, and as Christians we are witnesses and ambassadors of it. Surely, as Christians in and under God's Kingdom we are called to fight against things God is clearly against - and promote with love and gentleness those things God is for, in our world - Today!!! Sure as Christians we believe that we live in a fallen world and it will never be perfect till Jesus does come and fix it up. Sure it may take longer than this generation or hundred generations to deal with poverty. But if we claim to live under the Kingdom of God now - then we are called to serve, promote and witness of this Kingdom - Now. To do what we can now to make this world a better place. Maybe a short quote I got from the latest Relevant Mag sums its up best
"We are not obligated to complete the task, but nor are exempt from
beginning it"
Til next time
D
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Living what you preach
Had a few preaching slots lately. I normally enjoy preaching, well to be honest I normally enjoy preparing the sermon more than delivering it. I enjoy the research side of it and learning new things. Normally a bit nervous and not keen enough on up front stuff to go far enough to say I enjoy the actual preaching - although it is great when people get it.
The other great challenge with preaching is 'am I living what I am calling others to'. My last message was on having a big view of Jesus - I had three main points :- Jesus is in everything and is everywhere , we called to kingdom growth now, we have apart to play in God's plan. Bascially, I talked against having simply a personal relationship with Jesus and tried to turn people to something bigger where Jesus is involved in all aspects of life. To live that is challenging it is so easy to slip into Jesus place in my life is work (cos i work in the Church) or on Sunday mornings. Generally, I'm pretty sure I'm way more challenged by any messages I give than anyone else is.
I say this because I'm again in the middle of preparing a message. This time it is on transfiguration, and my point is that Jesus shows himself to the disciples here and is confirmed by the Father as the Son of God. And if we believe that then it should impact and effect every area of our lives. Which means when in the verse God tells tha disciples "listen to him" - so in every areas of lives we should "listen to him". And again I'm being challenged - again I face the fact that it's a lot easier to sing of Christ's Lordship than it to submitt "every" area of my life to it. I mean how good am I at listening to him when it comes to finances, and other simple life choices.
For me anyhow the greatest challenge to preaching is how often I need to pause and take heed of the very teaching that I am meant to be giving. But I better get back to it now.
Til next time
D
The other great challenge with preaching is 'am I living what I am calling others to'. My last message was on having a big view of Jesus - I had three main points :- Jesus is in everything and is everywhere , we called to kingdom growth now, we have apart to play in God's plan. Bascially, I talked against having simply a personal relationship with Jesus and tried to turn people to something bigger where Jesus is involved in all aspects of life. To live that is challenging it is so easy to slip into Jesus place in my life is work (cos i work in the Church) or on Sunday mornings. Generally, I'm pretty sure I'm way more challenged by any messages I give than anyone else is.
I say this because I'm again in the middle of preparing a message. This time it is on transfiguration, and my point is that Jesus shows himself to the disciples here and is confirmed by the Father as the Son of God. And if we believe that then it should impact and effect every area of our lives. Which means when in the verse God tells tha disciples "listen to him" - so in every areas of lives we should "listen to him". And again I'm being challenged - again I face the fact that it's a lot easier to sing of Christ's Lordship than it to submitt "every" area of my life to it. I mean how good am I at listening to him when it comes to finances, and other simple life choices.
For me anyhow the greatest challenge to preaching is how often I need to pause and take heed of the very teaching that I am meant to be giving. But I better get back to it now.
Til next time
D
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