The Sunday Assembly

The Age reported on a group of atheists who meet on Sunday which looked a bit like church without God. "The Sunday Assembly".

During the week I went along to a community garden and kitchen project. I meet a couple of new faces and while the gardening was central I'm sure in most part it was about community meeting and getting to know others, as well as benifiting the community. Really worthwhile. For me this sort of thing is very much an extension of my Christianity

I think what the "Sunday assembly is doing is similar, it's part of our DNA. To have fellowship and to be a positive influence on those around us. Their focus probably is on system of beliefs without God.

I suspect that how well they do will be dependent on how they sell the message If you look at the classy presentations, contemporary worship, emphasis on the tithe, that the large growing churches are pushing I doubt the assembly will get much more than a handful showing up regularly. They have a lot to learn from the Church.

Never the less its good to see a diversity of opinions and people who want to make a positive influence on society.

 

A more perfect heaven, Dava Sobel

I've finished the biography of Copernicus the Polish astronomer who discovered that the earth rotated around the Sun. Which was very controversial as the main stream of thought was that everything rotated around the Earth!

Overall I thought that the book was pretty dry. I also thought it was a bit odd the play that was added half way through the book. In some ways I think you need to have the book either a textbook/biography or a historical novel much like Hillary Mantels books.

I did like the historical debate. One of which was Copernicus' calculation of the huge miles between plants and stars. Today we would call them light years. The argument against these huge numbers was that God would not waste such space to nothingness. While Copernicus rebuff was that it revealed the grandness of Gods creation. I liked that.

Rating 2/5

 

Bonhoeffer and his hymn

 

At Church today we sang a hymn by Dietrich Bonhoffer, The German Pastor who opposed the Nazis and was eventually executed. I have read a few of his books, but I never knew that he wrote hymns.

It was rather dreary the tempo and melody. Yet it was powerful. I couldn't help ponder where was he when he wrote this. In some Nazi gaol? Was it a prayer for him, his gaolers, his family?

It made me reflect on the place where worship Christian songs originate from. Certainly not the horror where Bonhoffer's came from? (I suspect most are to advance the profile of a Church or denomination, not out of total desperation.)

So yes I was moved: I sang, reflected the wonders of Bomhoffer's words and the Glory of God.

 

1 People draw near to God in their distress,

pleading for help and begging peace and bread,

rescue from guilt and sickness, nearly dead.

Christian or not, all come in helplessness.

2 People draw near when they see God's distress:

find God rejected, homeless, without bread,

burdened with sin and weakness, nearly dead.

Christians reach out to meet God's wretchedness.

3 And God draws near to people in distress,

feeding their souls and bodies with his bread;

Christian or not, for both he's hanging dead,

forgiving, from the cross, their wickedness.

 

(Interestingly the version we had at Church the 1st verse didn't have 'Christian or not' rather 'faith or not')

Election of a Pope, how foreign it all is...

 

You can't help read the news without seeing something about the election of a new Pope.

I've looked through the candidates and can't help reflect that they will be all following the last Pope John Paul's, conservative roots. Celibacy, no condoms, no women ordination, etc etc.

I reflect on this while watching them, cardinals brightly dressed in red, old men. They appear completely out of place. I wonder if they have twitter, facebook accounts? Know what the latest music the young people are listening to where they live? Have an reflection on a current movie? I watch these elders shuffling along thinking of Nick Caves song "God is in the house" and wonder where?

I can't help thinking that the Catholic Church will continue to loose its way regarding relevancy. Its a shame Catholicism has a lot to offer, I love its mysticism, it's depth of theology,it's breathing with seasons.

But the Church appears uninspiring with the leaders it is putting forward.

Christian music vs music

I don't have a doubt in my mind, that Christian music vs 'music of the world' is rather insipid. A Nescafé vs the real full freshly roasted and ground espresso. I suppose it the the barriers of what define how a Christian should look which in some way takes away the fullness and honesty of 'music of the world'.
If I was to pick a couple of secular songs which I think touch the creator it would be::

Sing : Travis,
I seem to be able to belt out this chorus, or find myself whistling away to it, often unconsciously. It seems always to be directed towards my creator.
White blank page : Mumford and Sons
There is something about the human condition, about never been perfect that draws me to this song. Is as if you are explaining this to someone much wiser than yourself and the reply is that's ok. The white blank page?
In my life : the Beatles
I once heard Kevin Proshe talk about how the Beatles music was God inspired. I suppose for me I often think of this this Song as a love for God which is eternal. Never as a human relationship as maybe the Beatles intended.
Is there anybody out there : Pink Floyd
I'm pretty sure that Rodger Waters would be horrified that this would be on my list. But I know a prominent Christian leader who was so worked up by this song he flung himself toward Jesus! But it does ask the ultimate question and I think there is an answer. Maybe that I why I'd put it on my list.
There are more, but they come and go as the seasons....

Weekend away with Solace

 

This weekend we have been away to Solace church camp at Sorrento. Its a community which Christina and I certainly identify with. The last few days confirmed why. The whole idea of accepting people be it with health issues, sexual orientation, or unorthodox beliefs. It is a safe community where the centre set model of which I loved talking about in the Vineyard Church actually exists!

We finished up the weekend with 'Clean up Australia' day down on the Serreneto foreshore. The environment and God is certainly high on my agenda as a Christian.

After the Vineyard there was for us a bit of a feeling that we had left home, through moving in a different direction. Now traveling with Solace for well over a year I think we have found a new home.

 

 

Bicycle Diaries :: David Byrne

 

I predominately decided to read this book because of the heading 'Bicycle diaries', not because of David Byrne the lead singer of Talking Heads although that was interesting. I was expecting a book that details the day to day trips on a bicycle, touring.

What the book was about, was day trips from a hotel and observations, from all over the world. Any type of bicycle diary you usually get observations but Byrne has been to college and studied arty subjects, thus much was made of architecture, beauty, function etc. In many ways this type of observation was proportionally way more than I think the title of the book suggested. Some of the these observations were interesting but on the whole they seemed to be just ramblings.

On observation I found interesting when Byrnes was off peddling to another museum ::

Once upon a time it was considered radical to even show mass-produced objects in the same place as fine art - in museums with flattering lighting and little labels. Now, by implication and extension, Cup Noodle's containers presented next to more expensive design objects become equals. We're being asked to see the elegance or at least innovation and cleverness in banal everyday crap that for the most part is never given a second look. Living with this kind of stuff every day, day after day, we often don't even notice it anymore. We assume it just is - unremarkable, undistinguished- and we forget that it was at some point designed by someone and may in fact be elegant efficiently made, and even beautiful.

Maybe this is how we see ourselves in the sea of humanity, as opposed to how our maker -God- sees us.

I found the book just a bit unfocused, I'm not sure it was Byrnes fault; I'm pretty sure it was just a collection of notes that he put together over the years from journals and diaries. Maybe it was his editors who struggled to tighten things.

Rating 2/5

 

Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

 

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I suppose I'd boxed it in. The movie seemed to me a 'Chick flick' even though I'd never seen it! So I'd automatically put the book in the same category.

Some of reviews from Goodreads suggested that Gilbert was narcissistic in the book. This is a bit unfair (I also think with the frequency it was written that it was just a repetitive copy of other reviews!) I think most peoples journals if you read them would appear narcissistic. What did come across was her search for God and things which come from Him.

There are a few things which confirmed what I already thought and added a few more layers. A few years back I'd thought about Kundalini and Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Gilbert wrote about this regarding Kundalini::

"Every religion in the world has had a subset of devotees who seek a direct, transcendent experience with God, excusing themselves from fundamentalist scriptural or dogmatic study in order to personally encounter the divine. The interesting thing about these mystics is that, when they describe their experience, they all end up describing the exactly the same occurrence. Generally, their union with God..." pg 150

Another word which I'd never heard before was 'turiya': "You feel stirred by grace, swollen with wonder, overflowing with bliss. Everything-for no reason whatsoever- is perfect" pg 206. I've seen this in charismatic, pentecostal environments. Its usually after the service. There is a call for "ministry", those who want prayer for whatever comes down to the front. Usually nothing happens, but occasionally usually when the atmosphere is pumped up; turiya occurs. Its happened to me oh so briefly. Gilbert calls turiya a level of consciousness.

Overall I think if you are searching for God. Gilbert has a few gems in this book. About searching for God and overcoming.

I gave it 4/5

 

Eat Pray Love, by Eliszabeth Gilbert

I've just started on Eat Pray and Love, and in the third chapter. The main character writes about her understanding of God and Christianity::

"Culturally, though not theologically, I'm a Christian. I was born a Protestant of the white Anglao-Saxon persuasion. And while I do love the great teacher of peace who was called Jesus, and while I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, I can't swallow that one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christi is the only path to God. Strictly speaking then, I cannot call myself a Christian"

I think this is pretty much spot on for the majority of white Anglo-Saxon's. It could easily be a definition for those in the 'Post Church' category. It is one of the huge hurdles which is getting wider which Christianity main denominations need to face.

 

The dream is over

John Lennon in his first album after 'The Beatles' wrote the line in his song 'God'; "The dream is over".

In the book "Lennon remembers" by Jann Wenner, "The dream is over" represents Lennon's stance that the myth "the Beatles were God" had come to an end. "If there is a God," Lennon explained, "we're all it." According to the wikkipedia.

I like the line. I have a bit of a differnt interpretation; maybe he was trying to make a point to Paul McCartney.

"We had a dream when we were young men, we actually lived it; and guess what? We're no better off than when we began. "The dream is over". There is no going back Paul.

I suppose that might have been a difference between John and Paul. Paul kept of pushing out pop fodder; there was never to much thought behind what he wrote in his lyrics. The dream was still on for him.

I like the line because it scales our significance. Even John Lennon, one of the most influential people of a generation knew this. Even with his, not my interpretation. Great people and insignificant come to a realisation often 'the dream is over'.

Most people come to a point where 'The dream is over'; I came to that place 2-3 years ago; a pastor; I could have kept going, networking, doing the latest and greatest; but in my heart I knew. Others come to the point through a divorce, a deep friendship that goes cold; even ugly; lots of reasons....

",

 

Clean up Australia day, and Thin places.

Today we all went off to Clean up Australia day. It was pretty wet, all up there was seven of us including us four in our family. Our area to clean up was from the entrance of the Koala park on Phillip Island Road and Harbinson Road along the bike path.

There was quite a lot of Rubbish, we collected two bags full. Lots of odds and ends, a car headlight, hubcaps, lots of golf balls, from the mini-golf at a-maze-n-thing over the road. As expected plenty of Mc Donald's rubbish even though we are 30km away from bass the nearest store. Plenty of hyper caffeinated drink cans, 'Mother', yet no Coke! What I didn't expect to find was Bakers delight bags, there was plenty.

I had one of those 'Thin Places' experience. Just walking along in the drizzle picking up rubbish thinking to myself that even on this miserable day there is a beauty. Pondering how God made the earth and it was 'good'. That He would be happy at my very very small contribution today, my act of Worship. Caring for what God made.

Even though we had previously done this type of thing at our old Church quite, we were often the ones who were leading or instigating. This time it was just us as a family, no agendas. Strangely it did feel different. I could almost meditate/pray while I was picking up the rubbish.

One of the ironic aspects of the whole day was a little thank you from McDonalds. Maybe they felt guitly? A few people gave me some dirty looks when I accepted the card; but like the Gherkin.

 

 

Choosing our theology

Interesting post from "The Naked Pastor", "Drawing lightning tree and bad theology", it got me thinking with this line.

But I’m just starting to see that we actually choose our theology. Our theology rarely chooses us. I am convinced that we always choose ideas that support what we already believe. We find proofs to buttress our worldview.

So for myself do I believe this? MMmmm.

Initially theology chose me. It was part of the Church I went to, the social group that I belonged to. It also gave me something to hang on to during that turbulent period between teenage years and adulthood. I had no reason to question it.

Then most probably because, I became a lot more self assured and had a great deal more knowledge about theology. It became ok to question my theology, to see there was more than one option. I then had choice.

For me been opened up to more than one way of looking at the Bible saved me, this knowledge helped me to keep hanging in there with Christianity. The Naked pastor is right that 'we need to find proofs to buttress our worldview'. Theology is ultimately making sense of the world and how God fits with this.

While I think where people do not have the choice of theology, they fall away. Some slowly others rapidly. A room with four walls, no doors or windows, no way out.

 

Solace

One of this years resolutions for us is monthly heading to Melbourne to go to a Church called Solace. For a few reasons, the girls to know that there are other children who go to Church, for ourselves to continue to engage with Churches which are a bit out there. Also for all of us, a filling up Spiritually. (I like the Uniting Church, but we are definitely the youngest, and this in itself is problematic in many ways)

Yesterday there was a bit of a write up in The Age on Solace. It seemed a pretty reasonable article. I liked Olivia's comment that the Church is based on 'Jesus Centered Spirituality'; which can have a lot of meanings. I like the ambiguity. Not the typical 'We believe'.

The article did leave me with some questions, Why did they leave the Anglican Church. Or maybe they didn't leave...

 

 

Hope

Hope is a strange thing. You don't know that you need to think about it usually until it is to late. The Sh#t has has already hit the fan.

I did my major Old Testement essay on the afterlife. It was obscure, many scholars infusing New Testement ideas into the Old. But from what I could gather Jews from the Old Testement did not believe in a heaven as such. There was sheol the place for the dead, but it was no heaven. A waiting room, waiting for the messiah. Maybe a new earth, but not the Christian equivalent of heaven. The Old Testements ideas of the afterlife  are full of metaphors which many things can be read into.

Was the ideas of heaven even in the Old Testement? Old Testement scholars argue and point to obsure references, which then become clearer when the New Testement came along. But just reading the unadulterated text I'd say no. Heaven, the glorious afterlife didn't exist. 

One Jewish idea from the Old Testement was that new life or eternity was given though the Childern. Hope for the future after death was found in Children; if not your own maybe your brothers or some other relative. 

So if you where given a diagnosis of terminal cancer; a hopeless situation. What would you do? Where would your hope come from?

The hope of heaven, which nobody has even come back to tell us about?

or

To look at the face of a child and see hope?

I don't know. Both are appealing yet not fully satisfying.

For me when I am in a hopeless situation, and I admit I have never faced a life threatening situation. I look at psalm 23. For me it is very much the here and now. To be remined, centered. That God's presence is here, now. That that His presence is a place of peace. That God, in his nature, eventually turns troubled times, into good. Even if we cannot see it happening now or into the future. 

 

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
he leads me beside quiet waters, 
 ³ he refreshes my soul. 
He guides me along the right paths 
   for his name’s sake. 
⁴ Even though I walk 
   through the darkest valley,^[a] 
I will fear no evil, 
   for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff, 
   they comfort me.

 ⁵ You prepare a table before me 
   in the presence of my enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil; 
   my cup overflows. 
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me 
   all the days of my life, 
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD 

 

Sunflower

This is a picture of a Giant Russian sunflower which I planted in our garden. It is huge the plant is larger than myself 175cm + and the flower is much larger than a dinner plate. Beautiful. It greets me every morning with its friends. 

It amazes me that 200 years ago, to get a glimpse of this flower, we had to wait a season for it to bloom. There were no color photos to reveal its glory. No google to dial up an instant image. Sure we had paintings and these did gave us a glimpse. But the real thing....

Ultimately we humans had to wait a season, to have patience to see this type of magnificance. 

It makes me wonder::

- what have we lost to the technology of today?

-how much are the seasons a revalation of God?

The Image of the Creator : Steve Jobs

One of glimpses that that you get of our  God, is the footprint he leaves with his creation. The environment is for all to see. You often read in Christian literature of artists or sculptors who's style or impression on a piece of work can easily be spotted and identified. This is reflective of God and his creation.
The passing of Steve Jobs has made me ponder this. In many ways his creation; the apple brand, can be easily spotted. There are not many brands which can be identified in such a global way. His footprint will remain for a long time, with products that have simplicity,  looks which are beautiful and most importantly function as they should.
There are not many people who have lived that have left this sort of legacy before...

Transgender

As I've previously posted before my friend Scott has been diagnosed as been transgendered.
As a Christian I've worked through and still working through the idea of sexuality which isn't the norm. Some of my thoughts

Is this part of God's plan for creation? 
Mmm probably not, unless he thinks that a few mutant strands of DNA are a good thing in cell division, for evolution and diversity of species.

What does God think of people who aren't the 'norm'?
He still loves them, walks with them, communes with them.

What does God do to people who aren't the norm?

Very similar to my answer above. Except I'd add that I think he has a special affinity for these people. He would have an understanding of the pain they go through, the rejection, condemnation. How so often they want to be 'normal' but it is no choice.

Does God want to heal people who aren't the norm?
This is an interesting one, because I think that where ever a person is there can be healing. It's a more holistic idea which includes lots of things: the mind, relationship with others, the spirit. Only a small amount is do do with the body. If a person was restored physically the person would be 'Cured'. I think God is more into 'healing' than 'Curing'.
Interesting in my friend Scotts case I can see a lot of 'healing' taking place.

Whats my response?

I want to treat them as normally as possible. It is difficult though. It's difficult because its hard to relate to there experience. In my friend Scott's case I've always thought of him as a male. The shift in my thinking is a difficult one. Yet I think of the shift that Scott has made it has been a lifetime.