a moment?

One of my first blogs was about Bobby, the movie about Robert F. Kennedy, and some questions it raised for me about whether people are aware, in the moment, of the impact they (and particularly their words) may have on history.

Today has been a monumental day, and I feel humbled and honoured to have been able to watch as Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th President of the United States of America.  In reflecting in the hours that have passed since his victory speech, I've been thinking back to those early musings, and have continued to wonder about people's awareness in these moments.  I think (hope) that we're all aware of the significance of Obama's speech, and the potential for it to enter into history as one of "those" moments - the "yes, we can" element of the speech, in particular.  

What has also struck me, though, is that it is a moment of hope.  Hope that was so clearly etched on the faces (and in the tears) of those who celebrated in Grant Park, Times Square, and in so many other places.  Hope that came through in Obama's speech.  Hope that maybe we stand on the edge of something great - of a restoration, of a re-ordering.  Hope that from this moment forward, things will be different.  There is no guarantee that we have witnessed one of those moments, today, but I'm sure as Obama strode out onto that platform, he was aware of the potential, aware of the hope.  

Should Obama deliver on that hope, then yes, this speech (and, I would imagine) a number of his other speeches so far, and yet to come, will indeed mark turning points.  We will, for decades to come, look back, as we do now on JFK, on Martin Luther King, Jr, on Robert F. Kennedy, and remember where we were when these events took place.

I have to confess, though that while I have hope, I have fear, also.  My greatest fear is of someone doing something stupid - as happened to each of those leaders I've just mentioned.  Yes, that will also become a moment, but it will be a moment when hope is crushed, destroyed.  I also fear that Obama will be unable to deliver on the promises and hope that he's created - that the expectation of change which has swept him to the Oval Office will be insatiable, unrealistic, and, in the end, undeliverable.

Let's pray I am wrong on both counts, and that hope wins the day.

what josh is teaching me about God #8

Yesterday, Ali and I took Josh to his orientation afternoon at school, which he starts next year.  Josh met his teacher, spent some time in his room, while we went with the other parents and were given info on what we needed to get ready, forms we needed to fill out, etc.  Needless to say, it was a bit of a rollercoaster arvo - excitement for Josh, encouragement about what a great school he's going to, but also realisation that our little boy is growing up, that we're heading into a very different phase of life and parenting, that there are going to be some challenges ahead.

As Ali and I were talking about it last night, I said that it's a strange pivot point as parents.  In some ways, we've spent the first 5 years of Josh's life "reeling him in" - trying to teach him boundaries, set foundations, teaching him control.  From next year, in effect, we begin the process of letting him back out - allowing him to become more and more independent over the coming years, in the hope that by the time he finishes at school, he'll be able to stand on his own two feet.

As often happens during these reflections, my mind then turned to the way in which my fatherhood is a reflection of my relationship with God.  Through this, I began to think about the faith journey, and wondered if there is some correlation here.  Is it possible that the first part of our faith journey is about God teaching us the basics, giving us boundaries, setting foundations, learning self-control?  Then, as we grow, God begins to "let us back out", to trust that the heart-work that's been done has prepared us to be able to stand on our own feet a bit more.

Now, I fully realise that in saying this, it could be perceived that I'm implying that God wants us to stand without him, but I'm not.  I'm simply pondering whether part of the maturity process (including God allowing us to go through difficult times, where our faith is tested) is related around a similar type of pivot point.  

Again, perhaps the first phase of our journey of faith is very much like the first 5 years of life - learning to walk, to talk, to write, to comprehend, and, in the midst of that, to learn that life is not a free-for-all, but there are boundaries that we need to live within, if we are going to function as part of society.  But that's not the end.  God gives us the opportunity to "start school" at some point - to begin to put into practice the things we've learned, continue to grow, continue to expand, discover what it means to live for others, not just ourselves.  

lusting after church

In recent times, I've had some conversations with different people who are thinking about where they're at in their involvement with their church.  Sometimes, I find these conversations difficult, because, as a shaper in a church, I have a vested interest in what we're doing at CitySoul, and obviously believe strongly in what we're doing, and the way we're doing it.

My tendency is to hold back talking about what we're doing, particularly with people who are struggling in the communities they are currently part of, because I want them to work through the issues, and help their church become even more healthy, rather than just up and leaving.  In one of these recent conversations, I found myself saying something which I think is a helpful analogy, and which I've since used a couple more times.  

In some ways, being part of a faith community is like being in a relationship (hopefully it's a lot like being in a lot of relationships, but bear with me...)  When you are in a relationship with someone, it doesn't matter how attractive anyone else is, while you are in the relationship you're in, you should not be looking, and especially not lusting...  

Yes, there are times when it's tempting, but if you're in a relationship, you should be focussed on working through any issues, resolving problems, looking to strengthen that relationship, not find an easy out by chasing after someone else who might seem more attractive.  The reality is that all relationships require hard work, dedication, and, as far as I know, all people have issues of some sort, so while the change might be nice for a while, the gloss will wear off (and is it even possible you are the cause of some of those problems... so won't you take them into any other relationship you head into?)

Now, if the relationship is not working, is not going anywhere, is harmful, etc, then you need to leave that relationship, and it's at that point that you can begin to look at who else is around (but it's still important to work through the issues that caused the breakup).

I think it would be helpful if more people had those concepts in mind as they thought about their involvement with any given church.  While you are a part of that church, you are in a relationship, and it doesn't matter how attractive other churches are, you're "taken", so stop lusting!  All churches have people in them, and if they have people, that means there are going to be issues.  Some communities might hide them better than others, or for longer, but there will be issues somewhere (even with CitySoul!).

Now, again, if that relationship is not working (and there are times when it is absolutely appropriate to end a relationship and move on, for the benefit of both parties), then aim for a healthy close to the relationship, work through the issues that caused the "breakup", and once that chapter has closed, only then should you start looking at what else is around.

imagine if... #2

I did say I was going to do some regular blogs on the theme of "imagine if..."  So, here's number 2...

Jesus says that the Dream of God (Kingdom) is like a farmer who throws seed into a field, then is amazed as it pretty much grows on its own - he doesn't really know how it happens, but the soil grows a sprout, then a stalk, then a head, then a full head of grain, so he harvests it (Mark 4:26-29)

Imagine if we functioned that way - not that we don't put any effort in at all - the farmer had to plant the seed (which, I think it's fair to assume means he'd prepared the ground first), but that we set up environments for growth to occur organically, then sit back in amazement at what God does around us.  And creating an environment for ourselves to grow (what's my soil like right now?  what seed have I scattered around the place lately?), as well as talking about creating environments for others to grow.

Organic is one of our key values at CitySoul, and is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my thinking and understanding.  Organic means natural, not forced, slow growth... the farmer, in some ways couldn't have sped up the process (and we all know how fake and less alive food tastes when the growth process has been sped up...)  

Imagine if we were more focused on creating environments (preparing the soil, scattering seed) where growth can organically occur.  Imagine if we were more content to realise that (whether we sleep or get up, as Jesus' story says) God is growing the seed.  Imagine if we would allow ourselves to be surprised (and blessed) by God more often as we scratch our heads and say "how did that grow?!" 

Imagine if...

reality bites...

There's a lot of talk (and, disappointingly, some champagne corks) around the place at the moment about the impending death of the emerging church (see here, here, here and here for just a few examples).  I've spent a bit of time over the last few years reading, listening to and watching some of the emerging church discussions, and find it interesting that the conversation has come to this point.

Think what you may of the emerging church conversation, but to me there is a bigger issue at stake, and that is one of authenticity.  In the end, the more I reflect, the more I think we as Christians need to place an exceptionally high premium on authenticity.  

At one of our CitySoul feasts a few weeks ago, we spent some time considering this idea of authenticity, and for me, some of the really helpful thoughts came out of discussions about what is not authentic, ie what is fake.  As you think about what is fake, you start to think about mass-production, copies, trickery, pretending to be something you're not, plastic... 

Authenticity on the other hand is about being genuine, about originality, the real deal.  

With that in mind, the question of emerging church (or any other "form" of church, for that matter) can become a distraction from pursuing what it means to authentically follow Jesus - individually and corporately.  Trying to "become" (or not become) an emerging/[insert other label] church flies in the face of what it means to say as a community "what does it mean for us, together, to follow Jesus?" (which obviously flows on from understanding that for yourself.)  If that looks (or smells...) emerging, then it's not going to die, because it's genuine for the people who are part of your community.  If it looks traditional, then it's not going to die, because it's genuine.  If it's something new (or old), but it's real, and people are encountering and seeking to become more like Jesus, that would seem to decrease the likelihood that it will becoming a fad, a trend, or a fake.

I wonder what would happen if we spent more time focussing on, talking with and giving opportunities to the people who are part of our communities, helping them discover what it means for them to follow Jesus authentically, and less time either looking at what others are doing and trying to copy that, or looking at what others are doing in the hope it will fail.

building muscle

I've blogged some thoughts previously (here and here) on the links between exercise (particularly in terms of weights) and spirituality, and this morning at the gym, I was struck by another link... 

It's very deceptive to look at how much muscle gain you've achieved in the moments after a workout.  The blood flow to the muscles means that the muscles look bigger (and more impressive!) than they actually are (and will be later in the day).  Following a workout, the body needs nutrients (particularly protein) to rebuild the muscle fibres that are torn during exercise.  If it gets these nutrients, over the next 48 hours, the muscle will repair itself, and grow to a larger, stronger size.  This happens most effectively, as I mentioned in one of those entries, when the body is given time to rest - if you return to the gym and work on the same muscle group the following day, the body has not had time to repair itself, so muscle growth is inhibited.  

So... linking that into our spirituality, perhaps it's not the moments immediately following a "workout" (whether that is anything from a ministry experience to personal disciplines) that show the true results.  Nor is it the day after (when perhaps our spiritual muscles are hurting and in need of nutrients and rest).  Rather, it is a couple of days later that we should be able to see the results of our exercise - but even more likely it will be after weeks of repeated exercise that the effects will be shown.

For me, that's a big lesson to learn, because I can be seduced by the importance of an event, a devotional time, etc, if I look at it in the moments immediately following its occurrence.  Instead, I need to take time and reflect on the impact over the days (even weeks) following the event, in order to see what impact it has really had, and whether there is long-term growth and strength coming as a result.  

teenage affluenza

One of the blogs I enjoy reading is Mark Sayers' blog.  Mark is one of the most insightful yet down to earth people around and a profoundly deep thinker - particularly in regards to culture.  I highly recommend you subscribe to his feed if you're interested in the impact of culture, particularly in regards to following Jesus (he has also just started a weekly podcast, too, so get onto his site and check it out).

In one of his previous entries, Mark made mention of a some of the resources on the World Vision resource page, Learn About Poverty.  I was perusing it today, and was blown away by this clip...

I can't see how anyone could not use that in their youth/young adult ministry - so many helpful discussions that could come out of it.  Please go to the site and check out the rest of their resources.

photos

Wow - how did 2 months pass without an entry?  Ah life...

Anyhoo, I thought I should put on here that I've got a flickr page (for those not in the know, flickr is an exceptional site for uploading, sharing and looking at images - particularly photography).

I'm still very much learning what constitutes a good photo, but there are some on there I'm pretty happy with - like this one...

If you're interested, head over to http://www.flickr.com/photos/natevawser

imagine if...

Sunday morning, we went to my Dad's church because it was his last Sunday there before he moves to a new church.  As part of his sermon, he talked about some of the metaphors Jesus used to describe "The Kingdom of God".  As I've mentioned previously, I've been struggling for a while with how useful the phrase "Kingdom of God" is for us today.  I fully understand the need for us to talk about the way things function if we lived God's way, but thinking about a Kingdom is not easy for someone who doesn't really live in a Kingdom, and for those who do, it's not necessarily helpful, for other reasons.  As that post notes, Brian McLaren suggests the "dream of God" as one alternative (which I've found very helpful) to talk about the Kingdom, so I've decided I'm going to do some regular blogs along this line with this title of "imagine if..."

Dad talked about how yeast and seeds are both small, hidden, and yet absolutely vital for transformation.  Imagine if the church saw itself with that mindset - small, hidden, and yet absolutely vital for transformation - how much differently would it function?  

This obviously flies in the face of a lot of popular church growth theory, which says that to be vital for transformation, a church needs to be big and obvious - numbers, building, signage, on TV, in people's face.  I'm not having a go at any of those things - some churches have the ability to do those things well, and have a great impact because of it.  However, is that what all churches should be aspiring for, or should we be aspiring to be smaller, hidden communities, who are transformative because we are yeast in the dough, or seeds in the soil?

One of the things I love about our faith community that we're in the very early stages of planting is that we want that to be at the core of who we are - small (as in not a big building, nor a big name - numbers are up to God), hidden, working away behind the scenes, but absolutely vital for the transformation of our city.

Imagine if... 

choose... life

I've had one of those mornings this morning - you know, the ones where you feel like you're swimming in concrete, it takes ages to do anything?

Examples - I bought a new scooter (so happy to save so much money!), and went to fill it up at the petrol station.  I usually go to Mobil when I'm on the scooter, and when I used to be on my ZZR, because you can pay at the pump, and don't have to take your helmet off, etc.  So, I go to the station, pay at the pump isn't working, so I have to go in to pay.  When I go in, the attendant realises that the guy who just paid (driving a Calais) gave him the wrong pump number (accidentally?) - mine.  You'd think either the guy buying the petrol or the guy selling it would have realised that it costs more than $7 to fill a Calais... So, the attendant has to go out, get the guy to come back in, charge him the extra... you get the picture.

Eventually, I get back on the scooter and managed to snag every single red light on the way into town - no exaggeration, every one. 

Then I get into town and our wireless wasn't working properly... sigh (obviously it is now).

Now, clearly none of those things are a big deal, but I can get frustrated pretty easily at stuff like that.

2 weeks ago at our feast gathering for church, we talked about Moses' glorious words from Deuteronomy 30:15-20, in which he reminds the Israelites that as they enter into the Promised Land, that's not going to be the end of their need to make choices, and he challenges them to choose life (v 19).

We talked about how we need to make choices every day, and we are continually presented with opportunities to choose options that give life, contrasted with choosing options that take life.  

As I was sitting at one of the (many) red lights this morning, I decided to make a choice, to take the opportunity to soak up the sunshine, to marvel at the contrast of the green trees against the blue sky, to choose life.  I also reflected on how blessed we are to be able to make choices, and that the way we respond is really up to us.

boxing God

Last night at our feast gathering for church, we did a fantastic reflection based on Isaiah 53, and Mark 8:27-30 - discussing who we understand Jesus to be, and how easy it is for us to shape our understanding of Jesus on something that is so much smaller than he actually is.  

As a way of practically reflecting on that, we bought some chinese food boxes, and Josh, our Creative Curator asked us to reflect on the ways in which we keep God in a box, then to open the box out and reflect on the characteristics of God that we struggle with.

It was very helpful, and very powerful.  I was especially challenged to reflect on the ways in which, by putting Jesus in a box, I limit his ability to act.  It's not that Jesus doesn't have the power, but are there times that I, by my small-mindedness (or should that be small-boxedness?) limit Jesus' ability to use that power in my life or in the situations I find myself in?  

Who do you say Jesus is?  What's in the box?

viva la vida

I bought the new Coldplay CD the other day, and I really like it.  It's quite different to their previous albums, but I love some of the time and feel changes they've got throughout.

My favourite song from the album is the title track, and I've spent a bit of time lately thinking about why I really like the songs I love, like this one.  Where I've come to is that many of the songs I enjoy the most are ones that really build - songs like Viva la Vida, Straight Lines by Silverchair, Knights of Cydonia by Muse.  There's something great about the way in which a song starts low, then gradually builds to a musical explosion... awesome.

It seems to me that life, at its best, is full of a similar feeling.  We move through periods where the music dies down, then gradually starts to build (and our expectation with it), leading up to a key moment, where something significant happens, then the music starts to die down again, before rebuilding and starting again.

Just like with music, if it was pumped the whole time, or if it was quiet the whole time, life would get boring - it's the changes in tempo, feel, and the crests and troughs that make life enjoyable.  Sure, sometimes we'd prefer it would build a bit quicker, or die down earlier, but if we (I!) can learn to ride the waves, and appreciate the subtle changes, and where it is taking us, I'm sure it would be so much easier to enjoy life.  

Viva la Vida! 

priorities

The other day, I purchased a new heater for our church.  Because we're in the city, I bought it from the Mall, and walked back to our base with my big heater in a box - feeling more than a little self-conscious.

As I was walking down the Mall, there was a homeless guy, who was selling The Big Issue (a street magazine designed to help the homeless and unemployed help themselves).  I said hi to him, and he made a comment "looks like someone will be warm tonight".  

It smacked me right between the eyes as I walked away that this guy had a different perspective than me.  The first thing he thought of when he saw the heater was warmth (which makes sense), but warmth and home.  That wasn't even on my radar when I bought it (I was simply fulfilling a task, really), and, to be honest, I felt terrible.

It's so easy to take so much for granted, and forget how lucky we are. 

redemption

One of the things I enjoy doing is playing basketball, and I play socially with a great bunch of guys on Saturday afternoons.  Last week, for a number of reasons, I got quite frustrated during our game.  I didn't go all Barry Hall and punch anyone, but I did say a few things in anger and wasn't pleased at all with my behaviour - in short, I felt like I didn't even come close to reflecting Jesus.

As a penalty, I decided to suspend myself from this week's game - there are no rules that I broke or anything that meant I had to, I just felt is was an appropriate way of reminding myself that basketball is supposed to be about fitness, camaraderie, fun, team, enjoyment, and if I'm going to take it to seriously, I shouldn't be playing.  I emailed my team and told them my decision, and resigned myself to not playing today.

It turned out that one of our other guys wasn't going to be able to play this week, though, so I was asked to consider playing, and I chose to use the AFL model of taking a guilty plea, which reduced my "points", so I could play (guess I'm now ineligible for the Brownlow...), but any more indiscretions, and it was a guaranteed suspension.

So, I played, we won by about 20, I scored 14, and really enjoyed the game.  As I was driving home, I started to think about the difference between redemption of that form - where I'm given another chance, an opportunity to dust myself off and get up and play again, rather than the "you're guilty, you've stuffed it, so there's a penalty to be served".  Instead of sitting at home, feeling sorry for myself, guilty that I'd messed up, and guilty that because of it, our team had to suffer (even if that was only because they didn't have an extra sub!), I had the opportunity to show that it was a mistake, that's not how I want to function, and that I can do better.  

(As an aside, I did also wonder where I would have felt as good if we had lost, or if I hadn't scored any points, but I think in the end, it was the opportunity to get back on the horse that gave me the feelings of redemption, rather than the end result.  One could argue, of course, that the result was due to the redemption, but things are starting to get circular and maybe I'm analyzing too much.)

In short, though, when we think about redemption and forgiveness for those around us, what's our response?  Should we penalise people, teaching them a lesson, drumming into them that they've messed up and haven't met whatever standard we've set or they've set?  What would happen instead if we, individually, and in our faith communities, gave people the opportunity to show us and (probably more importantly) themselves that they are better than that, that it was a mistake, and they're still a part of our life? 

That's certainly the perspective I get from Jesus, that grace looks much more like the second type of redemption than the first, and that God's focus is far more on getting us dusted off, back in the game, back to our best, rather than sitting at home feeling sorry for ourselves.

Easter photo

In a previous post (here), I mentioned about a photo that Josh was taken with when we went to my parents' church at Easter.  I did actually get it a while ago, but never got around to posting it, so here it is.  

Be interested in your thoughts - what strikes you about it?  what does it say to you?  do you find meaning in it?  

update

Well, it's been a while.  I've been extraordinarily slack of late, and it's well and truly time to get back into the habit of writing some comments (as much for the discipline of cognitively reflecting as for anyone else's benefit - but I hopt it's helpful for you, too).

To help me, I have a new toy... er, I mean work tool - a MacBook.  I haven't had a Mac before, but my friend Chris Folmsbee pretty much converted me to them with his passion for them when I had the great fortune of spending some time with him in 07 and 06.  I'll be honest... I love it, so hopefully the joy of Mac use will help me get back into the swing of things.  On the other hand, as J.J. Abrams (creator of Lost (which is still brilliant - if you stopped watching it, you have no staying power... and yes, they have answered some questions)) says, Macs are so brilliant that the work we do on them needs to be worthy, so maybe I'll just be intimidated.  

Anyhoo, enough rambling - here's some of what's been happening in my world...

1. I have a new job and a new faith community - I'm part of a fresh church plant in Adelaide's city, focussed on young adults.  We're looking at how we can best engage with young adults, and have a blank slate to create the community in whatever form seems appropriate.  Scary and exciting, both at the same time.

2. We're moving house - we move to a 1 year old house in 3 weeks... can't wait

3. Did I mention I have a MacBook?

4. I've been amazed at how well Facebook works - I've found, or been found, by countless people I'd lost contact with

5. One negative about moving house is that our front garden is looking fantastic - I've been amazed to see all the hard work I did a while ago has paid off, but sad to know I won't be seeing it much longer (looking forward to starting fresh at our new place though)

6. I discovered Muse some months ago, and man do I love Muse.  I bought the Haarp DVD a few weeks ago, which only increased my devotion

Well, that's probably enough rambling.  Hopefully in the days to come I'll have a little more to offer...

Easter thoughts

We had a pretty strange Easter weekend. For the past few years, I've been pretty involved with church stuff, so have known intimately what would happen with the services, etc, and that's been my primary focus. This year, I didn't have any of those responsibilities, so was looking forward to just heading along to the services as part of what we did over the weekend.

For Good Friday, we went to my parents' church, and up the front there was a painting that one of the women from the congregation did a few years ago (I'm hoping to get a copy of it to post on here later). It was a great piece of art, of Jesus on the cross, head bowed, hair in front of his eyes. I thought it was great - very poignant. What stunned Ali and I, though, was that a number of times, later in the day, Josh (who's 4, remember) kept talking about it. He started by saying "The picture at church made me sad". When we asked him why, he said "because the man in the painting looked sad". We explained to him that it was Jesus, and he was dying on the cross, which is why he was sad.

What struck me was how often I stop to recognise that I should be sad, too. It's so easy to know the story, to know Jesus died, but with Easter Sunday in the background, therefore not allowing the fullness of what transpired to hit home. As I said, I've been involved in many Easter services, and one of the things that used to irk me was when people would complain that our Good Friday service was too dark, or too depressing, or words to that effect. I need to be slapped around the head with the truth that this man, a man with feelings, who suffered incredible pain, who died, made an incredible sacrifice. It's not enough to stop at understanding atonement or penal substitution. Those things are important, but so is the fact that Jesus chose to die, for me, for you. I should be sad, and I'm glad that Josh was, too.

Easter Sunday, we had plans to go to another church, but unfortunately, Rachel got really crook late Saturday night, and spent most of Sunday throwing up. She was really weak, very lethargic, slept a lot, and was really quiet (something not quite normal for her...!) This morning (Monday), she was still pretty weak, but after some food throughout the day, she perked up and was back to her normal self. I was amazed at how great it was to hear her talk, laugh, cry... even scream. It was just wonderful to have our little girl back to normal.

In the midst of that, another Easter revelation came to me - the joy, the unspeakable joy that the disciples must have felt when Jesus was amongst them following his resurrection. To think you were never going to hear him again, laugh with him again, eat with him again... and then there he is, in the flesh, back.

As equally as Good Friday should be about grief, about darkness, sadness, reflection, Easter Sunday should be about joy, celebration, laughing, eating, remembering that Jesus is not gone, he's with us - he went through the darkness, and came out the other side, to bring light to all.

I love Easter.

absence >> yearning

We're currently in the middle of a record heatwave here in Adelaide (for any time of the year, let alone the first month of Autumn). Today is the 15th day in a row that we have had a temperature over 35C (95F). That's a lot of heat in anyone's language...

I'm unashamedly a summer person - I much prefer to get around in shorts and a t-shirt than anything else, and love the sunshine, daylight savings, warmth. Yet something funny has happened in the last few days (something which normally happens every summer at some point for me - I'm developing a yearning for winter! I'd really love to have a rainy day (we're in the middle of a drought here, as well), a cold night where we could switch the heater on, get into some trakkies, snuggle under a blanket and watch a good movie or read a good book. (I know it won't last - give me a few days of cold wind, driving rain and I'll be back on the summer bandwagon)

But it made me think - perhaps our yearnings are shaped a lot by absence, rather than presence (or perhaps a combination of the absence of one thing with the constant presence of the opposite?). During this heatwave, it's been the absence of cool, of rain, while living in the constant presence of heat (some nights it hasn't dipped below 30C) that has given me a yearning for winter. Conversely, in winter, when the sun is more absent, when warmth and light also go missing, and rain and darkness become constant companions, this produces a yearning for summer.

Does that give a new understanding to the purpose of lent, which finishes this weekend with Easter? The idea of fasting during lent is also about absence - about deliberately removing something from our presence. And when that yearning kicks in, we are to turn not to a yearning for whatever it is we are fasting from, but rather to a greater yearning for more of God in our lives.

May you know more of God's presence in your life, as we begin this Holy Week.

lent

As has become a part of my daily rhythm, I listened to the Jesuit "Pray as you go" podcast this morning. In it, they made reference to the meaning of Lent relating to Spring and new life, which makes sense, when you consider the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.

As I'm in the Southern Hemisphere, it hit me how much difference that may make, in the lead up to Easter. For me, the most powerful aspects of Easter have always revolved around Good Friday - the sacrifice, the death, the pain, the suffering. The joy of Easter Sunday has always been part of Easter, absolutely, but for me, often the focus has been on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

As I reflected on the comments about new life, I wondered whether it makes a difference that Easter for us is generally in April - the middle of Autumn - a time of dying, decay, daylight savings ending, darkness, and perhaps that shapes the Easter experience. For our friends in the Northern Hemisphere, Easter occurs at a time when new life is born in the fields, when it is warming up, the days are getting longer, and perhaps this shapes the focus on Easter to a more joyful, fresh experience.

It's funny how we can be affected by the environment we live in, without even realizing it...

foundations

I've been doing a bit more work around our house this week - some odd jobs that needed to be finished off, including some paving and some painting.

What's hit me again is just how important foundations are. It plays a huge part in whether you have to do something once, or keep doing the same things. If I pave the path with a solid foundation under it, taking a bit more time, it'll last a lot longer. If I take shortcuts, it'll fall apart, and probably have to be repaved. If paint jobs are done well the first time (good surface prep, good coverage), this will mean the job will look a lot better and, again, last a lot longer.

Surely, it's the same with our spirituality, but how much do we focus on the foundations - on two fronts?

For people who are involved in walking with those taking their first steps in finding out what it means to follow Jesus authentically, how much effort do we put into the "surface prep", the foundations? What is appropriate and helpful surface prep, foundation laying? And if we don't lay a foundation, why are we surprised when things are a lot more complicated down the track?

For all of us, when we shortcut the basics, and the fundamentals (of course, discerning what the fundamentals are is a whole other discussion), again, why are we surprised when things get complicated, confused? What would it mean for us to "last a lot longer"?

create/replace space

For Lent this year, I decided I'd give up a number of things - something I find helpful in my walk with God leading up to Easter. One of them is that I decided I wouldn't listen to music whenever I'm in the car. At the moment, I'm not driving around heaps, but even the bit that I am, it's amazing how much space is created by having that time with no noise.

What I've been aiming for is that when I am tempted to switch on the tunes, I do one of two things - either reaffirm my need for God is greater than my need for music, and/or take some time to acknowledge that God is there with me (something which is easy to forget).

I have been reading this blog during Lent, and was fascinated by this entry, which talks about the need to not just create space, but to replace it with something else. I agree with this, because not only can Lent be a time of preparation for Easter, a time of creating space for God, recognising our need for Him, but it also can be a time to form new habits - replacing junk with beauty, distraction with focus.

in and out

I've had a fair bit of spare time over the last month, so I've been going to the gym a lot more often - aiming for every weekday. It's been great, but one thing I have noticed is that I am so much more hungry now! I've been trying to eat more than I used to, yet I keep getting hungry...

While I was at the gym this morning, I started thinking about how important it is for me to up my intake, if I want to keep up this exercise routine. If I don't, all the good I do in building muscle, etc will be lost, as my body searches for food within itself (given from food intake, burning fat, etc), and if it can't find any, it'll look for other sources (muscles, etc), and all the good will be undone.

As I was thinking this, it hit me that there is a lesson to be learned there by those who are more active in ministry than others.

As we increase the frequency of our "exercise" (engaging with people, preaching, running meetings, etc, etc), are we increasing how much we are eating, too (prayer, silence, meditation, Bible reading, etc)? If not, why should we not expect our bodies (or is that our souls?) to start "eating themselves"? Soul care is important not just so that we are more productive, more efficient, or whatever, but so that we have the spiritual energy to exercise properly, and to benefit not only others, but ourselves, as we do so.

As I've written previously, doing weights is all about breaking down muscle, so that when it rebuilds, it is stronger. Without food for that rebuild process, though, it doesn't happen. So, when God calls us to step outside our comfort zone, we need to have the food there, so that our spiritual muscles can rebuild. If we don't take time in prayer, reflection, stillness, not only do we miss out on much needed rest, but also the food that will allow us to be stronger next time.

a perfect evening

Last night, we went to "Symphony Under The Stars" - the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra playing at Elder Park. It was a magnificent night for it...

The sunset was amazing, the ASO were spot on, there was a light breeze, so it wasn't too hot, not too cold.

As the orchestra played, I wondered why more has not been written about the concept of the Church as orchestra - there are so many parallels:

• Everyone needing to play their part
• No part more or less important than any other
• When they work together, the music is beautiful and awe-inspiring
• Sometimes it's your turn to shine, sometimes you need to allow others to step to the fore
• As you follow the conductor, things stay in synch

I was also struck by the parallels between the impact of the orchestra and the church on the people around:

• There are numbers of people who are pretty much unmoved by the music (eg "I'm just here to pick up...")
• There are others who think it's all about them, not about being moved by the music of the orchestra
• There are some who simply talk and miss the whole thing
• The orchestra continues playing, in the hope that in the end, people will be moved by the music

I'm sure there are lots of other thoughts, but there's some to get someone started - I'm sure there's a book idea there somewhere...

being tight has its advantages

I have a confession to make - well, two, actually. First, I love getting new clothes. For some reason, I really enjoy getting new clothes - whether they are jeans, shorts, t-shirts, shoes, whatever. I'm a big fan.

The second confession flies in the face of the first, though... I hate spending money on clothes. Part of the reason for that is that I've picked up too many bargains, particularly at DFOs and, more recently, Target clearance sales (yes, I shop at Target... and K-Mart. So?) I've often found I can pick up t-shirts for under $5, and have been known to get jeans for less than $10. The idea, then, of spending any more than $10 on a t-shirt, and any more than $20 on a pair of jeans seems odd to me, now, which can be frustrating.

However, Tuesday, I found a real bonus about point 2. My good friend Chris Folmsbee once told me that he and his family aim to clear out their clothes every so often - donating clothes that they are not wearing to charity, because, as we all know, it's real easy to accumulate a lot of clothing. So, I've been trying to do the same thing, and on Tuesday, I gave 2 big bags of clothes and about 5 pairs of shoes to Goodwill. I said to Ali while we were doing it that it's a lot easier to give clothes away when you know they only cost you $5 in the first place, rather than giving away clothes that cost $60 or whatever. Something to think about.

what josh is teaching me about God #7

This morning, we took the kids to a new playground around the corner from us - so much fun. One thing I'm not sure about yet, though, is that to get to their bumpy slide, you either had to scale a rubber rope, or climb a series of plastic tyres arranged near each other, but certainly not in an easy manner to climb.

Josh wasn't real keen on the idea - he desperately wanted to get to that slide, but freaked out climbing up the tyres. I helped him (eventually) get up there, using the usual tactics ("I've got you", "look at me, don't look down", etc), but he really didn't enjoy the process, only the end result. Of course, once he'd been down the slide, he had another few goes at getting up there, with varying levels of success (the fact Rachel scaled up there (with Ali's help) fearlessly seemed to have little effect on him...)

What I was thinking about, though, was whether God wants us to be completely dependent on him all the time. Now, I know God wants us to depend on him, not on ourselves, others, our career, etc, but let me explain. My purpose in helping Josh up to the slide was to teach him how to do it on his own. He really didn't need me to hold him there, balancing him (I was happy to do it, though), and it was actually holding him back from being able to do something I knew he could do. So, I started wondering about whether God's growth in us is about us learning to stand on our own, to do the things he's enabled us to do - not that we do it on our own, we have his Spirit empowering us, certainly, and Jesus promised he would be with us always - but that God wants us to grow in our security enough to be able to climb and slide, knowing he's with us.

I'm not sure - in some ways it seems like a negative thought, that we wouldn't need God, and I'm not trying to justify us depending on our own strength. I just wonder whether we go too far the other way sometimes, and because of that, miss out on doing some things God knows we can do.

where everybody knows your name...

Over the last week, I've spent quite a bit of time with some of my closest friends, as they and I begin the process of me moving from RBC to whatever is next.

At a number of times over the last week, the conversation has turned to "so... what would you like to do?" (as in what would you like to do - play golf, watch the cricket, or do something else - not the longer, more reflective "what would you like to do with your life?" question.)

Most times, I've struggled to have an answer, and it hit me yesterday that I think the reason for that is because I actually don't care too much. Before my friends who read this get offended, though, let me clarify. I haven't been able to give an answer, because what I want to do is be with my friends. What we do while we're together, doesn't really bother me - I just enjoy being in their company, and whatever happens, well, pretty much, I'll be happy!

How blessed we are to have great friends.

so...

Well, it's been a while - nearly a month, in fact. The main reason that I haven't been doing any blogging during that time has been that I've just finished up as one of the Pastors at Rostrevor Baptist Church. It's been quite a journey, I have to say, and I'm appropriately proud of the work that God has accomplished during my time there. The last month has been slightly odd, finishing up, cleaning out my office, etc, but I feel at peace.

Moving on has been a journey of trust - trusting that God was speaking, and trusting that God will provide. I currently don't have anything 100% definite that I will be going to, but there is an option which we are exploring which looks amazing - pretty much my dream job. More on that as info comes to hand.

In the meantime, it's great to have a bit of space - space to do some writing, space to spend with family, space to spend with friends, space to pray and listen. Hopefully, I might be able to find some space to think and reflect in there, too.