Prodigal brothers in arms

"Are we so different?"
younger brother calls to elder.
"We both know the old dodderer
means well, but you've got to
admit He's a bit misguided.
We've got brains, we've got time -
let's go, see what we can do!"

"Are you kidding?!"
rejoined the elder.
"We have a real base here! It's true
the Old Man is a bit tiresome, but
this farm's a solid investment!
Soon He'll die, and we can run things
the way they should be done! Or at least
not pretend so much…"

So the younger ran out one way
and threw away his lot, while
the other toiled and strained and
worked long years on
his share of the plot.

And all the while the Father grieved
for the day His two lost sons would
come back to His heart, and Home.

like a child…

"Don't worry, Dad, I'm a big kid now!" exclaimed the lad, straining under the weight of a big box of this-and-that. His Father smiled knowingly to Himself. The more he changed, the more he seemed to stay the same. "But he is growing," He said to himself. "And becoming more like his Brother every day."
And then there was a crash and a cry from down the hall, and the Father rushed to clean up the newly-created mess of boy and bric-à-brac.

Voice, Part 2

"Be still", the Voice said.
What did I have to lose?
So I tried it and…

On the cooling of the weather…

Winter time draws near / Seasonal Affective Dis-/ Orders me about

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From Twitter, as I sat on a tram...

Slice of Heaven

No, not the song!

I went for a bike ride on Friday night; no reason, I just felt like upping and heading onto the road. I turned off Wellington Parade into Yarra Park, cruising past the MCG when a bridge caught my eye. The bridge takes its pedestrian passengers over the Jolimont railway lines and across into Birrarung Marr. I imagine that it's a well-known route, but I'd never been over it, so I rode towards it and decided to stop at the top to enjoy the view.

While I was sitting there on a bench, I was treated to an amazing aural experience. There are speakers embedded in the walls of the bridge, and they were playing an intoxicating mix of folk music from all different cultures. I sat entranced at the sensory spectacle; the beautiful city lights of Melbourne in front of me, the glow of the 'G behind me, the yellow lights on the bridge giving an other-worldly light to my surroundings, and the music of different cultures blending in sweet cacophony over the rumble of the trains passing underneath.

It occurred to me that this was a little taste of what Heaven will be like - the music, rhythm, language and expression of every tribe, nation, culture, all gathered together in joyous expression of praise to God. And while I can't wait for that day to come (and come quick, Lord Jesus!) I'm really grateful for little sneak peaks like this :)

The flip-side of community

Over at my new friend Kim's blog Just Add Tea, she recently shared some things she'd been learning about community:

[Citing an article] [I]t's what followed that struck me most: "Somewhere along the lines we have lost the concept of true community and our lives are now focused purely on ourselves, our needs and those in our circle of close friends and family. We rarely give any time to those outside the circle unless it's convenient for us. (Oh the pain and shame, as I just saw me in this reality.) We don't like to be inconvenienced. But how can we help people if we are never prepared to be inconvenienced? How can we help people if we are never prepared to be uncomfortable?"

Since I've got back from overseas, I've been forced to think about the flip-side of that coin. Pride is a funny sin; it seems to be able to take over both sides. I love helping people; I'm a people person, and I get great personal joy & satisfaction from getting alongside others and pulling with them to get something done. But I'm a terrible people-pleaser too; the idea of letting somebody down terrifies me (although more on that in a second).

This came to a head for me when I tried to do everything I had been doing after a draining month of travel. I survived a week and a half, then crunched into a wall when I realised I simply couldn't keep doing all the things I'd been doing.

What to do? Who to say "Sorry, but I can't" to? I HATE saying no to people! What will they think of me? Ah, ahhh. There's the rub. There's pride, poking its face around the corner. Pride, telling me that what people think of me is actually the most important reason to serve. How twisted *bah*

I'm learning to rest; hopefully there'll be another post about that soon. But how does this relate to Kim's reflections above?

Well, I'm realising the corollary to Kim's point. Just as truly being part of a community means letting yourself be inconvenienced in order to love others, you must also let others inconvenience themselves (or be inconvenienced) in order to love you. To fail to do so is just another way that pride creeps in and taints our lives.

So here's to repentance. Here's to being humble enough to say no. To being humble enough to let someone else help carry your burdens when things are heavy. To bearing each other's burdens, and so fulfilling the love of Christ. To the community of God's family :)

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Photo: A helping hand by Forest Runner on flickr. Used under Creative Commons :)

Of the notching of pointless milestones there is no end…

Just noticed that over at last.fm I'd notched up 33,333 song listens. Who cares. Here is the 33,333rd song I scrobbled. It's kind of fitting, as I've really enjoyed this song again of late :)

Forgiveness

Recently I had a friend apologise for a comment they'd made in a social setting – they were worried that they had offended and/or hurt me with what they'd said. I couldn't actually remember the offending remark, but was thankful that they wanted to make things right. I told them that I was sure they didn't mean anything by whatever they had said (which was true), and the conversation ended amicably.

That should have been the end of it, right? Genuine apology, accepted with genuine thanks and genuine assurances that everything was fine – all good!

And yet it was all I could do to stop myself trying to remember what it was they might have said! In the end I gave myself a stern talking-to about the self-indulgence of such an activity.

It's hard to repent from such emotional hypochondria. Perhaps we like sinfully wallowing in self-pity ("they hurt me! they hurt me!"). Or maybe we just want to inflate our ego via forgiveness ("wow, I was so gracious when I forgave that person"). Either way, Lord, thank You for forgiving us our sins, even as we learn to forgive those who sin against us…

What should a pastor hope for in their new church?

The church I attend has just had its vicar leave to go take up a role at a church in Canada, and today was the second Sunday since he left. We've been appointed a locum (stand-in), Graeme Sells, to help keep the church running while we look for a replacement.

Today was his first Sunday with us, and I think his sermon spoke right to the heart of where our minds and hearts need to be as a congregation. He took the question that will inevitably be in our minds (and especially those tasked with the responsibility of finding a suitable replacement) and turned them around: rather than "What do we expect from a vicar?" (pastor, minister, priest, whatever), what should they hope to find when they get here?

Graeme chose to look at Acts 2:42-47, looking at the early church and deriving positives from this picture. He came up with 9 things churches should aim to be:

A Learning Church

The early church didn't have any New Testament to start off with – they had the Old Testament, and the teaching of the apostles. They didn't have easy access to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, so they had to make sure they listened well when they were taught. (Acts also says that a lot of them spent time in the Temple courts learning every day!)

Committed to Fellowship

I think this one is the one that gets the most attention when people come to this passage: the community of believers, sharing lives, meeting each others' needs. As a church models this behaviour, its members grow and serve with each other, and become closer-knit. The sacrament of Communion also provides fellowship between the church (corporately and individually speaking) and Christ.^†

Committed to Prayer

And not just any prayer, but especially prayer for the well-being of the church, its health and its growth. Times between shepherds are often times of uncertainty, so the sheep must pay even more attention to the Chief Shepherd than they usually do. To that end, CCH will be having some prayer nights completely dedicated to praying for precisely these things.

A Reverant Church

It's all too easy for a church to take itself too seriously, and not take God seriously enough. The reverse should be the case. We should give God the respect He deserves, and be prepared to reflect and receive wisdom and criticism about areas we need to improve on.

A Church that God uses

Attitude does play a part. God wants the church to be engaged with his mission for the world, and if we ask God to use us, and we're seeking to honour Him, then He will answer that prayer. There are times when God seems less active than others, but prayers to be used of God from a right heart won't go unanswered.

A Generous Church

Barnabas, we read elsewhere in Acts, sold a block of land and gave all the proceeds to the church to use. A church where every member is actively looking for ways to give (time, talents, and treasures) is a rich church indeed, and one that is best resourced to serve and minister to its surrounding community.

Takes Worship Seriously

Worship for the early church would have been an interesting exercise – worshipping One who many of them would have known quite well would have been a very intimate thing. We in the 21^st century don't have that benefit, but the Holy Spirit allows us to worship intimately with both Father and Son.

A Happy Church

When a church is attuned to what God is doing, the natural response is one of praise to Him for His goodness and greatness. How hard are we looking for God's hand in our everyday lives (in the big things and the small things)? This doesn't mean that genuine sorrow and pain should be wallpapered over, not at all; but even in times of great suffering, we can still affirm the greatness and the goodness of God.

A Caring Church

A church always has those within it who are in greater need of care than others. Ultimately, every Christian is a fundamentally weak person whom God has strengthened and comforted in some way; so how can we fail to use what God has given us to strengthen and comfort others? Graeme shared some great practical insights on this one, showing examples of how churches were able to care for those with disabilities, or those whose lives had been shattered by natural disaster.

Finally, verse 47 shows what a church striving for these things can hope for: a healthy, growing community. It's churches like these that are the best advertisement for Christianity – no room for hypocrisy, vitally living faith in practice. The gospel will always be a stumbling-block and foolishness to unbelievers; but those whom God is saving will be attracted to this kind of community.

How does your church stack up? What are its strengths? Where can it improve?
And given that churches are comprised of individuals, how are you helping make this picture a reality in your church?

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†  Interestingly, the sermon I heard this morning touched on Jesus' ascension. One of the points the preacher made was that if Jesus hadn't ascended, He would not have sent the Holy Spirit, who ministers to every Christian individually in a way that Jesus could not as a full human. I hadn't thought of that, and it made a lot of sense.

Soliloquy, Part 1

I don't like silence. I don't know why. There's something unnerving about a lack of aural stimulation. As I sit writing this, I can hear the buzz of the fluoro tube above my head, the rumble of a distant tram passing, a lone dog's bark, and the sound of my fingers punching at the keys. Even in this stillest of scenes there is sound.

I've often wondered why I find silence so distasteful. What does the lack of sound signify that makes me want to fill it with something, anything?

Maybe reversing the question will make it easier to answer. Why do I like noise, sound, music? Many reasons: the Beauty of rhythm. The aural masterpieces painted by timbre, melody, harmony, and even just plain noise. I like seeing order in seeming chaos: extracting a rhythm from sound waves, fluid progress of chords, patterns of intervals. Even in the absence of music, there is wonder to be experienced. When I walk through the city, I love to detune my ears, and let the spacial aspect of sound thrill me; the uncomposed masterpiece of audio engineering that is my immediate surroundings. I find some affinity with the avant-garde composer John Cage, who finds sound fascinating:



Cage claims to love silence. It's not real silence, though; for him, traffic noise counts as silence.
Indeed, Cage's most well-known work, 4'33", is not completely silent. The audience is encouraged to discover music in the sounds of their environment, rather than in the ordered structure of a musical score. No two "performmances" are alike, as each carries the unique tones and murmurings of the moments it occupies.

The Tremeloes might have thought that silence was golden, but I find it stark. What's your reaction to silence? I think I have more to say, but it hasn't crystallized in my head yet – you'll just have to sit quietly and wait…

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Photo: Bixentro on flickr

Bible Study update

We've had a few weeks without studies since the last update, what with a scheduled break and the mid-semester "holiday". There've been a couple of studies in that time, though, so apologies for being a bit behind.

First one is by Jeff, an introductory look at the highly controversial topic of gender roles (especially inside the church). Study + Notes [ZIP]

The second one is one I took on Leadership in the Church, and Paul's teachings on the sorts of leaders churches deserve to have. Study [PDF]

I hope these provoke questions and thoughts as you go through them :)

EDIT: Oops, Jeff's study notes are in a zip file, not a PDF. Fixed...

Meditation of the week

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

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Ouch.

Bible Study: Thank God for Grace!

We're back from a scheduled break for just catching up, hanging out, and getting the low-down on how each other was getting on with life, study, etc.

This week, Paul takes a time-out from teaching Timothy to give thanks and praise to God for the grace He has given to him. He thinks about the implications of this, and we learn from his response.

Week 4: Thank God for Grace! [PDF]

What's wrong with Mr. Bingley?

I've noticed an interesting thing in my facebook feed of late – among the endless stream of inane quizzes (seriously, who really wants to know what Pocky flavour you are, or which of Elizabeth Taylor's husbands you best fit?) are a couple of Jane Austen-themed quizzes. These purport to tell you which Pride & Prejudice character you are, or (if you're of the female persuasion) which Austen hero you "get".

Quite a number of my female facebook friends expressed disappointment that they didn't get Mr. Darcy as their companion of choice. One expression of annoyance in particular caught my eye – my friend had the result of Mr Bingley, the affable companion of Mr Darcy's. Her response? "Slightly dissatisfied"!

I'm surprised that Bingley gets passed over so much in favour of Darcy; there are no real flaws in his character, apart from considering others' opinions too highly. His heart is in the right place, and he never treats any of the other characters with anything other than genuine friendship and affection (something almost every other character is singularly incapable of). While monied, his fortune is the result of work, not lineage, and he seems to be loyal to a fault.

On behalf of all the Mr. Bingleys of the world: What's wrong with that?

CU Bible Study, Week 2: Law

Week 2 of the CU Bible Study Jeff & I are running looks at the law this week. It is sometimes portrayed as being a necessary evil, something that Jesus destroyed for us. But is this really the case? Check out the study and see for yourself!


Week 2: Law and Freedom [PDF]

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Creative Commons: umjanedoan on flickr

Can't Send Mail in Snow Leopard? Try this

Upgraded my Macbook from Leopard to Snow Leopard on Saturday, and all seemed to be well until I couldn't send emails from Mail.app this evening. A google search revealed that others seemed to be having the same problem, but one of the fixes outlined on the Apple forums seems to have done the trick.

1. Close Mail.app if it is open.
2. Open Finder, and go to your user folder, then Library (that is, the Library folder for your user, not the system-wide one).
3. Rename the "Mail" folder to something else.
4. Re-open Mail.app. It should tell you that it needs to import mailboxes. DO NOT click Continue just yet!
5. Go back to the Finder window, and rename the Mail folder back to "Mail" again.
6. Switch back to Mail.app, and now click Continue.
7. Mail should reimport your messages, and you should now be able to send email again just fine!

Bible Studies for Semester 2

I know earlier in the year I promised I'd put up the Bible Studies I was taking with Jeff for CU, but these never really eventuated. Sorry!

This semester hopefully will be different :)


Jeff Reddan & myself are conducting Bible Studies on Paul's first letter to Timothy, on Tuesday afternoons. We've got roughly 5 people or so that have said they can come (although we've not yet had them all at once!), and it promises to be a really great time.

Here's the first study as led by Jeff:

Week 1: False Teaching [PDF]

UPDATE: Jeff's provided me with some more material for this study. [ZIP]

Spiritual Learning, Part 2: Food

I like the rich Biblical metaphor of food and nutrition: both Old and New Testaments are full of similes comparing God's Word, and knowledge of His ways, with food. The Scriptures are described as honey, a few times as milk, and as solid food — like a baby's diet and digestive system change and expand as he/she gets older, so our spiritual diet should grow, change, become deeper as we learn more about God & His character.

Food is a powerful metaphor; we know we need nutrients for our bodies to survive and thrive. If we don't eat, we get hungry. If we try to eat too much in one go, we can struggle to digest it properly.

These ideas extend, I think, to the way we treat Scripture, and spiritual nourishment in general. Are we getting enough? Are we benefiting from what we do get? These are both traps we can fall into.

I like Christian author Steve Farrar's description of these pitfalls: in his book Point Man he calls them "Spiritual Anorexia" and "Spiritual Bulimia." Spiritual Anorexia describes those of us who simply don't get enough Bible nourishment — we know it's good for us, we know the benefit that it brings, and yet we simply don't get it into us. It can be laziness, excuses ("I'm too busy / I don't have time"), or straight-out pride ("I don't need to"). All of us at some stage struggle with this spiritual eating disorder.

Spiritual Bulimia, on the other hand, is different: we "gorge" on great teaching, Bible reading, fellowship. We listen, we taste, and we say "wow, that was great teaching!" — and then we effectively go and throw it up by not letting it affect us and change the way we live. We like the taste of spiritual nourishment, but we don't want it to make us grow.

Following on from my first post on this topic, which is more of a problem for you? I struggle with both: in my day-to-day life I believe I can get by without daily Bible reading (the spiritual equivalent of skipping meals). At the same time, however, whenever I'm blessed with amazing teaching (like a great sermon, an amazing camp, or a helpful book or podcast) my tendency is to say "wow, that was really tasty!" – and then throw it up as if it is of no use to me. Both of these are unhealthy habits, so I need to be constantly working on my spiritual diet.

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Creative Commons: thehappyrobot on flickr

23

So today is that day, the one that distinguishes itself every year for not being an unbirthday. They seem to come around more frequently as time progresses.

What have I learned in the past 12 months?

I Love People (but not enough!)

The past 12 months have brought so many amazing people into my life in such ways that I couldn't, wouldn't have believed had they not happened. 2 countries, 4 cities, 3 churches, 2 universities, countless individuals – it really blows my mind how many awesome people I didn't know just 12 months ago (well, 18 for some, but I hardly knew you guys then). I'm coming to realise that I love interacting with people more than almost anything in the world. What makes you special? What makes you tick? What are your gifts, talents, abilities? I want to know!

I Love God (but not enough!)

There have been times in the last 12 months when I have doubted my faith, when I have questioned whether the God I believe in is capable and trustworthy. Can He do what He promises?

There have been so many reminders (including one just last week at Summit – thanks Pete Leslie!) that the answer is a resounding, overwhelming YES! All through the Bible there are reminders for weak people like me who have asked this question all through history. And every time, God has not let them down.

I Love Coffee (just a little too much!)

…which will come as a surprise to precisely no one…

Looking ahead

The next 12 months will be an interesting ride. I've nearly finished my uni degree, and I'm not hanging around for honours, so the question of what to do will be on the agenda. (It'll be something, at least) I have some ideas, including some slightly off-the-wall ones; but we'll see what pans out. Gotta actually graduate first, that's priority #1!

I think these words of the apostle Paul will be my catch-cry for the year ahead:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Philippians 3:12-16, ESV

Press with me, won't you?

Mondays with McGonagall: Magistrates, Blegh!

It's been some time since we delved into the priceless treasures contained in W. McGonagall's poetry. Today our protagonist has been banned from performing in the Royal Circus in Dundee, and he is most unimpressed. He is so put out at being treated in such an unfair manner that he's had enough, and is going somewhere he'll be appreciated. Hrumph.

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Lines in Protest to the Dundee Magistrates

Fellow citizens of Bonnie Dundee
Are ye aware how the magistrates have treated me?
Nay, do not stare or make a fuss
When I tell ye they have boycotted me from appearing in Royal Circus,
Which in my opinion is a great shame,
And a dishonour to the city's name.

Fellow citizens, I consider such treatment to be very hard;
'Tis proof for me they have little regard;
Or else in the circumstances they would have seen to my protection;
Then that would have been a proof of their affection,
And how Genius ought to be rewarded,
But instead my Genius has been disregarded
Why should the magistrates try and punish me in such a cruel form?
I never heard the like since I was born.
Fellow citizens, they have taken from me a part of my living
And as Christians they should have been giving;
But instead of that they have prevented Baron Ziegler from engaging me,
Which certainly is a disgrace to Bonnie Dundee.

Who was't that immortalised the old and the new railway bridges of the Silvery Tay?
Also the inauguration of the Hill of Balgay?
Likewise the Silvery Tay rolling on its way?
And the Newport Railway?
Besides the Dundee Volunteers?
Which met with their approbation and hearty cheers.
And has it come to this in Bonnie Dundee?
But, fellow-citizens, I will not submit to such an indignity
For I am resolved to leave the city
And bid the city a long farewell,
For I cannot get protection in it to dwell,
Therefore I'm resolved from it to flee
For a prophet has no honour in his own country,
And try to live in some other town
Where the magistrates won't boycott me or try to keep me down

No more shall the roughs of Bonnie Dundee
Get the chance of insulting or throwing missiles at me
For I'm going off to the beautiful west
To the fair city of Glasgow that I like the best,
Where the River Clyde rolls on to the sea,
And the lark and the blackbird whistles with glee.
And your beautiful bridges across the River Clyde,
And on your bonnie banks I'm going to reside.