Cultural Connections

Christchurch Earthquake

2011-02-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

On Feb 22nd a major earthquake struck Christchurch. The city was just starting to recover from an earthquake in September that caused significant damage. Unlike the September earthquake the earthquake on Tuesday has resulted in serious loss of life. At present the death toll stands at 146 with 200 still missing. The CBD is devastated, many are still without electricity, water and sewage to their homes. Schools are closed and a massive clearance and recovery operation is underway. A state of National Emergency has been declared and many have left the city. The Cathedral is in ruins and many other churches have been badly damaged. The landscape of the city is disfigured and many are scarred by loss. It is not going to be over quickly or fixed easily.

The country is in a state of shock. We are used to seeing devastation in other countries, in the west we begin to believe in our own invincibility and lose sight of what really matters. Maybe out of this will grow greater gratitude, a bigger appreciation of God and of each other and of the only real hope that transcends the shortness and the fragility of life.

On a positive note many churches are in the forefront of taking aid and giving help both in Christchurch and beyond. The Student Volunteer Army which first mobilised after the September earthquake has again seen thousands of students on the streets helping with digging out soil which has come through the ground in liquefaction and with other practical tasks. Many TSCF students are involved in helping in different ways. Our church in Wellington is sending two trucks with emergency care kits and supplies down on Wednesday.

People have been asking what to pray:

For those who have lost loved ones.
For those who do not know the fate of loved ones still missing.
For the hurt in hospital and those taking care of them.
For many living with anxiety and fear.
For the homeless and many coping without the basics.
For children unable to sleep.
For schools and churches unable to function.
For those involved in search and rescue.
For the police coping with looters and con artists.
For the leaders of the city and the nation.
For church leaders as they counsel, help, share life and conduct funerals.

That a city built with a cathedral at it's heart might seek the one after whom it is named and encounter him in his people. That Christ and his church would be a reality in Christchurch.

We will be involved in short term and long term work in the city. If you are in the UK and would like to help by making a special one off gift please do so through the Pacific Partnership Trust or in the US through Pacific Partners inc.

We appreciate the concerns and best wishes that have come from around the world. We pray that the final verse of the national anthem would shape our response as a nation.

May our mountains ever be

Freedom's ramparts on the sea,

Make us faithful unto Thee,

God defend our Free Land.

Guide her in the nations' van,

Preaching love and truth to man,

Working out Thy Glorious plan,

God defend New Zealand.

Plane Conversation

2010-10-17T19:53:00.001-07:00

Flying from Perth to Jo’burg I found myself sitting next to a young South African graduate who had been at a conference in Canberra. After some lengthy discussion around the World Cup and the future of soccer in Africa we moved on to talk of other things. He was interested to hear about the conference I was going to and how Christians were responding to the big issues. In particular our response to climate change, trade policy, poverty and aids and how we related to people of other faiths. He described himself as believing in God and he was absolutely clear that spirituality was key in people respecting and understanding humanity. His view was that the way that a scientific worldview has been embraced in the west has diminished those cultures value of humanity. He was reading a couple of books on poverty and was an impressive guy looking at a career in public service. Two things were plain from this plane conversation.

The first was that he would not take anything seriously, which did not have an authentic passion for the world and a concern for people at its heart. I want to say that I believe that the Bible is clear that loving God and loving our neighbour go hand in hand and that right theology leads to compassionate engagement but I realise that I know many Christians for whom this is simply not the case.

The second was that although he regarded himself as being spiritual he did not want to be aligned with any particular faith position. This was largely driven by a desire to avoid guilt by association. It was not interested in engaging with the truth claims of the relative options because he did not want to have to accept the moral guilt and hypocrisy of all religious traditions. He was happy to go to a church if he wanted to but would be very uncomfortable being labelled as a Christian. "I have had some discussions with Christians but they tend not to listen. Their religion closes their minds and their hearts"
Sitting beside this bright young man who had considered and dismissed any value in Christian faith I realised that he had never explored or encountered Jesus.

“What is the purpose of this Congress on World Evangelisation?” he asked near the end of our conversation. I guess it is that we might be better representatives of Christ on earth so that people like you will see something in our lives which draws you in to want to explore more about Jesus for themselves.

I am left wondering about the things I value and the way we live our lives.

E100

2010-08-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

E100 started life in the US as a book of 100 Essential Bible Readings. 50 are from the Old Testament and 50 from the New. The aim was to help people see something of God's Big Story and their part in it. It is not an easy task to select 100 readings and I guess some might disagree with the readings selected but in NZ it has been picked up in a joint venture with Wycliffe, Scripture Union and the Bible Society and it has got people reading the Bible for themselves - which is great.

Over 330 churches and 24,000 individuals have signed up to take the E100 challenge. They have also worked with radio Rhema to produce a short radio slot for each reading to be broadcast over 100 days. 20 "well known Christians" were asked to do 5 each. The list included Dick Hubbard – businessman and former Mayor of Auckland, Petra Bagust – television and radio broadcaster, Judge Andrew Becroft – Principal Youth Court Judge, Mary Perkins – World champion FMX rider, Julia Grace musician, Ross Robertson – Labour Member of Parliament and Chester Borrows – National Member of Parliament. I was asked to do the 5 on Paul's letters to the churches. Which meant one each on Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philipians and Colossians.

They have set up a blog for E100 in NZ and it is also possible to listen to the recordings on the Rhema site.
On the Rhema site I am described as "Spokesman, Author, Director of Pacific Partnership Trust and Mission Scotland" which was a description they came up with themselves and is quite entertaining given that today the guy doing the introduction had several goes at rearranging Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship and adding some of his own variations as well.

It has been a real privilege to be involved in this and to be being broadcast 5 times a day this week. It has also been a reminder that i do quite enjoy creative media stuff. I had lunch with Andrew Becroft today and he was suggesting it might be essential. You can also listen to his broadcasts on Judges on the same site.

Probably! Really?

2010-04-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

Atheism is in the news. As I write there is controversy in the New Zealand media over the decision not to run atheistic adverts on buses in Auckland. By the time you read this, Richard Dawkins will have spoken to sell out audiences in New Zealand and will be doing the same in Australia. Many universities have atheist societies. At the Wellington Sevens last year a whole row behind us were wearing Victoria University t-shirts with the new atheist symbol proudly printed on the front. Why is this happening, does it matter and how should we respond?

This new wave of atheism has been promoted by an unlikely alliance of academics and comedians. It finds voice in the lecture and the open mic. In books, movies, and on television there is a worldview being articulated that says clearly and persuasively that there is no God.

On The Buses

The bus campaign is an interesting example. In June 2008 Araine Sherine, a British comedian, wrote an article in The Guardian complaining about the adverts from JesusSaid.org which linked to a website that spoke about God’s judgement and the reality of hell. Sherine raised the idea of non-Christians giving £5 to pay for a ‘positive philosophical advert’. The initial response was slow but a follow-up piece in August drew support from the British Humanist Association, and Richard Dawkins offered to match-fund half the £5000 needed for the first campaign. The official launch of the campaign in October 2008 exceeded all expectations with £48,000 given in the first day. To date, over £150,000 has been given in the UK and the idea has spread around the world. The New Zealand fundraising campaign was launched in December 2009 by the Humanist Society of New Zealand and had doubled its original target of $10,000 within a couple of weeks. This being sufficient to fund 12 buses in Auckland, 8 in Wellington and 4 in Christchurch for 4 weeks.

The slogan on the original campaign, which has been widely copied around the world is, ‘There’s probably no God. So stop worrying and enjoy yourself’. The word ‘probably’ has not been without controversy with some hardliners feeling that ‘there almost certainly isn’t’ or ‘definitely isn’t’ would be less of an accommodation. That aside, the slogan is interesting in that it does say a great deal about the view of God and religion that the campaign seeks to counter.

The kind of God being dismissed is a God who in some way is against us enjoying ourselves. Religion is a source of repression and anxiety. The message is clear: atheism will set you free.

In the USA, a number of other slogans have been used in campaigns. Washington DC ran with: ‘Why believe in God? You can be good for goodness sake’ which counters concerns that Christians believe they have a monopoly on morality. New York in a similar vein chose: ‘You can be good without God’. Seattle went with a quote from Thomas Jefferson: ‘Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear’.
The bus adverts have been a global phenomenon. Many atheists feel that they have been given a vehicle to express their beliefs and have been able to participate in something that promotes their opinions.

The Four Horseman

The bus campaign is just the tip of the iceberg of the new atheism. The key ideas have been shaped and championed by four successful authors. These self-styled ‘four horsemen’ have between them sold over 3 million books and have increasingly dominated the shaping of the conversation in Europe and North America over the past twenty years. Richard Dawkins is a scientist who made his name as a geneticist with his first book The Selfish Gene. He went on to be Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. He argued against Natural Theology and an argument from design in his 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker, and subsequently authored The God Delusion in 2006, which has been translated into over 30 languages and has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Christopher Hitchins is an author and public speaker who is English by birth but has become an American citizen. Daniel Dennet is an American professor and philosopher. Sam Harris is the youngest and most articulate of the ‘horsemen’. His best selling books The End of Faith in 2004 and Letter to a Christian Nation in 2006 combining political commentary with atheist and rationalist ideology have had a significant impact in the US.

The common threads of the new atheism are the assertion that God does not exist, the dismissal of religion as nothing more than an illusion or delusion, the assertion that morality and good living does not depend on referencing behaviour to any theological text or deity and that non-religious people can and do, live good, and even better lives than religious people.
High on the agenda is the intention to move people away from faith. In the roundtable discussion between the four, Christopher Hitchins comments on this explicitly.

‘I think it may be easier than we’re supposing to shake peoples’ faith. There’s been a moratorium on this for a long time. We’re just the beginning of a new wave of explicit attempts to shake peoples’ faith. And it’s bearing fruit, and the obstacles it seems to me are not that we don’t have the facts or the arguments, it’s these strategic reasons for not professing it, not admitting it. Not admitting it to yourself, not admitting it in public because your family is going to view it as a betrayal, you’re just embarrassed to admit that you were taken in by this for so long. It takes, I think, tremendous courage to just declare that you’ve given that all up and if we can find ways to help people find that courage, and give them some examples of people who have done this and they’re doing just fine, they may have lost the affections of a parent or something like that, they may have hurt some family members, but still I think it’s a good thing to encourage and I don’t think we should assume that we can’t do this. I think we can.’

The influence of the four through published material, lecture and debate is significant but it is the Internet that has accelerated the spread of their ideas and helped build a sense of solidarity or community around a shared worldview. To many, these men are heroes. Regardless of our opinion of them, they are thinkers whom we should be familiar with first hand. They all have websites where their material is readily available at no cost.

The Coming Out of the Comedians

The kind of high-level thinking that characterise the ‘horsemen’ has some popular appeal, but the new atheism has another group of proponents who are not just popular but populist.

An increasing number of comedians and celebrities have been coming out as atheists. I have been reading, There is probably no God – The Atheists Guide to Christmas. It is a collection of largely humorous observations on Christmas and life. Each of the contributors is an atheist. They include Richard Dawkins, Derren Brown, Lucy Porter, David Baddiel and Ed Byrne. Atheism has become fashionable.

Eddie Izzard is typical of the new wave of celebrity atheist. He talks about the hypocrisy of religion and the problem of suffering in his shows, and in interviews he has been upfront about his views: ‘Kids brought up in the Catholic Church have to really fight to separate their own minds from an indoctrinated idea. And yeah – I don’t believe in an organised God. He doesn’t seem to be organised at all.’ The main argument is that if there is a God, he should have intervened in the Second World War. Or got rid of the dinosaurs quicker. And if there is intelligent design, why do we have appendixes?’

A recent movie The Invention of Lying saw Ricky Gervais playing a character living in a world where everyone speaks the truth. Unable to cope with his mother’s fear of dying he invents a story to make her happy. This initial description of a great place, with the people you love, where everyone gets a mansion, soon grows into a more elaborate invention. In this place everything is under the control of ‘the Man in the Sky’. Gervais becomes the prophet of the man in the sky, even having his image on a stained glass window in a ‘church’. His ‘religion’ is a big lie. His answers to life’s big questions are bogus. The parable is not difficult for people to apply.

Philip Pullman is a children’s author who is on record as regarding himself as the atheist version of C.S. Lewis for a new generation. The world of The Golden Compass is intentionally seeking to undermine young people’s faith in God and to help them trust in themselves and in science.

This new wave of atheistic ideology in the arts and media is having an influence on those inside and outside the church. Whether we are interested in this kind of thing or not, it is impacting us all. We need a response which is pastoral in helping nurture faith and which is missional in engaging evangelistically with culture.

A short history of inadequate responses

Some Christians have responded with indifference. What does it matter if people are atheists and if their teaching is promoted? I was talking to a student recently who said, ‘Me and my friends are not remotely interested in all that atheism kind of stuff, it is not where we are at’. Maybe so, but it is shaping the landscape that they live in. Debates around the environment, equality, poverty and euthanasia all revolve around what our understanding is of human nature. The Bible teaches that human beings are unique in being made in the image of God, that we have a responsibility for the environment to its creator, that God is the giver and sustainer of life, that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the pivot of human history and that there is accountability for how we live now which has implications for our future. It is not an option to absent ourselves from the interface of the whole gospel applying to the whole of life. One of the key issues here is that our comment or contribution should not be dismissed as ‘being religious’ as if that somehow invalidates the ideas which we bring to the table. God is not an opinion.

Some Christians respond by developing an entirely alternative worldview. I chatted with a church leader in the US in January who told me ‘all science is the work of the devil’. He believed that to be a scientist you had to be an atheist. I asked if there were any students in his church studying science or any academics working in the university. He confided that there were some and that while he did not believe in what they were doing it at least gave them the opportunity to tell other scientists about Jesus. This compartmentalisation of life and the building of a parallel universe do little to acknowledge Jesus as Lord over all creation or God bringing all things together under Him. We need to be engaging on the cutting edge of science and technology, listening, conversing, challenging and participating. I did raise an eyebrow when the minister produced an iPhone from his pocket but my comment ‘why should the devil have all the best toys?’ was lost on him.

Other Christians respond with personal criticism. The level of personal attack on Dawkins and others has been extreme. The most common charge is of arrogance, but they have also been accused and labelled as evil, uncaring, smug, self-satisfied and self-serving. We need to make sure that we do not undermine the heart of the gospel in attempting to defend its core. The Bible says, ‘The fool says in his heart there is no God’. Foolishness is one of the worst things God can say about somebody. God does not mince words when it comes to those who distort and corrupt the truth but much of that anger is directed against false teachers within the church. Even if there are hard things that need to be said, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Paul dialoguing with the philosophers of his day on the Areopagus in Athens does not start by flinging mud and calling names, he engages with them, respects their beliefs and introduces Jesus into the conversation. One of the errors in relating to atheists is for Christians to insist that atheism is a religion. We argue that it requires more faith to disbelieve in God, that they have their own sacred texts and high priests and that rational humanism goes beyond science into the area of beliefs covered by religion. Atheists are very clear that atheism is not a religion. For Christians to insist that it is does not help the conversation or respect their views.

So how then do we respond?

The way that Jesus deals with Thomas and his questions after the resurrection is very interesting. Jesus lets him close, speaks to him, engages with his doubts, invites him to make a hands-on inspection. The faith that is asked for is not a leap in the dark; it is a step in the light. Thomas’s acknowledgment ‘My Lord and my God’ comes as he uses his mind and his senses and discovers the truth for himself.

Jesus makes it clear that not everyone in the future will see things as conclusively as Thomas, but faith will be required. We can never be absolutely certain of everything, but God meets us in our uncertainty and as we trust in Him our faith grows as the father of the possessed boy in Mark 9:24 exclaimed ‘I believe, help me overcome my unbelief’. Faith is not a supernatural experience for a certain kind of person. It is a daily event for everyone following through on as much as you know with all that you have. The faith question is who do we trust, what do we have faith in, who do we believe and why?

Evidence for God’s existence and clues as to his nature are to be seen in the world around us, in the phenomena of religion and spiritual hunger, in our conscience and our humanity.

The God of the Bible is not an absentee landlord who got things going and then left. God is imminent in creation; it is his power that sustains it. The God of the Bible is not indifferent to human death and suffering; he sent his son Jesus to die in an act of redemption. The foolishness of the cross will not be any more popular in this era in history than it was in previous times. It is not the job of the Christian to modify Christ to make the gospel more acceptable to culture, rather to communicate the good news with boldness and confidence.

One of the key challenges that we face is to shape the debate more constructively by not surrendering the framework of the debate to the atheists. Truth is not, fundamentally, an abstract concept, it’s personal. Being clear that the truth is found in Jesus and it is Him that brings life, forgiveness, freedom and community is at the heart of our work with students on campus.

We also need to apologise. Some of the things that have been done in the name of Christ in history and in society have done nothing to advance his kingdom. We need to beware of trying to corner political power as a minority. The tagline of the National Secular Society in the UK is ‘challenging religious privilege’.

We need to be equipping Christians to engage with the big issues of our times. Apologetics is not a special subject for a few crack teams. We may not be debating with Richard Dawkins but we need to be able to engage with our friend who has read The Greatest Show on Earth or chat over coffee after the movies. We all need to be able to give an account of the hope that we have with gentleness and respect.

TSCF also sees the academic world as being a key place where ideas are debated and refined before finding their way into the mainstream of culture. We are working to give greater support to Christian academics and postgraduate students. We want to see more students feeling called into education at every level and are working to make quality books and speakers available in New Zealand, which will be a help and an encouragement. We want to see people equipped to think through schools and universities and trained to think Christianly through churches and Christian unions. Thinking is important. Deep thought is not just one of our aims - it is one of our passions. We need to be debating and discussing these ideas in public. If we focus on shoring up the beliefs of the faithful in private then we surrender the public ground to those who talk the loudest and do not help Christians to engage with integrity.

Richard Dawkins’ website describes itself as ‘a clear thinking oasis’
We are committed to clear thinking. We are renewed through the transforming of our minds. God, who made our minds, works through our minds to renew us and recreate us in his image.

Some of the thinking of the new atheism may actually help get us away from sloppy thinking and defective theology. I think as Christians we should be the most enthusiastic people in the world about ideas. I believe that God is real and powerful, I believe the resurrection is the key event in human history with profound implications for every single person on the planet, I believe God loves all people including Richard, Christopher, Sam, Dan, Eddie, Ricky and Araine.

And for the record I am entirely happy to see a bus in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch or anywhere else with the line ‘There’s probably no God. So stop worrying and enjoy yourself’. I do not believe for a moment that it is true but I would be more than happy to talk about it.

Worrying About Money

2010-02-24T06:39:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken on the last Sunday we were at Davidson's Mains, our home church in Edinburgh, before we left for New Zealand at the end of 2005. It is amazing how much the boys have changed over that time. The tree in the background to the left of the church is one of my favourite trees. It reminds me that God does not change through the seasons of the year or the seasons of life.

Recently I had a Sunday back at Davidson’s Mains. It is always refreshing to be there but this particular Sunday was especially relevant. It started with Anne was sharing some of the vision of the church for supporting mission and told a story about someone being generous so that “you don’t have to worry about money”. This was interesting to me because it struck me at that point that I was sitting there worrying about money.

We have been tremendously blessed to see many people partner with our work in New Zealand and the Pacific. The Pacific Partnership Trust has £ in pledged monthly income. TSCF in New Zealand has seen its income grow from $375,000 in 2004 to $1,400,000 in 2009. We have been able to meet our commitments for the last four years. But many of the staff funds in New Zealand are tracking below target, funds from the UK have been adversely affected by the weakness of the pound and the global economic downturn has had an impact.

I have been having hard conversations with a number of staff in New Zealand about reducing hours or salary. Our own support is a few hundred short of target for the first time in 4 years. It is a privilege to live by faith but it is hard when the numbers don’t add up. It is when things are tough that you realize how easy it is to put trust in money rather than in God. There is a tremendous amount of security in money and that security really needs to be rooted in God rather than in the idea that is encapsulated in the poster below.

This was where Jerry’s sermon on the day from Zechariah 8 proved to be particularly pertinent to a number of issues we are facing at the present time.
The ten points below are his but some of the additional comments are mine as they relate to our context.

1. The Lord loves you. v 2

We know this in theory but it is easy to lose sight of it in practice. God is with us and for us and works for our good through all circumstances. God does not desert or disappoint. A spiral of discontent or anxiety often starts with questioning, rejecting or doubting God’s love. This is not an abstract concept it is real and relevant and true.

2. The Lord has a big future for you. v3

The people are encouraged to consider the “citadel of truth” and the “mountain of holiness” that is to be. We often drop our horizons to seeing our immediate felt needs being met. God is doing much more. He has caught us up into his eternal plans and purposes. Sometimes we can be tempted to think that plan A is marriage, children, successful career, thriving ministry, prosperity and comfort and that plan B (God’s plan) is the consolation prize for those who don’t win plan A. The future belongs to God and he is preparing his people for that future and working through us to build that future. Some of the building blocks of that may well be marriage, children, careers, effective ministry and possessions but these are means to an end not ends in themselves. We need to give up our small ambitions and embrace the bigger hope and call of the gospel.

3. The Lord is restoring community. v4-5

This is a great picture of different generations dwelling together. Young people play in safety while the elderly look on. This intergenerational vision in the streets of the city is a beautiful picture. Fracture in relationships is one of the results of the fall. Someone said to me recently that breaking apart good relationships is a key strategy of the evil one and that restoring and building relationships of quality and depth is central to the work of God. One of the challenges when facing difficulty is not to turn on each other and to compound the problem through faction, divisions and a culture of blame. Singing together in safety affirms and expresses the fellowship God has with us and desires us to share with each other. Seeing some harmony restored in community in a number of different contexts with students, graduates and staff has been one of the big encouragements of the last four years but it is a fragile thing. Of the increase of his shalom there will be no end. Even in our selfishness and weakness we are called to participate in this.

4. With The Lord nothing is impossible. v6

Hudson Taylor said “ I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God; first it is Impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.” God does things that confound human wisdom and exceed human capacity. The more obstacles we face the more opportunities there are for us to see God overcome them. Nothing takes God by surprise and there is nothing that God cannot do. What is tough about this is keeping in step with what God is doing. If we wait till everything is in place that we think we need before we move we lag behind God, if we jump in foolhardiness rather than faith we can find ourselves attempting the impossible alone. God can do more than we hope for or even imagine. The impossible is his speciality and we have seen it happen time and time again. I remember speaking to the TSCF board in 2005 and talking about the need to get to $1,000,000 of income and to see the staff team double just to get to the baseline that we aspired to be doing. Both seemed impossible. When I first spoke at Davidson’s Mains about our support needs in 2005 I seemed impossible that God could provide, yet through the generosity of many 4 years later we are still going.

5. The Lord saves. v 7-8

This is the business that God is in. His work of redemption is at the heart of the biblical story. He does what we cannot do. He makes a people for himself and gathers them to him. He promises to be their God. This community is gathered
from the peoples of the east and the west, it is international and multi cultural. This past year we have seen 40 or so students coming to faith in New Zealand. Many have been looking at the bible with Christian friends for 18 months to 3 years. Some have been Kiwis, some from other lands. God has saved them. There is rejoicing in heaven for each one. We are encouraged by this, but we know we are just scratching the surface. We long to see many more rescued by the grace of God.

6. Your labour in the lord is never in vain. v 9-13

When things are tough or progress is slower than I would like I sometimes wonder “what is the point of this?” These verses have an architectural idea and an agricultural one. The point in both is that God finishes what he starts and that he calls us to participate in what he is doing. So “the point” is God’s work, in God’s time for God’s glory. Paul finishes 1 Corinthians 15 with the words “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” This is because their work is rooted in the truth of the resurrection and the certain promise of Christ’s return. It is remarkably easy to lose sight of this and to be tempted to give up. In a success orientated culture that values quick fixes and expects happiness and self gratification it is a radical call to faithfulness, service and perseverance. We work to equip students and graduates for the long haul.

7. The Lord loves doing good. v 14-17

After a time of judgement God speaks of his determination to do good. The people are called not to be afraid but rather are to determine to do good as God does. Sometimes the term “do gooder” is used as an insult, implying interference or judgementalism. What is spoken of here is participating in what God is doing by doing good and speaking truth. God delights in this and hates falsehood and lies. Jesus once asked why he was being called good because no one is good apart from God. Goodness is a key facet of God's character. As many of my friends in other countries love to say: "God is good - all the time!" God loves doing good and loves us to be like him. We are to practice our good deeds before others so that they see our father in heaven. Doing good points people to the One who is good and we can only do good because of him.

8. The Lord will turn your sorrow into joy. v18-19

The fasts of the past will become the festivals of the future. This word of God to his people at that point in history reflects the bigger arch of God’s purpose through history. There will a new heaven and a new earth, there will be no more death or sorrow. There are seasons of suffering, heart ache and loss but these do not last forever. God works out his purposes. He blesses his people so that they see his goodness in the land of the living. Ultimately there will be vindication and celebration for eternity. Love truth and peace in the meantime and to remember through tears sometimes that there is a party coming.

9. The Lord has released a flow of grace v20-22

God is doing a new thing and the word of that is getting out. People will come from different cities and seek the Lord. The new thing that God is doing flows out to those who do not know him and draws them into his kingdom. I believe that the grace of God is in every situation that we encounter and that our challenge is to see it and participate in it. We don’t want to keep on doing the same old things, we want to join in with what God is doing. To long for his grace to be released so that people throughout these islands and beyond seek him, his salvation and his will. We work to see a new generation of influence raised up who will be leaders in every aspect of life and work and who will be conduits of that grace to others. I believe that the Catalyst Graduate work is a new thing of great significance that God is doing in this generation. I see signs of similar awakenings in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. New things involve risk. They involve stepping out in faith and trusting in God’s gracious provision. God’s work done in his way will never lack his supplies.

10. The Lord brings healing to the nations. v 23

God’s words “In these days ten men from all languages and nations will take hold of the hem of one Jew” looks forward to Jesus. Jesus will bring all things together through his death, resurrection and return. Right now we have a new term starting on campuses throughout the Southern Hemisphere and the South Pacific in particular. In New Zealand we meet people coming from all over the world. We know that Jesus is the hope of the nations. It is our privilege to be involved in developing leaders around the Pacific, we are starting to explore how North America can partner in that and we continue to invest in Ecuador, India, Bangladesh and many parts of South East Asia, as well as the nations of the South Pacific. With issues of poverty, injustice, inequality, the environment, terror, disease and war constantly before us we look forward to that tree in Revelation whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. We work to see people from every tribe and nation there to join in that great day and to build his kingdom here until he comes.

So as I still sit worrying about money, or rather concerned for the lack of it. The challenge to me is to look to God. The God who provides and who is faithful.

Or as the caption to this picture goes: “Don’t let the fence take your eyes off the view.”

I am thankful to be part of communities of God's people where God's word is opened. I am grateful for all who partner with us in this adventure of faith in different ways. An old missionary once said "Prepare for the worst, expect the best, and take what comes." Which sounds slightly fatalistic but I guess is intended as an expression of faith. The reality of living by faith is often more challenging than the idea. We move on in faith together. Or as God says...

Invisible Man

2009-12-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Art at its best makes me look at things differently and leaves an impression that remains after the work is no longer before me.

The Chinese artist Liu Bolin hides himself in his photographs. In a country where development often comes at a cost to traditional communities it articulates the people who are often forgotten when change occurs in a landscape. The human cost of environmental or economic change is often hidden. In blurring the hidden person into the scene the artist actually accentuates the humanity that is there. Being concerned for the people of the world and their situation is vital.

Coming into the world and identifying with it. Celebrating forgotten humanity. Becoming part of the scene. It is time consuming and costly. But there is something that resonates with being missional.

"Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!"

(1 Corinthians 9 v 19 v 23)

I become invisible that you might be seen

I became invisible that he might be seen.

Here are a few more for your enjoyment.

Stop the Train

2009-10-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

This amazing clip from Melbourne was seen first by many on the BBC. The timing of the train arriving is incredible and the mother slipping when she tried to run probably saved her life. In a region where we continue to live with the aftermath of tsunami and earthquake a close call for a baby grabs the headlines. Without the security tape it would hardly have managed a mention. It was interesting after the tsunami hit Samoa that much of the initial news was photographs with voiceover. The event was not captured by video and even afterwards there appeared to be very little video available or certainly available for upload.

The 40 second video clip has become the key currency of communication. If a picture used to worth a thousand words a good short video is worth a million. (which is still less than the number of views it will get). A short insight, a fragment, a glimpse into the everyday that we can relate to - such shards of life increasingly make up the fabric of common culture. This will be spoken of and watched this week more than any soap opera or TV show costing millions to make. And it had a happy ending - I am glad the baby was okay. :)

Lost Generation

2009-10-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

What i like about this is the creativity of the reversal. Being part of an upside down kingdom where the first will be last and foolishness is wisdom this appeals to me. Would love to see the idea developed with more actual content that had substance to the hope.

Napier Bomb Scare

2009-09-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

In Napier this week a man on a bus claimed to have a bomb. He was in the toilet of the coach at the time and his threat resulted in an armed response unit on site, police cordoning of a large section of the city and a negotiation conducted by mobile phone. Eventually he surrendered and it transpired he did not actually have any explosives. The newspaper reported that "the man had earlier been trying to talk to passengers on the bus about God". Now I have a number of issues with this.

Firstly it gives talking to people about God a bad name. Your average reader is moved from "nutcase" to "religious nutcase" and suddenly it becomes clear. It is their attachment to religion that has caused this craziness. Religious people have given God a bad reputation through their actions, which has had negative consequences from The Crusades to Richard Dawkins. Usually these actions have had zip all to do with God. The way that evangelism is being done in many places is putting people off engaging with Jesus. There is a weirdness factor that comes from making talking about faith an activity rather than an extension of life and conversation.

Secondly it erodes confidence in God. People start to think that if these are the kind of people who follow God then I don't want anything to do with him. I am talking briefly on the radio on Monday about the rise of Atheist and Secular Societies on Campuses. In the US the Secular Student Alliance added its 160th affiliate campus group last week and reports that demand for their group starting packets are high. "It’s been a challenge to keep up with the demand for services, especially group-starting packets and follow-up," said Lyz Liddell, senior campus organizer, in a statement earlier this month. "That’s a nice problem to have." The number of SSA campus affiliate groups has increased from 100 in 2008 to 160 this year. In 2007, the alliance counted only 80. More Americans are claiming no religion and many have taken on more outspoken and public campaigns. According to the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, 15 percent of Americans are part of the non-religious population, or "nones," up from 8.2 percent in 1990. Many of these people will have been influenced by a negative experience of Christians and a political agenda and attitude that is too often equated with God's truth and Christian life.

Thirdly it makes people nervous about bus travel. People start to think, well at least in my car the only crazy people traveling with me are people I knew before the journey started. Fear of being accosted on spiritual matters, concerns around being evacuated from the bus and an understandable anxiety over being blown to smithereens will make people less likely to travel by bus. This will make travel less sociable and will have a negative environmental impact.

Fourthly it makes bus companies think twice about installing toilets on buses. Even as I write someone is probably doing a risk assessment concluding that the provision of toilets as a haven for potential terrorists or disturbed people is just too great. This will make bus travel more arduous, will probably provoke more passengers on buses to extreme action and will definitely further advance point three above.

Fifthly it will make people think twice about going to Napier. This is not the first incident in the Hawkes Bay this year involving weapons, threats and hostages and is less serious than the ones before, which is partly why the police response was so decisive. Napier is a great city. it is the art deco capital of the world and a more friendly and peaceful place it would be hard to find. But even now there will be people cancelling bus tours and missing out on the delights of the Hawkes Bay in general and Napier in particular.

Which all just goes to show that experience alone is a poor teacher. I remember talking to a Dell computer repair guy, years ago before my conversion to Apple, when my screen needed replacing on my laptop. I asked him if they were generally reliable. "I am the wrong person to ask" he replied, "every single one that I see is broken".

It is sad to see a broken young man on a bus. But our first response should be to care for him and to look at what is breaking people in society. It does not necessarily mean that God should be dismissed, bus travel dismantled or Napier bypassed.

But if you are trying to talk about Jesus on a bus sometime, and people are not that inclined to listen, don't hide in the toilet and threaten to blow them up (at least not if you don't want them to get the wrong idea).

The Flotilla and The Fleet

2009-07-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

May 1940 was a pivotal point in the history of the world. The German army had swept through northern Europe and the British and French armies were in, what I believe the technical historical term is, ‘deep doo-doo’. The Royal Navy had too few ships available to evacuate the troops stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk. Those ships that were in the vicinity were unable to manoeuvre close enough to the shore to affect a rescue. As the enemy forces lay poised to deliver the final blow an audacious plan was hatched which was to critically alter the course of history.

The plan was called Operation Dynamo. It called on anyone with a small, seaworthy craft to come and help. A flotilla of over eight hundred little ships assembled: fishing boats, pleasure crafts and lifeboats. Some of these craft ferried soldiers from the shore to the bigger ships, some took men directly back to England. They were not designed for war, but in the hands of those who knew them and could handle them, they played a vital part in the battle.
The grave plight of the troops led King George VI to call for an unprecedented week of prayer. Throughout the country, people prayed for a miraculous delivery. The initial objective was to recue 45,000 men in two days. Over the next nine days 338,226 soldiers were rescued by the hastily assembled fleet of little vessels and only 40,000 were left behind, dead or captured. Over two hundred of the ships were sunk and a similar number damaged .

One contemporary account of the evacuation wrote:
"It was the queerest, most nondescript flotilla that ever was, and it was manned by every kind of Englishman, never more than two men, often only one, to each small boat. There were bankers and dentists, taxi drivers and yachtsmen, longshoremen, boys, engineers, fishermen and civil servants. . .
Even before it was fully dark we had picked up the glow of the Dunkirk flames, and now we could see silhouetted the shapes of other ships, of boats coming home already loaded, and of low dark shadows that might be enemy motor torpedo boats. The beach, black with men, illumined by the fires, seemed a perfect target, but no doubt the thick clouds of smoke were a useful screen.”

What we see in the Dunkirk Spirit is a fleet of small vessels, not at all uniform in design or ordered in their command structure. They have a clear sense of vision and they participate at great personal risk because they understand what is going on and what they can contribute. This flotilla works together and collaborates where possible with the Naval Fleet. It is a messy business, slightly chaotic and not that well thought through but it turns the tide of history.
I believe that we live at a point in time where there are millions stranded on the ‘beaches’. We need a new paradigm of mission where there is a new sense of urgency on reaching and rescuing the lost. We need a new strategy to connect with those stranded from the conventional approaches. I believe that what we are beginning to see in New Zealand and around the world is a flotilla of small craft mobilized. More responsive, less uniform, better able to take initiative and get in closer to the shore. This rag tag flotilla can be confusing to those who man the bridges of the big destroyers. It is the navy, but not as they have known it. The difficulty is that many in the Naval Fleet see the Flotilla of small ships as an unnecessary distraction, self absorbed and deflecting resource from their battle plans, whereas many in the Flotilla find the Fleet, inflexible, hierarchical and disconnected from reality. In Operation Dynamo they work together. The key thing to grasp is that the fleet and the flotilla all sail under the ensign of the King.

The St George's Cross flown from the jack staff is known as the Dunkirk jack, and is only flown by civilian ships and boats of all sizes which took part in the Dunkirk rescue operation in 1940. The only other ships permitted to fly this flag at the bow are those with an Admiral of the Fleet on board. The smallest of the flotilla, the 15 ft fishing boat “Tamzine” is on display in the Imperial War Museum in London. Little boats given a status and a place of honour because they served the King.

I believe we need to see ore inter-generational cooperation, I believe we need to see a recognition from the Fleet of their limitations in the current crisis, i believe the Flotilla needs to collaborate more, to put aside personal agendas and to be less cynical about the Fleet. But as I write I see the smoke of battle smudging the horizon, listen to the sound of the guns and am aware of all those we are not reaching. I long to see urgent prayer for the lost becoming a feature of the year ahead and in particular to pray for a new generation of influence and service to be raised up - who sees things... differently.

Above all I want to see more little ships on the high sea joining the rescue flotilla. Crewed by people giving what they have, who are willing to hazard all for the sake of rescuing some. If you would like to talk about how you can partner with us in prayer, finance or service do get in touch with me. If you want to join the adventure of meeting the challenge of this generation in the company of friends - come. You wont find me at the Captain’s table or on the bridge of a flagship, I’m in the battered dinghy that’s leaking a bit but trying to press on through the wash. Join us.

A few gorjis things

2009-06-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

I am always on the look out for gorgeous things. There is always so much to see and do and the number plate definitely works better in a Glaswegian accent. A number plate can make you look a second time at an old car and see that it is somebody's passion. Gorgeous things for me are things that inspire a second look and make me gasp, laugh, think, smile or cry.

These signs are in the internet cafe in Lower Hutt. Permission seems to be necessary to do just about anything from downloading to using the toilet and before you ask I WOULD rather keep those ideas separate. This is not the way of thinking of your average European descended Kiwi at all but does resonate with Asian and New Zealand born Asian culture. I find it fascinating how divergent attitudes are to things like authority.

This advert is more typical of Pakeha Kiwi Culture. Language is used in different ways, not always helpfully. Very few Kiwi's would see anything offensive in this billboard. This is Air New Zealand, the national airline, advertising cheap deals. It is just part of the folksy charm of the place!

I had thought that Australia was also fairly relaxed in a stubbies and singlet kind of informality so was quite taken aback by the dress code at the Melbourne Cricket Club. The list of what is considered unacceptable is a lot longer than the guidelines for acceptable dress. I rather enjoy that acceptable men and women are grouped together whereas fashion crimes for the unacceptable have to be gender specific. This kind of mentality could be running an internet cafe in Lower Hutt but would have the prohibitions laminated I am sure.

This underwear billboard has a number of interesting elements. And before you ask (NO I don't think he is gorgeous!). The way the picture has been taken putting the male model into a more stereotypical female pose is fairly common now in advertising. The angle of the hips and the curve of the breast intentionally blur the gender. I guess many of us would be positive about androgynous clothing, where we can make choices based on comfort and practicality rather than on what is differentiated by gender. But there is a trend to push a more androgynous culture as a whole where there is a blending of male and female characteristics and a blurring of roles. There is significant confusion about what it means to be male and female which has many implications which stretch far beyond our choice of pants.

"The Dominion Post", which is the Wellington equivalent of "The Scotsman", (an explanation that I am sure you will find particularly engaging if you live in some part of the world where neither of these august publications is the first choice for the delivery of quality local news with an international perspective.) had a feature recently on the growth of astrology. Graham Ibell quit his job as a biologist with the Department of Conservation. "I was just finding myself becoming more and more disillusioned with science. It didn't nourish me, I was looking for something soul-filled. Science didn't provide that," "I think it's peoples emptiness. People are looking for answers. It's not just enough to go shopping for bathroom taps on a Sunday anymore". Ibell also reflects on the importance of relationships and of intuition. "It just opened me up, I started to see life in more of an interconnected way. We are not all separate individuals; it gives me a spiritual perspective on life." "It requires a great deal of engagement with the imagination . . . a very different way of thinking than scientific thinking." Many of Ibells comments could come from an emergent church leader talking about religion.

More people are turning to astrology during the recession. Kapiti astrologist Gigi Sosnoski has seen a "steady increase" in clients over the last year - from mothers wanting their newborns' charts read to people setting up a business and pensioners looking for love. In times of uncertainty, she says, people need to feel more in control. "People always want to get some clarity regarding their future. Things to look forward to, how they can best plan ahead."

This connection with the spiritual world, with the past and the future is something many are hungry for. If people stop believing the truth, they don't believe nothing - they believe anything. To prove the point I refer you to the book cover above, where somebody clearly believes that the endorsement of Suzi Quatro will help promote their philosophy. (What? you don't think a Christian book would ever carry the endorsement of a minor celebrity in a way that a thinking person would find laughable? - no me neither!)

Pete Hughes who is a friend of mine in Sydney, is involved in a new church planting initiative in Ryde. They have decided to call the church Soma. Which is Greek for body but is also the name of the drug in Brave New World which is the opiate of the people. We had spoken about a few alternatives which wee close but different. So on the flight over I knocked together a few alternatives to pitch to him over lunch. (which was good fun and I had seen most of the movies anyway!)

Which on a serious point does pose an interesting question. How do we present who we are and what we do in a way that engages the imagination and interest of the people around us. How do we get beyond stereotype that many have of church in the western world and help people to see that here is someone life changing and something authentic which is to quote Suzi "The real deal". We don't have to do it perfectly but if we could it better it would be gorgeous.

The secret lives of the thirsty.

2009-03-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

SecretZen is a site that allows you to share your deepest secrets with the world and do it anonymously. These disclosures take the form of "photosecrets" that combine images and words. There are many places online where it is possible to offer virtual confession or share real life secrets. People will say things online, even not anonymously, which they would not say to a friend in the pub if they had both been drinking.

Some of them are related to specific events. As in "usuallymoralguy's" confession about hitting his friends car.

"Ok, so I pride myself in being moral and not doing immoral things but about a month ago I backed into a car. I was being stupid and was talking on the phone. I drove away and parked in another spot. Later that night I found out that it was a high school friend's car and that someone had seen "a truck like mine" hit the van. The police had me come out of the house and asked if it was me. I lied and told them no. The damage appeared to be just broken plastic on the front bumper, but they wrote up a police report and took a statement along with pictures of the vehicles. My truck had no damage. Now I can't stop thinking about it. It seriously enters my mind at least 3 or 4 times a day. I haven't told anyone the truth yet until now. My main motivation for saying it was not me was because I can't afford it, along with an insurance claim that would most likely raise my rates. I feel bad about the whole thing but there really isn't anything I can do now that won't involve me confessing to my friend that I did it or going to the police. Either way, it is good to get this off my chest. Thanks."

Others speak of real difficulties in connecting with people, of feeling loved, appreciated or valued. As these anonymous posts tell.

"when I die Im taking my computer with me. My only friend and my biggest secret, no one knows what lies in my hard drive, no one knows me."

"I’m just not good enough no matter what I do I genuinely care so much but no one seems to notice I know I’ll never be worth anything"

"My friends dont like me as much as they like their other friends. Some are better at hiding it than others but I can telli can see the subtle clues. I will never have a best friend maybe because ill always be the sarcastic disposable friend."

"I don’t drink. I’ve never been on a date. I don’t smoke. I don’t do any type of drugs. I’ve self-injured before. I’m friendly to everyone. I’m told I have a great smile. I have a good fashion sense. I’m “average” sized. I’m nothing but myself to people. I don’t believe in underage smoking or drinking. I hate drug use and drinking just to get drunk. I don’t think it’s right to put out for any guy that comes around. I hate Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and all other crappy one-brand teen stores.
I’d give up everything I believe in, everything- just to have friends."

Many revolve around frustrations in relationships. Rejection, the difficulty of being in the right relationship and the al too common experience of feeling trapped in the wrong one.

"It’s weird. I have no friends, no one to talk to, there is nothing I’m exceptionally good at except playing video games, nothing I really want to do with my life, I feel like everything I’ve ever done has been a waste of time, and I think my boyfriend just broke up with me. Yet strangely I can’t bring myself to give a shit. Normally I’d be crying but lately I just can’t find the energy to care anymore. I don’t feel happy or angry or sad. I don’t really feel anything at all.
I think I’d rather be depressed. At least then I feel somewhat human."

"No, I don’t trust you. And yeah, I can’t love you if I don’t trust you… But lets take our clothes off and fool around on my bed, cause when we do that I forget that I just CAN’T trust you."

"I tell people I’m completely over her. the truth is I still have all her texts saved and I read them frequently."

"We have done well for ourselves however we have put ourselves in debt that we cannot get out of. My husband travels alot and while he is away on trips I am sleeping with 3 different men. I like all three and have fun with them. The three men and my husband could not be more different from each and only share 1 thing in common and thats the fact they are all head over heals for me and think they are the only one in my life. I have tried to stop but it seems like sex is my only out. Lately however I am not even happy when I am with one of these men. I feel hopeless. I know that I am using the attention I get to fill some void I have but I dont know what void that is and I feel guilty that I have a void since I should be more then happy with my life cuz many people are much worse off then I am. I also feel guilty b/c I know it is all going to crumble down on top on me and I am going to hurt these men who have done nothing wrong. I am at the end of my rope and can no longer see anything bright in my future and I cannot remember the last time I was happy. The only thing keeping me from killing myself is my son. He is my soul and I cant stand the thought of how sad he would be without his mommy. I cry alot and I hate it when he sees me because he doesnt understand and I feel so guilty about what I do behind closed doors. I wish I could stop."

Many testify to the web of deceit that they weave or get caught up in other peoples lies.

"I’m too self aware for my own good. I don’t fit in anywhere…I force myself to conform. I question every little action I make, but I’m a hypocrite for doing them anyway. Everything I do or say feels constructed and I cannot escape this feeling that I am in no way unique or special. I wonder if any one else thinks about these things or if I’m alone."

"Sometimes I pray for an eating disorder so I’ll be skinny enough for my mom to think I’m good enough."

"I'm a liar.I am such a good liar. I talk about others behind their backs, I gossip, and I meddle. I am so lazy! I would rather hit snooze then wake up with the sunrise, as I should. I procrastinate often. I go from boy to boy like they were kleenex tissues, use one once or twice and then discard. Oh and I watch porn sometimes, and I feel guilty about that. I'm angry. I am so angry at this place, for the pressure it puts on me and my friends. I am angry at my father for having all the characteristics of human that i despise. I am terrified. I am terrified at what this world is going to bring, where I am going to end up and with whom I am going to end up. I just want to be forgiven for my sins and vices."

Jessy in that last post heart wrenching post is 18. I wonder if she would consider church as somewhere any of these issues could be faced. If she has anyone she could talk to who would show her where the forgiveness and hope she seeks is available.

Still others speak of frustration in work, lack of purpose and direction and questions about life.

"I hate my job but i dont even try looking for something new because i dont think i could find anything. but little by little its driving me crazy. i despise it and it is actually turning me into a different person. everytime i wake up to go there i feel like a piece of me is being taken away that ill never be able to get back"

"I’ve dedicated all of my time and done everything i could just so I could reach for and achieve my goals. But they didn’t happen. They were taken away from me. Does this mean its time to start settling?"

"I am graduating university in a couple of weeks. I am absolutely terrified of entering the real world because i define myself as a student and i was great at being a student. In the real world i am no one.
I am moving back home to live with my parents to save some money, and will be leaving all my friends behind. I feel like i am moving backwards in life."

On that site you can leave a comment or a hug. Which may offer a little consolation but not much. So many of these posts reflect the basic human condition of the consequences of sin. Separation from God, alienation in relationships, frustration in work. The created order is fractured and the fault lines run through us all. How do we connect with people in these kinds of situations with these kinds of feelings? Who do they think they are talking to? Can God make any kind of difference given the depth of hopelessness?

I was reminded last night of a verse that I had not thought of for a while. It became the verse of Ten10, the key to Thirst for Life and with the River of Life the focus of a lot of creative energy that year. Ezekiel 47v9. "so where the river flows everything will live" or as we used it most often "Where the river is there is life". So many of these people above need the refreshing, life giving, water of life that rises up within. Yet do we care for the thirsty or even begin to engage with where many of the people around us are. Have we become preoccupied with a gospel of the quality of life and lost sight of the reality of the gospel of Life.

Looking back through some of my old River of Life files. I was struck again by these verses written on roller blinds at the River of Life.

Psalm 107

"Some of you wandered for years in the desert,looking but not finding a good place to live,
Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to GOD.
He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful roadthat took you straight to a good place to live.
So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
He poured great draughts of water down parched throats;the starved and hungry got plenty to eat."

Psalm 19

"The life--maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes.
GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree."

Psalm 107

"GOD turned rivers into wasteland,springs of water into sunbaked mud;
Luscious orchards became alkali flats because of the evil of the people who lived there.
Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water, arid earth into springs of water,
Brought in the hungry and settled them there;they moved in--what a great place to live!
They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards, they reaped a bountiful harvest.
He blessed them and they prospered greatly; their herds of cattle never decreased.
But abuse and evil and trouble declined as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away.
He gave the poor a safe place to live, treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep.
Good people see this and are glad; bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks.
If you are really wise, you'll think this over--it's time you appreciated GOD's deep love."

It is amazing that God looks on everyone, sees and understands. As David testifies:
"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

This is wonderful but thinking about Ezekiel I am reminded that he went and sat with the exiles who lived by the Chebar River. His reaction is translated variously as overwhelmed, mourning or stunned. But he engaged, he listened to what they were saying around the campfires Jesus looked at the crowds and had compassion on them because they were harrassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

I need to get beyond indifference. I am surrounded by parched people in an arid environment. And I know both the hope of the rushing river and the reality of the living spring. Do I care? Do you? Do we?

Lord we thank you for your love to us
King of Glory who we nailed upon the cross
Gentle Shepherd when you're searching for the lost
Remember us.

5 Year Vision

2009-03-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Captain Kirk had an initial 5 Year Mission. It was "to seek out new life forms and civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before" Apart from its sexist language, grammatical split infinity and Kirk's habit of kissing the life forms he did not kill it was a clear example of a strong relationship between vision and mission in practice.

I have been reflecting on our first three years as we have encountered new life forms and civilisations and its implications for the next 5 years of Mission. I am conscious that it is a little foolhardy to summarise the challenges we face in a few paragraphs but am grateful to all who commented on and helped shape the piece and also to Paul Windsor for his editorial. Both these will appear in the next Canvas but represents the beginning of a conversation that will shape the way TSCF works over the next 5 years and what the Pacific Partnership Trust prioritises in the Pacific. Do feel free to comment.

"Over the years I have learned to find relevance in unexpected places. It was the theologian Carl Henry who asserted that ‘only the eternal can hope to be forever contemporary.’ I believe that being anchored to unchanging truths provides a far better foundation for relevant engagement than shifting forever with the tides of changing trends.

This past week I sat down with a Kiwi missionary on home leave and clicked his ‘play’ button. I asked him how he had found church in NZ. The relevance flowed. It reminded me of a similar occasion some years ago when a returning career missionary addressed a gathered throng about the challenges facing the NZ church. I heard some question ‘What can he know? He has been overseas all these decades!’ He knew a lot. He saw a lot. I hung onto every prophetic word.

Was it not the Scot, Robbie Burns, who spoke about the value of ‘seeing ourselves as others see us’? If we are humble enough to listen, this is the very vision that can emerge from our blindspots with a timely relevance and a shuddering impact.

My respect for another Scot, Nigel Pollock, as well as the entire TSCF staff team, is immense. I was among those who interviewed Nigel for his current role. I still consider it to be one of the most strategic processes with which I have ever been involved. I have looked forward to the day when Nigel feels transplanted enough into Kiwi life that he is able to speak into the challenges we face. This issue of Canvas is that moment. Nigel has the mind and eye and heart to say something significant. Read carefully.

And as you read my prayer is that your mind and eye and heart will recognise the relevance of the ministry of TSCF in our nation and that you will be stirred to support it in new ways."

Paul Windsor, Principle Carey College (at time of writing), Associate Director, Langham Preaching (by time of publication) and TSCF Board member (over the whole of those two weeks - and longer!)

FIRST LIGHT

New Zealand is the first major land mass to see the start of each day. I believe that we are uniquely positioned to see by ‘first light’ emerging global trends. New Zealand is a very interesting place to be, still evolving in our national identity, with a tradition of leading social change and a fascinating blend of Maori, European, Pacific, Asian and other cultures. Over the past 3 years I have had the privilege of meeting students, graduates and church leaders from all over New Zealand. I have found their insights challenging and helpful. I have also found that being in the South Pacific has provided a vantage point to consider what is happening in other parts of the world. In TSCF we long to see the gospel at the heart of New Zealand and New Zealand at the heart of World Mission. I am under no illusions as to the scale of the challenge we face in pursuing that vision, but without vision people perish.

I hesitate to offer too many thoughts on the challenges facing New Zealand. I am still learning and there is much I still do not understand. But I have frequently been told over the past few months that if I do not capture my initial reflections as an “outsider” that I will lose them! I believe that we are at a significant watershed in world history and that like the Men of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32) we need to “understand the times and know what to do”. I also believe that the current global financial meltdown demonstrates how interconnected our lives are. I have a postcard on my office door of a factory churning pollution into the atmosphere with the caption “in a world where problems know no boundaries..”

So I offer here my thoughts on 10 major challenges that I believe are key to understanding the times that we live in; each presenting an opportunity. These are broader reflections with some New Zealand application and you can decide how each is relevant to 21st Century Aotearoa. I believe there is an opportunity to work together in new ways which can benefit NZ and have an impact far beyond these shores, in a world where opportunities know no boundaries we can be at the leading edge of change in Christian mission in the world. I hope these challenges stimulate your thinking and make you think about how we can respond.

COMMUNICATING FAITH

There is a growing number of un-churched post Christian people in western societies. This is not a group that we are engaging with well anywhere. Most of the things that seem to be working like “Alpha” and “Christianity Explored” are much better at engaging with people with some church background. This is not irrelevant because this is still a significant mission field, but it is a diminishing one. Most expressions of church underestimate the culture gap between where we are and where the people around us are. We live in a country that is increasingly secular. Many now see faith as a negative thing to be pitied and opposed. The key opportunity here is to listen. We need to understand the culture we are in and look for contact points and bridgeheads to share faith. Programmes and resources written for other cultures, countries and contexts are not the best starting point and yet they are all too often the things which NZ churches and TSCF student groups have become dependent upon. Our vision is for biblical evangelism that is culturally sensitive. Effective evangelism among students is at the core of our ministry. TSCF are working with students to help them be less reliant on resources, more connected with their friends and better able to share the good news of Jesus. We need a new urgency in evangelism flowing from a fresh encounter with God.

MULTICULTURISM

We live in an age of mass migration. Through choice or necessity, millions of people move about the planet. Entire ethnic communities exist thousands of miles from their point of origin. There are 1 million people living in NZ who were not born here and there are 1 million “Kiwis” living overseas. We all like the idea of a multi-cultural society, it sounds exciting, but what that looks like is not as easy to work out and it involves understanding other cultures, giving up racial stereotypes and, as Christians, pursuing a new Gospel culture. How much of your culture and language do you retain and how much do you give up? Historically, cross-cultural missions have looked to develop indigenous leaders to carry the work forward when they leave. There is as great a need as ever for cross cultural mission but the concept of indigeneity has become more complex. I believe in NZ that bi-culturalism is the foundation on which a strong multi cultural society is built and that the resolution of outstanding issues and treaty claims alongside the valuing of Maori culture and ideas is of immense importance. But alongside the challenge of the past we face the challenge of the future. We are profoundly thankful for the huge involvement of internationals in TSCF and have been thrilled to see students from around the world coming to faith and indeed leading Kiwis to Christ. Our vision is to value all the cultures of New Zealand and to take the opportunity to practise hospitality and show Christ’s love to all. TSCF is one of the most diverse movements in IFES and we are currently building links with greater number of ethnic groups on campus. We are at the same time committed to encouraging students to actively participate in the world wide mission of the church. Our partnerships in Ecuador, Fiji, Papa New Guinea, India and Bangladesh are a great help in this. Although we are remote we have strong connections not least with those who study here. I believe that the fulfilment of the great commission in the 21st century involves Pacific Rim churches growing a vision for world mission, in a way that the Atlantic churches did in a previous century.

ENGAGEMENT

Issues of poverty, justice, AIDS and the environment are not optional concerns for the few. We all need to be on the front line of working for peace and prosperity for all. I continue to believe that the exile is the key paradigm shaping our involvement in society. Jeremiah encourages the exiles to seek the welfare of the city of Babylon where they are in captivity (Jer 29:4-17). They are to plant, build and have children, to increase in number but to remember that they do not belong there. They are to remember that in 70 years God will take them home. The challenge that faces us is to fully engage in our communities and to work on the big issues without losing sight of the hope of glory. It is interesting to note that around the world those Christians who live on the margins of society and suffer persecution look forward more earnestly to Christ’s return than those of us who have invested more in this world and can see Jesus’ return as a threat to our comfort. It has been said that some Christians are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use, I sometimes wonder
if the reverse can be more true today. We need to be heavenly minded and of earthly usefulness. We cannot separate gospel and social engagement as if somehow it was possible to have faith that did not translate into action. Our vision is to call a new generation to change the world in the power of the Holy Spirit but to do so with a gospel agenda and a kingdom perspective. Our new Catalyst graduate and faculty ministry is at the start of growing a new generation of Christian influence in the professions, the marketplace, education, public life, the arts and the church.

CREATIVITY

I am frustrated that as I look around the world there is, all too often, a great divide between creativity and content. Many of those who are the most creative are bereft of Biblical content and at the other extreme those who have great content are often lacking in creativity. The protestant tradition has tended to be quite iconoclastic, seeing imagery as often leading to idolatry and therefore needing to be destroyed. More recently a new emphasis on iconography has sought to develop art which can enhance and focus worship rather than detract from it. There is a place for criticism and for creativity. Both can honour God when done for his glory. But I believe that the primary opportunity today is to be an interpreter, seeking to relate faith to culture and culture to faith. Our vision is to be a prophetic voice where creativity and content combine together to speak powerfully into our cultural context and ultimately introduce people to Jesus. We are encouraging students in creative arts to relate faith to their course and we are actively exploring ways of using digital media to promote evangelism and discipleship in NZ and beyond.

LEADERSHIP

The Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-63) has been the most analysed generation in history. They have contributed a huge amount to the development of the cultural, economic and intellectual landscape we inhabit. They are now coming to the end of their era of responsibility. Many in the next generation do not believe that the structures that served the gospel in the last century are necessarily the same structures that will serve the gospel in this century. The older generation becomes frustrated at the lack of commitment of those coming through. The problem is that the baby boomers see the vision as being intertwined with the structures they have invested their lives in. That generation of leaders need to let the structures go and be clear on the vision, entrusting new leadership to adapt and in some cases dismantle that which they hold dear. If we are to engage a new generation with the call to initiative and responsibility we cannot ask them to be janitors of the legacy of yesterday. We are a strongly egalitarian culture which is great, but it can leave us critical of leaders and wary of accepting responsibility. We need to stop chopping our leaders down, covenant to build them up, and be willing to step into the gap ourselves. Our vision is to mentor younger leaders in vision, to trust younger leaders with responsibility and to see inter generational partnerships grow so that together we can move forward under God. TSCF are currently extending the training and mentoring of students and graduates across New Zealand and the South Pacific, we are enthusiastic about partnering with all those who share the call to raise a new generation of influence and initiative.

CHURCH

I read a facebook post the other day which said “I am not going to GO to church ever again. That’s it. Enough is enough. I’m simply going to BE church, journeying with fellow travellers hanging out with Jesus...” It saddens me greatly that for many in my generation the thing that they cite as being the biggest obstacle in their Christian walk is their experience of church. What is interesting about the quote is that the experience of going to church does not seem to correspond to what they are looking for. One key issue here is that people’s experience of preaching neither engaging with the truth of God’s word or the reality of their lives. I have spoken to a number of graduates who have heard no Bible teaching on work, money, sex or career. I know others who long for greater depth of relationship with God and a more authentic experience of Christian community but are not willing to give what might be necessary to get what they seek. I have been fascinated in NZ both by how seldom many keen Christians attend church and also how often people move from one church to another. We long to see better partnerships with, and more unity between, all believers. We encourage new and old expressions of church that encourage people to love God, follow Jesus and live it out in daily life. I spoke to a pastor in Canada who said “Ten years ago people in my church saw the most valuable commodity as money and they would give time to save money. Now the most valuable thing is time and people will give money to save time. Our staff team is much bigger but in truth our congregation is much poorer. We have professionalised service and lost a key expression of being the body of Christ”. Our vision is to see the NZ church grow under leadership that prioritises Bible teaching and prayer; which is centred on the cross; promotes radical discipleship in community and which looks to resource and connect people in their daily lives.

THE BIBLE

We face a crisis of Bible Engagement around the Western world. Put simply many Christians do not see God’s word as being central to, or having a transformative influence on, their lives. The Bible Society in New Zealand have just published some excellent research on Bible use here. Among Christians 7% read it daily, 9% weekly and 23% monthly. Only 18% of 18-24 year olds stated that the Bible influenced their lives. Only 26% of Christians regularly discuss the teachings of the Bible weekly or more frequently with other people. Many times I’ve been told that the Bible is boring and hard work only to discover that the person making that statement has read little if any of it. I’m not talking about non-Christians here, but Christians. It’s not just that people aren’t engaging it’s that they never have, and were never encouraged to and don’t know where to start. Our vision is to see the Bible opened and handled in a way that encourages people to explore and apply it for themselves. We want to see students excited about the Bible, able to teach it and hungry to apply it to every area of life. TSCF are working hard to model biblical teaching and to support small group leaders getting to grips with scripture.

YOUNG PEOPLE

I think there is a lot of good quality work being done with children. Some can tend to lapse into morality teaching and not say enough of God and grace but there are many committed people who are working hard. Where there is confusion is what do when they get to be 13 or 14 years old. Some churches get them to help with the younger kids, others to start going with their parents to the morning service, others connect them into a Sunday night young adult service which may be more reflective or more high energy depending on the culture of the church. The problem is that none of these are geared to helping teenagers in their discipleship or witness at school. We need to be helping teenagers see how faith relates to school life, their relationships, personal development and the future. I believe we set the bar too low in what we are trying to do with teenagers. There are some centres of excellence and I know many others are concerned about this and are starting to think about how to make progress. One of the striking things to come out of the Mangatepopo river tragedy was seeing the impact of college students who were sold out for Jesus. Our vision is to see teenagers in a real relationship with God with a heart for service and a desire to see friends get to know Jesus. One of the issues in New Zealand is that many in their twenties go on an OE at just the time you would be expecting them to be helping with youth groups and leading at camps. This missing generation means that many teenagers do not have role models in the next generation to look up to and follow. TSCF share the concerns of many throughout NZ for this crisis in teenage discipleship and are talking with Scripture Union and others about how we can do better. We are encouraging graduates to consider teaching as a career and are currently working on helping students transition from college to university.

THE UNIVERSITY

The nature of the university continues to evolve. Much is now driven by financial considerations such that both the pursuit of knowledge and the teaching of students takes second place. The restrictions on student societies and the lack of support for student activities on some campuses are appalling. On many campuses student societies cannot even book university rooms for meetings which makes regular meeting times and places difficult. Student debt continues to climb and 90% of students in NZ work for more than 10 hours a week in part time paid employment. Many students living in shared accommodation do not share life, choosing to shop, cook and eat separately. The availability of “E” relationships through text, Facebook, email, Twitter and chat is not always conducive to fostering fully orbed relationships. Many students have a wide circle of contacts but not many friendships of quality and depth. TSCF believes in the university as a centre for the exploration of truth and ideas. Our vision is to support Christian academics and to see students relating faith to their studies, to see universities as vibrant exciting communities which contribute to society and prepare graduates for life. We long to see a new generation raised up who can articulate Christian truth in the market place of ideas. We are beginning to look at how we can better support academics and are working to mobilise prayer for Universities. We are experimenting with different models where students live in supported community as places where life is shared through hospitality and outreach.

INTEGRITY

The acceptable standard of morality in society has been uncoupled from any external frame of reference. Choice has become personal and anything goes as long as it “does not hurt anybody”. Who decides this and works out the true impact of actions is less clear. The way our choices affect and limit other people’s choices, and the standards of personal behaviour we adopt, are confusing. Christians are keen to avoid being seen as judgemental (perhaps the only universally agreed sin in our society). I recently heard someone speaking about Martin Luther King who talked of young black men being struck down by ushers on the steps of a “white” church while the congregation inside sang “Love Divine All Loves Excelling”. It makes me wonder about the cultural blind spots in my own worldview. On important issues, how many of my values come from God and how much do I conform to the society I live in? Issues such as: abortion, race, class, sexual standards, commitment in relationships, raising children, acting justly, loving mercy, making peace, speaking out against oppression, caring for the orphan, the outsider, the marginalized and making use of money, time and talents. Our vision is to call this generation to a standard of Biblical morality not to be content to accept a comparative standard from society. 1 John says “If anyone obeys His word God’s love is truly made complete. This is how we know we are in Him; whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6-7). TSCF are today, and every day, investing in the lives of students in the hope of them and us becoming more like Jesus. We work to see lives transformed and the foundations of character laid, on which the rest of life is built.

These are only some of the headline challenges. There are others! We are small but we believe under God that change is possible. We are not overawed by the task we face, we are not bowed by the opposition, we look to God and to the enabling of His Spirit. We believe it is not by might or by power but by God’s Spirit that the work of God advances. We believe the work of God IS advancing. Jesus has promised to build his church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We know that we are in a spiritual battle. We look to God and we look for opportunities. In God’s grace over the past three years we have seen TSCF staff more than double and our budget nearly treble. We have seen students coming to faith and new groups starting but we are just scratching the surface. In the next few years you will see us trying many new things. They will not all work, but we will learn from our mistakes and we will persevere. We hope that you will partner with us in service, in prayer, in financial support and encouragement as we seek to know God and make Him known.

“Now to him who is able
to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or
imagine, according to
his power that is at work
within us, to him be glory
in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout
all generations, for
ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21

I am particularly interested in hearing about places where these challenges are being met in creative ways; in speaking with emerging leaders (of any age) who are keen to make a difference engaging with others of vision and in networking with people who can see beyond the old organisational tribalism and want to serve the purpose of God in our generation.

As Captain Kirk would say if he had spent more time reading the Bible "to boldly go where God is going before".

Or as another Captain had engraved on his memorial in the Antartic: "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield". Which is a quote from Tennyson's Ulysses and which in the poets own words to his son is about "the need to go forward and brave the struggles of life" To which I would say Amen but would add "Together and under God".

My thanks to all who encourage me in this great adventure.

Too Stupid?

2009-02-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

Ethical Dilemmas of the Mobile Phone.

Number 1

Standing in the gents a mobile/cell phone rings in one of the cubicles. A few words are exchanged followed by a crash and an expletive. The phone slides out under the door. From within comes the plaintive cry: "Is there anyone out there? Could you pass me my phone?"

Do you?

a - Very quietly sneak out of the toilet pretending you heard and saw nothing.

b - Kick the phone back under the door without getting embroiled in any conversation.

c - Flush the phone down the toilet in the adjacent cubicle.

Number 2

Sitting in a cafe. An older gentleman has a new mobile phone on his table, box and instructions open. He is experimenting and looks happy. He finds the button to test different ring tones. When the phone rings he presses the answer button and says "Hello, Hello". After this happens 4 times he looks at you and says "They keep hanging up - do you think its a crank caller?"

Do you?

a - Say "Yes it is a crank caller, and if you like I could help you discover who it is".

b - Offer to look at the instructions with him. "There is probably a simple explanation".

c - Press the test ringtone button on your own phone. When it rings answer it, listen for a moment, turn to the man and say "It's for you".

Number 3

You are at the gym. The girl on the treadmil in the row diagonally to your right is jogging along happily. She is holding her phone in her hand, texting while she jogs. This is impressive multi-tasking way beyond my abilities. (but then I AM a man). She drops her phone, she is still moving but the phone shoots off the back of the teadmill and hits the ledge. She bends down to get the phone, which has long gone from the treadmill, she stops moving and is dumped off the back of the treadmill beside her phone.

Do you

a - Laugh uproariously to the extent that you fall off your own treadmill in sympathy.

b - Ignore her and continue impassively as if nothing has happened even though this is really very funny and more fun than most things you see at a gym.

c - Rush over to press the stop button on her treadmill and check that she is ok.

Yes all these things have happened to me in the last ten days. Yes I was starting to wonder if cell phones should come with a government warning. Yes I did choose one of the options and yes I did consider the other two. No I am not going to tell you which one.

What I will tell you is that on each occasion it went through my head "this person is too stupid to be helped". Which, on reflection, is the problem that God has with me all the time.

Thank you Lord that you watch over our comings and goings. Thank you are involved in the intricacies of our lives. Thank you that you care about the big stuff and the small stuff. Thank you that you do not laugh at us but do laugh with us.

Help us when we do dumb things and help us to help others as we would mostly like them to help us. (although just occasionally if no one notices when we trip in the street that would be good too).

Be with us in our driving, our shopping, our sport, our eating and drinking, our friendships, our parenting and our working; for in such activities is discipleship lived out, faith expressed and worship offered. Thank you for your forgiveness, patience and grace to us.

You are rich in mercy and abounding in love.

Looking for a sign

2009-02-10T21:08:00.001-08:00

I rather like this image. It has something old set against newer things that have evolved around it. Positively it speaks of engagement - the cross at the centre of the marketplace. It points to the unchanging relevance of the good news through history and the fabric of faithfulness woven in the past extending into the future. Yet I am not satisfied with it as a communication of church. The cross looks old rather than relevant, it is adorned not stark, it is dwarfed by all that surrounds it, it looks more to yesterday than tomorrow a monument to a different world - it looks if anything like the tombstone of christian faith. So what would an appropriate image of church be. It all depends on what we think church is and on this point I sense some confusion around the Western World in particular.

I enjoyed this sign outside the Cathedral in Hong Kong. I very much liked the idea that there was a place for "castaways". The good news is for the poor, the blind, the prisoner, the marginalised. Somewhat strange that the chaplains are not going in the same direction as the castaways but the pathways of the clergy and of the lost do not always intersect. The mention that "counselling is available OFF SITE" I find paricularly humerous. Yes we want to help - but not here. Still you cannot complain about the amount of things that are going on and if you are looking for David Kwok it looks like his room should be pretty easy to locate. This kind of sign says "Service Center" and to give them their due they are collecting second hand goods for distribution (thats what you are supposed to take to the castaways if you were confused)

Roll Up Roll Up the wonders of the world presented for your edification, entertainment and delight. This sign is not from an actual church but many have bought into the idea of church as entertainment centre. We seek to organise the best events for children, youth and adults. If we build it they will come. It is a pretty sure fire model for numerical growth, good music and funny stories in the services, great coffee afterwards, fun kids program and plenty of car parking. ( I could probably write a 5 step church planting handbook fleshing out the virtues of each of these). It is good to have fun but recasting the preacher as raconteur will tend to produce a low cost discipleship and events orientated church can easily turn mission into organisation and produce a group of consumers rather than a community of faith. It can also be a hard place to go in the tough seasons of life.

So how about an oasis? A place of refreshment and protection. I believe passionately in hospitality, primarily in the home but in community contexts too. I have been in deserts and seen the way that life centers on the oasis. In "Thirst for Life" we produced the "River of Life" exhibition which was themed on the verse "where the river is there is life". For this to work though there needs to be access to water. Jesus offered living water to the woman at the well, springs that welled up to eternal life. So if this sign is to connect the welcome needs to go beyond the superficial and the oasis needs to be firmly centered on the person of Jesus not the physical place. We need to get beyond ideas often articulated of "just forget about your life, leave your problems at the door, come aside to worship". Thirsty people do not arrive at an oasis to forget about their thirst they come to drink. Definitely some potential though. I wish more churches were more welcoming. Properly welcoming. Jesus welcoming. Well come in! Welcoming.

Ah but you don't really understand. Other churches are not where it is at but our church is there. Sure in the past we might have been a place of healing and education but now we have moved on. This is the headquarters of a revolution. You say you want a revolution, w all want to change the world. Much is being made in the US about evangelical christians finding common ground with secular progressives who are passionate about and working towards many of the same goals such as "eliminating poverty, saving the environment, promoting justice and equality along racial, gender and class lines"

As one enthusiast wrote "After that final session on leadership and systems, I saw one group right outside the stadium in a huddle, with their arms around each others’ shoulders in a big circle. To psyche themselves up for the difficult change-making process they’ll face back home, they were chanting, “We’re going to change our system, We’re going to change our system…”
As hundreds of church vans slowly filed out of the huge stadium parking lot, I was wondering: Can there be anything more powerful than a movement that systematically and self-critically strives to change and improve itself?"

Now don't get me wrong here I believe in revolution. But the kind of revolution that is being spoken of here falls short of being the Jesus revolution. Jesus revolution has a spiritual dimension - it is to do with God's relationship with humanity and has an eternal perspective, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. See the sign in the picture is actually a nightclub. I am sure there is plenty revolving going on but I doubt many revolutionaries but you never know.

Oh dear. I am starting to sound a bit judgemental. I know that the number one thing that many in my generation identify as making it hard to follow Jesus in the real world is their experience of church. So it is great that we can set up our own place where only judges are allowed! I think there are some huge challenges facing church leadership globally. We are at a generational watershed in the passing of the leadership baton from the Baby Boomers to Generation X. Problem is the boomers don't want to let go and the X ers have a much clearer idea of what we think things should not be like than what what they should or could be like. There is too much folding of the arms and passing judgement in my generation. I would hold my hand up to that personally - except it's hard to do when your arms are crossed. It is not wrong to think critically but we can't build authentic community based on negativity.

I like this sign because it makes me smile. I like the idea of a 1000 smiles. I like that they are genuine and are neighbourhood. I don't know exactly what they are selling. It could only work as a church sign if the centre was changed to "God is Good". There has been a lot of fuss in recent days about British atheists and agnostics paying for a poster campaign on buses saying "there probably isn't a God. So stop worrying and enjoy your life". Some Christians have responded with "There is a God. So stop worrying and enjoy your life". The common ground seems to be enjoy your life. The key to that lies not just in the existence of God but in the nature of God. I don't mind the response, (I actually don't mind the campaign if it would actually get people to think). But we cannot do evangelism on a "this is how you can have more enjoyment in life arm wrestle with other philosophies or ideologies.

So I have a lot of sympathy for this sign. But we need to show it in words and in lives, as God has showed it in history in His Living Word and in His body and as God shows it now in his Word and in His Body on earth.

I thank God for every experience I have glimpsed of this in action around the world.

They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

We need to learn what it means to be the people of God in the world today. This is not as difficult as it sounds. Some things have characterised being the people of God from the first days of the church until now. The challenge is to have confidence in those things as the foundation but to imagine how it can be fleshed out in vibrant living today.

We are not to try to run the everything store. We need clarity of vision and commitment to build on the one foundation. I want to serve the purpose of God in my generation. I want something which is biblical, authentic and engaged. I am not tired of going to church but I am tired of being treated as if church is something I go to rather than people I belong with. Why is so much effort expended organising the few hours we spend together and so little resourcing the time we spend apart?

This sign is a topical response and it kind of makes sense. But isn't that a bus stop?

Starting with what we know is a good place to start if we don't want to miss the boat -or the bus.

Hong Kong Phooey

2009-01-31T00:41:00.000-08:00

Hong is a remarkably vibrant city. It's name means "fragrant harbour" and much of the life of the city continues to be centred on the harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Hong Kong has a population of 7 million and is one of the world's financial capitals having the 6th largest stock exchange in the world. When Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 it was given a special status and continues to have its own currency, visa requirements and laws.

We live in financial times could be the motto for the start of 2009. The global financial crisis is having a huge impact around the western world and around the Pacific Rim. The Hong Kong newspapers are full of firms and individuals in bankruptcy.

Still people continue to try to buck the market. These booths offer share trading facilities in the railway station. Much has been written and spoken about confidence, trust and faith over the past weeks. Many who preached a doctrine of the "purity of market forces" and the clarity of the "bottom line" have redrawn their positions with some haste. But for all the pain and hardship that poor regulation, misplaced faith and unfettered greed has caused in the world, belief in the power of money and the market is still strong. The religion of the worship of money as the key to security and happiness has many high priests.

This executive apparently has the power to part the sea. I am not sure if Moses got quite as good a view of the sharks and sea life or if the Chinese business man led anyone to the promised land. It is interesting imagery for a predominantly Buddhist and Taoist state.

Sex, of course, continues to be used to sell but the choice of image is again confusing. 95 % of the population is of Chinese descent so why use a western woman? Is it more aspirational to be or have a sexy westerner or is it less appropriate for a chinese woman to be portrayed in this way?

Temptation can make many forms but for all that consumerism promises it delivers very little of substance. Like many temptations the rewards are short lived and leave us wanting more.

For my generation the idea that banks may not be able to keep their promises is the final betrayal. We stopped believing in families, politicians and heroes some time ago. There are no guarantees and precious little hope.

Which makes it hard for the new president of the United States, who is often described as the "the most powerful man on the planet". He takes office at a time in history when macro economic and environmental forces somewhat dwarf political power. He comes promising hope and embodies a remarkable story but he may find it hard to have much influence.

The quote from Ghandi finds echoes in the most famous inauguration speech:

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility—I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Interestingly in the last ten days I have heard three times people saying "ask not what you can do for your country but ask what your country can do for you.

Perhaps the best we can hope for at the moment is that some things will feel a little better. i am not sure which part gets massaged at the centre but obviously a whole massage is out of the question. Maybe it is part of the cutbacks.

As to whether Chinese tea has the power to heal cities or if it just heals people in cities I guess looking at the original language may give more clue to the intentions of the writer but if you are not going to put your trust and hope in Jesus you may as well put it in tea as in money.

If there is no place for the Prince of Peace maybe we should go with the Prince of Bun. Although I do find it hard to believe that this is a global franchising opportunity waiting to happen. I do believe that of the increase of his government there will be no end and that He is not confounded by the financial crisis and that there are opportunities for his people in this in Hong Kong, around the Pacific and indeed around the World.

In the concluding words of the JFK inauguration speech:
"Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

Jobs for Uncle Jerry

2008-10-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Olympic Stadium in Sydney is a big piece of architecture, its main arch span is 295.6 metres (it could fit 4 Boeing 747’s side to side). Among it's many cunning features it has the capacity to change from a rectangle to an oval. In the weird and wonderful world that is Australian Sport this is useful, because Rugby League is played on a rectangle and Aussie Rules on an Oval. They do of course play other sports in Australia but they are not as exciting to the great Australian sporting public as these two are. Shane Warne only took up Cricket when he failed to make it in Australian Rules Football.

A whole section of the central stand on either side is mounted on runners and can be rolled forward or back. This is the kind of stuff that Uncle Jerry appreciates. When encountering something new and interesting Jerry will often cock his head slightly to one side, crack a smile and comment in a typically understated way along the lines of "That's quite something eh?"

This got me thinking what job Jerry could do at the Olympic Stadium. He could be the Chief Executive but that kind of corporate position would not resonate with his sense of call. One possibility would be being the worker who looks after the giant video screens. These are huge and very expensive. They have thousands of bulbs inside. Each in its place contributes to the big picture shown to the crowds in the stadium. Making sure each one is in the right place, is properly connected and shining is a job for Jerry.

This would involve scaling up to the gangplank for entry to the back of the screen but Jerry has always been up for a bit of adventure.

A further option would be the curator of the art and exhibits in the stadium. Many people have contributed from sporting legends like David Beckham writing his name on the wall, to memorable items being displayed (they probably have one of Jonny Wilkinson's plaster casts there - most stadiums do), to this art contributed by kids. This fostering of creativity and wanting to see everyone's contribution valued and included would resonate with Jerry.

Another option would be caring for the people. Some of the seats are sponsored with the names of those who sit there. Most churches have thankfully moved beyond pre-allocated seating but there are people here who come to all the events and some who just make occassional appearances. These seats are allocated to the Bland Family. Be it the bland family or the blind family Jerry would be interested in each one, know their name and love them despite their blandness. (even encourage them to tastiness)

Before you start thinking that the man is some kind of superman he would claim no special abilities. He is basically an ordinary minister. His priorities are the feeding, leading, loving, knowing, serving priorities of the shepherd. I am increasingly concerned by the number of ministers I talk to who who see themselves through a corporate lens. They see themselves as the CEO, the elders are the board, the congregation the shareholders and the community the customers. It steps away from the model of a shepherd to the model of a suit.

I rather like Gordon Ramsey. His language leaves a bit to be desired but he is passionate about what matters to him. He is scathing of restaurants where the food is not seen as the most important thing. The pastoral ministry is about feeding the flock. We can become too preoccupied with strategy, team building, community action, programmes and ideas that we lose the priority of feeding for and caring for the flock. I wonder what a spiritual Gordon Ramsey would make of the diet that is served up in many churches, youth groups and sunday schools?

Ministry is not a career it is a calling. Would somebody please feed the sheep.

Which is where the Gordon Ramsey analogy breaks down because I suspect that is not quite what he has in mind for the lamb thrown over his shoulder. But maybe that's the point. If we are not feeding the sheep we are killing them.

Which is why in the end the job that appealed to me most for Jerry is to be the guy who serves refreshments in one of the bars. It rather appropriately is called the "Sin Bin".

Signs of the Times

2008-08-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

A few signs collected on recent travels in NZ and Australia.

I like this one because it asks a really clever question: "How dense do you want them?" It is clever and persuasive in making a connection but not too in your face. It is both obvious and subtle. It is one of ongoing frustrations that the people who have the best content are often totally uncreative and those who are strong creatively are often weak on content. I have never understood why the two can't go together.

This uses a common format but links directly into student culture in a student pub across from Otago University. It hits the spot somewhere between humerous, cynical and realistic. You don't see much on campus which engages directly with student experience.

I just enjoyed the irony of this. It is a power saving advert but works by a fluorescent light behind each panel going on and off. It is earnest and unaware of the hypocrisy of using power to save power. How we do things says something about what our core commitments actually are.

I have no idea what this is about on a gate in Dunedin. Certainly it has strong gospel resonance but the words themselves have greater meeting when spoken by a person into a context. Still, I guess it is better than the alternative.

Ailsa spoke about the book "If you want to walk on the water - you have to get out of the boat" when we were leaving Scotland. I am constantly amazed at how many people choose security and the known at the expense of adventure and faith. When and why did you decide that you were "Not the kind of person who....".

Poor choices however have negative consequences. As in this warning to keep out. "If the fall does not kill you the crocodile will". we sow what we reap and the idea that you can do what you like without consequences is farcical.

This is a sign encouraging transport passengers to step forward if they see something suspicious. It is a great description of faith sharing. A witness cannot help but speak of what they have seen and experienced.

The Truth used to be out there.

2008-07-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

The X Files became the longest running Sci Fi TV series and was deemed second only to Star Trek in terms of its cult status. At it's peak in the mid 90s it was hugely popular and over the almost ten years that the 9 series ran from 1993 was consistently innovative and often interesting. The main tag line was "The Truth is Out There" and the dynamic between the sceptical Scully and the open minded Mulder drove much of the character development and plot. The second movie is finally released next week and has been titled, to the dismay of many "Xphiles" or fans, "I want to believe".

The fans just think it is a rubbish title but the change in emphasis through the series and into the movies is noteworthy. "The Truth is Out There" spoke of empirical, observable realities. It said that through the confusion, the differences of opinion and the paranoia there was an ultimate, over arching truth which although not clear could in theory be accessed and was worthy of pursuit. "I want to believe" takes truth into a personal and subjective realm. The focus is less on the truth itself and more on the response of the individual.

The series of ideas which have become labeled as post-modernity would resonate with this progression. There is no objective truth which can be know, no meta-narrative or big story, no real meaning in words or ideas, certainly nothing external which can be accessed or referenced. Each must find their way in the darkness, every opinion valid and judgement entirely subjective and therefore irrelevant. And yet these ideas primarily have traction in the areas of morality, values, ethics and spirituality. Nobody seems that keen to take their car to a post-modern garage, have their assignments marked by a post-modern teacher or invest their money in a post-modern bank. Although post-modern doctors can be found and post-modern politicians may be desirable. The dialogue is central to much of the debate of 21st Century issues. Is there truth out there? Be it about global warming, poverty, ethics or the existence and nature of God or is it just a matter of sincere opinion from those who want to believe. Sincerity is no guarantee of veracity and wish fulfillment in the face of facts to the contrary is self delusion.

Katie Melua is not a renowned philospher but does have some valid perspectives on this issue.

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact,
It's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

We are twelve billion light years from the edge,
That's a guess,
No-one can ever say it's true
But I know that I will always be with you.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE BUT I DON"T KNOW IT ALL

I'm warmed by the fire of your love everyday
So don't call me a liar,
Just believe everything that I say

I WANT TO BELIEVE AND I WANT YOU TO BELIEVE TOO

There are six BILLION people in the world
More or less
and it makes me feel quite small
But you're the one I love the most of all

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS SONG IS THE HUMILITY ABOUT WHAT IS NOT KNOWN AND THE CERTAINTY OF WHAT IS BELIEVED. I WISH MORE OF MY COMMUNICATION COULD STRIKE THAT BALANCE!

WHICH TAKES US BACK TO MULDER AND SCULLY

Deep in conversation as usual. A believer with a scientific bent and a sceptic with a religious past. If the Poster for the new movie is any clue the intersection of their lives and love may provide the key. Although in a world where they know to "Trust no one" there may not be a happy ending.

Without truth there can be no love. Without someone to trust there can be no answers. Belief in the truth is the key. As The Truth says "All things are possible to those who believe" and the response is deeply moving "Lord I believe, help my unbelief". It is faced with the reality of the truth that the desire to believe is kindled. I wonder what Mulder and Scully would have made of that X File.

The Jesus Phone

2008-07-16T10:07:00.001-07:00

I was in London on the day of the launch of the new IPhone last week. Crowds thronged the Oxford Street store. Some had been queuing all night. One guy sold his place at the front of the line on ebay for $100. It is a neat little gadget but only available on contract plans at present for a minimum of 18 months. There were problems with the O2 system being unable to cope with the registrations so as of 10.30 the ones who got in at 8.00 had still not been connected. Why is it so important to get a device like this on the first day it is available? Status, the tactile experience, gadget joy, a sense of being there right at the start of something significant are probably all part of it. But the hype has also been extraordinary even by the standards of the well documented cult of apple.

T3 Magazine in its editorial said "At great expense we bring you the second coming of the Jesus Phone". It is a unusual use of Jesus as an adjective. Jesus usually has his name uttered when something bad happens. If this is code for perfection it is hard for a gizmo to live up to, even a shiny one, especially if it only has a 2 mega-pixel camera. If it is an allusion to the second coming of Jesus it is rather anti-climatic since a new world order has not been ushered in. The inside article continues the theme introducing the 3Gesus Phone. This language has been used since the launch of the first I Phone.

The I-Phone is a global movement. Fans speak of the I-Phone community, the I-Phone setting you free, in praise of the I-Phone and even talk of Steve Jobs in prophetic ways and an obsession with the product that goes beyond obsession to worship. One Blog I read spoke of "how the I-Phone saved me". All this religious imagery is quite interesting. People hungry for hope reach out for perfection, the Jesus Phone won't do the job. And as for the second coming of the real deal: people will not be queuing up over night in expectation. Some of them may in fact be busy with the numerous functions on their 3rd or 4th generation phones. That's the trouble with I-Cons. They fool you into thinking you have it all already.

The other danger with something that is your communication portal, digital media player, address book, diary and nexus of digital life is that it could become too important. At which point it crosses over from I-Phone to I-Dol. Still when the fuss dies down its probably worth getting one: it is VERY shiny and there are plenty of cool people in the cult that you can call, text, email or IM.

Mosely Morality

2008-06-25T04:00:00.001-07:00

Interesting moral standards prevail.

Max Mosely the President of the FIA was accused in the tabloid press of taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy with a Nazi theme. Mosely has been keen to refute the allegation that the event had any Nazi overtones. He has not sought to repudiate the allegation of participation in an orgy and has resisted calls for his resignation.

Speaking of the criticisms he had received, he said: "They're based on the idea that somehow you can't have in your life any sort of sexual activity that's at all eccentric. Most people say if somebody likes doing that, if it's not harming anybody, if it's in private and it's completely secret and personal, it's nothing to do with me."

This philosophy does not seem to apply in respect of the Nazi element, which is interesting. Also interesting is the idea that nobody is harmed. Mosley admitted his wife Jean was "not best pleased" and his sons were "embarrassed" at the revelations. Does this not count as “harm”, how does he assess the harm that may have been caused to any of the other participants in his “eccentric sexual activity”?

A similar mindset prevailed in the England Rugby Team when four of their players were accused of sexual assault. The precise allegations appear to be that two of the team had sex in a hotel room with a dancer they picked up in a club while two others watched. The defense was that the woman had, in fact, consented to this behaviour. There does not appear to have been any acknowledgement from either the players or the management that this may not be morally acceptable behaviour for young men, never mind those representing their country as professional athletes.

There is talk of a new code of conduct for the players. It will be interesting to see what it is based on.

In a culture with no shared moral framework and no objective basis for morality it is not easy to arbitrate when consensus collides with conscience. Orgies and group sex seem to be ok but Nazism and sexual assault are not. Apparently it is okay to pass public moral judgements on Robert Mugabe or when a man locks his daughter in a basement for years and label them as evil, (which they undoubtably are) but it is by no means clear what standards are being applied in passing these judgements.

A.W. Tozer , the 20th Century writer and preacher wrote : “No sin is private. It may be secret but it is not private.  It is a great error to hold, as some do, that each man's conduct  is his own business unless his acts infringe on the rights of  others. "My liberty ends where yours begins," is true, but that  is not all the truth. No one ever has the right to commit an  evil act, no matter how secret. God wills that men should be  free, but not that they be free to commit sin.”

There can only be consistent and meaningful morality with reference to God. This might not be comfortable or popular but it is, nevertheless, true.

This is not a jersey

2008-06-23T03:52:00.001-07:00

This is the tee shirt that Brad Jayacody was told to remove at Heathrow Terminal 5 if he was to be allowed to board his flight. Apparently having an image of a gun was enough to trigger serious concerns. I am all in favour of security and safety on flights but quite how a transformers cartoon threatens safety I am not sure.

This range of tee shirts with arabic script is designed to assert personal liberty/provoke a really hard time at the airport (delete as appropriate according to political persuasion). It translates "I am a not a terrorist". Interesting what makes different people choose different shirts and what meaning if any they attach to them.

The latest Adidas advertising campaign makes clear that this is not a jersey or a shirt at all.

THIS IS NOT A JERSEY. THIS IS A PORTAL THROUGH WHICH MEN PASS. THIS IS NOT MATERIAL. THIS IS FABRIC THAT BINDS US TOGETHER. THIS IS NOT A SOUVENIR. THIS IS A REMINDER OF ALL WHO HAVE WORN IT BEFORE US. THIS IS NOT BLACK. THIS IS THE ABSENCE OF FEAR. THIS IS NOT A UNIFORM. THIS IS A COUNTRY UNIFIED. THIS IS NOT A JERSEY ONLY 22 MEN WEAR. THIS IS A JERSEY FITTED FOR FOUR MILLION PEOPLE. THIS IS VICTORY AND LOSS, BUT WILL NOT BE DEFEATED.

THIS IS EVERYTHING BUT A “JERSEY”.

Part of the campaign is that any baby born on the day of a home All Blacks test match this year is presented with a mini all black jersey.

Adidas New Zealand Marketing Manager John Beckett says the All Black jersey is a symbol of opportunity, achievement and success and seeing the jersey on a brand new life, is a reminder that every child born is a superstar of the future.

“The All Black jersey belongs to the team – a family. And providing the All Black jersey to a newborn signifies that the family, community and country as a whole are all part of a team that can help give children the best start in life."

Reaction to the campaign has been mixed. Some people seem to think that it is a little bit hyped. All I can say is that when I pull on my black jersey it is part of a fabric that connects and reminds and I can wear it secure that I won't be stopped from boarding a plane. At least not in New Zealand.

Mangatepopo River Tragedy

2008-04-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

A group of high school students on an outdoor education week at the Sir Edmund Hilary Centre at Tongariro National Park were swept away in freak weather conditions while canyoning in the Mangatepopo River yesterday. The group were all from Elim Christian School in Howick in Auckland. It is the same area in Auckland where Andy and Ines live. Tragically six students and a teacher lost their lives.

Elim Christian College today released details of the six students and a teacher who died in the tragedy in the Mangatepopo River yesterday. Full details of the seven, in the words of the school, are below:

Anthony Mulder
Anthony was a talented boy who recently represented our school at the Rotary RYPEN Leadership Camp. He loved the outdoors and loved his sports. He was a fun person with a great sense of humour and he loved to cook. He lived to serve the Lord especially through children's ministries.

Tom Hsu
Tom was always cheerful and had a great sense of humour. He loved God and gave his best in all he did. He was a peer support leader this year.

Portia McPhail
Portia was a gentle, kind, mature girl who loved playing and coaching netball. She was highly regarded by her peers. She was a well organised and motivated student.

Floyd Fernandes
Floyd was a highly talented musician who was very active in many areas of the school. A humble student who was a good all-rounder and who loved sports.

Natasha Bray
Natasha was a very talented all-round role model who loved God and people with a passion. She recently represented our school at the Rotary RYPEN Leadership Camp. She coached netball and was a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh recipient.

Tara Gregory
Tara was a friendly, mature and determined sports woman. She will be remembered as a brave, selfless and academic student.

Mr Tony McClean
Mr Tony McClean was an amazing teacher who loved God, life, students and sport. He had a passion for serving people and has made a huge contribution as our Sports Coordinator.

The loss to the school community is obviously huge and not made any easier by the full glare of the media spotlight. Tony, the teacher, had been involved in SU camps on and off for ten years. The principle and some of the bereaved parents have been amazing as they have spoken about the loss.

Andy Bray speaking about his daughter is particularly powerful.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10504366&ref=emailfriend

The St Marks year 9s just got back from the same centre and Wellington College also had kids there recently. I have been involved in so many programmes like this over the years that I can easily imagine the situation. Despite the testimonies of hope it is heartbreaking and awful. Our prayers are with them.

Lessons from the Wahine

2008-04-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

The 10th of April saw the 40th anniversary of the Wahine disaster. The Wahine was a ferry travelling from Lyttleton on the South Island to Wellington. During the night while the ferry sailed north the wind increased dramatically. Cyclone Giselle, met another storm over Wellington and caused some of the worst weather in New Zealand's history. The ship was driven onto Barretts Reef at the entrance to the harbour and subsequently had to be abandoned. Of the 610 passengers and 123 crew onboard 53 lost their lives. It is a poignant memory for Wellingtonians. Many remember the storm, their helplessness at the ship being so near but so far and the tragedy unfolding right in the middle of where the normality of life is conducted on a daily basis. Acts of heroism and sacrifice took place against the backdrop of tragedy and loss. The official inquiry concluded that the storm was the primary cause but that some mistakes had been made. 40 years on watching some of the survivors reflect I was struck by three lessons.

First is the danger of leadership that does not appreciate what is actually happening. When the Wahine ran aground all propulsion was lost. The captain ordered the anchors to be dropped. The crew were sure that the vessel was safe and the passengers, although at muster stations in life jackets, were told that there was nothing to worry about. Refreshments were served. When the harbour master came out in a tug the message was again relayed that everything was under control. Below decks the vehicle deck was flooding causing the vessel to list. When the captain eventually left the bridge to inspect the damage below decks for himself he realised the severity of the situation. If the big picture had been grasped sooner the evacuation could have been smoother and potentially more lifeboats could have been launched.

Second is the problem of jargon. When the order was eventually given the order was given to "abandon ship from the starboard side". People were confused and panicking. Many did not know which side was starboard. Some jumped from the high side of the ship, in some cases to their deaths. If the order had been given to "abandon ship from the low side" the passengers would have understood. Information can be technically correct but functionally limited.

Thirdly is the danger of misreading the signs. The wreck was very close to the city side of the harbour. Some lifeboats made it ashore at Seatoun, others were plucked from the water by boaties going out in the storm. What most of the rescuers and watchers failed to appreciate was that the wind and the current was driving many to the far side of the harbour. Over 200 survivors washed up on the Eastbourne side and many who died, perished on that rocky shore. Many rescuers were not where the people needing rescue were.

The faces of the survivors bother me. They have the look of those who have suffered a trauma that might not have been avoidable but could certainly have been managed better. I am sure that all involved in making decisions that day did their best. But people died. Names on memorials now but their loss to those who loved them cannot be counted these 40 years. It would be easy to point the finger at governments but I think my concerns lie nearer to home. How many mission agencies and churches have leaders who do not grasp what is going on, communicate in language that is not understood and do not grasp where the most needy people are heading. As I reflect on my own leadership I find myself having sympathy for Hector Gordon Robertson, Robbie to his friends, Captain of the Wahine.

Student Life Today

2008-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Interesting video out of University of Kansas. Thought I would put it on both blogs as it kind of crosses over. Collated perceptions rather than empirical research but in some ways more powerful because of that.

What comes through most strongly is University education is frequently stuck in a time-warp and has not adapted approaches to the changing context. The video is titled "A vision of students today". The lack of personal relationship with faculty, the disconnect with real life, the magnitude of this generations inherited problems and the mounting debt are all fairly predictable from our own interactions with students. It is a glimpse not a vision.

The biggest issue in tertiary education today is that there is no vision for students today. At least no compelling vision that stirs the imagination of a new generation, excites them about ideas, pushes the boundaries of creativity in delivery and really prepares young men and women for life.

I wonder how long universities in their current form and funding model can survive. I wonder what we are doing to actively work for the transformation of Universities or at least their improvement. It is yet another situation where the baby boomers are in control and in denial.

More Starbucks Cups

2008-02-25T00:58:00.000-08:00

Following on from todays post on Pacificscots I have been doing more investigating into the Starbucks coffee cup "The Way I see it" programme. Sure it encourages a relativistic view of truth, you have your ideas and I have mine but I reckon that is the starting position anyway. It is not a new programme - it started several years ago but continues to generate a huge amount of discussion and opinion.

Starbucks describe the point of why they started it.

“Sparking conversation In the tradition of coffee houses everywhere, Starbucks has always supported a good, healthy discussion. To get people talking, “The Way I See It” is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures that now appear on our widely shared cups.”

#162 by Robert Shrum
“The test in life is not how far we go, but where we stand. Will we give in to selfishness and fear, or seek for others what we demand for ourselves: dignity and an equal chance?”

#185 by Anna Nalick
"A valuable lesson I've learned from making music is to never let anyone intimidate me. Every student, celebrity, CEO and math teacher in the world has experienced love, loneliness, fear and embarrassment at some point. To understand this is to level an often very lopsided playing field."

#247 by Bill Scheel
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside us for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."

#289 by Chip Giller
"So-called “global warming” is just a secret ploy by wacko tree-huggers to make America energy
independent, clean our air and water, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick-start 21st-century industries, and make
our cities safer and more livable. Don’t let them get away with it!"

#27 by Noah benShea
"Do not kiss your children so they will kiss you back but so they will kiss their children, and their children’s children."

#31 by Rita Goldman Gelman
"Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises."

They do vary in quality but they do sometimes invoke strong responses

the way I see it #265 starbucks coffee cup

Posted to Starbucks on October 19, 2007

Click to Play | View Details

Given Starbucks recent commercial problems perhaps they should hire this guy as a consultant.

Or maybe see if there are any bright ideas on the sides of their cups.

Wellington Sevens

2008-02-07T03:12:00.000-08:00

Imagine a great mass of people from different tribes and nations. They gather together in good spirits in common cause. They are glad to have got there and sing and shout. If you are theologically literate you might be forgiven for imagining this could be heaven. Only it is Wellington - and it lasts 2 days rather than eternity and its about rugby not about God.

In fact it is only loosely about rugby. The event sells out in ten minutes and is vastly over-suscribed but for most of the two days there are huge gaps in the stadium and it is never totally full. Being there, getting there and enjoying it take precedence for most over the love of the game. It is great fun and an event that has become a highlight in the Wellington year.

If you look more closely at the crowd you will notice that people are in groups - usually dressed in similar vein. In fact several of the individual fancy dress prizes were won by trios. people choosing to go in either identical or as below complementary costumes.

I think that the "going together/being together" aspect of the Sevens is really interesting. Some of the groups are nationally orientated in support of the team. Like these colourful Fijians.

The desire to belong is strong. In an individualistic and fragmented world glimpses of community are precious. It is fun and fantasy and demonstrates in some cases enormous creativity and hard work. If we do not belong to a tribal group with customs, costumes and confidence perhaps we seek to forge our own expressions of belonging.

Which begs some interesting questions. How much do we have to conform to belong? How much diversity is desirable? and if the 7s fall some way short of actually being heaven on earth - where can I find a church that does it better?

Local Hero

2008-01-15T04:33:00.000-08:00

Ask any New Zealander which Kiwi they respect the most and the answer would have been the same for most of past 5 decades: Sir Edmund Hillary. His death last week has produced a huge outpouring of both grief and celebration. The sense of loss may even be greater than the World Cup quarter final against France. There are few living people who are honoured on the bank notes of their nation. Today his funeral drew crowds in Auckland.

What made this unassuming man such a national hero?

Obviously the achievment of climbing Everest is what made his reputation, initiated the legend and brought recognition. He was reckoned to be the best high altitude climber in the world in 1953. It was the pinnacle of the age of exploration, the last frontier to be conquered and catapulted Hillary and Tensing Norgay to a level of celebrity for which neither was prepared.

"In some ways I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander: I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination, and I rather like to succeed."

His adventuring continued including a role in Vivian Fuchs expedition in 1957 to drive across Antartica where his support role developed into slightly more when he drove on to the South Pole arriving two weeks before the expedition leader. A decision viewed in England as being rather unpatriotic and in New Zealand as rather splendid.

It is not easy to carve out a career when you are one of the most famous people in the world and have finished the thing that made you famous. It is hard to top the Everest achievment! He served as High Commissioner in India from 1985 to 1989 and as a special envoy for Unesco and has lent his name to many endeavours and projects.

His friendship with Norgay had given him a great appreciation of the Sherpa people and just as the summit ties them together so the life of Edmund Hillary has become entwined with the people of Nepal. His wife and 16 year old daughter were killed in 1975 when their small plane crashed on take off. But this personal tragedy did not deflect him from his commitment to investing time and energy to improve the lives of the Sherpa people.

Nepal is the 12th poorest country in the world and the Sherpas live in a particularly isolated situation which makes basic infrastructure challenging, in recent times the impact of tourism has caused accelerated deforestation. Through the mobilising of volunteers and the establishing of the Himalayan Trust, endemic diseases have been succesfully treated, two hospitals and 13 health clinics have been built, 30 schools have been established along with a teacher training college and tertiary feeder campus. Solu Khumba now has the best health and education service outside Kathmandu. National Parks have been initiated, rangers trained and over 1 million trees have been planted. Local people have been trained and helped into business so that more of the benefits of tourism go to the community. This sustained effort and the work done is perhaps Ed Hillarys greatest legacy.

Hillary had a vision which was shaped by 5 core principles. These were cutting edge and resonate with many of the ideals of the Vine Trust.

1. To focus on basic infrastructure :

Hillary wanted to give the Sherpas the basic resources to help them help themselves. So he supported projects that developed education, basic health, and forestry programmes to rejuvenate their natural resources.

2. To only do what was requested by the Sherpas

Hillary wanted to avoid giving things that weren't really wanted. He insisted that all projects originated from a specific request by a group or community of local people.

3. To involve the Sherpas themselves in the work - "Self Help"

As well as further demonstrating the relevance of a project, the Sherpas own involvement would make the money go further. So if they wanted a new school .... "Fine, the Trust will buy the materials, but you carry them in on your backs and help build it!".

4. To minimise all unnecessary costs

The Tust was to be staffed by volunteers. Overheads would (apart from a skeleton project management team on the ground) be eliminated.

5. Direct transfer of funds

The money would be carried direct to Nepal - originally by Hillary himself. there would be no leakage through the system... the money would flow literally from a fund raiser event directly to buy materials in Nepal.

The Sherpa people are a hardy people not prone to emotionalism but describing their relationship with Hillary they say "He is our father and our mother".

For New Zealanders he is "our boy" and there is a belief that the virtues of physical strength, humility, compassion and practical action are those that we believe are those that the nation embodies. He is a mirror in which kiwis like to see their own reflection. He is a focus of national identity and for New Zealanders has inspired a generation to greater self belief and national pride. In the complex and evolving confusion that is New Zealand identity Hillary has been an important ingredient.

His impact has been significantly beyond his self assessment.
"I was just an enthusiastic mountaineer of modest abilities who was willing to work quite hard and had the necessary imagination and determination. I was just an average bloke; it was the media that transformed me into a heroic figure. And try as I did, there was no way to destroy my heroic image. But as I learned through the years, as long as you didn’t believe all that rubbish about yourself, you wouldn’t come to much harm."

The way that Edmund Hillary handled the fame and recognition not to benefit himself but for the benefit of others is a great example in these days of easy and meaningless "celebrity" culture. He kept the common touch and was listed in the Auckland phone directory. Many have testified since his death to his accessibility. A boy doing research for a school project phoned him up and was given a few minutes. It is the sum of such moments that accumlutes mana. Heroism in New Zealand is not something which is afforded to many. Beyond the heroic mythology I think he would like to be remembered as an ordinary man who did some extraordinary things, including climbing a mountain.

The Hand of God

2007-08-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Francisco Bosch scored what many are calling the try of the season playing for Manawatu against Waikato in the NPC.

He chipped the ball ahead, leaped high and headed it at the top of its bounce. Gathered it and sprinted clear of the cover defence. All in covering about 65 meters.

The controversy is all about the header. Bosch who also plays sevens knew that you could not throw and head - which would be a knock on but could head on from a kick. Kind of amusing that people make a fuss about someone heading the ball instead of catching it when the entire game of rugby is based on someone handling it when they should have kicked it. The sport is founded on unconventionality.

The other amusing thing given his nationality is that Argentina have a rugby player who can actually head the ball, rather better than a soccer player who is most famous for knocking it on, although I doubt he was attempting a catch.

Both scored in unconventional ways. But one was according to the rules.

Which puts Francisco a lot closer to the "hand of God", by using his head

Signs of the Times

2007-07-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

This sign at Redeemer University, where we are this week publicices a service offered by entrepeneurial students. They will check your assignments for things like spelling and grammer before you turn them in to be marked. It would be a better advert if they could spell "professor".

This slogan on a car in Wellington is equally perplexing. "I love to have fun. I love my family and friends. I love this beautiful planet earth. The reason why I choose this car is because it will totally satisfy my requirements for outdoor living. Well - tomorrow where shall we go?" Total satisfaction is quite a claim to make for any kind of transportation. The irony of proclaiming your love for the planet on a gas guzzling CO2 emitting machine is also evident.

Inconsistency is one of the characteristics of life today. Much of life for many people does not join up, they play different roles in different situations, adopt different personas online and can handle a degree of inconsistency without feeling it is hypocrisy.

We place a high value on "Undivided Life". Wholeness, health, healing and peace are all connected in the Hebrew idea of Shalom. Growing in integrity means joining up life; becoming the same person at work, at home, at church and online.

When I was a student a friend drew me a card which quoted from Paul towards the end of his first letter to the Thessalonians: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!"

In an age of fracture, fragmentation and disconnect it is a reminder that there is only one who puts us together again.

Sprint Customer Service

2007-07-13T01:08:00.001-07:00

Sprint Wireless in the US has just written to a over 1000 of its customers effectively telling them that their custom is no longer wanted. These people call the customer helpline with greater frequency, are more demanding and harder to please. They have been told to make alternative arrangements and that their wireless service is being terminated.

"Our records indicate that over the past year, we have received frequent calls from you regarding your billing or other general account information," the letter reads. "While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs."
"Therefore after careful consideration, the decision has been made to terminate your wireless service agreement effective July 30, 2007."

This is a landmark decision in customer service. It takes away the idea of the customer “always being right” and replaces it with a cost benefit matrix of service provision. Annoying customers are not worth effort even though ironically the company motto is “Where our customers come first”.

The most dissatisfied people do take up a disproportionate amount of time. I can see the attraction of blowing off complainants rather than resolving complaints. It is quick and easy and immediately puts up your consumer satisfaction ratings.

Sprint has had a reputation for poor customer service and poor network coverage. For the first quarter of 2007, it reported a loss of 220,000 monthly subscribers. This was the third quarter in a row the company had a substantial loss of these types of customers. Sprint argues that they routinely “audit” customer complaints and what they are doing is not unusual. It is hard to see how the policy improves public perceptions of customer service.

It does make me wonder how this policy could be applied in other areas. Expel the worst behaving 10 per cent of kids in a school and tell their parents to make alternative arrangements. Extradite the most argumentative and awkward citizens. Fire the awkward members of staff. Take the most difficult members of a church into the car park and explain politely but firmly that they should go away and never come back.

I guess many ministers would have a handful of people that consume a disproportionate amount of time and emotional energy. Most of us have people in our lives who drain, complain and complicate our existence. Some of us have people who have wronged us in the past or continue to do so in the present.

In Matthew 18 Peter asks Jesus how often he has to forgive his brother before he takes the Sprint solution. “How many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? I do not know how irritating Andrew Peter’s brother was but he offers what is culturally a generous suggestion of 7. There was a cultural three strikes and your out kind of a rule so Peter is doubling it and adding 1 to be on the safe side. Jesus replies 70 times 7; by which he does not mean 490 strikes and you are out but rather to keep forgiving time without end.

Jesus illustrates the extravagant nature of this with a parable about a servant who is forgiven a debt of 10,000 talents. 10,000 talents was an unimaginable large sum of money, it is the largest unit of denomination (1 talent was 6000 drachma) combined with the biggest number that could be used. It is like us saying a billion or a zillion dollars, more than could be paid in many lifetimes.

Jesus message is that those who have been forgiven much must forgive plenty.
Our policy on forgiveness is born in the context of the table rather than the desk.

This is what service looks like: giving up rights and taking on responsibilities, administering grace. Resolving of conflict, exercising forgiveness, listening, adapting and changing together are all opportunities for learning and growth.

How we treat the marginalised, the dissatisfied, the difficult and the demanding says more about the reality of faith than how we relate to the happy and the comfortable.

So if you are thinking about complaining about any of this don’t bother. I have a little black list of people that I used to be glad to be in relationship with and it’s getting longer all the time! But if it's me that is causing the problem i'd be grateful if you could cut me a bit of slack.

Team New Zealand

2007-06-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.”

The call of the sea resonates in these islands. New Zealand is a seafaring nation. People arrived by waka, frigate and sloop, the sea has been a lifeline, a living and a recreation. Today NZ has the highest level of boat ownership in the world, New Zealanders have won every major international sailing title, including the America's Cup (twice), the Whitbread Race (three times), the Admiral's Cup (once), the Kenwood Cup (three times), the Southern Cross Cup (four times), New Zealanders have won more than 60 world titles, while sailing's 10 medals make it New Zealand's most successful Olympic sport.

Alinghi and Team New Zealand are locked in maritime combat for the oldest prize in world sport. The Auld Mug or as it is more properly known the Americas Cup. There is a buzz in the air here as people talk excitedly of the race the night before. I don’t begin to understand all the intricacies of how you race these yachts but they are an awesome sight on full sail. It is fascinating to watch the crew at work. They all have clearly defined roles including grinder, bowman, navigator, strategist and helmsman. If you look at what they are each doing you would hardly believe that they were involved in the same endeavour. Grinders are furiously working their handles, while someone up the mast is calmly scanning the horizon for wind shifts and another is preparing for the next tack. Each crew member playing their part is essential for the skipper to race the yacht competitively. It is a great picture of the truth Paul talks about to the Ephesians Chapter 4 albeit using a different metaphor! “Under his control the whole body fits together so that when each part functions as it should the whole body builds itself up and grows through love”.

In a different Team New Zealand, people with different characters and complimentary gifts, from diverse backgrounds are united in common cause and contend as one person for the cause of the gospel in Aotearoa and to the ends of the earth.

An Americas Cup yacht has a crew of 17 onboard during the race but there is a back up team of around 150 people providing support, logistics and back up. This does not include the sponsors who largely fund the enterprise. Our Team New Zealand has a back up team. These Friends, Graduates, Churches, Trusts and Supporters are an essential part of the fellowship and enable us to do the work that God has called us to. We are hugely grateful for your prayers and partnership with Team New Zealand.

Our confidence is not in programmes, resources, people or budgets. We have thought often through this year that it is “not by might or by power by God’s spirit” that the work of God is advance. Like the other Team New Zealand we appreciate that our activity is very dependent on the wind.
We look to Jesus and the sovereignty of God realising that “The wind blows where it wishes you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” In the providence of God we want to go sailing today!

Join us in the next phase of this adventure and pray that God would fill our sails with the wind of his spirit and enable us to work together, under his command for his glory.

I like the middle verse of “Sea Fever” by John Masefield best

“I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls cry”

A story for Uncle Jerry

2007-04-01T01:43:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of story Uncle Jerry likes.

Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo are high school students at Pakuranga College in Auckland. In 2004 they were doing a science project. Science Fairs are a big thing here and kids do projects together and often pick their own topics. The girls decided to measure the amount of vitamin C in some of their favourite drinks including Ribena and Just Juice.

Their experiment came out that Ribena had 22mg of vitamin C and Just Juice had about 72mg this came as something of a surprise as the company advertisements seemed to suggest that Ribena had four times the vitamin C of Oranges.

They wrote to the company and got no response, so they telephoned and again got no reply. Being persistent teenagers they contacted the Advertising Standards Authority and Brandpower and again drew a blank. After all who is going to back a couple of teenagers against the mighty GlaxoSmithKline. The TV consumer programme "Fair Go" picked up the story and suggested the girls contact the Commerce Commission. They did so but put the issue on the backburner until the case made the news a few weeks ago.

The verdict was delivered last Tuesday. The girls now aged 17 were in court to hear the verdict.

The company was fined $217,500 after admitting it mislead customers about the vitamin C content of the blackcurrant drink.

The company appeared in Auckland District Court to face charges alleging 15 breaches of the Fair Trading Act.

It admitted that its cartoned Ready To Drink Ribena, which it claimed had 7mg of Vitamin C per 100ml, in fact had no detectable Vitamin C content.

The company also admitted it may have misled customers in advertisements saying the blackcurrants in Ribena syrup had four times the Vitamin C of oranges. The judge said that while it was true that blackcurrants had 4 times the vitamin C of oranges this was not true of Ribena.

They have been ordered to place half page adds in all the National Papers here.

It will almost certainly affect global sales. If you want to see a particularly poor web site they have their response on www.ribena.co.nz

The vitamin C issue has also brought more negative publicity, for example the statistic that Ribena has 3.5mls of sugar per 100ml wheras Coke "only" has 2.6mls. The Ribena figure equates to 9 teaspoons of sugar per 250ml average serving. We won't be buying Ribena anymore and suspect we wont be the only ones.

The reason Uncle Jerry likes this kind of story is that it shows a couple of ordinary people can make a difference. Two schoolgirls taking on the second biggest company in the world and winning is terrific. Weakness overcoming power, and the difference that a couple of committed teenagers can make. I can see the powerpoint presentation as I type! It's not quite Erin Brocovich but it is good fun!

But it is also an example of the importance of listening. Somebody read the first letter from the girls, someone else fielded the first phonecall. They were probably in "Customer Relations". Which usually seems to mean not caring much about customers at all. It amazes me how many companies put such little emphasis on frontline customer interface. Usually when you bother to write you get ignored, fobbed off or processed. You very seldom feel that you are getting through to the decision makers or that they want you to.

This site gives you a flavour of some of the other ways you can do business, GlaxoKlineSmith take note!

http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/CUSTOMER-MADE.htm

and whoever you are next time you get a letter from a teenager....I'd recommend reading it.

Situational Ethics

2007-03-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

In a world without moral absolutes, right or wrong depends on the situation. What may be absolutely fine in one set of circumstances would be totally unacceptable in another.
Trumpet ice cream have a great add here called Togs or Undies which illustrate the idea perfectly.

The basic premise is to decide when togs (swimming trunks) become undies (underpants).

The commentary goes:

“How far away from the beach do togs become undies? Skin tight swimming togs an item of clothing you’d happily wear in public but not in public. So how far is too far? So let’s begin…
Togs togs togs… Togs togs togs… Togs togs togs… Togs… Undies. Undies undies… Undies undies…

If you can’t see the water you’re in underpants. Local supermarkets. Pedestrian crossings. Office buildings. Public transport. Anywhere more than 300 metres from the water’s edge, all underpants transformation areas.”

You might be able to see it here.

The key, deciding factor to the issue is if you can see the sea you are wearing togs. If not the same garment has to be classified as underpants.

When does consumption become exploitation? When does sex become abuse? Is there a basis for universal human rights or does it just depend on the circumstances?
Probably the most common view of morality is that it depends on consequences. Something is right or wrong according to its outcomes. It is okay to do whatever I like as long as it does not hurt somebody. Not easy to assess objectively how my pleasure and somebody else’s pain should be weighed.

Joseph when facing seduction by Potiphar’s wife in Egypt exhibits a morality which is not just to do with circumstances and consequences.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2039-41

He determines not to sleep with her because it will be an act against his Master, Potiphar and will be a sin against God. Not only will the act betray the trust and rip the social fabric of his human relationships it will have spiritual consequences.

Biblical morality does not consist of absolutes, which are contingent only upon themselves. It has its origins in being made in God’s image and God’s character being the source of whatever standards of behaviour we practice and advocate.

There is a God who does not change from situation to situation; geographically, historically or culturally.

The big moral questions are decided not by reference to the beach but by reference to God. Which may not help you decide if you are wearing togs or undies but it may help with truth or lies, selfishness or sacrifice, freedom or oppression, activism or pessimism, indulgence or restraint, tolerance or prejudice and other important issues.

Barely a third of all Americans believe in absolute standards of right and wrong, and far fewer hold to a biblical worldview, according to an August 2005. The poll by The Barna Group, a Christian research organization, shows that only 35 percent of Americans believe in absolute standards of morality -- that is, believe that right and wrong do not change with time or circumstances. Thirty-two percent of Americans say that morality depends on the situation and the circumstance, while 33 percent say they do not know if morality is absolute or relative. The poll involved interviews with 1,002 adults in July 2005. Moral relativity is often reflected in such statements as "that might be true for you, but it's not true for me" and "who are you to judge?" "The fact that only 35 percent of all Americans believe in moral absolutes provides some frightening insight into our culture and the future of this country," Craig Vincent Mitchell, instructor of Christian ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, told Baptist Press. "This statistic translated means that most people are willing to do whatever they can get away with. ... With so many rejecting the idea of moral absolutes, it is only a matter of time until our society collapses. A moral society is a happier society and a more successful one. An immoral society is one that destroys itself and its citizens." But despite the outward rejection of moral absolutes, people still believe in absolutes "when it involves them or what belongs to them," Mitchell said. "It is also interesting to note that most people who reject moral absolutes believe that Hitler was evil," he said. "No one believes that Kenneth Lay did the right thing for his employees or investors when he was the CEO of Enron. In other words, what people say or profess is often one thing, but what they really believe is another."

Smelly Work

2006-12-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

So what does your church smell of?

Now before you start thinking I have lost the plot completely and am heading into the realm of marketing manipulation lets face up to a reality. Your church does smell of something at the moment. Possibly wood polish, old paper, slight damp or industrial cleaning product. Maybe that smell you get in charity shops or second hand stores. If you are from some traditions incense or burning candles.
Research apparently indicates that 75% of our daily emotions are triggered by smell but 80% of commercial communication is targeted at eyes. A growing band of companies are looking at signature scents as a means of creating positive associations for their customers.

Singapore Airlines, a pioneer in the area use their own perfume called "Stefan Floridian Waters" in the hot towels, flight attendants fragrance and in the air in the cabin.

Omni Hotels spreads the scent of lemongrass and green tea in hotel lobbies of its 40 North American hotels. Omni also uses a chocolaty coffee scent in some coffee shops as a way of creating "a sense of place".

Have you walked into a bakery and smelled that warm and comforting aroma of just baked bread? Some local bakeries have an electronic dispenser that sprays an artificial baking scent into the store every few minutes.

Thomas Pink have the aroma of "line-dried linen" wafting through their stores.

It seems to work both ways. Smells with which you have a positive association will make you feel good about the place. This is why some house sellers roast a couple of coffee beans under the grill before open home viewings. But you can also create your own association by people having a positive experience and liking the smell.

It is not a new idea. The Romans commonly used incense in Triumphal Processions the smell premeating the atmosphere and slowly spreading into the crowd.

Paul picks up the idea in 2 Corinthians 2 from verse 14

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

There is some amiguity in the image of the procession. Paul could be thinking of sharing in the triumph with Christ or walking with the prisoners with Christ. In either event we are the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ to the world.

The image shifts but remains centred on the sense of smell. We are not just an aroma to the world but to God himself. Here Paul is picking up some old testament imagery where the burnt offerings of his people are portrayed as a sweet smell. Noah in Genesis 8 makes an offering where there is an association of the smell with forgiveness, acceptance and a covenant (as well as a visual aid - the rainbow). In Exodus 29 the burnt offering is described as a sweet aroma to God but there were undoubtably smell associations for the people too!

The smell that we are has positive and negative associations depending on who you are. To those who are being saved it is the fragrance of life, leading to life - like the old "Bisto" adverts. To those who are perishing it is the smell of death.

I think the way our churches smell matters but I figure what we smell like matters more.

It's not easy, its not for profit, it requires sincerity recognising that it is God who calls and approves us.

In short - it's smelly work.

What would you rather?

2006-11-26T01:48:00.000-08:00

Scotch tape are running a competition in NZ.

First prize is either a trip to Scotland or 3 Apple Imacs.

You apparently get to choose which of the two alternatives to select.

At least they have quantified what the experience to acquisition ratio is.

Could be a market for a formula that could work out cash or material alternatives to all of lifes experiences.
If your going to sell your soul - you might as well know what you can get in return.

Superman Returns

2006-11-22T03:26:00.000-08:00

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s a muscly blue bloke with red accessories who flies and has a yellow S emblazoned on his chest in case anyone is confused about his identity. Yes! Superman has returned. After an absence of x years from the big screen the man of steel, with the allergy to kryptonite is back on the sliver screen. He still has the worst disguise of any superhero, favouring a pair of glasses, while others shroud themselves in hoods and masks. Superman remains the most globally recognised hero with special powers. He is an American icon, coming from outside the country, growing up in Smalltown and finding a place in Metropolis with a steady job and a few good friends, from where he quietly exercises his responsibility as protector of the weak, enemy of evil and saviour of the world.

For much of his life the man of steel stood for three ideals. Ideals that could be openly articulated and found widespread agreement not just in Metropolis but around the world. He fought for Truth, Justice and the American Way. The returning Superman only contends for truth and justice. In 2006 it is not possible around the world to connect truth and justice with the American way. It is interesting to observe as I have travelled to different countries how the United States has moved from a position of admiration and aspiration in many peoples minds to one of fear and loathing.

America, in its latest caped crusade has become more the embodiment of Batman. Dark, dysfunctional, driven by revenge, with vast wealth, the most technologically advanced gadgets and few friends. In fact Bush as Batman and Blair as Robin would make a great PhD thesis, even if it has not always made great television.

I do not buy into the all pervasim anti-American fervour. I believe there are many ordinary Americans who share God’s concern for truth and justice.
The problem is with those people of all nationalities who are more interested in
claiming that God is on their side than seeking to be onside with God

God is concerned with truth and justice. He has shown humanity what is good – that we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. He does not endorse particular countries and automatically bless their foreign and domestic policies. Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers”.

“God Bless America” is a commonly used phrase stateside. Offered as a genuine prayer its impact could be powerful.

If my people who are called by name would confess their sins, turn from their wicked ways and humble themselves and pray; then would I hear from heaven and answer their prayers and heal their land.

Now that would be super.

[Oh and a word of caution. If you are of a nervous disposition while flying – its probably wiser to choose an alternative in flight movie. The plummeting jet scenes will work better on DVD in the serenity of your own living room!]

Minority Report

2006-11-22T01:52:00.000-08:00

It is not easy navigating in a landscape devoid of familiar markers. My family and I have now been in New Zealand for nearly a year. There have been a whole host of things for us to adapt to: giving way to right-turning traffic, paying for medical bills, different Weetbix and the pronunciation of vowels. This cuts both ways, of course. In the UK, I have met with Kiwis adjusting to queuing in post offices, driving on motorways and living without pineapple lumps, milo and friendly faces.

I am not sure that we feel entirely at home anywhere at the moment. I can empathise with the question: “How Shall we Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?” It is a vital question, which has implications not just for the dislocated but for all believers, even those who have never left the land of their birth. How do the people of God live in an alien environment with opposing values, morals, ideas and religious philosophies?

How does anyone live as a minority community in wider society? Through history there have been three main approaches to this issue:
• Assimilation–where the minority loses its distinctiveness and becomes absorbed into the collective culture, perhaps contributing something of value in the process.
• Isolation–where the minority withdraws and attempts to isolate and inoculate itself from the majority.
• Colonisation–where the minority changes the majority culture so that it becomes like them, taking on their values and characteristics.

I believe that a key problem of the church through history and of the church in Western culture is that we have conceived of our role in society through one of these approaches. Assimilation is the mistake of the liberal; giving the unbeliever less and less to disbelieve. Isolation is the error of the pietistic; abrogating responsibility for wider society while constructing an irrelevant haven. Colonisation is the fallacy of Christendom; seeking to influence positively but unable to untangle the eternal from the temporal.

The Bible presents us with a powerful alternative approach to the problem: the notion of Exile. I believe the rediscovery of this radical fourth approach is vital for the people of God today, and provides a prophetic theme for TSCF to pick up in these days.

The Exile was extremely significant in the history of the people of Israel. All the things that had been seen as key to their identity, security and prosperity were lost. Yet, when we read the scriptures, we see that in Exile a new paradigm for being the people of God emerges. Israel’s identity is rooted primarily in their relationship with God and in a future hope connected to his promises. They are to love and serve the Lord; they are to make an impact where they are, but they are to live with the hope of a future return. They are to seek the welfare of the city, build houses, plant crops and have children. But they are to get involved in Babylon remembering that they are not Babylonians and that in 70 years time God will rescue them and take them back to where they belong.

Exile is a powerful paradigm for the church in the world today. We are called to live as a faith community in enemy territory, with one eye on the future. As believers, we live as aliens and strangers in the world, fully engaged but waiting for Christ’s return.

To do this effectively our identity needs to be centred on the gospel. We need a fresh confidence in biblical, cross- centred evangelism, which clearly focuses on Jesus. The gospel is not uncertain, since God has revealed himself to us in his word. The truth is not simplistic but it is simple. It is not an abstract concept. It is rooted in the person and work of Jesus, centred on his death and resurrection, and orientated towards his future return.

In Nigeria, I once met a businessman who had been an international student in the UK in the late ’90s. “Nobody knows what church stands for anymore”, he told me. “I was searching for certainty, looking for absolutes. I was attracted by the teaching and person of Jesus and by the clarity of the scriptures. But the modern church in Britain has abandoned this simplicity for a sophisticated irrelevance. That is why I turned to Islam.” The persuasive articulation of truth is vital if people are to understand the gospel, which defines our identity and delivers salvation and hope.

We also must be discovering new ways of being the people of God today. The triangle between where people live, work and worship is getting bigger all the time. The structures that served the gospel in the last century are not necessarily going to serve them this century. Over the past year we have been considering the transition of graduates into the workplace. Many graduates are entering professions or businesses where they will live as a minority.

Connecting Christians at work, encouraging them to sing the Lord’s song together rather than just whistle their own tune, and resourcing them in evangelism is the great opportunity and challenge of today.

Our Graduate Initiative will seek to facilitate the transition from final year student to first year of work through short term mentoring programmes and resources. We are starting to put resources on the web site which are relevant to particular professions. Initially we are targeting medicine, law, nursing, teaching and business. This will be supported and complemented by a physical professional resource centre in Wellington.

We are also developing strategies which will help make OE a more positive spiritual experience through international networks and we are looking to better support international students as they return to their home culture. Churches around the world are increasingly realising the importance of being more intentional in equipping members for work. It is both a means of honouring God and of involvement at the heart of society. Proper engagement with the marketplace is absolutely vital if we are to be salt and light in the world. The workplace is the vital arena for most Christians to connect with culture, share faith, build relationships and manifest the essential difference that Christ makes through word and action. We want to be at the cutting edge of this in New Zealand.

We must be God’s people and bring colour to the washed out landscapes of communities that are living away from Him. As we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, may our music lead many lost people home.

From "Canvas" November 06

Surfing in China

2006-09-24T02:35:00.000-07:00

China's internet users lead the world in chatroom usage. Each Chinese Internet user holds an average of 7 chatroom accounts. China has nearly 100 million instant messenger users and approximately 123 million internet users.

Zhejiang University, a prestigious Chinese University has advised first year students not to use laptops to stop them wasting study time surfing. Mr Cheng Yi, director of recruitment said increasing numbers of students were becoming addicted to the internet. Between September 05 and July 06 two thirds of the 90 students who dropped out of the university did so because of internet addiction.

The newspaper reported a student named Sun "The intention is good but have they realised that we could just as easily hang out in Internet bars for the whole night?"

Sun, on the basis of this brief quote, does not appear to countenance a life which does not involve 12 hours of internet usage a day! He probably only surfs to be sociable.

Bringing Life to your office.

2006-07-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

As I was parking outside a building last week the rentokil operator was getting back some gear from their truck.

I walked in behind them, reading the slogan on the back of their tee shirt. "Bringing life to your office".

Life Bringer as a job description sounds so much better than EXTERMINATOR.

Interesting idea that putting something to death may be motivated by a desire to bring life.

Would be a neat thing for your average Christian to have on their back going to work.

The key is not an inscription on the back but an incision in the heart.

"Bringing life to your office" becomes a growing reality when something is put to death.

Colossians 3 could have big implications for where you work.

It's about being true to who you are rather than what you were. Putting to death that which belongs to that which is dead and living differently, with and like the one who is and has brought life.

Some pest control is way beyond rentokil but the life that it brings is way more substantial.

in both cases, though, people in the office will appreciate the difference.

The Ladder

2006-06-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

Toby Barraud, Kiwi film maker living in New York, interviewed in "Metro" May 2006.

I asked him in a follow-up email if he ever saw himself coming back to New Zealand and - before predictable talk about how if he had children he would want to raise them here - he wrote that his time in New York had been mostly hard work, struggling to survive and get ahead.

"But of course, now that everything is in place I think about changing it all again by moving somewhere else. I guess that's the nature of attainment - it's not until you get to the top of the ladder that you wonder if it's propped against the right wall."

Not sure where this cartoon comes from - will acknowledge if I can find out - but it's making the same point.

Alcohol in New Zealand

2006-06-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

New advertising campaign in print and television is trying to address attitudes to alcohol in New Zealand. The theme is "It's not the drinking - it's how we are drinking" and seeks to link behaviours with outcomes by stressing consequences. Coming from Scotland I am hardly in a position to lecture any culture on its attitude to alcohol.

But for a country which prides itself on a healthy, outdoors, quality of life culture the kiwi statistics are interesting. Remember our population is just over 4 million - which makes some of these figures quite stark.

88 percent of men and 83 percent of women are happy to claim that they are drinkers.

Nearly half the population thinks that it is okay to get drunk.

25 percent of current teenage drinkers admit to having drunk at least five glasses of alcohol
at least once in the last two weeks.

125,000 teenagers under the age of 17 fall into the category of binge drinkers. 75,000 will
drink regularly – once every two weeks – and binge. 50,000 drink at least once a week and
binge, usually with the intention of getting drunk.

635,000 adults drink at least once a week and binge. 785,000 adults drink regularly, often
every day, and with equal regularity binge.

1.2 million drinkers are okay with bingeing or accepting of bingeing and regularly do so.

450,000 of us were binge drinking on our last drinking occasion.

In New Zealand we estimate that alcohol harm costs somewhere between $1 billion and $4
billion a year.

It costs the public health sector $655 million.
It costs in crime and related costs $240 million.
It costs in social welfare $200 million and in other government spending $330 million.
In lost productivity, it costs about $1.17 billion a year.

Alcohol is responsible for 70 percent of accident and emergency hospital admissions.
75 to 90 percent of weekend crime is attributable to alcohol.
One in four women can’t remember what they did while drinking.

The advertisements aim to get New Zealanders to see the connection between getting drunk and the harms that result.
"It's not the fact that we drink that's the problem; the problem is how we drink, that is, the excessive per occasion consumption," says ALAC Chief Executive Officer Dr Mike MacAvoy. "The first step to change is to get people to link that pattern with harms, and at the moment many don't recognise that connection. We're not likely to get behaviour change if no-one thinks it's their problem. So that is what our advertising campaign will do at first.

"New Zealand is a nation that seems to pride itself on the 'save it up for Friday night' style of drinking, the 'we deserve a drink' perspective or consider 'it's a rite of passage that causes little harm'.

Why are we drinking so much? Why are we so accepting of teenagers and students abuse of alcohol?
What is complicated too is working out what is cause and what is effect. If we are serious about addressing the issue we need to be tough on the things which drive people to drink, like poverty and unemployment.

Perhaps after all that - you feel you need a drink.

My Life is Lost

2006-06-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

I live on an island. The majority of people on this island were unknown to me before the plane brought us here. There is much that is hard to understand in this world: What is the nature of the opposition? What is the meaning of the messages? How do we make sense of our experiences?

This much I have in common with the characters in "Lost". Admittedly there are some significant differences.I have not had to cope with polar bears, hide from "the others" or press buttons down the hatch.

The genius of "Lost" is that it draws you into a mystery. We are moving towards the Series 2 conclusion in NZ and there is much that is unresolved. I guess the writers may know where it is heading. I presume they had a plan to end it plausibly at the end of Series 1 if the ratings bombed. Actually I doubt if the final denouement will be satisfying but answers is not really what "Lost" is about.

"Lost" is about a journey, it concerns the relationship of characters with complex pasts into which we are granted unique insights. Each of the main characters has a story. There is no single hero and no one leader.

One of the interesting dynamics is between Locke and Jack. I heard a sermon recently in the US which tied together two quotes highlighting their relationship.

From Exodus 2 in Series 1

LOCKE: I believe that I was tested.

JACK: Tested.

LOCKE: Yeah. Tested. I think that's why you and I don't see eye to eye sometimes, Jack. Because you're a man of science.

JACK: Yeah. And what does that make you?

LOCKE: Me? Well, I'm a man of faith. Do you really think all this is an accident? That we, a group of strangers, survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? You think we crashed on this place by coincidence? Especially this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason -- all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.

JACK: Brought here. And who brought us here, John?

LOCKE: The island. The island brought us here. This is no ordinary place. You've seen that. I know you have. The island chose you, too, Jack. It's destiny.

and from Orientation in Series 2

JACK: No. It's not real. Look, you want to push the button, you do it yourself.

LOCKE: If it's not real, then what are you doing here, Jack? Why did you come back? Why do you find it so hard to believe?

JACK: Why do you find it so easy?

LOCKE: It's never been easy!

The point being made was that the way of faith is not easy but that faced with the evidence there is no real alternative.

Interesting as that thought is - it misses much of what "Lost" has to say.

As I learn to live on this island, not the Lost island but Aotearoa, I need to appreciate what makes my fellow travellers who they are, listen to the questions, issues and challenges which arise from the context and communicate honestly out of experience. Yes there is hope, yes there is rescue and yes there is One who seeks and saves. But to tell that story well...

I need to learn again what it means to be lost.