Archive for March, 2005
Saturday, March 19th, 2005
The question every blogger faces. Why write this online? Does it matter if only two people read this?
Today I’m adding site meters (excuse American spelling) to my blogs. They’ll give me (and you) an idea of who’s visiting here and where they’re coming from.
The two I’m trying out are Site Meter and Extreme Tracking.
Already - since starting the site meter at Duncan’s TV Adland three hours ago - there have been five visits, viewing 17 pages. 13 of those pages were looked at by one person, with an account with Optimum Online in the USA. There was one person from Mexico.
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Saturday, March 19th, 2005
Last night we caught up with a friend I knew from school and university days. Margaret found my name in Old Friends - an online reunion service in New Zealand. The last time we saw each Margaret was 20 years ago at our wedding in Invercargill. As we arrived for dinner the first thing remarked upon was ‘you haven’t changed much’. But then the not so visible changes emerged.
I took a bottle of wine for dinner last night. At university I had a more staunch approach to alcohol, still cautious about the dangers of following in the footsteps of an alcoholic father. I think back then, in the early 80s, I was also careful to follow the expectations of Southland/Otago Evangelical circles.
What changed all that? I remember sitting in a Presbytery meeting that was getting stewed up about policies on alcohol and smoking. And then one of my colleagues, hailing from the Netherlands, pointed out that this attitude was clearly shaped by ethnic and cultural backgrounds. On the European Continent, he remarked, no one would think twice if the pastor lit up a cigar and enjoyed the occasional lager. That was a freeing moment for me.
So last night we enjoyed a red wine.
Old Friends
www.oldfriends.co.nz
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Monday, March 14th, 2005
I have vivid memories of Palm Sundays.
1991. My daughter, Kristen, was born on Palm Sunday. Our church, Brockville Union, in Dunedin, was celebrating that morning by making and distributing little crosses made out of New Zealand flax.
1993. St Mark’s Presbyterian, Tokoroa, celebrated Palm Sunday with the fronds from tree ferns. They were strewn around inside the church building. I invited the congregation to pick them up and take them for a walk down the street. The reaction was mixed. Most of the kids really got into the occasion. This was much better than sitting in church! A number of adults entered into the occasion. Some participated with scowls of disapproval. And some just stayed behind waiting for what would happen next. We came back and talked about the challenge of living Christianity out ‘on the street’, rather than in the privacy of our own homes or dedicated worship space. One person I spoke to later told me she’d found it harder to take part in the street walk than sharing faith in an overseas country as a ‘missionary’ just a few years before. I’m not sure how I’d do it differently. Perhaps give people some options, rather than forcing people to choose between conformity or rebellion. It certainly got people thinking though.
1995. Tawa Union (Presbyterian/Methodist/Church of Christ) in Wellington. I’d written a play exploring the mixed expectations of the crowd on the day of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. It was intermingled with the political agenda of the time - the occupation of Moutoa Gardens in Wanganui. Maori protesters standing up against the confiscation of property in an earlier time.
1999. The Woolworths carpark in Tawa, Wellington. Geoff Allen, a playwright and director, put together live theatre to add some spice to the end of the traditional Sunday afternoon street march. Instead of gathering in a church, we were worshipping out in public. Some of the Anglican members took on the role of concerned religious leaders. We had a few Baptists, Pentecostals, and Union members take roles as crowd, disciples etc. I was Peter, unsure about it all, looking on from a distance. And then Jesus calls me down for a closer conversation. How apt that was. Jesus calling for an intimate conversation even in the middle of a high power rally with so many agendas at play.
Now in 2005, it seems strange not to be in a large religious gathering this coming Sunday.
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Thursday, March 10th, 2005
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (New International Version)
It is the fire of suffering that brings forth
the gold of godliness.
Madame Guyon
“God has a purpose behind every problem.” Rick’s first sentence for today’s chapter. I can relate to that. It’s so much more helpful than saying that God has planned every detail of our lives. It moves us beyond asking “why” to asking “what now, Lord?”
We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.
Romans 8:28-29
I appreciate the unpacking of these words of Paul in Purpose Driven Life. Rick uses the analogy of using the ingredients of a cake to make something palatable, even though individually they make be distasteful or unpleasant. I’ve also seen the analogy of a weaving of a tapestry, in which seemingly random threads are tied together to make a beautiful pattern.
On the way home from work today I heard Erwin McManus speaking on Jesus and John the Baptist. John was not spared suffering difficulty and death, even though he was right up there with the prophets. So why do we think God will guarantee our comfort or ‘prosperity’?
As usual, Rick provides a point by point ‘how-to’ approach to responding to problems as Jesus would. I guess this appeals to those of us who need lists to remember.
1. Remember that God’s plan is good. Rick quotes from Jeremiah 29, reminding us that God plans to give us hope and a future. Yep, it certainly helps to focus on the long term plans of God. It helped me, in the face of my own daughter’s death, for example, to remember that God is ultimately in control, even though God has chosen to let go of absolute control. In the middle of powerlessness God’s capacity to change the world is discovered.
2. Rejoice and give thanks. I remember a couple of authors back in the 1970s introducing the power of praise. Merlin R. Carothers and Frances Gardner Hunter made popular the phrase “Praise the Lord” and “Praise the Lord, anyway”. It’s not about attributing everything to God’s plan and giving thanks for it. It’s more about finding signs of hope and God’s action even in the middle of catastrophe. I’ve seen this attitude turn into super-spiritual naievity that refuses to genuinely lament before God. It was Jesus who said that those who mourn will be blessed because they will be comforted.
3. Refuse to give up. This is one of my favourite action plans. It’s in the lines of so many songs, like Chicane’s “Don’t Give Up”. And also in the Pantene shampoo TV advert with Rachel Hunter’s famous line, “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen”. As Rick points out, God does not guarantee a smooth life. But God does give us a sense of purpose for the future. Somehow we can work it out.
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Thursday, March 10th, 2005
Monday afternoon - had an email saying that Dave Edwards, a youth worker in Wagga Wagga, had been killed in a car accident at 7 am. Dave was going to be hosting the camp in Mittanong where I was to be the guest speaker. I’d met Dave at youth workers conferences, a couple of multimedia conferences, and at National Christian Youth Convention. A good man, laid back with an excellent sense of hospitality, humour and adventure.
The news of Dave’s death came only minutes after I posted 3 thoughts on Jesus and Lazarus at Gospelnotes. I’d included a photo of the grave stone of Kristen, our daughter who died when she was hit by a car at the age of 18 months.
Tuesday 6 am - met Cliff next door as we both took out the rubbish bins. Told me that his daughter had finally been born in the weekend!
I’m not too sure about the phrase, “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away”. Read my posts and you’ll see why. But I do believe that we’re created as fragile beings - able to enjoy a fascinating world, but also prone to the damage done by disease, ageing and accident. I don’t think it’s the result of any ‘fall’ though.
I read a note to Journey during the week that expressed horror that someone could challenge the idea of a pre-fall perfect world without suffering. How could God create a world in which suffering was a natural part of the plan? Well… imagine a world without any sense of pain or loss. It would be a world without change. It would be a world without adventure. It would be sterile.
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Monday, March 7th, 2005
I engage with the Lazarus story as one who has lost both parents as well as a daughter.
In 1992 my father died in March, after a life time of alcohol-related suffering.
In September the same year my 18 month old daughter died after being hit by a car outside the house where we lived. I arrived on the scene after attending an interdenominational ministers meeting at which the Assemblies of God pastor was sharing about people being raised from the dead on a mission trip in India. Believe me, I did call on God to intervene on the spot. But it wasn’t to be. Kristen Joy had died instantly and there was nothing that could bring her back.
My mother died in 2001 after a long period affected by Alzheimer’s Disease.
I have become very familiar with the ‘tasks of grief’ outlined by J. William Worden:
1. Face the loss
2. Face the pain
3. Face the emptiness
4. Face the future
I believe these are tasks faced not only by individuals but also by families, communities and nations as they transition from the past, through the present into the future. The good news in the Lazarus story is deep. Jesus gives an assurance of resurrection, life beyond the limitations we now experience. But at the same time he’s deeply moved by our experience of grief - indeed he grieves alongside us.
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Monday, March 7th, 2005
I’ve put in here an excerpt from a study I wrote for the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod. To look at the whole resource, including material by four other writers, go to Experiences of Jesus (pdf file).
The study goes together with John 11 and the Wesley hymn, “And can it be”.
Lazarus was considered beyond redemption. He had been dead for days by the time Jesus arrived, his body placed in a rock tomb. Despite the finality of the situation, Jesus calls Lazarus to come out of the tomb. The appearance of Lazarus, living again, is a metaphor for the new life given to people who have been caught in the deadly effects of addiction. Jesus calls the stunned spectators to undo the bandages that had been used to wrap Lazarus. In the same way, he invites us to take part in the liberation of recovering addicts.
The intervention of Jesus in our lives makes it possible to say ‘no’ to patterns of behaviour and thought that may lead to death. For many people their experience of Jesus is linked to rescue from addiction whether that be alcohol or drug abuse, smoking, gambling, eating disorders, workaholism, TV or internet addiction, or sexual addictions. Subtle forms may include the compulsive collection of assets, and codependent relationships in which we must say ‘yes’ to others despite the emotional and physical cost. It can be found in the need to be in control of others, or in the need to follow rigid rules.
The addicted person generally needs more of the object of their addiction in order to meet their needs. This growing tolerance (I need more) goes together with self deception, loss of willpower, distortion of attention, low self esteem and damaged relationships.
Recovering addicts in the Christian community have found that Jesus models for us an authentic life without addiction. Jesus does not allow himself to be controlled by the desires of other people. He is free to express his honest grief and compassion, without looking for a quick fix. He has a sense of perspective that allows him to respond with poise to the needs of those around him.
Jesus, the higher power, breaks the chains that tie people to past behaviours and shames. His replacement of pretence with honesty leads to our healing. His replacement of shame with graceful acceptance of our vulnerability leads to our humble recognition of our own needs. Jesus walks with us on a difficult life-long journey to wholeness, without expecting instant, easy results.
How do you understand addiction? What experience have you had with people’s addictions? What impact does the addiction have on the addict and those around him/her?
The death of Lazarus came at the end of a sickness. It was at this point that Jesus intervened. People with addiction often are not prepared to accept intervention or help until they have hit ‘rock bottom’. What examples can you give of ‘rock bottom’ related to the kinds of addiction listed above?
In what ways does Jesus show an addiction-free approach to the death and revival of Lazarus?
Jesus tells the disciples to unwrap the newly-living Lazarus. The grave clothes would have been similar to a mummy in that they would have totally covered his body. Lazarus would not have been able to free himself. In what ways are recovering addicts restricted by ‘grave clothes’ today? What can followers of Jesus do to help unwrap someone who has been given a new lease of life by Jesus?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
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Monday, March 7th, 2005
This week’s reading is from John 11:1-45. That’s one long chapter. When I’ve introduced people to the story in the past I’ve used either video or drama. For video there’s the Jesus of Nazareth version and there’s the Gospel of John Visual Bible. There is plenty of room for drama. I’ve involved children as the people who wrap Lazarus up with rolls of paper towels or toilet paper. It becomes very powerful later as Lazarus is unwrapped by the same people.
There is so much to draw from in this story.
With some groups I’ve used the story to bring to the surface deep grief about the state of the church. It’s an opportunity to name the losses that people must face as they move into the future. And then to reflect on where Jesus is in that. There’s sometimes a sense that he’s frustratingly absent, doing nothing to stop us in our decline. When I’m daring enough, I talk about being past the point of death, and into decay to the point that out situation stinks.
And then Jesus finally turns up. Understandably some people are upset that Jesus hasn’t arrived immediately. Why didn’t he help us out when we needed him? Some of people feel a bit guilty about their feeling sad and depressed. They’re expecting Jesus to tell them off for their lack of ‘triumphant living’. But how does Jesus respond to all of this? First of all, he resists our arm-twisting approaches. He won’t become part of our magic show. Instead he enters into our grief with us. He weeps. Not only is he moved by our grief, he shares it with us.
In 1992 I took the funeral of a 21 year old woman who had been killed in a car crash. She had been a person of great potential. Her peers were asking, “Why did God make this happen?” Others were suggesting there was a plan and that this woman’s life was meant to finish this way. I explained that God was the first to grieve at the lost opportunities. Before any one of us knew what had happened, God was ready to join in our sense of frustration and bewilderment.
And then Jesus walks up to the tomb and, despite the stench, calls Lazarus into life again. The stone is opened. Out comes Lazarus, still wrapped up. Jesus gets his peers to unwrap him so he can breathe and move.
This part of the story lends itself to exploring the good news of deliverance to the addicted. More in the next post.
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Sunday, March 6th, 2005
I’ve just finished reading through 
Brian D. McLaren’s A Generous Orthodoxy (AGO for short).
Brian has taken a learning posture in his approach to many movements in Christianity. He writes from his own experience instead of trying to give an all-encompassing summary of Christian experience. I appreciate his use of creative tension, holding together charismatic and contemplative, anabaptist and anglican, liberal and conservative.
The chapter on being a Calvinist and Fundamentalist was a bit cheeky. Brian reinvents what those words might mean. For McLaren the fundamentals of the faith boil down to those given by Jesus: to love God and to love our neighbors. Classic Calvinist thought centres around TULIP: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistable Grace, and Perserverance of the Saints. Brian proposes a new TULIP: Triune Love, Unselfish Election, Limitless Reconciliation, Inspiring Grace and Passionate, Persistent Saints.
The book opens the box for an emerging eclectic post Evangelical understanding of Christianity. This is so helpful in an polarised environment that so often demands that Christians choose their camps as if they are in war with each other.
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Saturday, March 5th, 2005
Spent the day preparing for and running a birthday party for my 10 year old daughter. It was a good plan well executed. 14 guests. A few parents staying around. All at the public swimming pool with the sea breeze cooling us down from 33 degrees celsius to something like 27. One of the pool lifeguards was contracted for an hour to provide entertaining water games for the girls.
Ennis was in charge of supervision. I was in charge of food - water melon, cold drinks, potato crisps, sugar buns, lamingtons, grapes, and of course the birthday cake. It was too windy to light the candles but hey that didn’t stop my daughter ‘blowing them out’.
As the parents arrived after 4 hours, it reminded me of earlier times running children and youth programmes. Grateful parents. Sharing in the delight and sometimes despair of these children. The sense of responsibility for the well being of a peer group. The ethical requirements regarding boundaries. Making friends with whole families. Connecting with other people - like the woman at the counter who looked after the cake and provided a cloth for wiping down the tables. The sense of team work and a project completed with satisfaction.
We should have more parties.
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