The X Factor

No, not the show...

This post is for those of you among my vast readership (cough) who are asking questions about what church should look like today, in light of how things are continually changing in the way people understand and live in the world. I'm one of these people... I ask this question all the time and have considered and even experimented with, from time to time, things that might be some of the answers...

Anyway, my friend Carmen sent me this article the other day. The article is called "The X Factor", and is put out by LeadershipJournal.net. It is a great article that looks at some of the most well known experiments in this area from America, and some of the results (also lots of "lack of results") and conclusions that people have come up with along the way.

This post won't be for everyone. But if you ask questions about the nature and structure of meaningful and engaging church for today, then take the time out to have a read through this article. You won't regret it.

Shalom...

Be The Change You Want To See In The World

Dave Andrews has written a great book called "Plan Be" with the tag line, "be the change you want to see in the world." (a quote from Ghandi I think)... It is a great little book on the beattitudes of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. The Bible Society of Qld have got right behind it and developed a range of reflective, small group, musical etc resources to help process the challenging content. There is also a great website where you can engage with the material in a different way again.



Check it out...

Shalom...

We Are All African Now

Back in May, I wrote a blog called "Genetics Reveals the Real Eden". My friend Francis found the complete article in a magazine called "Intelligent Life". It is all about a complex and sophisticated genetic study that has sought to uncover the origins of humanity. The study has uncovered, to the best of its ability, the likely location of "Eden", and the genetic version of "Adam" and "Eve". The problem here is that Adam and Eve they have discovered at this stage lived 60,000 years apart. It looks like there is still some more work to be done, as it would have been very difficult to produce a "Cain" or "Abel" with that time-lag of existence.

Anyway, fascinating stuff and well worth a read. For those of us that read the Bible and see it as a source of truth for our lives, such research and evidence challenges us about the way in which we read and interpret important Bible chapters like Genesis 1, and really, how we understand the Bible in general. It also challenges us on how we consider the range of creation stories that various indigenous groups tell as a way of understanding their / our origins.

I've attached the article here if you are interested in reading it.

Something to Snort About...

Last Friday, a good guy that we know took his own life. He leaves behind a wife and three kids... It is hard to find anything good in this situation. Every way you look at it - it's pretty crap. It makes you want to scream, cry, rant and rage against God, life, and the way things are in this broken and fractured world. One of the strong feelings I feel at the moment is one of disgust - disgust that we live in a world where this kind of thing happens and that this is what life can dish up for the people who are a part of it.

I was reflecting on my response to this tragedy and that feeling of disgust toward life I was feeling, and a passage from the Bible came to me. It was John 11- a story about Jesus going to the grave of his dead friend, Lazarus. Jesus goes there and the passage says that he was "deeply moved" and called for the stone across the doorway of the grave to be removed, so that he can go ahead and raise Lazarus from the dead. A very cool story in that sense. Jesus doing his thing...

Apparently, the original word that is translated into English as "deeply moved" is probably better translated into English as "a snort of the spirit". The kind of snort that a stallion might give, while rearing on his hind legs as it gets ready to charge into battle. (Thanks to Dave Andrews for this insight from his "Plan Be" book). I imagine it as a kind of snort of contempt from Jesus as he comes face to face with the tragic consequences of sin. I felt and still feel that feeling this week - a snort from my spirit as I wrestle with the contempt I feel for life at this bleak time.

The thing I like about this passage though is that Jesus' contempt for this life and its broken-ness did not stay at that point of despair and it did not remain at the place of hopelessness. He got the stone moved and raised Lazarus from the dead - and that is a pretty good response, although only temporarily good. Lazarus would die again one day in the future and the grief would come again. But from that place, he "set his face like a flint" towards Jerusalem, and went there to be arrested, tried, beaten and crucified. And of course the Bible teaches us that he rose again from the dead, to deal once and for all, with the sin and broken-ness of the world, so that the day will come when we won't have to put up with crap like this again.

Bring it on (or "Come Lord Jesus, Come" as they say in the Christian classics)...

God's Shalom to you all at time...

Peter Garrett in Trouble

Has Peter Garrett sold out? For decades he was the rock 'n roll face of environmental activism, but at the moment, he is under criticism for selling out his values and beliefs as a Minister in the Rudd government. Recently, as Environment Minister, he approved an extra Uranium mine for South Australia, something that he was very strongly opposed to in his previous life and criticised the governments of the day for even considering.

For a bit more info, here is a Courier Mail article on this story, and a 7:30 Report news item from the other night.

So, what is going on? Has Peter Garrett sold out? It is hard to say from this kind of distance, but there are some things that I've been thinking about in relation to this and it has to do with how we understand "integrity". In the case of Peter Garrett, people are criticising him for not living up to, as a government Minister, what he stood for as a political activist and rock star. But is it possible to stand for the same things, but have it look completely different depending on the role or context you are in? Is it possible to be an activist and rage against the government (what a luxurious position to be in), and be in the government (being raged against) and actually be on about the same thing, but realise that you have to go about it in a completely different way?

I think the mistake that people make when they question the integrity of people in difficult positions, is they think that intergrity means "doing the same thing in every situation". My thoughts on intergrity is that is means "standing for the same thing in every situation" (but this might involve doing things completely different in each of these situations).

So, I'm backing Mr Garrett at this stage. There are a few things he has said that make me think that he gets this, and that he is willing to take the flack of being misundertood to make the most of his position as a government Minister for the sake of the government. I am so niave...

Any thoughts?...

Shalom!

Creation - the movie...

This year, marked the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin - the man who is well known for perhaps the most controversial and influential scientific theory in modern history. In such a year, it is fitting that a movie has been made about his life and his discoveries. This movie is called "Creation".



The Damaris group have got involved in this and will be putting together some resources so that people can meaningfully engage in it and the big life questions that it might raise. Damaris are a good bunch. I really like the materials they put out. They are thoughtful and balanced and good for a broad audience. I hope the movie comes to Australia (Damaris is based in the UK). It would be great to see the creation / evolution relationship played out again this year. On and around his actual birthday earlier in the year, there were a number of articles, interviews, discussions etc about Darwin. I've included some of the ones I came across if you're interested:

• Darwin and Australia - Tom Frame (CPX)
  
• Darwin's Moral Compass - John Collee (The Australian)
• Origin of Darwin's Theory in Dispute - Jack Grimston (The Australian)
  

Shalom...

Go Therese, Go...

I was interested to read the article on Therese Rein (Mrs Kevin Rudd) in The Weekend Australian magazine over the weekend. In it, she talks about her Christian faith...

"When I went to university I really needed to sort this out for myself," she says. "At that point, I personally committed to Christ. It's fundamental to my calling, to my values, and there are two particular pieces of scripture that hsout to me from the rooftops. They are about freedom for the captive and recovery of sight for the blind. They are all about inclusion, being there to feed the hungry and house the homeless."

The report goes on... Her worship is not confined to Sunday services, which she attends regularly for communion and "some quite time for me". She prays often and she sings. "Faith is a living thing."

I was really encouraged by this. Rein is committed to causes like homelessness, indigenous literacy, disability, teenage mental health etc etc... This seems to fit with the verses that she has referred to above, where Jesus tells his listeners, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

In my mind, it also fits with someone who has really grasped the core of the message of the gospel of Jesus. She understands that in accepting Jesus for herself, she accepts living out the priorities of Jesus as the norm for her life. And being Australia's "first spouse", she is in a wonderful position to do some great things on his behalf.

In an earlier post entitled, "Muscular Christianity", I questioned whether it is possible for Christians to be in politics and maintain their integrity? I also asked why Christians in politics almost always seem to be promoting the rights of Christians to do things they want to do, rather than to use their power and influence for the benefit of the marginalised and disadvantaged? I also wondered why we don't ever hear about the "Christian left" in politics? Having read this article, I'm wondering if in Therese Rein, there is some kind of answer to all those questions... And not only Therese, but maybe in Kevin Rudd as well. I know he comes across a pompous nerd to many; a man who uses too many big words and chucks tantrums if his inflight meal is not as he likes it. But, he is also the one who insisted that the parliament apologise to the stolen generation; signed the Kyoto agreement; relaxed tough policies on asylum seekers, introduced social inclusion units into government departments, and sought to tackle a number of other important social issues as part of his government's priorities. This is much more than our previous government was willing to do. (I have it from someone who knows someone who worked very closely with John Howard that his Christianity was quite nominal)...

Maybe there is hope for Australian politics. Maybe there is some room for a little optimism. Maybe God's good work can be done through the world of politics and politicians... (but maybe that's taking optimism just a little bit too far)... :)

Shalom...

PS - On Kevin Rudd and his own professions of Christian faith. Have a read of this article he wrote for The Monthly magazine in 2006 (before he was PM). It is called "Faith in Politics" and is a very interesting read...

Happy 500th Birthday John...

Yes, John Calvin turned 500 on the 10th of July (although he has been dead for most of this time). Who is John Calvin, I hear you ask? He is up there with Martin Luther as the major players in what most would call the "Protestant Reformation" in the 1500s. He was very bold in his challenges to the mainstream Roman Catholic Church of the day and had a lot to say against beliefs and practices that he believed to be false.

Love him or hate him, Calvin was an amazingly influential figure. Such was his influence, that a whole branch of Christian theology called "Calvinism" was developed, based on his teachings. The most well-know tenets of Calvinism are probably the amazing grace of God and the election or pre-destination of Christians. There is even a theological approach to life called "Hyper-Calvinism" (and I include that piece of information here soley because I love the name). Some say that Calvin's ideas even contributed to the development of capitalism and democracy in the West. He wrote heaps on his ideas in various letters, treaties and commentaries and preached many, many sermons - most which are still available for us today.

Why am I bringing John Calvin to your attention? Mainly because he was one of most significant religious people in modern history and his life is currently being remembered across the planet because of his quincentenary. I think that its good to know a bit about these things if you're interested in the kind of private/public spirituality issues that this blog goes on about. Also, if you're a Protestant, then you are probably influenced in some way by Calvin and Calvinism, but you might not have ever known that. I think its good from time to time to look at this thing called Christianity that some of us are trying to live out and ask how much of it is "pure" Christianity (if we can ever discover such a thing), and how much of it is Christianity based on a particular theological, geographical, denominational influence. These kind of questions help us to keep our own truth claims in check , to keep ourselves humble, and to allow ourselves to be open to the views of others.

For more information on John Calvin, you could simply google his name and go for your life, or have a look at some of these sites:

• Wikipedia - John Calvin
  
• History Learning Site
  
• New Advent - Catholic Encyclopedia
• The Australian - Decline of John Calvin

I listened to an interesting podcast about John Calvin on the ABC Radio National program, "The Spirit of Things". Host, Rachael Kohn, interviewed Randall Zachman (a "Calvin Scholar" - who knew you could be such a thing?) about the life, teachings and influences of John Calvin. It is worth a listen if you're into such things.

Anyway, "Happy Birthday John Calvin" and I hope the rest of you have a nice day too...

Shalom...

No Kissing Please, We're Christians...

My mother sent me this. I'm not sure what she's trying to say to me (surely she knows I've kissed Megan by now. After all, we are married with two kids)...

Anyway, Sy Rogers, a Christian speaker who specialises in talking about sexuality, has come out and made a statement about kissing. Apparently, he said that single young people shouldn't kiss, because it could lead to sex outside of marriage. The news headlines have read, "Kissing is bad"; "Kissing leads to sex"; "No Kissing please, we're Christians" etc etc... You can have a look at the newspaper story by clicking here and you can check out how the "This Afternoon" show ran their segment by clicking here.

It is not unusual for Christians to make statements about chastity (IE - no sex before marriage). This would be a pretty standard Christian line to take. Nor is it unusual for Christians to be wary of where the first, then second, then third steps of the sexual escalator could take them. But Rogers takes this a step further than most have by suggesting that there should not even be kissing before marriage. His idea is that if you're not going to finish off the ride (so to speak), then why get on the escalator at all. The media had a bit of fun with this. This is not surprising. For them, Rogers' comments are yet another example of an out-of-touch Christian, spruiking their crazy, out-moded ideas into a world that has well-and-truly moved on. "No kissing" would not remotely reflect the general community standard in this area and this is reflected in the street interviews in the "This Afternoon" show's segment.

So, what do you think? Has Sy gone too far, or is he onto something for those who are trying to keep themselves "chastised"? Has he made a fool of himself or is he being made fun of because he is talking up "God stuff" out there in the world and people just don't want to hear it?

I'm interested in your thoughts...

Shalom...

Richard Holloway: Shaking the Kaleidoscope

Richard Holloway is an interesting man who has been on an interesting journey. He used to be a Bishop in Scotland, but resigned about 10 years ago after a Bishop's conference that got a bit nasty around the issue of homosexuality. Since then, he has written over 5 books that deal with issues of spirituality, religion, morality and ethics. His latest book is called, "Between the Monster and the Saint", and his best known book is called "Godless Morality". Holloway describes himself as a "Christian agnostic". He is part of a church community and preaches in his church occasionally, although he isn't sure that God actually exists.

Interesting, as I said...

Last month, Holloway spoke at the Sydney Writer's Festival about his thoughts on the different approaches to religion that are apparent in today's society. This talk was called "Shaking the Kaleidoscope" and revolved around four particular approaches he has identified: strong religion; weak religion; after religion; and no religion. Simple, and yet profound...

The ABC has a short interview with him and the full recording of his Writer's Festival talk. This is really worth a listen to and you can access the audio and/or the transcript by clicking here. You won't be sorry. This is 50 minutes you'll be glad you spent (I've listened to it 3 times so far)...

Just two tiny spoilers / tasters...

In his opening statement, he refers to Paul Gauguin's 1897 painting entitled, "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" Gauguin painted this picture after receiving the news that his daughter had died. Holloway got me in right from here - a dramatic story interwoven with some of THE most important questions that people can ask about life, the universe and everything...

And then in his final "PPS", he says, "When I am actually kind of up against the cosmic wall, there is another philosopher I love who has given me a way of responding to this agonised, kaleidoscopic, shifting, churning complexity. And I want to leave you with this great swashbuckle of a quote. It comes from the great existentialist philosopher, Miguel de Unamuno, and he was quoting a Frenchman when he said these words:

'Man is perishing that may be,
But if it is nothingness that awaits us,
Let us perish resisting,
And let us so live that it will be an unjust fate.'

And I like the idea of living as though the universe did mean something - and if it doesn't, we'll show it that we are better than it."

Very cool. Do yourself a favour and tune in. By the way, I was a "weak religionist". What are you?

Shalom...