sustain:if:able kiwi

what are we building? musuem or ?

At Opawa, we buried one of our saints today. 93 years old, faithful in prayer and love for Scriptures. It was a lovely service, with much honesty. During the (5) eulogies, one of her sons commented that she had a 19th century faith.

Which got me thinking. Generally as a society we put things from the 19th century in a musuem. It’s a mark of respect and that’s how we remember.

So what do we do when it comes to faith? If it is 19th century, do we seek to preserve a church that holds that faith.

Surely the answer is no. Churches are simply not meant to be living museums, a snapshot of the past. Jesus is the risen Christ, the Incarnate one. As the same yesterday, today and forever, that risen Christ must speak to every generation, calling for disciples to carry their cross for such a time as theirs. Faith is renewable, a living thing that shapes hearts and minds across diverse cultures and different times.

But neither should the alternative be amnesia. Our saints are gift to us, and deserve respect and to have their faith nourished not only in their twenties, but also in the old age. It is reckless to plunge into the future with no regard for our history, 20th, 19th, and back even further.

Which then raises the question of how we respect and remember 19th century faith, without needing to create museums?

I’m a bit tired after having conducted the funeral, so I’ll ask you, my blog readers, to help me. What are the metaphors that might allow us to not only respect and not only remember, but also renew? If church is not a museum, what might it be?

seeing yourself through the eyes of another

I’ve been doing some reflecting this week on perceptions. On how I am seen by others and how important those perceptions can be. So on a whim, I thought I’d grab a “blog” perception of myself. What do I write and what type of signal does it send? So here (courtesy of here), visually, are the most common words I use on this blog …

The most prominent words (i.e. what I have been writing most about in recent days) are “Jesus” and “forgiveness” and “workplace”!

Nice! (click on the image if you want to go bigger)

stars and Christianity

We’ve had a few days break as a family, which included an evening star-gazing at Mt John, Tekapo. It was chosen as one of the best places in the Southern Hemisphere to launch astronomy research, became a University research centre and is now open to the public.

It was a fantastic experience, a warm nite, soft cafe light, expert guidance and insight into a vast space. Sometimes the vastness of space freaks me, but this evoked a deep sense of peace.

And it got me thinking about the essential role of star gazing in Christian history. Just a few examples, and there are surely more …
: Abraham who found his future written in the stars
: Magi who followed the stars. As I have written here: For a Jew, following stars was idol worship. And so by including magi, Matthew is telling us that all sorts of people can seek Jesus, and they are not always from folks we’d prefer. That Jesus is not just Savior of his Israel! But he’s the saviour of all people.
: passages in the book of Revelation, in which Jesus is the morning star, and if I remember my theological education, Revelation does engage with the signs of the Zodiac.

I wonder what Christianity misses if we neglect the stars and what it might mean to recapture them? Worship wrapped in warm blankets outdoors with hot chocolate?

next Bible days

Bible days. Wanting to deepen Bible knowledge? Take two hours to blow the dust off the book of 1 Peter and consider its impact for Christians today. Saturday, April 25, 3:30-5:30 pm, exploring 1 Peter with Dr Paul Trebilco. Opawa Baptist Church, cnr Hastings St East and Wilsons Road. Cost $5 (for non-Opawa-ites).

What is Bible days (here and here and MP3 (2meg) rough cut intro here?

Just in case you do not know of him…… (more…)

does forgiveness have legs?

I sat with a workplace group today. I had been asked to spend two hours addressing the topic of Managing conflict positively, and to cover negotiation, mediation. We got to the topic of forgiveness and the question was asked. “Does forgiveness have a place in the workplace?” Great question. We bounced it around the group for a while. Some said yes, others no.

Then I went fishing. I asked them if they had ever seen forgiveness in their workplaces. (If they had, I was then going to ask if it had a positive or negative effect on the workplace culture, hoping that it was positive and so might address the original question – “Does forgiveness have a place in the workplace?”).

Silence.

No one could think of an example.

It was a sad silence and I came home pondering the “alleged” Christian Easter message, that God in Christ forgives and reconciles, wondering if any of these people worked alongside Christians, wondering what it will take to give the forgiveness message legs, into our workplaces.

pink panther 2 as seriously theological film

I undertake a monthly film review for the Methodist denominational magazine. With Easter holidays upon us, the challenge has been set. I need to find both a family film, and one that can sustain a depth of theological reflection. When all else fails, enter Pink panther 2. Amid the chuckles from Taylor’s young and old, the following conclusion was written:

Inspector Jacques Clouseau functions as the fool. While not a theme common to contemporary Christianity, it has fascinating roots in the Christian tradition. Paul describes his ministry as that of being a fool for Christ in 1 Corinthians 4:10. Georges Rouault painted Jesus as a clown, Dostoevsky described Jesus as the fool in “The Brothers Karamazov,” while the movie “Godspell” portrayed Jesus with red clown shoes, suspenders and Superman T-shirt.

Good clowning sets worlds of success and failure against each other, in the process provides insight into what is real and meaningful. On that basis, take a bow Inspector Jacques Clouseau and “Pink Panther 2,” for amid the humour, a Christ figure subverts many of the values of our media saturated culture.

tree of life

– He saw and believed. They still did not understand.
Easter text by John 20:8-9

The leaves are not yet grown
The colour is not yet shown
The fruit is not yet formed
Yet this is enough

The clothes still are scattered
The disciples still asleep
The gardener still prowls a sin-stained garden
Yet this is enough

Held by you, Who is not here
Who has gone ahead of me
For the life and love, of the world

– Easter words by Steve Taylor

– Easter visuals by Mark Berry

best and worst easter songs

So what are they?

Best, for me, is Roachford’s “Dawning of life” and the worst is Stones been rolled away – with that long, draggy “rolled.”

Another friend commented that his worst is “O sacred head”; so gory that it should only be played as heavy metal alt.worship.

Best and worst Easter songs – what are they for you?

Good Friday prayer for Beckenham and Opawa Baptists

Let us live in such a way
That when we die
Our love will survive
And continue to grow.
Amen
from Leunig

urban Easter prayer

This Easter, we are gathering with our neighbouring Baptist church. They are struggling and this Easter could literally be a story of death for them. Equally, we are talking with them about partnership and some new forms of church, so this Easter could equally be a story of life.

There’s not much point talking if we first can’t worship together. So Easter Friday is at their place and Easter Sunday at ours, with both pastoral teams planning both services together and sharing bits at each place.

As part of that, we wanted some way to pray in our shared life and our shared mission. So we grabbed a wooden cross and took photos of it at various geographic landmarks between the two buildings – construction site, new Police station, fastfood outlet, well-known development currently growing weeds, local pub facing council housing and a sports stadium. Six slides became a visual backdrop – good-friday-urban-prayermed (click to move through each slide)

Some hard work followed, research into the lives, history and narratives that shape each place and then the seeking to weave these narratives into the events of Easter Thursday and Friday, in the form of a urban Easter prayer. This is the result – our Easter prayer as we consider the cross in our Christ’s church city streets.

A: Jesus, On Easter Thursday,
you prayed for us, you sweated drops of blood for your church
prepared yourself to be dragged from prison to passion, from trial to tribulation

B: Jesus, On Easter Friday
you carried your cross,
you walked through your city streets,
you were willing to love your neighbours, criminals to your left, crucifiers to your right

A: Jesus, This Easter, show us what it means to pray,
to weep for your church and Christ’s church
to carry our cross, to walk our city streets,
to love our neighbours, our communities from Colombo Street to Brougham Village

B: Jesus, (click) these are our neighbours,
shopkeepers building right beside us at Beckenham Baptist
A: And so we remember our neighbours
we pray God’s peace on those who shop and those who build
we pray wisdom on those who plan our cities
and smooth process for those who seek consent
Help us live your cross in our communities this Easter

B: Jesus, (click) these are our neighbours
the new police station being built
A: And so we remember our neighbours
we pray integrity for our police
we pray restoration for those criminals behind bars
B: We pray redemption for their victims,
grace for those who suffer. And justice in our courts,
Help us walk your cross with our neighbours this Easter

A: Jesus, (click) these are our neighbours. McDonalds and so many fast food outlets stretched down Colombo St
B: And so we pray for those who flip burgers and fry fries
for those seeking work in a credit crunch
for those who fear the loss of their daily bread
A: Lord, forgive us our fast food, instant takeway attitudes
Jesus, may our neighbours find You as their daily bread this Easter

B: Jesus, (click), these are our neighbours, developers at Sydenham Central
David Henderson who risked. And the Council who resurrected
Help us show your cross to our neighbours, rich and poor, this Easter

A: Jesus, (click) these are our neighbours
those who live in council housing in Brougham Village
B: We pray protection for the vulnerable
safety for the easy led, deliverance for those addicted
freedom for those enslaved by debt and habit
Help us carry your cross to our neighbours, rich and poor, this Easter

A: Jesus, (click) these are our neighbours
the Canterbury crowds, who walk to AMI Stadium,
cheering for winners, jeering for losers
B: Jesus help us look at the crowds as you looked at the crowds,
To feel your compassion for the harrassed and helpless
To weep for your city this Easter,

random links on the costs, impact and processes of creativity

the cost of ministry –

Disappearing into the future. Quotes from U2 interview on Pitchfork: “We didn’t buy into the idea that good music had to be underground …. coming, never arrived … We are always thinking that this one will get it … The industry wants you to have inbuilt obsolence … the media are always looking for new and younger artists … Cool is a real constraint …. The world is more malleable than you think …. that’s an optimistic message …. our creative commune …. music is a kind of sacrament, something sacred.”

critique of aggregators and RSS feeds. Robert Thompson, the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal has slammed news aggregation sites as “parasites or tech tapeworms in the intestines of the internet … Google encourages promiscuity – and shamelessly so – and therefore a significant proportion of their users don’t necessarily associate that content with the creator. ” Whenever I see my posts reproduced word for word on other websites, this is how I feel.

– Leadership as knowledge sharing – “If you want to lead with influence – share the knowledge that you have about your processes, your strategies – give away and you will gain respect and manna from those who want to learn from you, beside you and those who can influence your own knowledge pool.” Makes me wonder if it’s more important to say “this is how I think when I engage Bible + life”, rather than “this is what I think”

finding God with flax as Easter spirituality

For the last 10 years, the Easter Journey, has been a feature of ministry at Opawa. However, for the last year or so, there has been a growing feeling that it is time for something new to emerge. Opawa is changing and so are Pete and Joyce. While the Journey has been a tremendous blessing, we have to be sensitive to the moving, changing winds of the Spirit. Too often, good things for a season become institutions the church feels compelled to keep propping up. Letting things go is an essential Christian discipline.

To help us let go, and to start the process of dreaming again, we are starting with an Easter Saturday day of paper making. April 11, 9:45 am for coffee. Bring lunch to share. Together we will turn flax into paper, both for individual journals and for use in the church at Pentecost.

Why paper making? Well this is what I said on radio recently. (more…)

pondering community ministry

After listening to someone on Tuesday share about their sense of call to work more intentionally with our local Waltham community and their desire to be well integrated with Opawa and our growing community vision, I penned the following.

As a church, we occupy a unique space in terms of community development. While we can not necessarily provide professional social work, we are able to offer networks, relationships, generations and Christian spirituality.

This suggests that community ministry to families could include a focus on values including
– intentional partnerships with existing agencies
– opportunities for volunteers to offer community service,
– the offering of whole of life discipleship, drawing on resources found lifegiving in the Christian tradition
– the encouraging of intergenerational community relationships

This could be structured in a bureau type format, with a focus not on programmes, but on people. Specifically, the linking of volunteers with selected families, initially short term in crisis and longer term in whole of life coaching and relationships.

Potential ministries that might provide bridges over which volunteers and families meet could include foodbank, budgetting, Kingdom banking, support and discussion groups (addictions, divorce, parenting, grandparenting), youth programmes, holiday programmes, meals for community building and healthy eating, early childhood education, intergenerational events that build whanua and practises of healthy living including parenting, eating, conflict resolution and spirituality.

Such a ministry could be staffed by an order of voluntary community-focused chaplains. (Currently I can name 5 people at Opawa who are starting to function like this.) To be a community chaplain will involve a (annual, renewable) yearly commitment to
– serve with specific local ministry opportunities
– grow through 1-1 spiritual direction
– integrate by group gatherings with the other “community chaplains” for Scripture and encouragement and prayer
– learn with regular input regarding skills needed to care well. These are open to any and all.

The hub will be administered by a (paid part-time) manager, who will
– co-ordinate safe and appropriate linkages between
– maintain the values, especially the priority of relationships over programmes
– communicate and network with Opawa church and existing community groups
– ensure the bridges are put in place between families and chaplains
– develop the order of community chaplains
– seek funding

making a meal of it: all-ages gathered around Jesus meals

Sunday was our second in a four part (first Sunday of month) series on communion. The first part was about Passover, meaning this second part (leading into Holy week) was to have a particular focus on the meals time habits of Jesus. It was also down to be an inter-generational (Take a Kid to faith) service, with the kids in. So to help that learning, I make “table mats” around which I invited people to gather in groups of 6.

In the shape of a cross, each table mat had 5 panels. Four panels were linked to 4 Biblical meals – Passover memories, Jesus eating at Simon the Leper, feeding of multitudes and the last supper – with a space in the middle (for communion at the end of the service). Meals are usually about the menu, the music, the guests, the footwear and the memories. So each of the four “meal” panels had these symbols.

In terms of the content, I provided a 4 minute explanation of each meal, highlighting menu, guests, footwear and suggested music. I then paused between each panel, and gave the groups time to discuss together what the “memories” of that meal would be. Groups feedback to the entire church (and what they shared then shaped my communion prayer). It was a nice way to step through some Biblical content, in an interactive and participatory way, that involved all ages in learning.

In terms of communion, people were invited to stay in their groups. The youngest in the group was invited to come forward and take back the bread and the cup. (As per the Jewish passover tradition, in which the youngest asks the questions as to the significance.) The elements of bread and cup were taken back to the group and placed in the center of the “table mat” cross, surrounded by the four meal memories – Passover, Jesus meals with outsiders, feeding the multitudes, which must surely have shaped the disciples understanding of “remember me.”

With the kids in, I decided to take a risk and ask everyone to be as quiet as they could be. Not easy for kids, but for those who appreciate some quiet around communion, a really respectful thing to do, across the generations. It was great to look around the church and feel the stillness and see all-ages gathered around the meals of Jesus.