sustain:if:able kiwi

last flight out

I spent the day in Auckland at the request of the New Zealand Baptist family of churches, with a group of about 10 others, talking about leadership. It ended up being a frank and free-ranging discussion about what it would mean to take leadership development much more seriously in our Baptist context. We roamed all over the place: seminaries, training churches, internship schemes.

I talked a bit about my missional church leadership coaching courses, the Allelon Mission in Western Culture Project and the Opawa new forms of leadership scholarship (applications still open for 2008) and what that might mean.

Best of all, it was my last flight for the year. Yeah. A day closer to summer holidays. Yeah and yeah.

signs of stress

In top of the Christmas rush and Bible College marking and Advent services, the Taylor family are moving house in a few days. I think the stress is beginning to show.

Last night one of the 92 year olds in the church died. Funeral planning was booked with the family for 11 am this morning. When I went looking for the car keys, they were gone. I searched high and low, and then texted my wife in a panic. Only to find that for some (stressed-related?) reason she had my keys in her handbag.

Tonight both our girls were performing at an end of year concert. My wife wrapped the ticket beside my (now found) keys, with strict instructions regarding start time. I arrived at the venue, only to find that for some (stress-related?) reason, the ticket was gone and I (still) have absolutely no idea where it went.

living with integrity amid a world of boxes

This post has nothing to do with any recent speaking experiences I’ve been part of, but arose from an email conversation with a friend

We live in a world of boxes. The boxes are labelled by humans with words like conservative and liberal.

The question is not what others think I am. Nor what boxes they might wish to place me in.

The question is who God thinks I am. And how have I communicated that relationship with authenticity and integrity.

where is God in our world today?

email just in about an upcoming Christian event: “and most importantly we are amped about spending extended time in the presence of our amazing God.”

Can I spend extended time in the presence of God without going? What does this say about returning home, that I will be going back to a lesser place with less time to spend with God?

Or am I being grumpy and pedantic? Do words really matter?

Where is God most likely to be in our world today anyhow?

hello strange house

I sent Lynne out to a party last night and got to put the kids to bed. I realised this morning that it was the first time I had enjoyed an evening at home alone in 13 days straight. That was made up of Sunday evening services, 6 nights at wider Baptist family events, Parihaka evening, 2 church meetings, some one-on-one growth coaching and pre-marriage preparation. (And to claim this evening alone I still had to say no to 2 commitments.)

My current lifestyle makes me less than fully human. The introvert in me needs space alone. The rooted garden lover needs a home. The father of children needs the routine of bedtime baths.

Lynne and I were wondering yesterday about creating travel free months – blocking out months in the year when I simply refuse speaking invites as a way of preserving my humanity.

copyright request

It is really nice when people ask. Really nice. I wonder if it’s actually part of the way I operate, that verbal recognition is important to me. Anyhow, so there are 2 email’s overnight from the US, asking to use some of my stuff. The first is from an Episcopalian Canon Missioner requesting to use some of my powerpoint images in their work. And the second from a seminary requesting a blog post I wrote back in 2004 on Trinity and Mission for an online course: “Contemporary Culture in Missiological Perspective”. The blog post was from 2004 and was titled: trinity and mission.

Which made me click back to the post. It’s so 2004, but (IMHO) it is still a bit of honey. Here’s the conclusion: Thus talk about church and mission needs to be grounded in our understandings of God as Trinity. A “missional church” is not new, but a recovering of very ancient understandings, in which we live, we create, we emerge, as an outflow of the shared love of God. We seek to express fluid, whole-bodied, dynamic love. We honour the unity with other expressions of church, we applaud diversity, we celebrate uniquely grounded differences.

For full post go here. (Another “dusty” post includes Trinity as children’s talk using Rublev’s icon).

parihaka day

Today is November 5. Many Kiwi’s will be letting off gunpowder in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day.

The Taylor family will be remembering Parikaha Day, the deeds of November 5, 1881, when New Zealand soldiers invaded the village of Parihaka, in Taranaki, and were met by peaceful non-violent resistance. The village was destroyed, women raped and leaders imprisoned, in stark contrast to the ethos of Parihaka, which sought to live in harmony with land and humanity.

There’s an open invite for church folk to join us, bringing a dessert. (I preached on it a few Sunday’s ago, because it seemed to me that Parihaka was an exampe of the call of the prophet Micah to love mercy, seek justice and walk humbly before God). We will show an excerpt from the TV program The New Zealand Wars, read the history of Parihaka Day, light candles in memory of those who suffered and accept a feather of peace as a commitment to follow the One who said “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

I wonder what would happen in New Zealand if the entire Christian population boycotted Guy Fawkes Day and instead remembered Parihaka Day? Would that be a counter-cultural act that might stand against the whiff of Guy Fawkes gunpowder and elevate the importance of peaceful non-violence?

Updated:
Here is the relevant bit of the sermon I preached, download. And here is the worship aftermath, candles lit in memory of Parihaka.

david beckham and a faith amid celebrity culture

These are notes to guide a recent radio spot, reflecting on what it means to be Christian in today’s celebrity culture.

Good morning listeners. According to the radio yesterday, David Beckham was a sell-out.

David Beckham is that English soccer guy, now living in Hollywood. And his soccer team, LA Galaxy are going to play an Aussie soccer team, Sydney FC and then a few days later, a Kiwi team, the Phoenix.

Tickets for the Aussie soccer game had gone on sale this week and tickets were sold out. Within a week. Sold out. 83,000 people, selling out $100 a ticket, to see David Beckham.

Now these are not football fans. Nor are these homesick Englishman, desperate for a win after losing the rugby World Cup.

Most of these 83,000 people are paying 100 bucks to see “brand Beckham.” Not a footballer. But a celebrity. Famous for his fashion sense and hair style, famous for his marriage to pop star Posh Spice.

A friend of mine, Scottish Baptist pastor, John Drane, has recently written a book titled Celebrity Culture. How do Christians live in our celebrity world? What is a radio viewpoint when Beckham sells out?

My friend, John Drane, argues that our celebrity culture is actually a fantastic window for Christians and the gospel. But only if we’ll step outside our narrow Christian boxes. Why?

Well firstly, because celebrities, like David Beckham, remind us that in our world today, truth is now relational and personal. We buy tickets to Telstra stadium not because thousands of people are interested in the game of soccer, but because of the life and times of a person, brand Beckham.

Which is surely what Jesus was meaning when the said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” That we find truth through the life and times of a personal relationship with God.

So Christianity needs to move away from abstract waffly ideas about God, and get back to the truth of meeting a person, up-close and personal, called Jesus. And that we as Christians need to get better and more confident about being up-close and personal, talking about our relationship with a person called Jesus.

And secondly, and related, we Christians need to get more honest. It’s time for us stop trying to be holier than thou, goody 2 shoes.

Which is why I love the Bible. I do’’t find holier than thou, goody 2 shoes when I read Peter or the prophets or David. I find real people, struggling with doubt and fear and tough decisions and in livingn in messy human relationships.

Which is fascinating when we consider that at the heart of our celebrity culture, people are just like that. We love it when our celebrities become human, real people just like us. So we’re in this culture that allows celebrities to be honest.

Which we need to do as Christians. Because it’s for honest people, struggling but still seeking Jesus, upclose and personal, as the way, the truth and the life. That’s my viewpoint.

God the furniture restorer

Which for me becomes an image of what God’s like. God is in the recycling and restoration business. God never starts fresh, with a blank slate. Because people just aren’t like that. In reality, all people are damaged by years of sin and misery and self-harm. And God never says to human beings, “Stuff it. You’re useless. I’m going to destroy you and start again.”

Instead God recycles and restores. Walks the demolition yards of our city every day. Takes what looks less than perfect, like junk, from the demolition yard. Strips it back. Finds the grain. Works it creatively. God the restorer and recycler.

This was a bit from my Sunday sermon, on the prophet Micah. Those interested in these images of God might also want to engage with a reflection I did on God the hairdresser.

for sale: is their a kingdom in the housing market?

We’re in the process of buying and selling houses. We will make money on the properties we sell, because the property market has risen. We will need to put more money into a new house, because the market has risen. In other words, we’re making a good looking paper profit, which needs to be set alongside our mortgage commitments which will stay the same.

I am interested in what blog readers have done, or heard done, in terms of applying the Kingdom to sale and purchase of real estate. (And I’d most like to hear from people who have been in a similar situation, as I am a bit tired of armchair theoreticians at the moment.)

Do we give some of the paper profit to God? And in doing so potentially increase our mortgage?

why my filing system makes me a truly valuable employee

My desk tends to end up covered in piles of paper. While these are, IMHO, filed in order, known best to myself, the outsider could be mistaken in suggesting a slightly disorganised life.

In July, one of my employers offered me an inflation adjusted payrise. I was informed of this by letter, and invited to accept this generous offer by signing and returning the said paperwork. Apparently the letter informed me that upon reciept of my signature, the pay rise would be implemented.

Such a piece of paper seemed a minor detail at the time, as I was just back from a 3 week teaching journey, and there were things like family and church and lecturing to attend to. The letter was duly filed in the “to action pile”. During the next weeks (OK, months actually), other things have occupied my attention. Important things IMHO, like family and church and lecturing.

Needless to say that my excellent filing system has served me well, as more and more paper has been quietly filed in my “to action pile.”

Today a window of time allows me to attend to this pile. To my delight, my filing system has worked and the said bit of paper has been recovered, signed and sent.

Some might consider this filing system evidence of a disorganised mind. But the perceptive will merely note that the paper was always safely filed. Further, it was able to be retrieved when needed, which is surely the test of any filing system. Thirdly, my filing system has saved the employer nearly 4.5 months of a pay increase. Surely this should enable me to win the “truly valuable employee” of the year award.

(But please God, may I not have to sign for this award before receiving it, Amen).

a flying visit

It felt wierd to be flying in, and out, of Auckland all in one day. Wonderfully hosted by David Jeans, the Head of St Johns, who I discovered has a very sharp missional brain.

I spoke for 90 minutes to the students training for Anglican ministry at St Johns. (Big shout out to Spanky Moore who tag teamed with me and was great). There was then an open lunch, and informal interaction with staff and students about mission, worship, denominations. Then an hour with David, as I have some schemes hatching that I wanted to run past him (more details might follow in the months to come), and we also talked about me being back at St Johns for 3 days in February 2008, to give a longer and more extended kick of the missional tires of contemporary models of mission including emerging church and licensed shared ministry.

The best bit was renewing acquaintances with people like the librarians, Jacky Sewell, Andrew McDonald, and clergy conference participants that were at Auckland and Waikato.

Then back to Christchurch to do some growth coaching and pre-marriage counselling with a local couple from the community. (I note my need to mention this because someone said I sounded more like a manager than a pastor and I got defensive :)).

bounce back sp*m

I’m currently being killed by bounce back sp*m: the kind where someone has copied my email address into their spam and so when it hits a dead email address, bounces back to me as a delivery failure. I got over 600 of these while I was out for a 3 hour dinner date last nite. I am told by my ISP provider that there is nothing they can do. I am seriously considering changing my email address. Any other options out there?

a redwall feast

It’s school holidays here, so the Taylor family has been grabbing some precious days out at our family bach/holiday house. Last nite we had our first ever family Redwall feast.

As a way of sharing time with one of my children, earlier this year I started reading aloud to her from a book in the Brian Jacques Redwall series. It’s been a chapter a time, most likely on my Mond-day off, snuggling together to read and imagine. We were due to finish it while on holiday, so to honour this milestone, I suggested that together the two of us make a Redwall feast.

A quick search of the internet last week found a website dedicated to Redwall food recipes. Our family holiday house is quite primitive, so after careful selection, we settled on a few recipes and ordered in supplies! Special table mats were constructed and together the family enjoyed skilly and duff, meadow cream and October ale (you gotta read the books to appreciate the menu!). A good nite together and hopefully some good family memories to tuck away.

And it made me marvel again at the gift of the internet: a fanzine website that can faciliate a sharing across countries. Now back to the holiday.