Slow-Pastor

Busy pastor go, go, go,
Budgets and planning and projections to show.

Meetings, seminars, conferences, training,
Promoting and networking – next level he’s aiming.

Buildings to build, money to raise,
Overseas travel and some occasional praise. [Jesus]

How’s work? Busy, busy, no margins to bore,
Overloaded schedules that’s how you keep score.

60 hour, 80 hour work weeks even,
Advice I just read,
A successful pastor would have you believin.

But resist the desire to play that game,
A christian version of the rat race is surely insane.

We’ve no need on Sunday to be harassed and cajoled,
About some next level calling or in goal setting be schooled.

Slow down instead pastor and take a few breaths,
Let the truth of God’s Word rise up from the depths.

In stillness and prayer and quiet reflection,
You’ll discover a gentler pace from which to offer direction.

A non-anxious presence, and a more peaceful mind,
The wisdom of heaven, and of love you will find.

Walk-slowly dear pastor, please take your time,

Eyes open in wonder to see and to hear,
God’s alternate arrangement for human affairs.  

A poem I wrote for myself (and any who might appreciate it) post submitting the final project for my doctorate. I suddenly had space and margins that I've not had for a long time and people asking what I'm planning on filling that space with. There are lots of options. In one sense though, my major hope is to be slower, more present, more appreciative, more able to listen, more prayerful and considered.  

“How can I lead people into the quiet place beside the still waters if I am in perpetual motion? How can I persuade a person to live by faith and not by works if I have to juggle my schedule constantly to make everything fit into place?” Eugene H. Peterson, The Contemplative Pastor

On Books and Strategies for Reading

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I read more,” or, “I’d love to be more of a reader,” or, “so many books, but so little time,”? If you have, I've got a couple of suggestions in regard to how you might become a more proficient and prolific reader. 

Firstly, I’d encourage you to start thinking about books as you do various Netflix or television shows. Picture a book as a series and the chapters within the book as episodes.

Secondly, select three books that you’d like to read. Think of them as three different television shows that you’d like to have on the go. Maybe get some recommendations from friends in regard to something they’ve read and thought was top shelf – just like you do with Netflix. Of course, don’t (when starting out) choose three ridiculously large or complicated books, rather choose something with approx. 200 to 300 pages in it and ten to twelve chapters.

Thirdly, pick a night of the week that your “show,” your book, is going to be on. Let’s say one on Monday, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday, and then choose what time your show starts each night (appreciating that it’ll be an hour long) – let’s go with 8:15pm.

Fourthly, be aware that reading is a discipline, far more so than watching television. It takes energy, effort, and concentration. Reading is in one sense a muscle that you have to exercise and develop. When you first start there might be some heavy lifting, but you will grow stronger. Commit to your hour reading each night, with each book. Don’t worry if at first you can’t complete a whole chapter in the allotted time, a whole episode, you’ll become a faster reader by simple perseverance.

Fifthly, if one of your books gets really good – feel free to binge read.

Sixthly, if you commit to the discipline you’ll get through between ten and fifteen 250-page books every year, between one hundred and one hundred and fifty books every ten years. And that’s not accounting for the improvements you’ll make in terms of becoming a stronger reader every month that goes by, nor for the occasional binge read. 

"Books shape us, dynamically molding our minds and souls. You are never the same person when you finish a book–even one that is read purely for escape or entertainment. A.W. Tozer has aptly stated that “the things you read will fashion you by slowly conditioning your mind”. What it means is that what we read matters and directly affects what we become. We are fortunate with the wealth of books at our fingertips.  - Scott Larsen

Friday Craft Beer Review: Harrington Breweries’ The Rogue Hop NZ Pilsner

Started in 1991, John Harrington, of Harrington’s Breweries (Christchurch NZ), set out to brew affordable and tasty beers as an alternative to the overpriced brown ales dominant in New Zealand. At least that’s the story on their website. At the very least, Harrington’s tends to be a slightly more affordable craft beer and is available at most supermarkets. Today I thought I’d tackle their pilsner.

What is a pilsner? As mentioned in our previous discussion of IPAs and APAs, beer was traditionally brewed dark. With clean burning coal allowing for lightly roasted malts and a paler ale, all sorts of brewing possibilities opened up. In the early 1800’s England started producing pale ales and then especially the “Indian Pale Ale” which was exported to India with extra hops preserving the beer for the duration of the voyage. At the same time pale ales were also being brewed throughout Europe. Pilsner is a style of pale ale that takes its name from the Bohemian city of Pilsen, which at the time was a part of the Austrian Empire. While Indian Pale Ale took off in England and India, Pilsners were increasingly the rage in Europe. The clear golden beer was a welcome alternative to darker European Ales.

How is it different to something like an IPA?  What should one expect from a pilsner?

IPA’s tend to try and balance malt and hops. Strong hops are added to strong malts and the result is a reasonably big beer full of flavor and complexity. Pilsners on the other hand tend to be lighter beers. The lighter malts used in a pilsner aren’t as strong as in an IPA and thus the bitterness of hops comes through without the brewer needing to be so heavy handed with the hops. A pilsner is still a hoppy beer but it is more easy going. One should therefore expect the bitterness of hops, but also more pleasant (but subtle) flavor profiles are given a chance to come through. This Harrington’s pilsner is promising gooseberry aromas and peachy/apricot flavors. We’ll see. Pilsners also tend to have a dry finish, which basically means a crisp finish rather than a sweet lingering finish. Let’s see if this is the case.

Price: $4.99 500mils

Alcohol content: 5%

Colour: A lovely bright golden colour. A lot more pale than an IPA which tends towards a browny/orangy gold. This is very pale. Slightly cloudy. Not much bubbles.

Aroma: Sweet to smell. Honey and peaches.  

Palate: It’s fizzy. Feels light and refreshing in the mouth. You pick up the bitterness and grassy flavour of the hops straight away and then lovely hints of tropical fruit. 

Finish: The contrast when it comes to the finish between this pilsner and the Epic Pale Ale from last week is quite remarkable. While the flavors of the Epic Pale Ale linger, with the pilsner the bitterness drops off straight away, closely followed by the sweetness of fruit. And then it’s gone. It is a clean and dry finish and a part of what makes a pilsner such a refreshing beer.

On the Chart: On the chart we’re in the hoppy and simple quadrant. Here the continuum between hops and malt on the chart doesn’t quite work. The Epic Pale Ale from last week was more hoppy than this pilsner but also had unmistakable caramel malt flavors in the mix. And so, while the pilsner is placed on the chart as being less hoppy than the Epic Pale Ale, it is not more malty. You don’t pick up any malt flavors in this pilsner. This of course make it less complex but also potentially more of a refreshing beer.

Conclusion: I’ve not drunk a lot of Harrington’s but I have most of their premium range at one stage or another. They genuinely are a more affordable craft beer but, at least in regards to this Rogue Hop NZ Pilsner, that doesn’t mean you are getting a second rate beer. This pilsner is on point; delicious and refreshing with the sweetness coming from the fruitiness of the hops rather than the caramel sugars of malt. I’d happily recommend this to anyone looking to sample a pilsner, especially after a great days fishing and with a plate of fresh Snapper. 

If not cool, then what? Relevant and contemporary.

If the attraction of church isn't its 'cool' quotient, what is its attraction?

I do think church should have an attraction factor, a number in fact. There are a few that spring straight to mind.

Firstly, and foremost, should be the very presence of Jesus in the church community, in the worship, the word, the sacraments, and in the individual lives of those that gather as the church.

Secondly, in a world full of pretence, show, self marketing and masks, there should be an attraction factor in the church in regards to authenticity, honesty, transparency, acceptance and its ability to ask hard questions and not just offer easy answers. The church should be a 'come as you are' community. There is something beautiful about this. Though of course the church need not apologize for also being a transformational community; 'come as you are' doesn't always equate to 'stay as you are.'

Thirdly, there should be an attraction factor in the way that the church community loves one another, cares for one another, stands with one another, celebrates with one another etc. As a redeemed community, as an advance party of heaven's invasion of earth, the church is a community (though flawed) that seeks to dwell in right relationship with God, self, others and creation. There should be something attractional about this.

And then fourthly, the church should also be a community that is relevant to contemporary society. Yep, I said it, RELEVANT and CONTEMPORARY. By this though, I don't mean cool. Remember my last post? Relevant to contemporary society doesn't have anything to do with being cool.

By relevant to contemporary society  I mean the, way in which it speaks  the life of Christ into the issues, cultures, addictions, pursuits, longings, questions and concerns, and worldview of its particular context in history. This doesn't necessarily mean contemporary mediums or packaging, in fact, you could argue that it may in fact require counter cultural mediums and distinctly alternative packaging in order to truly speak into today's cultural context. If the famous idiom 'the medium is the message' is true, then consideration must be given to the ways in which the mediums the church use at times enhance our message and other times distort it.

I think that if the church is to remain contemporary it must also be ancient. It should take seriously Jesus call to give, to pray, to fast, to turn the other cheek, to lay down one's life, take up one's cross, die to self. It should encourage stillness, reflection, contemplation. If people want to be 'pumped up' they can take a spin class or go to an AMWAY conference or tune into Anthony Robins. The church has some pretty ancient and some pretty unfashionable things to call people to. Fasting in a world of consumerism focused on touch, smell, taste experience? Have fun rallying the troops for this fun pass time!

At times, the more contemporary we become, the more irrelevant we become. It's hard to critique culture if we're not counter culture. And so it's an ongoing back-and-forth shuffle, working to ensure that the Sunday gatherings on the life of the church community are relevant to contemporary society,

that is...

they speak hope and truth and love,
and promise and grace and forgiveness ,
and the reality of Christ, and of his life and his death and his resurrection,
and of his arms open invitation to follow,
right into the very heart of the issues and challenges of 21st Century living.

I know as a local church pastor that sometimes we do this really well and that sometimes we don't do as well as we would of liked. I know too that sometimes I think we've nailed it and nobody says a lot and other times I think we've bombed it and people say things like, 'now I wish every Sunday was like that!' You scratch your head, trust God and push on. Jesus has a way of graciously meeting people right where they are at.

When the church speaks into the issues, the longings, the questions and concerns of its contemporary context, ultimately, it is attractional. Why? Because people know deep down that surely there has to be more to this life than this life. More going on than just consuming and acquiring and tasting and experiencing and conquering and striving and burning out and...

It's not about being cool.
What's the point when your message isn't cool?
It's just confusing.
It's about Jesus, authenticity, love and a boldness to offer ancient truth into a 21st Century context. 

Check out these Christians in the Philippines worshipping together after Typhoon Haiyan. Come on! That's what I'm talking about. The real deal.
 

Side note: I'm not here wanting to contrast attractional with incarnational. Ultimately the church should be incarnational rather than attractional, that is, a church that goes into the world rather than expects to attract people out of the world. I'm talking about a different kind of attraction here and believe there is a manner of speaking of the church as attractional that I think is appropriate.  

Slow Bible - Part 3 of 3

We’ve been looking at the concept of ‘Slow Bible’ over the last few weeks. Firstly, rather than attempting to read through the Bible in a year, tackle 2 to 4 books of the Bible and read them in conversation with some friends. Secondly, invite an expert into the conversation. The expert won’t actually be there in the room or cafe, but you can invite someone like N.T. Wright into the conversation by taking on one of his For Everyone commentaries. The goal is better comprehension and application to life. Another good series is the NIV Application Commentary, like Wright’s For Everyone series, the biblical text is offered and then followed up with explanation and potential application to life. This of course involves a little more reading, hence ‘slow Bible’ rather than Bible-in-a-year but will lead to great discussions with your friends. Two more thoughts...

 

Thirdly, sometimes it’s helpful to step back and take a ‘bird’s eye view’ at things. This can be helpful when it comes to the bible. The Drama of Scripture by C.G. Bartholomew and M.W. Goheen is a fantastic introduction to the big story of the Bible. It breaks the big story of the bible into six acts with an interlude between acts 3 and 4 and will really help you to understand what the Biblical narrative is all about. Scot McKnight also has a book called The King Jesus Gospel. This book offers a bird’s eye view of the life of Jesus and the significance of Jesus for humanity. A must read.

 

Fourthly and finally, Christians believe that the Bible is a unique revelation of God to humankind. It’s a book like no other and is understood to be inspired by God (the various authors wrote in their own cultural context and language but they wrote under the inspiration of God); infallible (the Bible is not liable to deceive - when understood and interpreted correctly is trustworthy); and authoritative (the teaching, instruction and big story of the Bible is intended to inform and shape how we live our lives). We believe that even as the authors were inspired by God to write, God can inspire the readers as they read. This doesn’t mean the Bible says whatever we want it to say, but rather, when we engage in due diligence as readers it is amazing how God will speak into our hearts and lives today.

 

Make 2013 the year when you engage in some ‘slow’ Bible reading and be inspired as God speaks into your world.

2013 Goals

Goals in my experience tend to be about adding, fitting, squeezing and cramming more into your life than before. This year I’ve decided to make my goals more about taking things out; removing rather than adding. I don’t think I could fit much more in anyway. They are not all “no” goals but most are. I still need help with two more months if you have any ideas.

Jumping on board with an idea a Facebook friend made me aware of, basically setting goals one month at a time or rather for a month, I’ve 12 goals for 2013. You can read the article Rethinking Resolutions here.

January – Knock 1/3 of grocery bill for the month.  Attempt to make grocery bill 2/3 of normal bill by eating more simply, more cheaply and also by consuming some of the food items that have sat in the freezer or pantry for an extended period of time.  

February – No sugar for a month.  No lollies, sweet treats, alcohol, fizzy, ice cream etc.

March – No social media for a month. No Facebook, no twitter, no blogs. Consuming or producing.

April – No caffeine for a month. No coffee or caffeinated drinks.

May –

June – No consuming for a month. Other than AP’s, utility bills etc. No spending for a month. Only places money will be spend will be supermarket and petrol station.

July – No meat for a month. One month as a vegetarian. Bring on black beans!

August – Read The History of New Zealand by Michael King. I’ve wanted to do this for ages and with my reading largely dictated by studies, this August I’m saying “No, I will not be dictated do!”

September –

October – No staying up late for a month. Go to bed early, lights out, by 9:25pm each night.

November – No television for a month. No watching sport, movies, docos, the news etc.

December – No brand new Christmas gifts. Up-cycle/re-cycle/homemake all Christmas gifts and accessories. This includes cards, wrapping paper, etc.

Caveats: If needs be will swap months around. Also I will compromise on a goal for pastoral or missional reasons if it would be prudish to not make an allowance. This is not to create an easy out but rather the goals are to serve me and be help me but I am not a slave to them.  

You're welcome to join me on any of these.

Want 14 extra hours? Want to live healthier?

It seems that the average New Zealander watches a little over three hours of television per day.[1] That’s 21 hours a week. Half a standard work week! Across New Zealand that’s around 12 million hours a day; a total of around 500,000 years (per year) that goes into television. That’s a lot of people-power hours, even if not the best hours.  

As much as anyone else I understand that sometimes at the end of the day, work over, kids in bed etc all you want to do is put your feet up and chill in front of the TV, watch a sit-com, a sci-fi, some sport or a movie. Some people are physically drained and want to chill. Some people are mentally drained and want to chill. Others are emotionally or intellectually exhausted. No argument from me.

I wonder though if we might be a little healthier if we cut out some of the TV and replaced it with something else? Of course we would! We all know this.

My suggestion is that you consider reducing your television viewing from 21 hours per week to 14 hours. Not too drastic. Now there are all sorts of meaningful ways you could spend an extra 7 hours. Here are a couple of suggestions that are simply focused on health.

With the 7 hours you free up you could consider…

1.   Reading for 4 hours per week – if your reading and comprehension abilities are only average it would take you less than 3 weeks to read a standard 300 page book. You’d actually get through about 19 books in a year. That’s pretty good going! And… if you made sure nine of these were non-fiction books by reputable writers that’s a fair amount solid download! You’ll be exercising the mind and this is an incredibly healthy habit. As you read more you’ll also become a better reader with your comprehension and wpm count going up. If your job is fairly intellectually demanding read something that is outside your field of work but an interest you have and you’ll find it energizing rather than draining.  

2.   Exercise for 3 hours per week – you’d be amazed at the results you can achieve in 3 solid work outs per week, be they running, weights, boxing, cross training etc. If you are pushing yourself and eating well you’ll burn fat, build muscle tone, release endorphins, sweat out toxins etc. Again you know how good this is for you. You just have to do it!  

Now of course, if you're just watching TV to "unwind" you could always consider ditching another 5 hours of TV, bring your total viewing time down to 9 hours (still a fair bit) and have an extra 5 hours of sleep per week. If your mind is being exercised and your body is being exercised (and properly feed) the other component for health that we need is rest. Sitting on the couch watching TV isn’t even close to the same thing as sleeping. The five hours extra per week, an hour per week night, will energize and increase your efficiency across the rest of the day. You’ll cope with stress better, your kids better, and your husband/wife better. You’ll work smarter, you’ll think clearer and you’ll be better for it.

All you have to do is turn television off and engage!

---

[1] Statistics in online articles vary a little but there seems to be a general agreement on this figure.

Ignorance is Bliss - Never Read Anything You Don't Agree With

For most people, most of the time, the books they read simply endorse what they all ready believe, and – they likely know this before they even start reading them.  

I know this is an unquantifiable statement but it has been true in my life. For years I read the same sorts of books by the same sorts of authors about the same sorts of topics. I’d read the blurb, the blurb would appeal to my ambitions, dreams or desires and I read the book. Then I’d read any other books that author might have written or that might have been compiled from that particular pastors sermon notes. This is all good but there is not much adventure.

- Books have the potential to open you up to whole new ways of seeing and understanding the world.

- Books have the potential to shift you out of your own narrow perspectives and limited understanding into truth and insight you’d never considered.

- Books have the potential to disturb you, challenge you, confront you; to grab you by the scruff of the neck, hold you against the wall, look deep into your eyes and force you to consider, ponder, accept or reject things you’ve always taken for granted.

- Books can be troublesome as they introduce you to issues you may never have considered, as they challenge you to pause, to reconsider, to take stock, to refine your thinking.

If you find books boring then you’re reading the wrong books.

Here are four books I’ve read that in different ways challenge, confront, pull apart, disturb and disorientate. They’re exciting books. You might not agree with everything in them but they get you thinking. Books are conversations. Conversations that don’t get you thinking are called “small talk” or as my sister-in-law puts it “shit-chat”; who has time for that? These books will get you thinking and the four of them together make a pretty good combo. They’ve got me wrestling uncomfortably rather than resting comfy.

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger – Ronald J Sider
The Great Disruption – Paul Gilding
Surprised by Hope – N.T Wright
State of the World 2012 – World WatchInstitute

If you prefer your reading to be more comforting rather than confronting stick to - The Prayer of Jabez, The Secret, Your Best Life Now, and Rich Dad Poor Dad. These books will help you get to sleep at night. The others will keep you awake.... and you wouldn't want that would you?

Success?

Success and the need to be “successful” is something that everyone wrestles with. In our Western context dollars, fame, looks etc are so quickly understood as markers of success. As we mature in life our understanding of success tends to evolve. At 2 not wetting your bed is success, same at 92, not so much at 22. In my teenage years success was attaining all the “stuff.” As I get older I begin to realise (as I grab a hold of some of the “stuff” and realise I’ll never get other aspects of the “stuff”) how potentially void in meaning much of this is.

As we grow in our understanding of what it means to walk the way of Jesus we also discover that success isn’t always what we think it is.  God has a path for us to walk in life that doesn’t always lead to what the world describes as successful. Ultimately success is to run the race God has set before you. A race where you don’t compete with others. A race that is about living faithfully before God. Hebrews offers examples of heroes in the faith, men and women who didn’t give up but continually pushed forward in life. It’s a mixed bag though. As legendary as some of these people were a stack of them also stuffed up royally.

We see that in the economy of God direction and perseverance is more important than perfection. This side of eternity, these legends of the faith experienced varied outcomes in regards to the way the world might measure success. Abraham and David ended up wealthy and highly regarded. Others were tortured, flogged, sawn in two, and lived destitute, persecuted and mistreated! Sometimes success before God comes with the accolades of success our world admires; sometimes it simply doesn’t. Sometimes success before God comes with all the stuff that we’d deem as failure.

So what is success? God is working in history to bring about the reconciliation and restoration of all things. We’re invited as Christ followers, to partner with the Holy Spirit, and creatively engage in purposeful living, that in ways big and small, brings shalom (peace) on earth. Some people will have an acute sense of what this means for them. For others, living like this is a wide open space with all sorts of possible choices.

Success is to engage in God’s mission and to run the race set before you. Throw off that which hinders, throw off sin that entangles, let go of past mistakes and royal stuff ups, stand up, stand back up, and run. Sometimes this may bring success as marked by the world, more often probably not. Rather than aiming for “success” we should be aiming to live our lives as a “collaborative masterpiece” co-painted with God.  

We are called to be co-conspirators with God in how our lives turn out. We may make bad choices, exercise poor judgement, commit mistakes, and miss God’s cues. Also at times though, we rise to the occasion, adopt courageous stands, distinguish ourselves through integrity and service, and do a lot of right things. Our choices and actions – bad and good – contribute to our life’s storyline. The fascinating truth is that God weaves it all together into a story that we claim as our own. Adapted from Work of Heart by Reggie McNeal.

Pentecost: Speaking in Tongues

Sunday just gone was Pentecost Sunday.

Acts chapter 2 records the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. Those gathered were filled with the Spirit and spoke in other tongues. It’s a strange and bizarre event that marks the birth of the church. It’s an empowering event that equipped Christians to be the church, to gather and scatter in the name of Jesus, active in the mission of Jesus to bring healing and reconciliation to the world.

Pentecost however is not a onetime event that God simply used to get the ball rolling. Pentecost is a reality to be experienced today.

We should expect divine interruption as the Holy Spirit speaks into our lives through those impressions which over time we discern to be God’s voice. We should expect to speak in other tongues, that somehow when we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us and enable us to speak in tongues we’ll learn to speak a kind of “gibberish” language that just roles of the tongue and speaks to the Spirit of God. I can’t explain this any better; it’s a subjective, bizarre and weird phenomenon. Yet, over the last 100 years the Pentecostal church has grow to over 400 million people who have experienced this as a reality in their life.

We should expect to speak in other tongues in the sense of speaking a different language to the world around us. We tell a different story to the world in regards to how to make sense of life. Inspired speech always follows the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We speak in tongues and bring the presence of Pentecost into people’s lives when we speak words of hope, life, grace, possibility and promise in the midst of uncertainty, doubt, worry, anxiety and hopelessness. We speak in tongues when we talk about the resurrected Messiah, Jesus Christ who was not abandoned to the realm of death but whom God raised to life in order that we all might be raised to life. It is a different story, a different language; it’s the good news of the gospel of Jesus.  We speak the language of Pentecost!

With this in mind there is always going to be something a little strange, a little crazy, and a little bizarre about Christ followers. Let’s make sure the strangeness is our belief that God talks to us, talks through us, interrupts our lives, leads, guides and challenges us.  There is no need to wrap Pentecost up in weird pentecostalism wrapping paper and go all Harry Potter or Old King James. Like with prayer in Matthew 6:5-8 there should be simplicity and a humility that comes with the empowerment of the Spirit.

Too often pentecostalism causes us to throw out Pentecost. Pentecost then becomes contemporary rather than unusual. Lights, projectors and sound systems, replace noise, wind, and fire. All because we thought the noise, the wind and the fire needed to be out of control. We forgot that a Dove is in control.

Reading the Bible - Part 2 of 2

As we engage in reading the bible we discover a big story by which it is possible to make sense of humanity’s story and of our own story. We discover that the bible is the great story of God’s love and plan for humanity. It’s an exciting concept but reading the bible can be a daunting task. A lot of bibles, no doubt, live covered in dust down in that black hole between the bedside cabinet and bed. In truth is the bible is simple and complex. It is an ancient document even though you can download it to your iPhone. Making sense of the original meaning and context, the big story and its implications for life today, can be a challenge.

A plain reading often reveals plain truth. Genesis 1-3 tells us that God is the creator of the universe and that humans are somehow special in creation, designed to reflect the nature of God but that something has gone wrong.  It is simple and straight forward. But it is complex as well. How exactly did God create the universe? Instantly? 10,000 odd years ago? 4.5 billion years ago? Via an evolutionary process that God set about? How is humanity special? What does it mean to be created “in the image of God”? What’s gone wrong and can it be remedied?

It is helpful to remember that the bible was always intended to be read in conversation. Most of the books of the bible are addressed to a community of people who would have engaged with the content in conversation with each other, the young and the old, the immature and the wise. Read in community it is much easier to make sense of. To do this you need to slow down. Forget any bible-in-a-year type plan. Read with a friend or a group of friends and invite an expert into the discussion. It’s not that hard to do, the experts write books.

(My favourite way to read the bible is on random sets of steps down alleys with my arms wrapped around my wife [like the couple in this picture]. It has never happened but I am sure it would be awesomeness. #somepeoplearefruity)

N.TWright, one of the world’s leading bible scholars, has a series of books called For Everyone in which he explains in simple terms what’s going on in the various books of the New Testament. Just “google” John for Everyone or Romans for Everyone. The Drama of Scripture is a great introduction to the big story of the bible written by two great scholars.  Finally, by Scot McKnight, The King Jesus Gospel (exploring the gospel) and One.Life (exploring Christian living) provide a fantastic explanation of the Christian faith. If you’ve been reading the bible for years or never have but always thought you’d like to have a crack, these books will be a great help in making sense of the big story of the bible.

Reading the Bible - Part 1 of 2

Christian conviction understands the bible to be unique in its revelation of God to humanity. Christian’s understand the bible to be; 1) inspired by God (the various authors wrote in their own cultural context and language but they wrote under the inspiration of God); 2) to be infallible (the bible is not liable to deceive and when understood and interpreted correctly is trustworthy); and 3) to be authoritative (the teaching, instruction and big story of the bible is to inform and shape how we live out our lives).  With this in mind, how do we meaningfully engage with the bible?

We need to appreciate that the goal is bible living not simply bible reading. The goal is understanding that leads to transformation, understanding that leads to right beliefs, right affections, and right living before God. As well, the bible can be a source of strength, encouragement and wisdom in the process of transformation. With this in mind we go to the bible to discover the true story of humanity and of God’s love and plan for humanity. The bible contains a big story (metanarrative) out of which it is possible to make sense of humanity’s story and of our own individual stories and experiences.

That this is the case makes reading the bible an exciting proposition and life changing experience. For many however this isn’t their experience. It is easy to get lost in the various genres, genealogies, and small stories that make up the big story. Some people therefore don’t read looking to make sense of the big story of the bible and its implications for their own story and life. Rather, understanding that the bible is inspired by God and that God can inspire you as you read, some people simply read looking for a verse or line to stand out which they can underline and find strength or solace in. There is nothing expressly wrong with this but the reality is we often read into the text what we would like the bible to say. It’s also pretty easy to miss the big story that is unfolding as we tackle chapter or a paragraph every now and then looking to underline something that is personally meaningful. It is a legitimate way to read the bible but wisdom is required and, in reality, you can do better than that.

Thoughts on Christian Art

Here are some insightful thoughts on Christian art from Richard Beck. Well worth a read.

I particularly appreciated the thought that words on art lead to a Gnostic faith rather than an Incarnational faith, especially when the concept is taken further to include meals, retreats, recreational gatherings etc.

I also agree that words too easily distract from the subtleties, nuances, mystery and wonder of art and as Richard extends the thought to so many other areas of life. We want the meaning when at times there are many meanings and Spirit wanting to bring those meanings alive!

About to go Offline for a Month

Every year (approx 23rd of Dec - 23rd of Jan) I shut down my DELL Studio XPS 16 and go offline for a month. No Win 7, no Microsoft Word or Excel. No e-mail, facebook, blogging or blog reading. No Trademe, no Google, and no Wiki. It's a wonderful time of the year. You can actually live without all that stuff. Not long to go now!

Website of the Week...

Check this out the Junky Car Club. Drive a crap car in order to be more generous. Awesome!

50 Ways to Help the Planet

50 Ways to Help the Planet

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Freedom of Simplicity 7

Chapter 7 - Outward Simplicity: Beginning Steps

Today there is a heretical teaching that is an absolute plague on American Christianity. It is the dogmatic unexamined credo that whatever we gain is ours to do with as we please. If we earn $70,000, how we spend it is our private affair. Perhaps we will concede that it is legitimate for the Church to talk about tithing but the other 90% is none of its business.

How utterly self-consumed and provincial! In no way can we twist scripture to justify such a belief. Our lifestyle is not out private affair. We dare not allow each person to do what is right in his or her own eyes. The Gospel demands more of us: it is obligatory upon us to help one another hammer out the shape of Christian simplicity in the midst of modern affluence. We need to love each other enough to sense our mutual responsibility and accountability. We are our brother's and sister's keeper.

Most dangerous of all is the tendency to turn an expression of simplicity into a new legalism.

We understand that Peter spoke to the particular issues of his day; our task is to discern what constitutes ostentatious elitism and speak to that situation today.

Never forget that poverty is not simplicity.

Most of us if we kept a careful record for one year would be amazed at how much we spend in certain categories.

And also 7 or 8 keys to stepping into simplicity that you could initiate in your life today. You need to buy this book and read it.

My major takeaways...

1. Simplicity is not simply a private matter or choice. It must be discussed and addressed in our churches, life groups, friendship circles etc. This presents a massive challenge but we cannot back down from it. Pastors and leaders need wisdom. Congregations need an open heart and a passion for Kingdom living. We all need the Spirit of God to speak and lead, understanding that means we may not be led where we want to go, but into what is best for us.

2. Simplicity is not poverty and denial it is freedom, peach and purpose. It brings health and growth. Unless we chose to simplify, to live sustainability, to live counter culture to the world, we will continually damage this planet, our relationships with people around us, and our intimacy with God. Consumerism and materialism is counter to the culture of the Kingdom. We have to recognise that as truth. We also have to be brave enough to acknowledge that so much in our lives is unnecessary excess. Sure we can call it blessing, favor, and the grace of God. Again we have to come back though, to what is that blessing for? Challenging and difficulty but a journey we must all take. Billy Graham said - 'The growing possibility of our destroying ourselves and the world with our own neglect and excess is tragic and very real.'

3. Simplicity is all about the sorting of priorities in life. It brings us into a depth of relationship with God, with others, and with creation that brings life in our Christian journey.

Freedom of Simplicity 6

Chapter 6 – Inward Simplicity: Holy Obedience

Three stages to discovering the simplicity of self-blindness. 1) Freeing ourselves from an ‘intoxication’ to material or outward things and becoming sensitive to the things of the Spirit, especially our inward condition. 2) Moving away from total absorption in ourselves and our eternal destiny and to being centred in the fear of God. 3) The natural calm and unpretentious exuberance of simplicity.

Fenelon – ‘With this purity of heart, we are no longer troubled by what others think of us, except that in charity we avoid scandalizing them.’ We do not have to be liked. We do not have to succeed. We can enjoy obscurity as easily as fame.

Genuine humility has a gentleness about it that is delightful.

We would do well to discipline our words to what is actually the case without embellishment or overstatement.

My major takeaways...

1. Not living by the standards of the world is truly a free place to live.

That we do not have to be liked and that we do not have to succeed, that obscurity can be enjoyed as easily as fame is so counter to everything society throws at us. It is a truly free place to live though. Continually and consciously in our thinking and actions we need to ensure that we are choosing to live with this attitude.

2. Simple living is not a life of phlegmatism.

It is not a place of no longer caring about what you do in life. Rather it is about caring so much about what you do in regards to obedience to the Holy Spirit, faithfulness to God’s word, and living the way of Jesus and the Kingdom that as long as there is authenticity in ones relationship with God that is the yard stick. No longer the standards of the world. This does not result in lethargic living but rather purposeful, measured, and sustainable determination.

3. What a virtue humility is!

When we live in this place we can begin to develop humility in our lives. True humility truly is gentle and delightful to be around. People with humility draw the best out of others, walk with confidence that is never overbearing or seemingly arrogant, and you so easily find yourself open to what they have to say. Think of the most famous or well educated person you know whom you actually enjoy spending time with, humility will be a major characteristic in their life. How much more effective would Christians be in reaching their neighbours if true humility was a common characteristic.

4. Simplify your speech.

That we so carefully need to watch our words. So much of what we say has the potential to be embellished and overstated. So much of what we hear, we know is embellished and inaccurate. Jesus instructs us to let our ‘no’ be ‘no’ and our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and not to make oaths. Is this because oaths are bad? No, it’s because if an oath is required then it implies we have two standards of talk. Oaths which are when we are being truthful and then the rest of our speech which may or may not be honest, trustworthy, or reliable. As Christians we don’t need oaths because all of our talk, all of the time, should be honest, trustworthy and to be counted on. This is a real challenge but a challenge worth embracing. Simplify your speech.

Freedom of Simplicity 5

Chapter 5 - Inward Simplicity: The Divine Center

What will free us from this bondage to the ever-spiraling demands that are placed upon us? The answer is found in the grace Christian simplicity. This virtue, once worked into our lives, will unify the demands of our existence; it will prune and trim gently and in the right places, bringing a liberty of soul that will eliminate constant reversions to ourselves.

Within all of us is a whole conglomerate of selves. There is the timid self, the courageous self, the business self, the parental self, the religious self, the literary self, the energetic self. All of these selves are rugged individualists. No bargaining or compromise for them. Each one screams to protect his or her vested interests. If a decision is made to spend a relaxed evening listening to Chopin, the business self and the civic self rise up in protest at the loss of precious time. The energetic self paces back and fourth, impatient and frustrated, and the religious self reminds us of lost opportunities for study or evangelistic contact. If the decision is to accept an appointment on the human services board, the civic self smiles with satisfaction, but all the excluded selves filibuster. No wonder we feel distracted and torn. No wonder we over commit our schedules and live lives of frantic faithfulness.

But when we experience life at the Center (with God as the Center), all is changed. Our many selves come under the control of the divine Arbitrator, (The Holy Spirit).

Everything becomes orientated to this new Center (Christ) of reference.

We enter a refreshing balance and equilibrium in life.

From Brother Lawrence - The time of business for me does not differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.

My major takeaways...

I couldn't believe how much Foster's comments about the different 'selves' within us fight with each other. When resting I fight with myself that I should be studying, when studying I wonder if I should be exercising, when exercising I wonder if I should be with the kids, when with the kids I fret about undone tasks that need completing. Absolutely there is need for me to consciously get Christ at the center and trust him as I do all that needs doing in life, all in due course.

I have have to chose to...

1. Let go and trust Him. All my DOING will never get everything DONE. I have to remember how important it is at times simply to be. Be with Him, be with my kids, be with myself etc.

2. Chose to slow down.

3. Accept that seasons in life create different priorities. Even though I still have to fight this, having kids has helped me a lot. Golf and the gym are on the back burner at the moment. Bikes, books, and bath time reign supreme.

Freedom of Simplicity 4

Chapter 4 - Simplicity Among the Saints

For the Dessert Fathers and Mothers the world, including the church, had become so dominated by secular materialism that, for them, the only witness against it was to withdraw from it.

Celibacy is necessary for some forms of simplicity. Francis could not have done what he did if he had not been single. Nor could Jesus.

The Quakers chose simplicity in their attire, in speech, in vigorously opposing injustice and oppression.

These early 'Publishers of Truth,' as they called themselves, too with utter seriousness the task of hearing the voice of Christ and obeying his word. They would ask,'What does it mean to live faithful lives in our day?' and they fully expected to receive an answer.

We who live in a world of half truths and rationalizations and intellectual gymnastics that keep us from hearing and obeying the word of Christ need to hear the witness of the Friends. Because we live in a different culture, we must ask once again what it means to live faithful lives in our day. But we must ask fully expecting to receive an answer and fully expecting to be given the power to obey the call.

J. Hudson Taylor - 'Butter, milk, and other luxuries I cease to use, and found that by living mainly on oatmeal and rice with occasional variations a very small sum was sufficient for my needs. In this way he was able to use two thirds of his income for other purposes. He wrote, 'My experience is that the less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.'

My major takeaways...

Simplicity is not something new in the 21st Century. Even in the first century Christians were choising to live simple lives in order that their affections would be set firmly on Jesus and in order that they might better help the poor and the needy. That being the case, how much more the need for simplicity in the 21st Century!?! How would the saints respond to the extravigences of life that we posses today?

Butter and milk were once considered luxuries. Would we class them as that today? Many in the world would.

What do you consider luxury items? What do you consider nessasary? What is extravegent? What is enough? What do you have to have to live? What can you do without?

I find that the more I journey with the Holy Spirit, the more I practice simplicity as a discipline, and the more I think of others and their needs, the more my answers today are not what they were yesterday.