Month: <span>June 2005</span>

Published June 17, 2005 by

Close to Home (unabridged)

from 15/6/05

Went to missions trip info night for Owa language group. New Testament…or is it Bible dedictation. Thats Santa Ana (Island in the Solomons). I went basically to catch up with the Mellows and take my mind off everything else.

I amaze myself… am so comfortable with them its like quiet bec doesn’t exist. Was good to laugh, to remember together. Sisters weren’t there.

Personal Creed is done! Work tomorrow and after that, freedom! Time, it finally slows down enough for me to catch up, or in taking the metaphor more literally, to get off and forget it for awhile.

Church stuff, I have now a much fuller picture.

I was reading a book I found on the table this morning, skim read cover to cover.
Fractured Families: A Melbourne church cult (link to article from the Age)

Somewhat disturbing. Namely the last names of WPC people, of whom are causing much of the problems – Roe’s, Nicholls.

I guess just that it is/was prevalant in areas like Mont Albert, Surrey Hills… all places around where church is. They had a big problem with ‘the fellowship’ in Mt Evelyn. Did I take a step back when I read that name! And some of the founders or something were missionaries in the Solomons and stuff in the SSEC church. of which was one of the denomination/churches we 50:50 attended. Too close to home. weird. Book was written only last year. Brings stuff close to home, makes you wonder.

Mmm. so Church. I will pretty much have to go to Saturday’s meeting. Dad’s prediction of the situation, probably mass exodus (maybe not) 30-40 left. Interim pastor etc… they’ll run church their way for 10 or 15yrs then it will die out (they are prty much all older). I dare say it wont be a place to attract youth, families, growth for that matter. Then again God, I have no idea what you have in plan. Sad yes, but pleased its nearly all over.

Walsh’s had some retailiation meeting at their place tonight. Monty J was going to try tell them they are being ‘carnal’ in their approach to it all. It was going to be an attempt at forcing Geoff, dad… to leave. Dad Mark and Geoff sort of beat them to it, closed the umbrella before they got a chance – the letter about resignations went out today.

Hmm, God you know what’s going on.
Thankyou for being constant, unchanging.
For being a just God and a loving God.
Amen.

Church General Solomon Islands

Published June 15, 2005 by

Self – C.S. Lewis

Interesting quote that I don’t want to lose, so I’ll put it here.
Just a little foundational on what’s been going on in my head the past 12mths or so.
Trust C.S. Lewis to word it so nicely (from Mere Christianity) I sort of needed to hear it articulated again even although this is the first time I’ve read this.

“But there must be a real giving up of the self. You must throw it away
‘blindly’ to so speak. Christ will indeed give you a real personality: but you
must not go to Him for the sake of that. As long as your own personality is what
you are bothering about you are not going to Him at all. The very first step is
to try to forget about the self altogether. Your real, new self (which is
Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long
as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him.”

Christianity General Words

Published June 15, 2005 by

If we are the body – Casting Crowns (lyrics)

But if we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way.

Christianity General Music

Published June 15, 2005 by

We are the Pirates who don’t do anything (abridged)

Quarter of the creed done. Jess W picked me put around 2:00 went and did some at her place. Had tead, went to Amy S’s for Veggie Tales night (YITS). Deciding what to go was all rather impromtu – figured we had nothing much better to do (than more essays). Will have to work hard tomorrow. Worth it though, to catch up with a few: Amy, Tracey, Jessmin, Clare, Erin, Jo and Nat.
Apparently Dave had dropped in earlier – those who are doing the netball lost the first game. Plenty of chips, scones, coke. Too much coke – hence still awake. Watched four VeggieTales then we left.
Thank you God for the friends reminder. I get in this stubborn mentality and refuse to work on what I’ve been given, wanting the outcome without the work, in so missing the journey, creating history, which really is a huge part of what it’s all about. Help me work on that.

Thinking about faith, interesting how all this (church crap) comes up. this situation and relating aspects. How the Personal Creed is very much about faith and belief. How I’ve been challenged with some of that lately. How I keep stumbling across books that I should be reading.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

General Life YITS

Published June 15, 2005 by

Alternative (unabridged)

Tuesday morning. The only one at home. Sitting in the corner of the lounge with coffee, Bible, journal. Favourite place – or becoming so. Its windy outside which makes the shaddows from the light coming through the windows more interesting. Have to write Personal Creed today, but that can wait.

I can choose my response to today. I’d rather it be less of a mess than the past few. Brining stuff back to God last night will have a large part in that response. I could distance myself from what’s going on, let myself think continually through it or let it sit knowing God is in complete control – the better option.

To go from here. Frustrated I vent frustrations on a few. Unfair not to listen first. I can’t change that (past), but a mental note for next time. I’m sorry I do that.

Can tell a little about God talk in some ways, when problems seem too much we take the first step of getting angry, pouring out dissatisfactions and fears and forgetting to stop. Get so caught up that we forget to listen when maybe that’s some of what we should be doing first. Not to say don’t bring it all to God. Raw emotion, exact problems, honesty of your situation. God wants to hear that. Just not taking the time to stop and be still.
Words, be they said, thought, written are less important coming from you than from another. God knows it all anyway.

What would it be like to approach a problem in reverse? I wonder if that’s part of what happens when it is too hard to pray when you are forced to either (completely ignore God) or to read something. A Psalm, whatever.
I don’t know how true or how clearly I’d prescribe to doing it differently. Worth thinking about though, that and having the presence of mind in that kind of situation.

Thankyou God for knowing me.
Help me to lsiten to you and to others first.
Keep honesty in place.
Let me put you first in everything – including problems.

————

Church stuff…. conversation with mum about more stuff.

Meeting on Saturday will be going ahead, Vote if kicking the Roe’s out was the right move. Yes I should go. Blah.
I will vote YES and dont mind saying it, it wont change.

Whatever the outcome, Dad, Mark, Geoff all resigning from leadership. Some staying so leadership isn’t crawled over with the wrong people… much being handed over to another Bretho guy.
We will be leaving WPC.
I had already made that descision.
Looks like some church hunting will be happening – as much as I hate the ‘church shop’ slogan, I guess I need to find somewhere that will work (both in getting there and fiting in).
🙂 mum saying stuff about that ^ freedom to choose is nice. I dont have to go same place as them – wouldn’t anyway unless I chose to. Intentionally getting annoyed and going out of my way to assert myself infront of her my have stuff to do with it.

So yes, changes ahead.
Prayer would be good.

Christianity Church General