Category: <span>Christianity</span>

Published February 11, 2008 by

The Problem of Christian Suburbia

suburbs-art.jpgWithout totally squashing the post prior to this one, there are some issues in settling into tackling living as a Christian in suburbia.

It’s easy to get comfortable. It’s easy to get involved somewhere and think we’re doing our bit. Or to shell out cash to alleviate our guilt and compassion.

I’m not sure how to determine what is a satisfactory level of service or giving. We may have to keep searching and stretching ourselves and taking further risks. I’m inclined to think that it leans well to the later. with our dependence on Jesus our strength – lots of balance and with less selfish emphasis on burnout.

“Much of what I had done before along the lines of service was guilt induced. When I would hear a horrific story, I would want to respond quickly, write a check, and be done with it. But I have met many incredible people who are responding with their lives, and that has exposed something in me. I have been given a lot of joy in life, but I’ve also missed something. All of my life I have been grooming my faith, but have missed something about the purpose of that grooming. If I understand scripture at all, I have to know that to enter into the suffering of the poor and the oppressed is to know Christ and his suffering.”

– Sara Groves

How do you find out how to do that in a society where it isn’t always blatantly obvious? Yes there are clear levels of poverty and homeless in Australia, but I feel kind of confused for the incredibly ignored ‘rich’. It is untrue to say that the rich have perfect lives. Where to enter that suffering?

Jesus hung out with tax collectors, right?

The quote that inspired me is from a post over at Radical Womanhood, the rest is really worth reading.

Christianity Church Life Music

Christianity Jesus rich sara groves suburbia tax collectors

Published February 11, 2008 by

Suburban Christian

flyingfish01.jpg

I didn’t like the CD at first. Far too pop. Now it’s sneakily grown on me and now and I can’t get away from it. Brooke Fraser – Albertine. Let me lump some lyrics at you.

If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary
Then of course I’ll feel nude when to where I’m destined I’m compared

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me

Am I lost or just less found,
On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me,
Is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?

`Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth
Of who I was born to become

For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath
So we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live
I was made to love
I was made to know you

Hope is coming for me

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about her mum’s thoughts on being a Christian in middle class suburbia and how both natural and difficult it is. (Some of these are my extended thoughts).

The Church and Christian events such as conferences are exceptional at preaching the ‘go get out there’. There is nothing acclaimed what-so-ever about living to your fullest from your house in the suburbs in your everyday job. We uphold these ‘Christian’ Heroes as those who have gone long and far and done big things.

I am not saying that there aren’t individuals that should wind up as overseas missionaries – because I grew up in a household where that was precisely the case and it’s something that has deeply influenced who I am now. There is a need for cross cultural mission. And it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.

Likewise, we shout the praise of working in a church, as a pastor, youth pastor, as someone who runs some enormous ministry. And we jump on the assumption that many church ‘attendees’ are just that. Attendees on Sunday. And many of them are.

I would like the encouragement put there for the majority of Christian suburbia. To actually be effective right where they are.

Yes I help lead a youth group. A very strangely small youth group for the size of our church, but it’s not the role that I love. Geoff tells me that I fluctuate a lot in how much I like leading youth. There is usually several times a year I swear not to be involved any more and hate rocking up on Friday nights. But I love, I love the kids I’ve gotten to know. I love seeing their growth and maturity. It’s so much more important.

Oh just be interested in people. Just love Jesus and what he’s on about.

What more is there to being a Christian? The collective claim positives on fame, but individuals don’t give a rats at position really.

And position is so far from the point, church is sometimes a scary place.

Take risks at home.

Christianity Church Life Ministry Music

Christianity Church fame Jesus suburban

Published February 5, 2008 by

Starred Posts: late Jan- early Feb

The list was getting far too big, so to inundate you with yet another blog post, check out some or even all of the links below.

These are things that over the past month have inspired me, made the think, laugh, made me go ‘Ah ha!’ and all other whatevers that have given a somewhat slightly stronger response than the other posts I’ve been reading. ie. They wound up in Google Starred section.

By some fluke it seems the girls have won this time, with some nice familiar regular ‘starred’ faces showing up, along with some new ones.

Working from late Jan through to Feb:

Blogging Christianity Church Create Design Humor Life Ministry News Relationships Social Justice Technology Words

Blogging Design great posts Life starred posts

Published February 4, 2008 by

Stay off the paved road

a-pilgrim-s-journey-large.jpgToday I walked to the op-shop. Why do op-shops have half price sales it makes so little sense? I bought The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus for $1.50. New. After stuffing around at home not doing much at all, I sat down and I read it to the back in about an hour.

It’s an interesting one. Simple to read. Inspiring. He’s obsessed with a concept, but passionate enough to really make it work. I was eating up concepts that sprung ideas for my own life and for the youth and our timidly professed theme for the term. Shock. A theme.

I struggle a lot in how to describe things to the youth. There’s so much I want to share and to tell and to teach and communicate. All these ideas that in me have built up over the tail end of my adolescence. Ideas absconding from ideas. I sometimes wonder where this wealth of foundation and understanding has come from, and if I keep filling gaps I didn’t know existed what does the fullest of outcomes look like?

Do you just wait for the questions and fumble through giving the answers?

Then there is the whole living it thing. Which in comparison to the know, appears as an ant to an elephant.

There is not much to be said for living in such a coddled Christian society, but seeing as I’m in one, I’d like to grasp straws at the scope for what could be done. Surely that’s fair?

“This is the barbarian way: to give your heart to the only One who can make you fully alive. To love Him with simplicity and intensity. To unleash the untamed faith within. To be consumed by the presence of a passionate and compassionate God. To go where He sends you, no matter the cost. “

Christianity Ministry

Christianity Erwin McManus Leading youth Life The Barbarian Way

Published February 1, 2008 by

Year of completion

Some great news re. the dedication of the Pijin Bible this year. That and Geoff and I will also be heading overseas in the middle of the year so I can show off where I grew up and celebrate with family and friends about it all being done. Finally!

Dear Friends,

I have just heard some wonderful news that the cabinet of the Solomon Islands Government has officially decided to declare 2008 the Year of the Bible in Solomon Islands. There are a whole world of possibilities in this, one of which it seems is that they plan to make a significant financial contribution to the initial publishing cost of the Pijin Bible (their Parliament still has to pass the 2008 budget).

The formal launch for the Year of the Bible will be on 24 February. Churches will be encouraged to focus on the importance of the Bible in their various morning services. In the afternoon there will be a Bible march through town toward one of the large churches where a special programme will be held.

The planning committee seems pretty excited about the Year of the Bible and we hope excitement will grow and spread! They will meet again next Wednesday for more planning and will be nailing down the theme of the year and a Bible verse.

Please pray that all the plans will be strategic and effective in getting people to use their Bible and embrace the Pijin Bible when it is published. There will also be two New Testaments published this year in Solomon Islands – the Wala language NT in March and the Natugu language NT & Psalms in July.

Thanks,

Gerry (Bec’s Dad)

Christianity Solomon Islands

Bible Translation Pijin Solomon Islands when you know people in the government... year of the Bible