Category: <span>Church</span>

Published February 11, 2008 by

Suburban Christian

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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.

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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 January 28, 2008 by

A further note

Re. Worship in and out

I do believe that as a group of people regardless of establishment, we have our own to hold in regards to living according to Jesus although there is much that God can and does do through our brokenness (in churches as well as elsewhere) we do need to be mindful of actual things that aren’t good – because it is unrealistic to think they don’t exist.

Christianity Church

Published January 28, 2008 by

Worship in and out

church-posters.jpgGeoff is asleep upstairs, I’m sitting here listening loud to the sounds of Angus and Julia Stone. It lends itself well to thought.

I’ve been present lately for several conversations about worship/church and life.

Opinions and frustrations play out in the minds of a lot of people that bother thinking about their Christianity, life and the role the corporate church plays in relation to worshiping and living for God and it seems to me that for a time (and often unfortunately sometimes for good) they end up quiting church or quiting parts of church without evaluating things from an unforced court (I was watching tennis last night).

I do not have the answers. I cannot say that I’ve never seriously considered being ‘anti-song’ etc… or even perpetuating that internal debate of my inner life and my hungry better life not matching the outer one. I sometimes wonder how I actually go at living this Jesus stuff out and am I okay in doing what I’m doing or do I need to go above and beyond?

As for evaluation of anything of the body corporate ie. Church.

I recognise that;

a) It’s never going to be perfect, it can be annoying as heck and it’s probably never quite the way I want it to be.

b) That although worship needs to be my life lived out in alignment to God and his way, that there are traditional ‘worship means’ that can actually help my focus (True they can make me play the cynical fiddle too) but from there I can lean out with more intention into where direct encouragement for worship is less obvious.

c) Perhaps God cares about my attitudes rather than the forced application of ‘smarter more right Godly living’.

The best thing I ever hope to do is to keep my eyes open to see God in whatever, even at church, and to live as true as I can to that.

Christianity Church

Published January 19, 2008 by

In him we live and move and have our being

Geoff and I took communion during our wedding service. Through all the preparations on the day, the ‘supplies’ somehow got forgotten. We made use of the church’s port and sent an Uncle down to get some bread rolls. He grabbed the first bag of rolls and raced back through the checkout asking the girl to hurry up because he was in the middle of a wedding, she told him to just take them and run! Thank you Mr. Safeway (or Coles or whatever) for the free bread… that’s supposedly how it goes.

I’ve written about communion before. I find it’s a interesting thing. I’m aware somewhat of the attitude you should be in when having communion but is there a place in forcing it? Is it that important? I cannot afterall ever be completely in mindset-perfection when coming to communion – as selfish as it sounds, I just think that it is realistic.

My head was all over the place during the wedding, mostly full of excitement/adrenalin. I was, and am, incredibly grateful to God for who he is and what he has done, and I pushed to acknowledge that in my thoughts when we were taking it, but it was honestly a little bit of a stretch. Concentration low. This does however play into my still highly shaky understanding of what actually takes place at communion. What more goes on?

I am glad that God sees and celebrates with and most of all understands us.

There is too much emphasis on just look and feel and constraining to comfort levels of individuals at weddings. We did choose not to do communion as a group/invitees etc. as there were enough people there to whom it wouldn’t be relevant or true (and the logistics would’ve been horrendous) and our actions were explained to onlookers.

I’m perfectly content and okay with how we approached doing communion – to elevate the importance of God above our relationship and to demonstrate in some small way that it’s a three way thing not just the two of us in this marriage.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ ” – Acts 17:24-28

Christianity Church Wedding

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