The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. The go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." Matt 28:5-7
"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Ac 1:11
I met a new friend the other day; a guy from Sydney who came to Wheaton to interview for a place in the PhD program this coming academic year. As he shared about his journey he told me that he used to be an atheist; one of the zealous annoying kind that delighted in shaking the faith of his Christian friends. But one day a friend challenged him to research the claims of Christianity rather than simply ridiculing them. As he did he reluctantly had to admit that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus was overwhelming. This realisation created a crisis for him, but in the end he came to the conclusion that the resurrection changes everything and that if it was true then the only option for him was to surrender his life to Jesus. And God has used him powerfully ever since.
That revelation is more difficult to grasp I think for people like me who cannot remember a moment when they have doubted the resurrection.
The previous evening Ange and I had been reading through the resurrection account in Matthew. As we reflected again on the implications of the physical resurrection of Christ we thanked God that we by faith had died in him, been burried with him in baptism and through the Holy Spirit have been raised to live a new life. Here are just a few reasons that I think the resurrection is GREAT NEWS for all.
1) Jesus' resurrection and ascension enables him to send the Spirit for whom I am daily thankful.
2) Jesus' physical ascension guarantees his physical return, just as he promised at the end of all things to set everything right.
3) In his physical bodily resurrection and ascension, Jesus has literally brought humanity into intimate relationship with God in his own person. Jesus' humanity is now part of the Trinity itself and that is the guarantee that in Him, we are now united to God.
I fear I have not expressed this too well, but wanted to share at least with the few followers of this blog the joy I have at living in the power of the Holy Spirit following a risen Savior who died for my sins and who now intercedes for me in the presence of the Father.
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Friday, 26 February 2010
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Abundant Blessing
Most readers of this blog will already be aware that over the last few months we have felt God challenge us to step out in faith and begin raising financial support in order to ensure that we will remain here until I finish the PhD. This has been an incredibly daunting step for us. The bottom line is we don't like asking for money - in fact I think very few people do. However, we have been greatly encouraged by the generosity of those that have decided support us and by the growing number of random one off financial gifts. God has truly been gracious to us. He continues to provide just as he always has.
We deeply appreciate His goodness and our family and friends who support us with prayer, encouragement and finances.
Thankful,
Clayton
We deeply appreciate His goodness and our family and friends who support us with prayer, encouragement and finances.
Thankful,
Clayton
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
"I'll never leave you or forsake you."
Ever wondered about that story in Exodus 33 where God decides to leave the Israelites to go on ahead without his presence? Its one of those classic theological dilemmas because after Moses pleads with God, God apparently changes his mind and decides to go with them after all. I personally have struggled with this story and with its implications, however tonight I saw it in a new light. It was one of those parenting low points - or so I thought. We had gone out for a late night shop at ALDI since the cupboards were bare. We finished shopping at about eight-thirty and while the kids had been pretty good, they were starting to lose it. Nathan in particular when he is tired cannot tolerate the restriction of being in his car seat. Two minutes from home he started agitating and crying saying he wanted to get out. In a moment of frustration (Jordan also was crying) I pulled a classic "Daddy move" and drove the car into a car-park and stopped. "Go on then." I said. "Off you go." I unbuckled his belt and opened his door expecting repentance, but humorously (with the benefit of hindsight certainly) he called my bluff and hopped out looking back at me defiantly. What to do? I did what any dad would have done. I put the car into drive and started to pull away. He ran beside the car for a little bit. In the end I'm not sure who "won" the standoff, but he did agree that he wanted to come home with us and got back into his seat.
After I got home I had a moment alone to be disgusted with myself. I began to repent for being so impetuous and said to God "see, I'm not a good dad. You wouldn't do that." Almost immediately I was reminded of the story in Exodus 33. Actually, God would and did do something very similar. Now I run a grave risk of over simplifying what has been for ages past a perplexing theological question in comparing my experience tonight to this passage. So let me not claim to have solved it, but I certainly feel like I identified with what God seems to have been feeling in this story - absolute frustration at the obstinate disobedience of his children. Yes sure, in my case it was certainly more than half our own fault for having them out so late, but work with me... Could it be that God was pulling a "Daddy move" to illicit exactly the reaction which he got - tears of repentance and pleas for his presence?
Well who knows. But Exodus 33 was certainly an encouragement to this imperfect earthly father tonight.
Clayton
P.S. and don't worry, he wasn't emotionally damaged. We had a good father-son talk, where I reassured him that I loved him and that I would NEVER leave him.
After I got home I had a moment alone to be disgusted with myself. I began to repent for being so impetuous and said to God "see, I'm not a good dad. You wouldn't do that." Almost immediately I was reminded of the story in Exodus 33. Actually, God would and did do something very similar. Now I run a grave risk of over simplifying what has been for ages past a perplexing theological question in comparing my experience tonight to this passage. So let me not claim to have solved it, but I certainly feel like I identified with what God seems to have been feeling in this story - absolute frustration at the obstinate disobedience of his children. Yes sure, in my case it was certainly more than half our own fault for having them out so late, but work with me... Could it be that God was pulling a "Daddy move" to illicit exactly the reaction which he got - tears of repentance and pleas for his presence?
Well who knows. But Exodus 33 was certainly an encouragement to this imperfect earthly father tonight.
Clayton
P.S. and don't worry, he wasn't emotionally damaged. We had a good father-son talk, where I reassured him that I loved him and that I would NEVER leave him.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
We are responsible! (Response to Mike Guggliemucci and Todd Bentley)
The night before we flew out the news began to break about Ps. Mike Gugliemucci's two year deception. I do not know Mike personally and indeed have never seen him in the flesh, but I knew of him during my ministry at CityLife since more than once he preached for our youth group. As a fellow young minister I was delighted during those years to hear of his success in ministry just as I was devastated to hear about his public fall from grace a few short days ago. What a terrible coincidence that this news followed hot on the heals of another sad story of yet another high profile charismatic leader who was struggling, Todd Bentley.
Now that we've settled in, I've had a chance to think about it all wanted to get my thoughts down in writing.
Great crowds followed Jesus because they were awed by his miraculous signs, yet few were prepared to actually be his disciples (Jn 6). The disciples laid down their lives to follow him because in Peter's words, "You have the words of eternal life." But the crowd just hung around hoping to see another spectacular display. When I was thinking about this the other day I was frustrated to the point of tears that we have cultivated a kind of crowd Christianity where people flock to see the spine tingling and the sensational rather than laying down their life to follow Jesus. It is the environment created by this kind of 'christianity' which forces a charismatic and passionate young man with promising talent into the spotlight long before his character foundations have been tested. It is this kind of of sick sign based consumerism that applauds such a mans public success without ever caring to question his private world.
Jesus said "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." The crowds (and in the case of this quote, the Pharisees) demanded from Jesus the spectacle - the big meeting, the riveting preaching, the miraculous display, yet he continually pointed them to the purpose of his life on earth and to what would become the core of the Christian message - his death, burial and resurrection. It is wickedness and an adulteration of the gospel for us to shun a cross based Christianity while demanding performance and entertainment of our leaders. As an aside, it is an ironic reversal of the principle of Mark 16:15-18 for us to expect that the true gospel will somehow accomany a message which centers on signs (not as I understand the case with Ps. Mike, but worth saying in this context) rather than signs accompanying a proclamation of the gospel.
I'm sure that there are many good and wholesome reasons why people flocked to Toronto and to Brownsville and to Florida and why people flocked to hear Pastor Mike and why people flock to large churches to consume well promoted events. However, I'm convinced that one reason people do this is because "chasing the action" is more fun and considerably easier than sorting out one's own walk with God - and it feels better too. The only problem is that it creates enormous pressure on those who are thrust into the limelight. Mike Gugliemucci is one of a long line of unfortunate casualties of this pressure.
One additional thought. I wonder if there is a reason why Pentecostal/Charismatic leaders are over-represented in this category? I'm sure that there are many self congratulatory reasons that we could come up with, some of which may at least be partially valid - but this is not a time for self congratulation. Is it possible that we Pentecostal types are more likely to go after signs and spectacles than we are to go after God's heart? (I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying "is it?") Is it possible we are more likely to gather crowds rather than make disciples (I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying "is it?" Read the brochure for the last conference you attended before you answer). Of the many possible reactions to Mike G and Todd Bentley, I suggest that repentance ought to feature for we, more than we care to realise are responsible.
Now that we've settled in, I've had a chance to think about it all wanted to get my thoughts down in writing.
Great crowds followed Jesus because they were awed by his miraculous signs, yet few were prepared to actually be his disciples (Jn 6). The disciples laid down their lives to follow him because in Peter's words, "You have the words of eternal life." But the crowd just hung around hoping to see another spectacular display. When I was thinking about this the other day I was frustrated to the point of tears that we have cultivated a kind of crowd Christianity where people flock to see the spine tingling and the sensational rather than laying down their life to follow Jesus. It is the environment created by this kind of 'christianity' which forces a charismatic and passionate young man with promising talent into the spotlight long before his character foundations have been tested. It is this kind of of sick sign based consumerism that applauds such a mans public success without ever caring to question his private world.
Jesus said "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." The crowds (and in the case of this quote, the Pharisees) demanded from Jesus the spectacle - the big meeting, the riveting preaching, the miraculous display, yet he continually pointed them to the purpose of his life on earth and to what would become the core of the Christian message - his death, burial and resurrection. It is wickedness and an adulteration of the gospel for us to shun a cross based Christianity while demanding performance and entertainment of our leaders. As an aside, it is an ironic reversal of the principle of Mark 16:15-18 for us to expect that the true gospel will somehow accomany a message which centers on signs (not as I understand the case with Ps. Mike, but worth saying in this context) rather than signs accompanying a proclamation of the gospel.
I'm sure that there are many good and wholesome reasons why people flocked to Toronto and to Brownsville and to Florida and why people flocked to hear Pastor Mike and why people flock to large churches to consume well promoted events. However, I'm convinced that one reason people do this is because "chasing the action" is more fun and considerably easier than sorting out one's own walk with God - and it feels better too. The only problem is that it creates enormous pressure on those who are thrust into the limelight. Mike Gugliemucci is one of a long line of unfortunate casualties of this pressure.
One additional thought. I wonder if there is a reason why Pentecostal/Charismatic leaders are over-represented in this category? I'm sure that there are many self congratulatory reasons that we could come up with, some of which may at least be partially valid - but this is not a time for self congratulation. Is it possible that we Pentecostal types are more likely to go after signs and spectacles than we are to go after God's heart? (I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying "is it?") Is it possible we are more likely to gather crowds rather than make disciples (I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying "is it?" Read the brochure for the last conference you attended before you answer). Of the many possible reactions to Mike G and Todd Bentley, I suggest that repentance ought to feature for we, more than we care to realise are responsible.
Monday, 8 September 2008
Where is my treasure?
Since we've arrived here with little more than our suitcases of clothes we've had a bit of 'hunting and gathering' to do - otherwise known as shopping. I'll be the first to admit that I love shopping. I just enjoy buying things! Perhaps it's a girly thing, but it's just as well that every other member of my family (including Jordan) loathes it, otherwise I'd probably end up spending a lot more. Our home came furnished, so it has just been a matter of setting up with kitchenware, bed linen, towels and appliances.
It has been a huge blessing to have discovered the Wheaton College co-op - a place where college students donate their unwanted, or no longer needed clothes and household items. Students are then welcome to help themselves to the goods at no charge. I have been encouraged that our Heavenly Father really does know our needs before we even ask and that we don't have to worry about His provision.
We've also discovered that the good citizens of Wheaton host marvellous yard sales, and we've picked up some tremendous like-new bargains. We've picked up kids clothes - including a pristine Nathan-sized Ralph Lauren polo shirt for $2, beautiful toys, books and even a Sony television. It's been like God has known our needs (and even our wants) and has supplied everything for loose pocket change. A perfect example of this was when Clayton had only just been saying that he'd really like to buy for the boys an air-hockey/games table. Then what do you know? - we happen on a fabulous kid-sized games table complete with fuze-ball, air-hockey, snooker, table tennis and a myriad of other games all in perfect condition. The owners even sold it to us for less than they wanted when they heard that we were from Australia, studying at Wheaton. The aquisition of this games table was a beautiful reminder that God loves to give His kids good gifts.
Last weekend, there was an 'Estate' sale, where there were agents contracted to sell everything from the linen and appliances, to the house and car! We ventured out to this stately home, where I had to slip on booties over my shoes to protect the floor from being scratched. It was an impressive home and the owners had obviously had an eye for finer things. Everything was in like-mint condition and it was ALL for sale! What a comfortable life these people had lived however, there was a tangible sadness over the premises. Sympathy quickly set in when I ventured upstairs and saw the clean, pressed clothes of a middle-aged gentleman all neatly laid out for sale. Turns out that the owner of the home had fallen from a ladder and although 'lucky' to be alive, was now living bed-ridden in a care facility.
Not to say that bad things don't happen to good people, (the owner was probably highly regarded, probably even Christian); and not to say that there is anything inherently wrong in living in a beautiful home... it's just that the whole experience served as a harsh reminder that money can not buy happiness - not even health. I wondered how he had spent the best years of his life. Had he worried about storing up the earthly treasures that were now being sold to help pay for his health care? I was again reminded of that passage in Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus talks about not storing up treasures on earth, but instead, seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
I know that many people are struggling with the rising costs of living, but I hope that our story can be an encouragement to you that God we do not have to worry. Here's an excerpt from Matthew 6.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Parents: Australian, award winning author Pamela Allen has a picture book called 'Herbert and Harry' (also published under the title, 'Hidden Treasure') which perfectly communicates this message to children.
"Allen's book presents a discerning look into the meaning of "treasure." Herbert and Harry are brothers who enjoy being together until they discover a treasure chest while fishing. The ensuing rift over ownership leaves Harry swimming for shore and Herbert escaping with the treasure. Herbert's concern over the treasurethat Harry or someone else will find it turns the find into a lifelong burden as he searches for an impenetrable hideout so he can sleep without worry. His is a life of constant vigilance, while Harry, who "had no treasure," is surrounded by plump grandchildren and is "always able to sleep soundly." Allen's vibrant line-and-wash color illustrations show page after page of Herbert's burgeoning problems and then, with one revelatory picture of Harry, shows how the brother's paths have drastically diverged. "
It has been a huge blessing to have discovered the Wheaton College co-op - a place where college students donate their unwanted, or no longer needed clothes and household items. Students are then welcome to help themselves to the goods at no charge. I have been encouraged that our Heavenly Father really does know our needs before we even ask and that we don't have to worry about His provision.
We've also discovered that the good citizens of Wheaton host marvellous yard sales, and we've picked up some tremendous like-new bargains. We've picked up kids clothes - including a pristine Nathan-sized Ralph Lauren polo shirt for $2, beautiful toys, books and even a Sony television. It's been like God has known our needs (and even our wants) and has supplied everything for loose pocket change. A perfect example of this was when Clayton had only just been saying that he'd really like to buy for the boys an air-hockey/games table. Then what do you know? - we happen on a fabulous kid-sized games table complete with fuze-ball, air-hockey, snooker, table tennis and a myriad of other games all in perfect condition. The owners even sold it to us for less than they wanted when they heard that we were from Australia, studying at Wheaton. The aquisition of this games table was a beautiful reminder that God loves to give His kids good gifts.
Last weekend, there was an 'Estate' sale, where there were agents contracted to sell everything from the linen and appliances, to the house and car! We ventured out to this stately home, where I had to slip on booties over my shoes to protect the floor from being scratched. It was an impressive home and the owners had obviously had an eye for finer things. Everything was in like-mint condition and it was ALL for sale! What a comfortable life these people had lived however, there was a tangible sadness over the premises. Sympathy quickly set in when I ventured upstairs and saw the clean, pressed clothes of a middle-aged gentleman all neatly laid out for sale. Turns out that the owner of the home had fallen from a ladder and although 'lucky' to be alive, was now living bed-ridden in a care facility.
Not to say that bad things don't happen to good people, (the owner was probably highly regarded, probably even Christian); and not to say that there is anything inherently wrong in living in a beautiful home... it's just that the whole experience served as a harsh reminder that money can not buy happiness - not even health. I wondered how he had spent the best years of his life. Had he worried about storing up the earthly treasures that were now being sold to help pay for his health care? I was again reminded of that passage in Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus talks about not storing up treasures on earth, but instead, seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
I know that many people are struggling with the rising costs of living, but I hope that our story can be an encouragement to you that God we do not have to worry. Here's an excerpt from Matthew 6.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Parents: Australian, award winning author Pamela Allen has a picture book called 'Herbert and Harry' (also published under the title, 'Hidden Treasure') which perfectly communicates this message to children.
"Allen's book presents a discerning look into the meaning of "treasure." Herbert and Harry are brothers who enjoy being together until they discover a treasure chest while fishing. The ensuing rift over ownership leaves Harry swimming for shore and Herbert escaping with the treasure. Herbert's concern over the treasurethat Harry or someone else will find it turns the find into a lifelong burden as he searches for an impenetrable hideout so he can sleep without worry. His is a life of constant vigilance, while Harry, who "had no treasure," is surrounded by plump grandchildren and is "always able to sleep soundly." Allen's vibrant line-and-wash color illustrations show page after page of Herbert's burgeoning problems and then, with one revelatory picture of Harry, shows how the brother's paths have drastically diverged. "
Thursday, 26 June 2008
To our Fuller Family
Welcome Fuller Friends to our family blog.
It was a chaotic last week as Clayton submitted final papers, graduated and we packed everything up and said our goodbyes. The 15 hour flight went reasonably well and we are just about over the jet lag. I think that we are still recovering from exhaustion though.
Our time at Fuller Seminary was perhaps one of the best seasons of our lives (so far). We loved the Southern Californian climate and lifestyle and of course Disneyland. But more than this, our family was forever changed by the Fuller community. You became our family away from Oz. You accepted us and embraced us with your generosity and friendship. We were real with each other and supported one another. We did life together.
Now back in Melbourne, life feels a little surreal. It's like we've travelled back in time or like we have entered an alternate universe. The boys are happy to be reunited with family, but have already talked about missing their friends. Nathan has constructed an imaginary friend - 'Hannah the elephant'. He tells us that Hannah is his friend, but can't seem to find 'him'. Perhaps he is projecting his confusion with not knowing how to find his buddies from Fuller. I suppose that we're all a little confused. Fuller became our home, and we have even caught ourselves referring to it has such. It's weird feeling connected to one place and then knowing that you have to move on. It's tough wanting to reconnect in Melbourne, but knowing that our stay here is even more temporary.
I think that heaven will be like one great big reunion party. Hopefully we won't have to wait until then though!
Missing you all already.
It was a chaotic last week as Clayton submitted final papers, graduated and we packed everything up and said our goodbyes. The 15 hour flight went reasonably well and we are just about over the jet lag. I think that we are still recovering from exhaustion though.
Our time at Fuller Seminary was perhaps one of the best seasons of our lives (so far). We loved the Southern Californian climate and lifestyle and of course Disneyland. But more than this, our family was forever changed by the Fuller community. You became our family away from Oz. You accepted us and embraced us with your generosity and friendship. We were real with each other and supported one another. We did life together.
Now back in Melbourne, life feels a little surreal. It's like we've travelled back in time or like we have entered an alternate universe. The boys are happy to be reunited with family, but have already talked about missing their friends. Nathan has constructed an imaginary friend - 'Hannah the elephant'. He tells us that Hannah is his friend, but can't seem to find 'him'. Perhaps he is projecting his confusion with not knowing how to find his buddies from Fuller. I suppose that we're all a little confused. Fuller became our home, and we have even caught ourselves referring to it has such. It's weird feeling connected to one place and then knowing that you have to move on. It's tough wanting to reconnect in Melbourne, but knowing that our stay here is even more temporary.
I think that heaven will be like one great big reunion party. Hopefully we won't have to wait until then though!
Missing you all already.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Making God in our image?
I was reminded afresh today in a rather humorous way of the limitations of human perspective. As I walked through the Fuller campus I gave the customary nod (you know, the one which says "I know you and acknowledge that you are a friend, but I don't have time or energy to chat right now - hey") to a friend and went to walk past her. She called me over to where she and another guy were standing, looking over a wall into a garden. "Do you wanna see a cat?" she asked. Hmmm not really. But I received the gesture. She wanted to include me. "Sure" I said and came over. Yep it was a cat. Thrilling. I looked for what seemed to be a respectable time before turning to continue on my way. Then the other guy spoke:
"You know cats are a real problem in Australia."
"Really?" I said as if I wanted to hear more. I was amused but determined not to show it.
"He's from Australia." our mutual friend warned.
"Yeah, I've got a friend from Australia," the guy continued seeming not to hear her, "and he tells me they're a huge problem. He's from one of the major cities and he says they're everywhere. Apprarently they destroy the crops..."
I was hurting from laughing on the inside but was determined to let him continue, so said nothing.
"Yeah, Australians really hate cats. Its very rare for Australian people to have them as pets. It would be like us having a rat as a pet..."
"Wow." I said. "How bout that."
In case you're wondering, I didn't burst his bubble and I knew that if I opened my mouth he would feel like an idiot. Besides, what would I know? As I walked away from the cat conversation I thought of the impression of Australia that I have created in people's mind with my own comments.
Australia is a place where all customer service people know what they're talking about and you don't have to wait on hold for hours. Australia is a place where people don't sue one another. Australia is a place with a perfect health system where they pay you to reproduce and keep stay at home mums on a salary. Australia is a multicultural country where racism is not an issue and the churches are racially integrated.
Actually, I'm not sure where that country is, but I'd sure like to live there. And that's just the point. If I'm not careful I can create an idealised picture which misrepresents the truth (OK so I'm not flat out dishonest. Most of the statements above are exaggerations reflecting not what I intended to say or actually did say but what I may have inadvertently communicated. I'm just identifying a tendency).
I guess I just wonder how often we do that with God and his church?
If I say that "God is a God of excellence" am I representing him as he desires to be represented or merely projecting my own perfectionism?
If I emphasise that God doesn't judge people but loves all am I really motivated to mine the treasure of the term 'unconditional love' or am I trying to deal with my own sinfulness?
The problem is, if God looks like me, then I'm not likely to be transformed any time soon.
We can do the same with the church. People have asked me over here what the "Australian Church" is like (as if I'd know?!) In my more honest moments I simply say that I don't really know. I know what the SDA church was like in Melbourne 15 years ago. I know CityLife Church fairly well. But sometimes I'll talk about how "denominationalism isn't such a big deal" and make other such statements from instinct which may reflect the true situation and may simply reflect my own wishes for the Church in Australia or anywhere.
If you've bothered to read this far, I hope if nothing else you are amused by the cat story. Perhaps also you could reflect with me on the enormous responsibility we have as Christians to humbly and accurately reflect God as he truly is. The scary thing is that having "our theology sorted out" is only part of the picture since most people will not bother to ask us to explain with our words - they will merely observe our lives.
"You know cats are a real problem in Australia."
"Really?" I said as if I wanted to hear more. I was amused but determined not to show it.
"He's from Australia." our mutual friend warned.
"Yeah, I've got a friend from Australia," the guy continued seeming not to hear her, "and he tells me they're a huge problem. He's from one of the major cities and he says they're everywhere. Apprarently they destroy the crops..."
I was hurting from laughing on the inside but was determined to let him continue, so said nothing.
"Yeah, Australians really hate cats. Its very rare for Australian people to have them as pets. It would be like us having a rat as a pet..."
"Wow." I said. "How bout that."
In case you're wondering, I didn't burst his bubble and I knew that if I opened my mouth he would feel like an idiot. Besides, what would I know? As I walked away from the cat conversation I thought of the impression of Australia that I have created in people's mind with my own comments.
Australia is a place where all customer service people know what they're talking about and you don't have to wait on hold for hours. Australia is a place where people don't sue one another. Australia is a place with a perfect health system where they pay you to reproduce and keep stay at home mums on a salary. Australia is a multicultural country where racism is not an issue and the churches are racially integrated.
Actually, I'm not sure where that country is, but I'd sure like to live there. And that's just the point. If I'm not careful I can create an idealised picture which misrepresents the truth (OK so I'm not flat out dishonest. Most of the statements above are exaggerations reflecting not what I intended to say or actually did say but what I may have inadvertently communicated. I'm just identifying a tendency).
I guess I just wonder how often we do that with God and his church?
If I say that "God is a God of excellence" am I representing him as he desires to be represented or merely projecting my own perfectionism?
If I emphasise that God doesn't judge people but loves all am I really motivated to mine the treasure of the term 'unconditional love' or am I trying to deal with my own sinfulness?
The problem is, if God looks like me, then I'm not likely to be transformed any time soon.
We can do the same with the church. People have asked me over here what the "Australian Church" is like (as if I'd know?!) In my more honest moments I simply say that I don't really know. I know what the SDA church was like in Melbourne 15 years ago. I know CityLife Church fairly well. But sometimes I'll talk about how "denominationalism isn't such a big deal" and make other such statements from instinct which may reflect the true situation and may simply reflect my own wishes for the Church in Australia or anywhere.
If you've bothered to read this far, I hope if nothing else you are amused by the cat story. Perhaps also you could reflect with me on the enormous responsibility we have as Christians to humbly and accurately reflect God as he truly is. The scary thing is that having "our theology sorted out" is only part of the picture since most people will not bother to ask us to explain with our words - they will merely observe our lives.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Update from Ange - So blessed...
If you haven't already read Clayton's last update posted before this, you might want to read that first.
God is so good.
I'm glowing...
I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant, and if I'm not glowing on the outside, I certainly feel like I have much to glow about on the inside. The baby is happy and healthy - moving around regularly, and head down - ready to go. Growing well too! Ultrasound measurements, estimate that this bubba will be bigger than Judah and Nathan. I'm physically feeling well and looking forward to meeting this little one. With so little time to go, Clayton and I had better put our heads together and come up with a name or two! Life feels like it has been so busy that we have not had much time to stop and face the reality that our lives are about to change radically.
God is so good.
I'm glowing...
I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant, and if I'm not glowing on the outside, I certainly feel like I have much to glow about on the inside. The baby is happy and healthy - moving around regularly, and head down - ready to go. Growing well too! Ultrasound measurements, estimate that this bubba will be bigger than Judah and Nathan. I'm physically feeling well and looking forward to meeting this little one. With so little time to go, Clayton and I had better put our heads together and come up with a name or two! Life feels like it has been so busy that we have not had much time to stop and face the reality that our lives are about to change radically.
Aside from feeling good about our third child's imminent arrival, I feel absolutely contented and marvellously delighted in God's love for me and my family. This past year has been the most wonderful season for us as we have been blessed beyond belief.
Blessed in our finances:
I'm learning, that God really is looking out for us and that He really does want to bless us. How is it that we were prepared to take a huge step backwards financially in moving out here for Clayton to study, and yet, a year later, we have hardly gone backwards if at all? We haven't even been living poorly either. I mean, we've enjoyed a pretty blessed existence, and have enjoyed luxuries that most people will never experience. All I can conclude is that God is a generous God and that He continues to be our provider. And what does all that mean in the context that we live in, when there are poor homeless people living on the streets that surround us? Without a doubt, God has blessed us to be a blessing, and while we have not the means to welcome each and every homeless stranger into our home to be warm and well fed, we have had the ability to do the little things to strengthen their spirits and give hope. We're glad that we have had this time to expose our children to the reality that not everyone has a warm bed to sleep in at night. We're even more delighted in the response that this reality has drawn from them. Both Judah and Nathan treat each beggar with respect. Rather than looking the other way and ignoring the man on the corner who jingles his coin collecting cup up and down, they interact with him and engage him in conversation. They bring a smile to his face and plead with their dad to have a turn to give him some money. One of the things that we have observed, is that many homeless people have a greater awareness of God and their need for Him to help them make it through each day. Perhaps this is why Jesus said "Blessed are the poor". I can pretty much say for certain that you and I will never live in such severe poverty, but regardless of how rich or poor we may be, we need to forever acknowledge our dependence on God as our Jehovah Jireh - our provider. As we face this next chapter of our lives in Chicago, we don't yet know how it will all work financially, but in the words of brother K. Conner, "If it's God's Will, it's God's bill." We're feeling a great sense of peace that He will continue to meet every need, and that he will continue to guide us with the resources and skills that He has already given us.
Blessed by community:
We've been blessed by our Fuller family. Living in this community has be the most positive experience as we have learnt more about what it means to live in community - to love and serve one another. Here we have found life long friendships and I have learnt that keeping up appearances is an enemy to authentic community and hospitality. I'd rather have an open door to a messy apartment where okay, so the dishes are piled up and the floor needs vacuuming, but conversation flows and lives connect, than have my 'closed for business' sign up because I feel the need to hide the fact that I'm not perfect at keeping my home in order. I don't mind if people see the real me, and frankly, I'd prefer it if they did. As I'm learning in the book that Clayton and I are reading together, (Abba's Child by Brennan Manning); keeping up appearances is a worthless and destructive exercise. I'll be honest and admit that I'm still human and want people to think that I have it all together, but I'm slowly discovering that there is more freedom in just being myself and being okay with that. I've been blessed to be a part of a community that considers the needs of others - where meals are prepared for families going through a tough time and material possessions are shared; where families care for not only their own children but also their neighbours, so that husband and wife can enjoy a precious night out. You know that Christ is at work, when a family who have just had their third baby, have meals 'taken care of' every night for the next month!
Blessed that God has been working both in and through us:
I'm going to be vulnerable with what I'm about to share, but I feel like the way God has been leading us has been instrumental in tearing down the 'impostor within' that Manning refers to in his book Abba's Child. By this he means the false self that we would like to project and be know by. Okay, so that explanation probably does not suffice, and you'll just have to read the book for yourself, but one of the areas that he talks about is how we start to allow ourselves to draw our identity from our achievements, and interpersonal relationships. Coming out here, we were at last no bodies. We had no reputation to precede us and no position or title that demanded honor or respect. We were here - plain old Clayton and Angela Coombs. It's been a refreshing and encouraging time. So it turns out that people seem to like us for who we are - that's nice. But not the point. We have not had to live our lives preoccupied with acceptance or approval, but have enjoyed living out of who God has made us to be. It has been delightful to see Clayton loving what he is doing and digging deep - not because he has to, but because he genuinely wants to. And I have loved being immersed in community and raising our boys - not a flashy or thrilling life, but one where I feel like I have been able to find myself. So that's right, I was going to share vulnerably with you, well I suppose that having Clayton serving in a full-time ministry position brought with it a certain degree of prominence. We walked away from that because we knew that we needed to be obedient to where God was drawing us to next, but for the longest time, I believed that we were supposed to return to full-time ministry and that that would be the next step. But it's amazing how we can have a sense of what the future holds, but be totally clueless about how it will all unfold and when. God has an amazingly natural yet unmistakable way of leading our lives and He has not led us in the way that I would have expected. Had you talked to me a year ago, I would never have dreamed that we would spend the next four or so years living in Chicago while Clayton worked on a PhD. A more likely scenario would have had us return to Melbourne to settle down and get back into serving once again in the local church. How does doing a PhD fit in with a 'life long call to ministry'? Well we had to settle the issue. Yes we ultimately feel called to serve the local church, but in what capacity? Only God knows. So this is where I get vulnerable; I think that it was my flesh that secretly sought after the prominence that came with ministry leadership, and that I felt that we needed to put ourselves forward and 'make it happen'. But we have resigned to the fact that if we were to give ourselves the permission to push or force open doors that God was not really opening, then we would only be submitting ourselves to a place of toil, putting our noses to the grindstone so to speak. So we are just going to follow God, and trust that He will open the right doors to us in His good time. He has mercifully granted us the opportunity to once again live life without prominence. I suspect that our children's lives will be all the better for this decision, as from what I have observed, seldom do children benefit from a parent's prominence, but rather they thrive on the significance that parents place on their lives by sharing the best years of their lives together.
Blessed with family:
Today we celebrated Judah's 4th birthday. For most, a 4th birthday is just like the third, and not as big a deal as the fifth. But for us, Judah being a leap year baby, was finally celebrating his birthday on February 29! It has been a wonderful week for us, as we have been reminded yet again of the love that our family back home in Melbourne has for us. The delivery man could testify that we have been thought of this week, with the number of packages that have arrived to wish Judah a happy birthday. Then there have been the phone calls, cards and emails as well. With family like that, our children will never have reason to doubt that they are loved. And speaking of family, wow I feel blessed in my marriage to Clayton and blessed at the privilege that it is to have brought children into the world with him and be able to play such an integral part in raising them together. I am convinced that my life is good.
Well it is extremely late, and I fear that this blog entry is long enough that no one will have read it. But since it has served the purpose of helping me reflect on God's lavish blessings and love, I suppose that it doesn't really matter if no body reads it.
That will do for now!
Blessed in our finances:
I'm learning, that God really is looking out for us and that He really does want to bless us. How is it that we were prepared to take a huge step backwards financially in moving out here for Clayton to study, and yet, a year later, we have hardly gone backwards if at all? We haven't even been living poorly either. I mean, we've enjoyed a pretty blessed existence, and have enjoyed luxuries that most people will never experience. All I can conclude is that God is a generous God and that He continues to be our provider. And what does all that mean in the context that we live in, when there are poor homeless people living on the streets that surround us? Without a doubt, God has blessed us to be a blessing, and while we have not the means to welcome each and every homeless stranger into our home to be warm and well fed, we have had the ability to do the little things to strengthen their spirits and give hope. We're glad that we have had this time to expose our children to the reality that not everyone has a warm bed to sleep in at night. We're even more delighted in the response that this reality has drawn from them. Both Judah and Nathan treat each beggar with respect. Rather than looking the other way and ignoring the man on the corner who jingles his coin collecting cup up and down, they interact with him and engage him in conversation. They bring a smile to his face and plead with their dad to have a turn to give him some money. One of the things that we have observed, is that many homeless people have a greater awareness of God and their need for Him to help them make it through each day. Perhaps this is why Jesus said "Blessed are the poor". I can pretty much say for certain that you and I will never live in such severe poverty, but regardless of how rich or poor we may be, we need to forever acknowledge our dependence on God as our Jehovah Jireh - our provider. As we face this next chapter of our lives in Chicago, we don't yet know how it will all work financially, but in the words of brother K. Conner, "If it's God's Will, it's God's bill." We're feeling a great sense of peace that He will continue to meet every need, and that he will continue to guide us with the resources and skills that He has already given us.
Blessed by community:
We've been blessed by our Fuller family. Living in this community has be the most positive experience as we have learnt more about what it means to live in community - to love and serve one another. Here we have found life long friendships and I have learnt that keeping up appearances is an enemy to authentic community and hospitality. I'd rather have an open door to a messy apartment where okay, so the dishes are piled up and the floor needs vacuuming, but conversation flows and lives connect, than have my 'closed for business' sign up because I feel the need to hide the fact that I'm not perfect at keeping my home in order. I don't mind if people see the real me, and frankly, I'd prefer it if they did. As I'm learning in the book that Clayton and I are reading together, (Abba's Child by Brennan Manning); keeping up appearances is a worthless and destructive exercise. I'll be honest and admit that I'm still human and want people to think that I have it all together, but I'm slowly discovering that there is more freedom in just being myself and being okay with that. I've been blessed to be a part of a community that considers the needs of others - where meals are prepared for families going through a tough time and material possessions are shared; where families care for not only their own children but also their neighbours, so that husband and wife can enjoy a precious night out. You know that Christ is at work, when a family who have just had their third baby, have meals 'taken care of' every night for the next month!
Blessed that God has been working both in and through us:
I'm going to be vulnerable with what I'm about to share, but I feel like the way God has been leading us has been instrumental in tearing down the 'impostor within' that Manning refers to in his book Abba's Child. By this he means the false self that we would like to project and be know by. Okay, so that explanation probably does not suffice, and you'll just have to read the book for yourself, but one of the areas that he talks about is how we start to allow ourselves to draw our identity from our achievements, and interpersonal relationships. Coming out here, we were at last no bodies. We had no reputation to precede us and no position or title that demanded honor or respect. We were here - plain old Clayton and Angela Coombs. It's been a refreshing and encouraging time. So it turns out that people seem to like us for who we are - that's nice. But not the point. We have not had to live our lives preoccupied with acceptance or approval, but have enjoyed living out of who God has made us to be. It has been delightful to see Clayton loving what he is doing and digging deep - not because he has to, but because he genuinely wants to. And I have loved being immersed in community and raising our boys - not a flashy or thrilling life, but one where I feel like I have been able to find myself. So that's right, I was going to share vulnerably with you, well I suppose that having Clayton serving in a full-time ministry position brought with it a certain degree of prominence. We walked away from that because we knew that we needed to be obedient to where God was drawing us to next, but for the longest time, I believed that we were supposed to return to full-time ministry and that that would be the next step. But it's amazing how we can have a sense of what the future holds, but be totally clueless about how it will all unfold and when. God has an amazingly natural yet unmistakable way of leading our lives and He has not led us in the way that I would have expected. Had you talked to me a year ago, I would never have dreamed that we would spend the next four or so years living in Chicago while Clayton worked on a PhD. A more likely scenario would have had us return to Melbourne to settle down and get back into serving once again in the local church. How does doing a PhD fit in with a 'life long call to ministry'? Well we had to settle the issue. Yes we ultimately feel called to serve the local church, but in what capacity? Only God knows. So this is where I get vulnerable; I think that it was my flesh that secretly sought after the prominence that came with ministry leadership, and that I felt that we needed to put ourselves forward and 'make it happen'. But we have resigned to the fact that if we were to give ourselves the permission to push or force open doors that God was not really opening, then we would only be submitting ourselves to a place of toil, putting our noses to the grindstone so to speak. So we are just going to follow God, and trust that He will open the right doors to us in His good time. He has mercifully granted us the opportunity to once again live life without prominence. I suspect that our children's lives will be all the better for this decision, as from what I have observed, seldom do children benefit from a parent's prominence, but rather they thrive on the significance that parents place on their lives by sharing the best years of their lives together.
Blessed with family:
Today we celebrated Judah's 4th birthday. For most, a 4th birthday is just like the third, and not as big a deal as the fifth. But for us, Judah being a leap year baby, was finally celebrating his birthday on February 29! It has been a wonderful week for us, as we have been reminded yet again of the love that our family back home in Melbourne has for us. The delivery man could testify that we have been thought of this week, with the number of packages that have arrived to wish Judah a happy birthday. Then there have been the phone calls, cards and emails as well. With family like that, our children will never have reason to doubt that they are loved. And speaking of family, wow I feel blessed in my marriage to Clayton and blessed at the privilege that it is to have brought children into the world with him and be able to play such an integral part in raising them together. I am convinced that my life is good.
Well it is extremely late, and I fear that this blog entry is long enough that no one will have read it. But since it has served the purpose of helping me reflect on God's lavish blessings and love, I suppose that it doesn't really matter if no body reads it.
That will do for now!
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Something I'm wresting with
[I have to apologise for the length of this posting. I won't apologise for it's content, but I do apologise for 'preaching'. Just know that it is myslef that I am preaching to. Writing this has really helped me crystallise my thoughts. It has been helpful to be able to articulate the stirrings that have been wrestling within me. It is more for my benefit that this is written, but I would be interested in your thoughts and invite your comments. - Ange.]
We are still probably feeling a bit displaced with the whole church thing. Not sure where we fit at the moment. This process of 'church shopping' [you need to know that I cringe at using the term] has been quite discouraging, and at times, disappointing. But negatives aside, I can see how God is using this process and our exposure to different expressions and traditions, to get us to start to really evaluate what we actually believe about church and the way that it should be. We have had to come to the realisation, that part of our dissatisfaction should really be put down to our cultural differences. I suppose that we have been looking for a CityLife Church here in Pasadena, and it just does not exist. That's probably a good thing. I mean we need to learn from and be exposed to a church expression that is different from where we have come from. Unfortunately, with that, a little discomfort is par for the course.
Before this past weekend we had only visited evangelical churches. I was starting to think, that it was obvious that the reason why we had not yet found a place that we felt comfortable in was because we had not yet visited a Pentecostal church. Surely, once we did, we'd feel more comfortable and at home right? I'm going to take a risk in sharing the following, (as I know that our blog attracts a rather varied audience), but at our recent visit to a local Pentecostal church, sadly, the reverse was true. Truth be known, we actually felt more uncomfortable there than we had at any other church. A strange admission coming from someone who grew up in a Pentecostal church.
We have firmly founded beliefs in the person and the power of the Holy Spirit, and believe that the gifts of the spirit are very definitely still for today, but are just wondering what a healthy expression of Pentecostalism looks like in the local church context today. God is God and I believe that it is up to Him to initiate any 'out pouring' or demonstration of His power. It is not our job to try to manipulate or generate some moving experience. Any efforts in this, are likely to lack authenticity and well let's face it - fruit.
Like the apostle Paul advises, we 'eagerly desire the greater gifts'. So yes we want to be instruments of God's miraculous power, healing the sick, being a prophetic voice, and so on, but can't get away from the sense that God has granted us these gifts for our equipping in our commission, and not just for a Christian 'bless me' session.
Why is it that we don't see so many signs and wonders in the church? Is it because the church has 'programmed away' the Holy Spirit? I don't think that's it (although I do concede that it could be part of it). The Holy Spirit is made welcome in our praise and God is much bigger than any time schedule or program. I suspect, that we don't see so much of His manifest presence anymore, because God in His wisdom, sees that we as His children, unfortunately have the propensity to get caught up and distracted by signs and wonders, loosing focus of our mission. The Corinthian church is case in point. The correction that Paul brought to the Corinthians was that we are to be more about love than the miraculous. Why do you think that Jesus performed miracles? Well he healed the sick because he loved people and had compassion, but I think that more generally speaking, He performed miracles as a sign so that people would believe that He was the Son of God and be saved. Is it possible that we don't see the miraculous in our churches because it is the lost who need a sign of God's love and we are not bringing them in to His house? Yes, prophesy is for the edification of the church, but edification to what end? The end of feeling good and being able to reassure ourselves that God is still moving? No. Edification to the end of becoming more Christlike and so, a better witness.
I ask a more basic question... For what purpose are we still here? I mean, why are we on earth? Is it not to be Christ's ambassadors, his army, his instruments to a lost and dying world? Let's not loose that focus. Jesus says in Matt 7:21-23, Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." What is that will? In Matt 25:31-46, Jesus talks about the how the sheep and the goats will be separated, and how only His sheep (the righteous) will be invited to take up their inheritance - eternal life. The righteous are commended by the King, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Getting back to Matt 7, Jesus says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ' I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
I recall a time, that God used me to administer a miraculous healing. It was the most natural and yet amazing thing, and it was the biggest honour to be involved in what God wanted to do in this particular girls life. This girl was not in relationship with God and was suffering chronic back pain from an injury she sustained from getting beaten up on the streets. God used my then simple and childlike faith to demonstrate His love to this young woman. I never saw her again, so I don't know whether she came into right relationship with her heavenly Father, but I say all this to say, that I know, experientially, that God's power is still very much alive today, and that God does want us to be His instruments of love to reach this lost generation. So I'm not renouncing my Pentecostal heritage nor am I walking away from the expression of being a Pentecostal Christian, I'm just re-evaluating the place for spiritual gifts in the context of commission and church.
I believe that God has called us as His sons and daughters, to GO. But not just to 'go', but to go in His power. God's power will only flow through us, once we position ourselves to be poured out. Why would God bother to display His awesome power for any other reason, than to be glorified? I'd suggest that we do not glorify the King unless we are going about His business. The challenge that I am wrestling with at the moment is, what does that look like? How do I minister to the lost and dying world that is around me?
In a sense He has called each one of us to be missionaries. Missionaries don't travel to far off countries and different cultures just to minister in a kind of haphazard manner, sharing a smile with the check-out-chick who looked a little glum, or putting an arm around the shoulder of a colleague who was needing a little pick-me-up. Don't get me wrong, those things are great, but I suspect that missionaries give of them selves in a more intentional and purposeful way. I suspect that they focus their attention to the hungry and thirsty, to the lonely, the sick and those imprisoned with injustice. They travel to Burma and raise orphaned children who have had their innocence torn away from them to serve in an army that killed their parents. They live on the streets of Bangkok administering the love of Jesus to the family across the canal whose son is dying of AIDS. They go where Jesus is.
The question that faces me and you, is where is Jesus in our context? Where is my mission field? I don't think that we have to leave our own neighbourhoods to find injustice, hunger, brokenness, sickness, pain and suffering. I don't think that we have to look too far to find the people that Jesus came to save.
Anyway, this is just something that I'm (or we're) wrestling with at the moment. Please pray for us, as we wrestle with all of these things, that we would know where God is leading us, and that we would be doers of the word and actually GO. And getting back to our 'church shopping' (for want of a better term), at this stage, it's looking more and more likely that we will go back to Mosaic (not Pentecostal) but an extremely healthy and vital church that is getting on with the great commission. Please pray for us that we would be led by God in our decision of where to be planted, as it is with this body of believers that we will partner with in our 'GOing'.
We are still probably feeling a bit displaced with the whole church thing. Not sure where we fit at the moment. This process of 'church shopping' [you need to know that I cringe at using the term] has been quite discouraging, and at times, disappointing. But negatives aside, I can see how God is using this process and our exposure to different expressions and traditions, to get us to start to really evaluate what we actually believe about church and the way that it should be. We have had to come to the realisation, that part of our dissatisfaction should really be put down to our cultural differences. I suppose that we have been looking for a CityLife Church here in Pasadena, and it just does not exist. That's probably a good thing. I mean we need to learn from and be exposed to a church expression that is different from where we have come from. Unfortunately, with that, a little discomfort is par for the course.
Before this past weekend we had only visited evangelical churches. I was starting to think, that it was obvious that the reason why we had not yet found a place that we felt comfortable in was because we had not yet visited a Pentecostal church. Surely, once we did, we'd feel more comfortable and at home right? I'm going to take a risk in sharing the following, (as I know that our blog attracts a rather varied audience), but at our recent visit to a local Pentecostal church, sadly, the reverse was true. Truth be known, we actually felt more uncomfortable there than we had at any other church. A strange admission coming from someone who grew up in a Pentecostal church.
We have firmly founded beliefs in the person and the power of the Holy Spirit, and believe that the gifts of the spirit are very definitely still for today, but are just wondering what a healthy expression of Pentecostalism looks like in the local church context today. God is God and I believe that it is up to Him to initiate any 'out pouring' or demonstration of His power. It is not our job to try to manipulate or generate some moving experience. Any efforts in this, are likely to lack authenticity and well let's face it - fruit.
Like the apostle Paul advises, we 'eagerly desire the greater gifts'. So yes we want to be instruments of God's miraculous power, healing the sick, being a prophetic voice, and so on, but can't get away from the sense that God has granted us these gifts for our equipping in our commission, and not just for a Christian 'bless me' session.
Why is it that we don't see so many signs and wonders in the church? Is it because the church has 'programmed away' the Holy Spirit? I don't think that's it (although I do concede that it could be part of it). The Holy Spirit is made welcome in our praise and God is much bigger than any time schedule or program. I suspect, that we don't see so much of His manifest presence anymore, because God in His wisdom, sees that we as His children, unfortunately have the propensity to get caught up and distracted by signs and wonders, loosing focus of our mission. The Corinthian church is case in point. The correction that Paul brought to the Corinthians was that we are to be more about love than the miraculous. Why do you think that Jesus performed miracles? Well he healed the sick because he loved people and had compassion, but I think that more generally speaking, He performed miracles as a sign so that people would believe that He was the Son of God and be saved. Is it possible that we don't see the miraculous in our churches because it is the lost who need a sign of God's love and we are not bringing them in to His house? Yes, prophesy is for the edification of the church, but edification to what end? The end of feeling good and being able to reassure ourselves that God is still moving? No. Edification to the end of becoming more Christlike and so, a better witness.
I ask a more basic question... For what purpose are we still here? I mean, why are we on earth? Is it not to be Christ's ambassadors, his army, his instruments to a lost and dying world? Let's not loose that focus. Jesus says in Matt 7:21-23, Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." What is that will? In Matt 25:31-46, Jesus talks about the how the sheep and the goats will be separated, and how only His sheep (the righteous) will be invited to take up their inheritance - eternal life. The righteous are commended by the King, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Getting back to Matt 7, Jesus says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ' I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
I recall a time, that God used me to administer a miraculous healing. It was the most natural and yet amazing thing, and it was the biggest honour to be involved in what God wanted to do in this particular girls life. This girl was not in relationship with God and was suffering chronic back pain from an injury she sustained from getting beaten up on the streets. God used my then simple and childlike faith to demonstrate His love to this young woman. I never saw her again, so I don't know whether she came into right relationship with her heavenly Father, but I say all this to say, that I know, experientially, that God's power is still very much alive today, and that God does want us to be His instruments of love to reach this lost generation. So I'm not renouncing my Pentecostal heritage nor am I walking away from the expression of being a Pentecostal Christian, I'm just re-evaluating the place for spiritual gifts in the context of commission and church.
I believe that God has called us as His sons and daughters, to GO. But not just to 'go', but to go in His power. God's power will only flow through us, once we position ourselves to be poured out. Why would God bother to display His awesome power for any other reason, than to be glorified? I'd suggest that we do not glorify the King unless we are going about His business. The challenge that I am wrestling with at the moment is, what does that look like? How do I minister to the lost and dying world that is around me?
In a sense He has called each one of us to be missionaries. Missionaries don't travel to far off countries and different cultures just to minister in a kind of haphazard manner, sharing a smile with the check-out-chick who looked a little glum, or putting an arm around the shoulder of a colleague who was needing a little pick-me-up. Don't get me wrong, those things are great, but I suspect that missionaries give of them selves in a more intentional and purposeful way. I suspect that they focus their attention to the hungry and thirsty, to the lonely, the sick and those imprisoned with injustice. They travel to Burma and raise orphaned children who have had their innocence torn away from them to serve in an army that killed their parents. They live on the streets of Bangkok administering the love of Jesus to the family across the canal whose son is dying of AIDS. They go where Jesus is.
The question that faces me and you, is where is Jesus in our context? Where is my mission field? I don't think that we have to leave our own neighbourhoods to find injustice, hunger, brokenness, sickness, pain and suffering. I don't think that we have to look too far to find the people that Jesus came to save.
Anyway, this is just something that I'm (or we're) wrestling with at the moment. Please pray for us, as we wrestle with all of these things, that we would know where God is leading us, and that we would be doers of the word and actually GO. And getting back to our 'church shopping' (for want of a better term), at this stage, it's looking more and more likely that we will go back to Mosaic (not Pentecostal) but an extremely healthy and vital church that is getting on with the great commission. Please pray for us that we would be led by God in our decision of where to be planted, as it is with this body of believers that we will partner with in our 'GOing'.
Sunday, 8 April 2007
Gratitude, contentment, trust
Hi all. Clayton here - at last!
This will be my first ever post on our blog. Sorry I've been silent for so long! I guess Ange is doing such a good job, I've been just slacking off.
Well God has truly been good to us. We are settling in well to our new life here and are really enjoying it. I was just wheeling Judah and Nathan back from the park last week and Judah said to me (as he now often says): "Dad, I just love this place. I love these buildings. I love our apartment. I love the park..." (then he went on to say how he loved a lot of other things including what he'd had for lunch, but you get the picture - I think he was happy). The boys have been really spoilt over the transition time with lots of time and attention from both parents. Things are settling into a more normal pattern now with me out of the house most days either at class, studying in the library, or reading in our apartment complex' very own study lounge.
Getting back to study has been absolutely wonderful. The teachers here are brilliant. I am taking three classes and not one dudder. In general the assessment tends to be more but smaller assignments which is good because you have to keep up and remain engaged in the subject material for a sustained period. Actually with one of my subjects (Hebrew exegesis:Minor Prophets) its just plain more than I'm used to, but I think that's probably my favorite subject. Most of the actual detail or at least many of the highlights of our family life in the US so far I see Ange has updated you on, so I will finish this post with a thought from friday's assigned reading. Christians should consider the past with GRATITUDE the present with CONTENTMENT and should look to the future with TRUST. That really hit me, firstly because all three I think are a challenge at one time or another, and its good to be reminded, but secondly, because I think this sums up where we're at right now, but at the risk of destroying the simplicity and profundity of the original let me personalise it. For our part, its: deep gratitude for what has been, delight at what is, and excitement concerning the future.
This will be my first ever post on our blog. Sorry I've been silent for so long! I guess Ange is doing such a good job, I've been just slacking off.
Well God has truly been good to us. We are settling in well to our new life here and are really enjoying it. I was just wheeling Judah and Nathan back from the park last week and Judah said to me (as he now often says): "Dad, I just love this place. I love these buildings. I love our apartment. I love the park..." (then he went on to say how he loved a lot of other things including what he'd had for lunch, but you get the picture - I think he was happy). The boys have been really spoilt over the transition time with lots of time and attention from both parents. Things are settling into a more normal pattern now with me out of the house most days either at class, studying in the library, or reading in our apartment complex' very own study lounge.
Getting back to study has been absolutely wonderful. The teachers here are brilliant. I am taking three classes and not one dudder. In general the assessment tends to be more but smaller assignments which is good because you have to keep up and remain engaged in the subject material for a sustained period. Actually with one of my subjects (Hebrew exegesis:Minor Prophets) its just plain more than I'm used to, but I think that's probably my favorite subject. Most of the actual detail or at least many of the highlights of our family life in the US so far I see Ange has updated you on, so I will finish this post with a thought from friday's assigned reading. Christians should consider the past with GRATITUDE the present with CONTENTMENT and should look to the future with TRUST. That really hit me, firstly because all three I think are a challenge at one time or another, and its good to be reminded, but secondly, because I think this sums up where we're at right now, but at the risk of destroying the simplicity and profundity of the original let me personalise it. For our part, its: deep gratitude for what has been, delight at what is, and excitement concerning the future.
Tipping
Hi all. For one of our class assignments we were asked to reflect on a cultural practice from a Christian perspective. I find it difficult to nail down exactly what a Christian perspective is supposed to be, so I just reflected on the cultural practice of tipping (which largely involved recounting ananecdote) from my perspective (as a Christian). Enjoy:
I’ll be honest. We’d been putting it off ever since we had arrived in the US, but there was an inviting looking pizza restaurant right in front of us, and well, we were hungry, we’d promised the kids dinner, we felt like pizza, and frankly, we were sick of fast food. ‘Looks good’ ventured Angela (my wife), ‘…I’ll go and check out the prices…?’ ‘Sure, whatever’, I said characteristically. ‘Looks like it might be a tipping joint though’. It was too late. Our 3 y.o. Judah piped up, ‘Oh yeah, pizza Dad! I want [to] eat pizza! I wike pizza. I’m hungwy Dad!’ We sat down awkwardly, but our discomfort soon dissipated. We were waited on zealously and persistently by an attractive young girl who loved our accents, asked us about Australia, brought crayons and coloring books for the kids (?!?), served the most magnificent complimentary bread unexpectedly ‘just so the kids would have something to start on’ and warmly welcomed us to California. Happy lass. Must have really enjoyed her job. ‘This is definitely a tipping joint’ I remarked wryly to Ange in one of the very few spare moments we got. The short story: we had an exceptional experience once we lightened up, it was a tipping joint, I tipped, it didn’t hurt, and we’ll do it again. Now some explanation.
Tipping is not a common practice in Australia, and it may sound silly but both my wife and I were particularly nervous of it when we first arrived. We just couldn’t work it out and we didn’t want to offend anybody. Fifteen percent of the total was easy enough to work out, but then we got confused. Tipping was obligatory for many services – not just in restaurants - we were told. Other services had different rules of thumb ranging between 10% and 20%. So far so good. But then you have to tip more if the service is ‘really good’. Well then, what is really good service and how is it measured? How much more for really good service? Wouldn’t it be better then to get served poorly so you didn’t have to tip much? What if the food is bad but the service is good – or the other way round? Are there circumstances under which a tip should be withheld? Is the size of the tip a reflection of the quality of the service only, or the generosity of the tipper also? Do kind people always tip more? Should rich people tip more? Do Christians tip more? Do we demonstrate ‘unmerited favor’ in how much we tip, or should we encourage young people to work harder and show respect by being stingy? And what about bill splitting? (Do people even do that here?) How do you even work out 15% without a calculator anyway?
As you can see, this relatively simply practice can be highly confusing and even intimidating for the outsider.
Now some brief critique. Actually I learned something from a practice which I previously despised (because I didn’t understand it). It doesn’t hurt to be generous. And if I have to get deep, well God is generous, and we should be generous. The ‘requirement’ to ‘be generous’ caused me to evaluate just how stingy I can be. What’s a few more bucks anyway when you swipe four and a half grand on your card four times a year at Fuller? So thumbs up for tipping…but I still don’t ‘get’ the rules of this strange new game.
I’ll be honest. We’d been putting it off ever since we had arrived in the US, but there was an inviting looking pizza restaurant right in front of us, and well, we were hungry, we’d promised the kids dinner, we felt like pizza, and frankly, we were sick of fast food. ‘Looks good’ ventured Angela (my wife), ‘…I’ll go and check out the prices…?’ ‘Sure, whatever’, I said characteristically. ‘Looks like it might be a tipping joint though’. It was too late. Our 3 y.o. Judah piped up, ‘Oh yeah, pizza Dad! I want [to] eat pizza! I wike pizza. I’m hungwy Dad!’ We sat down awkwardly, but our discomfort soon dissipated. We were waited on zealously and persistently by an attractive young girl who loved our accents, asked us about Australia, brought crayons and coloring books for the kids (?!?), served the most magnificent complimentary bread unexpectedly ‘just so the kids would have something to start on’ and warmly welcomed us to California. Happy lass. Must have really enjoyed her job. ‘This is definitely a tipping joint’ I remarked wryly to Ange in one of the very few spare moments we got. The short story: we had an exceptional experience once we lightened up, it was a tipping joint, I tipped, it didn’t hurt, and we’ll do it again. Now some explanation.
Tipping is not a common practice in Australia, and it may sound silly but both my wife and I were particularly nervous of it when we first arrived. We just couldn’t work it out and we didn’t want to offend anybody. Fifteen percent of the total was easy enough to work out, but then we got confused. Tipping was obligatory for many services – not just in restaurants - we were told. Other services had different rules of thumb ranging between 10% and 20%. So far so good. But then you have to tip more if the service is ‘really good’. Well then, what is really good service and how is it measured? How much more for really good service? Wouldn’t it be better then to get served poorly so you didn’t have to tip much? What if the food is bad but the service is good – or the other way round? Are there circumstances under which a tip should be withheld? Is the size of the tip a reflection of the quality of the service only, or the generosity of the tipper also? Do kind people always tip more? Should rich people tip more? Do Christians tip more? Do we demonstrate ‘unmerited favor’ in how much we tip, or should we encourage young people to work harder and show respect by being stingy? And what about bill splitting? (Do people even do that here?) How do you even work out 15% without a calculator anyway?
As you can see, this relatively simply practice can be highly confusing and even intimidating for the outsider.
Now some brief critique. Actually I learned something from a practice which I previously despised (because I didn’t understand it). It doesn’t hurt to be generous. And if I have to get deep, well God is generous, and we should be generous. The ‘requirement’ to ‘be generous’ caused me to evaluate just how stingy I can be. What’s a few more bucks anyway when you swipe four and a half grand on your card four times a year at Fuller? So thumbs up for tipping…but I still don’t ‘get’ the rules of this strange new game.
Cultural criticism and the Vietnam Vet
I think we all have a tendency to oversimplify issues which we've never had to really face - particularly a class full of zealous young idealistic bible college students. I particularly have struggled in this area and have learned through much pain to be at least a little quicker to listen and slower to speak; and not to pass judgement too quickly.
This tendency is intensified in a course where we are invited to do 'cultural criticism' (though I'm learning that doesn't always mean paying out on the culture in which we live). Anyway, I was sitting in a class the other night which I'm enjoying called 'Perspectives on Christ and Culture'. We were invited to critique a particular aspect of culture which the lecturer considered an obvious anomoly. 'In groups of two', he said, 'discuss whether you think its right to kill people under certain circumstances. Just say, you're government has sent you off to war. For the benefit of your country, is it right to kill?' He was asking patriotic Christian Americans to reflect on the circumstances under which their loyalty to their country overrode their loyalty to God and the precepts of Scripture.
I actually have thought about this question, though I've never had to face it. I was going to answer that I personally probably couldn't kill even under those circumstances, though I was honestly still uncertain whether that was because I am a Christian or because I lack the courage. But the guy sitting next to me answered first. He is a Vietnam Veteran. 'Well I've been there' he blurted out. 'I've had to face this. I was in Vietnam and yes I killed people...its all very well to sit here and theorise about it but none of these people have ever had to face it.' Even now, decades later, he was close to tears. He told me about the trauma of Vietnam, of wrestling with his own conscience, about being ordered to kill people, and about carrying out those orders, about how he'd come back from Vietnam and experienced the pain of rejection by the very country that sent him to war. And he told me how he'd lost his marriage and a lot of years to alcohol trying to make sense of it all. He also told me of the judgement of many Christians who only wanted to know 'so, did you kill anyone?'
I spent a lot of time talking with my new friend after that class. He has a burning passion for the people and the issues about which Christians don't seem to care. He now runs a mission to down and outers in downtown LA. Druggies and the homeless (he promised to take me down someday). He is passionate for God, and surrendered to the point of recklessness in his faith and obedience. 'I'll go where no-one else will go', he said, 'because I just don't care'.
I still don't really know what to make of all this, except that his life is a testimony of God's grace - and yet he has felt and still feels the crushing weight of the judgement of many Christians - I praise God that at least this time, I wasn't one of them, that I shut my mouth, opened my ears and learnt some stuff. I told him of my growing passion to help the down and out, and he told me unforgetabbly, 'I'll take you down there, but the best thing you can do is to survive the next twenty years. Love your wife, stay married and raise those boys good'. I pray that I'll be able to keep that perspective for the long term, no matter who else God gives me a passion to help.
This tendency is intensified in a course where we are invited to do 'cultural criticism' (though I'm learning that doesn't always mean paying out on the culture in which we live). Anyway, I was sitting in a class the other night which I'm enjoying called 'Perspectives on Christ and Culture'. We were invited to critique a particular aspect of culture which the lecturer considered an obvious anomoly. 'In groups of two', he said, 'discuss whether you think its right to kill people under certain circumstances. Just say, you're government has sent you off to war. For the benefit of your country, is it right to kill?' He was asking patriotic Christian Americans to reflect on the circumstances under which their loyalty to their country overrode their loyalty to God and the precepts of Scripture.
I actually have thought about this question, though I've never had to face it. I was going to answer that I personally probably couldn't kill even under those circumstances, though I was honestly still uncertain whether that was because I am a Christian or because I lack the courage. But the guy sitting next to me answered first. He is a Vietnam Veteran. 'Well I've been there' he blurted out. 'I've had to face this. I was in Vietnam and yes I killed people...its all very well to sit here and theorise about it but none of these people have ever had to face it.' Even now, decades later, he was close to tears. He told me about the trauma of Vietnam, of wrestling with his own conscience, about being ordered to kill people, and about carrying out those orders, about how he'd come back from Vietnam and experienced the pain of rejection by the very country that sent him to war. And he told me how he'd lost his marriage and a lot of years to alcohol trying to make sense of it all. He also told me of the judgement of many Christians who only wanted to know 'so, did you kill anyone?'
I spent a lot of time talking with my new friend after that class. He has a burning passion for the people and the issues about which Christians don't seem to care. He now runs a mission to down and outers in downtown LA. Druggies and the homeless (he promised to take me down someday). He is passionate for God, and surrendered to the point of recklessness in his faith and obedience. 'I'll go where no-one else will go', he said, 'because I just don't care'.
I still don't really know what to make of all this, except that his life is a testimony of God's grace - and yet he has felt and still feels the crushing weight of the judgement of many Christians - I praise God that at least this time, I wasn't one of them, that I shut my mouth, opened my ears and learnt some stuff. I told him of my growing passion to help the down and out, and he told me unforgetabbly, 'I'll take you down there, but the best thing you can do is to survive the next twenty years. Love your wife, stay married and raise those boys good'. I pray that I'll be able to keep that perspective for the long term, no matter who else God gives me a passion to help.
Saturday, 31 March 2007
My heart is broken...
I have a big lump in my throat and when I think about the things that have moved me in the past hour and past weeks. I find myself in tears.
Clayton and I decided last night on our 'date night' that we would hire a DVD. This time it was my pick, and I chose a film staring Will Smith who plays the role of Chris Gardner, and Smith's son Jayden, titled 'The Pursuit of HappYness. So why am I all gushy about a movie? That's not me right? 'The Pursuit of Happyness' is a story about holding on to hope - even when your situation is hopeless. It follows the desperation and determination of a father with his five year old son, as they struggle to get through each day wondering where they will sleep at night, while clinging on to hope of a brighter future together.
I'm not writing to promote this film (although I do recommend it), but wanted to acknowledge that God has been speaking to us and giving me a greater level of compassion towards the helpless and homeless people around us. Yes, there are homeless people in Melbourne, but we were never really exposed to them in any significant way. It's not the same here. Everyday, I see homeless people holding up ratty cardboard signs around the traffic lights reading, "Homeless n' hungry" or "Please help. I'm hungry". They're not just on the street corner, they're outside most department and grocery stores. So how do you respond to this? How do you respond the request for a dollar? It's pretty confronting. My reaction was, (and it sickens me to recall it) but was, things like "hey don't invade my personal space" and "I probably shouldn't give them any money because they'll probably only use it to spend on cigarettes, alcohol or drugs," or "We actually don't have that much money, and if I gave a dollar to everyone that asked, I'd soon be broke." These sentiments soon changed to, "Hey, these people are actually genuinely homeless and helpless" and "Sure, what's a dollar anyway. They obviously need it more." But I'm ashamed to say, that even when we've parted with a dollar here and there, I have piously thought, "Well, at least I can ease my conscience and convince myself that we're doing the right thing as good Christians should. God has changed all of this. So I weep now for them and I want to help them.
I don't want to announce to you all that I have instantly become as generous and selfless as Mother Teresa. No, I won't be heading off to Calcutta anytime soon. But God is changing me. He is changing both of us. Mother Teresa said don't look so far to give love. "Love begins at home. She saw too many people running to Calcutta, wanting to love the poor. That's easy, she wrote "to love people far away." But you will find Calcutta all over the world if you have eyes to see." She was clear about this. "The streets of Calcutta lead to every man's door." The saintly mother was talking about giving love to aging parents or a disabled loved one, or to your own children - love at home. If love was there, "love and peace and compassion in our own homes first" -then peace would thrive "in the world", she said. So I'm going to continue to focus my attention toward loving my family and being the best mother and wife that I can, but I'm also going to be open to God using me wherever and however He chooses - whether it be in L.A or Knox.
This new burden for the homeless and hungry has now influenced us in our search for a spiritual home (a church to belong to) over the next couple of years. We're not going to be satisfied with a church that just has nice programs, good teaching, great worship, or even a loving community - those things are good and important, but right now, we want to be part of a church that brings God's love in both spiritual and practical ways to the most hungry and desperate people around us. We are going to check out Lake Avenue Church, which has an arm of the church which focuses in this area of ministry. It also has a fruitful prison ministry to young people. It's probably no coincidence that Clayton is currently midway through a book about the juvenile justice system, that he has to read for a suject his taking in Christian Ethics called, "No matter how loud I shout." Anyway, the church itself seems like a rather large church with multiple services like CityLife, thankfully they also do small groups and even mid-sized groups that they call 'hubs'. So it shouldn't be to difficult to get connected. Tomorrow night we'll be visiting a sub-church that they have on Sunday night called 'Warehouse', which sounds like it is along the emerging church track - you know, more culturally relevant and so on. So we'll see how that goes. We met some other Fuller families who mentioned that they attended this service. Otherwise we might try to make it to the Saturday night service.
To check out Lake Avenue's website follow the link listed to the right of this page under the list of Relevant Links. (Funnily enough, their website looks a lot like the CityLife Church site before it was updated!) To check out the outreach ministry work that we're interested in being involved in, you'll need to click on the links titled 'Homeless Outreach' and 'Juvenile Prison Ministry'.
Will of course keep you posted.
Thank you to those who have being praying for us in our search for a church home.
Clayton and I decided last night on our 'date night' that we would hire a DVD. This time it was my pick, and I chose a film staring Will Smith who plays the role of Chris Gardner, and Smith's son Jayden, titled 'The Pursuit of HappYness. So why am I all gushy about a movie? That's not me right? 'The Pursuit of Happyness' is a story about holding on to hope - even when your situation is hopeless. It follows the desperation and determination of a father with his five year old son, as they struggle to get through each day wondering where they will sleep at night, while clinging on to hope of a brighter future together.
I'm not writing to promote this film (although I do recommend it), but wanted to acknowledge that God has been speaking to us and giving me a greater level of compassion towards the helpless and homeless people around us. Yes, there are homeless people in Melbourne, but we were never really exposed to them in any significant way. It's not the same here. Everyday, I see homeless people holding up ratty cardboard signs around the traffic lights reading, "Homeless n' hungry" or "Please help. I'm hungry". They're not just on the street corner, they're outside most department and grocery stores. So how do you respond to this? How do you respond the request for a dollar? It's pretty confronting. My reaction was, (and it sickens me to recall it) but was, things like "hey don't invade my personal space" and "I probably shouldn't give them any money because they'll probably only use it to spend on cigarettes, alcohol or drugs," or "We actually don't have that much money, and if I gave a dollar to everyone that asked, I'd soon be broke." These sentiments soon changed to, "Hey, these people are actually genuinely homeless and helpless" and "Sure, what's a dollar anyway. They obviously need it more." But I'm ashamed to say, that even when we've parted with a dollar here and there, I have piously thought, "Well, at least I can ease my conscience and convince myself that we're doing the right thing as good Christians should. God has changed all of this. So I weep now for them and I want to help them.
I don't want to announce to you all that I have instantly become as generous and selfless as Mother Teresa. No, I won't be heading off to Calcutta anytime soon. But God is changing me. He is changing both of us. Mother Teresa said don't look so far to give love. "Love begins at home. She saw too many people running to Calcutta, wanting to love the poor. That's easy, she wrote "to love people far away." But you will find Calcutta all over the world if you have eyes to see." She was clear about this. "The streets of Calcutta lead to every man's door." The saintly mother was talking about giving love to aging parents or a disabled loved one, or to your own children - love at home. If love was there, "love and peace and compassion in our own homes first" -then peace would thrive "in the world", she said. So I'm going to continue to focus my attention toward loving my family and being the best mother and wife that I can, but I'm also going to be open to God using me wherever and however He chooses - whether it be in L.A or Knox.
This new burden for the homeless and hungry has now influenced us in our search for a spiritual home (a church to belong to) over the next couple of years. We're not going to be satisfied with a church that just has nice programs, good teaching, great worship, or even a loving community - those things are good and important, but right now, we want to be part of a church that brings God's love in both spiritual and practical ways to the most hungry and desperate people around us. We are going to check out Lake Avenue Church, which has an arm of the church which focuses in this area of ministry. It also has a fruitful prison ministry to young people. It's probably no coincidence that Clayton is currently midway through a book about the juvenile justice system, that he has to read for a suject his taking in Christian Ethics called, "No matter how loud I shout." Anyway, the church itself seems like a rather large church with multiple services like CityLife, thankfully they also do small groups and even mid-sized groups that they call 'hubs'. So it shouldn't be to difficult to get connected. Tomorrow night we'll be visiting a sub-church that they have on Sunday night called 'Warehouse', which sounds like it is along the emerging church track - you know, more culturally relevant and so on. So we'll see how that goes. We met some other Fuller families who mentioned that they attended this service. Otherwise we might try to make it to the Saturday night service.
To check out Lake Avenue's website follow the link listed to the right of this page under the list of Relevant Links. (Funnily enough, their website looks a lot like the CityLife Church site before it was updated!) To check out the outreach ministry work that we're interested in being involved in, you'll need to click on the links titled 'Homeless Outreach' and 'Juvenile Prison Ministry'.
Will of course keep you posted.
Thank you to those who have being praying for us in our search for a church home.
Saturday, 24 February 2007
Jehovah Jireh - Our Provider
Let me start by giving you a bit of background...
Several months ago, when Clayton started studying full time he applied for AUSTUDY, a government support pension for full-time students. His application was denied. Reason given: even though he had never been a recipient of this benefit, his highest qualification was already a Masters level and this, for some arbitrary reason, disqualified him. He was advised by Centerlink representatives (who seemed to take pitty on our financial situation) to apply for Newstart, (a job seeking allowance) as soon as his student status was no longer deemed full-time, i.e. as soon as the semester was out. So upon this advice he made this application.
We had considered at the time that this form of support (all be it a government pension) could be the source of some of God's provision. To make an already long story, slightly shorter, Clayton's eligibility to receive any financial assistance was severely compromised by the size of our available funds (savings put aside to help pay for this venture). The outcome was that we would not be eligible to receive any payments until mid Feb 07, by which time Clayton would not be looking for work, but rather packing up to move overseas. When time came to fill in the paperwork to finally receive a payment, Clayton was faced with the question, 'Have you been actively seeking employment during the period for which the payment relates?' Clayton had not been, so dutifully reported this fact to not one, but three Centerlink telephone representatives, who each independently, advised him to, essentially lie, in order to qualify to receive this benefit.
Okay, now on to the part about God providing...
Since having made our decision to 'lay on the alter' all of our assets in order to finance what we believe to be a 'Kingdom Investment', we have been deeply encouraged by the generosity of those who have given as the Lord has led - not out of compulsion, coercion, manipulation or any form of begging, but simply out of a heart of generosity and a desire to support us in this move. A couple of significant ongoing pledges have been made to support us over the next two years, and numerous one off gifts have been made, from not only the Young Adults group, but also a number of friends and family in the lead up to our departure.
One notable gift came from someone that we didn't even know. At our final church service, we were asked to stand up to be prayed for. It was briefly explained to the congregation that we were moving to the US for the next couple of years while Clayton studied at a bible college over there. After the meeting a man came up to Clayton and introduced himself to him and said that the Lord had impressed upon him to give us some money, and asked how he might be able to do this. A few days later, $1000 showed up in our account with the reference 'study gift'. Thank you Lord.
One thing that we can testify is that God's provision is significantly more than the one off payment that we might have received had Clayton been prepared to compromise his integrity and lie on a form. We roughly calculated that we will have already received (including pledges) what we might have received in the one off Newstart payment times 100!
God is really good! We continue to be grateful for his provision and the generosity of His saints.
Several months ago, when Clayton started studying full time he applied for AUSTUDY, a government support pension for full-time students. His application was denied. Reason given: even though he had never been a recipient of this benefit, his highest qualification was already a Masters level and this, for some arbitrary reason, disqualified him. He was advised by Centerlink representatives (who seemed to take pitty on our financial situation) to apply for Newstart, (a job seeking allowance) as soon as his student status was no longer deemed full-time, i.e. as soon as the semester was out. So upon this advice he made this application.
We had considered at the time that this form of support (all be it a government pension) could be the source of some of God's provision. To make an already long story, slightly shorter, Clayton's eligibility to receive any financial assistance was severely compromised by the size of our available funds (savings put aside to help pay for this venture). The outcome was that we would not be eligible to receive any payments until mid Feb 07, by which time Clayton would not be looking for work, but rather packing up to move overseas. When time came to fill in the paperwork to finally receive a payment, Clayton was faced with the question, 'Have you been actively seeking employment during the period for which the payment relates?' Clayton had not been, so dutifully reported this fact to not one, but three Centerlink telephone representatives, who each independently, advised him to, essentially lie, in order to qualify to receive this benefit.
Okay, now on to the part about God providing...
Since having made our decision to 'lay on the alter' all of our assets in order to finance what we believe to be a 'Kingdom Investment', we have been deeply encouraged by the generosity of those who have given as the Lord has led - not out of compulsion, coercion, manipulation or any form of begging, but simply out of a heart of generosity and a desire to support us in this move. A couple of significant ongoing pledges have been made to support us over the next two years, and numerous one off gifts have been made, from not only the Young Adults group, but also a number of friends and family in the lead up to our departure.
One notable gift came from someone that we didn't even know. At our final church service, we were asked to stand up to be prayed for. It was briefly explained to the congregation that we were moving to the US for the next couple of years while Clayton studied at a bible college over there. After the meeting a man came up to Clayton and introduced himself to him and said that the Lord had impressed upon him to give us some money, and asked how he might be able to do this. A few days later, $1000 showed up in our account with the reference 'study gift'. Thank you Lord.
One thing that we can testify is that God's provision is significantly more than the one off payment that we might have received had Clayton been prepared to compromise his integrity and lie on a form. We roughly calculated that we will have already received (including pledges) what we might have received in the one off Newstart payment times 100!
God is really good! We continue to be grateful for his provision and the generosity of His saints.
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