Love makes the world go ‘round

Not long ago a popular band ‘Black eyed peas’ released a song titled ‘Where is the love?’ The song reflects upon a very loveless world. While it’s a catchy tune and I like it, the words of the song can be quite depressing as they reflect upon the general reality of the state our world is in.

There is a large majority who tend to operate out of self serving motives. ‘If it makes you feel good, do it’. This generally seems to be perpetuated around Christmas time when the item at the top of the agenda for many is, ‘what can I get for Christmas?’ Then, ‘what can I give?’ may come in second. I do struggle with the consumeristic culture encouraged by our media, particularly when you hear the predictions of the billions of dollars that will be spent on ‘stuff’ for Christmas presents.

So where is the love in amongst all of this? Is it expressed through how much ‘stuff’ we can get and give? That all depends on your wealth I guess. Or does it?

Love like Peace, is a word that when translated from the Ancient Greek often doesn’t carry it’s intended meaning with the translation. There are 4 words commonly used to describe love in the New Testament. We only have one word – love – to describe them all. Yet the love used most commonly to describe the love of God is agape (αγάπη). This love is a love that transcends all others. It is greater than a romantic love or a love you might have for your family. It is a love that God chooses to express toward us, to draw us into his presence. It is a love the New Testament writers describe as the greatest attribute even above faith and hope. It is greater than an emotion, it is a state of being in relationship with God. Ultimately it is the same love we strive to express among one another. Agape is the greatest gift at Christmas

The apostle Paul writes to the Roman church saying, that even when we were lost and undeserving, God chose to express this love anyway. The Gospel writer express the Christmas story in such a way as to tell the reader that God has such a deep love for the world that he chose to express in the most profound way possible, the only way that would truly touch and transform people. Godself, expressed in human form, born to a humble couple in a humble town in desperate times.

God’s love is actualized in all it’s fullness through the life of Jesus. God entered this world so we may truly experience God’s love and learn how to express it toward one another. Imagine if this really was the primary way the world operates. It starts with you.

May you experience and express God’s love this Christmas.

Shalom

Mark

Hope dawns on Vox Congo this Christmas

This past 48 hours have been a massive emotional rollercoaster for me. Not only have I been saying goodbye to Vox Congo as their manager but I am saying goodbye to ministry with the Knoxfield Church of Christ and to Melbourne. Vox Congo held a dinner for Verity and I and the church has said their farewell last Sunday. But the all the emotion began for me on Saturday night the 16th of November at around 8pm.

If you notice the time on this post it is very early in the morning. While I have not had a chance to sit down at a computer since I found out this great news, I can now no longer sleep properly until I tell the world what is happening. It's around 5:30am and the sun is rising on a new day, quite powerfully symbolic for one of our members of Vox Congo and his family.

On Saturday night, Etienne so casually leant over to me as we were eating dinner and said,

'did you hear, Papy got a letter from immigration and few days ago.'

'Well what did it say', I said excitedly and impatiently.

'It is very good news, he's not an asylum seeker anymore.'

As you could imagine I nearly fell off my seat. Papy and Rebekah were sitting just a few spots up the table from me. I got up out of my seat and went straight to them, I wasn't sure whether to just throw myself at them with a huge hug or calm myself just for a moment to confirm the news with them. I chose them latter, then threw my arms around them.

People hear this, PAPY IS NO LONGER AN ASYLUM SEEKER! Is that loud enough! Go and shout it out your window right now, tell the world.

After 5 long years of seeking asylum here in Australia, finally one of the 4 has received the news he had been longing for. Papy is the first to receive such news as his timeline with immigration was slightly ahead of the others. This has given the other 3 guys a huge dose of expectation and renewed sense of hope. What I find most amazing is how they all take it in their stride, like they really expected this to happen. Their faith in Jesus never faltered, they never gave up praying and the never gave up hope. The Good News 'Kinanga' this Christmas is that God reveals himself in suh ways. The journey with the guys has taught me a few things, like what' the use in hoping if you don't expect the thing hoped for to be realized? These guys have helped me realize hope in a new light.

So I bet you're wondering where to from here? Well they're not out of the woods yet. Even though papy is on the other side of the asylum seeker line there is still a long process to come. He now officially has the status of 'tourist'. he has a 6 month tourist visa and within this time Papy has to apply for a temporary spouse visa. I had the privilege of marrying Papy to Rebekah in 2004 and they brought their first little girl into the world almost one year ago today. As soon as I fill out a statutory declaration for them, thy can begin the process of applying for the next visa and the Wena family will be on their way to becoming a complete Aussie family. If they are successful in securing the temporary spouse visa then Papy becomes a temporary resident. It's another couple of years before he can then become a full resident and then another few years after that to becoming a citizen. I tell you what though, no matter where I am in the world I will be attending that citizenship ceremony.

Your prayer works in amazing ways. Keep praying for the Wena family and for Martinse, Adolphe & Etienne and their families. We hope the others will hear soon. By the way, I was so caught up in the excitement that I nearly forgot to tell you that Etienne sent me an SMS yesterday to say he has received study rights. I've been trying to get in touch with him to find out what this means. I will be posting again soon after I catch up with him. It's all happening for Vox Congo!

Watch this blog over the next few weeks as I expect it to be active with posts. If you have questions or comments please post them in the comments section and I'll do my best to respond.

Shalom

Mark Riessen

P.S. For some reason pictures won't upload on this blog (too early in the morning) so check out the ons I've loaded onto the Vox Congo blog.

Peace on earth - Shalom

Everyone knows that it is the dream of every beauty queen contestant to have ‘world peace’. So what does that mean? Do they know what it means? Is it just about the absence of war and everyone coexisting together, or is it deeper than that?

Many followers of Jesus in the western world would not appreciate the meaning of the word ‘shalom’ due to our separation of language, culture and time. Yet shalom, often translated simply as ‘peace’, is a theme we seek to engage with in the advent season. From my understand of the ancient languages that have influenced our scripture, and from the research I’ve done, our English translation of Shalom does not do justice to it’s true meaning therefore our action to proclaim peace and followers of Jesus may be ill informed.

From what I can gather together from various sources, to proclaim or speak shalom into someone’s life is to pledge to live for the others well-being, to seek security, contentment, sound health, prosperity, friendship, peace of mind and heart, a covenant to desire and seek the good life of God’s favour together. This is what peace is really about in it’s entirety and it is a ministry all Christians are called to.

I came across this quote from Rabbi Yisroel Miller;
"When the United States and the former Soviet Union co-existed for decades without declaring war on each other, that armed truce was not shalom. If neighbors in an apartment building never exchange cross words because they never exchange any words, that is also not shalom. The word shalom comes from the word shalem, meaning complete, all parts together. Shalom is when all parts of the whole, all people in the group, blend together in harmony."

This Christmas I have not only been reflecting upon the advent themes, but as my term of ministry with the Knoxfield Church concludes I have been reflecting upon how I’ve seen this church engage these themes in real life over the years. Whether we have named it in this way or not, this church has embraced the ministry of shalom and knows how to speak it’s language.

Remember that time when John Owen from Urban Neighbours Of Hope came to our Refugee Sunday service in August 2002 and he brought Adolphe with him? Our encounter with this shy Congolese asylum seeker resulted in us providing housing for 4 Congolese asylum seekers, Vox Congo, to this day. By doing this we were able to speak shalom in profound ways.

Remember the time when I came to the church one Sunday in December 2004 with a request? Christmas was only a few weeks away and the Chaplain I work with at Scoresby Secondary College came to me with a tragic story. A year 11 student who is an only child living with his dad woke up one morning to find his dad passed away during the night. This students life was in turmoil with the burden of preparing and paying for a funeral and everything else that goes with it. This church responded by paying for the funeral and the chaplain and I conducted it here at the church. Throughout 2005 you continued to speak Shalom into this students life and I have heard recently that he was deeply impacted and appreciative of the message of good news he received from the church at that time in his life.

We began the Kids Hope ministry with Knox Park Primary last year. I have been mentoring a boy for the last 2 years, he will be in years 6 next year. He gave me a present this week. It was a framed picture of him and with it was a letter. The letter expressed his heart felt appreciation for journeying with him through issues of bullying, blended family transition, helping with school work and being his friend. As a tear came to my eye I realized that I had been speaking shalom into his life.

These are some of the memories I will always take with me from my time in ministry with the Knoxfield Church of Christ.

Our participation in shalom goes much deeper than the wish for ‘world peace’. It is not merely an absence of civil disturbances but an active pursuit of the well-being of others. Shalom continues to find its expression in a sharing and caring community involving compassion for the needs of others which ultimately extends to mercy and justice.

This Christmas I hope you experience shalom in your life and through this experience you are able to extend it to others. May you continue to be a church who proclaims the Kingdom of God.

Shalom
Mark

Joy for the unlovely

"Jesus loved and accepted others without approving of everything they did. That's our position too, but it upsets a lot of people ...."
- Rick Warren

I was pleasantly surprised to open up my weekly subscriber email from Sojourners this week to find this awesome quote from Rick Warren. This was his response to conservative Christians who didn’t like his tact when he issued an invitation to Sen. Barack Obama to attend an HIV/AIDS conference Rick Warren was hosting.

To me this is a great reminder of the Good News that is brought into the world through the Christmas event. What I find absolutely amazing is that more often than not, it’s the Christians, the ones who claim to follow Jesus, that are offended by his actions. At least this is true in Rick Warrens experience in this instance. However, I can relate to his experience. It is disturbing to me the amount of Christians I’ve come across who take offense at or exclude those whom Jesus embraced.

This Christmas the Foothills Neighbourhood Community (a Churches of Christ church) are embracing people such as these for the fourth year in a row (at least I think it’s four years). Their minister Steve Barrington, started something called ‘Christmas Day Lunch’. Very simple really, they invite everyone in the Ferntree Gully neighbourhood and surrounds, to lunch on Christmas Day. This includes the lonely & excluded, the isolated elderly, homeless, people with mental illness, drug addicts, alcoholics, unemployed, the list goes on. All of these people are invited to have lunch on them. I really admire Steve’s vision for this ministry. Verity and I have helped out a couple of times.

What I love about this is interacting with people who just aren’t used to being loved or accepted. Just to see that smile, that expression of joy on their faces makes it all worth it as we see the message of Christmas unfolding in it’s essence before our very eyes.

All Christians have been called to unveiling and proclaiming the Kingdom of God in ways such as these. We are not called to judge but to love and accept. The advent season of Christmas is about those who celebrate the birth of Jesus living out the attributes the advent themes represent; Hope, Joy, Peace & Love.

Wherever you are this Christmas, whether it be the usual crazy ‘relative run’, a quiet Christmas at home, or even helping out at Christmas Day Lunch please do not neglect to love and accept all who cross your path. Let this be a habit that sets your trend for the new year and continue to discover the Joy in Christ in yours and others lives.

Shalom
Mark

A Glimmer of Hope

Does hope carry much meaning for us today? Is it a real and tangible thing to grasp onto and look forward to? Or is hope the kind of thing reserved only for fairytales.? How important is it for us to place our hope in something? Do we really need it?
I guess the answer to that question needs to be placed within context. Hope looks so much different through the experience of an asylum seeker with no country and no identity, than it does through my own. While one child hopes for a new bike this Christmas, another hopes to live to see tomorrow. So what use is hope? Is it real? Is it beckoning something on to be realized in reality? While I could so casually hope for a particular gift for Christmas, another might invest all their faith and energy into the hope for life. What does that glimmer of hope look like?
Verity and I had the opportunity to attend a preview screening of ‘The Nativity Story’ on Wednesday night. I will say from the start, ‘what a fantastic film! Go and see it’. This movie will help you engage the Christmas story all over again with fresh new eyes. One very strong theme that came through the movie for me was the message of hope, hope for a generation who had nothing left except hope.
One of the many prophets of Israel, Jeremiah, is one who is responsible for instilling this hope in the people of Israel. He writes (among many things like this):
“”The days are coming”, declares the Lord, “When I will raise up to David a righteous branch, King who will reign wisely, and do what is right and just in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety…”” (Jer 23:5-6)
This was written in a time when the small nation of Judah was located in the middle of 3 big nations at war. They still dwelt under the shadow of the Babylonian super power. In the years leading up to the revelation of prophecies such as Jeremiah’s, the people of Israel lived under the extremely tough and oppressive rule of Caesar.
Yet into this world God broke through, a glimmer of hope in the form of a baby born in the humblest of places to the humblest of parents. Those who were alerted to his birth were not the prominent and the powerful but the helpless and near hopeless.
There are millions in our world today who hold on to hope in a million different ways. What will this hope look like to them. As followers of Jesus 2000 years after his birth, we celebrate the glimmer of hope that has broken into our lives. We don’t have blind hope, we hold onto a hope which has already been and is still yet to be. We have received a special and unique gift.
Christmas is about giving. You have received a glimmer of hope in Jesus, now in turn share that glimmer of hope with those you encounter in your week. Lord knows, there are a million reasons why you should.

Shalom
Mark

Wherever the wind blows

This past week has been a very profound one full of significant events and a range of emotions. My two all-time favourite band front men, Bono (U2) and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), stood together at the Make Poverty History concert for a cause I believe in on the day the G20 summit met in Melbourne. The following day was a sad day to remember with violent protests in Melbourne. Vox Congo played at another MPH concert in Melbourne that day. What a weekend of action, filled with massive political statements by some of the biggest bands to visit Melbourne, lots of pleas from many sympathisers to make poverty history and opportunities to actually make a difference.
All the while I was across the border in South Australia missing out on the action, but gaining appreciation for a different kind of action, learning how to be an uncle. My sister gave birth to the first of a new generation of my family and I was in Adelaide to be a part of the ‘moments’.
It seems that when significant things happen in life it gets me thinking quite deeply about life, purpose for being, etc. Tim Costello spoke at the Make Poverty History concert and said something I had heard him say before. From what I can remember he said, when politicians make decisions they lick their finger and put it into the air to see which way the wind is blowing. His purpose for this example was to say that we have the power to change the direction of the wind and influence the decisions politicians make.
Last year at the global launch of the Make Poverty History campaign Nelson Mandela said ‘all it takes is for a generation to be great, you can be that generation, you can be great’. There were threads of this quote in the movie ‘the Girl in the café’ when Gina gave that famous dinner table speech.

And so this has prompted me once again to consider, will this current generation of leaders and citizens decide to be great? Or will we just coast along and ride with the wind wherever the voices of influence dictate the direction of its breeze; whether we think it’s just or not?
I wonder what my niece, Samantha Grace, now 10 days old, would think when she grows up and begins to engage with the world? I really hope she never has to see a current image or hear of another human being who is dying in senseless poverty that we have the power to prevent. Yet I fear she will, and she’ll wonder why we didn’t do enough to address a problem we could quite easily have tackled if only we had the will. We certainly have the way and the resources to do so.
So will you be part of a generation who will be great? Not only great for those who currently need our immediate help, but great examples to our future generations. Will you use your influence to help change the direction of the wind? Or will we leave it for another generation to be great? Hang out another 20 years and wait for people like Samantha to pick up the baton?
Jesus wasn’t one to sit back and go wherever the wind blows, in fact he (one person) set the direction of the wind. At times it became a wind storm and today has powerful influence. The Holy Spirit moved in like a violent wind among the disciples on the day of Pentecost and amazing things happened. When the disciples allowed it to move them freely, no one in the community was in need and they shared everything in common.
Let us be finely tuned to the direction of the wind that blows Jesus’ way. Be a great generation of influence. Set the direction of the wind.

Shalom
Mark

G20 - Melbourne

This week the eyes of many across our world will be on Melbourne. Representatives from the 20 most economically influential countries in the world will gather in Melbourne for the G20 summit. While the G20 gathers where will also be many other happenings in Melbourne trying to draw your attention towards this summit.
Bono being the front man for U2 has come out with guns firing. U2’s first concert for their Australian tour in Brisbane was laced with strong political messages (what else would you expect from a rock band) highlighting the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. U2 will hold concerts in Melbourne during the weekend of the summit and no doubt this is deliberate to coincide with the summit.
You’ll also see Make Poverty History slogans everywhere as they have named this Make Poverty History Week and focus on the Millennium Development Goals which are a commitment to halve poverty across the world. Festivals and concerts will be held in the city over the weekend of the 18th & 19th of November. There will be protests, outspoken celebrities, differences of opinion and lots of talk about our combined effort to make poverty history.
My question to you as followers of Jesus is this: Will you shut all knowledge of these events out of your mind and lay low until it all blows over, or will you engage with the issue, provide a voice and contribute to making a difference?

Last Sunday night we gathered for a nice movie night in the chapel. We kicked back in the couches with our popcorn ready to be lightly entertained by a romantic comedy about a guy who meets a girl in a café in London.
While the movie ‘the girl in the café’ is light hearted and funny at times it hosts a mixture of disturbing messages that we cannot ignore. Lawrence meets Gina in a café, two lone unassuming strangers. Lawrence is the financial advisor to the Chancellor and Gina is just a regular everyday person. As their relationship develops the very nervous and shy Lawrence invites Gina to accompany him to Iceland where he will be part of the 2005 G8 summit – the gathering of the 8 most powerful leaders to discuss issues including the Millennium Development Goals.
Lawrence and Gina’s characters represent such powerful parallels to the way our society operates. Lawrence is the polite people pleaser however Gina is not afraid to say what she thinks. As Gina learns of the issues facing the poor and the agendas of the world leaders she begins to develop a deep personal conviction for making poverty history. Because of her relationship with Lawrence she rubs shoulders with some of the most powerful influences in the world. While it is social edict to smile and be polite Gina begins challenging the consciences of those who have power to make decisions that can change our world.
While many are disgusted at Gina’s unorthodox behaviour, I find that there is a bit of Gina in me that’s just busting to come out but the Lawrence in me may be afraid of what people think. Gina exchanges social grace for standing for what she believes in. She is just one ordinary person with one voice yet she had the guts to use it.
We are in a climate of change in many different ways and in the words of Tim Costello we have the power to change the ‘direction of the wind’. If Jesus is any example to go by, one man, with one voice who’s actions changed the world. Surely Jesus’ followers have no other option but to do the same.
Never think you can’t make a different, knowledge on these issues is not hard to come by and your federal MP’s are always open to conversations and letters, they just need enough voices to bring these issues to the front of the agenda.
Nelson Mandela said that ‘all it takes is for a generation to be great, you can be that generation, you can be great’. This week seize the opportunity to be great for the Kingdom of God.

Shalom
Mark

On the edge of the Kingdom

I may have mentioned this before but I quite enjoy Mark’s Gospel. It so happens that this year has been the year of Mark and although my preaching doesn’t always follow the lectionary themes, I thought I’d reflect on the reading from this week.
I enjoy Mark’s Gospel not because it has nice stories that suit my agenda, but because the Jesus of this Gospel is particularly earthy and gutsy. Mark’s Jesus confronts me in a particular way and gets straight to the point. I enjoy each Gospel for what it is.
In this reading from Mark chapter 12, Jesus is set up in a question time by nearly every different group that represents the Jewish faith. As each take their turn in trying to trick Jesus, a teacher of the law speaks up and asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is.
It’s almost like you can see Jesus rolling his eyes as question after question is fired at him. It seems that the most important outcome each faction of the faith are looking for from Jesus is that he believes the right stuff and delivers the right answer according to their system of belief.
I find it entertaining to read because after reading it a number of times I can then step back and check myself and say ‘hang on, I’m just like them’. It is true isn’t it, look at how many arguments, divisions and wars are caused over ‘believing the right stuff’. Every religion including the Christian movement has a copious amount of division that form into denominations mainly because of difference of opinion over fundamental beliefs that make the religion what it is.
Jesus’ response to all of this is, ‘you’ve all completely lost the plot – missed the mark’. Belief is only part of the equation. We can debate what we believe all we like but what good is our belief if it does not inform our action? In the case of the teacher of the law and Jesus, they both believe the same thing, to love God with all your heart mind and soul and love your neighbour as yourself. This is the greatest commandment. Then Jesus says this really strange thing, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”.
So what’s all that about, I thought if I believed the right stuff I was ‘in’, but Jesus says ‘you are not far…’.In fact he’s basically saying ‘you are right on the edge of the kingdom yet there’s just one more thing you require. Our lectionary reading only includes vs 28-34 but if you read beyond this you’ll find a stern warning.
Those who claim to believe all the right stuff, the religious types who pray the waffling prayers and hold prominent positions in their community and let everyone know about it, they think they’re in but are actually far from the Kingdom of God. Yet the one thing Jesus requires to step into the Kingdom is that what you believe translates through your actions. Your love for God is displayed through your love for your neighbour, your love, care and service towards the disadvantaged, broken hearted, outcast and poverty stricken.
Here’s what it means to believe in Jesus, that you embrace Kingdom values as the theme to live your life by.
Shalom
Mark

What do you see in the journey?

Over the years I have written a number of reflections about ‘journey’, the journey of following Jesus (you can check these out in my blog archives). One of my favourite passages of scripture about journey has popped up in the lectionary this week – Mark 10:46-52 the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus the blind man. While it has been my tendency to focus on the end result, Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the ‘journey’ into Jerusalem this pericope has read me differently this time.
What I find interesting about the discipline of ‘dwelling in the text’ is that we don’t just look up our favourite bible passages, take them at face value and use them for our own purposes. A dwelling means just that, sitting and being with the text, allowing it to read into your life and ministry experience, what does it uncover about the stories you bring to the text? What does it tell you about you as a Jesus follower? How is the living Spirit calling you to respond out of the text?
So now you’ve grabbed your bibles and have read these 7 basic verses what did you see? Just a story about Jesus healing a blind man? Is there something more? Did you bother to read the stories around it that give this pericope context and meaning? The Gospel of Mark is fascinating, particularly the theme around what it means to see the way of Jesus.
Here’s some things that stand out to me in this passage. You notice Bartimaeus is shouting out to Jesus. Those who were part of the large crowd following Jesus into Jerusalem rebuked Bartimaeus and told him to be quiet. I wonder who was in that crowd? Could it be that even the disciples were among disapproving the voices of Bart’s yelling? It wouldn’t be the first time, earlier in chapter 10 the disciples rebuke the children that are brought to Jesus. Yet children and blind men are overlooked all the time, they’re not important, in fact they’re a nuisance, they get in the way. Yelling beggars on the side of the road are a dime a dozen. Even with their yelling at the top of their lungs they blend into the background. Yet just as Jesus embraces the little children, he stops and hears Bart’s cry.
One of the questions I ask in my dwelling in the text is ‘where is the church in the text?’ I have heard reflections from the overlooked people in our community say the church is in the crowd! Surely not!
As the story goes, Bartimaeus is healed of his physical blindness and follows Jesus on the journey. Yet a question remains with me, ‘who in this text is really blind?’ I wonder, as we are on the journey with Jesus what do we discover along the way? How many people do we stumble across and actually notice? Do we see those who are otherwise overlooked or do we look the other way? The way of the Kingdom of God in folly to many of us yet is profound Good News to others. On the journey we are called to see what Jesus sees, to stop in the crowd, and respond to the other against the grain of society and expectations and out of love and compassion.
May you be blessed with Kingdom eyes
Shalom
Mark

ESL camp Bangkok Ta Rua blogspot

Hi everyone,

For those who don't yet know, a few young people from the Knoxfield and Foothills Churches of Christ have gone to Bangkok to work with a community alongside Urban Neighbours Of Hope in the Klong Toey slum of Bangkok. The team led by Steve Barrington has just arrived in Bangkok. UNOH work with the Ta Rua church in the area assisting in all kinds of programs to empower and equip this community to have access to the simple things in life we take for granted. The team will be doing this through teaching conversational English.

they have a blogspot so you can follow the stories of their short 2 weeks in Bangkok. There's been a bit of confusion about the URL address for this blog, so in case you come to my blog looking for information on how to contact them here it is: www.foothillstarua05.blogspot.com

I've checked it and it works. If you are entering it into your browser note they are using the blog from last year so it's '05' in the link not '06'.

Be sure to post your comments so the guys can read your messages and be encouraged while they're so far from home. For some of them it's they're first time overseas.

Cheers
Mark

P.S. I'll put the link under my 'essential blogging' sidebar incase you lose it and want to come back to it.

Standing for a cause

Last Sunday night we had around 160 – 170 people attend our ‘Stand Up’ Make Poverty History event. I thought that was pretty good for our little church. We heard from speakers Greg Hewson (TEAR Australia) and Federal MP for Aston Chris Pearce, on the Millennium Development Goals, Australia’s progress and what we can do to further our efforts. I interviewed Shobie Owen about her work with Urban Neighbours Of Hope and what they are doing to help make poverty history in the slums of Bangkok and the Burmese refugee camps on the Thai/Burma boarder. We had amazing musical acts from the Surrender 06 band, Vox Congo, Verity Skye and Shobie Owen.

At the end of the night we all stood together in solidarity with a cause to verbally commit with a ‘Stand Up pledge’. We then took up an offering to support the work of UNOH among people who live in the slums in Bangkok. This money was specifically for helping people start their own businesses. The offering combined with the BBQ money raised $1040.05.

I received an email during the week to inform me that the total number of people to ‘Stand Up’ around the world within a 24hr period was 23,542,614 people at over 11,000 different events. The total number in Australia was 19,987. The number set a phenomenal world record for the Guinness World Records, ‘The most amount of people to stand for a cause’. There was also a second record set! It was the largest single coordinated effort in the history of Guinness World Record’s. Well done people and thanks for participating.

However (There’s always a but from me isn’t there?), it’s not all about big events and world records. What we were able to do over the weekend was raise awareness about a cause. It is a cause that each speaker and musician believes passionately in, because they are passionately committed to the cause Jesus lived for, to do justice, love mercy, help the poor experience ‘good news’, stand with the marginalized and oppressed.

So while our verbal pledges and financial donations are great we are called to so much more. Greg Hewson made a point of this on Sunday night. We are called to action, there is so much that is within our capabilities to do. What we need to do is educate ourselves about the needs and how we can respond. It’s about taking a step out to the edge of our own comfort zones so we may meet those who aren’t so comfortable.

Two young people from the Knoxfield Church of Christ join others from various other Churches of Christ to step out and do something over the next two weeks. Adam Booth (20) and Jesse Van Der Ende (15) boarded a plane for Bangkok on Friday night to visit with UNOH workers in the Klong Toey slum and assist with teaching conversational English. Why? Because they are able and they know this can make a profound difference creating opportunities that liberate the poor in Bangkok. This is how far out to the edge these two are stepping, they’ve never been on a plane overseas before let alone visited another culture.

Jesus says come follow me. If we allow him to, he takes our verbal commitment seriously, takes us by the hand and leads us to the edge where we are called to the business of helping people experience the love, grace, freedom and liberation of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Shalom
Mark

Community of grace

A week or 2 ago a good friend and colleague of mine had an article published in the Australian Christian. As has happened in the past, this is another article that has raised interesting conversation and controversy. The article is titled, ‘My daughter is a homosexual’.

The article speaks of the daughters’ experience of church as a Christian who is homosexual. More often than not she has experienced judgement over grace. The article celebrates the love and hospitality the whole family found in a community of grace at the Boronia Church of Christ.
As I reflected on it over the week and listened to the reactions of various people, I just could not leave this topic alone when it came to writing a reflection for this newsletter.

Whenever I hear stories of someone being excluded from a church because of their lifestyle or beliefs I shudder and my heart sinks. I am outraged and I find myself advocating for justice. It literally keeps me awake at night and I feel deeply for those people who experience God through these churches as a judgemental and angry God who will not accept them. Sadly, this is the often the last time that person steps near a church and it is a very long journey for them to one day allow a Christian to journey alongside them.

So who do we think we are? Who do we represent as a church? What does our God look like? These are` quintessential questions that shape us, our theology and in turn our ecclesiology.

So let’s explore that then – ecclesiology – from the Greek ‘’ecclesia’ meaning ‘the church’, the people of God.
Why is it that many Christians feel the need to judge others before loving others? This is a characteristic that shapes ecclesiology, who we are as a church. I have experienced many stories over this past month, like the one Ana writes about her daughter.

The church I am going into ministry with next year shared with me recently that a woman in the community wanted her child dedicated at a local church in the area. They turned her away because she wasn’t married. The current interim minister at Blackwood with the blessing of the church welcomed her in and preformed the dedication.

A young couple approached a couple of churches in Melbourne because they wanted to get married. They were turned away by all because they already had children and were living together. They came to me and I welcomed them in and they also experienced the blessing of our church as they were overwhelmed by the little touches you all offered to make their wedding day special.

A woman was brought before Jesus by the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. She had been caught in adultery. They challenged Jesus to uphold the law and approve of stoning this woman. He simply responded with, ‘If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ As they left one by one, no one was left to condemn the woman and Jesus left her with these powerful words, ‘neither do I condemn you…go and leave your life of sin.’

This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. We the church, are bearers of Good News, let this be the agenda that shapes our ecclesiology. I celebrate the fact that in my experience of Knoxfield Church of Christ you have been bearers of good news through the love, grace and hospitality of Christ.
May you continue to be a community of grace.

Shalom
Mark

If you would like to read the article; ‘My Daughter is a Homosexual’ go to The Australian Christian Online Subscribe while you're there it's only $25 (there you go Craig some free advertising, my good deed to the AC)

Endangered spaces

These last 2 weeks have passed me by so quickly, I’ve paused slightly to reflect upon that fact that I can so easily get lost in the busyness of life. Whatever happened to those spaces we promise ourselves, those times where we sit back, relax and smell the roses; those sacred spaces; those spaces where God speaks into our lives in unique and awe inspiring ways?

Ever since I made the decision to be a Jesus follower, I also picked up on certain things from Christians around me, things that I thought I should do in order to be a true Christian, things like having ‘quiet times with God’. For years I tried this, prayer times, journaling, daily devotions, etc. You name it, I tried it, none of them worked, well it sort of did for a while, but the routine never stuck. I would get the guilt’s over this all the time, ‘was I a bad Christian?’

It is so hard to find regular spaces where we can just ponder life and the wonder of God in amongst it. They become endangered spaces, spaces in danger of extinction if we don’t stop and realise we may need to re-order our lives to allow the spaces to unfold.
I found that forcing myself to have spaces, because it was ‘expected of me’ or out of a sense of guilt, was just the wrong motivation for creating that God space. I gave up on that long ago. I now create those spaces out of a sense of necessity. It’s space to pause in the traffic, to clear the mind, to allow the Holy Spirit to ‘refill you’, to know and understand the presence of God.

But we have a problem in our fast paced culture. ‘Being’ and pondering is considered a waste of time unless it’s in front of a TV screen or something of the like where we are being entertained. We fill the spaces with everything but the pondering of the presence of God. So, is being still and doing nothing really a waste of time? Have you ever tried it, just for an hour a week? You’d be amazed at what you discover about yourself and God. Maybe that’s the thing, there’s some things we’d rather not discover so we fill the spaces with ‘stuff’.

In Vanuatu they have a saying, ‘stap nomo’. It purely means, ‘stop and that’s it’ or ‘I’m just being’. It’s a phrase I appreciate and have to continue to revisit and integrate into my vocabulary and being.

Jesus, as busy as he was with his ministry, still found time for the spaces. We read of Jesus being swamped with people, the needs so great, countless healings and casting out of demons. The mission to bring about the Kingdom of God was so huge, yet Jesus found time to duck away to a solitary place and find some space. Sometimes he even took his disciples with him, to encounter the space, to learn what it means to be renewed and replenished for the amazing task of ministry they had all being called to.

Our spaces are sacred and they have become so desperately endangered. Reclaim the spaces in your life, rediscover who you are as a child of God. It will be the most enriching use of your time you’ll ever experience. Don’t be afraid to claim a space.

Shalom
Mark

Aerosol "Graff" Workshops at Knox

Over the last 4 - 5 weeks a 17 year old artist at Knox, Justin Booth, has been watching a dream unfold. Thanks to the assistance of Careworks Vic/Tas and the Knoxfield Church of Christ, Justin has been able to fascilitate aerosol art workshops at the church. the purpose of the workshop is to build relationships with young people in the community, provide a space to hang out and educate young people about the art of graffiti. Check out some of the art works on Justins blog, www.melburners.blogspot.com

Cheers
Mark

Where does justice sit on the Christian agenda?

Through my 4 years at theological college I began to engage this stirring in my heart, alongside a relatively new concept I was discovering called ‘social justice’. As my theology and understanding of scripture developed I could not ignore this glaring theme that not only energized my call and passion for ministry, but caused me to question, ‘I’ve spent more than 20 years growing up in the church and this was relatively new to me?’

I began getting involved with Christian groups who shared the same passion as me. While Christian Surfers and Urban Neighbours Of Hope were active in the meaning-making of social justice and the bringing about of the Kingdom of God into peoples’ lives, one thing continued to disturb me .. neither one of these groups were mainline churches. A disturbing thesis began to develop in my mind .. has the established church lost its focus on one of the most dominant themes of scripture? Do I have to work with other organizations outside the established church in order to have the resources and support to be solely focused on the task at hand? These questions and many more made me more determined to want to work with the established church, to help rediscover that which is truly at the heart of God, the heart for justice.

I put a poll on our website recently as an experiment to test the waters. It was titled: ‘Is seeking justice the primary Christian agenda?’ 100% of those who answered the poll answered ‘no’. Next to the ‘no’ answer I had asked people to email me and let me know what then is the Christian agenda? No-one emailed me. Does that mean they don’t know or just won’t share? So if justice is not high on the agenda then what is?

For the sake of this reflection I want to answer my original question. Marcus J. Borg suggests that the Christian emphasis on God’s passion for justice has been neglected. Borg suggests that from the time of the Emperor Constantine and up until now, there has been a strong move for Christians in positions of influence to align themselves with the structure of power. The Christian focus rapidly shifted to personal salvation and cared less about social justice. Yet if we really read and engage scripture we find the many voices of justice protest against the systemic injustice of empires and kingdoms. Borg writes, “Protesting the nightmare of injustice, its central voices proclaim God’s dream of justice.” “They do so in the name of God and on behalf of the victims – slaves in Egypt, exiles in Babylon, exploited peasants most vulnerable in all times –widows, orphans, the poor, and the marginalized.” In the name of God major figures advocate a God of love and justice. New Testament scholar John Reumann writes, “Ask any hundred New Testament scholars around the world, what the central message of Jesus of Nazareth was, and the vast majority would agree that this message centered in the Kingdom of God.”

Social justice underlines the Kingdom of God. So my question then is, why is it that it is not high, if not the highest on our agenda as Christians? Why are we so preoccupied with church services, our buildings, ourselves?

God’s heart for justice in this world was expressed clearly through the life of Jesus. He was a political agitator for good reason, he sought to change social structure by touching and talking with the ‘wrong people’, and that is what he died for – the hope for a more just world – the Kingdom of God coming near. Let us not fail to live the vision Jesus died for.

Shalom

Mark

Truth be told

This week I came across an interview with Princess Di’s former butler, Paul Burrell. He seemed quite adamantly passionate about telling the truth about the life of the late Princess Di. One of the things he seemed particularly concerned about was, if he didn’t tell the story then it would be told by someone else who wouldn’t get the facts right, therefore would not display the truth of the life of Diana (according to his understanding of what is true). Well, it’s all relative to experience isn’t it?Whenever I come to writing these reflections, it’s always in response to some reading or an experience I had during the week. In this case, I stumbled across this interview during the same week I had begun reading another book that had been sitting on my book shelf, ‘The Heart of Christianity’ by Marcus J. Borg. It didn’t take long for Borg’s book to be regarded as ‘controversial’ as Borg sought to get to the matters at the heart of Christianity. Depending on your approach, that is a very dangerous place to go, yet I like many others, attempt to go there now.

What is the bible? Is it the unique revelation of God, the literal word of God, the spoken truth of God without question or deviation? If so, who tells us such things that we should believe it? If you asked people if the bible was the literal word of God 50 years ago, the majority of Christians would have responded ‘yes’. If you asked Christians today to answer truthfully what they thought, the majority would now say ‘no’. So what’s changed? We live in an age of information, a time where the modern meets post-modern, everyone is scientifically and historically liberated by new scholarship and so on. In this light we view and understand the bible differently. We discover new things about the origins of its authors, why they wrote what they wrote, who they were writing to and their historical context. What I find interesting is, as soon as I begin to explore this new biblical understanding, a faithful Christian will leap to the defence of the bible. My first response to that is, I don’t think the bible needs any defence, and second, what are people threatened by?

Borg would suggest that there are 2 expressions of the Christian faith today. There’s the earlier paradigm who accept the ‘traditional’ beliefs, then there’s the emerging paradigm, wanting to question and understand why we believe what we do. To a large degree the emerging people are in exile from the church for all kinds of reasons because they feel they’ve been asked to check their intellect at the door.

The bible is viewed by many as speaking the ‘truth’ about the nature of God, yet we all approach this in different ways. So where does the bible come from? I’ll say this straight up just for clarification, the bible did not drop from the sky, leather bound and conveniently organized into books with chapters and verses, translated in the old King James English. There are a number of authors, writing over a span of several centuries, to very different cultural contexts, in different languages. So how then are we to interpret the bible? If it’s not the scripture we’ve been led to believe in, where every word is to be literally interpreted for Christian living today, then what can we trust, what can we believe in?This can really blow a lot of people out of the water, is anything in the bible true? Well what is truth? I believe the kingdoms in the Old Testament really existed, as did their kings. The prophets who told of the coming of Christ, really lived, Jesus really did walk this earth and he really was killed by way of Roman crucifixion for being a political agitator. These can be proven historical facts. I also believe in the resurrection as witnessed and testified to by many, now there’s a matter of faith.

The bible is not a proof text! It was never meant to be. It is a living breathing testimony of how people through the ages have experienced the living God. It is relevant to us not as a legalistic document for Christian living today, but as a conversation tool with the people of faith both past and present.I wonder what the reaction of ‘biblical authors’ would have been if told their writings would one day be seen as scripture? The Apostle Paul for instance was only writing letters to churches because of the issues they faced as followers of a ‘new way’. I wonder if he would have written differently, knowing it would be published in a book for millions around the world to read? The author of John’s Gospel writes that Jesus did many other things that if written down, there would not be room in the whole world to contain the writings (Jn 21:25). Well I wonder if he would have said that if he had heard of CD ROMs and Hard drives. I’d love to be able to write back to John and say, ‘did you know we now call your story a Gospel? Furthermore, there were other things written about Jesus and we call them the 3 synoptic Gospels, they sit right alongside yours in something we call the bible.’ There was far more written about Jesus than even we are aware of. In the 1940s the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. In these scrolls are writings of other prophets from the time of the prophets, more creation stories, an extra Psalm, at least 50 more Gospels, and more. So what makes our 66 books in the bible ‘scripture’ yet these are not? Because a bunch of men in the 3rd century CE during the time of Constantine decided what’s in and what’s out? These extra writings are referred to as the Apocryphal writings. What we have available to us in ‘the bible’ is the directors cut. So can the experience of God, God’s story expressed through God’s people, be limited to the directors cut? Hey, the truth has to be told by someone, but the truth according to who? Friends, over time we have put our faith in the wrong things. We are told to put our faith in the bible and we use it as a proof text, when we should first put our faith in God. Yes the truth and revelation of God can be told and expressed in many ways.

The word of God is embodied though the expression of the faith and life of the people of God, not just contained in the text. Let the truth be told, God cannot be contained or boxed in a neat package, our God is a living God whose word and revelation is being expressed though God’s people.

Shalom Mark

Favours make the world go round?

Extract from a local newspaper source:
'Do a favour: These smiling faces show the kindness and friendship Pay it Forward creator Catherine Ryan Hyde hopes to spread around the world.
Hyde created the Pay it Forward concept, which eventually became a hit movie, where one person does a favour for three people and each of those do a favour for three more.
She is in Australia to help promote National Friendship Day on Sunday.
"National Friendship Day highlights that friendship and kindness make the world go round." she said.
"The reactions I see to the idea of Pay it Forward are remarkable."
Ms Hyde came up with the idea after two strangers helped her put out her car fire.
She said if the concept begun in Australia, by the 14th level of favours everyone in the country would have received a favour from a stranger.'
- Katie Lapthorne



Wow! What an exciting concept! If only it was so simple and easy to implement. I actually do celebrate in the idea, in fact, I advocate the idea of helping our fellow human beings. However, what’s going on here? Where does the motivation come from? Is it all just about random acts of kindness? Do we limit ourselves to just helping 3 people then our job is done?

This newspaper article tells us Catherine Hyde was inspired by the random act of kindness of a couple of strangers. So what motivated them? I read somewhere recently a suggestion that there is, built into each one of us a desire to want to empathise with or be moved to an act of compassion towards people in need. If this is true and this is how our creator created us, then why isn’t this true all of the time? What is it that triggers this desire to respond to others?

I often hear Christians criticize those who don’t align themselves with the Jesus group yet go around advocating random acts of kindness. Who do these people think they are? They don’t believe the right stuff and they’re not converting people? Or are they?

John, one of Jesus’ disciples, submits a complaint to Jesus about a guy they saw driving out demons in Jesus name. They stopped him because he wasn’t ‘one of us’. Jesus’ response is ‘don’t stop him’. Jesus isn’t about copyrighting his movement or selling rights to a franchise. Actually I think we, like the disciples often miss the point about what this Jesus movement is really all about. It is infectious and cannot be contained.

But there is another issue that concerns Christians about all of those who ‘are not one of us’, doing these good things in the world – they’re not one of us! They’re not mentioning Jesus’ name! I am one for advocating the name and movement of Jesus because it is my understanding of Jesus and my transformation in Christ that motivates me to respond to the world around me. However what does the name of Jesus sound and look like? Does it come in the form of a person from the Jesus group coming to me when I’m thirsty and instead of quenching my thirst tells me to get on my knees, pray the sinner’s prayer and receive Jesus, then celebrate because I am saved and the living water runs through me? Or does it come in the form of anyone who comes to me when I’m thirsty and out an act of compassion offers me a cup of water? In fact the author of Mark’s Gospel records, ‘anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, because you belong to me, will certainly not lose his reward.’ (Mk 9:41). Luke simply states Jesus saying, ‘whoever is not against you is for you.’ (Lk 9:50).

This could suggest to me that the language of Jesus name is in the act of compassion, love and understanding. So why do we and Jesus’ disciples feel the desire to box Jesus with exclusivity? A commentary I read on this recently suggests that the spirit of exclusivity entered the church quite early on and still exists today. The commentator asks, ‘Who holds the franchise for relieving human suffering?’ What I find amusing about the conversation between John and Jesus as recorded in Mark and Luke, is that the disciples had just failed to cast a demon out in Jesus name, yet some stranger to the Jesus group succeeds. What are the Gospel writers trying to tell us? Is this cause for us to rethink our Christology and those things we claim exclusive rights to?

So back to the original story. I believe in and applaud the efforts of people of all persuasions to ‘pay it forward’, to ‘make poverty history’. There’s all these causes the secular world are embracing out of a genuine movement of compassion. Maybe it’s the Spirit we (the church) cannot box, that is igniting this movement. However I think many of the people in our secular world struggle with the fact that Christians criticize rather than join the movement we should already be a part of. Many Christians are already leading the way, but there are many more who are still reluctant to respond. The difference for us (Christians) is, we’ve had the secrets of the Kingdom revealed to us, therefore we have the ultimate motivation to get involved. The movement of Jesus is so much more than a random act of kindness, it is a continual way of life.

Shalom
Mark

What’s your fire?

“It is dangerous to arrive in eternity with possibilities that you have prevented from becoming actualities…Trusting in God, I have ventured, but I have failed – there is peace and rest and God’s confidence in that. I have not ventured – it is an utterly unhappy thought, a torment for all eternity.”
Soren Kierkegaard (Extracted from ‘Who Stands Fast’)
What fires you up? What gets you going? What kinds of adventure do you want to take with Jesus? What are you passionate about? Come on! Every Christian is passionate about something right? It’s what makes up the DNA of a follower of Jesus, because if we are all shaped in the image of Christ (as the Apostle Paul suggests to the churches he writes to) then we would get passionately fired up about the things Jesus himself was fired up about.
Once again I have been profoundly touched by one of my favourite authors/speakers Mick Duncan. I just finished reading ‘Who Stands Fast?’ It was in the final chapters that I really engaged this deep yearning to see Christians around the world get excited about the things Jesus gets excited about, and I mean so passionately engaged with the story and creation of God through Jesus that we are moved into action without question. People driven by faith and passion rather than apathy and excuses. People actually stepping out into wild adventures with Jesus.
Churches attempt to motivate people in all kinds of ways with ‘purpose driven’ programs and spiritual gift surveys. While they might excite the majority for a while, the excitement is generally short lived and we begin the search for the next exciting program. Before you know it you’re a junky for programs and conferences but in actuality, there have been no real changes in your life, there are no real stories of adventures with Jesus to speak of and the things you’re passionate about have been suppressed and you’re not sure what to do with that.
I often have conversations with people after such experiences, you could call it ‘follow up’ to see how people are going to implement their new learning to engage the adventure of being a Christ follower. The most common response I get is, ’I’m praying about it’, or ‘I’m waiting for God to tell me what to do’. I sorry but the only tone I hear in those responses is excuse and avoidance. I am the first to advocate for consultation with God but most of the time the people I’ve spoken with are still waiting 5 years later! The prophet Micah tells his people, ‘For God has shown you what is good…’ God has already revealed both before Jesus and through Jesus what is required of us, so what are we waiting for?
Mick writes, “It seems many Christians are waiting for God to do something when in fact God may be waiting for them…express yourself not as a waiter but as a decision maker and take initiative in the war zone as a Christ-soldier.” (p77-78) I agree with Mick, what exactly are we waiting for? My theory is we have already made our decisions then we spend the rest of our time having internal battles with ourselves about why we should or shouldn’t act.
So in Mick’s final chapter he calls on the stories of those who have gone before us as models for our movement. These are people who have discovered their fire and acted upon it, they have found the cause in their context where the Good News needs to reign true. There is injustice all around us everyday yet many of us are not outraged enough at it to do anything about it. Mick refers to such people, in this chapter, as Ehud (see book of Judges Old Testament), Rosa Parks (Part of USA’s Civil right movement), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (took a stand against Hitler in WW2) and of course Jesus who was so outraged at the injustices both in the wider region as well as within the religious system he was a part of, that his every breath was used to speak out and act against it to the point where he was killed for it. Bonhoeffer records in his poetry ‘Stations on the road to freedom’ before he was killed, ‘Dare to do what is just…’
Do we dare to act on the passion that wells up within us when we are transformed by the heart of Christ? Jesus says to his disciples, ‘you are the light of the world…you are the salt of the earth’, we are to be the light of Christ in all that means setting out on wild adventures with Jesus in our everyday. You don’t need a special program or spiritual gift survey to tell you what you’re passionate about. What’s your fire? Follow it!
“We delude ourselves into thinking that to refrain from venturing is modesty, and that it must please God as humility. No,no! Not to venture means to make a fool of God- because all he is wanting is that you go forth.”
Soren Kierkegaard (Extracted from ‘Who Stands Fast’)

Shalom
Mark

Where to draw the line

I’ve always had this issue, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with some of the tensions between Gospel values and Western Christian values. For the purpose of clarification, in many instances they are two different things, lets be honest here. For this reason we always struggle to respond to and live out with integrity, the things Jesus asks of his followers. We question and try to rationalize the things the Gospel writers record Jesus saying because it doesn’t suit our agenda. I will include myself in the group of people who constantly fail to follow Jesus because I have a problem with some of his teachings.
I was profoundly impacted, disturbed and liberated by last weekend’s Surrender conference. Two speakers captured my attention and said things that fused in my mind and helped shape my response as a follower of Jesus. They were Mick Duncan and Tony Campolo.
Tony said many profound things but for the sake of this reflection I want to highlight one of his favourite sayings. He was talking about the general Western approach to Christianity which put simply is, I’ll give part of my life but not all of it. He played on the tithing rhetoric mixed with that famous hymn, ‘I Surrender All’. He said that after putting our tithe in the offering plate we need to start singing, ‘One tenth to Jesus I surrender…I surrender one tenth, one tenth to Jesus I surrender, I surrender one tenth’, because in reality that best summarizes what we are prepared to give of our lives rather than the I surrender all fib we sometimes sing.
However Mick Duncan helped me grapple with this issue the best. He explained it far better than I’ve ever heard anyone explain. Upon reflection of the hard hitting sayings of the Gospel such as; ‘denying yourself, taking up your cross…’ (Matt 16:21-28; Mk 8:31-38; Lk 9:22-27); ‘Sell everything, give to the poor and follow me’ (Matt 19:16-30; Mk 10:17-30; Lk 18:18-30); ‘If anyone comes and does not hate mother and father…cannot be my disciple’ (Lk 14:25-35); Mick then said this: Whatever we place above the line we live for and worship, whatever we place below the line we love and nurture.
We all draw the line somewhere as to how far we are prepared to commit to something, including following Jesus. We place things in our lives above the line that shouldn’t be there; this was the problem the rich young ruler faced with Jesus. He walked away from that encounter very distressed. We place family, work and possessions above the line all the time when Jesus is saying they don’t belong there, we are not to live for and worship those things. The only entity we should have above the line is God. Everything else we place below the line in their rightful place. We love and nurture our family, friends, etc but we don’t live for them. If this is the case we face the same dilemma as the rich young ruler.
Jesus is consistent with this message many times throughout four Gospels yet we try to skim past it, reinterpret it, or make excuses over it. I don’t know about you but frankly, I’m sick of hearing my own voice making excuses.
The greatest commandment, Jesus affirms, is to love the Lord you God with all your heart, mind and soul, and to love your neighbour as you love yourself. Nothing else has the right to be placed above the line, if it is it is an obstacle that distracts you from surrendering all to Jesus.
To live for, love and worship God, is also to have the same attitude towards your neighbour. Another consistency throughout scripture is you can’t say you love God yet have no love for your neighbour. It is a lie, if you do not love your neighbour you do not love God. Tony said that you cannot have a relationship with God without also having a relationship with a poor person, a person in need, your ‘neighbour’.
There is nothing meek or mild about Jesus or his message. This is confronting, it must cause us to re-evaluate our relationships, our lives, our very being, if we are to be authentic disciples of the way of Christ.

Shalom
Mark

Awesome Creator

Why are we here? Where did we come from? How did all things come into being? No matter which tradition you are influenced by, whether it be scientific, religious or cultural, each person is certain about the truth their tradition offers which helps them answer these ‘meaning of life’ questions?

This was the topic and these were the questions asked in my CRE class this week. The topic according to CRE curriculum was ‘Creation’ according to Genesis chapter 1. So many of us are familiar with the Judeo-Christian story of creation as a 7 day event. This is the tradition of the Jewish, the Christian and the Muslim faith. I wonder, are you also familiar with the theory of evolution, or creation according to Aboriginal dream time, or creation according to Ni-Vanuatu storyan?

As I taught my half hour lesson I laid all of these theories out on the table, because that really is all they are, theories according to the traditions of those who are curious enough to try and make sense of where we come from and how we got here. This is the point where many passionate fundamentalists and literalists put the gloves on and are ready to fight for that which they know as ‘truth’ according to their tradition. I question, what then are we fighting for?

The Creation theory was recorded around 4000 years ago according to the traditions and questions of the people of Israel. The Dream Time is a tradition that has existed for 40,000 years according to some sources and the Ni-Vanuatu also for thousands of years, not to mention the thousands of other creation stories that have existed since the human story has existed. The scientific evolution theory is a new player at only a couple of hundred years old, yet is still a measured theory according to human understanding.

A DVD landed on my desk a few weeks ago titled ‘Unlocking the Mystery of Life’. It is a documentary introducing (to the disgust of many scientists) the theory of intelligent design. This theory says that things didn’t just happen or appear but there is an intelligence, a creator, responsible for the way things are.

I find no reason to fight for one theory over another. I’m satisfied with the fact that there are many theories in the human story that try to grapple with understanding the purpose of our existence and how we got here. However the over arching constant for me that can be true for all theories is that God is the Creator.

We have such an awesome creator! In this weeks news, scientists have brought forward 3 recently discovered planets in our solar system to be named and claimed in a vote to take place next week. In my research on the topic I discovered that there have been discoveries of up to 50 other planets in other solar systems revolving around stars like our sun that have been described in likeness with our Earth. These kids of discoveries cause our curious minds to ask, ‘can there be other life out there?’

Did you know that within 1cm3 of a living organism up to 4 billion single cells can be found. When magnified a single cell is packed with assembly instructions and miniature machines so intricately designed you could not possibly say it was an accident or came about through a process of natural selection. Charles Darwin could never have imagined such complexity and design when he developed his theory.

Our ancestors developed theories and stories based on their limited understanding and questioning within a world view where our planet was flat. It was a fact that if you sailed to the horizon you would fall off the edge of the earth.

From telescopes that allow us to explore planets and stars in other solar systems to microscopes that allow us to explore the microscopic world of a single living cell, we discover just how little we really know and how awesome our creator God really is.

I believe we have been created in the image of God. Humans are infact one of God’s greatest and most complex creations. We have been created with the gift of free will, ability to think and explore. We can continue to discover and rediscover the greatness of our creator God which adds to the richness of understanding our story and who we are in relationship with the cosmos.

Our God is an awesome God!

Shalom
Mark

Don't just think it, do it!

“As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without actions is dead.” James 2:26. James pulls no punches in urging his fellow Jewish followers of ‘The Way’, to allow their faith and belief in Jesus to inform their actions and the way they live their lives.

For James, faith is a transformative process that influences our very being. Whatever you believe reflects who you are as it motivates your actions and responses to the world around you. If it doesn’t then what good is your belief/faith? James throws out some hard hitting statements.

I have many friends who would think that Christianity is all about a simple transaction between them and God. Believe in God and heaven, which perpetuates the belief that you’re going to heaven, then live your life the way you want. My response to that is their faith is nothing short of very shallow.

A faith that does not promote a way of life is no faith at all. In fact it is hypocrisy to believe in something then act in a way that is contrary to that belief. So this would lead us to the question, ‘What do you believe?’ Do you know the Christian story? If someone asked you could you tell them? Is your faith lived out in what you do? Do people know what you believe just by observing you?

The challenge that constantly lies ahead of churches is to put into action the things that say they believe in. Many churches have a set of core values or mission statement that outlines what they ‘believe’ as a community. The real test is, do we believe it enough to allow it to inform our every move as a church? Do we revisit our belief system to reflect how the living Spirit continues to educate us and speak to us?

The Church worldwide is the living breathing body of Christ. When Christ walked this earth his beliefs and what he stood for oozed out of him, he hardly had to say a word to speak a powerful message when he reached out and touched the leper, allowed the ‘sinful woman’ to wash his feet, or turned over the tables in the temple courts.

Would the living body of Christ (the Church) today, really allow itself to express it’s beliefs through actions as powerful as Christ’s? Saint Francis of Assisi once proclaimed, ‘Preach the Gospel at all times, but only if necessary use words.’ What Saint Francis suggests in saying this is that our actions can speak louder than words.

Jesus' prayer for his disciples in John 17 is one that reflects, if only we would act the way Christ has called us to, then the world may see and believe. My take on that is that when people begin to believe they in turn begin to act. Check the quote of the day in the header. Our actions are in fact the most powerful language we have.

Shalom
Mark

Quote of the day: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

"Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock"

I'm in a blogging frenzy at the moment so this is my last post, then I'm taking a break.

A friend of mine sent me a link to an article in the New York Times. It tells a story which in my view, is a story of a courageous pastor who is not bound by church offerings, job security or public opinion - but speaks the truth of the Gospel according to his own convictions. I admire his guts to pledge allegiance to the Jesus of the Gospels before the America flag.

I hope I can display this kind of guts throughout my ministry vocation.

Check the story here

Cheers
Mark

Which voice do you hear?

In our world today there are many voices. The voices we actually hear are the ones that have influence in our lives. Whether these are helpful influences or not is left to our own discernment. However, our actions reflect whatever influences us the most.
I often wrestle with discerning the voice of God. How do you know what God is saying? Am I acting in a way that pleases God? Am I making the choices that honour the purpose God has for my life? These are very confronting theological questions for more than one reason. It brings into question how much influence we think God does or should have in our lives. Is there a chosen path that we can only know through intimate relationship with God? What if I can’t hear Gods voice? What if I deviate from the path?
Through a conversation with my spiritual director recently I discovered that I hear God in different ways. The most important thing I discovered is that God is always speaking into my life. The trouble I often have is discerning that voice among the many others. There’s the voice of reason, the voice of temptation, the voice of self-service…and the list goes on. The best way to describe it is sometimes it feels like I’m at a party with music and hundreds of chattering people and I’m sitting next to God in a corner of the room trying to hear what on earth He’s saying. ‘Speak up God!’ I shout. Often when I strain hard enough I hear the voice is saying, ‘just come and step into a quiet space with me Mark.’
Often I find that I have heard God speak, and I have a deep conviction in my heart to respond to that voice through my actions and the decisions I make. However my head at times creates conflict with my heart, as my head is processing all those other rationalizing voices that cause uncertainty and confusion over the voice in my heart. Therefore I can often have a dislocation of head from heart.
Jesus says to the hearers of the famous sermon on the mount, ‘whoever hears these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise man…but anyone who hears and doesn’t but them into practise is like a foolish man…’ To be a true follower of Jesus, you act on what Jesus says, to do any different is a dislocation of the head from the heart. The author of the epistle James is big on the hearing and responding with Godly action. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22).
For the modern day disciple of Jesus our role is not to merely listen to the nice stories of the bible but to allow our heart to hear what Jesus asks of us. The heart is the source of inner transformation that promotes outward response. We need to find spaces to discern the voice of God so we can filter the noise and hear the word of God, the ultimate influence.

Shalom
Mark

Embracing the other

There is a TV show on channel seven I have recently become hooked on called ‘Lost’. The storyline is based around an airliner on route from Sydney to LA, which crashed on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean stranding the survivors with no hope of rescue. One of the things I find most fascinating about this captivating and very involved series is that the survivors of the plane crash soon discover that they are not alone on the island.
As the story unfolds there is great suspicion, fear and uncertainty about who these ‘others’ are. They even call them ‘the others’. Even before they get a glimpse of who these ‘others’ might be, they are fearful, defensive and suspect the worst in an encounter with the others. They, the survivors we the audience are supposed to identify with, begin to mistrust each other and turn on one another as fear levels reach it’s climax.
I get continually frustrated at the stars of the show thinking, if only they changed their attitude or approach to the others they may get a different response. They may even enter into a constructive dialogue. They I wonder about ‘the others’. They must be experiencing the exact same fear and suspicion.
I occasionally attend inter-faith gatherings where the intention is to meet for constructive dialogue about that which is foreign to us. Last week I attended a lunch where a Muslim woman came to share her faith story with a group of us Christians from various different Christian traditions. Talk about a gutsy move! So what are we doing listening to a Muslim’s faith story you ask? My best response is we’re doing just that – listening! It was a dialogue and as you do at these kind of things you always get those in the group who come with an agenda of fear of the other for whatever reason and become unhelpful voices in the conversation. There was one Christian there who seemed to come with the sole agenda of trapping this poor woman. His aggression was embarrassing and I thought to myself, ‘is this the Christian thing to do?’ A Christian friend of mine once said, ‘God gave me one mouth and two ears so I can do less talking and more listening.’ I also wondered in that moment who the ‘other’ really was. Was it the Muslim, was it the aggressor, was it me? I soon can to realize that I should never assume at I myself am excluded from otherness.
At the end of the afternoon I was profoundly moved by a moment that is like an image burned into my mind. One of our Christian leaders in thanking the Muslim woman for sharing with us physically embraced her with a hug. Having being deeply moved by that act of Christian love I have since continued to ponder what this means.
Jesus has called us to embrace the other in all contexts. I concluded from this experience that I cannot possibly embrace the other unless I am completely sold out to my own faith tradition. It is only then that we can sit down and discover and appreciate our differences. I’m not suggesting for a minute that I am to embrace the beliefs or traditions of the other but simply to suspend judgement and fear and embrace the other with the love and grace that can only come through Jesus.
Many conflicts in our world today would not be conflicts if we who call ourselves Christian could embrace this simple act. The conflict in the Middle East is a classic example of fear reaching boiling point. Quotes from world leaders of the 20th century following WW1 & WW2 will tell you that there are no winners in a war, everyone loses. Fighting for peace is an oxymoron, you would think that we would learn from our past but we haven’t.
Sojourners magazine this week said, ‘military muscle is always too hedonistic and narcissistic to listen to the voice of reason and history’. They also quoted a short story of a modern day Good Samaritan story at a mega scale. The story tells of Christians in Lebanon leading humanitarian aid embracing and caring for those war affected people who would otherwise be labelled as ‘the others’.
Embracing the other is the simplest yet most profound act of a Christian in today’s climate. It is infact the only road to peace. It is what Jesus has called his followers to do.

Shalom
Mark

P.S. Check out the Social Justice Network Blog for the full quote from Sojourners

What do you value?

Your family, your job, your friends, your car, your house, your status in society, your pet dog, your cable TV, your favourite chair, your freedom? In our current climate of political, social, economic and technological change, the things we value can come under threat and so we hold them closer to our chest, become more attached to them and they play an even more prominent role in how our lives are shaped and what we shape our lives around.

I wonder if we ever take time to reflect upon why we value these things, what motivates us to want to fight for them? Does it boil down to what we ultimately believe in? How do we react when they come under threat and we are at risk of losing them? Why do we value such things? Is it about self preservation and worth, about a
good feeling, is it because that’s what really matters to us?

When a friend of mine visited Australia after being away for a period of time, he was surprised to hear that there was a new federal political party initiated by Christians called ‘Family First’. He rattled his brain wondering why they would choose family, first as an agenda for a Christian voice in federal politics, and I heard him say, ‘because Jesus is quite clear about what needs to come first…’ He didn’t pad that response out for me but rather left me wondering.

I subscribe to ‘Sojourners’ online newsletter. Jim Wallis is a constant contributor to the newsletter and recently a speech he made n Washington D.C. was published. Here’s an excerpt I thought I’d leave you with to ponder. Part of a speech from Jim Wallis:

“We are gathering here in the season of Pentecost, as we have done now for 10 years. It is the season when we celebrate the church coming down from that upper room into the streets with the power of the Spirit to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. The good news that he proclaimed in his opening mission statement in the little town of Nazareth: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor."

To a church whose mission statement hasn't always reflected his, we are here simply to say this: whatever else the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to change about our lives - overcome our sinful habits and addictions, save our marriages and families, make us responsible people - IF the gospel that we preach does not "bring good news to the poor," well then, it is simply not the gospel of Jesus Christ - and it is about time that we said that.

To the political leaders of this capitol city, and from the places you all live across this country, we are here to say something else: the days when you could win the support of the religious community by merely speaking the language of family values and the sacredness of life while ignoring the desperate plight of poor people in this wealthy nation and around the world are over. Because for a growing number of people of faith across the political spectrum, you will now be held accountable for how the leadership you offer and the policies you support impact the lives of those whom Jesus called "the least of these." You see for many of us, poverty is also a life issue and as our bumper sticker says "Poverty is NOT a family value!".”

Jim Wallis – ‘Sojourners Magazine 30/6/06’



Shalom
Mark

How far is too far?

One thing that has caused quit a stir in the media once again this week is the channel Ten show, ‘Big Brother’. The controversy involving human rights, freedom of speech and morality has even caught the attention and comment of our Prime Minister.

So what is it about this show that makes people want to watch it? Is it purely because they continually push the moral boundaries? Is it the naughtiness and daring nature of the show that attracts so many young viewers? Whatever the reason it is a huge source of influence to young people as young as 8 years old. Youth idolize certain contestants on the show and, like most celebrities young people idolize, they want to be like them.

Shows like this defend their right to broadcast what they like as long as it fits within the very broad boundaries of classification. So how far is too far and who are the voices who can speak against it and be heard? These days people pull the freedom of speech line as far as possible to be as vulgar and offensive as they like. It all comes down to the individual as to how you interpret my choice verbs. But beware, if you don’t meet the standard of what has been accepted as the ‘norm’ in society, you are labelled as conservative and out of touch.
So are we to relinquish all our morals so our young people can just pick and choose what they like according to the influences of the media, because aren’t the media now setting the standard as to what is normal?

I can’t help but reflect upon the Exodus story, when Moses left the community for a long period of time. The people get restless, created their own gods and fell into moral chaos and disrepair. Moses was so greatly angered by what he discovered that he smashed the first copy of the ten commandments. He later chiselled out a new copy. As for those who would not turn back to God, they met their death that day.

Now, did Moses go too far? How far is too far?

The Ten Commandments were never meant to be a set of rules, or set a moral high ground for the people of God to look down on others. They were commands from God to create the perfect balance for community life. The Jews who inherited this law used it in such a way as to look down on people and exclude them creating a rigid structure for community living. Jesus said he had come not to abolish the law but to fulfil it. Even Jesus in his interactions with people in the community stood up for what Moses began. He said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, al your mind and all your strength, and love your neighbour as you love yourself.’

So that’s how far we are to go, this is the perfect balance. It is how we show respect and reverence towards God and our fellow human beings. It would solve a lot of our social issues. But as Aaron points out to Moses, ‘You know how prone these people are to evil.’ (Ex 32:22) Aaron was weak in leading the people in Moses absence. So who will stand strong? Who will be the leaders in our community worth looking up to so our young people have a Godly voice shaping their vision for the future? Could it be you? Silence gives permission for our society to fall further and further away from the balance God intended here on earth.

Shalom
Mark

'Big Brother...we were only joking!'

It's ok everyone don't panic, I stand corrected, it was all just a big misunderstanding and the guys were just playing a practical joke...you little rascals.

So just so everyone knows, apparrently holding a girl down and your mate waving his crutch in her face is now classed as a practical joke, oh and by the way, according to the defense of Big Brother, this is also the way these young men respect women, since of course these to innocent young guys always respect the opposite sex. Thanks Big Brother for educating us and setting a new standard.

Last night while I was gearing up to watch one of my favorite Monday night programs on TV, I was so rudely interupted by Gretel Kileen (again! - she's everywhere!) on channel 10 around 9:40pm. 'Oh I see they're choosing a late night adults only segment to reveal explain themselves.' I begin to think naiively. So they recap all the mysterious stuff I posted last bolg then she interviews John and Ashley. Talk about beating around the bush. Not once did anyone mention what had actually occurred, it was almost like they were trying to lauch it off like it was a joke. They both said it was a practical joke that went wrong.

Well I would say yes, a girl who has to assert her objecion to what was happening, then try and wriggle free is something gone wrong indeed. I see no joke in that. It was obviously serious enough to get them kicked out of the house and for Big Brother to be so careful as to not mentioned what happened or ever show footage of what was recorded of the incident. Camilla was obviously in some sort of fear for herself in in some sort of uncertainty of their intentions, even for a second, to have objected and try to stop what was happening. At some point she must have felt she was not in control\, and that can be a scarey place for anyone to be.

Big Brother if this is a joke we're not laughing, in fact, the joke is on you.

Today Big Brother will find out if they themselves are in breech of breaking rules. Well Big Brother you know how it works when people break rules. I look forward to hearing, "It's time to go...(long pause for anticipation and suspense)...Big Brother.' The sooner the better.

Shalom
Mark

Big Brother grows a conscience?!

Or did they? The moment Big Brother stepped in to intervene on an issue of morality, they cover it up!

If you like me don’t watch Big Brother then here’s an update on the hot topic that’s got everyone talking. Three contestants known in the Big Brother house as John, Ashley and Camilla were involved in an ‘incident’ in the very early hours of Saturday morning. Media outlets are describing it as ‘sexual misconduct’. The only reason this captured my attention is because in was a front page headline on Sunday’s Herald Sun paper.

I went out of my way then to watch Big Brother live eviction on Sunday night because I was interested as to how they might address this very serious allegation. The show began with replaying highlights of Friday in the house. I was then reminded why I don’t watch Big Brother. I would describe these adults in their 20’s and 30’s living in the house as nothing short of juvenile delinquents. The maturity levels of these adults is much to be desired, and it’s an embarrassment to think that I fall into that age group.

Then mystery falls over the show and if it wasn’t for what I read in the paper, I would have had no idea what was going on. Big Brother does some quality editing work here by the way. What I mean by that is, they lead us (the viewer) exactly where they want to lead us by the information they disclose and withhold.

It’s Saturday morning and Camilla is in the diary room very abstractly referring to an incident she was involved in with 2 other housemates just hours earlier. While it could be seen that she is submitting an official complaint, Camilla herself plays the incident down. Instead of hearing Big Brother’s response or further discussion the Big brother TV commentator says the incident is being taken under consideration by Big Brother. ‘Mmmm…thinks the viewer, what’s there to discuss?’ Then later that day the two housemates in question, who turn out to be John and Ashley are called to the diary room. For the first time you don’t actually see the diary room discussion, instead the commentator explains how they broke a fundamental house rule and they will be removed from the house because of it.

So after the advert, all the housemates are called into the diary room and the news is broken to them that the guys have been removed at which Camilla breaks down in tears. All the housemates are clearly upset, so Camilla suggests that either her or Big Brother explain why the guys were removed and full details of the incident. Credit to Big Brother for naming the seriousness of the incident and assuring Camilla that it wasn’t her fault. Camilla was left to explain to the housemates outside the diary room what happened. We will never know exactly what she told them I guess because the commentator gave Big Brothers own explanation over the top of hers. What we do hear Camilla saying is that she tried to wriggle free then the other one was going to have a turn. She describes it as a joke that went wrong. She found herself in a situation that got out of hand. While the 2 guys may only have been messing around, it is a serious game to be playing and in public would not be tolerated. From what can be understand one held Camilla down while the other thrust his crutch into her face. Then when they were swapping she said a stern ‘no’ and wriggled free. You could tell by the reactions of housemates that some did not approve of the actions of John and Ashley. What amused me the most was the comment of one housemate who was clearly upset, 'reality is just setting in now.' Um...this is a reality show. Even that's laughable.

What if her ‘no’ was ignored? What were the others in the house doing? What if she couldn’t wriggle free? What if there were no cameras? Could this have become rape? I would say this is pretty serious business Big Brother, sexual harassment in the least. There’s laws against that.

And here’s where the great cover up comes in. Enter Gretel Killeen with dazzling light and sound and celebration. Here’s how she opens the live eviction show, “It gives me great sadness to announce that John and Ashley are no longer housemates because they were removed from the house yesterday following a breach of the Big Brother rules. Today and presumably for the rest of the week you may be inundated with exaggerated, ill informed stories in the media which do nothing but perpetuate ignorance and hurt those involved. Ashley and John were fantastic housemates bringing nothing but joy not only to their fellow housemates but to Australia as a whole. And we are very sorry that one foolish incident on their behalf has led to them leaving. But the Big Brother house is a community and like all communities it must has rules and unfortunately the boys broke one of those rules and have consequently left the house. We wish them well. Now leys get on with live eviction 9.” Touching speech Gretel.

So do Big Brother think they have control over what happens in the house? That’s a laughable issue. Fine when rules are broken remove the contestant, but the deed has already been done. How far will Big Brother let things go before they step in. Will they step in if a law is broken? Are they above the law because they have 'rules'? Are Big Brother then the police when laws are broken? What's to stop something more serious from happening like rape, or even murder? It's possible, wherever there are people in community anything is possible. You might be able to tell I’m not a fan of the show, in fact I feel it’s a complete waste of space. Is there a point to it? Federal Liberal MP Trish Draper, also chair of Classification Issues Group in the Coalition, has called for the show to be taken off air. Senator Joyce says, ‘I don’t think the Australian people would lose much if Big Brother was evicted from our TV screens.” I agree, get rid of it.

It seems that now even the Prime Minister of Australia has stepped in and given his opinion to shut it down. Even the poloticians are divided as the Queensland Premier is keen to see the show continue because 'it's good for business'. The bottom line is, the future of Big Brother as a big rating, revenue raising program on channel Ten will be decided not on moral grounds and common sense but purely on financial viability which unfortunately works in it's favour.

So it's all come down to this senseless human vice; greed for power and money. Oh that's what this is all about. Why didn't they say that in the first place.

Get rid of it I say.

Shalom
Mark

A Message of Hope

I was driving through Taralgon on my way to Lakes Entrance when the car radio began to get a little fuzzy. At this stage I normally do one of two things; I scan for a radio station still in range, our switch to CD’s to satisfy my need for music while I drive. To my amazement, as I ventured further and further away from Melbourne, all the mainstream radio stations on the FM dial faded out to fuzz except for one that still broadcast loud and clear – 89.9 Light FM.

Another time I was driving out past Ararat, and the same thing happened. The only radio station I could receive loud and clear was Light FM. I thought to myself, ‘how amazing is it that the radio station in Melbourne with the largest broadcasting zone is a Christian radio station’. Further more, this was no boring, dorky Christian ‘talk-back’ AM station (sorry but us young people are hard to please). This was a station that had nailed the balance between music, topics, and radio announcers relevant to all generations. The music is a balance between contemporary ‘top 40’ popular music, the latest Christian artists, and even some of the older stuff. All of their music, wherever it comes from contains a message of hope. This is one value they will not compromise. So some popular music that is played on other stations won’t make it of Light FM because it doesn’t meet the requirements of that value. Their different programs tackle the important topics of politics, religion, ethics and values giving listeners an opportunity to interact.

One thing I find amazing about Light FM is that it is a 100% listener supported station. That means, no government assistance, or corporate sponsorship that other stations thrive on – no that would compromise their ethical values. So the only way Light FM stay financially viable is through church sponsorship and individuals who believe in the ministry of the station. Unfortunately for Light FM they constantly struggle to meet their financial goals because not enough churches financially support their ministry.

Over the past 3 years I’ve interacted with various people at Light FM, gotten to know them and they have done a few favours for me and this church. Light FM have given us advertising space, have asked us to broadcast Sunday services (unfortunately we don’t have the technology to provide that), have signed our church up for the Light FM careline, which exists for listeners to call the station, have Christianity explained to the, be prayed for and referred to near by church…like us!
Light FM are committed to communicating ‘Christian hope to people in Melbourne’. Their ministry is based on strong Christian vales which can be found on their website www.lightfm.com.au.

Bob Garbett from Light FM is coming to our church to speak next Sunday. He will share more of this message of hope with us and lets us in on how we can support and participate in this ministry. Please come prepared next week with a love offering that will be collected separately from our regular offering, to contribute to the work of Light FM.

Shalom
Mark