30 day sex challenege

Now I've heard of churches doing some amazing and bizarre things to get attention but there's nothing like a church holding a sexathon to liven things up a bit!

Check out the promo pic to the left, a bit raunchy for a church with seemingly quite conservative, 'biblical' views on sex and sexuality. So what's it all about?

I first came across this on Weekend Sunrise when I heard them talking up an upcoming story last Sunday morning (before church), saying that a pastor in USA was urging his church members to hit the sack. Naturally I was curious.

A new church in the USA, Florida, called 'Relevant Church' is taking the challenge to either get busy or abstain from sex depending on your marital status. Pastor Paul Wirth has issued this challenge to his church and as I understand it they are about a week into the challenge. The challenge (as the picture tries to portray - I think...) is for married couples to make intimacy with each other the number one priority for 30 days. I gather this includes meeting one anther's emotional and particularly physical needs as there is also a challenge issued to 'singles' that is all people who are not married to abstain from any naughty physical intimacy 'reserved for marriage' and focus on meeting the emotional needs of another person. It is hoped that at the end of the challenge singles will choose to continue to abstain and 'choose God's way' according to Pastor Paul on one of his Youtube clips.

Here, let this guy (a representative from Relevant Church) tell you about the challenge. He seems to know more about it than me.



Unfortunately I can become cynical of such a challenge as this because Pastor Paul and start on a different page theologically. His theological approach through scripture is quite simple and black & white. Basically it's this: sex is reserved for marriage and only marriage 'according to the bible' and anyone engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage is not living God's way! However i argue the context of scripture is always set within cultural context and principles which suited a culture in a certain time are not so easily transferable to this culture and this time. For instance is it broadly acceptable in western culture today that a couple would live together and 'share physical intimacy' together before they are married (if at all). Many churches push against this by saying that your relationship with God is flawed if you live in such a way and they bring in the institution of marriage as the only way, 'God's way!' This can be oppressive in some contexts.

I do however agree with Pastor Paul and Relevant Church from a sociological perspective. I agree that we do need to spend far more time understanding one another within committed relationships and meeting one anther's needs, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. It is far too easy to jump in bed with one another these days and instantly gratify physical sexual need. We mustn't deny that we are sexual beings who have needs that must be met, but there is much more to our being and relationship with another than sex. This is what I think is the ultimate desire of the 30 day sex challenge program. Relevant Church want people to invest in their relationships in healthy way that actually gives to another person as the primary agenda rather than getting what gratification you can out of a relationship.

You could say there are aspects of this program that are a little presumptuous, however they are motivated by a statistic that says more than half of marriages in USA end in divorce. In many cases it's due to unfulfillment of expectations, communication break down and other similar long term deficiencies. There are however many other reasons why relationships breakdown, for married and unmarried people. Reasons the bible doesn't necessarily have a transferable answer for and reasons that a program like this can't fix.

I am curious however as to what kinds of responses and questions this raises for you. How out of touch is the church really with sexuality and the context of committed relationship? What is acceptable and what's not? I'd direct you to the 'Relevant' blog but it seems (on my scanning of the posts and comments) that is pretty one sided and typically conservative. I'm looking for difference of opinion and diversity of reflection.

One of the blog posts by the way had me a little concerned. It was titled, 'I'm dating God'. I dunno about you but that sounds kinda whack to me. I wonder, where would you take God on a date? So are singles to transfer all their sexual urges toward a dating relationship with God? How does that work? What does that say about the meaning of relationship with God? This is a whole other blog post I think.

I think we need healthy approaches towards sexuality among Christian communities. I for one believe in committed, exclusive relationships as the context for sharing sexual intimacy. Whether that be married or unmarried relationships, same sex or opposite sex relationships. Exclusivity to one significant other in sharing the emotional, sexual, spiritual, intellectual journey in life certainly must be the the ultimate way for human companionship.

Let me know your thoughts

Shalom, Mark

Rambo 4 & Burma

'Live for nothing or die for something...it's your call'. Yet another corny phrase being made famous by a Hollywood action hero.

Yes I know, I actually went and saw Rambo 4 on it's release date. Why? No not because I'm a Rambo fan (or Stallone). in fact I don't recall ever watching a Rambo movie in my life. Maybe there's a good reason for that. The simple fact is, a friend contacted me a couple of hours before the movie started and said he was booking online, did I want to come? Of course I said yes to a night out with the boys if for no other reason. So i guess if I was going to take the foolishness angle here it would be this...I went and saw the darn movie ok, so call me a fool! I've never done a movie review before but something captured me about this movie that I thought I might reflect upon so here it goes.

So 20 years on from the classic 80's genre Stallone is still the bad ass Rambo, although like Rocky Balboa (yes I saw that too - that was a freebie what could I say?) Stallone plays his character a little differently. A little wiser and seemingly demure. Maybe the best word to describe him is a lot more mysterious. Yet you still get the action you came to see, eventually. It's interesting, every movie review I read about an hour before I went to see it said one of 2 things; Either people hated it and wondered where the hell the story line was, or people loved it because it was a classic blood and guts Rambo shoot 'em up. Well I thought both those reflections were quite shallow and neither of them came close to what I thought. So all jokes and sarcasm aside, what did I really think?

Nothing could have prepared me for the opening scene and it was during this time that I questioned whether I was going to make it through the movie, so before you go and see it I'm warning you now. It was a gut churning scene of actual footage from scenes of the aftermath of Burmese army assaults on jungle villages. It's the kind of war footage media film but never show. It became loud and clear to me why this movie was rated R 18+. I'm surprised it made it through classification. It's certainly a reality check on what the people of Burma still face today - decaying bodies in villages, torture of all kinds, cruel games soldiers play with people, it's horrific! Then there's the fighting scenes choreographed by the director. If you've seen this opening battle scene of Saving Private Ryan, well this tops it in terms of the graphics of war choreography. This movie leaves nothing to the imagination!

So is this movie just a violent blood bath? Well there is actually a story line and if you bothered to have an awareness of the world around you, you'll notice there is a story behind the story. In fact it's a 46 year old story of the plight of the people of Burma. The movies' story line is basically about a bunch of American Christian missionaries who arrive in Thailand and are searching for a way to bring emergency relief and supplies to a village in Burma. They are directed towards Jon Rambo living in a remote part of Northern Thailand down stream from the Burmese boarder. Rambo is living a peaceful monastic lifestyle on the rivers edge where he makes a living catching snakes for a village sideshow and salvaging old PT boats and tanks for scrap metal. When the missionaries find him they try and convince him to take them upstream within the Burmese boarder so they might bring supplies and aid to the suffering. There is immediately a tension build up between Rambo and leader of the missionaries, Michael, as they exchange philosophies on how 'change' really comes about. Although Rambo is a man of few words he makes his case clear. After Michael delivers his speech on how they will change the world for these suffering people (they want to go to) through love and non-violence and with the supplies they are bringing, Rambo simply responds with,
'did you bring any guns?'.
Michael replies, 'No'.
'Then you aint gonna change anything', comes Rambo's reply.
That reply pretty much sets the scene for the movie. I must admit, that line made me laugh, you could see it coming.

So the first 10-15 minutes of this encounter with Rambo and the missionaries is a series of conversations. A number of pleas from the missionaries to Rambo for him to take them up river in his boat, are met with Rambo's repeated replies (with dead pan serious face) 'Go home!'. Eventually the good looking blond missionary Sarah convinces Rambo to take them up river and he reluctantly complies.

Rambo drops off the missionaries and they part ways. The missionaries go about their business of healing, feeding and bible teaching and all seems well. Then out of nowhere mortar shells start hitting the village and body parts start flying. The Burmese army show up doing all kinds of horrific things leaving no human or animal alive. They take the missionaries prisoner and burn the village. The next scene has the pastor of the church the missionaries come from showing up in Rambo's hut pleading with him to take a bunch of mercenaries into Burma to extract the missionaries (so much for the Christians' non-violence conviction). The next 45 minutes is the unfolding of an horrific journey, lots of death, Rambo coming into his old self again. 2 out of 8 mercenaries survive and 2 out of 8 missionaries survive. (I gather you're not all hanging out to go and see the movie so I'm sure you won't mind me spoiling the ending - it's pretty predictable anyway)

I walked away from the movie most disturbed, not because of the violence of the movie itself but because it highlighted to me all over again the struggle of over 2 million internally displaced Burmese and the countless thousands of Burmese refugees who pack the detention camps on the Thai/Burma boarder. Many of the children growing up in these camps don't know life outside a refugee camp.

I googled the latest news and images on the Burma conflict thinking I might post some pictures or youtube video here to raise awareness but I can't bring myself to do so. I feel a sense of responsibility to confront and disturb you, but at the same time I don't want to offend anyone who may be unprepared when they visit this blog. All I can say is that Rambo 4 is tame compared to what I found easily able to access on the internet. So I warn you before you go searching, that there are sites that contain graphic images of dead bodies, and video footage of actual village raids by the Burmese army, actual killing (or what is referred as ethnic cleansing or genocide) and the protests in Myanmar. I dare not even post web links here but I will tell you that I googled 'Burma conflict news and images' if you're prepared to search for yourself.

So will it really take shock tactics such as what we see in Rambo 4 to make us stand up and listen and notice the plight of Burma. We're talking an almost 50 year civil war where it seems there has been little international intervention. The people who dare to protest in Myanmar hold signs written in English to try and capture the attention of the Western superpowers through whatever media is daring enough to film it. The signs read, 'We need UN intervention now'!

Friends of mine who are living with the poor in a slum in Bangkok as part of a UNOH chapter (missional order) are very aware of the plight of the thousands of Burmese refugees who cross the Thai/Burma boarder every month. Their heart for these people is huge but it seems that so little is being done to help them all. Check out the UNOH site for the free Burma campaign. The statement on their site begins;
" UNOH has received an urgent plea for help from our Burmese friends. We cannot say we have not seen their plight. The recent machine gun fire, tear gas and brutal imprisonments have been shown on all our media."
It includes with the words of imprisoned democracy leader Aung San Sui Kyi,
"Use your liberty to promote ours"

Jim Carey's call to free Burma and Aung San Sui Kyi


I can't think of any reason why we, as incredibly lucky and free people wouldn't go out of our way for this simple request. Put your foolish Jesus following to good use and jump on the free Burma campaign. Help the displaced and put pressure of world leaders who have the power to intervene.

Here's a youtube clip titled 'Free Burma'. It's about the most tame one I can share. It contains images of last years protest when thousands of monks marched peacefully in Maynmar to protest against the brutality of the Burmese army. Over 100 monks were arrested as the peaceful protest became violent when the army intervened. I've added a couple of videos in my sidebar.

So would I recommend Rambo 4 to you? Yes and No. If you don't like violent movies don't go and see it. However I would recommend it because we all need t be confronted and disturbed somehow about the realities that face the people of Burma today as you read this blog. Rambo 4 took more than $18 million at the box office in the opening weekend in USA. It's obviously popular enough. Will it take a character like Rambo to capture our attention? Or will we just be entertained, walk outside the cinema and move on? I hope you will be moved and disturbed.

Longing for Shalom in Burma
Mark

Spielberg plays the fool

Well done Steven Spielberg for wearing your integrity on your sleeve.

Many will disagree and think that what he has done in pulling out of the Beijing Olympics as artistic advisor for the opening and closing ceremonies is a foolish thing. Well maybe so but for him it's the right thing.

While China continue to exchange weapons for oil with Sudan, Darfur continue to suffer. It has been acknowledged by Steven Speilberg and other human rights activists that China can do so much to ease the conflict and help bring about peace in Darfur. Sadly, the consensus says, China isn't doing enough yet.

Speilberg has petitioned the President of China, Hu Jintao, in a letter prior to his pulling out from the role. Speilberg has said in a statement, "Sudan's government bears the bulk of the responsibility for these ongoing crimes but the international community, and particularly China, should be doing more."

A number of high profile celebrities including current and former Olympic athletes have also written to the President saying "We are all aware of the tremendous potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur." Actress Mia Farrow, goodwill ambassador for the UN says "We are all aware of the tremendous potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur", "Time is running out for the people of Darfur."

I continue to find it amusing that celebrities such as actors, singers and athletes are the leading and most prominent voices on human rights issues but they raise great points and a pertinent challenge to those of us who profess to follow Jesus.

So what would it take for you to make a stand and say 'no, I will not participate in this activity'. Afraid that you'll stand out in a crowd? If you do stand out are you afraid you make not be able to give adequate or convincing testimony for why you're making a stand? Don't want to stir the pot or make a fuss? Come on people I've heard these excuses before and they are not excuses that should come from the months of Jesus followers.

Yes the Jesus way is a foolish way, you may look like a fool standing out in the crowd because you've turned down that job for ethical reasons, you refuse to buy certain brands for the sake of fair trade or you choose to sell all your possessions and go and live with the poor because you want to be in solidarity with how 70% of the worlds population live. Don't just be a fool be an educated fool. It is our responsibility as Jesus followers participating in the Kingdom of God here on earth, to be educated on current affairs and the plight of our brothers and sisters who are suffering.

As my wife would say in one of her latest songs, 'stand and be counted'. So stand and be counted as a fool for Jesus, even if everyone else around you is sitting on their hands and criticizing you. Stand and be counted and know why. Play the fool so that those who need a voice may be heard.

Shalom
Mark

Sorry - sori tumas

For the past few years I have participated in organizing sorry day events. During the leadership of our former PM the media didn’t even say boo to recognize that there was a day marked annually in our diaries for such recognition.

Today I say, well done PM Kevin Rudd on an amazing and well worded speech. However the wrist band on my arm reminds me daily of the commitment this ‘sorry’ really means. The band reads ‘close the gap’ which is a reminder of the commitment which is required for raising the standards of health care to be on par with anglo-Australians and hopefully extend the life expectancy of indigenous Australians. This is the kind of cost that will be required of us and our government. A cost it seems our government is aware of and committed to, a cost our former government shied away from.

Yet today, the day that has gone down in history as the most celebrated ‘sorry day’ has been marred by some individuals. On both sides of the political parties there has been immaturity and lack of respect. Labor representatives encouraging the famous back turning incident on Brendan Nelson’s speech and a Liberal MP openly mocking the gesture of saying sorry. Yes we all acknowledge that Brendan Nelson’s speech was 20 minutes too long and inappropriate (the first 60 seconds would have been plenty). Today is the day for sorry not justifications or excuses. But I will dare to foolishly say what no media personality was prepared to acknowledge:

‘Thankyou Brendan Nelson for saying sorry!’ Did anyone else get that or was it just me?

The opposition could have lived up to their reputation of being ‘opposition’ and gone the other way on this issue, but they acknowledged sorry too. The biggest celebration here is that our 2 major parties seem to be working together on this critical defining issue that faces Australia.

One of the things that really agitates me about some peoples responses to sorry day is the arrogance and apathy they have displayed. First of all let me direct you to a great site where Kevin Rudd’s speech has been posted here. I’ve found that one of the problems among some of my uneducated friends is that they haven’t been bothered to be informed. People are saying things like, ‘why should I be sorry, I’ve done nothing wrong’ and other more insensitive comments. If this is your complaint then you’re missed the point. Here’s another great article written by a friend of mine on this issue titled ‘Apology: Is it necessary?’

I’ll add my own little commentary to this from my own experience. There is a cute cultural quirk I discovered about Ni-Vanuatu culture when I spent some time in villages in Vanuatu a few years ago. If you were to so much as stub your toe or trip over or take a fall, immediately half a dozen voices would respond in sympathy of your disadvantage – ‘sori’ or 'sori tumas' meaning I'm so very sorry for you. If you were to tell a story of something that happened to you no matter how trivial or tragic, the response of your Ni-Vanuatu listeners would be a heart felt ‘oooo sori’. You see when they say sorry it’s not like their saying, ‘I take responsibility for what has happened to you’, it’s more of an empathetic, ‘I’m sorry for you and I feel your pain’. This sorry almost sounds like a request, ‘will you allow me to journey with you and understand your pain?’

Our government on this sorry day has acknowledged the people, their story and their pain. Our government has also acknowledged responsibility for the past hurts of the government they represent. They have asked our indigenous friends, ‘will you let us journey with you in the pain so we may together come to a new place of discovering who we are and our identity as a nation.’

As a foolish follower of Jesus I understand that reconciliation and the discovery of a new identity can come at great cost. This is the part that makes people nervous. So what if it costs us financially? We are a wealthy country and a generous people. Human rights are far more important than our own hip pockets.

Check out our Churches of Christ statement and commitment to this issue:

Churches of Christ Declaration for Reconciliation

As followers of Christ, and part of Christ’s Church

1. We acknowledge and value the inherent status of Indigenous Australians as the traditional owners and custodians of Australian lands and waters.
2 We make a commitment and take courage to own the truth and learn from our shared history.
3 We acknowledge that this land was colonised without the consent of Indigenous people, and that colonisation involved violence and force.
4 We acknowledge the injustices that have continued since colonisation. We regret the loss of Australian Indigenous people, their land, their culture, their children, their health and their lives.
5 We express our sorrow and profoundly apologise to Indigenous people for the injustices of the past, and for our shortcomings and mistakes.
6 We therefore pledge ourselves to take our part in making restitution [return, restore, renew, regenerate, resurrect, reinvest]; to ensure indigenous people are rightful custodians of their land, their culture, their children, their lives.
7 We pledge ourselves to stop injustice, address inequities, and to respect the rights of indigenous people to determine their own destinies
8 We pledge ourselves to build Conference structures and local churches that encourage the participation and the gifts of Indigenous people in life and worship.
9 We recognise the significant contribution of Indigenous People in this state and nation; and we make a commitment to move forward toward a future of mutual respect and harmony.
10 We look forward to being a reconciled and united people who
· respect our land,
· appreciate and value the heritage of Indigenous People and their relationship to the land and waters.
· recognise and value all people whatever their race or background.
· seek justice and equity for all people.

Having made this declaration, we as a family of Churches have committed ourselves to attitudes and actions which reflect, in a number of ways, the spirit of our Prime Minister’s stated intentions today. Let us reflect deeply on how we, as Churches of Christ in SA and NT can be, with our elected leaders, part of a mutual ministry of reconciliation.

Shalom

Mark

Prime Minister opens parliament for 2008

Well I have been more than impressed with the change of government so far.

Well done Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for your most unorthodox more to open the first sitting of parliament for the year with an indigenous Australian welcome to country and traditional ceremony. Hats off not only for pulling a political stunt but for the unconventional move for doing something that has never been done in the history of Australian government. Also for the gesture of showing our indigenous brothers and sisters that they are important to us at all levels of society. Foolishness at it's best!

I like millions of others eagerly await the historical landmark 'Sorry' speech tomorrow morning and will blog (like thousands of other bloggers no doubt) my thoughts and reflections post speech.

Shalom,
Mark

Why the journey?

Am I too young to say, ‘I’m not as young as I used to be’? Or maybe, ‘I’m not the person I used to be’.
On Wednesday I became reacquainted with my mountain bike. It’s been living in the shed, neatly stored away for some time now. For the last couple of months I’ve managed to neglect it with excuses like, ‘I’m too busy’, or ‘it’s too hot’. For lent this year I decided to re-connect with a discipline which has been valuable for me. I will pull out my bike, dust it off, abandon my car and ride daily to and from the places I need to be everyday.
Sounds like a great idea doesn’t it? I soon encountered a hitch in the journey that I wasn’t quiet prepared for. I live in a valley and my office is about 4 or 5km away at the top of the hill. I was about half way up this hill when I realized just how unfit I had become. I must admit I did glance down the hill a couple of times and wonder at the ease of turning around to go back and get the car. But I pushed on because I knew this journey was an intentional discipline that will not only get me back into shape and help the environment by taking one more car off the road, but it was a discipline about recreating space. This recreating space was about taking time for the journey and understanding a bit more about this journey that I take from the bottom of the valley to the top of the hill. This journey involves hard work, discipline and pain. However I know with the practice of the discipline the journey will get easier.
Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, was the first day of lent. Lent is about revisiting the disciplines that define us as the people of God. It may be about reconnecting with or revisiting the journey less traveled. We do this by taking on disciplines that help focus us on the journey towards the cross and the commitment to the kingdom of God. But is the fasting or the abstinence from certain things a bid to impress God or others? It seems that over the centuries of this practice it has become so. Even Isaiah recognizes such a thing in Isaiah 58. He says that if your disciplines don’t change you or redirect your journey then they are discovered for what they really are, a poor attempt to win favor with God.
However Isaiah responds on God’s behalf,
‘This is the kind of fasting I choose: cut the bonds of oppression, undo the yoke of injustice, set the oppressed free. Share your bread with the hungry, open your doors to the homeless. Give your coat to those who shiver, and don’t hide yourself from your own family.
Do this and light shall begin to dawn, and very quickly healing will be yours, my righteousness shall go ahead of you, and my glory shall follow your every step. Then you will call out for help, and I will answer. I will say to you, “Here I am, my child.”’
Lent isn’t just about a pious abstinence from the things of this world, it is a solid commitment to participate in changing it. May you commit to the journey of such things that melt the heart of God, and may your heart also be transformed as you participate in the journey God longs for us.

Shalom, Mark