Wowza. Went to Wellington on Tuesday for Ministry of Social Development meetings and decided to get my long locks chopped! They are gone! No longer blowing in the wind but Banished to the Bin.
This is a cool article from the BBC. Lincolnshire police have a new programme in collaboration with local Jesus lovers called Prayer Watch to support their battle against crime. Is this what being Salt and Light is about?
14.8.06
Sleeping Bag
Found this rad poem the other day by Steve Collins.
Jesus is in the sleeping bag
stopping over
he comes round anytime he likes.
Right time, wrong time
he don't mind.
Foxes have holes, birds have nests
but the Son of Man has the sofa.
He's poking around the fridge
which needs defrosting.
Old sins stuck in the ice box
fruit gone bad
Leftovers still left over
he throws them out.
I guess I should clean up but i never get much warning.
Its embarrassing
but I'd still rather he came.
We sit up late talking
where we've been
where we're going next
he's already bought some tickets
all i have to do is take time off work.
Good night rustle in the corner.
The room feels warmer
with him in it.
Jesus is in the sleeping bag
stopping over
he comes round anytime he likes.
Right time, wrong time
he don't mind.
Foxes have holes, birds have nests
but the Son of Man has the sofa.
He's poking around the fridge
which needs defrosting.
Old sins stuck in the ice box
fruit gone bad
Leftovers still left over
he throws them out.
I guess I should clean up but i never get much warning.
Its embarrassing
but I'd still rather he came.
We sit up late talking
where we've been
where we're going next
he's already bought some tickets
all i have to do is take time off work.
Good night rustle in the corner.
The room feels warmer
with him in it.
yahoo made it!
to the end of the 24 hour youth councils! It was pretty awesome I tell you, but without a doubt soooo knackering! Note to anyone ever considering a 24 hour thing (it is worth it to save $$$ and to fit loads of stuff in) don't start at 10:30 PM! There was not one awake moment for anyone! Glory, what were we thinking.
Rowan Castle and Nathan Rowe from Ozzy spoke and did music. They were excellent. Such troopers; amazingly open hearts towards God and what he wants to do, and a flipping great laugh.
We ate giant bananna splits out of drain pipes, went on a sunrise breakfast walk, painted, contemplated, put on a market day for the community, went on a 4AM car rally, got mobilised for social action. Wowza. Young people rock. God rocks.
I am at Tims school. Have just talked about Fair Trade, challenged them to make their school Fair Trade and they are well up for it- young people wanna be activists ay. They just need the encouragement. It was hard though cos my tired head feels like it is full of mud and no brains. Wah. More sllleeeeeepppp.
Rowan Castle and Nathan Rowe from Ozzy spoke and did music. They were excellent. Such troopers; amazingly open hearts towards God and what he wants to do, and a flipping great laugh.
We ate giant bananna splits out of drain pipes, went on a sunrise breakfast walk, painted, contemplated, put on a market day for the community, went on a 4AM car rally, got mobilised for social action. Wowza. Young people rock. God rocks.
I am at Tims school. Have just talked about Fair Trade, challenged them to make their school Fair Trade and they are well up for it- young people wanna be activists ay. They just need the encouragement. It was hard though cos my tired head feels like it is full of mud and no brains. Wah. More sllleeeeeepppp.
10.8.06
YC's and Martin Buber (na he's not coming)
Off to Youth Councils (Salvation Army annual youth event). We are doing a 24 hour non stop thing. I am excited, I just don't know if I am excited about it, or excited that soon it will be over.... I REALLY like to sleep (its a genetic hobbie passed down from my Nana and it is healthy for me. )
But, yeah... YC's will be awesome. Anyway, I'm leaving so here is quite a quintessential quote from Buber-
"Genuine religiousity has nothing in common with the fancies of romantic hearts or with the self-pleasure of indulgent souls, or with the clever mental excercises of a practiced intellectuality. Genuine religiousity is doing. It seeks to carve the unconditioned out of the matter of this world. The face of God rests, invisible, in an earthen block; it must be wrought, carved, out of it. To engage in this work means to be religious, nothing else."
But, yeah... YC's will be awesome. Anyway, I'm leaving so here is quite a quintessential quote from Buber-
"Genuine religiousity has nothing in common with the fancies of romantic hearts or with the self-pleasure of indulgent souls, or with the clever mental excercises of a practiced intellectuality. Genuine religiousity is doing. It seeks to carve the unconditioned out of the matter of this world. The face of God rests, invisible, in an earthen block; it must be wrought, carved, out of it. To engage in this work means to be religious, nothing else."
i kill things
The other day tim and I were having abit of the old outside coffee drinking when I looked over onto our little deck thing and was like AAAAARGGGHH somone has stolen by beloved plants and has replaced them with little dried up twigs stuck in dirt how DARE they.
It took only seconds to realise that no, indeed, these were my beloved plants....the ones I had bought, along with potting mix from The Warehouse (where everyone gets a bargain) and had compassionatley planted in two striking flax bags. I had nurtured and cared for them, and been proud of their beauty and function (one was an urrb- basil?- and another was a pretty pink flowery thing) for at least 2, maybe 2 and a half, weeks. That was months ago now. And as I found out you simply can't neglect botany for that long. They have felt death's sting at my hand that knoweth not a splash of nurturing ability.
(There is totally a lesson there; at the end of this Great Creative Story of Life all plants look like little dry twigs stuck in dirt.)
It took only seconds to realise that no, indeed, these were my beloved plants....the ones I had bought, along with potting mix from The Warehouse (where everyone gets a bargain) and had compassionatley planted in two striking flax bags. I had nurtured and cared for them, and been proud of their beauty and function (one was an urrb- basil?- and another was a pretty pink flowery thing) for at least 2, maybe 2 and a half, weeks. That was months ago now. And as I found out you simply can't neglect botany for that long. They have felt death's sting at my hand that knoweth not a splash of nurturing ability.
(There is totally a lesson there; at the end of this Great Creative Story of Life all plants look like little dry twigs stuck in dirt.)
8.8.06
bashed up barmen and a plethora of piety
There are two captivating and connected articles in the World section of today’s paper. The first is about this new bar in China which provides body building male models for the customers to vent their anger on. You can do anything to them, scream at them give them a bashing, and if that doesn’t work they’ll provide counselling. Yes, yes, it may be a crafty and profitable ruse but what if it is just some acute community workers attempting to meet a need in an innovative way?!
The other article is deliciously funny. Its from the LA Times, and has the headline “Mayor: “In Gods Name, no more churches” and is about the overload of churches in Stafford, Texas. There are 51 tax exempt churches in this small town and they are a drain on the towns economy. Everyone apart from the church leaders/goers has had enough!
Here’s an excerpt:
"I don't hate God. I'm not against America and apple pie," Willis said. "We just have to protect what's left for commercial development."
Lawyers researching ways to stop church growth here will report back to city leaders in about six weeks, Scarcella said.
Lola Onita, assistant pastor at Jesus House Texas, said churches should be allowed to spread unfettered in a country that respects religious freedom. "People need a place to worship and hear the word of God," she said.
But Nilda Martinez, who owns a flower shop between two churches, has had enough. "The churches, they're everywhere here," she said. "There are too many; the city should control it. It hurts the city when you don't have enough businesses paying taxes."
Willis said he asked the last six applicants why they wanted to build a church in Stafford. "Every one of them said they prayed about it, and God said to come here," he said. "I can't compete with that, so here we are."
Haha. But how in the world are they connected Lucy Lu, I hear you beg the question.
Well if more church leaders/planters/goers took a green tea leaf out of the Chinese entrepreneurs book we would have adventurous churches that gave different methods a crack, exploring ways to benefit-add life and energy to- the community. There’s no need for bricks and mortar, just more creativity!
(BTW, Justin just did a fab old post about church etc.)
The other article is deliciously funny. Its from the LA Times, and has the headline “Mayor: “In Gods Name, no more churches” and is about the overload of churches in Stafford, Texas. There are 51 tax exempt churches in this small town and they are a drain on the towns economy. Everyone apart from the church leaders/goers has had enough!
Here’s an excerpt:
"I don't hate God. I'm not against America and apple pie," Willis said. "We just have to protect what's left for commercial development."
Lawyers researching ways to stop church growth here will report back to city leaders in about six weeks, Scarcella said.
Lola Onita, assistant pastor at Jesus House Texas, said churches should be allowed to spread unfettered in a country that respects religious freedom. "People need a place to worship and hear the word of God," she said.
But Nilda Martinez, who owns a flower shop between two churches, has had enough. "The churches, they're everywhere here," she said. "There are too many; the city should control it. It hurts the city when you don't have enough businesses paying taxes."
Willis said he asked the last six applicants why they wanted to build a church in Stafford. "Every one of them said they prayed about it, and God said to come here," he said. "I can't compete with that, so here we are."
Haha. But how in the world are they connected Lucy Lu, I hear you beg the question.
Well if more church leaders/planters/goers took a green tea leaf out of the Chinese entrepreneurs book we would have adventurous churches that gave different methods a crack, exploring ways to benefit-add life and energy to- the community. There’s no need for bricks and mortar, just more creativity!
(BTW, Justin just did a fab old post about church etc.)
7.8.06
4.8.06
whinging
I was having a bit of a whingarama to dad on the phone the other day about the nature of bureaucracy and how long it takes to get things actioned (probably about the Fair Trade proposal which has spent about 8 months in no mans land). I'm all about blaming bureacracy for absolutley everything. Anyway, dad said simply that it works the other way round too; slow to start stuff but also slow to stop you doing stuff. Hurray.
I once wrote an essay about the ridiculousness of bureaucracy, it sorta went:
theocracy- Gods got the power
democracy- we've got the power
autocracy-i've got the power
bureaucracy- the wooden desk has the power
Im pretty sure I got an a+ for it. My proffessor was nuts though.
I once wrote an essay about the ridiculousness of bureaucracy, it sorta went:
theocracy- Gods got the power
democracy- we've got the power
autocracy-i've got the power
bureaucracy- the wooden desk has the power
Im pretty sure I got an a+ for it. My proffessor was nuts though.
From Rob Bell in Velvet Elvis
"What's disturbing is when people talk more about hell after this life than they do about hell here and now. As a Christian, I want to do what I can to resist hell coming to earth. Poverty, injustice, suffering- they are all hells on earth and as Christians we oppose them with all our energies."
3.8.06
Na Lam Ma! (trying out my Burmese skillz)
Last night I went to the Refugee Centre in Mangere and finally met the family I am to journey with over the next few months. They are from Burma, a mum and dad and a 10 year old girl. They speaketh not a word of English!
Halfway through the evening we got some help from a passing interpreter at which point the dad shared that 6 months ago in Thailand their two sons age 7 and 10 died in a car crash. It was an overwhelming evening.
Excited about being able to be their friend, that is a true thing.
If there are anyway kiwis interested in volunteering with refugees you can check out the RMS website.
Halfway through the evening we got some help from a passing interpreter at which point the dad shared that 6 months ago in Thailand their two sons age 7 and 10 died in a car crash. It was an overwhelming evening.
Excited about being able to be their friend, that is a true thing.
If there are anyway kiwis interested in volunteering with refugees you can check out the RMS website.
2.8.06
this morning
Campbell is presenting our Fair Trade proposal to cabinet this morning! (Cabinet is the SA's national decision makers)
Will keep you posted.
Will keep you posted.
meetings etc
Went to Wellington yesterday for a Make Poverty History planning meeting, for the Month of Mobilisation coming up from 16th September to 17th October (WORLD POVERTY DAY). Will post more on how we can action it later.
Anyway, at meetings like this I realise that I am a bit of a recluse ay. People network and all I want to do is escape and read a book/visit art galleries by myself. Sometimes I yearn to be around people. But it is Very Rare. Which makes me think that maybe I'm not cut out for this policy thing because it's all about The HobNob.
Anyway, at meetings like this I realise that I am a bit of a recluse ay. People network and all I want to do is escape and read a book/visit art galleries by myself. Sometimes I yearn to be around people. But it is Very Rare. Which makes me think that maybe I'm not cut out for this policy thing because it's all about The HobNob.
31.7.06
Meeting the Mayor
Yep, met Mr Hubbard. Brilliant chap, into all sorts of fab things. He loved the idea of Auckland being a Fair Trade town and invited us to present to the economic development comittee. Yahoo! The Social Policy Unit is now officially Fair Trade, with a flash certificate to say so. The territorial leadership is still yet to make a call, but I hold firmly to the hope that they will.
Justice and the Army
This is an excerpt from Campbell's (Roberts- Director of the Social Policy Unit) Coutts memorial lecture he just did over in Ozzy. Its pretty awesome.
The voice of The Salvation Army must be heard and we must act to live out justice. This is our Biblical mandate, that we be conveyers of hope in a dark and injustice-ridden world. Injustice can be defeated in Christ. But this requires a response both as The Salvation Army and as individual Salvationists.
The voice and action of The Salvation Army globally where people suffer injustice must be clear and forthright. We must show courage whatever the source of human suffering, whether it be government policies, the actions of global or national corporations, the inaccuracy of the media, a racist public, self-interested political lobbyists, secular ideologies and philosophies, or just plain apathy. This requires engagement with international organisations who work for justice and truth. Regretfully, for a movement with such a global spread it would seem we often fail to commit sufficient time and resource to work in international forums and organisations.
Where are the contemporary voices of The Salvation Army speaking our clearly at this time of global oppression and injustice? Yes, we are involved in significant acts of human care, and we have voiced comments on the scourge of human trafficking, particularly now under the able leadership of Commissioner Helen Clifton. But is this enough? Where is the connection between the huge injustices and the everyday practice of Salvationists around the western world?
Is it time for a global forum of international biblical and theological expertise that can reflect on matters of global injustice in the light of our Biblical and missional mandate? Such a body could give a theological framework and direction to our mission in the world’s international forums. It would also provide an encouragement and unity to national leadership that is engaging with these issues. The international Salvation Army needs to be expressing a gospel of hope in contexts of depressive suffering, ethnic and regional conflicts, environmental destruction, hardening poverty, and unjust trade regimes.
28.7.06
Auckland NZ's first Fair Trade Town?
Have fancy dress party tonight (love those) and line dancing at church tommorrow night!
Meeting the Mayor in the morning to chat about Auckland becoming a Fair Trade Town which will be pretty wicked...maybe I should turn up in my line dancing garb, just to really impress him?
Meeting the Mayor in the morning to chat about Auckland becoming a Fair Trade Town which will be pretty wicked...maybe I should turn up in my line dancing garb, just to really impress him?
23rd psalm by Mike Riddell
urban shepherd
you lead us through skyscraper canyons
past carbon monoxide
and mirror glass
and busker
you make us to lie down on park benches
and rest beside sewage settlement ponds
you keep our feet on pavement
and escalator
and lift shaft
and guide us through the back alleys
of our city
though we enter the concrete crevasse
we will not fear the chaos
for you are with us
you grant us a site in the sun
at a sidewalk cafe
where we drink cappuccino and are glad
you give us doughnut stalls
and film festivals
and neon signs
surely your goodness and poverty
will follow us all the days of our lives
and we will come at last to the holy city
you lead us through skyscraper canyons
past carbon monoxide
and mirror glass
and busker
you make us to lie down on park benches
and rest beside sewage settlement ponds
you keep our feet on pavement
and escalator
and lift shaft
and guide us through the back alleys
of our city
though we enter the concrete crevasse
we will not fear the chaos
for you are with us
you grant us a site in the sun
at a sidewalk cafe
where we drink cappuccino and are glad
you give us doughnut stalls
and film festivals
and neon signs
surely your goodness and poverty
will follow us all the days of our lives
and we will come at last to the holy city
27.7.06
Te Reo Maori Week
It is Maori Language Week! I wish I could express a few words of celebration, courtesy of the Maori class me and Tim took, but I can't- WAH! (Come on though, I can count to 1000! Hmm) Instead I will share one of the most known Maori Proverbs, which sums up what it's all about ay. Even that prior post, about church...."Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao, Māku e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!"
"Ask me what is the greatest thing in the world, I will reply: It is people, it is people, it is people!"
26.7.06
here in the house of the great king????
Mike Frost: "When I go to a church and they say "Welcome to the House of God" I am sitting at the back blowing rasberries- N0 building is the house of God! WE are!"
Howard Snyder: "The gospel says "Go" but our church buildings say "Stay". The gospel says "Seek the Lost" but our church buildings say "Let the lost seek the church""
Stephen (you know, from the Bible): "The most high doesn't dwell in buildings made of human hands."
Steve Molen (Salvation Army youth worker): "Burn the church buildings! Burn 'em down!"
How much do you reckon our investment in buildings restricts the Salvation Army's kingdom work? Do you reckon there needs to be a bit of healthy pyromania?
(symbolic pyromania!) (dont wanna get the sack for being a pyscho)
Howard Snyder: "The gospel says "Go" but our church buildings say "Stay". The gospel says "Seek the Lost" but our church buildings say "Let the lost seek the church""
Stephen (you know, from the Bible): "The most high doesn't dwell in buildings made of human hands."
Steve Molen (Salvation Army youth worker): "Burn the church buildings! Burn 'em down!"
How much do you reckon our investment in buildings restricts the Salvation Army's kingdom work? Do you reckon there needs to be a bit of healthy pyromania?
(symbolic pyromania!) (dont wanna get the sack for being a pyscho)
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