Things that Cross my life

Queensland - the state of islands

2011-01-11T08:49:00.003+10:00

Around Dalby and around the state there are currently many islands. Houses and properties are isolated by water, making them into inland islands after unprecedented amounts of water flooding large parts of the state.

Our hearts go out to those affected by devastating and life-taking waters washing through places like Toowoomba. To imagine a city on top of a range have flash flooding of such magnitude to be likened to an inland tsunami is shocking and breathtaking.

What happens out here is nothing by comparison, no matter how frustrated and sick of flooding we're becoming. Here we're experiencing our 2nd major flood (and 3 minor floods) in two weeks. The Myall Creek peaked just under 3.8m last night, higher than the 3.5m 2 weeks ago. Levels are staying steady, but with more rains last night and upstream Creeks rising, I wouldn't be surprised if we reach higher levels later today. Talking to members (whose houses are raised off the ground), once we reach about 4m, many more houses will be inundated with water. To the left are some more photos taken yesterday.

I keep thinking how water can harm, soil, flood, damage, and kill, but God also uses water at baptism to clean, purify, and bring the hope of salvation. No matter how hard this continues to affect people, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Lord, have mercy!

Water, water everywhere...!

2010-12-31T16:11:00.003+10:00

I've been meaning to post for a while now but Blogger hasn't fixed it's bugs. Thankfully I've finally found a way around it!

For those who have been following the news lately, Dalby has experienced major flooding. Thankfully our family are safe and well, but it has been an eventful few days! We had a pool of water in the backyard about 20cm deep at one stage, but we were never under threat.

The Myall Creek rose to over 3.5m, cutting the town in half and isolating us from other townships (the above photo shows our main bridge - they were allowing high 4WD's through). While some houses have been inundated with water, most homes are off the ground and 'only' experienced water beneath or around them. While inconvenient and annoying, the clean up will take quite a while.

To make matters worse, the town's water treatment plant was flooded and we only have water left for a few days. The plant may not get back on line for about a week. We're using water sparingly, and thankfully have a full tank (5,000l) of rainwater.

While many people have been affected to varying extents, I'm thankful it wasn't any worse. I've been contacting members who may have been affected and most are ok. I believe everyone now has a story to tell!

As I talk to people I find the questions aren't 'what did you get for Christmas?', but 'what happened to you? Are you ok? Can we help? How is so-and-so? Are they ok?' The care and concern people have for each other is heart warming and encouraging.

We continue to pray for those isolated or evacuated from their homes and who are facing a massive clean up.

The illogic of selling public assets

2010-10-04T15:48:00.003+10:00

Ok, so the above title doesn't make gramatical sense, but neither does selling public assets.

Here in Queensland the government is apparently almost broke (although that hasn't stopped it from promising big money for projects and Commonwealth Games bids), so it has decided to sell public assets such as Queensland Rail.

Now, there are good reasons to sell public assests (although I can't think of many just now), but I fail to see the logic in it.

Let's think...if an asset is making money, why sell it? It guarantees an income (which is necessary to pay off debts). On the other hand, if it's not making money, how are you supposed to convince a community (which is largely opposed to the sale anyway) to invest into a company which doesn't make money?

Hmmm, me thinks something's not thinked through very good. Me also thinks many in the community will be duped by flashy adverts.

Yet as I say these things, I continue to pray for our leaders, even if I disagree with them. May God give them wisdom, and help them to serve with honesty and integrity, always seeking peace and justice for all.

Fantasy Books

2010-09-04T20:18:00.002+10:00

Continuing the theme of fantasy...

I've been reading a couple of authors who concentrate on the Fantasy theme.

Firstly I read Terry Brooks, including his Sword of Shannara series. Whether he intended it or not, I found many themes analogous with Christianity. For example, I loved the imagery of a sword of truth. This sword proves to be a magical weapon against evil, since most evil is based on lies and deception. Once the sword comes into contact with evil, the evil faces the truth and can't bear it, with the resulting destruction of evil. However, not only those who come into contact with the blade, but also the bearer of the sword must face their own truth. This can be quite confronting as the hero of the story must face his own lies and deception. Once he accepts the truth, he can then wield the sword.

As Christians, we know Jesus to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He exposes the truth about sin and salvation. Only those who are prepared to face their own truth about sin will see the need, and accept the need, for salvation given through faith in Jesus Christ. For those who are given the awesome honour of preaching the truth to others, must also face the truth about themselves.

I really enjoyed the imagination of the author and his gift in story telling, coming up with some fascinating characters. Some of his reflections on people battling with 'inner demons' were insightful. What I found especially different to other fantasy books is that instead of creating a whole new world, he actually bases it in our own world, but after a cataclysmic event. One of my favourites was 'Angel Fire East', which describes a battle between good and evil within our own world. For those with teen age children, I can say there's no sexual scenes and the battles, while descriptive, aren't gruesome.

I'm now reading Terry Goodkind. Again, a sword of truth is pivotal for the story telling, but this time, instead of a wielder of truth, is a seeker of truth.

Again, he has some wonderful insights to human nature and comes up with some surprising ways to deal with evil. One thing I find interesting is what he refers to as the wizard's first and second rules.

The first rule (if I can remember it rightly) says something like: 'people will believe what they want to believe'. Therefore, people will believe a lie if that's what they want to believe. In our post-modern society (if we're even still in this post-modern society), truth is often relative. Truth is what you want it to be. For many, a lie will be their truth. This makes preaching the Truth problematic at the least.

The second rule says something like: 'the greatest harm can come from the best intentions'. Again this is insightful and often true.

While the books written by Terry Brooks could be read by teenagers, I consider Terry Goodkind's books to be more adult and, while not explicit, does include sexual themes. He also refers to the spirits of the dead, the Creator and the Keeper, and their followers, perhaps representing various religious establishments in our own life.

I like good stories, good characters, and themes which can help us reflect on our own lives and faith. Whether these authors are Christian or not, I'm enjoying their gifted talents.

Shalom

Fantasy Sport

2010-09-04T20:00:00.002+10:00

Ok, as I've mentioned before, I confess my addiction to fantasy sports. If anyone's interested, I'll share my results in a few of the games.

For the Football World Cup earlier in the year, I entered a predictor game (picking the scoring results of each game) and a fantasy game (where I picked my own team from among the nations playing).

In the predictor game, I finished 23,558th out of 495,483 competitors world wide (734th out of 6,699 Australians). Not bad for my first attempt!

In the Fantasy Dream Team game, I finished 120,232nd out of 907,406 competitors world wide (5,750th out of 34,093 Australians). Again, I was quite pleased with my first attempt and not knowing much about the players.

The AFL Dream Team has recently finished and I improved my position slightly over previous years:

2008: 40,125 pts = 14,138th out of 203,220 competitors (within top 7.0%)
2009: 41,612 pts = 21,784th out of 293,940 competitors (within top 7.5%)
2010: 44,163 pts = 21,537th out of 323,963 competitors (within top 6.7%)

While I started off much better than previous years, I made a few disappointing trades during the year that didn't pay off. Still, I'm happy to improve. 2011 will be interesting with the Gold Coast Suns entering the competition and having to juggle byes.

I've just started playing Fantasy sports for the A-League and the English Premier League. Again, I don't know much about the players (except I did play the A-League competition last year), but I still enjoy the challenge.

And, admitting my addiction, I'm working on limiting computer time. That's perhaps a greater challenge than the actual games!

Shalom

The penance of changing history

2010-04-24T13:45:00.002+10:00

Although I'm an AFL (Australian Football League) fan, I couldn't help notice the upsetting announcement by the NRL (National Rugby League) of Melbourne Storm's salary cap cheating and the subsequent penalty. Among those penalties is the removal of their victories at the grand finals in 2007 and 2009.

Now, I believe the penalties need to be harsh so that each team has equal opportunities to win given a set of circumstances (including salary caps) - even though I wouldn't be surprised if most clubs, including some in the AFL are also guilty of the same crime - but how on earth do you change history?

Sure, you can take away their trophies and attempt to change the official records, yet there have already been many articles, books, DVD's and so on made of their victories. Cheats or not, they won and that can't be easily taken away. That's what makes people so sick of the incident. That's what makes this penance so hard to do.

In a similar way, there are many crimes committed that can't be changed. You can't undo a victory (even if they cheated to achieve that victory). You can't undo a murder. You can't undo sexual abuse. You can't undo angry words that struck the heart.

While a confession has been made to the investigators and the NRL leadership, it may also be appropriate a confession is made to the players, the supporters, and the general public. Then let the public vent their anger. Let them have the opportunity to explain their pain and frustration. This may then deter other clubs from the same cheating actions, because, it's not the NRL leadership they fear most, but their supporters. They're the ones they need to answer to.

Perhaps this natural justice system would be appropriate for other crimes. Let them hear of the pain and heartache they've caused. Then genuine repentance may follow, rather than an imposed repentance. In time forgiveness may follow, but should never be forced.

In the end, no matter what penalties the NRL set, it's the players, supporters and general public who will decide whether they will forgive and whether the penalties are appropriate.

Thankfully we have a gracious God who forgives our crimes against heart, mind, body and soul, and amazingly, he CAN and DOES change the history books of heaven.

The past is always present

2010-03-30T11:53:00.002+10:00

I recently watched 'Beautiful Kate', a well made Australian Film. I enjoyed some great acting by formidable actors, and an intriguing storyline.

Among the opening credits was a line 'The past is always present', and the film then showed how this is true as a fractured family try to deal with the past. No matter how they've tried to deal with the past previously, the past is still very much present for them. Despite their previous attempts to run away from or deny the past, it's only properly dealt with through confession and forgiveness.

As I work with and among people, this tag line keeps echoing around in my head. I see how for so many, the past is still very much present. As I'm listening to them and their pains and heartaches, their bitterness and their anger, I'm learning to seek what might have happened to them in their past. The reason is pastoral. I often find that some event in a person's past produced a reaction for safety or survival emotionally. This same reaction will be used over and over again every time they feel the same emotions of fear, loss, anger, or helplessness. Once a past event is identified, I've find one of the most powerful and helpful tools to break the chains of the past is confession and forgiveness.

As we soon celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter, I'm reminded of the most powerful event in human history, where Christ prayed for his heavenly Father to forgive us our sins, and then died to free us from the chains of our past crimes to give us a future filled with hope and peace. Yet this one-off event still has power for today. The past event of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is still very much present in the church today.

No matter how powerful the events in a person's life can be (which are still present for them), we need to keep going back to an even more powerful event (which is still present in the church). We run to the Cross of Christ, confess our sins (even out loud - it's amazing how much verbalising our sins can free us from our crippling bondage), and see the blood of Jesus wash our sins away. Through the power of forgiveness, we can make a new start and no longer have to have the past affect us so much.

Yes, the past is always present. The past events of our lives can still be present and affect us in so many ways, but the past victory of Jesus over sin, death and the devil is more powerful, and very much present.

God's blessings to you this Easter.

'Making out' at Christmas

2009-12-24T11:31:00.002+10:00

I wrote this for the local newspaper (pity they edited out the last half!):

How much of your Christmas is about ‘making out’, you know, sustaining a level of ‘make-believe’?

I remember growing up, wondering if Father Christmas was real, and trying to catch my parents out. I always had my doubts. Is it all ‘make-believe’? One year they went to extraordinary levels to maintain the ‘make-believe’ by even staging an argument as we got into the car to go to a Christmas Eve worship service. One of them stormed back off into the house, while we sat quietly in the back seat (we sat quietly because we didn’t want to get into trouble with our parents already in a bad mood!). When we got back from church, the presents were ‘magically’ under the Christmas tree (put there when they had run into the house after the ‘argument’)!

In a similar way I remember gathering with extended family such as grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins, ‘making out’ we were all peaceful, happy, content and actually getting on well. Normally we got on well with each other (I have many fond memories of these times), but there were times we’d smile and laugh at each other, privately wishing we could be somewhere else.

The ‘making out’ of Christmas, and the façades of peace and joy and contentment don’t last long. There’s work to be done again soon. We can only be on our best behaviour for so long before our true self lets loose again. If we’re suffering in our health, we can only make out for so long everything’s ok. For many people there’s an empty seat at their Christmas celebration, which can’t be wished away by ‘make-believe’ – the reality of grief is too strong. The reality of families in conflict burst the bubbles of fantasy and well-wishes. Even the shiny Christmas wrappers and decorations will be packed away again. The ‘make-believe’ of Christmas doesn’t last.

When God came to earth as a child, he had no intention of ‘making out’. He came because of the reality – the reality that our relationship with him wasn’t right, the reality that we don’t always get along with each other, and the reality that death or the dying process scares us.

Jesus came into a real world – our world. He came to live among and save poor people, hurting people, sick people, wicked people, injured people, grieving people, and dying people. He could have come and said “Let’s pretend everything’s ok”, but he didn’t. The reality of our corrupted lives and broken relationships is too strong to ignore. He came to heal, restore, reconcile, forgive, and to give life and hope. The hope is real, not make-believe.

When the angels announced ‘peace on earth’, this wasn’t a ‘make-believe’ peace, but a real peace – a peace that leads to true contentment and joy; a peace that drives out fear. He reinforced the point when he announced many times during his life “Don’t be afraid” or “Peace be with you”. This is real peace, but you can’t talk about peace without talking about war. You can’t talk about forgiveness without talking about sin and wrong. You can’t talk about eternal life without talking about death. You can’t talk about the reality of faith without talking about the reality of no faith. We could make out death and sin and pain and suffering and war doesn’t exist, but it does. Make-believe doesn’t last forever.

You see, God came as a human in order to put things right. He came to forgive. Since all forgiveness comes at a cost, he paid the cost by his sacrifice for us. We did the crime, but he did the time. Despite the high cost, his forgiveness is a gift, better than any wrapped present we might receive this Christmas.

He fought the war against death so we might live. He rose again from death so that we know death is defeated. This is the hope we have through faith in Jesus – real eternal life where death doesn’t exist. The story of his life and suffering and death and resurrection isn’t made up. It’s real. We receive the benefits of his life and death and resurrection through trusting him – a real trust, not a make-believe one. Through trusting him, we receive peace and hope and forgiveness and life.

God came among a broken world in the real person of Jesus, born in Bethlehem; born to face our reality, born to give us real forgiveness, real hope, real peace, and real life. Really.

Hope

2009-12-13T19:30:00.002+10:00

The other night I went to see '2012', one of the latest in the long line of disaster movies. I enjoyed it. The effects were mostly impressive, even though I actually laughed out loud at the preposterous escapes by some of the main characters.

Before I went, one of my girls asked me why they have disaster movies (and then proceeded to list some of the disaster movies that have come out in recent years). So, as I sat there watching the film, I was trying to answer her question.

The answer I came up with is: hope. We have a basic yearning to know that, even in the most disastrous of circumstances, we might have hope - hope of a future, hope of victory, hope of life.

I don't think we need to look very far in life to see disaster all around us. Sure, it may not always be on a national or global scale, but we still see personal disasters. Yet in these times, the one thing many look for is hope.

For Christians, we have hope, although not just a wishful thinking kind of hope, but firm assurance of hope. Through faith in Jesus Christ (and surely, faith is linked closely to hope), we have a future, we have a victory, and we have life.

Hope. A basic need, but too many look for hope in the wrong places.

The 'truth' of advertising

2009-10-13T14:16:00.002+10:00

Bathurst has been run and won by Holden. While I was brought up in a family who supported Holdens (who usually found time to sit and watch the 'great race'), I've 'defected' and now like to see a Ford win. It wasn't their year (only one Ford in the top 10 finishers), but what most people won't hear about is another 'race' that was run earlier.

Before the 'big race', two cars went around the track for 161 laps within the signed speed limit of 60km/h. One was a Holden Commodore, the other a Ford Falcon. The 'race' was to see if their claimed fuel consumption figures would match a 'real world' situation (that's presuming a 'real world' situation is doing 161 laps of Bathurst!)

The Holden with their new 'frugal' engine (they're claiming it's the most fuel efficient 6 cylinder engine manufactured in Australia) claims a fuel consumption of 9.3l/100km, while the Falcon used is claimed to use 10.1l/100km. It doesn't seem a fair race.

The end result? After 1000km, the Falcon used 9.9l/100km, while the Commodore used 11.1l/100km. Bet you won't find Holden advertising that Bathurst race! 'Truth' just isn't what it used to be, is it?

Check out the full story at http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=66283&vf=2&IsPgd=0

Stand! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

2009-08-27T11:03:00.002+10:00

I've so far been reluctant to post any of my sermons on this blog, but I suppose if my blog is called 'Things that Cross my life', the Word of God is one of the main 'things' that Cross my life!

I don't know if I'll do this every week, but I'll share last Sunday's sermon with you (not because I consider it any worse or better than any of my other sermons, but I thought I'd start somewhere).

I chose to preach on Ephesians 6:10-20, which was one of the readings set down for the day. I always liked this text when I was younger because it appealed to my boyhood dreams of being a champion (which was very far from reality!).

Ephesians 6:10-20 (ESV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

When I was younger, I used to play with plastic soldiers.

I would gather up my troops and array them on various battlefields in my bedroom, lounge room, and even out in the garden. They would valiantly fight each other, making appropriate sounds when they urged each other on, when they shot their weapons, and especially when they died. Strangely, they all sounded like me.

Of course, some of my least favourites would often die first, but my favoured champions would win and win again through countless battles, only to be decorated with my grimy fingers, or an occasional, but very poorly placed, dab of paint or pen. Thankfully, made of plastic, even the defeated would rise again to battle every time I needed them.

Now, I have fond memories of my plastic soldiers, to the point that I still have some of them, packed away in some box I rarely open. Over the years I’ve occasionally come across them and looked at them fondly, thinking of all the scrapes we went through together. But, even though they helped me live out some of my heroic imaginings, it was all just make-believe.

War is never make-believe. Just ask those who have fought in wars to tell you about their experiences, and you’ll notice they often go silent, their eyes will glaze over, and the smile will melt from their face. The sounds, smells, and sights they experienced haunt them and terrorise them, driving many to drink, drugs, or despair. Even though many of us can’t possibly imagine what they went through, every year we thank God for those who sacrificed their blood and their lives so that we can live in freedom and peace.

Although wars often spill over to harm the innocent, in recent years terrorism has threatened to bring war to any street, even one of our own. A few years ago, we heard our Prime Minister call us to ‘be alert, but not alarmed’. Wars and fighting threatened to enter our daily lives, something that hasn’t happened for most of us before. Society, under the threat of terrorism, has changed to become more suspicious, more fearful, and less carefree.

But, who are we kidding? For the Christian, we’ve always been at war! We should always be on the alert! So, this is nothing new! Our faith has always been under attack, and St Paul urges all Christians to keep alert.

What’s often misunderstood is that St Paul doesn’t urge us to fight. He calls us to stand. We stand alert and ready for battle, knowing like all wars, the enemy will often strike at the easy targets. When our guard is down we become easy targets, so St Paul urges us to dress prepared for battle.

But we aren’t the ones called to win the battle. As Martin Luther says in the hymn ‘A Mighty Fortress’, “But for us fights the valiant one whom God himself elected”. Christ is the One who does the fighting. Where our society thanks those who sacrificed themselves in battle for our political freedom which only lasts until the next war, we thank God for Jesus who sacrificed himself for us on the battlefield of the cross so we may live in true freedom and peace that lasts for an eternity. But still, we often think its up to us to fight.

You know, when I was younger and when I once romanticised war (since my wars were in plastic and involved no blood or suffering), I used to look at the cross and think ‘if I just turn it upside down, I get a sword!’ But that’s part of the problem! The Cross turned upside down will always result in wars and fighting such as the Crusades, where so-called ‘Christians’ slaughtered men, women and children ‘in the name of God’. When the Gospel is turned into a weapon to wield and justify cruelty, bullying, and murder, it’s no longer the Gospel. The Gospel for us is that Christ does the fighting and puts his own body and life on the line for us. Therefore, as Christians, we don’t do the fighting, but we do the standing. We stand, armed for our own protection, as we witness our champion win the war for us.

We stand, knowing we are surrounded by powers of darkness and evil. We don’t just fight against our own flesh with its own addictions and passions for drink or drugs or sex or building empires of property, money, glory or gadgets, but we are attacked by the very powers of evil itself with all its craftiness, schemes and methods. Evil surrounds us.

While some may want to blame God for all the wars and cruelty in the world, it’s really the powers of evil that are behind every war, every pestilence, every act of cruelty, and every act of injustice. In our so-called peaceful land of Australia we often fool ourselves into thinking evil is far from us, but it’s not! Evil lurks even here in this place to break up families, to drive us to greed and selfishness, to harm, to abuse, and to kill. We’d be fooling ourselves into thinking we can ever escape evil, for evil even resides in us, but we can be prepared for it!

We are to stand prepared, wearing the whole armour of God, not just select parts. Every piece is important and vital for us, and each piece needs to be used properly.

You stand with a belt of truth around your waist. The image here is of a person with his or her belt done up tightly so that they’re ready for action. You could also argue you’re to ‘keep our pants on’. One of the temptations we often war with is the desires of our flesh – the passions for lust and sex. As beautiful and wonderful as God’s gift of sexual intercourse may be, it can also be used for evil. Wandering passions have broken up many families through adultery, and sexual abuse has destroyed many people’s lives. Keep the belt of truth around your waist. Remembering Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, it’s like you keep Christ guarding you with his truth, urging you not to live with lies, half-truth and deceptions, but to live and act with truth, honesty, and integrity.

You stand wearing a breastplate of righteousness, guarding your most sensitive and vital of organs – your heart. Since you can’t live the right way or even live our relationship with God the right way, you’re given this piece of armour by Christ himself. Only Christ lives in perfect obedience and submission to God the father, and he gives his righteousness to you. At your baptism, God placed an invisible piece of armour called Jesus Christ over your heart. Although your heart is often cruel and selfish, when God looks at your heart, he now only sees Jesus’ perfect blood covering you.

You stand with the Gospel of peace tied firmly to your feet. Your feet, which often walk the ways of evil, are instead to be led by the Gospel of peace, ready to proclaim the gospel to those around you. Since you are grounded firmly in Gospel of peace as forgiven and holy people of God, you readily proclaim the Gospel of undeserved forgiveness to those who have hurt others, but also the Gospel of wholeness and cleansing to those who have been hurt or abused by others. Be ready to let the Spirit lead your feet to the right place, to the right people, and at the right time, so that you may be able to defend others from evil by proclaiming the Gospel of peace to them. In this way, you’re not waging war, but waging peace!

You stand behind a shield of faith, guarding you from your eyes to your knees. Now you could argue this is your own faith or trust in God that guards and protects you from the devil’s darts of deception and lies, but you could also easily argue this is the faith handed to you to protect you. Since this shield isn’t attached to you, it’s not just an individual trust that usually wavers between faith and non-belief, but a corporate trust. When your faith is wavering, you might need the person next to you to remind you of the faith of the Church, clearly confessed in our Creeds. This is the reason Martin Luther recalled and was comforted by the Apostle’s Creed night and day. He shielded himself, not just with his own faith, but with the faith of the whole catholic and apostolic Church.

You stand wearing the helmet of salvation. You stand knowing you are saved by Christ. He is your Champion and your Saviour. Keeping this truth in mind, your thoughts are protected from straying from the truth and into despair. You know there is nothing you can do to earn God’s love and peace. Salvation is given to you as a free and undeserving gift. Know that everything won on the cross is given to you. Know that forgiveness is yours, peace is yours, and eternal life is yours.

You stand with a sword. Now, this appeals to my boyhood dreams of being a great champion, wielding a sword to defeat all enemies. But I’m disappointed. This isn’t a huge sword like the knights of old used to swing and parry, but a short stabbing sword, perhaps only a foot long – just a ruler length. You can’t fight with that! But that’s the point! We’re not to fight, but to stand. This stabbing sword was only used when the attacker was so close a sword would be ineffective and unwieldy. This short sword is the Word of God.

Remember when Jesus himself was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness? What was his weapon of choice against the wiles of the devil? The Word of God. Although the devil himself also used, or rather, misused, the Word of God, Jesus was able to defeat him with his own Word given through the prophets. As Luther sings in ‘A Mighty Fortress’, one little word can fell the devil. Just one Word of God is needed to send the devil scurrying for cover. Although many neglect the Word of God, you’re to read the Word of God, learn it, meditate on it, understand it, and even speak it. The Word of God is an essential piece in the armour of God, so don’t leave it gathering dust in your homes. This said, use it carefully, knowing it can cut and divide, but it can also make alive.

Standing while encased and guarded in the whole armour of God, you pray. Pray, not just for yourselves, but for each other. Pray for the person next to you. Pray for those under attack. Pray for pastors, for missionaries, and for teachers. Pray for governments, and for those in authority. Pray for your children and your grandchildren. Pray for those who are sick or dying. Pray for those drowning in despair or depression. Pray for those who have sinned, but also for those who have been sinned against. You pray patiently and persistently, never giving up or tiring.

Soldiers of the Cross, this is no plastic or make-believe battlefield, but a true spiritual battlefield. Therefore stand! Stand firm in faith, wrapped by the every piece of armour that God gives you in order to protect you and guard you from the attacks of evil. Stand and witness your Champion, Jesus Christ, as he fights for you, dies for you, and lives eternally for you. Then, wrapped in the armour of God, you look forward to standing with Jesus himself in heaven with all the other soldiers of the Cross who have endured the war. Until that time, may…

The peace and armour of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds and bodies in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Stuart Kleinig
South Western Queensland Lutheran Parish – Dalby Ministry Area
12th Sunday after Pentecost
23rd August 2009

"Time-wasters"

2009-07-11T11:26:00.002+10:00

Ok, I'm not sure all these things are a real 'waste' of time or not, but I thought I'd share some of the things I either do in my spare time, or that distract me from doing other 'more important' things.

Fantasy Games

As I mentioned a few months ago, I'm hooked on AFL Dream Team. So far this year I'm doing ok, but nowhere near as good as I hoped. As at round 14 of 22, I'm just outside the top 35,000 of over 283,000 players. As I said, it's ok, but I had hoped to be in the top 10,000 by now. Ahh, it's only a game after all!

Other games I'm trying is managing my own 'Tour de France' team (http://fantasytdf.sbs.com.au) - not enjoying that one (too complex and not user friendly), and selecting my own Ashes team (http://fantasy.cricket.com.au) - this one's easy - you only have to select 11 players from about 30. We've started the first test of 5, so it's early days. Thankfully it doesn't go for long and there's not too many variables to worry about, so it's not that distracting.

Movies

I've recently seen 'Transformers 2' and 'Terminator: Salvation'. The former was ok (a little too convoluted and concentrates on crude humour that's unnecessary), but I really enjoyed the latter (good story, good effects). I enjoy thinking about some of the themes that come up in them (although some movies are pretty mindless!). Take for example 'Terminator: Salvation'. Do some people deserve a 'second chance', no matter what they've done? Are we prepared to give people a second chance, even when we've already judged them? Forgiveness. Salvation. Good Christian themes (even if unintended).

Internet time-wasters

We've recently come across www.sporcle.com

If you're anything like me who stores so much useless information (instead of really important things), some of these trivia games are for you! Some of these can be infuriating because you know the answer, but it just won't come in time!

I've also come across a little game where I teach a penguin to fly. Ok, they can't fly, can they? But with your help they can! Check out http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/learn-to-fly-game-battle
Apparently there's all types of simple games that amuse people for hours. Ok, I did play this game twice.

Yes, there is always more important things to do in our lives, but I don't think it's too harmful to have a little fun. Of course, the danger is we can spend so much time on these little 'time-wasters' and not enough time on important things like spending time with God's Word, spending time with the people God placed in your life, and spending time to rest.

Don't feel guilty about your own little 'time-wasters', but don't let them manage your life either.

Hmmm, I must go 'waste' some time walking in the sunshine while it's here...

"I know I'm a sinner, but I haven't done anything wrong!"

2009-05-26T12:44:00.002+10:00

I've been a little quiet on the blog lately - I've been a little busy. This doesn't mean things haven't Crossed my life, it just means I haven't had much time to process the things around me and find time to actually write about them.

In one of the books I've been reading lately ('Confession and Forgiveness: Professing Faith as Ambassadors of Reconciliation' by Ted Kober), I came across the above quote: "I know I'm a sinner, but I haven't done anything wrong!". I almost laughed out loud when I read this! (By the way, it was spoken by a pastor!) Yet in another sense, it's deadly serious. How many Christians think they've done nothing wrong?

Many times I've heard one of two reactions to sermons where I sought to expose people's sin. One is "I wish so-and-so were hear to hear that!" To this I often wonder (and sometimes say), "But you were here. What did it say to you?" Don't we often want to point the finger at others but hate it when the finger points at us! This is more comfortable - just brush it aside and deflect the accusation to someone else.

This leads me to the second reaction: people think I'm picking on them when I expose their sin. Well, I admit I have felt moved to mention something in the sermon at times targeting a specific person, but most of the times I did this, they weren't at worship that day (or weren't listening at the time!). Instead someone else who I didn't even consider to be affected by this particular sin felt as if I picked on them. If anyone was picking on them, it was the Holy Spirit!

At times people have said to me I talk about sin too much. They argue it's off-putting to newcomers. They also argue "We all know we're sinners - you don't have to go on and on about it!" Hmmm, don't you think this is so much like the above quote?

Exposing our sin is uncomfortable. The Spirit probes through our conscience and jabs at our guilt, our shame and our brokenness. Yet like a doctor's scalpel, we need to get rid of the infection before we can experience true healing.

Sin breaks our relationships - our relationships with our families and friends, our work mates, and our sporting mates. Sin breaks the view of ourselves, leading to struggling self-worth. Sin breaks our relationship with God.

The reason sin needs to be exposed is so that the gospel will do it's saving effect. If we don't think we need a Saviour from our sin, what on earth do we need Jesus for? Jesus didn't come to be a miracle vending machine, but in order to save us from our sin.

Perhaps we mouth the words "I am a sinner" all too easily without realising the implications. Quite simply I have done wrong in God's sight. Full stop. No excuses. No attempts at self-justification. It is my own fault.

I go to worship, not always because I enjoy it (or even because I'm paid to), but because I need it. I am a sinner and I need a Saviour to save me from myself and my sin. Since I can't fix myself, I need God to come down and serve me. I need him to expose the sickness of my sin, my spiritual thirst, and my hunger for peace. I need him to announce his forgiveness so my joy and peace is restored.

Yes, I know I'm a sinner. I also know I've done plenty wrong. It takes effort for me to see that in myself and specify my sin, yet I can also lay those specific sins at the foot of the cross and receive the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

I am a sinner. Jesus is my Saviour.

What's happened to ANZAC Day?

2009-04-25T16:38:00.002+10:00

I was at our local ANZAC day march this morning, camera in hand.

I wasn't there to photograph any of the service men and women who served our country at home or overseas. I was there to photograph our eldest daughter who, as vice-captain of the high school, was holding the school banner and led her school in the march.

Now it's good to see so many young people taking part in the march, honouring those who served and remembering those who gave their lives - either through their death or their living hell that continues to haunt them, but I was a little shaken as the march went by. I'll explain why.

First those who served marched by. I don't know them. They don't know me. I don't know what they've done, where they served, or who they're thinking of as they march by with shoulders pushed back.

Are they heroes? I don't know. Many simply did what they were told to. Others did what they had to in order to survive. Some served out of a sense of duty and honour, while others may have done what they did for other reasons. I honour their service. I honour those who sacrificed so much, whether they marched or not.

Next came the schools and community groups which far outnumbered the aging service men and women. I then noticed what the crowd was doing. Sure, they had stood and cheered or clapped or simply looked on in silence as the service men and women marched by, but now they were excited! They were rushing about, taking photos, waving at their kids or others they knew. This seemed to be what they had come for!

What shocked me is that I was one of them. Had I come to simply take photos or children who've done nothing in service to their country (yet), or had I come to honour and remember those who served and sacrificed so much? I'm a little ashamed to say I did the former.

Now don't get me wrong. I do know some who served and I respect and honour those who marched. My uncle served and I believe is still deeply affected by what he went through. I think of him every ANZAC day. I think of him with his mates having a drink or three, thinking about other mates who didn't come home, seeing scenes flash in their memories that they shouldn't have first witnessed. I honour his sacrifices and pray for him to cope with his anguishing experiences. Not just him, but all those who served. I have no idea what they went through. Maybe it's best I don't know.

But ANZAC day has changed. People want another holiday - not to honour those who served, but so they can serve themselves with another excuse to party, to holiday, to sleep in, and celebrate a freedom that they don't even give a second thought to. It's also become a bit of a spectacle for many. Let's clap and cheer the school kids and community groups!

I believe we need to continue to respect and honour the sacrifices of those who served in the past and who continue to serve today. I also think the young need to know something of what they did - not some of the legends that have somehow blown out of all proportion, but what it took to hand on peace and justice and freedom to us today. Let's be honest about the blood and guts and how right and wrong is often blurred in the heat of battle. Let's be honest about sacrifices of life and family and innocence. But I also believe we shouldn't make it into a spectacle or glorify war.

What's happened to ANZAC day - well, something's happened. It could just be me, but I don't think so. It would be good for us to reconsider what we're doing and how we do it.

As I walked home I also considered what's happened to ANZAC day has happened in worship too. Isn't there anything sacred anymore? In too many places the honour and respect for the freedom and peace won for us through the death of Jesus has been replaced by a spectacle of individual self-indulgence and gratification. Should we rethink what we're doing here and how we're doing it?

Idolatry - the root of all conflict?

2009-04-07T15:42:00.002+10:00

I'm attending a conference on conflict and reconciliation in Sydney later in the year and I've been given some homework before I arrive. My first task is to read the book 'The Peacemaker' by Ken Sande.

I flicked through it last night and noticed one chapter that talks about idolatry and how it can be the cause of much conflict. It seems to progress in the following order:

I desire
I demand
I judge
I punish

Without reading further, I started thinking about some forms of conflict and how this develops. For example, in family life (say between husband and wife or children), someone desires something - usually for oneself, starts to demand it (with all the subsequent nagging), judges everyone else wrong and cruel if he or she doesn't get their own way, and then punishes through verbal or physical abuse (or even by 'sulking'). Even the 'worship wars' or financial conflicts in many congregations follow a similar pattern.

With this in mind, I can easily see how conflict is often caused by putting oneself or ones' desires first, which is idolatry. In conflict therefore, what is my idol that is causing such offence that I need to repent of? How can I show grace instead of selfishness, mercy instead of punishment, and peace instead of war?

I'm looking forward to reading how the author suggests to deal with conflict in a biblical and Christ-centred manner.

Food for thought...

Quote of the week

2009-03-29T20:20:00.002+10:00

Julie & I came across this quote from the Weekend Australian Magazine (page 7), where Billy Connolly is quoted to say that no amount of plastic surgery will make you look younger if you're sitting on a bean bag. "You can immediately tell how old a person is by how long it takes them to get out of it".

There's simply some things you can't hide or cover up, is there?

The Mighty Lambs

2009-03-14T11:34:00.004+10:00

Time for a little self-indulgence (after all, aren't most blogs self-indulgence?!)

I'm admitting an addiction. I'm addicted to playing AFL Dream Team. In this free-to-play game you select your own AFL team from among the current players. There's a price to pay for each of them and obviously a way of scoring. If you want to know more about it, check out http:\\afl.virtualsports.com.au

This is my third year of playing. In 2007 I ended up in the top 50% of teams (not much to brag about here - I was only an average competitor, averaging 1595.0 points per round), but in 2008 I got as high as 1,836th overall for one round and finished 14,138th out of 203,220 competitors, averaging 1823.9 points.

Now, I don't have any hope of winning, but I enjoy the game and the strategies involved. Up here in country Queensland we rarely get a live game (unless it involves the Brisbane Lions), but through the Internet I've learned to have a greater awareness of every player in every team (and not only my own team, the Adelaide Crows).

My own team is called The Mighty Lambs (my team shield is pictured). I know it's a bit of a paradox, but I made this name up from hearing something in one of my lectures at Seminary. Where most people support teams with strong names (such as Power, Eagles, Bombers, Tigers or the NRL Titans, Sharks, or Dragons), we as Christians behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. A lamb doesn't seem like a mighty or victorious animal, but the Lamb of God is victorious over sin, death and the devil. Paradox? Yes, but a glorious paradox! I only wish I could use a more humble lamb picture for my team shield.

Now I know my humble team is nothing compared to Jesus Christ, but if anyone ever asked me about the name, I'll tell them about Jesus - my Lamb and my Saviour.

I've already started looking at prospective players and will now select my team over the next couple of weeks, after all, the AFL season starts on Thursday 26th of March. If anyone wants to compete against me, join my Public League code number 762939.

Some Luther quotes

2009-03-06T08:57:00.002+10:00

I came across these this morning and thought them worth sharing:

Every man must do two things alone: he must do his own believing and his own dying.

Peace if possible, truth at all costs.

The fewer the words, the better the prayer.

How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'.

Dishonouring His name by 'glossing'

2009-03-06T08:19:00.003+10:00

I don't remember everything I read. I don't have a photographic memory. This is why I need to re-read them.

In my daily reading today (among other books, I'm currently re-reading Martin Luther's Large Catechism), I came across the following:

'By nature we all have this lovely virtue that whenever we commit a wrong we like to cover it and gloss over our disgrace so that no one may see or know it. No one is so audacious as to boast of the wickedness he or she has committed. We prefer to act in secret without anyone knowing about it. When someone is caught, then God and his name must be dragged into it, so that the dirty business may be made honorable and the disgrace noble.' (Large Catechism, 2nd Commandment, 59-60)

I was struck how true this still is. When we do something wrong and our conscience is struck by it, we either try to cover it up, excuse it, or sanctify it. By doing so we bring dishonour to the holy name of God we bear. It's therefore better to be honest and confess our wrong, make no excuses, and seek forgiveness.

We all sin. Glossing over, justifying, or making our sin seem honourable in some way doesn't get rid of it. It still stains us until we expose it and hand it over to be washed away by Christ's suffering, rejection, and death. We honour God's holy name by appealing to him in prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

I look forward to more gems of wisdom and insight over the coming days...

God endures it with you

2009-02-19T11:34:00.003+10:00

I'm a member of a number of chat groups. I receive a number of emails from various groups on various topics.

Recently one of the groups has been talking about the devastating Victorian bushfires and where God is in all of this. How dare God allow such tragedy! Yet even when God seems so absent, our only hope and comfort is in Jesus Christ.

One of the group attached a short sermon from 'Lutheran Hour Ministries' which was preached some time in 1980. It may not answer all questions, but I thought it worth sharing...

A vast crowd is gathered at the judgment throne of God. Some people are afraid but others argue among themselves.

One woman snapped, ‘How can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?’ Then she revealed her ugly bruises. She had been bashed and raped.

An aboriginal then spoke. ‘What does God know about pain? I was regarded as a good-for-nothing, a drunk. I was beaten up, jailed and despised’.

A young girl was there. Her eyes were red from crying. She had been sexually abused, thrown out of home and forced to live on the streets. On her forehead was stamped, ‘Illegitimate’

And so it went on. Hundreds of lonely, hurting people complained against God. People in wheel chairs, blind and deaf, people twisted by arthritis - and many more. They decided to present their case. Before God could be their judge he must endure what they endured.

He should be sentenced to live on earth as a man. Let him be born as a member of a despised minority. Let the legitimacy of his birth be questioned. Give him a task to do that is so difficult that even his family will think he is out of his mind. Let him be betrayed by his friends, tried before a court and judge. Let him die totally alone.

As each person spoke the crowd cheered. When they had finished speaking there was a long silence.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

For suddenly everyone knew.

God had already served his sentence.

Luther & Aesop

2009-02-06T17:13:00.002+10:00

This morning I was reading an article titled 'Luther's Aesop' in a theological journal called Logia. I was interested to discover Martin Luther loved Aesop's fables even though they're pagan stories. He loved them so much he compared them with the writings of the prophets and the psalms. This doesn't mean he considered them to be the inspired word of God or that they should be used in worship, but he considered them to be very helpful to teach young people good morals in schools.

One was quoted that I thought worth sharing (that Luther had reworked):

Of the Dog in the Water

A dog ran through a stream of water and had a piece of meat in his mouth.

But when he saw the reflection of the meat in the water, he thought that it was also meat and he snapped eagerly for it.

But when he opened his mouth the piece of flesh he had fell out and the water carried it away.

So he lost both the meat and its reflection.

Teaching

One should be content with what God has given him.

He who disdains having a little will not have something bigger.

He who wants to have too much, will have nothing in the end.

Many lose what is certain for what is uncertain.

Perhaps Aesop's fables are worth extra consideration, even today.

Twilight's Sin

2009-02-06T16:52:00.002+10:00

There's a popular movie out at the moment called 'Twilight', which is based on the first of four novels using the same characters written by Stephanie Meyer. I saw the movie with my two eldest daughters and then read all four books (after they had already 'devoured' them!)It's basically a forbidden love story similar to Romeo and Juliet. The interesting twist is that the main male character is a vampire.

Can love exist between a vampire and a human? Well, in this case these aren't ordinary vampires, but likened to vegetarians. You see, they only drink animal blood. They've trained themselves to resist the desire for human blood. I believe the angst and struggle between the love-birds is played out quite well in the early novels.

As a Christian I thought there could be a good analogy between the vampire's desire and our sinful nature. Try as we might, we can't control our sinful nature. We might be able to control ourselves, discipline ourselves and resist temptation, but we still remain sinners. Despite the heroic struggle against the desire for human blood, they still remain vampires.

I don't know if she meant this or I'm reading too much into the books, but I believe the author's understanding of sin and salvation came through by the fourth book. By then the vampires seem very much in control of themselves and the temptations lessen (I was also a little disappointed by the anti-climax). When you understand the author is Mormon (see www.stephaniemeyer.com), it all makes sense. For Mormons, sin can be controlled. Salvation is by works.

I don't consider myself a monster (as some of the vampires call themselves when struggling with their desires), but sometimes I'm not far off. Temptations abound and sometimes I find I can no longer resist my own sinful nature. This doesn't stop me from trying, but I don't kid myself I'm ever in full control of myself, my sin, or my salvation. Only Jesus saves. He even saves struggling 'monsters' like me.

Simple pleasures

2009-01-31T08:53:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I enjoyed one of the simple pleasures in life - licking the chocolate bowl!

Julie was making a chocolate cake and all the girls had left for school. I was working away and she came in to offer the bowl to me to clean it up. I took it without much hesitation! Even though Julie scrapes it very clean, there was still enough for me to savour and enjoy.

Recently we went on holidays. This time we didn't spend great amounts on entertainment (except viewing a couple of films in some cinemas fitted out with worn out second-hand chairs), yet some of my fondest recollections was of the simple things: reading some good books, walking along beaches, watching birds fly and dance in the air, observing some dolphins play in the distance, attempting to body surf, going for walks, and spending time with family.

In this age of entertainment, perhaps we've forgotten to notice and thank God for the simple pleasures. I'm also convinced God doesn't always bless us in the big or impressive times, but through little, almost unnoticeable times, perhaps even in some of these simple pleasures. Unfortunately many expect great and memorable moments in worship or in their faith journey, only to be disappointed.

Although I'm the pastor and generally know what's coming on Sunday, I'm not looking to be entertained or looking to receive big 'Aha' moments, but I'm looking forward to more simple (yet holy) pleasures. I'm looking forward to singing ancient and modern hymns. I'm looking forward to hearing those around me, no matter how in tune they are or unimpressive their voices are, as they sing about their faith to me. I'm looking forward to saying the Creed which we say every Sunday (unfortunately often in a very monotone cadence). I'm looking forward to listening to God speak to me sweet words of forgiveness and comfort. I'm looking forward to holding a small wafer of bread and sipping some wine knowing Jesus is truly present in this holy (and largely unimpressive by worldly standards) meal. I'm looking forward to hearing those words of blessing which send me out on my way for another week of pain and joy.

Ahhh, simple pleasures!

A future worth living?

2009-01-03T13:40:00.003+10:00

Occasionally I read The Australian on Saturdays (I don't enjoy reading the popular newspapers that have poorly researched or alarmist articles). I do this when I have a little time and I feel like updating myself with world events.

One of today's articles caught my attention (you can read the whole article by clicking on the following link: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24866627-28737,00.html). A brave man (Richard Watson) tries to make a prediction about what will happen in 2009. What appealed to me is that he didn't predict events, but possible trends that might develop in our society in financial uncertain times, for example he writes:

"I don't think that what's going on is all bad because it reminds us that actions have consequences. Things had swung too far and have been brought back again. We don't need a lot of this silliness. It's good to be serious again. We have suffered from too much choice and there will be less. People will be more self-reliant and they will learn to say no, which is a big shift. Family and community will be pushed back together; it's almost a Blitz mentality. We just need to keep calm and carry on."

I think some of what he says is spot on, not because I can see the future, but I have seen some of these trends already begin. They may or may not catch on and become mainstream.

Of course much of it is probably his own opinion and he could be wrong, but I agree we need to test environmental claims and media scare mongering that don't have valid scientific basis. I agree we should unplug more devices (although I know that will be a grand battle in our household if I suggested it - and I'm one of the worst digital culprits!). I agree we should put less on credit and actually save for things beforehand. I agree people want authentic friends, authentic products and authentic faith. I agree we need more loyalty within families and community and less selfish individuality. I agree we don't always have to have instant gratification, but some things worth while actually take time. I agree everyone is afraid and fear often brings despair or anger.

What 2009 brings - God only knows. I believe some of what Richard Watson says matches well with living an intelligent, sanctified and faithful life. So maybe its time to take stock of what's really important and live a simpler life. Maybe some people are prepared to reconsider their values. Maybe...maybe I should go read a book or talk to my family instead of spending time on the computer writing blog posts!

A day in Toowoomba

2008-12-29T16:44:00.001+10:00

On Boxing day we got out of the house and went to Toowoomba. We tried to stay away from the shops (although we weren't completely successful with this!) and went for walks in the Japanese Gardens and Queens Park. I really liked the Japanese Gardens and would have liked to spend a little more time just sitting, looking around and reflecting.

I love trying my hand at photography, attempting to capture all types of things that appeal to me (including textures of bark on trees - the rest of my family don't know why I take pictures of 'just bark', but it took my fancy at the time). I use the zoom and the macro settings quite a lot to capture things in such a way we don't normally see things.

What you see is a small selection of some of the photos I took during our walk. I couldn't help myself and had to include a picture of 'my girls' (I'll tell them I did this later).

In this busy time of year, it's good to take a bit of time out - I should do it more often!

Agent 007: Bourne, James Bourne

2008-12-20T11:40:00.001+10:00

I like the series of Bourne films (except the shaky camera that seems to have infected so many movies lately – are the cameramen drinking too much coffee? Or is creative editing having to replace lazy choreography?)

I like many of the James Bond films – I’ve seen them all at least once, but as I came away from recently watching the latest instalment ‘Quantum of Solace’, I thought this could have easily fit as another Bourne instalment (well, almost – the plot could have certainly been tighter and more engaging!).

Gone were some of the typical things we have grown to expect from Bond like gadgets and big set pieces. Ok, gadgets aren’t really necessary (but they’ve come up with some pretty cool ideas in the past!), but I’d like to see Daniel Craig change his expression a bit more and show some more mischievousness like the ultimate Bond – Sean Connery.

I admire their attempt to reinvent or reinvigorate a tired franchise, but let Bond be Bond and Bourne be Bourne. Just because something works for one doesn’t mean it will naturally work for another.

By the way, churches can also learn from this – the Roman Catholic church shouldn’t try to be a Baptist church, and a Lutheran church shouldn’t try to be a Pentecostal church, and so on. What ‘sells’ one church won’t necessarily ‘sell’ another (even though we’re really not trying to ‘sell’ anything because God’s gifts are always free!) Ok, let’s take note of each other and respect each others’ gifts and strengths, but we don’t have to copy each other. Let’s know who we are and what identifies us (including knowing what our strengths and gifts are), and then be who we are (and do it well).

Although a little disappointed, I’m still looking forward to a next Bond film. There were a few things near the end of the film that show promise for development.

Peace to you.

2008-12-13T14:07:00.004+10:00

Mowing, lawns, weeds and sin

Yesterday I was mowing the lawn. I reckon it's the 5th time in five weeks. I don't mind mowing the lawn, but finding time every week when there's so many other things I'd rather do (or should do) can get a little annoying.

When I mow the lawn, I listen to music on my MP3. Artists like Billy Joel, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, the Waifs, John Butler (and many others) entertain me as I whip the weeds and mow the grass. Despite the music that fills my ears, many things cross my mind.

One of my thoughts that crossed my mind was about the lawn I mow (mixed with an assortment of weeds). It's been growing fast (hence my need to mow regularly). The rain comes, the sun shines, the lawn grows. It looks good (in most places), but it looks better when I mow. When the rain didn't come, the lawn didn't grow much, but the weeds still grew (amazing how resilient those weeds can be!). Not the same weeds as I currently have, but there were weeds anyway.

As I reflected on this fact, I also reflected on my life as a Christian. When times are abundant and things are going well, the weeds of sin still affect my life (like the weeds of greed, selfishness and pride), in fact they could be growing faster and be more abundant than before. I may not notice them so much because I'm also focussing on the green lawn. Yet during times of suffering and trial, the weeds of sin still grow (like jealousy, bitterness and unforgiveness). They're more noticable because there's less lawn (read: less good times) than before. The sins that affect me aren't always the same during good and bad times. Sometimes they are (just like some weeds grow in drought and good seasons alike), but some weeds are unique to the season.

Where does this leave me? Well, I'm now finished mowing. As I write I hear some more rain coming on the roof. The weeds and grass are going to grow again!

I'm a sinner. I can't always control myself. The weeds of sin seem to come in so many varieties and at times I don't always plan or expect, both in good times and bad. I suppose, just like my lawn, I need to be cut back through repentance, and receive the gracious words of forgiveness again (and again and again and...).