Off to Nashville, Tennessee

Why would a home territory boy like me suddenly take off to cowboy country in the USA? A love for country music? Nup! Hiding from the law? No way! Three quarter life crisis? Don’t think so. I’m sure it’s something to do with the hosting of the World Convention of Churches of Christ. It’s one of the few occassions left for the gathering of our movement on a large scale. National Conferences are pretty much a thing of the past in this paradoxical age of decentralisation and, yet, vast access to the universe through technology. I’ve only ever attended World Convention on two other occasions, both when Australia was host – Adelaide in 1970 and Brisbane in 2000. So why Nashville in 2008?

Several reasons:

  1. Nashville is close to some of the historic roots that gave birth to the Restoration Movement, the church family I have most identified with from the age of four. A great opportunity to connect here as churches from all over the world consider how the principles of this movement are best interpreted for the 21st Century.
  2. Networking – living in what is sometimes called “the most isolated capital city in the world” can foster an unconscious parochial outlook, internet not withstanding. Close proximity for a couple of weeks to a wide range of international personalities will assist my antibodies in fighting off any lurking isolationist virus!
  3. The very process of overseas travel of which I have fleeting experience is stimulating my resourcefulness. I have learned a lot. I don’t want to present myself as a “mark” by looking like a naive open-mouthed tourist as I weave my way through unfamiliar territory in getting to Nashville – nor do I want to be an obnoxious know-it-all. Let me be a pilgrim – well prepared and open to learning along the way. “Awareness” is what I pray for on a journey that is structured but not rigid.

I hope to use this blog that has endured several recent fallow periods as a journal for reflections along the way. ETD is just over a week away. The week is chockablock with work to be done so next time I blog will probably be enroute.

Book Review – The Shack

Author: William P Young, Windblown Media, 2007

After more than thirty years of trying to come to grips with an adequate articulation of an intellectual understanding of the Trinity, this book has finally convinced me that it can’t be done!

No wonder the biblical writers avoided anything like the “T” word with its propensity for misunderstanding. Taking the lead of Jesus, they use metaphor and story to describe the compelling intimacy of God as revealed through Father, Son and Holy Spirit – an intimacy into which, through the gift of Jesus, all humankind is invited.

For this reason those who trust only a propositional approach to knowing God will not enjoy William Young’s exposition of the nature of God, even given that his work is classified fiction (a bereaved father spends an unexpected weekend with God at the scene of the crime – “The Shack.”) It sends too many doctrinal hares running, and the work of rounding them up is never-ending. It seems to me, however, that Jesus has no problem with this mode of exploring our relationship with the Divine. His use of parable and riddle was obviously a favoured method of opening minds to the possibility of being caught up in the ways of the Kingdom. Young has used a similar approach to entice us into an affective understanding of who God is and why God allows certain things to be the way they are, especially when they leave us cloaked in what Young calls “The Great Sadness.”

I enjoyed immensely reading “The Shack.” It challenged my stereotypes – even the ones in my unconscious. It led me to explore new places that have been slowly revealing themselves over many years in my own prayer practice. I was able to descend into depths of relationship with each of the expressions of God as encountered. The conversations reinforced some of my own discoveries surrounding the painful and vexed question of theodicy (or “why does an all powerful and all loving deity allow suffering?”)

The author doesn’t pretend that this is some ground-breaking theological dissertation – after all, it was originally meant as a story for his own family built on incidents and events in their journey together. In this sense it is similar to Jacob’s nocturnal wrestling with the angel before meeting his estranged brother Esau – the protagonist in “The Shack” emerges not only with a fresh “knowing” of God, but a new name, a new nature, and a new expression of conversion.

The Black Balloon – Movie Review

Here is a story of autism within the chaotic unpredictabilty of family life. Charlie is an island within the swirling maelstrom of an extraverted family unit consisting of soldier Dad, heavily pregnant Mum, and younger brother Thomas. Fifteen year old Thomas is the protagonist and we largely see the delights and challenges of living with the autism spectrum through Thomas’ eyes. The bulk of responsibility for managing Charlie’s care falls on Thomas and the film holds nothing back as we see Thomas and Charlie riding the waves of neighbourhood misunderstanding, peer group scorn, and frustration that becomes so overwhelming that it occassionally erupts in uncontrollable violence. Such occasions are episodic in a family that cares deeply for each of its members, but a climactic incident at Thomas’ sixteenth birthday celebration brings him to a fresh level of realisation that living with Charlie is more about “going with the flow” rather than, motivated by his wish for Charlie to be “normal”, trying to improve his condition . The story is powerfully told, hopefully heralding a wider community understanding of the dynamics of families living with autism, and an encouragement for those families who are prone to feel isolated by this disorder. See here for the official movie site, or see the trailer here.

Sorry Day Eve

Tomorrow is a historic day for Australia. At long last, after much political soul searching and hand wringing, Federal Parliament, through its new Prime Minister, will say the word “sorry” to this land’s first peoples.

In this context “sorry” is a power word. It has strong potential for unblocking the process for healing and self-realisation, not only for aborigines, but all Australians. The lancing of the wounds of the sordid past of which the “stolen generations” is only one marker, is painful but necessary, and a formal apology carries the properties of both an antibody and a balm.

Some fear the power of the word, anxious of the blight of inherited blame and what it may cost in terms of material compensation. For such the word loses its power, for it simply ceases to exist. The national mood, the zeitgeist, however, is that the “sorry” word is at least ten years overdue and that it should have followed soon after the Bringing them Home report was tabled in Parliament in 1997.

In the meantime, Isaiah 55: 10-13 speaks powerfully into our context:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out in joy,

and be led back in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song,

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;

instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,

for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Is the word “sorry” divinely inspired in this national instance? My theology says it is.

Reflection on an unexpected adrenalin rush

Up until mid afternoon, the greatest drama today was discovering my car’s cooling system overflowing with oil. I managed to nurse it over to the local service centre, just across from where we live, and was discussing it outside with the bloke there when all hell broke loose.

A man went charging past us with another in close pursuit – yelling something incomprehensible and aiming a pistol. A car screamed around the corner and four burly blokes jumped out, heading the man off and waving pistols. They all jumped on him in a rugby scrum, quickly subdued him and cuffed him. A helicopter hovered overhead. It was all over, but for many more plain clothes officers appearing from every direction.

By that time I was beginning to review my response. As soon as I saw the first gun, I shouted to the fellow I was talking to, “Come on – inside!” and (setting an example of inspired leadership, of course) ran into the service station. I turned to see the scrum and saw my conversation partner running away from me towards it – to get a closer look! Sheepishly, I returned to where we had been standing.

And now I reflect on what motivated my instinctive reaction to what was indeed a highly risky situation. I can see it all in slow motion as the options ran through my head. “Is the guy with the gun a good guy or a crook? Whatever, we don’t need to stop any bullets. We need to hit the dirt. Can I pull this guy I’m talking to down without drawing attention to us? No that’s too dramatic. Let’s get inside and out of the way. Come on – inside!”

Self and/or other preservation? Common sense? Over-reaction? It’s interesting to mull over one’s reactions when danger suddenly arises. What would you have done? And as the American evangelicals constantly ask “What would Jesus do?”

Some new websites

Adding to the sidebar some new websites.

  1. Our revamped church website.
  2. PeaceChurch, a new venture that we hope will become a “parallel congregation” in Perth’s western suburbs – it has a dedicated “justice and mercy” bent.
  3. Not up yet, but watch for “Sacred Spaces”, another parallel church celebrating a contemplative approach

Many thanks to webmaster Steve Mellor for his work on these sites.

Polling Day Approaches

I have not known any previous Federal Election campaign to curry the level of involvement of churches and other religious organisations as this one.

The amount of electioneering material that has crossed my desk on this occasion is staggering – all encouraging me to use my influence as a church leader to raise awareness of how certain party policies compare. They urge me to make the “Christian” vote count (according to the discernment of the particular flyer). Encouraged by renewed government/ecclesiastical dialogue and partnerships, some religious groups seem to be relishing the promise of fresh relevance in the eyes of the community.

My response has been to simply to warn my congregation in apocalyptic terms to “watch, pay attention, and remain focussed.” As if there is such a thing as a “Christian” vote!!!

Is my response reactionary? Ironically, I’m as political as the next person and, fired by my faith in Christ, support a number of political causes.

Perhaps my concerns are best outlined in an article in Ekklesia – “Why does government want to court the churches.” It is written to the UK scene, where many new partnerships between church and state are under negotiation. It has some points of relevance to Australia, however.

I particularly appreciate Jonathan Bartley’s concluding comments:

What is it that makes the church distinctive under the new deal? Part of the new deal between church and state is to show more effectively that faith ‘works’. Questions need to be asked as to the basis of this kind of political witness, however.

First, there has been a move toward managerialism, ideas of efficiency and pragmatism within the political system. Rather than the church witnessing to government, suggesting more human and social values and practices in line with its incarnational message, the reverse may be the case under the new deal. The church may itself move toward governing, ruling ideologies rather than pioneering a distinctive approach in the delivery of social welfare based on participation and equality.

The push of the new deal is toward delivery (measured in targets and statistics), motivational capacity and professonalism. The question that the churches need to ask themselves, is whether they want their contribution to civic life to be based upon such things – rather than for example upon a radical stand for justice. Taking state funding runs the risk of buying into the state’s policy goals and targets rather than a vision of a different kind of social order. It runs the risk of blunting the church’s prophetic calling to question power. Politicians are quite happy to accept Christians and those of other faiths who serve their local communities diligently. They are less happy with a church that challenges the status quo.

Four days away

Sunday Lectio – reading the signs. Cold sores, conjunctivitis, and mild depression reassured me that I was long overdue for some down time. In spite of (or maybe because of) reaching some heart-felt goals, I had been feeling rundown and lethargic for a few weeks. I booked a cabin at Dwellingup, an old wood-cutting community at the base of the Darling Ranges, about 100 km from Perth. I grabbed a few books, the laptop, and some living essentials and headed south. Settling in, walking around, discovering the bush track into town and adjusting to spaciousness was already proving cathartic. I felt a connection to God’s presence – a feeling that had been lacking recently. The silence of the bush that night was soothing.

Monday Meditatio – chewing things over. Mostly I walked …and walked. Not very far as I was still weak from fighting off ‘flu symptoms – probably about 12 km – slowly with many stops to notice and consider. Never far from the railway line. I like railway lines – they are going somewhere. Even when they converge and mysteriously disappear over the horizon, one can trust in a destination. I almost finished reading Salley Vickers The Other Side of You (Fourth Estate, 2006). No railway tracks here, but a riveting narrative featuring at its centre Luke’s account of the Road to Emmaus through the eyes of medieval artist Caravaggio.

Tuesday Oratio – praying out loud. Finished reading Vickers. Could not get the book out of my mind. I’ve reviewed it separately for the Dayspring blog. Re-read Lee Camp Mere Discipleship – the final two chapters on communion and evangelism. Began the process of synthesising – the Emmaus presence of the crucified and risen one brought about by hearts beating in syncopation with his generous and gracious Way that demands all and gives all. How this expresses itself in community with one another and this in itself announces good news to the world. What measures does one take to break the institutional mould that keeps such dangerous transformations at bay? Does this mean jumping railway tracks that lead rigidly to a predetermined destination – and we careen off into the uncharted scrubland to who knows where? Or does it mean following the track as the “narrow way” even when the accretions of time and institutionalised self-interest see it overgrown with weeds and disuse?

Wednesday Contemplatio – letting matters settle. Tomorrow I will be hitting the ground running. Several interviews, meetings, conferences, a promotional dinner, planning, and sermon prep all within 3 days. What is the essence I will bring to all this? Four days ago I would have gone through the motions with my well practiced mask of competency. Today I feel I’ve reconnected with the source of energy that keeps me focused – the Presence that makes all the difference. In keeping with the railway metaphor, the Engine that pulls the wagons. And if such a metaphor sounds too crass – access to a continuing dialogue with the Emmaus Christ who will keep challenging the dullness of those yet to see in order that all things may be transformed.