Praying for Tunisia

Churches around the world who participate in the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle will focus this coming week on the North African nations of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, the Western Sahara and Tunisia.

Tunisia is very much in the news right now; rioting as the result of widespread dissent has led to the sacking of the government and a call for new elections. While the Church has very little presence or influence in this country, we reflect on the historical influence on Western Christian thought that was cradled here, the home of Tertullian and Augustine of Hippo.

Prayers for peace and stabilisation in Tunisia could well be the focus of prayers  for the coming week. A visit to the appropriate page on Ecumenical Prayer Cycle offers pithy intercession guides along with sample prayers from within the focus regions, for example, this benediction attributed to Augustine:

All shall be Amen and Alleluia.
We shall rest and we shall see.
We shall see and we shall know.
We shall know and we shall love.
We shall love and we shall praise.
Behold our end which is no end.

Participating in this prayer cycle is certainly one way to travel the world!

Disaster & Discipleship

As one prepares for sermons this Sunday, one wonders how the lectionary will speak into the preoccupations of a community. Not only the Queensland floods (15 lives lost), but the many more lives lost in flooding this week in Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and South Africa will be not far from our minds. The service will unfold with appropriate lament, communion and intercessions followed by the expectation that the Spirit will speak through Scripture to enlighten and equip us for the week ahead.

The text repeats last week’s account of Jesus’ baptism, but from the perspective of the Fourth Gospel, John 1:29-42. Here the baptismal event climaxes the entry into human experience of the Word that was in the beginning and that is now flesh and walks amongst us, presenting us a picture of a Creator who is not remote and removed from human life and tragedy but intimately involved in a way that is tangible. The structure of the Fourth gospel is many layered, linked and holistic. It is no accident that the call of the first three of Jesus’ disciples is linked to the revelation of the Word made flesh and focused on the magnetic qualities of Jesus’ summons. The Word from the beginning is about to break into the lives of individuals, awaken and transform them.

It involves

  • progression – two of the disciples have already been involved in John’s ministry of preparation.
  • recognition – the development of sufficient insight to respond to John’s identification of “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
  • initiative – the two disciples’ approach Jesus and request his time and attention, asking “Where are you staying?” Jesus response is “Come and see.”
  • invitation – One of the two, Andrew, is sufficiently impressed to collect his brother Simon and bring him to Jesus.
  • the beginning of transformation to true self – Jesus, recognising Simon’s true self, names him Cephas (Peter) which means “rock.”
The stories that have been emerging from this week’s disaster zones carry hints of the stuff that inspires this kind of discipleship. The humility that the power of nature evokes in us mitigates the hubris of human superiority and control. We look elsewhere for the centre of what it really means to be human, and some of us discover for the first time that the often downplayed but transcendent qualities of love and compassion and self-sacrifice are beyond ourselves. There are stories of inspired initiative, selfless hospitality, powerful invitation to community bonding, and the discovery of true selves that eclipse what we thought we were.
As our lectionary takes us on through the early chapters of Matthew over the next few weeks, the so-called “Sermon on the Mount”, we will discover these are the very things that Jesus seeks to awaken within our discipleship.

And now the individual stories…

Natural disaster evokes a sequence of responses from those not directly affected:-

  • a gradual dawning of awareness – flooding in northern Queensland had already claimed 11 lives before most of us awoke to its severity. Granted it was Monday’s shock deluge that snapped many of us to attention.
  • stunned shock as we attempt to come to grips with the impact of what has occurred. We are glued to TV screens and incoming radio and internet reports with a mix of “morbid fascination” and trying to understand.
  • “trying to understand” moves us into theorising about “how this compares” or “how it could have been prevented” or “what should be done now.” It is similar to the “bargaining” process of coming to terms with significant loss. Many of us are arrested at this point – it keeps us in safe and familiar “head space.”
  • We begin to come to terms with accepting the reality of the event on its own terms. We pay careful and respectful attention to the individual stories that begin to emerge – stories that immerse us in suffering and inspiration. Stories that diminish us as we realise what is lost but, simultaneously, enhance us as we are reminded of the resilience and heroism of the human spirit.
  • We respond in ways that express our solidarity as community. It may have already begun by donating to relief appeals. This level of response runs a bit deeper, however. It stems from our more reflective side. We know that no-one is an island – that realisation that “who I am” cannot really be answered away from the context of “who we are.” To address this question more deeply is to orient ourselves to the rest of our lives.

We seem to be at the stage nationally where we are seeking to understand the enormity of the flood event from individual perspectives. Here are some of the stories being shared:  Australia floods: Kindness of strangers – and brothers – as flood hits peak | World news | The Guardian.

Responding to Natural Disasters

After checking on family and friends in the Queensland danger zones, I now turn to a question that has arisen in several forums over the last day or two – “but this is what underdeveloped countries are facing constantly, and they don’t have the infrastructures in place to respond as we do.”

On this day, the first anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, it is indeed sobering to reflect that many on that island still await shelter, health facilities and a reliable conduit of basic supplies. Months afterwards, unimaginable numbers of flood victims in Pakistan still live out of inundated homes, unable to sow crops and access food aid. These countries have suffered high profile natural disasters over the last 12 months,but even they are not the final word on where the world’s compassion in the form of practical aid requires focus. 2010 saw regions around the globe affected by earthquake, tsunami, volcano eruption, extreme storm activity, mudslides, famine, wildfire and inundation – all needing response regardless of local capacity to do so. In many cases, resources beyond the local community were required and we responded to the extent that motivation and capacity allowed.

However, the Queensland floods are unfolding now. The disaster is immediate and we are responding to it as it happens. As a nation we are collectively anxious and mindful for those of us who are suffering trauma, grief and uncertainty about an unimaginable juggernaut of water hurtling through some of our more populated areas. Last night my son and I saw the the movie “Unstoppable” about a runaway train. That’s what this seems like.

Sure an end is in sight, but we don’t know yet what that end looks like.  We believe we are well resourced enough to rebuild through  government infrastructure and community generosity and goodwill. We must, however, go through the process of coming to terms with the event, confronting its impact on us, grieving our losses, sharing our stories, and encouraging hope. To attend to our own battle and its wounding is not too ignore the plight of others. In Perth, right now, we have a community coming to terms with loss of homes and livelihood through bush-fires. There is enough room in the collective community heart to consider their trauma along with that of the flood survivors. Unless we are compassionate with ourselves and those next to us, we are  shackled in the extent to which we can care for others.

So when I urge my church to pray for and give practical aid to Queensland flood relief, I don’t believe they will cease being mindful of those in global disaster prone areas. On the contrary, I believe our awareness will be enhanced.

Fire & Flood

While Perth endures a highly- fueled bush fire season, Australia’s other natural nemesis is making it’s presence known in Carnarvon and even more devastatingly in the eastern states. Incoming news reports speak of the unfolding drama affecting thousands of people in south-western Queensland, the well populated areas from Toowoomba to Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Even though the floods were expected and preparations in place, no-one, it seems, expected the suddenness and force of the headwaters, “like an inland tsunami.” At this stage, 8 are confirmed dead and 72 reported missing.

Resilience against natural disaster, well-practiced in this country but constantly stretched and tested, is possibly facing an unprecedented challenge. While there is always a sense that the present danger is the most confronting  when calling forth our inner resources of courage, compassion, hope and determination, there is an emerging feeling that the wide-ranging effect of the floods that have dogged our country over the last two weeks is going to have a far-ranging long term effect. When Cyclone Tracy wreaked havoc in Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974, the national psyche was changed.  The same might be said of the Victorian bush fire catastrophe of 2009. With regard to the natural phenomena and unpredictability of our seasons, each time they descend upon us, we become a little less laissez-faire, a little more respectful, and somewhat reflective.

Many people’s lives are never going to be the same again following these floods. It will be up to the Australian community to dig deep into its inherently generous and compassionate nature to stand with those who must recreate their living.

The power of words

Our morning paper’s lead story covers the Arizona shooting spree during which Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, was critically injured. It was Sheriff Dupnik’s comment that caught my eye – “the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous.” He was referring to an increasingly vitriolic political debate that has emerged as America searches for remedies to the bleakest economic times since the Great Depression. Commentaries elsewhere have lamented the kind of extreme rhetoric from all sides of politics that incite the unhinged to violence. Our own country is not immune. Even within my own circles I have heard utterances that have caused me to blanche, both from those of my own political persuasion and those of others.

Words are powerful – we need to measure them well. They can lull us into mindless stupor, provoke us to unthinking action, inspire us to great deeds or transform our perspectives on life and living. In our most intimate conversations and on the public platform, we need to use our freedom of speech well.

What happens when we pray for others?

If you have moved beyond the idea of prayer as some sort of cosmic slot machine – where you put in a request and hope that a combination of piety, good will and divine mood will line up and discharge a favourable response – then what do you expect happens when you pray – particularly the prayer for others that is known as intercessory prayer?

This is the kind of prayer that I as a pastor will offer when visiting the sick and afflicted and which my congregation is committed to when it prays for comfort for those affected by disaster, wisdom for those who rule us, and strength for those who serve us. Recently my church committed itself to participation in Project 54, an inter-church exercise in prayer focused on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be hosted in this city (Perth) in October. We have been allocated the Seychelles as our “intercessory” task.

We don’t know a lot about the Seychelles. One or two of us have briefly holidayed there. Some interesting things have happened, however, before we have got under way.

  • We are trying to find out as much about the Seychelles as we can, looking for connections we can establish both within our own denominational tradition and ecumenically.
  • It has caused us to consider enhancing our participation in the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, the World Council of Churches aid to prayer that covers all countries in the course of a year.
  • It has heightened our contemplation of the global nature of the Church, hurting where it hurts and rejoicing where it rejoices.

Someone recently remarked when visiting our church that there are not too many churches that have a globe of the world at the front.
Our globe is a reminder of the importance of intercessory prayer and its function of raising awareness and fellowship and solidarity with those for whom we pray.

A self described non-praying person remarked this week “I just hold them in my thoughts.”  I might contend that if this person’s awareness, sensitivity, compassion and knowledge of that for which they hold in their thoughts is enhanced, they might, in fact, be praying! I would add, however, that to do so from a perspective of faith broadens horizons and expands heights and depths beyond our awareness.

When we think of the Church as the Body of Christ, we might think of intercessory prayer as its circulation system, uniting the whole organism to function as one in the things that matter, love of God and neighbour.

The King’s Speech – a reflection

Jenny and I joined a theatre full of baby-boomers to take in The King’s Speech, an art movie that is giving the holiday blockbusters a run for their money.

The tension is set when Australian iconoclasm meets the brittle straitjacket of the cultural accoutrement that had built up around the British Crown and ther establishment that kept it well oiled. According to the story as it unfolds, this accoutrement, filtered through early childhood experiences, had a lot to do with the speech defect of Prince Albert, second in line to the throne.

Essentially the narrative is one of transformation as Prince Albert struggles to find his voice, which he cannot do without claiming his own authority. Authenticity, he learns, comes from within, not the structures that are imposed upon him.  Spiritual wisdom across the traditions marks such progress with a change of name. Is it historical necessity (“the requirement of a less Germanic name”) or parable that Prince Albert becomes King George VI at the abdication of his brother, Edward?

As someone who has also had to work on speech defects in order to be a credible public speaker, I found the movie most compelling. The unconventional wisdom of Lionel Logue, the non-credentialed speech therapist, reminded me of various mentors that have helped me along the way.

Jesus is baptised – why?

I remember visiting this site some years ago, but what I recall is the question that I am most often challenged to answer than the details of the geography or “sense of place.”

The question arises again this Sunday as the season of Epiphany leads us to ponder the events surrounding Jesus’ baptism. Why did Jesus compel John to baptise him? Was it even necessary? John baptised people for the “remission of sin” – a kick in the pants that turned them towards embracing the reign of God. Jesus was the epitome of those who were oriented this way – so no wonder John balked at his request, wishing to submit to being baptised by Jesus instead.

So why?

Jesus’ enigmatic answer is that his baptism was necessary “to fulfill all righteousness.”  And indeed it was sealed by divine signs of approval in the dove and the Voice. Read the whole account here. But what does “to fulfill all righteousness” mean? If we can find a satisfying answer to this, we have answered the opening question.

I won’t go into it here but I think the answer is more widely focused than what Christology (theology of the person of Jesus) – as important as it is – can answer. Somehow it catches up John, the popular movement that surrounded him, the story of Israel, the role Jesus is now beginning to play and an invitation that bridges cultures and millenia. Hopefully I’ll work it out by Sunday!

Cultivating Mindfulness

Every so often a word grabs attention because it seems alien to everyday speech, yet begins to appear prolifically. It begs investigation. Yesterday “mindfulness” appeared frequently in a Virtues Project workshop hosted at our church. Later in the evening, I received an unrelated invitation to complete the final phase of a survey being conducted by a university study on “mindfulness.”

So what is it? The Virtues Project describes mindfulness as “living reflectively, with conscious awareness of our actions, words and thoughts. Awake to the world around us, we fully experience our senses. We are attentive to others’ needs. We refuse to rush. Living mindfully lightens our lives by helping us to detach from our emotions. We transform anger to justice. We seek joy instead of mere desire. We cultivate our inner vision, aware of life’s lessons as they unfold. Mindfulness brings us serenity.”

This description, of course, gels well with terms that emerge from the practice of Christian meditation, such as “wakefulness”, “awareness,” and “paying attention.’

In these terms, Jesus spoke of mindfulness often and carefully cultivated it within his own calling. I think this is why he was able to differentiate a different kind of touch in the midst of a clamouring crowd (Mark 5:21-34). Of course this is not the only instance where Jesus models mindfulness. There are many more where Jesus teaches it – just survey the Sermon on the Mount!

So, if you’re a New Years Resolution sort of person, “mindfulness” might not be a bad one to aim for.