Sunday Morning Messages - Audio: Recent Episodes
Wollongong Salvos
I’ve spent time in developing nations where the average wage is $70 a week or less. That’s 10 times LESS than the MINIMUM wage in Australia! If money is a measure of success, then pretty much all Australians are more successful than the average person living in one of those countries. The truth is, however, that many Australians do not feel particularly successful, and many people in low-income countries feel incredibly successful. The difference is we often measure our success by comparing ourselves with others around us. The closer they are, the more weight their success has. If you and your siblings play soccer, and you win 4 trophies, but your sister wins 6, you are likely to feel less successful even though you won 4 more trophies than most other people in Australia. If you and your husband are into competitive baking and he wins a gold medal for a batch of cookies and you win a silver for a cake, then you are more likely to see yourself as less successful, even though you achieved more than most other people in Australia. If you and your friends play regularly in an e-sports competition of hundreds of players, and they end up playing in the semi final, while you got knocked out in the quarter-finals, you will feel less successful even though you made it higher than most other people in Australia. If you live in a beautiful 4-bedroom home but your neighbours all live in houses twice as big, with beautiful expensive cars, boats, and children, you will tend to feel less successful, even though you have more than most of the population of planet earth. It is basic human nature to judge our own success by comparing ourselves with others, and we compare ourselves most critically with those closest to us, our families, friends, and neighbours. The tendency to value ourselves against those closest to us can lead us to a place in our lives when we become extra critical of others, to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. When we are critical of others, even in our own minds, we consider them less successful and therefore less valuable. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus explains that the root problem is that we do not understand our own value. We do not have confidence in our own worth, so we feel compelled to measure it. So, Jesus presents an alternate (holy) way of understanding our own value which leads us to a radically different way of experiencing life.
Perhaps you've heard the phrase, “It doesn’t matter where you get your appetite, so long as you always eat at home?” It simply means that it doesn’t matter if you lust after someone, so long as you don’t act on that lust. Instead, it implies you should store up those feelings of lust and channel them into your relationship with your partner when you get home. Lust is one of the most significant drivers of human relationships. Marriage is perhaps the most significant relational construct in human society. It is no surprise, then, that there are so many pitfalls where lust and marriage intersect. According to research, lust is the second most prevalent cause of relational breakdown and divorce (the first is money). In addition to this primary cause, many relationships have failed and are failing due to a fundamental lack of understanding of love, lust and marriage. One of the key messages in pre-marriage preparation classes should be that love is a choice, not an emotion you fall into, and therefore marriage is a commitment, not something you can fall out of. A healthy marriage is not based on feelings of lust or infatuation, but on the everyday choices to make loving sacrifices together. This Sunday at 10 am we continue our study of Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount. In this instalment we discuss Jesus' instructions around adultery, marriage, and divorce, in an attempt to develop an alternate view of these things, one that lines up more with the values of the Kingdom of Heaven than the values of the world around us.
This Sunday is Valentine's Day. Thanks to Hollywood, it is most commonly associated with gushy, romantic love. Each year a huge amount of money and effort is spent on expressing love on February 14. Millions of Valentine's Day cards are written and given. Kids muster up the courage to write heartfelt notes to secret crushes. Gifts of flowers or chocolates are sent romantically to loved ones, particularly partners or potential partners. While Valentine's Day is celebrated in most countries, different cultures have developed their own traditions for this festival. In some parts of the world Valentine's Day is observed as a day for expressing love between family members and friends, rather than that of romantic couples. In recent years, the modern alternative to the traditional couple-centred event – “PALentine’s Day” (which is most often commemorated on 13 February), has gained momentum. PALentine’s Day is a way to celebrate the friendships in our lives that make us richer and more complete. Urban Dictionary says this about PALentines day: “If you are single and/or sick of the commercialisation of Valentine's Day, you spend this day hanging out with your best friends, eating pizza, watching movies, and playing video games.” The New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa Territory of the Salvation Army has even tapped into the modern alternative to the traditional couple-centred event and created Palentine’s Day cards to help us celebrate great friendships. (You can download these cards at https://women.salvationarmy.org.nz/PALentinesDay
Now, I personally like this move to include more people in this time for love and appreciation. Love isn’t just for those who have a partner or even who want a partner. It’s a good thing to look out for all those people in our lives who we love and care for! But Jesus takes this one step further in the Sermon on the Mount. Yes, we should love our spouse or partner. Yes, we should love our friends. But, Jesus says, as his followers, we should love even our enemies. He says, “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies.” Matthew 5:43
Join us for this message as we think about how far our love extends. Is our love limited to those in our family or friend circles, or do we make the intentional choice, as part of God’s alternate kingdom, to love even our enemies and to let them bring out the best in us, rather than the worst?
Last week a random collection of people from all over the internet decided to have a go at the biggest banks on Wall St, and, to their surprise, they won. This made headline news all over the internet and mainstream media. The financial markets and the capital system that underpins our entire economy, was put into the spotlight as rich bankers lost billions. It really does show that “Money makes the world go round.” Money is very important, one of the most important things in life, one of the most essential. Companies, banks, kingdoms, even families and relationships all rise and fall on the presence or lack of money. Or so we have been conditioned to believe. Seneca, who lived at the same time as Jesus, said “Money has never yet made anyone rich.” It still hasn’t. We always want more. “More” is demanding and controlling. It is never ever satisfied. It keeps us awake at night. It keeps us from ever being satisfied or happy. It deprives us of finding deep and lasting pleasure in God’s goodness. It makes it extremely hard to hear what God is saying, and even harder to do what God asks us to do. Unsurprisingly then, Jesus says that in his alternate kingdom, things are different. He says don’t worry about the future, trust in God. If we can learn to trust God more, we find that our perspective begins to shift. As we see the world in this alternate light, we will be better able to take our limited amount of time, energy and money and sink it into things that really matter to us and to God. Join us on Sunday morning at 10am, in person, or online, as we think about Jesus words, learn to better see ourselves from God's perspective and choose trust over worry.
Last Saturday, as my extended family celebrated my daughters’ 18th Birthday, we watched multiple groups of sky divers land right in front of us on the beach near the lagoon at North Wollongong. We were all talking about how great it would be to go sky diving, especially in this beautiful part of the world. My adventure-loving sister-in-law said that she’d loved to go sky diving, but she felt worried about doing it at this stage in her life because her kids, all still in primary school, depend on her. While the prospect of sky diving is exciting, for Carol, the risk associated with this activity does not align with her value of family, and her priorities and choices have changed since becoming a parent. Every day we make choices, and for those of us who are parents, our choices often reflect the value we place on raising our kids. Fortunately, my children are now all adults, so sky diving is back on the must-do-one-day list for me. Every day, every one of us makes choices. Jesus invites his followers to make their decisions reflective of the values of his alternate kingdom. As people who are seeking to follow Jesus, we are not limited by the choices this world offers us. God has an alternate plan for us, and Jesus introduces this revolutionary kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount. He contrasts the pattern, power, and product of two kingdoms: the old one which we are currently under, and an alternate kingdom, a new kingdom which both is, and is to come. It’s the way God designed life to be. One day this will be eternity, but right now it’s an alternate kingdom. Jesus’ teaching goes against every instinct and represents a reversal of the world’s values. Over the next six weeks we’ll look at some of those alternate values and explore the kingdom of God as an alternative to the kingdom of this world. This Sunday we begin where Jesus began, looking at anger. We’ll be encouraged not to just decrease death, but to advance love, and forgiveness and hope, because the alternate kingdom Jesus came to bring isn’t about minimum harm, but maximum good.
There is this internet thing that people do where someone will post a picture of something and then someone will post a photo of the “Australian” version of that thing, simply by posting the exact same photo upside down (since we live on the bottom half of the planet). The internet is not a particularly inventive place at times. In fact, if they really want to make it ‘Australian’ they will paste a picture of a deadly looking spider somewhere on top of the photo. According to the most basic internet memes Australia is upside down and inhabited by the world's deadliest creatures.
The reality is, that due to our unique geography, history and multicultural nature, we have a unique blend of character traits, stereotypes and cultural quirks that come together to form what it is considered to be ‘Australian.’ If you’re from the deadly upside-down country of Australia, people around the world will generally consider you to be ‘happy-go-lucky,’ loyal, friendly and able to wrestle crocodiles.
Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. It’s not a ‘place’ you can circle on a map. It’s an alternative kingdom, ruled by a King and populated by those who consider that King to be their ruler. Like all other countries though, it is a realm where, due to a unique history and multicultural nature, those who live within it find that it has a unique blend of character traits and cultural quirks. Jesus, the founder and ruler of this kingdom, outlines these character traits and cultural quirks early on in his teaching. Many are very surprising and seem to run opposite to the way the rest of the world works which leads us to call our next sermon series, 'Alternate Kingdom'.
For the next couple of months, we are going to spend time wrapping our heads and hearts around the foundational words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. We are going to see the alternate ways of dealing with anger, sex, worry, revenge, forgiveness and stress in the Kingdom of God, and how we can integrate his concepts into our ‘new-normal’ lives.
This week I celebrated my birthday. My social media feeds were flooded with photos and reminiscences, kind words and messages. My calendar was filled with quality times with parents, kids and my beautiful wife. My worries and concerns were all taken care o,f as people cooked for me and served me in lots of different ways. On top of all of that, I received beautiful gifts that perfectly aligned with my hobbies and interests. I cannot begin to tell you how much I feel ‘loved’ this week! As an added blessing, in my spiritual life this week, I'm also focussed on God's love for me. This is not surprising because in this last week leading up to Christmas, the fourth week of Advent, we traditionally focus on God's love. Throughout history there have been questions and discussion about God. “Does God exist?” “What is God like?” “Is God interested in people?” “Is God interested in me?” The bible has lots of people’s reflections on these questions and the conclusion of these thousands of years of reflection is that God is real and God cares about people. For instance, in Isaiah we have a prophet repeating a message from God: “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed” (Isaiah 54:10). We celebrate the love of God in the birth of Jesus because Jesus was God’s gift to humanity. In his life and ministry Jesus flooded the world with words of encouragement and blessing, his presence continues to infuse the calendars of billions of people, and his death on a cross took care of the primary concern of humanity. As the gospel writer John said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” There is so much to celebrate around the gift of Jesus’ birth at Christmas, that for thousands of years we have spent time with others, sung songs of blessing and encouragement and shared gifts to bring joy to one another. Join us as this Sunday as we consider this response through the lens of the three wise men who came to give gifts to Jesus in Bethlehem that first Christmas.
Decades ago, academics, futurists and government agencies cast predictions of what would happen by the year 2020. Would submarines reach historic depths? Who would lead future nations, and which ones would be global superpowers? Would Earth even exist as we know it? It was predicted that humans would have walked on Mars by 2020! Mathematician and scientist D.G. Brennan wrote in 1968, “I shall not be surprised if on my 92nd birthday I am able to go for a ride in an antigravity car.” Most, like Brennan, were overly optimistic. It was also predicted that books would be dead. “Papers books and documents are rarely used or accessed. Most 20th-century paper documents of interest have been scanned and are available through the wireless network,” Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicted. Wrong. While the net revenue of the book publishing industry has been decreasing since 2014, the US industry still sold 675 million print books and brought in nearly $26 billion in 2018. The people of Jesus’ day had made predictions about the coming Messiah. They had made predictions of valour, victory and royalty. But instead, the whole gospel message begins with parents who are poor, a mother in labour with no place to go, and a helpless newborn child with no crib for a bed. The announcement of the birth wasn’t made to a high priest, or a King or a scribe, but given to people who, effectively, were the most unexpected ones to receive it. In that day and generation, the shepherds were a despised group of people. They were considered to be outcasts, socially and religiously, poorly paid and often rightly considered dishonest. They were not even allowed to be a witness in the courts. But when God wanted to testify to the world that His Son had come, he went to the shepherd! We should be careful to make predictions, because God is in the habit of choosing the most unlikely. The best news is that the “Good News” wasn’t just for the shepherds. The invitation that started with the shepherds was not meant to end with them. God’s gift is for everyone - the baby Jesus who was born in Bethlehem was the Saviour of the world intended for all people.
An ancient Arabic proverb says “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” When we were kids my sisters and I fought like cats and dogs but if someone said something mean about our family, we suddenly found ourselves on the same side because we had a common enemy. I’m sure this is relatable in other families, sporting teams, churches and pretty much anywhere you find a group of people living in community. The fight against Covid-19, a common enemy of all humanity, a crisis that has killed, suppressed and challenged human society, should have resulted in an increase in peace. As nations, societies, families and individuals grappled in a fight for survival, we naturally would expect to see a reduction in violence across the world. In March the UN called for a global ceasefire, a move backed by 170 states and other religious and peace-building organisations. Sadly, even in places where people supported the call for peace, there have been little or no reductions in violence. Some places like Afghanistan and Syria were already seeing declines in violence before the pandemic. In places like Yemen and South Sudan, armed violence has continued and, in some cases, even intensified. What hope for peace can there possibly be if something as devastating as a global pandemic is unable to bring humanity together? The only hope humanity has is found in the realisation that God came to earth as a little baby, born to bring peace to the hearts of all people. James 4:1 explains that conflicts come about "because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves." There are inner turmoils that drive the outer conflicts of our lives. These inner turmoils, stresses and shame can be put in perspective or eliminated by the acceptance that, having lived as one of us for three decades, God died for each one of us. True peace will descend on our lives when ALL people realise and accept the reality of Christmas. In the meantime, we continue to tell the truth of Christmas and invite everyone who hears it to reassess how they live their lives.
The Christmas season is typically a time when Australians over-indulge. Data released by the Cancer Council last year revealed that about two-fifths of Australians put on weight over the Christmas period. The survey showed that males put on more weight than females during this time, while those aged 35-54 gained the most weight across the festive season. And really, it’s not surprising, is it? For most of us, Christmas, and its festivities, revolve around consuming food and drinks with colleagues, friends and family. Between work Christmas parties, Christmas lunch or dinner and edible presents, it can be an effort not to gain weight, and in fact, the research showed an average weight gain of almost 3 kilograms. Over this advent season, in our Sunday services, we’ll be considering the ‘Weight of Christmas.’ But the focus will not be on this weight gained from an excess of food or inactivity. The word “weight” is an appropriate word when talking about Christmas. We often celebrate in the “glory” of Christmas, but the Hebrew word for “glory” is the word Kavod. And Kavod not only means “glory,” but the root of the word is “weight.” The glory of Christmas has an aspect of heaviness, of weightiness. While this season certainly can get tangled in superficial commercialism, there is, at the centre of Christmas, a weightiness, an importance, a deference, a respect that is filled to overflowing with honour and majesty. If we are not careful, an unnecessary and undesirable weight around unhealthy Christmas expectations can begin to slump our shoulders and suffocate our soul. We can find ourselves feeling pressed to get everything done from decorating, to shopping, to baking, to figuring out how to see everybody in a way that leaves family and friends feeling satisfied (or not) with the amount of time everybody was able to “enjoy.” All while ensuring we have the perfect outfit and our hair is freshly styled. There can be feelings of ‘so much to do with not enough time’ (or money) to get it all done. And as we feel the weight of Christmas, we may be in danger of missing the true glory of it. Yet Advent, from the latin word ‘adventus’ meaning “coming”, calls us to prepare for the arrival of a tiny infant into our world. Over these next few weeks, make time to step back from the hustle and bustle of the season, and make room for preparing for and waiting on, his coming again this year. Join us this Sunday and every Sunday in advent to take some time to expand our capacity to experience and enjoy the glory, the important, the weight of Christmas.
Due to the spread of a deadly virus, most churches across the world put worship gatherings on hold. Many faith communities recognised the dangers of gathering as a congregation, and many had bans and restrictions imposed by government authorities. This has caused a significant disruption, to say the least. I love to gather together for worship. I love to gather with a large group of people and blow the roof off a venue in praise. I love to stand with hundreds of people who have similar experiences to me, people I can relate to, and with, and to celebrate our shared experience of our wonderful creator God. There is also a great value in learning from God’s word as we read scripture together. There is great value in reflecting on some profound truths together and making new decisions and commitments to make our relationships better, our finances better, our work better, our families better. Gathering together builds me, it builds my family and it builds community. Like most worshippers around the world, I have had to adjust to an online gathering with all its positives and negatives. The one thing that has been wrestled with by many is the mission of the church. When worship gatherings were put on hold, the question is apparent, “What is the purpose of our church if we don’t gather for worship?” For me it comes down to the fact that as a church, our calling is not contingent on congregation. Jesus' final command to his followers was that they were to go and make disciples. Go, not gather. Our calling is to be the hands and feet of Jesus and it doesn’t matter whether we gather in one large group in our church building or in smaller groups in scores of homes, parks, cafes and shopping centres across our city. It doesn’t matter if we sing, hum, clap or bang a tambourine. It doesn’t matter if we drink coffee, tea or anything else. We are still called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We can still be who he called us to be whether we meet virtually or in-person.
One of the scariest times of my life was in the back seat of a taxi overseas, flying through crazy traffic at ridiculous speeds. I’m sure a number of you can relate to that kind of experience. It was certainly a time I devoted to prayer. I'm reminded of this experience every Father's Day when I hear the following dad joke. One day a preacher and a taxi driver died and arrived at the Pearly gates. St. Peter took them both in and showed them around. He first dropped off the taxi driver at his new mansion. It was huge. It had 4 storeys a pool, multiple games rooms, ultimate luxury. The preacher was excited to see his place but, when they got there, he was surprised to find that his ‘mansion’ was a tiny house with barely one room, no pool and no games rooms at all! It was completely unfair and it made the preacher mad. He said to St Peter, “I’ve served God my whole life. I’ve faithfully, ministered to the flock, preaching every Sunday to a full church. Why don’t I get a big mansion like the taxi driver?” St Peter replied, “I’m sorry, around here we look at results, when you preached, people slept, but when the taxi driver drove, people prayed.” It might be a mildly amusing joke but it contains a certain element of truth doesn't it? It is human nature to reach out to God in uncertain and fearful times. This pandemic and all the economic and social upheaval around the world, has shown this to be true. People have spent more time and energy calling out to God. Paul, in the first century, along with the rest of the church, faced incredible uncertainty and suffering. Like pastors today, Paul sought to bring comfort to his people with the instructions to "Rejoice in the Lord Always," and "Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." These incredibly popular verses are often quoted, but not particularly well understood.
“He's Got the Whole World in His Hands” is a traditional African American spiritual, first published in 1927. The song is believed to have been written by Master Sergeant Obie Edwin Philpot. It became an international hit in 1957–58 in a recording by English singer Laurie London. It was the first, and remains, the only gospel song to hit #1 on a U.S. pop singles chart. It has since been recorded by many other singers and choirs. Recently, Tyler Perry, known for including positive messages in his plays and films revolving around his Christian faith and belief practices, used his platform of influence and encourage others to hold on to their faith during this time. As fear and anxiety kicked in as a result of the coronavirus, Perry partnered with some of his favourite singers in a song challenge, asking them to sing this gospel classic, “He’s Got This Whole World in His Hands.” Perry wanted to let everyone know that there’s something of a higher power involved in all of this. But, is it true? Does God still have the whole world in his hands? How do we remain hopeful in a world that seems hopelessly broken? How do we continue to trust a God that seems conspicuously absent? How do we find peace in a world that is spinning out of control? If you've ever asked questions like these, you are not alone. And, you're not the first. Uncertainty is nothing new. And the uncertainty we face today is no different from the uncertainty faced by the people we read about in the Bible. And like them, we are left to question God's faithfulness, his presence, his concern.
Disciplined people rarely take any action without considering its future implications. Of course, no one ever knows for certain what might happen down the line when they make any given choice, but the wise person at least thinks about it. Henry Cloud, in his book ‘9 Things You Simply Must Do,’ talks about the importance of ‘playing the movie.’ In our lives, it’s important to know how each scene contributes to the film’s ending. This is more than just cause and effect, which is, “If I do A, then B will happen.” It’s more like, “If I do A, not only will B happen, but C will too, and perhaps D, E, F and G. It’s the difference between simple cause and effect and the deeper version of sowing and reaping. Reaping is about what I will ultimately end up with if I sow this particular behaviour, choice, attitude, value or strategy. It is the long-term view, the end view, the view that helps us to choose discipline over regret. Playing the movie means not seeing any individual action as a singular thing in and of itself. Any one thing you do is only a scene in a larger movie; to understand that action, you have to play it out all the way to the end of the movie. After viewing the entire film, you can decide whether you really want a particular scene in the movie of your life. If it alters the plot for your story, or takes you to other scenes that you don’t want to live out, or even causes the movie itself to have a different ending than you had plotted, then you do not want it. No matter how inviting the scene is, you choose, where you have the option, not to include it. Conversely, if it alters the plot of your story in a direction that you would want to go; if it creates later scenes that you would want to Iive out, then you might include that scene. No matter how hard the scene itself is, you might want to choose it. This week, as we consider the importance of intentional living, we’ll be encouraged by Paul’s words to the early church, “I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I’m not just shadow-boxing or playing around.” 1 Corinthians 9:26. Paul encourages us to choose discipline over regret, in effect, to play the movie of our lives and consider whether we are running the race God has called us to, in a fashion that will cause us to win. Paul’s desire for his readers was to live lives of purpose and freedom because of their intentional and disciplined actions - what may seem tough in a moment could pave the way to a better story.
Early in The Salvation Army’s development, the Corps, or church, formed by soldiers and supporters was led by local leadership - Corps Sergeants Major, Corps Secretaries, Corps Treasurers and the like. The role of a Salvation Army Officer was more that of a travelling evangelist. They would journey from town to town, preaching the Gospel at meetings organised by local corps. By the 1940s when my Nanna was commissioned, officers had become more settled and would often stay in one place for 9 months! This trend has continued, with the role of a Salvation Army officer becoming less and less that of a travelling preacher, and more that of a local pastor or leader. It is not uncommon now to see officers staying for 5 years in one appointment. As a result, when “farewell orders” are received, both officers and church experience significant fear, uncertainty and disappointment (even though this may be mixed with excitement about the new future for the officer and the Corps). Strong and effective working relationships and supports are broken and new ones need to be forged. I am not moving this year but more than ever I am conscious of the impact of this system on so many lives. The question of how we respond and react to circumstances we do not like, circumstances that make us uncomfortable or fearful, circumstances over which we have no control, is at the heart of our message this week.
When a boat is on autopilot, the captain sets a compass heading for where they want to go. They lock in that heading on the autopilot, and the boat takes off in that direction. So far, so good. But, where it gets interesting, is when the boat hits a large wave or a series of waves. The autopilot does not allow external actions to alter its course. It heads straight for the goal, and goes through the wave. There is a splash, lots of rocking and spray, and an immediate correction by the autopilot if the ship is knocked off course. And when I say immediate, I mean immediate. The autopilot does not allow the ship to get swayed off its course even momentarily when it hits a bump in the water. Most people don’t operate this way. They know where their ship is “heading”, the direction in which they want to go, but they look out in the near distance and see a wave; someone’s adverse reaction to their decision. The wave looms larger and larger until it appears even bigger than their decision and the goals and values that drove that decision, so they change their course. They adjust their course to go around the wave. By then they have lost their direction. They avoided the crash into the wave and getting soaked by the spray, but the consequence is they are now off course. No, in reality, that is not quite true. They are on a course, but it is someone else’s course, not their own. They have kept someone happy, but they have lost their own way. In all probability, if this is how we live, we will never get to where we wanted to go in the first place because there will always be another wave coming. This week, we are commencing a three week series titled ‘Intentional Living’; seeking biblical wisdom on being intentional about the choices we make. We start this Sunday by looking at Moses, and consider, by his example, the importance of choosing purpose over popularity, of choosing to please God and live out his purpose and direction for our lives, rather than living for the approval of others.
One of my favourite movies from earlier this year was a movie on Netflix, “The Two Popes.” Anthony Hopkins plays Cardinal Ratzinger, a strong conservative leader within the Roman Catholic church, who becomes Pope Benedict XVI. Jonathan Pryce plays Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a powerful progressive figure within the Catholic church. The two are deeply divided on many moral and social issues. As leaders of the two factions within the church, the movie traces their interactions and discussions over time until Pope Benedict XVI retires and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected and becomes Pope Francis, the current Pope. The tension between conservative and progressive thinkers is not unique to the church, but it does seem uniquely heated, right from the earliest times when culturally conservative Jewish Christians began to live alongside more progressive non-Jewish Christians. In the decades after Jesus death, Israel descended into chaos. Many Jewish Christians escaped the chaos and made their way to Rome. By the time Paul writes to the Romans, the conflict has begun to boil. The conservative Christians were concerned that the progressive Christians were breaking Old Testament Laws. The progressive Christians, usually non-Jews who hadn’t grown up with all the Old Testament Laws, didn’t consider them important at all. How often do we see this play out in our communities of faith? Perhaps some Christians have particular standards they grew up with that they feel are vitally important, and so express displeasure at those who do not see things the same way. This can be about a myriad of things including music style, attendance records, dress codes. It’s fascinating to think that the Pope is the current leader of that very same church Paul addressed in the New Testament book of Romans. Join us this Sunday as we turn to Romans 14 to see what Paul has to say to the progressives and the conservatives in the Roman church, but also to all of us.
One of my favourite movies from earlier this year was a movie on Netflix, “The Two Popes.” Anthony Hopkins plays Cardinal Ratzinger, a strong conservative leader within the Roman Catholic church, who becomes Pope Benedict XVI. Jonathan Pryce plays Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a powerful progressive figure within the Catholic church. The two are deeply divided on many moral and social issues. As leaders of the two factions within the church, the movie traces their interactions and discussions over time until Pope Benedict XVI retires and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected and becomes Pope Francis, the current Pope. The tension between conservative and progressive thinkers is not unique to the church, but it does seem uniquely heated, right from the earliest times when culturally conservative Jewish Christians began to live alongside more progressive non-Jewish Christians. In the decades after Jesus death, Israel descended into chaos. Many Jewish Christians escaped the chaos and made their way to Rome. By the time Paul writes to the Romans, the conflict has begun to boil. The conservative Christians were concerned that the progressive Christians were breaking Old Testament Laws. The progressive Christians, usually non-Jews who hadn’t grown up with all the Old Testament Laws, didn’t consider them important at all. How often do we see this play out in our communities of faith? Perhaps some Christians have particular standards they grew up with that they feel are vitally important, and so express displeasure at those who do not see things the same way. This can be about a myriad of things including music style, attendance records, dress codes. It’s fascinating to think that the Pope is the current leader of that very same church Paul addressed in the New Testament book of Romans. Join us as we turn to Romans 14 to see what Paul has to say to the progressives and the conservatives in the Roman church, but also to all of us.
When my children were young, they loved doing the Hokey Pokey. They could it all day! You know, that song and dance that tells us to put our left arm or right leg or some other part of our body into the circle, out of the circle, into the circle, shake it all about, and then “turn yourself around.” It’s an active and sometimes tiring little exercise that ends with the command, “You put your whole self in…”
In Romans 12, this is what Paul says is the appropriate response to all that God has done through Jesus for us. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” To “offer your bodies” is Paul’s way of saying, “put your whole self in.”
In Romans, as in all of his letters, Paul concludes with a list of practical outcomes that are based on the doctrines he had discussed. In the Christian life, doctrine and duty go together - that is, what we believe helps us to determine how we behave. What we think impacts what we do. Paul stresses to the Christians in Rome and to us today, in these last few chapters, the importance of presenting our whole selves to be transformed by God and working to find our place in God’s community.
This week we consider the call to action for the church in the present age, presented in Romans 12. It starts by showing up. It continues by trying to wrap our minds around the issues of our world and the holiness of God’s will for us in it. And it leads us into being the body of Christ - becoming love for each other.
When Rebecca and I were preparing to get married we spent time with the minister talking about our families, what things we felt our families did well and the things we thought our families didn’t do well. By taking time like this to ‘remember’ our past, we could learn from it and continue to grow. I hope one day our children take the time to reflect on our family life and identify what we do that they like and don’t like so that they too can learn and grow. Perhaps in a few generations they will be able to create the perfect family. There’s certainly a sense of truth to the idea that history repeats itself. Mark Twain once said, “no occurrence is sole and solitary, but is merely a repetition of a thing which has happened before.” In reality however, history doesn’t repeat itself, instead, people repeat history. It’s true that people are less likely to repeat the mistakes of history if they learn from them. In order to learn from the mistakes of history it is necessary to know what they were and to remember them. Perhaps the most famous quote about history comes from George Santayana who said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This is why we spent the time reflecting on our family life, to examine what we have seen and what we have been taught, so that we do not repeat the things that haven’t been helpful. This week we turn to Romans chapter 9 where Paul takes a backward step to consider the Jewish people, his extended family. He relates their history of faith in God and he is devastated because they have largely rejected Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and are therefore not experiencing the blessings of his salvation. Join us this Sunday at 10am as we read about Paul’s ‘family’ and a particular pattern of behaviour that if we don’t learn from, we will be doomed to repeat.
Most parents of babies would recognise these symptoms: increased clinginess, crying when you leave a room (even for a short period of time), resistance to being put down to bed and increased nighttime wake-ups. When Grandma says, “Let me hold my grandson!” you hand the baby over only to have them start screaming and turning back to you. It’s called separation anxiety. Leaving your baby is never easy, but it’s especially brutal if they scream and cling to you whenever you head out. Separation anxiety is a normal part of development. On the one hand, you’re delighted that your baby misses you (even from a couple of metres away). On the other hand, what if you’re never able to leave the house for the next 18 years without your child crying? An early childhood expert, when I was experiencing separation anxiety with my kids, told me that though you can’t necessarily prevent separation anxiety. But, one thing that helped was games like peekaboo. This classic game helps babies realise that things that go away, do come back. Still, it’s the not knowing how long you’ll be gone for, or if you’ll come back, that affects a baby’s sense of security and makes them feel vulnerable. When babies learn that when they can’t see their parents, they still exist, love them and will be back for them, that security relieves their fears. This principle plays out for all of us. If we are not secure in who we are, and what we are about, we act out of a sense of fear, rather than a sense of love. Insecurity is debilitating, but Paul in Romans 8 argues that Jesus died and rose and intercedes for us so we can live confident, secure lives - not based on whether we or others think we succeed, but based on a God who has made us right. We don’t need to fear life or death, things past, present or things to come, because Jesus loves us. This is not a promise with strings attached - “If you do this, God will do that” - this security is an established fact. Paul’s words at the end of Romans 8 declare an unshaken confidence in the faithfulness and power of God to finish the work he started in the lives of his people. Join us this week as we celebrate a promise that has been a source of hope and strength to countless generations of believers—the promise that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.
When you join us online this Sunday, you’re going to notice it’s a bit different to our new ‘normal’ online services. Each year we take a Sunday to intentionally celebrate the kids in our church and to give our Junior Soldiers, those who are on an intentional discipleship journey, the opportunity to think about and renew the promise they have made to God. Although we cannot meet together and have this special renewal day at church, we would still love to engage with our children in a different way. You’ll see a few of our kids involved this Sunday and many others have worked in the background to participate - thank you. We have a great group of kids and a great team of kids leaders in our church. People who love God and serve him wholeheartedly. Thank you especially to our key leaders, Jason for Junior Band, Maddy for Kids Club and Amanda and Brooke for kids church and Junior Soldiers. They all coordinate teams of people who serve beautifully. We are proud of you all. And a huge thank you to Amanda who has played a big role in putting our service together today. We also have a special guest, Divisional Children’s Secretary, Captain Susanne Geracia, who will be encouraging us about staying on track during in The Great Adventure of life. How can we stay on track even when things are tough? This message is relevant for all, as we are all on this adventure. Every Great Adventure has ups and downs, easy spots and challenges, surprises and fun! Every Great Adventure also has a destination or goal, but there may be lots of different ways to get there. Sometimes we can take little detours but it’s important from time to time to stop and check that we are on track. We might even have to take action, make different choices or ask for help to get back on track. The goal for this adventure is to be closer and closer to Jesus. The best news is, that Jesus also wants to be closer and closer to us!! So this Sunday, we are going to think about these questions: • How do we know where to go or what direction to take? • What will help us to stay on track? • What can we do if we get off track?
Have you ever stopped to think about freedom? We’ve just come through (or are still in) a period of lockdown in which our freedom of movement has been restricted. In some areas people are being required to wear face masks, which at least one lady who visited Bunnings earlier in the week objected to, because it limited her freedom. There are times where I wish I had more freedom. For instance, when I’m driving I wish I had the freedom to drive at higher speeds than the speed limits. When my kids are driving however, I am keen to see the limits reduced. There are times when I wish I had the freedom to say whatever I want, and there are times when I wish other’s didn’t. The truth is, we are fortunate to live in a society where we don’t have complete freedom. We are lucky that we live in a society that has laws, that lovingly limit freedom, to protect the more vulnerable. For thousands of years the ten commandments have informed our understanding of the best way live in human society. They are God’s foundational statements of freedom and justice. The rest of the Old Testament contains people’s attempts to understand these statements, explain these statements, expand on these statements and follow these statements, in an effort to create a just and loving society. The reality is, most of what the Old Testament shows us is the human tendency to fail at this attempt to create the kind of society, or kingdom, God intends for all people. The question before us this Sunday is this, what does Paul mean when he says Jesus came and fulfilled the law? Does it mean that all those Old Testament rules are now irrelevant? Obviously not. It means that the kind of loving society that those rules guided humanity towards for thousands of years is now possible, because of what Jesus did and does. We can now, truly, become love.
A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, or a situation which seems to defy logic. Jesus presented a paradox when he declared, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35) Actually, authentic Christianity, as defined by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, is filled with paradoxes. Jesus tells the crows that the poor will inherit the riches of heaven, that those who mourn will be comforted, and that it is a blessing to be persecuted. These paradoxes can be hard to understand, but perhaps the most difficult paradox in the Bible is the one Paul presents in Romans 5. Paul suggests, in his letter to the Romans, that we are to find joy in suffering. At first glance, it’s hard to take in. It seems to be foolish and nonsensical. But, of course, it’s not impossible. The process of suffering has the potential to change us for the better. Paul says, “We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4) Despite his challenges in life, Paul seemed to understand the power of God’s grace, which provides peace with God. The suffering of Jesus produced peace, and our suffering produces hope. Hope is future-looking faith in what God will do. Then, that masterpiece of hope in what God will do is cultivated in us, through suffering. As we continue our series on holiness in 2020, our prayer is that God will develop within us ‘contagious holiness.’ That is, that we will be so set apart for God’s love that others can’t help but feel the impact. Together, we walk through our suffering and grow in the grace of God. This is our hope.
We live in a world that seems obsessed with standards. When you apply for a job, you have to meet certain standards called “eligibility criteria.” When you apply for entry into a selective high school, or into some university courses, you have to sit for exams to see if you are up to standard. If you want to join a professional music group you generally have to audition to see if you are up to the standard required to play in the orchestra or sing in the choir. When you meet your girlfriend’s father for the first time he will attempt to gauge whether or not you are up to his standard.
Many times in life we see opportunities and improvements being offered to people who meet these standards. I met the standards of my father-in-law (eventually) and was given permission to marry the greatest blessing of my life. A friend of mine was able to live up to the standards required for a Masters of Education degree and was given a promotion as a result. Another friend was able to play a high standard of rugby league and was invited to play on a semi-professional team and now gets paid money to play. We are so conditioned to think this way, that we sometimes think of God’s love the same way. We are tempted to think that we can only receive God’s blessing, attention or acceptance when we meet a certain standard.
Another definition of the word ‘standard’ is banner or flag used to identify someone. In a military parade, a ‘standard’ is carried at the front of a group to identify them. In a throne room or banquet hall the standards are hung to identify those who sit beneath them. God’s love for us has been described as a banner, or a standard, being flown above us to identify us as people who are loved by God.
Romans 3 teaches us that we’ve all sinned. In the words of the great philosopher Hannah Montana, “Nobody’s Perfect.” Instead Romans teaches us that God already loves us and what Jesus did for us proves it. We simply need to accept the love of God, simply sit beneath the banner of love flown for us by Jesus. In other words, we will never live up to a standard, but we can live beneath one.
Ten years ago our family went on a month’s trip to southern California with my parents. They wanted to take our kids to Disneyland and we agreed so long as they took us as well. As planning for the trip commenced other ‘must see’ destinations were added to the list, and some destinations were removed from the list. One destination that never left the list was the Crystal Cathedral. For many years my parents had enjoyed the ministry of Robert Schuller and ‘The Hour of Power’ and my dad, particularly, longed to visit the place where Schuller’s broadcasts were made. It is a spectacular building, but sadly it was empty at the time and the only person we met during the whole visit was a wonderful volunteer tour guide. This week we begin a series about becoming love. God is love and we seek to become more like him. To help us in this pursuit we are going to spend the next couple of months in the book of Romans in the New Testament. Romans is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in Rome that he longed to visit but never could. He had heard so much about it, he had friends and acquaintances from the church there, but never got to visit it. Instead he writes this letter containing all that he knows and understands about God, humanity and the way of Jesus. A few weeks after our visit to the Crystal Cathedral they filed for bankruptcy and a few years later the whole cathedral and campus buildings were sold to the Roman Catholic church - the modern descendants of that very church to whom Paul wrote. Join us online at 10am this Sunday as we begin our consideration of Paul’s words and what it has to teach us about holiness in 2020. #Becominglove #Holinessin2020 #Romans
A Prayer Following reflection on the life of Jonah: Gracious loving, Merciful and Forgiving God Please forgive me When my bigotry Is thinly veiled behind my nationalism When my prejudice Is excused indistinctly by my sense of entitlement When my racism Masquerades as staunch patriotism When my selfishness Is weakly masked by my Australian birth right Please forgive me of these sins. Please help me acknowledge that you love Every person on this planet In equal measure Without discrimination Help me have the courage to do the same. Please help me understand that you extend grace To everyone In exactly the same way Without any bias Empower me to do likewise. Please help me recognise that you show mercy To all people In identical fashion With not a trace of prejudice Help me be brave enough to do the same. Please help me accept that you offer forgiveness To every human being In an equivalent nature Without any favouritism Inspire me to exhibit the very same attitude. So that I can be a person through whom God’s redeeming love can flow to others Please help these things be a reality In my life today. Amen.
You may not remember but there was a time, in February this year, when health officials were warning that 2020 could have the worst ever flu season. Then covid-19 entered the scene and the government told everyone to get the flu vaccine so the most vulnerable people in our society wouldn’t end up fighting corona virus and the flu at the same time. By the end of May, a remarkable 62% of all Australians had received the standard vaccine and almost 100% of Australians were observing social distancing and isolation rules. The result of this has been (according to the pharmacist who gave me my flu shot) that there hasn’t really been a flu season at all. We can celebrate a victory in our battle with the flu, but not all illnesses and diseases have seen improvement over this same period. Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are all made worse in times of crisis and social isolation. There is no vaccine for these conditions but there are ways to manage and control them. This week, in our final instalment on the life of Elijah, we will see how Elijah’s emotional state spirals downward as he faces a life-threatening crisis and becomes socially isolated. We will also see a string of miracles that God performs to help Elijah process his thoughts and come to terms with his circumstances. These miracles give us clues as to how we too can find help and offer comfort in our time of social isolation.
6 years ago, my children adopted some guinea pigs. They named them Flat White, Icing Sugar and Tigger. For the first couple of months all was good, until one day a mean (or perhaps just hungry) bird attacked these little piggies, particularly injuring little Icing Sugar. He quickly got sick, and stopped eating and drinking. We took him to the vet, twice, over a period of a few days and tried to feed him and give him water through a syringe. We prayed, we asked God to heal this guinea pig, but he just got sicker and sicker until he eventually died. It was a very sad and traumatic experience, particularly for my 11 year old daughter, Emily, who loved her pet Icing Sugar. There was crying - for a long time - and that night, curled up on the lounge room floor she sobbed, “Why did God let him die? I prayed and he just got sicker! Can God really hear me? Is He listening? I don’t think prayer works!” An innocent cry from a child who had lost her pet, but a moment that so many of us have experienced. Through pain and suffering, we ask ourselves the question, “Does prayer really work?” There may be been times that we have requested something from God, and there seems to be silence. It causes us to wonder what prayer is all about. Over the Last 21 Days, our Territory has ‘prayed it forward’ and in the NSW/ACT Division we are committed to another 19 days of focused prayer. Are you praying? Is God speaking to you? Will you keep praying even if you can’t yet see where God is at work? As we continue to look at the journey of Elijah this week, we learn about his prayer life. James 5:17 tell us that, “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” What a powerful prayer! Elijah prayed with confidence. He prayed with boldness that God would move in his situation, and he believed that God would work. And, spoiler alert, He does, even when we can’t see it or when we doubt it.
6 years ago, my children adopted some guinea pigs. They named them Flat White, Icing Sugar and Tigger. For the first couple of months all was good, until one day a mean (or perhaps just hungry) bird attacked these little piggies, particularly injuring little Icing Sugar. He quickly got sick, and stopped eating and drinking. We took him to the vet, twice, over a period of a few days and tried to feed him and give him water through a syringe. We prayed, we asked God to heal this guinea pig, but he just got sicker and sicker until he eventually died. It was a very sad and traumatic experience, particularly for my 11 year old daughter, Emily, who loved her pet Icing Sugar. There was crying - for a long time - and that night, curled up on the lounge room floor she sobbed, “Why did God let him die? I prayed and he just got sicker! Can God really hear me? Is He listening? I don’t think prayer works!” An innocent cry from a child who had lost her pet, but a moment that so many of us have experienced. Through pain and suffering, we ask ourselves the question, “Does prayer really work?” There may be been times that we have requested something from God, and there seems to be silence. It causes us to wonder what prayer is all about. Over the Last 21 Days, our Territory has ‘prayed it forward’ and in the NSW/ACT Division we are committed to another 19 days of focused prayer. Are you praying? Is God speaking to you? Will you keep praying even if you can’t yet see where God is at work? As we continue to look at the journey of Elijah this week, we learn about his prayer life. James 5:17 tell us that, “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” What a powerful prayer! Elijah prayed with confidence. He prayed with boldness that God would move in his situation, and he believed that God would work. And, spoiler alert, He does, even when we can’t see it or when we doubt it.
Last Sunday I attended the Black Lives Matter protest in Wollongong. I thought I would see and hear what an actual protest was like and to add my voice to the call for justice. It wasn’t like the protests I see on TV. No shop windows were broken, no bricks thrown, no tear gas or water cannons. Instead there were a few thousand people who gathered together to express our anger at the way in which disadvantaged people have been treated, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are being imprisoned at a disproportionately higher rate, and despite 434 Indigenous deaths in custody since the Royal Commission in 1991, no one has ever been convicted. I am uncomfortable living in a society where people suffer injustice. One chant I particularly resonated with was, “No Justice. No Peace.” I don’t pretend to have a solution but I acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been treated unjustly and very poorly over the last 230 years, starting with the invasion of their land. It has also been interesting to see that in the US and UK in particular, they have been tearing down statues of people who owned slaves or who supported the slave trade. The sheer idea that someone could own someone else is so abhorrent to us today, that we don’t even want to see statues of people who owned slaves. The statues themselves are not the problem, rather it’s the values held by the people they represent that is so unacceptable that we want to throw them in the river. This Sunday we look at the story of Elijah confronting the prophets of Ba’al on the top of Mount Carmel. It’s a pretty popular story for kids in Sunday School, but I’m not sure we fully understand what’s happening when Elijah confronts the king. When we understand something more of the world of Elijah we see that what Elijah is doing in 1 Kings 17 and 18 is similar to what protesters were doing on Sunday. He is calling his national leaders back to God’s values, values of love and justice.
Growing up I had a very specific plan for my life. I knew where I wanted to go and what I needed to do to get there. However, everything fell apart and all the things that I had planned suddenly seemed out of reach. I quickly realised that the plan I had spent so long creating, and then working towards, would never happen. This was an upsetting realisation, especially being so young. I had spent so long planning for this specific dream that I overlooked all the signs pointing me to my true destiny. Looking back, I can see that God was preparing me for His plan. He allowed hard seasons to strengthen me, teach me and guide me in an effort to show me what he had planned for me. His plan was more than I could have ever imagined. I never in my wildest dreams expected to be living in Wollongong and having the role of youth ministry intern at the Salvation Army. I am so blessed that this was God’s plan. Now I can’t even imagine living out the dream that I had originally created for myself, when the future that God created for me is beyond perfect. There were seasons of my life filled with struggle, disappointment, sadness, uncertainty and confusion. Through these seasons God worked within me to shape me into a woman of Christ. In 1 Kings 17 we see that God also took Elijah through various seasons in preparing him for his future and God used him to make a big difference. Though the seasons were difficult, God provided for Elijah, who in turn demonstrated true obedience and unconditional faith, a lesson that we can all learn and implement into our lives.
In January my sister and I were in Rome. We hired a car to go and visit Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius. On the way back down the mountain the car malfunctioned. All sorts of warning lights showed up and it started beeping at me. The problem was that the car systems were all in Italian and I had no idea what it was saying. On top of this we were out of phone range so google translate couldn’t help us. Then and there I learned a lot about how language can be such a barrier. Important, possibly life threatening, messages were being given to me but I couldn’t understand them, so I was stuck. The story of Pentecost is so powerful because it shows us that the Holy Spirit wants to break down language barriers and bring people together through an important message of God’s love for them. The image of reconciliation and fellowship across language divides is stunning. As we celebrate Pentecost this week, let’s celebrate the fact that God broke the communication barrier to bring us the good news and it’s that same good news we want to share with everyone. This Sunday our service will include elements provided by our Territory, including a reflection by Lt Col Lyn Edge about the importance of restoring broken relationships and healing the wounds of racism and exclusion, in this Reconciliation week. Lt Col Terry Grey will be bringing us the Word of God and we’ll be involved in the launch of the Territories new prayer initiative, Pray it Forward.
When I was younger I used to fight with my sister. We are only 16 months apart and she was incredibly annoying. The worst thing was she was cleverer than me and whenever we got into an argument, she thought faster than I did. Usually I got very frustrated and angry very quickly, turning a minor disagreement into a screaming match. I’m sure those of you who had infuriatingly clever siblings can relate. Usually mum or dad would simply tell us to go to our rooms and eventually it would all settle down. If the disagreement had been particularly bad however, we would be given a lecture and told to shake hands. I’ll admit that every single time I shook hands in those situations I still wanted to shake my sisters head off. I don’t know why we do it as parents, but I did it to my kids, forcing them to shake hands, even though I knew they still wanted to kill each other. On the outside it looked as if our relationship was all good and patched up. On the inside however this wasn’t the truth. Sometimes in our relationship with God we can find ourselves slipping into a belief that our actions and behaviours reflect our relationship, rather than taking the time to actually work on our relationship. It’s easier perhaps to shake hands with God, to do all the right outward things, and not really take the time to consider the true state of our relationship. In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul writes from prison that the one thing he does is to press on or press into the Godly life that comes from a healthy relationship with God.
I vividly remember the day I found out I was pregnant with twins. I was only about 9 weeks pregnant and I went to my obstetrician for an initial check-up and a dating ultrasound. He was way too quiet for the first few moments he was scanning my stomach, and I felt for sure that something was ‘wrong’. After what felt like an eternity, he showed me the heartbeat and measurements of a foetus and then continued… “And then we have another one over here, with another strong heartbeat, measuring the same…” From that moment everything else was a blur, and my world changed forever. The first thing I did, before I went home and spoke to anyone else, was to go to the nearby shopping centre and purchase 3 books about twins. Over the next few months I purchased another 5 books. I thought I needed to know all the facts, glean from other’s experiences, and learn ‘how’ to be a mother of twins. The reality was, that in the end my twins had not read the books about what they were supposed to do, and they were not exactly like all other twins people spoke about. It was interesting to hear others opinions and to get some tips from others who had been on a similar journey, but until my girls had arrived, I had next to no idea of how to be a mother of twins. In fact, the ‘knowledge’ confused me and left me feeling even more anxious. No amount of knowledge could prepare me for how amazing, and terrifying, it would be to become a mother of two babies at once. The information was overwhelming, but one thing I knew, from the moment I knew they existed, was that I loved these babies and I would do anything for them. More than seventeen years later, I am still not sure how to be a mother of twins most of the time. Like most mothers, I find myself making it up as I go along. This Sunday we look at the story of a blind man who was healed by Jesus. He didn't know what was going on - he didn’t even know who Jesus was. But he knew that something crazy had taken place. A miracle. An encounter. The Pharisees questioned him about what happened - the why and how and who, and whether it was right or if it was truly from God. But he could not answer. He could not, and so did not, debate the character of Jesus, because that was beyond his knowledge and experience. All the blind man could say was this, “I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!”
I struggle to sit still. I don’t just mean that I shake my legs while I’m sitting (although I do - it’s called Restless Leg Syndrome apparently). I am just generally restless. It’s particularly bad when I’m at home. Whenever we have a family dinner, I generally only sit there for 5 minutes or so after I finish eating. Shortly after that I feel the need to get up and start clearing plates and washing up (something I’m good at, although I splash water everywhere). It doesn’t matter how late it is, or whether or not we have something to get to after dinner, I have to get up and do something. In our ONE THING story this week, Martha is in the kitchen ‘making things’, working hard, cooking and preparing a meal for Jesus. She is anxious, probably worried about how it will all turn out and whether or not Jesus and the others will like it. In contrast, Mary is in the other room, sitting at Jesus feet, hanging on his every word. Eventually Martha expresses some frustration because Mary isn’t helping. She even asks Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her. The fact that Martha was worried about so many things gives Jesus the opportunity to teach her, and us, that really, in life, only one thing is really necessary. All other matters and concerns are important but only one thing is necessary.
There is something particularly satisfying about ticking something off a list. I have even been known to add things to my list, after I’ve already completed them, just so I can tick them off. It goes a step further when I’m grocery shopping, because not only do I tick off each item, I get to cross off the whole list once I get everything on it! Have you ever had the experience, after spending days adding things to a shopping list, of forgetting something? You get home, satisfied and content that you have everything you need. You crossed off everything on the list and crossed off the list itself. Then you discover that you’ve run out of something obvious like milk or bread! Sometimes life can be the same. We think we have everything, that we have it all together, only to discover that we are missing something obvious and essential. Our very health and well-being is dependent on this one thing. One time Jesus was bailed up by a young guy who had it all, or at least he thought he had. In the course of a short conversation, Jesus shows him that he is actually missing the key ingredient. Unfortunately the young man wasn’t willing to do what it takes to get what he needed, but the conversation reveals what we need for our lives and what is required to get it. Join us this Sunday at 10 am as we continue our 'One Thing' series and turn to consider Jesus words, “One Thing You Lack”.
In this time of isolation more and more people are turning to video conferencing platforms like FaceTime, House Party, Skype and Zoom. There is something about even just seeing someone’s face that seems to draw them closer. In the Old Testament the word that means “Presence” as in “The Presence of God,” was literally the word for ‘face’. Since they didn’t have video conferencing facilities, they understood that if you could see someone’s face, you were in their presence, so the word was the same. Last weekend Jo Brookshaw Art, an officer from Craigieburn in Victoria did a live broadcast of her painting a picture of someone holding a phone and video conferencing with Jesus. Check it out here…. (facebook.com/jobrookshawart/posts/233246378084185) In Psalm 27, King David writes that no matter what happens in life, the One Thing he seeks is the presence of God. This one thing is what helps him stand in the face of life’s chaos and pain.
During the last couple of weeks of social isolation, I’ve been getting out each day to go for a walk and some fresh air. In these times I’ve observed and smiled at lots of people in their gardens who are spending time making them look beautiful. In conversations with my parents, they regularly update me that they’ve been calling friends, watching tv, scrap-booking and gardening. I’ve spoken to a number of people who are planting winter vegetables in their veggie gardens for the first time. My kids decided we too could make a veggie garden, and then I reminded them they don’t like vegetables. They do like potatoes, but they take over 100 days to grow… That’s a lot of time in isolation before we get to frying them to make hot chips. In the lead up to Easter, considering Jesus words from the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), it has reminded me that gardening was, in fact, the earliest profession. In the beginning, when God created the world, He did so in a perfect place called the garden of Eden. God then created Adam and Eve, and assigned them the responsibility of taking care of the garden. Not only was the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve shared their responsibility of taking care of the garden, it was also the place where they enjoyed their relationship with the Creator of the Garden. God hung out in the garden with Adam and Eve and enjoyed fellowship with them. He created the heavens and the earth, and he created humans to be with him and with each other in the garden. This Sunday we consider the words that Jesus speaks from the cross to the thief. These words echo down to us in a relevant and personal way: “Truly, I tell you, today you will be WITH ME…” Let’s be encouraged that He is the God who is with us today. We are not alone.
This last couple of weeks have been difficult for many, if not all of us. It’s a time of turmoil and confusion, a time where so many people are trying to figure out what to do. I think the most common response I’ve given to anyone this last few weeks has been, “I just don’t know”. The truth is I spend a lot of my life trying to figure out what to do. What am I going to wear today? Where am I going to eat after I finish writing this blog? What am I going to study at Uni? How much insurance should I buy? What do I need to invest in so I don't have to work until I am one hundred? What am I supposed to be doing in my marriage? So much of life is trying to figure out what we are doing. If you are like me, there are lots of times in life when you don't know what you are doing and you make mistakes. Despite prayer, study, meditation and seeking the guidance of others, we still make mistakes. Often we hurt ourselves, or people we love, because of mistakes we made when we didn’t know what to do. I love that the first words Jesus speaks when lifted up onto the cross, according to Luke, are “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” There are so many times when I have been encouraged to think that Jesus says that over my life. Father, forgive him, he doesn’t know what he is doing.
Gardening is not my strong suit. At our house the garden is not large but it does not always get the attention it deserves. If left too long without some serious attention, our garden becomes an overwhelming tangle of trees, bushes and, mostly, weeds. I have learned the hard way that I have to go out every once in a while and cut-back, trim down, remove debris, and get down to the drudgery of weeding. If I don’t, our garden becomes an overwhelming mess.
Our lives are similar. Without paying attention to the things that need to be taken out, cut back or undone, our lives they can become like a tangled garden of weeds.
Over the past four weeks we’ve been considering some of the species of weeds that need to be deliberately uprooted from our lives; indifference, hollow worship and hypocrisy. This week we take a look at spiritual pride as a toxic growth that threatens our wellbeing.
Children love to use their imagination to role-play; acting out all kinds of scenarios. When my children were young, they would spend a significant amount of time acting in their imaginative, made-up worlds. When I would walk into their play space, often one of my girls would say, “Pause the game!” This meant they could return to the real world and engage with me, before saying, “Play!” and re-entering their make believe world again, where they would once more act in their casted roles. The difference between real life and acted, make-believe life was very obvious.
As adults, we may ‘act’ in certain roles, but it becomes less obvious what is real and what is make-believe. The line between real and fake can become very blurred, to the point we may not even realise we are playing a role anymore. Jesus often spoke out against those who played a role to impress, calling them hypocrites. In older Greek a hypocrite was simply an actor, but by the first century the term had come to mean those who play a role and see the world as their stage.
Perhaps you’ve heard the line often quoted from Shakespeare’s ‘As you like it’, “All the world’s a stage, all the men and women merely players.” Hypocrites made a religious performance that was intended to puff themselves up. The motives behind their good deeds were corrupt. They weren’t done to bring glory to God, but glory to themselves. This is what Jesus hated; when from the outside people would show one thing, but from the inside there was something very, very, very different going on.
When my children were very young, they loved to visit their grandparent’s house. They always looked forward to it. It was one of their favourite things to do! Until one day, they said they didn’t want to go to grandma’s house. Upon further questioning, one of my children reported, “It’s exhausting! She makes us wash our hands before every. Single. Meal.” So confession, perhaps my parenting skills had become a little bit lax when my three children were pre-schoolers. I did make them wash their hands, but maybe not before every meal or snack. I promise, with all the recent coverage of the importance of washing hands, I am making sure my three older teenagers wash their hands more diligently and regularly.
The pharisees once complained to Jesus, asking him, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat.” Unlike today, the pharisees weren’t concerned with the spreading of viruses or about physical hygiene. They were, however, obsessed with ‘ceremonial cleanliness’. This is not the same thing as physical cleanliness (and for the record, I really do like to be clean. I take multiple showers a day whenever I can). A devout Jew went through an elaborate ceremony to cleanse themselves spiritually so they were eligible to worship God. They would not only do this before their meals, but they would actually do this ritual between courses. In other words, you would cleanse yourself before your burger, then before your thick-shake, and then before your coffee (insert your favourite foods here, as I have).
These ceremonial washings were commanded by tradition, not by scripture, but the Pharisees were outraged that Jesus allowed his disciples to break this tradition. Jesus rebukes them pointing out that they were not even treating people with respect, or showing love to other people. Their hearts weren’t even connected to God’s heart. He says, “These people honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” The pharisees were obsessing about external things, when internally, they were so far from being right.
For decades now Christians all over the world have used the acronym WWJD to help them figure out what to do in any particular situation. The acronym stands for What Would Jesus Do? Originally the phrase was used by church members in Charles Sheldon’s novel, "In His Steps." Since then it has since been used by many Christians and it has been written on things like mugs, shirts, caps and rubber bracelets. The idea is that whenever you are faced with a difficult decision or situation you should stop for a second and imagine what Jesus might do if he was in your position.
This little exercise can be very helpful, but what if the most effective move we can make is to undo something rather than do something? There are times when when we need to ask ourselves what would Jesus UNdo in our lives? What negative attitudes and approaches to life have twisted our decision making ability and drawn us away from what’s best? Each Sunday over the next four weeks at Wollongong Salvos we are going to examine attitudes that can creep into our lives and ruin relationships, businesses, ministries and our overall wellbeing.
This week we begin with the letter to the church in Laodicea found in the book of Revelation. This message is a warning that since they are neither hot nor cold, God is about to spit them out of his mouth. They seem to be doing well, they are wealthy and seem happy, but, shame has oozed its way into their lives and in reality they are wretched, poor, blind and naked. As a result, instead of refreshment and fulfilment, their lives have a lukewarm indifference that isn't worth spit.
Join us this Sunday at 10am as we seek God’s wisdom in UNdoing lukewarm indifference so that we can have lives that are more refreshing.
In April 2018, Suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett became the first woman to be honoured in London’s Parliament Square. Her statue stands alongside 11 statues of male politicians in the square, which include Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Nelson Mandela. Fawcett was a leading campaigner for women’s suffrage, fighting for women to get the vote from the age of 19. She was an integral part of securing the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which allowed some women over the age of 30 to vote in elections. Her statue is holding a banner that reads, “Courage calls to courage everywhere” - a line from her speech following the death of activist Emily Davison who was trampled by a horse at the Epsom Derby of 1913. Then Prime Minister Theresa May, at the unveiling of the statue said, “I would not be here today as prime minister, no female MPs would have taken their seats in parliament, none of us would have the rights and protections we now enjoy, were it not for Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett. For generations to come, this statute will serve not just as a reminder of Dame Millicent’s extraordinary life and legacy, but as inspiration to all of us who wish to follow in her footsteps.” The courage of one woman changed the lives of many to come. Fawcett not only fought for her own rights, but inspired many women to speak out and step up in advocating and activating change. This Sunday we conclude our series “Courageous Living” and are reminded that although God changes us individually, his greatest moments for us, are never for us alone - they are always about our lives impacting the lives of others. As we live courageously for Kingdom causes, our courage can be contagious.
I’m not a big fan of waiting. Waiting is just so frustrating - I don't like it at all. There have been seasons of my life where I have spent a lot of time in waiting rooms, especially with my children. We’ve waited and waited at speech pathologists, specialists, the orthodontist, in doctors surgery’s, at Medicare, at the Roads & Maritime Services office and in hospitals. I don’t like waiting rooms, and I really don’t like waiting! I’m sure I’m not alone - most of us are not very patient. We want answers quickly. We want things now. We especially want our Internet connection to be fast. The problem with our impatience is that we may begin to doubt God if there is any delay in answering our prayers. We get confused when the will of God is different than our own timetable or agenda. For all of us, there are seasons of waiting, and during those seasons we can choose to wait courageously. God knows that some lessons can only be learned over time. There are some things we cannot understand and sometimes it is necessary that we spend time in the waiting room. In Genesis 8 we read about Noah’s time in the waiting room, well actually, the waiting boat. He didn't know where and he didn't know when they would ever leave the Ark, but he kept going. The fact is he didn't have a lot of choice, and we don’t usually have a lot choice either. Sometimes we just have to wait. The bible tells us though, that Noah continued to trust God.
A ‘pet fence’ or ‘fenceless boundary’ is an electronic system designed to keep a domestic animal within a set of predefined boundaries without the use of a physical barrier. A typical invisible fence transmits a radio signal, and the pet wears a lightweight collar that emits a sensory cue, such as a warning sound, when the pet nears a boundary. If the warning is ignored, and the pet crosses beyond the boundary of the ‘fence’, the pet receives an additional signal, such as a mild electric shock. Over time, that causes the animal to adapt its behaviour and remain within the boundary. Eventually, the whole system can be switched off, the collar removed, and still the dog will never cross that line. Why? Because in his mind, the dog is a prisoner locked by this barrier. He is facing a stronghold. A spiritual stronghold is a habitual pattern of thought, built into one's thought life. Like animals, we can become prisoners trapped by deception. Rather than ‘Courageous Thinking’, rather than being on guard and having a sharp mind, our thoughts can be more like, “I can never go beyond this point. I can never have an intimate relationship with God. I could never be good enough. I could never have a good relationship with other people. I can never change. I will never be anything but a failure! I will never be anything but addicted. This is just the way I am.” Paul encourages us in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
The Cowardly Lion makes his first appearance in the book 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'. He is the last of the companions Dorothy befriends on her way to the Emerald City where he ambushes her, Toto, Scarecrow, and the Tinman. When he tries to bite Toto, Dorothy slaps him. She calls the Lion a coward and the Lion admits that he is. The Cowardly Lion joins her so that he can ask The Wizard for courage, ashamed that he is not brave enough to play his cultural role of the King of the Beasts.
Since all lions, in general, are stereotypically known to be fierce, ferocious and expected to be ‘The Kings of all Beasts,’ by nature, the Cowardly Lion believes that his insecurities make him inferior to other lions and beasts. He simply does not understand that courage means acting in the face of fear and facing one's fears head on, which he does frequently throughout the Oz stories. Only during the aftereffects of the Wizard's gift, when he is under the influence of an unknown green liquid substance that the Wizard orders him to drink out of a small bowl, is he not filled with fear anymore.
Marie Kondo has written a number of books and also has a television show. Marie attempts to help people unclutter their homes, getting rid of things they don’t really need. Her method is quite simple, if something does not ‘spark joy’ then get rid of it. Interestingly enough, in the events leading up to, and immediately following, the birth of Christ, there was not really much that sparked joy. Mary is a very young, unmarried, woman, who was supposed to be a virgin but who had fallen pregnant. In that time the shame would have been incredible. Not only would she suffer as an object of contempt, but her whole family would also be ‘tarred with the same brush’. On top of that, Mary is due to marry Joseph. He truly loves her and decides to stay with her and is also exposed to humiliation and ridicule. Just about the time Mary is due to give birth they discover that they have to travel to Bethlehem for a Census. Following a long and difficult journey they are forced to stay in a barn where Mary gives birth to a baby boy. In the middle of the muck, filth and dirt of a cattle feed trough. Sometime later, Joseph, Mary, and the baby, have to flee to Egypt as refugees. They got wind that tyrant King Herod planned to kill anyone he thought was a threat to his throne. None of this really ‘sparks joy’ yet the overall understanding and announcement in scripture is that through the birth of Jesus Christ JOY has been proclaimed. So, what really is JOY?
Imagine there are two identical people in two separate rooms. Each room is identical in every way; identical shape, size, temperature, pressure, humidity and light. Each identical person is given the same boring, simple task, which they were asked to repeat for 8 hours a day, every day, for a week. At the end of the week the first person is promised $300, while the second is promised $3,000. These two completely identical people, in completely identical situations, with completely identical tasks, are going to have two completely different attitudes. One will find it much easier to tolerate the tedious drudgery because they have a much brighter future to look forward to. Hope is a very powerful emotion that can bring beautiful light to a life if it is given to someone, and cause terrible darkness if taken away. In the Salvation Army Australia our advertising slogan is: “Hope where it’s needed most.” This is a wonderful way of saying that the services we offer to the public are designed specifically to convey hope to people who are facing hardship or injustice. Our hope is for much greater things than a large pay check at the end of a week of tedious work. Our hope is for a future flourishing of humanity. A future when heaven and earth are re-made, re-formed and all people live with justice and peace. This is a hope promised many centuries before Jesus came to earth, and it is a hope that was fulfilled when Jesus was born, and will continue to be fulfilled until Jesus comes back again.
When it came to photography, Eastman-Kodak (generally known as Kodak) was a household name. They produced a huge array of film products for use in everything from blockbuster film productions to domestic photography. They were one of the largest companies in the USA but in 2012 they filed for bankruptcy. The common reason given is that Kodak completely failed to take into account a world in which digital photography would replace film-based photography so quickly. This is extremely baffling because engineers at Kodak developed the worlds first digital camera in 1975. The sad truth is that the people at Kodak were confused about their target, their goal. They believed that they existed to sell film, chemicals and equipment to people. What they should have remembered is their own advertising slogan. Kodak was all about the ‘Kodak Moment’. Instead of existing to sell film and things they existed to help people to take photos of the memorable events in their lives. Instead of focussing on the goal (photographing memories), they shifted focus to the method (selling cameras & film) and the company failed dramatically. In the past 8 years preachers, teachers and leaders have told this story over and over again to warn people to keep the main thing the main thing. To be very, very careful about making sure your activity is actually going to get you to where you are called to be. For us, The Salvation Army, the big main goal is in our name: Salvation. We exist to see salvation come. We exist to see salvation come to people, partners, families, communities, cities, nations and our planet. That’s it. But what does it look like? What is salvation?
About 15 years ago Rebecca and I had the opportunity to meet an acappella quartet named “The Idea of North.” We were even fortunate enough to hear them warm up and perform live when they sung at an event we organised in Canberra. Their combined voices, with no instrumental backing, were magical and entrancing. The music seems so much larger than should be possible with just four voices. The same thing was experienced when people listened to the best barbershop quartets. The vocalists sang so well that the harmonies swirled and mixed with such power that it seemed as though there was an extra singer. For the best singing groups whole is greater than the sum of their parts. In the book of Psalms David writes poetically about this kind of unity and harmony. He describes it as good and beautiful when people work together in unity. In fact, he claims that this kind of unity is the key to all of the blessings God has for humanity including eternal life.
Faith is an intriguing word, a fascinating topic. What is faith? Is it trust, or belief, or knowledge, or understanding? Is it all of the above, none of the above, or some? Defining ‘faith’ is a bit like trying to nail jelly to a wall. Easy meanings escape us, they simply can’t be nailed down.
What we can say is that faith exists somewhere between proof and doubt in an unmapped and indescribable realm. If something can be completely and utterly proven to be untrue then faith is unreasonable. If something can be completely or utterly proven to be true then faith is no longer necessary.
God is larger and beyond our capacity to prove or disprove and so Faith is both reasonable and appropriate. It exists beyond what we can know, beyond what we can prove, beyond what we can believe.
Faith is born in that gentle moment when imagination and hope join together, when we choose to move beyond the boundaries of trust, belief, and knowledge, into a place beyond places. The transformative experience of a loving, gracious, and generous God.
“It’s. Not. Fair!” I think I’ve heard those 3 words at least a million times in my parenting career. A child’s list of things that are ‘not fair’ is seemingly endless. Whether it’s who gets to press the buttons in a lift, who has the largest scoop of ice cream, who gets the first bedtime kiss, or who gets to use the precious purple cup, children demand precise equality that seems impossible to achieve most of the time. The desire to be treated fairly starts early in life. Researchers have found that children as young as 19 months seem to understand the concept of fairness, and appear surprised by scenes of blatant favouritism – such as when one toddler is given toys and another toddler goes without. Yes, we grow up, but we never really lose this standard that we have of fairness that we require of the universe. Imagine you’re about to park your car and someone comes in and steals the spot. “It’s not fair, I was here first!” More seriously, there are too many examples of ‘it’s not fair’ situations. The family who loses everything in a fire, the person who is promoted even though he is the work place bully, the child suffering with leukaemia, the people seeking asylum who deserve to be embraced but instead end up in horrific conditions in an off-shore processing facility. So often, life is just not fair. Most of the time, we desire fairness. But in Psalm 130, the Psalmist expresses his gratefulness that God is not fair. Out of the depths, he calls out to God, knowing that though we don’t always listen to God, that doesn’t mean God won’t listen to us. God doesn’t give the Psalmist, or us, what we ‘deserve’, but he treats us with mercy and unfailing love instead. We can praise God because God is unfair.
Today we had the incredible privilege to celebrate what God is doing in and through our kids. We pray that you are challenged to Dream Big as we join with them and focus on God's exciting plans for our lives.
Jeremiah 29:11 says " I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."
“This is the life!” When was the last time you said this to yourself? Maybe it’s not a catchphrase you use, but I’m sure you know the feeling. A few weeks ago Rebecca and I went on a 4 day hike in southern Tasmania. The first two days were pretty easy, but on the third day we headed all the way out along the Peninsula and then all the way back past our previous hut, and on to the next hut. It was a total of 19km, more than we had walked on the previous two days combined! When I got to the hut I dumped my pack on my bed, took off my boots, peeled off my socks, filled my mug with coffee and fell into a comfy chair. I was exhausted. My legs were sore, my back ached, my feet throbbed, I was hungry and I was tired, but as I sat there, admiring a spectacular view, I felt completely satisfied and content. I sighed and said, ‘this is the life.’ This week we are taking a closer look at an ancient hymn known to us as Psalm 128. Every year pilgrims from all over Israel would travel to Jerusalem for passover and other celebrations. For some worshippers the journey took 4 or 5 days and this hymn is one the pilgrims would sing as they walked. It contains such encouraging words, reminding them, and us, that no matter how tough it might seem, no matter how long you’ve travelled, no matter how steep the road seems, no matter how disheartened you may feel, there will be a time when you arrive. There will be a time when you can take your boots off, there will be a time when you can sit and relax in the presence of God and can say, “Ah, this is the life.”
The bible records a famous story commonly known as the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’. Who or what is a Samaritan and What makes them ‘good’? Is this simply a little do-good story? Or is there something much more powerful and profound meaning behind these words? Something that speaks directly to our increasingly polarised and fractured society?
The key to understanding this story is only revealed when we understand the deep hatred that existed between many Jews and Samaritans. For the majority of Jews at that time there was no such thing as a ‘good’ Samaritan. They were seen by most Jews as ‘half-breeds’ and ‘dogs’. Therefore a ‘good’ Samaritan was a ridiculous statement. So why then does Jesus portrays a ‘bad’, ‘hated’, Samaritan as a ‘good’ person? Why does he portray him as much better in fact than the Jews who did not stop to help one of their own who was lying injured on the road?
Sometimes we boil this story down to a simple do-good message and we fail to focus on who it is that does the ‘good’ which was actually the main point of Jesus story. This story is about love. Underneath the prejudice, hate, disagreements, arguments, ideologies, political persuasions, economic beliefs and everything else that divides us, we are called to love.
Before I travel, which I love to do, I will usually spend time carefully creating a music soundtrack; a ‘playlist’ for the adventure ahead. In 2010, my family travelled to the USA for 4 weeks, with 7 of us piling into a van for a road trip. Of course, we had a playlist for the road including everything from songs my 8 year old daughters appreciated, like ‘Party in the USA’ by Miley Cyrus to ‘Surfin’ Bird’ by American surf rock band ‘The Trashmen’, which my Dad’s voice boomed out as we drove around the beaches of California. The playlist created unity in our little van and represented the themes of our holiday. Still today, those songs bring back memories and the feelings of an amazing adventure. The Psalms of Ascent worked in a similar way for the Jewish people travelling to Jerusalem. Their ‘playlist’ (Psalms 120-134) was memorised and sung by travelling worshippers as they walked long distances to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles. The people of God would travel across the nation to the city of Jerusalem from wherever they lived, ascending the mountainous terrain as they neared the sacred city of Jerusalem, which sits at an elevation of about 2,700 feet. They travelled together in groups to be safe from thieves, wild animals, and the elements. While they were walking on these trails, they sung songs to encourage one another, to keep their spirits high and to focus their hearts on the things of God. Not unlike the journey of the Jewish people on the way to Jerusalem, our life of following Jesus is a climb - it is a life of constant growth, sacrifice, and trusting God for what we cannot see. As Eugene Peterson said, ‘We are pilgrims, but we are also disciples - always moving and always learning.’ This week we commence a new series, ‘Happy Trails’, where we’ll dig into these travelling songs and discover that though these Psalms are around 3,000 years old, they still speak to us, inspire us and help us to focus on the important themes of our lives today.
A few months ago I discovered a great TV show. It’s a brilliantly dry satire of Australian government bureaucracy called ‘Utopia’ and it’s produced by the ABC. The show has been running for a few years, so I went back and started watching the show from the beginning. Every time I had a spare half hour or so I would watch an episode until eventually I ran out of episodes half way through the current season. The show hadn’t ended, it wasn’t axed, it's just that they only make and release one episode per week, so I have to wait a whole week to see the next episode. It’s tough. I know that watching an episode a week was the normal way we watched TV growing up, but now there’s a better way. When I watch a new TV show I want to watch whatever episode I want, whenever I want. I don’t want to wait a week! I’m sure I’m not alone in this feeling. This is why Netflix and other producers generally release whole seasons of a show at a time. A few months ago the complete third season of ‘Stranger Things’ was released, so Rebecca and I were able to watch it over a couple of weeks. Netflix and other studios know that people in this current generation (and some of us older people) don’t like to wait. When people decide to watch something, or buy something, they want it instantly. Of course, getting everything you want, as soon as you want it, is not the wisest way to manage your finances. An important element of the bible’s instruction about money is to make sure we manage it effectively for the future. Tune in as we look to the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, as well as the words of Jesus and Paul, to learn how to invest wisely so that we have the resources for the future to pursue what God calls us to do.
When I was a child, my parents encouraged good behaviour through the use of a chart on the fridge. Each day my brother and I had certain jobs to complete, and for each job we finished we’d get a tick. If we didn’t do our jobs, or we displayed certain negative behaviours, we’d get a cross on the chart. At the end of the week, calculations were made to determine our pocket money: 10 cents for each tick and minus 5 cents for every cross. If we had a perfect week, the most we could earn was about $4, but most weeks we averaged between $2.50 and $3.50. Even in a perfect week, we didn’t get to spend $4. Before we saw any money, Mum would subtract 10% for us to give to God and 20% for us to save in our Dollar-Mite account through school banking. My parents instilled this habit of setting aside money for God first, savings for the future second, and then we could waste the rest on lollies and junk. I didn’t at all mind giving 10 cents of every dollar to God when I was only earning $4 a week. And this habit, this spiritual discipline, has continued throughout my life. The day my pay is deposited in my account, my tithe (10%) comes out and goes directly to the church where God has planted me. Often though, as a person increases in wealth, they decrease the percentage they give back to God. Giving ten cents out of a dollar is not very much; but if you have made $100,000, then $10,000 seems like a big amount. And if you make a million, $100,000 is ten percent! Perhaps the more you make, the more you are prone to say, “Well, maybe five percent is enough, because after all, that’s a lot of money.” It’s not hard to give ten cents out of a dollar. It is only when that dollar grows that it becomes difficult, especially as our expenses seem to grow quickly along with our income. The biggest deterrent to giving is fear; the fear that if we give too much we won’t have enough for what we need or what we want. When we give to God, we are expressing our faith and trust in God to provide for us. In the Old Testament, tithing was the way people declared to God that He had the first place in their life and finances. In the New Testament, we are instructed to seek first the Kingdom of God, and the things necessary for life will be added to us.
Last week Rebecca and I had to order some things for our upcoming hiking holiday. We sat at my computer together and put things in our virtual shopping cart until we were satisfied that we had everything we needed. When it came time to pay, my computer automatically offered to fill out my credit card details for me. All I had to do was approve it with my fingerprint and it was good to go. It was so quick! From the time we finished our order, to the purchase being completed, was less than 10 seconds. Rebecca commented, 'Woah! That’s dangerous.' It has become so easy to put things on our credit cards these days hasn’t it? Even in real life, bricks and mortar stores, you can get through with your products with a simple wave of your card, phone or watch in front of an EFTPOS machine, and be on your way in under a minute! Everywhere you go credit card companies are working to make it easier and easier to buy impulsively. Credit cards might be easy, but they aren’t free. In 2016, Australians were paying about $15 million every single day on credit card interest repayments; just the interest! This is on a total amount of $50 billion that people owe each month! That's on an average interest rate of 17% across all credit cards in Australia. Credit is expensive! The Bible has a lot to say about credit. Solomon says: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7) Debt traps and contains us, squashing our lives. Fortunately Solomon also advises, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5).
When my twin daughters were born almost 17 years ago, a number of people shared ‘encouragement’ with me in the form of a card, poster or a message containing Ecclesiastes 4 verse 9, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
It did not always feel like “two are better than one” when I had two babies. Two hungry all the time babies, two crying babies, two babies who never wanted to sleep at the same time. People would say, “You’ve got your hands full!” And yes, that was pretty much stating the obvious. At times the verse a little earlier in the chapter was much more relatable and desirable, “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:6)
For the record, when it comes to babies, I can honestly say, now, that two are better than one. But this conflict in the scripture leads me to question, which is it, Solomon? Are two better than one, or is one handful better than two handfuls? Which way is best?
The world around us tells us that more is more; more money, more houses, more clothes, more experiences, more extra-curricular activities for our kids, more meetings, more parties. But Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, is not simply stating that having two of something is better than having one. Solomon had hundreds of concubines, many stables with the best horses, many wives and lots of pieces of gold. He is not speaking of the number of possessions or even the number of people he had around him. In the midst of his pursuits, he found that he did not have quality relationships with the few that were around him. Solomon had so many ‘handfuls', but felt he was chasing after the wind; his life lacked meaning and it was just hard.
People need relationship; meaningful relationship with God and relationship with other people.
However, for some of us, our hands have become so full that we have no space to reach out to interact, to comfort or connect with others; even with those who mean the most to us.
Last month YouGov.com released a major study on loneliness. The results showed that 15% of Baby Boomers, 20% of Generation X and 30% of Millennials ’often’ or ‘always’ feel lonely. Within the youngest group, 22% responded saying they had no friends and 27% said they had ‘no close friends.’ When asked to list some of the reasons why they didn’t have friends, 27% said they didn’t feel like they needed friends, 53% said they were shy, 20% said friendships were too much work, and 14% said they were too busy. Loneliness truly is the disease of our age, and people are finding it harder and harder to make new friends. In 1982 American author Kurt Vonnegut wrote: “What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” Community is simply a network of friendships. If there are fewer and fewer friendships, the network grows weaker and begins to breakdown. Fear, anxiety and mistrust all increase and tolerance, debate and harmony all decline. To build our communities, we must begin by building and maintaining our relationships. It takes effort, sacrifice, and daring to make new friendships, and to maintain existing relationships. This Sunday we look at a biblical story from King David’s life from the time before he was king. A young wife, Abigail, demonstrates the importance of relationship. Abigail discovered that her foolish husband had cheated, insulted and offended David, so she makes an incredible effort and sacrifice, and dares to approach an angry and upset David (and 400 of his armed men) in order to do what it took to repair the relationship.
Pop songs are filled with lyrics about people - often about the fact that we find light in other people. Debby Boone sang, “You light up my life.” Stevie wonder topped the charts with, “You are the Sunshine of my Life.” We hear all these songs about light and life, but here’s the problem: If other people are your light and life, you’re in trouble! Why? Because other people burn out, wear out and die out. They’re not reliable and they can’t be the ultimate source of our light and life. Still, we are drawn to find our worth in other people and fear rejection from them. The fear of rejection is one of our deepest human fears. Biologically wired with a desire to belong, we fear being seen in a critical way. We’re anxious about the prospect of being cut off, demeaned, or isolated. We fear being alone. We dread change. We are addicted to approval.
The Bible has a name for this need for this need for the approval of others: the fear of man. Fear is any kind of awe and reverence that causes us to subject ourselves to something or someone else. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Approval addiction isn’t new to our image-crazed society or modern media - far from it! God wrote about it long ago because so many suffer the same addiction. King Herod was a man of great stature and accomplishment, yet he caved to the crowd. Nervously biting his nails reading opinion polls, he had John the Baptist axed and let Jesus be killed. Herod’s life is a great example to us, not because of his power, but because of his fear. His weakness teaches us the indispensable wisdom that no matter how great one’s position (or how low), no one is immune to peer pressure.
Tune in as we reflect on how we can say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, I will fear no one” (Psalm 27:1) and be empowered to stand by the convictions God places within us, rather than relying on other people to be our source of light and our life.
I recently read the story of Pascale Kavanagh. Pascale suffered terrible abuse at the hands of her mother. After leaving home she never thought she would ever reconnect with her mother and she never wanted to. However in 2010 her mother suffered several strokes that left her unable to communicate or take care of herself. Since there was no one else, Pascale somehow found it in herself to sit at her mother’s bedside reading to her. As she sat there, reading to her mother, Pascale slowly began to discover, with amazement, that the resentment she had lived with for so long gradually dissolved into forgiveness and love.
This story is notable because it’s unusual isn’t it? In many people’s lives the terrible abuses, rejections and humiliations sit, grow and fester into resentment and anger that is never dealt with, never forgiven. The problem is that this resentment often drives unhealthy, self-destructive behaviour. There’s an old proverb that says “Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
But how? How do we forgive? How do we process the hurt, anger and humiliation so that it doesn’t continue to impact us and ruin our lives? In 2 Samuel 13 we read about, Absalom who was a prince of Israel. His inability to forgive, and a perverse drive for revenge, turned him into the very thing he hated. His life spiralled out of control until it collapsed in on itself.
Join us as we learn about how to forgive by observing Absolom’s decomposing life and considering how we may be able to avoid the same poison in our own lives.
A widely cited US News and World Report Survey asked 10,000 people to indicate the likelihood that they, and a long list of celebrities, would go to heaven. The vast majority of respondents believed that they were more likely to go to heaven than any of the celebrities, including the selfless nun Mother Teresa. Research finds that people tend to believe that they are more likely than others to donate blood, give to charity, treat another person fairly, and give up one's own seat in a crowded bus for a pregnant woman. What is it that drives this belief, even if we’d never admit it, that we are somehow better than anyone else? Self-Righteousness is ‘believing that your ideas and behaviour are morally better than those of other people’ or ‘believing that you are better and more moral than others’. The 20th century, German-born psychoanalyst and social philosopher, Erich Fromm, is credited with saying, “There is perhaps no phenomenon which contains so much destructive feeling as moral indignation, which permits envy or hate to be acted out under the guise of virtue.” It can happen to any of us - in fact, it probably already has. It happened to Judas. He defended his moral indignation, or self-righteousness saying, “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” (Matthew 26:9) He didn’t say this because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief; he pilfered from the very money-box he was in charge of running! Judas fooled those around him and was probably fooling himself - deluded into thinking his moral compass was more accurate than anyone else’s. This Sunday we will look at indispensable wisdom from the bible. Wisdom that can help us to avoid self-righteousness and instead encourages us to have hearts of purity, hearts of integrity and hearts of reformers, rather than rebels.
Desire can drive some incredibly destructive behaviours. A couple of decades ago Nike began to produce a range of basketball shoes in collaboration with Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of his generation (some would say of all time). These shoes are known as 'Air Jordans' and they became insanely popular, so much so that people were mugged, stabbed, and even killed, for no other reason than someone desired their shoes. Today there are many collectors of shoes and pairs of shoes are often traded for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Nike recently made a limited batch of shoes (originally created as a prop in the 'Back to the Future' movies) which sell for over $30,000 a pair. Yes, that’s a three followed by four zeros. You might think that Christ followers would be immune to this sort of desire but the truth is, no-one is immune to the effects of desire. How often do you hear of world famous preachers and church leaders making incredibly stupid decisions and destroying lives and ministries because of their desire? Some of my heroes of church leadership are today languishing in obscurity and shame because of their desire for more than they had. This week we explore what it is to be content. The true antidote to destructive desire is contentment. It doesn’t mean that we won’t experience desire, that's simply part of human nature. But learning to be content makes the desire more manageable and makes it less likely to result in destructive actions. The secret to contentedness lies in learning gratefulness, practicing righteousness and resting in the nearness of God.
Desire can drive some incredibly destructive behaviours. A couple of decades ago Nike began to produce a range of basketball shoes in collaboration with Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of his generation (some would say of all time). These shoes are known as 'Air Jordans' and they became insanely popular, so much so that people were mugged, stabbed, and even killed, for no other reason than someone desired their shoes. Today there are many collectors of shoes and pairs of shoes are often traded for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Nike recently made a limited batch of shoes (originally created as a prop in the 'Back to the Future' movies) which sell for over $30,000 a pair. Yes, that’s a three followed by four zeros. You might think that Christ followers would be immune to this sort of desire but the truth is, no-one is immune to the effects of desire. How often do you hear of world famous preachers and church leaders making incredibly stupid decisions and destroying lives and ministries because of their desire? Some of my heroes of church leadership are today languishing in obscurity and shame because of their desire for more than they had. This week we explore what it is to be content. The true antidote to destructive desire is contentment. It doesn’t mean that we won’t experience desire, that's simply part of human nature. But learning to be content makes the desire more manageable and makes it less likely to result in destructive actions. The secret to contentedness lies in learning gratefulness, practicing righteousness and resting in the nearness of God.
One of my favourite authors is Sir Terry Pratchett, who uses absurdity and humour to illustrate some of the most profound truths of human nature. In a book entitled ‘Small Gods,’ he explores the role of belief in the rise and fall of religion. “Belief shifts. People start out believing in the god and end up believing in the structure.” The book illustrates the terrible drift that naturally takes place in any community of faith. Faith in God begins a movement, that movement gets more and more organised over time until people forget the experiences that gave rise to the movement and begin to value the organisation over the movement. Over and over again throughout history this has been seen in religious orders, movements, denominations and churches. At the moment The Salvation Army in Australia is in the middle of one of the largest corporate restructures in the nation. There is a lot of talk about organisation, structure and strategy and it can sometimes seem as though the foundational experiences of those who started this movement have been lost. This is what our entire series “We Are The Church” has been about, focussing on the movement that still beats strongly at the heart of our organisation. It may be harder to move an organisation than organise a movement, but it is possible if we take the time to remember and focus on the experiences that drove the movement at the beginning. Less than 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus, we see evidence that a group of Jewish Jesus followers began to push the early church leaders to get the movement organised. They believed strongly in the Jewish way of life and since Jesus was a Jewish prophet they felt that it was God’s plan that new believers convert to judaism and follow the moral codes and practices outlined in the Old Testament and sacred writings of the Jews. The apostle Paul wrote a number of letters to reject the teaching of these so called ‘judaisers’ and to assert that the church is a movement of the Holy Spirit that bears witness to the love of God shown by Jesus on the cross of calvary.
This month thousands of young people across the world will renew their promises to God as Junior Soldiers in the Salvation Army. The promise says: ‘I know that Jesus is my Saviour from sin. I have asked him to forgive my sins, and I will trust him to keep me good. By his help, I will be his loving and obedient child, and will help others to follow him. I promise to pray, to read my Bible, and to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed. I will not use anything that may injure my body or my mind, including harmful drugs, alcohol and tobacco.’ This is a bold promise. To acknowledge that Jesus is the Saviour and to respond in obedience is an uncommon level of commitment, particularly in our modern western society that seems to squash boldness and dismiss commitment as old-fashioned and irrelevant. But our society wouldn’t exist if it were not for the boldness of Jesus’ followers. Our justice system, our government, our education systems, our health systems are all built on a faith that shapes the way we do those things. Believing in the love and forgiveness of Jesus is a world-changing, civilisation building, justice loving, faith that springs from one event and those who were bold enough to talk about it. The book of Acts records the boldness of the first followers of Jesus as they proclaimed the love and acceptance of Jesus for themselves and all people, they were arrested, released and rearrested and yet they didn’t shrink from the truth they believed. Join us this Sunday morning at 10am to celebrate our Junior soldiers and to consider the beliefs we hold and the boldness it generates in our own lives.
The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, refers to a physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying - either mentally or physically. The response is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with a threat, or run away to safety. This term ‘fight-or-flight’ represents the choices that our ancient ancestors had when faced with danger in their environment. The fight-or-flight response plays a vital role in survival. When we see a gazelle being chased by a lion, we are witnessing an animal experiencing this biochemical reaction. Without the response, the gazelle would not have the energy to flee and would certainly die. Similarly, this response can protect humans from attackers, help them escape natural disasters, and ensure that the body is mobilised when other threats are present. The Apostle Peter responded to difficult times in various ways. Peter went into fight mode when he chopped off the ear of the high priest’s servant when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10). Only a few hours later, we see an example of Peter going into flight mode when he denied knowing Jesus three times, fearing he too would be taken into custody. He just ran away (Luke 22:60-62). While these are natural responses to difficult and dangerous circumstances, following Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we see Peter respond in another way entirely. In Acts 4, Peter, doesn’t fight or flight. What he does is pray, and it’s not just any prayer. What Peter and the other believers pray here, is one of the most powerful prayers of all time. Prayer - big, bold prayer - was essential for the early church and is essential for the continued movement of the church of God today.
Stagnation happens in bodies of water when the water stops flowing or moving. Stagnated water can lead to contamination, becoming a breeding ground for insects, bacteria and parasites, leading to disease and possibly death. This becomes a dangerous situation, hazardous to health.
Stagnation also happens in bodies of Christian believers when we become satisfied with the status quo. When we basically stand still, holding onto the old, making little headway. Soon the church becomes unhealthy, no longer able to offer a cup of life-giving water to others. Some of these churches eventually die, others ‘survive’ but make little difference in the world, whilst others become stagnant and cause more harm than good.
This coming Sunday, Christians across the world will celebrate Pentecost - the inauguration of The Church’s mission in the world. The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to speak of God’s power and deeds, to tell of God in new and exciting ways, to crowds from all over the known world. Two thousand years ago, a gathering of people in a middle-eastern city began a movement that would circle the globe and leave its mark on individuals and cultures on every continent. This movement would eventually become known as The Church. The Church is a movement. And it's still moving. The Church of Jesus was never meant to become a static, civil religion looking after civilisation. We were meant to be people who transform society in the name of Jesus. Where the church is not moving, not transforming, where it is stagnant, it is not ‘The Church.’
I’m always amused when people earnestly pray for God to surround them with a hedge of protection. It amuses me because if I was going to ask God to protect me, I would probably ask for something a little bit more solid than a hedge. A hedge is merely a plant after all. Why not ask God for a concrete wall? Or a steel fence? Or a moat with crocodiles in it. Why a hedge? It seems so pitifully powerless as a protective measure. The truth is, in ancient times ‘hedges’ were different to what we might think of as a hedge today. Ancient ‘hedges’ were not ordinary hedges, but densely packed growths that consisted of a huge number of extremely sharp thorns. It was far too dense to crawl through, far too high to jump over and far too tough to chew through. These hedges were deliberately grown around a compound to protect it from wild predators like lions, hyenas, wolves, bears and leopards. In fact, hedges were better than walls since sharp, dense hedges were impossible for giant cats to climb over. In addition to the generalised protection promised to all who follow God, God occasionally steps into human existence and performs a miracle of protection. Times where people were goners, where people should have been seriously injured or killed, they are protected by a miraculous intervention of God.
Jesus feeding the 5000 has got to be one of the most well-known miracles performed by Jesus. The transformation of five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed 5000 men plus women and children is truly extraordinary! It is clear this miracle of provision highlights how God is a God who provides. But a key detail is sometimes overlooked. Why would Jesus make enough for 12 left over baskets? Surely Jesus is not being wasteful. Did he just lose count? That seems possible when catering for a crowd of over 5000! I think the mystery of the 12 baskets highlights a key aspect of God’s provision. When we consider that the crowd followed Jesus from many towns into the wilderness do you think any hesitated? Did anyone pause to think about what they would have for dinner? Surely someone had the foresight to think about dinner. Where were the mums reminding everyone to bring their coats and pack something for dinner? There is no doubt this would’ve prevented some people from trekking into the wilderness and experiencing Jesus’ miracle of provision. But the fact Jesus made 12 baskets leftover shows that God has enough for everyone. I see the mystery of the 12 baskets leftover as a representation of the missed opportunities of those who stayed home. What would you have done? Would you have chased after Jesus into the wilderness with no promise of food but in full trust that everything would be alright or are you someone who stayed home and missed out on experiencing the miraculous provision of God? God has enough for everyone but it is up to us whether or not we decide to trust God, turn up and get fed; or stay in the comfort of our own home and potentially miss out on what God has to offer us.
Our God can heal. Sometimes God Does heal. Many times God does not heal. Tune in as Rebecca brings us a message about God’s miraculous healing. #wollongongsalvos #miracles #whenpigsfly #healing
This week Phil spoke about the miracles of deliverance and the common mistakes of both over-estimating and under-estimating the power of evil.
Sometimes in life we feel defeated, disappointed and hopeless. After he had been raised from the dead, Jesus met a couple of guys on a road to a place named Emmaus. These guys were despondent after a disastrous weekend and didn't recognise Jesus at all. Join us as Rebecca Inglis shows us how Jesus presence encourages, comforts and enlivens us in the most hopeless times even if we don’t always recognise him. #wollongongsalvos #comeandsee #emmaus
This week I shed a tear as I saw the burning of Notre Dame Cathedral. It is truly one of the worlds most beautiful and significant religious buildings. I was also struck by the potential metaphor of such a catastrophe. We live in a time where the church is in rapid decline across Europe, North America and Australasia. In some ways, the burning of a great symbol of the church reflects the traumatic disintegration of the church taking place in our society. I am also reminded that Jesus once claimed that he would be able to destroy the great temple of Jerusalem and rebuild it in three days. I doubt Notre Dame will be rebuilt in three days. The reality is, Jesus wasn’t talking about the bricks and mortar temple anyway. He wasn’t talking about religion. He was talking about the relationship between heaven and earth. In particular he was talking about the shift from the temple, that represented religion, to a relationship that he invites all people to experience. What I found most powerful during the media coverage of the tragic event this week, was the report that as the cathedral burned, a section of the onlooking crowd began to sing hymns of praise and worship. What a reminder that while religion burns, the presence of God still rests on people and calls us all deeper into relationship, inviting us to ‘come and see.’ This Sunday we consider the resurrection of Jesus through the eyes of the world’s most famous skeptic, doubting Thomas. Following the resurrection Jesus goes out of his way to invite Thomas to approach him, inspect the evidence with his friends and to respond as he feels he should. This report shows us that Jesus is not about dogmatic beliefs, moralistic judgement or anything else that smacks of religion. Instead to Thomas, and to you and I, he simply says, ‘come and see.’ You are most welcome to join us on Good Friday at 9am and Easter Sunday, 6am at Wollongong Lighthouse and 10am at Wollongong Salvos. #WollongongSalvos #ComeAndSee #Easter2019
In good times and in bad times it’s powerful to stop and take the time to remember the good things God has done in your life. Watch this message from Rebecca as we look at the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and we contemplate what is going through the minds of his closest disciples. #ComeandSee #wollongongsalvos #Easter2019 #welovesundays
Through the encounter of Jesus with the woman and the well, we are encouraged to remember that God reaches out for connection with us. The cross was means that our need for a deep sense of love and belonging can be met. If you missed this message, you can catch up here. #welovesundays #comeandsee #Easter2019
A few months ago a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. Following surgery he is now working out what follow-up treatment he is going to require. This week was his first visit with a new oncologist and he was naturally a little anxious about it. In a social media post he quoted an inspirational text from the bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).” As inspirational as it is, as encouraging as it is, it also seems impossible. How is it that someone with cancer could not be anxious? How could someone with a brain tumour not be anxious? How could someone with a sick child in hospital not be anxious? How could a parent who’s child leaves home not be a little anxious? How could a student sitting an important exam not feel anxious? How is it that someone is supposed to be at peace in the middle of any and all situations? In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he claims to have found the secret of true peace in all situations. Fortunately for us, he doesn't keep the secret to himself, but explains the basic elements required to achieve that peace. For thousands of years believers have wrestled with these elements, and following Paul's advice they have found that same incredible sense of peace in all situations. Whatever your life story we would love for you to tune in as together we look at what Paul taught and attempt to find peace in all the crazy things we face. #wollongongsalvos #peace #cancer #philippians
What gives you hope for the future? Is it your education? Your family or social connections? Your religious piety? Your wealth? Watch this message from Rebecca as she brings to life Paul's letter to the Philippians in which he concludes that nothing but a relationship with Jesus brings true hope. #WeLoveSundays #Wollongongsalvos #TheGospelChangesEverything
Phil continued our series in Philippians on Sunday, reminding us that the 'Gospel Changes Everything' and that includes our minds. In Philippians 2 Paul tells us what it means to love each other - it takes having the same mind as Jesus, the same attitude of humility that he has. If you missed this message, check it out here.
“Church can, and should be about more than relationships, but it can’t be or do anything unless relationships are at its core.” Rebecca brings us an incredible message from Philippians 1. #wollongongsalvos #thegospelchangeseverything
I believe that frozen drinks (slurpees or slushies) are blessings from God and the best frozen drink is one that has been filled properly. A properly filled frozen drink is one that has been banged on the bench a few times so that the ice gets shaken and it settles down a bit so that the filler can add more. An even more properly filled frozen drink is one that has the dome-shaped cap put on first so that the cup can actually be filled over the top of the cup and into the dome. A frozen drink that has been pressed down, shaken up and filled to overflowing is brilliant!
This is what I think about when I read how Jesus describes God’s blessing for those who are generous. He says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." For people who develop a generous spirit, God doesn't just give regular blessings, ordinary good times, he gives extraordinary and overflowing blessings. Jesus says, if you are generous you will get more back out of life than you expect, more out of life than you would think was reasonable.
Too many of us however this doesn’t make sense. Our society is obsessed with wealth and possession. Advertisers pay money to try and convince us to purchase things. They imply that if we spend our money on ourselves, purchasing their product, then we will gain happiness and self-satisfaction. Advertising often encourages us to focus on ourselves and conclude that there is a lack of joy and happiness in our lives and if we truly want to find that self-satisfaction then we need to buy their product.
What Jesus teaches is paradoxical, it runs completely opposite to this advertising culture, but it's the truth. If we give, if we become extravagant in our generosity then we will find the happiness and satisfaction we truly desire. Giving is selfless, it draws our attention away from our selves and focusses it on God and others.
If someone was to ask me about my favourite movies, “Rocky” would definitely be in my top ten. Rocky is the story of a complete and utter underdog boxer from the streets of Philadelphia, who comes up against the reigning world champion Apollo Creed. No one gives Rocky a chance to get through the first round let alone “go the distance” with Apollo. It’s not the achievement of Rocky “going the distance” that stands out most to me, but it is his sheer determination, tenacity and perseverance. The fact that he battles not only the world number one but also his circumstances of being uneducated, unemployed and not given a shot by anyone only makes the feat more impressive. There are many times Rocky could have given up and thrown in the towel in the lead up and during the fight, but Rocky absorbs each blow and is determined to follow his passion and persevere through his circumstances. What are your circumstances today? Are you just about ready to throw in the towel or are you ready to get up and keep fighting? If we are looking for the perfect example of someone who never gave up in the midst of struggles you can’t go past Jesus. The Son of God had all the power and authority to live a life of comfort, but Jesus chose to be amongst the poor and needy. Jesus chose to go to the cross and take the sin of the world upon his shoulders in order to have a relationship with us for eternity. Jesus chose to be grateful and embrace the grind of what life has to offer in order to have a relationship with us. Are we willing to be grateful in the grind of life and push through our circumstances so that others may experience the love of Jesus too? Join us as we try and become more grateful in the grind. #welovesundays #wollongongsalvos #selfless
What do people say you always do? “He’s always late.” “She’s always on her phone.” “He’s always striking up conversations with strangers.” “They’re always whinging about something.” “He’s always at the gym.” “She’s always encouraging someone.” “They're always welcoming people. "She's always giving to somebody who's in need.” “He’s always talking about himself.” ”They’re always fussing about how they look.” “He’s always working.” People become known for what they do. What kind of things are you always doing? If someone were to describe your life using the phrases, “He's always”, “They’re always” or, “She's always”, what would they say about you? Who we are is, more often than not, is described by what we do. Acts 9:36 is a powerful verse of scripture that tells us what someone was "always doing”. It tells us, “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.” What a description! Tabitha was always doing good and helping the poor. For Tabitha, this meant that she made clothing to give to those who were struggling, and she would often serve widows in her community. Her ministry was evidently so important that when she died, God used Peter to raise her back from the dead; and a revival broke out in her community. Instead of “always” being self-promoting in attitude, or selfish, Tabitha was selfless; using what she had to make a difference in other people's lives. Her “always” had an impact. Who she was was seen in what she did. She was faithful in service. We may not all possess the skills required to make clothes like Tabitha, but all of us are called to be faithful in service. We are each invited to make our “always” positively impact our community and reveal more of the God in which we serve. Tune in to this message as we continue our ‘Selfless’ series and consider some biblical examples and what selfless, faithful service may look like today.
When I was about 10 years old my Sunday school teachers challenged us to invite a friend to Sunday school. We would even be rewarded with a prize if that friend actually came along.
This prize was necessary because there was no way I would normally invite someone to church. Just like most other people I was terrified of talking to people about God. I was terrified of inviting people to church. I was terrified of the response or reaction of my friends. What if they laughed at me? What if they got offended? What if they asked a question I couldn’t answer?
As it turns out, the promised prize was good enough that I gathered all the courage I could and I invited a couple of school mates to Sunday school. None of the things I feared actually happened and we all had a great time.
I’m not sure if we should offer a prize for inviting people to church but I’m still curious about what kind of incentive it would take to actually get adults to invite others to church? Why is it that people are afraid to talk about their spiritual experience? Why is it that people are hesitant to share their faith story? Why is it that so many of us lack a little boldness when it comes to our faith?
Join us as we consider the boldness of the first followers of Jesus and how that boldness naturally develops in all believers. #selfless #bold #wollongongsalvos
Admittedly, I am a bit of a nerd. I love to learn. I love books, new facts, theories and ideas. I loved studying Commerce at Uni when I finished school, and I have absolutely loved studying Theology and learning more about God, His Word and Christian Leadership over the last 5 years while completing my Masters. Okay, so I don't really love the pressure of completing assessment tasks so much, but gaining knowledge does just fuel me. The only concern with my love of learning is that I could spend the rest of my life reading and absorbing everything, but doing nothing.
One of the most important things we can pursue in life is wisdom. This truth is a key theme of the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Knowledge is what we know, but wisdom is what we do. At some point we need to simply obey what we know to be true. We can research an issue for so long that we begin to suffer from the paralysis of analysis. Life comes without guarantees, and usually over-thinking and over-researching does not bring any progress in our life. For this reason, Solomon says, “There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you.” Ecclesiastes 12:12-13(MSG)
Wise counsel, sufficient resources, relational support, and even knowledge are of no help to me if I don’t fear God. Scripture emphasises that we should not be afraid of God, but that we should fear him. To fear the Lord is to consider God above everything and everyone else. To fear the Lord is to do what is right in God’s eyes, even if it means that the outcome will likely not be in our best interest.
The truth is that our lives are driven by fear. The question is not if we will fear, but who we will fear. Join us as we conclude our series, ‘Satisfied’ and consider how to live the obedient life God intended for us. #satisfied #wollongongsalvos #welovesundays
A few years ago I fell off my mountain bike and hurt my shoulder. This was not an unusual occurrence but this time my shoulder still felt painful a few days later and I had to go to a doctor to get it checked out. I asked the doctor why I didn’t recover from this injury like I had plenty of times before. His response was brutal, “you’re getting older.” Apparently my body isn’t as flexible as it was. My joints aren’t as smooth, my bones are not as strong, my muscles are not as quick and my eyesight is not as good. This came as quite a shock, getting older was something that happened to other people! This injury, and the doctor's blunt diagnosis, really brought home the truth. Suddenly I found that I could really relate to Terry Pratchett who wrote that inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened. What about you? At what point did you realise that you were actually getting old, or was it something you have always been aware of? How did you feel when the doctor (or whatever) made you realise that you were getting older? I think it's especially a shock because we live in a culture that celebrates youth. It seems like a vast majority of advertising is aimed at a younger audience, a majority of people featured on radio and television are young and certainly the majority of social media stars are young. Some Youtube and Twitch streaming video stars don't even seem to have finished high school! When we are no longer a part of this celebrated bunch of people it's easy to feel a sense of loss and perhaps even regret. If you had the opportunity what would you say to your younger self? What advice would you offer? What warnings would you give? What encouragement would you bequeath?
I am most definitely, most unequivocally, a people pleaser. I want people to like me. Not just people I know and like, but everyone. I want people to think and speak well of me. I have fallen into the trap way too many times, of doing or not doing something, saying or not saying something, wearing something or looking a certain way, in order to win the approval of others. This label doesn’t define me as accurately in the last decade of my life as it did for the first three decades. I am, perhaps, what could be called a ‘recovering people pleaser’. Experience has shown me that being a people pleaser isn’t beneficial to my life or ministry. It means I base my value on other people’s perceptions of me. Sometimes I say, “Yes,” when I should yell, “No!” and I don’t always make the best decisions. In fact, I think it’s pretty rare to meet a person who hasn’t struggled with people pleasing at some point. It’s a survival tactic. It’s how many of us have learned to thrive in a world that is highly relational and inter-connected. At the same time, you’d be hard pressed to find a people pleaser who hasn’t suffered the consequences of the tendency. Focusing too much on what other people think, feel or need, without considering our own thoughts or feelings, can lead to helplessness, depression, frustration and insecurity. The most unfortunate outcome of my desire to please others has been when it reroutes my day from the ultimate goal of pleasing God and obeying him. Pleasing those we love is rewarding, and this may not be wrong in and of itself. But pleasing God is a higher calling and much more fulfilling. We are headed for trouble when our desire to please people and gain their approval becomes as important as pleasing God and sensing His approval. Solomon warns us in Ecclesiastes 7:21, “Do not pay attention to every word people say.” The phenomenon of seeking approval from the voices of people is clearly not a new thing. Even thousands of years ago, Solomon knew what it was like to live for the opinions of others and he knew that it was as meaningless as chasing after the wind, because it didn’t last.
I have long admired my neighbour’s lawn. It is completely free of weeds, it’s lush and it’s very green. I really wanted my lawn to be just as lush and green. One day, a couple of weeks ago, he had connected up his hose to a brand new bottle of liquid lawn food and left it out as he went to get something from Bunnings. Now, our neighbours lawn is just across the driveway from mine, just a couple of metres. It was so tempting to quickly grab his hose and water my not-so-green lawn with his ‘Weed & Feed’. I wouldn’t even have to cross the driveway, I could cover my whole lawn from where he left it. I didn’t steal his lawn food, but reflecting on that moment showed me how subtle and powerful the feeling of envy can be. Ever since Shakespeare coined the phrase “green with jealousy,” people have associated the colour green with the feeling of envy. Envy is the desire to acquire what other people have. From ancient times the colour green also indicated sickness. This is why Shakespeare used it to describe the state of jealousy or envy. When we are caught in a storm of envy or jealousy it is as though we are sick. Different parts of our minds and bodies cease to function, other parts over-function and life becomes very, very difficult. Our minds become preoccupied with that thing that we are afraid of losing, or that thing that we desperately want. Not surprisingly The Teacher in Ecclesiastes points out that all of this is meaningless. Pointless. Grabbing smoke. Instead, he teaches us a better way.
I’m not really a fan of winter. I don’t like to be cold. I can’t do so many things I love to do when it’s winter. The beach isn’t as fun in winter, and it’s often dark and rainy and cold. I struggle to feel as happy in winter as I do in summer. I can be a bit sulky as winter approaches because I feel like the best part of the year is over, and I grieve the loss of the warmth. This time last year I left the comforts of lazy days reading my book on the beach to fly to New York. I arrived just before they closed JFK airport for 2 days due to a ‘bomb cyclone’ (a fancy name for an intense winter snow storm) and -17℃ temperatures. I knew New York would be cold, but this was ridiculous. I wanted to be back at the beach, swimming in the ocean and walking along rock pools at sunset. This was so far from my current reality. However, it actually didn’t take me too long to embrace the conditions. I rugged up in so many clothes that it was hard to move. I made my first snow man, my first snow angel, threw snowballs at my friend, went ice-skating in Central Park. I even had fun shovelling snow from the driveway. There was no way I was going to place myself in this type of weather again, so I decided to make the most of the uniqueness of that season. Weather patterns generally take the form of four seasons. But in our lives, there are dozens of different seasons, each involving good and bad. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” God can take even the bad things and, in the proper season, turn them around and use them for good in the way He intends. We may be going through a season that is not beautiful. Our finances may look ugly. Our health may look ugly. Our marriage or a friendship look ugly. Our future might even look ugly. Just as God determines the weather, He also controls the seasons in our lives. Do we resist those seasons and complain about the ‘snowy’ conditions on the horizon? Or do we trust God and thank Him for whatever He has planned for us? Ecclesiastes reminds us that if we’re following God’s will, if we’re trying to live life the way God wants us to live, we’ll eventually see that these experiences can have purpose and value. There’s a time and season for everything.
As 2018 draws to a close it’s natural for you to look back and reflect on the year that has been. As you do, ask yourself about your level of satisfaction. On a scale of one to ten how satisfied are you with your family, your job, your age or your social life? How can you increase your level of satisfaction in the year to come? Satisfaction is the focus of the wisdom of ‘the Teacher’ contained in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Following years of trial and error the Teacher has a lot to say about finding real satisfaction. He finds that a satisfying life comes from sinking yourself into things that really matter. Our level of satisfaction takes a nose-dive when we are distracted from what really matters. It’s good practice to regularly stop and assess our level of satisfaction and adjust our goals and plans accordingly. Join us at 10am on Sunday mornings at Wollongong Salvos as we build the wisdom of the Teacher into our lives in preparation for a satisfying 2019. #welovesundays #satisfaction #wollongongsalvos
Heres the link to the video about the Book of Ecclesiastes referred to in this message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeUiuSK81-0
One of my favourite youth group traditions is our annual Secret Santa. Each year at our Christmas break up, we each purchase a present worth $5 and gift it to someone else in the group. Some years we’ve bought for a specific person, and others we’ve bought generic gifts to be used in a game where you get to pick gifts, trade them and steal them from others. It’s always a hilarious and chaotic time because most of us get competitive with our gift giving and receiving. Some kids are really into it and pick funny, thoughtful gifts. Others completely miss the point and buy something thoughtless or irrelevant (which is still funny most of the time). This time at youth is always fun, but it’s also a mini glimpse into the reality of Christmas. Obviously a big part of the Christmas season is giving. We exchange gifts with family, friends, co-workers and often we make an annual contribution toward our favourite charity. But sometimes our giving can get caught up in materialism, competition, or just become a thoughtless obligation. Our lives are so full that meaningful giving is often lost at this time of year because we just don’t have the space to make it happen. So how do we make sure we’re truly giving the way Jesus would want in this season? After the birth of Jesus, Magi came from afar to visit Jesus. Not only did they present him with gifts, but they bowed down and worshipped him. These men gave their time, valuable possessions and their worship to Jesus. Their gifts were not given out of obligation or competition; they were given to honour the king and reveal his value. These gifts expressed the joy of the wise men at the coming of the promised Messiah. One more sentence to tie this in.
As an adult, I have moved house 9 times in 21 years. Prior to adulthood I lived in another 10 houses. In January, I will celebrate the longest time I’ve ever lived in one house in my whole life - over 5 years! While there are so many things I do not like about moving house fairly regularly, one thing I appreciate is the regular chance to de-clutter. I’m not a big fan of clutter. You see, every time I move, I have to make a decision about every item I own. Do I want an item enough to assemble a box, put the item inside the box, seal the box and move it to a place where the removalists will then take the box, put it on a truck, take it out of the truck at my new home, where I will then take the box, unpack the item, find somewhere to keep it, get rid of the box, all to do the same process a few years later? Do I need/want the item that much? Turns out, for most stuff, no, I do not. When you have to move, you start to prioritise what you really want, and what is clutter. There are lots of useful things you could keep, but few are really essential. In this crazy time of the year we can get overloaded, and unless we’re intentional, we tend to keep and get lost in the clutter. As we workout our Christmas schedule, it seems logical that our priorities should line up with Jesus’, the one whom we’re celebrating. As we look at his life, we discover very quickly that humbly serving was near the top of his list. In fact, the bible says that Jesus’ whole purpose in coming to earth was to serve. “The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve. The Son of Man came to give his life to save many people.” (Mark 10:45) If we want to follow Jesus, we need to make room for serving this Christmas, and always.
I think we all know someone who could be described as a hoarder. I have them in my extended family. You can easily tell if a person is a hoarder because they will have a lot (a real lot) of stuff. Now it's not that hoarders collect things, everyone collects things. It's that hoarders don't let things go. Things that most people would throw out, they keep. Things that most people would give away, they put in cupboards. Things that most people would sell on eBay, they store under the bed. Eventually cupboards, rooms and houses get really, really cluttered and important things get lost. I think that for many of us the Christmas season itself has become cluttered. Our credit cards are maxed out, our wallets are empty, our calendars are full of events, reminders and deadlines. But somewhere amidst the toys, and decorating, the wrapping paper and visits from Santa, there is a divine story about the birth of a baby boy. Somewhere amidst the fancy office parties, carolling engagements, gingerbread decorating and cinnamon spiced lattes there are important relationships, principles and blessings. All the clutter of Christmas puts us at risk of losing what really matters most. Perhaps the most obvious result of the clutter of Christmas is the strain that starts to form in relationships.
While musicians are touring or actors are on set, they will often have a rider - a list of extras they expect to receive for their performances. Usually, riders include a list of items to be left in their dressing room including food and beverages. Generally, the more fame a person gains, the more ridiculous their demands become. On their 1982 tour, Van Halen’s rider insisted on bowls of M&M’s with all the brown ones removed. David Hasselhoff requires a life-size cutout of himself set up backstage. Brittany Spears requests McDonalds cheeseburgers with no buns, and Jenifer Lopez demands that every single thing in her dressing room be white - the chairs, the curtains, the carpet - everything. The craziest part is, these demands are met! These celebrities have such a high opinion of themselves that they demand whatever they want and expect other people to make it happen. It’s all about them and meeting their every need because they hold the power. They want to be served, because they are the most important. Most of us can’t imagine demanding people serve us in this way, but we can easily get caught up in that, ‘All about me’ mindset. We can be quick to trample over those who are beneath us, and push people out of the way as we climb towards the top. Ancient Rome, not unlike today, was a society where a small minority at the top held all the power and control, and didn’t care much for those who were at the bottom. It was all about climbing the ladder and making yourself more important. But Jesus came to show us a different way of living. He entered the world in the position of a servant. He didn’t demand power, he didn’t exploit people because he was in a position of authority, in fact, he made himself nothing. He poured himself out for people and showed us that what is required from Christ-followers is a posture of humility and an attitude of service. Not so that we can get ahead or elevate ourselves, but that we might live lives that put others first and be satisfied, because our identities lie in who God is, rather than the position we hold in the world.
When my brother and sister-in-law were married in the Philippines a few years ago, we travelled there for the wedding and to meet our new extended family. The first time I met my brother’s Filipino nieces, I was overwhelmed with their love and affection as they took my hand placed it on their forehead whispering, “Mano po”. The word ‘mano’ is Spanish for ‘hand’, and the word ‘po’ is often used in Filipino culture at the end of each sentence as a sign of respect when addressing an older person. This is a beautiful, physical gesture of honour that children are expected to perform towards adult relatives and adult family friends. Failure to do this in Filipino culture would be considered dishonouring, so experiencing this gesture made me wonder what we do in Australia to honour people. I couldn’t think of much. Actually, I think it’s fair to say that we've become a culture that is primarily without honour. Even in cultures where honouring is valued, generally those who are showed honour are elders, family, people in authority, and those we decide, due to position or performance, are deserving of honour. If someone is the right person, believes the right things or behaves the right way, we consider them worthy of honour. Conversely, if one does not believe the right things or behave the right way, they may be shamed, rather than honoured. This week, we consider what the Bible teaches about honouring everybody, always. Honour is a declaration of the inherent value others have as image-bearers of God. We honour one another because we have been honoured. Honour is central to who God is and what he does, therefore it should be central to the life of every Christian.
One of Jesus closest and most outspoken followers once asked him, “how many times should I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven times?” Jesus responded, “Seven?! Nope, try, seventy times seven.” Jesus might as well have simply said, "forgive everyone always." But, this just can’t seem right, can it? If someone hurts us surely we have the right to feel angry and upset? Surely we have the right to expect an apology, at least?
“You can’t sit with us!” Most teenagers or twenty-somethings would recognise this line from the 2004 comedy, Mean Girls. The movie is an over-dramatised description of high school social cliques and the damaging effects they can have on teenagers. This moment in the movie happens when one of the popular girls breaks a cardinal fashion rule and turns up to the group’s lunch time hang out in track pants. This moment is meant to make us laugh - it’s rare in real life for anyone to be that blunt, but it’s also there to remind us of how ridiculous it looks when we exclude people because we don’t like their track pants. Sometimes, the world looks far too similar to the Mean Girls cafeteria. People only interacting with those who share the same beliefs or ethnicity or sexual orientation. This might be ok for those who are on the inside, it might be ok for the world to be unwelcoming and exclusive. But it’s not ok for the church. The church is called to welcome everyone, always. Why? Because Christ first welcomed us. There should be no, “You can’t sit with us!” moments in the life of the church because we are fully aware that each one of us is made in the image of God. Christians have a call and responsibility to welcome all people, especially those who are strangers and outsiders. Welcoming is more than just a warm feeling; it takes courage and open-mindedness to walk alongside people who are different than us, but often when we do we realise we are not so different after all. When we become more welcoming people, we not only help the people around us to feel accepted and valuable, but we grow in character and our lives become richer.
Dr Arseny Ermakov unpacks what it means to ‘include the excluded’ in part three of our Kingdom Come series.
Phil Inglis brings us part two of our Kingdom Come series and we ask ourselves, what exactly is our motivation for getting involved in the mission of God, is it duty or beauty that drives us. #welovesundays #wollongongongsalvos #kingdomcome
I love tools. Whether it's a hammer, a sewing machine, or even a computer, I love the precision engineering and sheer usefulness of well made tools. With tools, I can build things, repair things, paint things, make things, remodel things and design things in far quicker, more efficient and effective ways. There’s a children’s TV show in which a handyman has a bunch of tools that can talk. The builder knows what to do and how to do it, and he asks the tools to help; he shows them what needs to be done and he encourages them as they work together to achieve great things. We believe that God is continually at work in the world. We believe that God is on a mission to restore harmony, peace and prosperity to all living things. Before The Salvation Army was called 'The Salvation Army' it was 'The Christian Mission'. Our whole reason for existence is to participate in God’s great mission. We believe that we have been asked to get involved in God’s great mission, to be used as tools by God as he creates and re-creates the universe. The question we have to ask ourselves is, "HOW?" How does God want to use people? How does God want to change the world? How willing are we to be used to bring about that change? Over the next 7 weeks we will unpack these questions. We will look at what God is trying to achieve, what God wants to do, and how we are asked to get involved in his mission here on earth. Join us at 10am on Sunday as we launch our new series, 'Kingdom Come'.
I wonder if you’ve ever paid attention to bugs mindlessly flying into a ‘bug zapper’. You know, one of those contraptions people often have hanging in outdoor entertainment areas to prevent flies and mosquitoes from congregating around food and people. The gadget attracts insects with its light, only to sizzle them when they get too close. If you watch for an extended period of time, you will see bug after bug flying towards the light and being zapped from existence. You would think that an approaching bug might observe the tray underneath the zapping light filled with hundreds of dead bugs and wonder, “Is this really a good idea?” Only a bug could possibly be that dense, right? Only a bug would go flying into the same trap that killed countless other bugs, right? Well, what about the glowing light of temptation that the evil one places in front of human beings? Over and over we hear of people who fall into temptations that devastate their lives, destroy their families and end their careers. Perhaps, more commonly, temptation comes in a subtle or hidden form but is just as destructive to the inner self. One thing is certain, temptation is everywhere. The Bible makes us aware that we have an enemy that draws us into sin. Scripture not only warns us about temptation, but provides us with tools to resist the lure. It’s important for us, as Christ-followers, to be aware of the temptations of this world and to understand how we can resist with God’s help. Fleeing temptation begins with praying this final phrase of The Lords Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Suppose you borrowed money to buy a house. Who is responsible for paying that money back? You are. It’s a simple rule of society, You owe, you pay. You are the debtor, you owe the bank and you are responsible for repayments. Many people live under the financial burden of such a debt and it can have a detrimental impact on their state of mind. It is no surprise that financial pressure is one of the most common reasons why marriages fail. The truth is, there is no simple way of dealing with financial debt. You could try talking to your bank to reschedule your repayments and you could review your own spending habits but in the end the debt has to be repaid. Sadly the only real option is to slog away at it and pay the debt back as soon as you can. In his teaching on prayer, Jesus talks about a different kind of debt that we run up with our sin and moral failures. When we fail another person, or when we fail God, we add to the weight of shame in our lives. Just as a mortgage can be a burdensome financial pressure on your life, so too can the shame burdens of moral failures. Unfortunately this kind of burden cannot simply be removed by arranging a direct debit or handing over a pile of cash. The burden has to be dealt with in another way. It has to be forgiven.
Can you picture this? A teenage girl stands at her open wardrobe, packed floor to ceiling with shirts, pants, dresses, shoes, jumpers, jackets and everything in-between. Her eyes scan back and forth, up and down. She pushes clothes on hangers left and right, looking for something, anything, that suits her fancy. Her face is locked in an expression bordering on disappointment, disgust and frustration. Then she says it. While standing in front of a wall of clothes that could dress a medium-sized village of people, she cries out, "I don't have anything to wear!" I have to admit that I'm like this sometimes, except not with clothes, with food. I can spend minutes rummaging around in the pantry, or the fridge looking for a snack. Sometimes I go away and do something else because I can't find something and then I come back again, trying to find that elusive snack. It doesn't matter that there are boxes of cereal, biscuits and other things in the pantry, or eggs, cheese, bread and other things in the fridge. I've been known to say in an exasperated tone, "Why is there nothing to eat in this house?!" Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." It's annoying to watch a teenager complain that they have nothing to wear when they have so much and I am sure it's annoying to my wife when I complain that there is nothing to eat in the house, when clearly there is plenty. The truth is, we have everything that we need, but because we spend so much of our time comparing and contrasting ourselves to people around us, we find ourselves wanting more and more of what we don't actually need. How do we deal with the feeling of not having enough, or not being enough?
I find so many things in our world surprising. For example, cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads before they die of hunger. People spend more time sitting on the toilet each week than they do exercising. Apparently, we end up spending 1.4 years on the toilet during a lifetime? It’s pretty surprising to me that vending machines kill more people than sharks, and that the total weight of all the ants on earth is comparable to the total weight of all the humans on the planet.
More seriously, it surprises me that in our world today, even though there is enough food produced worldwide to provide everyone with an adequate diet, nearly 854 million people, or 1 in 7, still go hungry. It is shocking that today 165 million people are suffering from childhood malnutrition. It’s almost unfathomable that more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet. These facts should surprise and shock us.
What should not surprise those who are Jesus followers, is that we suffer and are persecuted for our faith. Christians are called to be different, to be holy, to stand out, and so Peter tells early Christians, “Don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire.” (1 Peter 4:12) Earlier, Jesus explained to his disciples that they too should expect opposition and persecution from the world. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that they hated me first… if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:18,20)
“God’s calling me to be a missionary.” “I’m called to be a teacher.” “I’m called to be an officer.” “God is calling me to _______” When I was a kid, I was fairly convinced that I needed to ‘discover God’s call on my life’. To be honest, I’m not even really sure what that means. Somehow, I’d misunderstood the concept of calling, and believed it to mean something incredibly narrow. I was anticipating an audible voice of God that would reveal to me my life’s purpose. If I didn’t hear it, well, perhaps I wasn’t one of those ‘called’ people and I could just choose for myself the direction my life should go. Reading through the book of 1 Peter, we see that he uses the words call, calling, or called, over and over again. When Peter uses these words, they are not in reference to an occupation or career, but a different way of life. A call to a different standard of living, every single day. A call to live holy, from our God who is holy. As it turns out, I do believe I’m called to be an officer, but that calling is temporary in the scheme of eternity. What matters more is how I live out everyday. ‘An exemplary life’, as Peter puts it, is what I am called to live as a follower of Christ. Do you want confirmation on what you believe to be God’s call on your life? Then start living out his call to a relationship with him, to a better way of living, to a life of holiness. The reality is, if we don’t understand our daily call to a different standard, we will never grasp our temporary call to an assignment.
When my three children were young, we travelled as a family for a month throughout Southeast Asia. Everywhere we went, people would stare at Bradley, Chloe and Emily, and some would even try to touch them. People were fascinated by them and they became the centre of attention so often because they were so different; they stood out. People would “Ooo” and “Ahhh” at them, in awe of their baby blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes, which screamed that they were foreigners. It was obvious they were not Asian, they did not belong there and they certainly did not fit in. When the Apostle Peter was writing to a group of people that were severely persecuted in the First Century, he told them to live out their time on earth as ‘foreigners’ in reverent fear (1 Peter 1:17). Other translations say ‘temporary residents’ or ‘strangers.’ Peter, inspiring hope, reminds his readers again and again that this world was not their home; they were just passing through, they were sojourners. This world is not our home either. Peter reminds us that as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven we are foreigners here on earth and therefore we will stand out. If you're a follower of Jesus, you're called to be different. You'll have different values, different passions, different uses of your time and different uses of your resources. You'll be different as a parent, you'll be different as a spouse, you'll be different in the way that you work. The result of a different life driven by faith should be that people are fascinated by you.
It may not always be obvious, but Christians are called to be different. Not just any kind of different, a special kind of different that the bible calls ‘HOLY.’ It's the same kind of different that God is. It’s not always easy trying to be holy. Trying to be different like God is difficult, because life itself is often not predictable. Almost from the moment you take your first breath life is challenging: going to school, navigating relationships, building a career, growing a family. All of these things add challenges and complications to life. Then add life’s more unpredictable events: being laid-off at work, having a car breakdown, being evicted from your home, flood, bushfire, divorce, the death of family members and friends. It doesn’t take long to figure out that life comes with some very traumatic challenges and trials. But if we read the scriptures and listen to the teachings of Jesus, we know that we are called to be holy in the face of these trials. We are called to be different, just like God is different, when we are confronted with trauma and pain. This week Phil is going to launch a brand new message series, walking through the New Testament book of 1 Peter. We will consider and try to better understand that when trials come, we are called to stand strong in our faith and be different.
When we are young we often develop quite separate worlds, for instance one when we are at school and another when we are at home. On occasions those worlds meet; parent teacher nights, birthday parties or perhaps a parent volunteering in the school canteen. When I went to high school, this meeting of worlds went to a whole new level. My father was a teacher at my high school, he was always there. My friends all wondered what it was like and actually thought it must have been terrible and hard and awkward all the time. It wasn’t. It was actually pretty great.
In the Bible we see something similar. For millennia humans had considered God to be resident in some temple or other place of worship. There were specific places and times when people would go to meet with God. There appeared to be one world for God and one for humanity, with only occasional times and places when the two would overlap. When Jesus ascended to heaven, everything changed. In Acts 2 we read the incredible story of God coming to live in ALL people as the Holy Spirit. Not just occasionally, not in specific places, not just in the person of Jesus, but in all people, all the time. Some people might think that makes life terrible, hard and awkward all the time. It wasn’t. It is actually pretty great.
Tune in as we talk about what the Holy Spirit brings to the lives of all believers.
A young man was struggling in his faith and found himself drifting in his doubts. Seeking advice, he went to see a wise older man who lived in a cottage with a coal fire. The two men the young man’s troubles, and as they did the older man got up and walked over to the fire. With his tongs, he reached in and took a red-hot coal out of the fire and placed it on the hearth. He watched the coal transform from red-hot to black and cool. When the young man finished speaking, the wise old man picked up his tongs once again and put the coal back into the fire. Within a few minutes the coal was red-hot again. He didn’t need to say a thing. The young man left knowing exactly why his faith had gone dull.
There seems to be a trend in western society of people who are saying goodbye to the local church. We’ve heard statistics of those who leave because they no longer believe or they are no longer engaged. But, surprisingly, others leave because they say they want more of God in their lives and the church just isn’t doing it for them. Often, their disenchantment with the Church is legitimate. But we have to ask, would Jesus, the Head of the Church, favour a churchless Christianity? Many who are disillusioned with the Church today romanticise the early church, not realising how broken things were then as well. Take Corinth, for example. As the most prominently represented New Testament church, Corinth was a dysfunctional mess. But Paul never gave up on Corinth. Instead of walking away, he pressed in. He knew why the church existed, and he believed in what it could be.
There is no such thing as a perfect local church. But the impact of being part of a local church is transformative. It’s where we live in community with other believers; where we belong; where we work together. The church is where we grow, recharge and reignite our faith. It’s where we be Jesus, together. In this message we wrap up our ‘Foundations’ series by answering the question, “What about the church?” Tune in as we we’re reminded of why the church really matters.
Dr Richard Casdorph is an experienced doctor and medical researcher. He has published more than eighty research papers in his career that has spanned almost six decades, and has earned the respect of his fellow doctors. In the 1970’s he undertook a research project with a difference, interviewing ten people who claimed to have been miraculously healed of serious conditions. He examined all the case histories – X-rays, medical reports, treatment plans, etc – and also submitted them to medical specialists for review. In all ten cases, the evidence showed that an unusual healing had taken place after the patient received prayer for healing. Dr Casdorph reflected, “There is no natural or medical explanation that I can give. I can only categorise these healings as miraculous.”
There is documented medical evidence of unusual medical recoveries after prayer for healing. However, most of us have known and loved someone who despite prayers for healing, has not been healed. Someone who suffered with illness for decades, or who died much earlier than we believe they should have. So which is it? Does God heal today, as He did through Jesus, when He walked on this earth? Some people are skeptical, some would like to believe it but are not really sure.
Tune in as we continue our ‘Foundations’ series and attempt to answer the question, ‘Does God heal today?' And the brief answer is yes! Join us as we consider healing in the Bible, in the early Church and why and how we should pray for healing today.
Last Wednesday, ANZAC Day, Salvation Army personnel marched proudly in their dress uniforms. On the lapels of this uniform are two metal letter S’s. It is often assumed that these S’s stand for ‘Salvation' which is not the case. As I grew up in the Salvos, I was taught that these two letter S’s stood for ‘Saved’ and ‘Serve’. They are reminders to the wearer that they are saved by God for the purpose of serving others. In actual fact, there is some controversy over these S’s. Some were taught, and believe quite strongly, that they mean ‘Saved’ to ‘Save’.
In a regional meeting last Sunday night, the national leader of the Salvation Army pointed out that even though there is debate over the exact words represented, what we do know is that they certainly don’t mean ‘Saved’ to ‘Sit’.
The Salvation Army is a movement called and equipped to spread the message of Jesus, bringing hope, love and life to our families, our city, our nation and our world. The key question we have to answer is exactly how and why we should do this?
Tune in as we explore why and how we should tell others.
On March 13, 1996, Thomas Hamilton, aged 43, entered a primary school gym in Dunblane and opened fire on a class of five and six-year-olds. Sixteen children and their teacher were killed; seventeen other children and teachers were wounded. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. When addressing the media that day the principal said, “Evil has visited our school.” I think he was right, but what exactly is ‘evil’? Can it be resisted? Can it be overcome?
In our society there’s an increasing interest in the demonic — in occult powers, witchcraft, spiritualism, palm-reading, ouija boards, channelling, consulting the dead, astrology, horoscopes. These are things that are expressly warned against in the Bible, and labelled as ‘evil’. Christians are called not to focus on these things, but on God.
At the same time we know evil exists; we see it and we should believe in it. The apostle Paul believed in the existence of evil and instructed, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Romans 12:21) Jesus himself was tempted by the devil. He believed in the existence of evil and taught his disciples to pray ‘deliver us from the evil one’.
The key to resisting the devil is to sincerely and consistently draw near and remain close to God. James 4:7 instructs, ‘Submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.’ Submission is about who we ‘fall in line’ with. Instead of an unhealthy focus and obsession with evil, submission to God results in resisting the devil because we cannot serve two masters.
Tune in as we continue our ‘Foundations’ series, exploring what it takes to resist evil.
Earlier this year, Christian aid organisation Tearfund commissioned a poll to discover who still prays in the UK in 2018. The results were fascinating, revealing that just over half of all adults in the UK pray. The study also found that one in five adults, despite saying they are not religious, still pray. Family tops the list of prayer subjects at 71%, followed by thanking God (42%), praying for healing (40%) and for friends (40%). Among the non-religious, personal crisis and desperation tends to be what prompts most people to pray with 24% of respondents saying it was a “last resort”. Despite people’s understanding of what prayer is, there is something interesting in these statistics. There’s something in us, as human beings, that longs to be connected to something greater. People, despite their religious standing, still want to reach out to a loving God and be heard. What many people tend to lose sight of, however, is that prayer is all about relationship. It’s recognition of where we sit in relationship with God and it is the communication that enables this relationship to flourish. Prayer isn’t a list of requests or about finding a solution to our problems. It is about pursuing an intimate relationship with the Father. As we continue looking at the foundational elements of our Christian faith, it becomes evident that prayer is one of the most important activities of our lives. In order to grow in relationship with God, we must understand what prayer is, why we should pray and how we can develop a vibrant prayer life that is consistent and thriving.
The Bible is the world’s best selling book. It is so popular that it isn’t even included on the bestselling lists because it would be at the top of the list every week, every month and every year.
This may come as a surprise to some. It appears that science and the Bible are in conflict and as our society has a deep passion for science and technology, surely science is dominating? So, if its' battle for relevance and attention has been lost, why is the Bible still a best-selling book?
The reality is science and faith should not be in conflict. Albert Einstein once said, “A legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist. Religion without science is blind and science without religion is lame.” Both are required to develop a holistic understanding of reality. In simple terms it has been said that science answers the questions “how?” and “when?” On the other hand, faith answers the questions “who?” and “why?”
So if the Bible contains a whole realm of vital knowledge not explored in our scientific culture, how do we go about reading it? How do we get the most out of it? Tune in as we talk further about how and why we should read the Bible.
There are so many things we think we are sure of; things we are certain about. We are sure that the sun will come out tomorrow, that the plane we board will actually take off, and that the earth is round (well, most people are sure of this). For almost 3 years, I was sure I was a great parent. While my friends complained about their babies continual resistance to sleep, my child slept well, was in a great routine and was fairly predictable. Parenting was simply about following the advice of the ‘expert’ books and being consistent. I was sure of this. That is, until my next children arrived, who did not seem to know what the books said, or care. Despite my efforts to be consistent, my girls had minds of their own, which apparently needed very, very little rest.
A few years ago, Oprah Winfrey wrote a book, ‘What I Know for Sure,’ where she shared her insights and revelations about life. Number 17 on her list of things she knows for sure was, “Being a mother is the hardest job on earth.” While I am no longer am sure I’m a great parent, I can confirm, for sure, Oprah’s insight. While parenting is a priority, much higher on my list of things I am sure about is the one in whom I place my faith.
This Easter weekend we’ll be considering why Jesus had to die and how we can be sure of our faith. 2 Peter 1 tells us that we have been given everything we need for life in relationship with God through our knowledge of God - not by some irrational or unreasonable belief. Verse 5 says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith…knowledge.” Real faith is not some blind leap, but rather a conviction built and developed on knowledge. In fact, faith without knowledge will ultimately be perverted, abused, and misused. Faith, founded in fact, becomes knowledge, and as we step into faith, our experience affirms this, giving us assurance.
Tune in as we celebrate the risen Christ and consider the secure foundation upon which we build our faith.
As crazy as it sounds, Jesus of Nazareth was divine. God in human form. So why did he have to die? Throughout history people have asked this question and they use many different analogies to try and answer the question Why? Some speak of Jesus death being a Ransom, or paying a penalty. Some speak of it being a battle and some speak of it as a sacrifice. Tune in as we explore the question "Why did Jesus die?"
I’m not a huge fan of reality TV. A fact that has only been confirmed after the rise in popularity of one particularly ridiculous program called ‘Married at First Sight.’ This program comes with the tagline, ‘Australia’s most controversial social experiment’. The basis of the show is that two people, who are searching for a relationship, are matched up by ‘relationship experts’ and meet for the first time (ever!) at the altar. They participate in a commitment ceremony (as Australia marriage laws do not allow for ‘on the spot’ legally binding ceremonies) and stay together for a month before deciding whether to remain together or part ways. Neither person has any idea about the personality, core values or physical appearance of the person they’re about to marry. They’re completely blind until the bride walks down the aisle, at which point a change of heart is too late. To me, that sounds totally crazy!
Some people see becoming a Christian as merely a blind leap of faith. The type of faith that might be needed to trust a group of total strangers to pick your future spouse. There is of course a step of faith required, however, it is not blind. It’s a step based on firm historical evidence. Most serious historians would acknowledge the existence of Jesus. There is also a great deal of evidence that supports the Christian contention that Jesus was and is the unique Son of God who came to save humanity.
Tune in for this Palm Sunday message, as we continue our series ‘Foundations’, exploring the central truths of the Christian faith by asking ourselves another key question - ‘Who is Jesus?’
I say I love a lot of things. I love coffee, I love my husband, I love the beach, I love my kids, I love eating, I love walking and I love the local church. Love has become a very basic way to describe how we feel about something or someone. The problem is, while I ‘love’ burgers, I wouldn’t lay down my life for them like I would for my kids. It’s not the same thing. Real love doesn’t mean the warm, fuzzy feelings we get when we enjoy something. It’s not simply about our belongings, places or people that bring us delight in life. Real love is about commitment, steadfastness and being faithful no matter the cost. Real love is often very, very hard.
The Salvos national vision to ‘transform Australia one life at a time, with the love of Jesus’ is a radical statement. The ‘love of Jesus’ is not easy. The love of Jesus meant he drew near and engaged with people in a way that transformed them. He healed and restored them to their communities; he forgave them; he set them free from their addictions; he treated them with dignity and significance. He challenged the religious and political authorities. He gave up his life for the sake of others – for us. This is what real love is all about.
Tune in as we explore the final part of our National Vision, and consider some practical ways to continue living out this vision at Wollongong Salvos.
A friend of mine celebrated his sixtieth wedding anniversary last week and he talked warmly about the way his life has been transformed because of the relationship he has developed with his wife. Initially, his diet changed, his spending habits changed, his sleeping habits changed, and his sense of fashion changed. All these changes were remarkable, but over the longer term, he has seen many more significant changes in his inner-self. He felt different about himself and the way he interacted with the world. His relationships with other people changed, he became less aggressive and less anxious, more accepting and more loving.
Actor Peter Scolari said this about marriage, “The reality of getting married, it really changed things into something beautiful. There was transformation.” If a marriage relationship brings about transformation, then how much more does a relationship with the God of the universe?
This week we look at the transformation that happens in one unlikely man’s life after Jesus personally invites him to become one of his disciples.
Tune in as we unpack the fourth line of our new national vision statement, “Transforming Australia one life at a time.”
Last Sunday night, in the torrential rain, I went and saw Sydney FC defeat the Western Sydney Wanderers at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC scored three absolutely stunning goals, and after each one the massive screens would declare, “This goal proudly brought to you by Beechwood Homes.” Running around the field, boasting of his skill after scoring two of these goals, was star player and record goal scorer, Adrian Mierzejewski, who brings out his guns with every goal. On the screens however, was the clear acknowledgement that the goal would not have been possible without the sponsorship of Beechwood Homes. Without their money backing the team, it wouldn’t matter who was playing, what they were doing, how loudly over 25,000 fans were screaming at the top of their lungs or how skilfully other players had set up the goal. In order to enable them to achieve their purpose Sydney FC works alongside others like Beechwood Homes. The Salvos are part of the world-wide church, the body of Christ, but there are other parts that play an important role in the world too. We need to work alongside other organisations and community groups to fight for justice and care for people. We can’t do it all on our own. Within the Salvos too, each of us plays different roles; we are more effective when we look to work alongside others to make a difference in this world.
I grew up in a fairly stable, middle class home. I went to Sunday school and church services every week where I was taught that the mission of the Salvation Army was to serve those suffering hardship or injustice. However, despite all the lessons, all the sermons and all the meetings, it wasn’t until I actually got involved in Red Shield Summer Camps that I learned how to live, love and fight for people.
Red Shield Camps were the most powerful experiences in my youth. The primary responsibility of a camp leader is to love kids who have suffered hardship and injustice. Kids were shown love by making sure they had everything they needed and by giving them an amazing week of excitement and adventure. Primarily however, we tried to give them self confidence, dignity and a sense of self worth. We taught them that they are just as valuable to God as anyone who ever lived. For a week, we lived with them, loved them and fought for their right to live on the same level as anyone else.
Each week, our Wollongong Salvos Connect Site volunteers distribute food parcels, financial assistance, coffees, toiletries and warm meals to people in our community who are facing hardship. There are just so many people in Wollongong alone, who are in desperate need of practical assistance. Some days, the need seems overwhelming, and our task looks almost impossible. But each day, our volunteers show the love of Jesus by meeting the needs of these community members in a tangible way. We may not be able to solve every problem of every person in our community facing hardship, but we can always do something. We are playing a role in transforming our city one life at a time, and we want to continue to be a community of faith that is always looking to do this more effectively.
Jesus was revolutionary in the way he welcomed and engaged with the most vulnerable – those who faced hardship and injustice – ‘disreputable’ women, lepers, tax collectors, and people with disabilities. He broke the social and religious conventions and ‘ate and drank with sinners’. He saw that all people were made in the image of God, and treated them with dignity, worth and significance. The God of the Bible is not a distant, impersonal force but a personal, relational God, who cares about all people. He has compassion for those living in hardship or facing injustice. In fact, in Jesus, God entered the world and experienced hardship and injustice Himself – to the point of his own unjust death.
A blind and deaf author by the name of Helen Keller once said, “The most pathetic person in the world is some one who has sight but no vision.” Many people go around the world with total ability to see but they have a severely limited picture of the future. One of the reasons why people take their own lives is that they lose all hope. They can no longer see any positive reason for continuing to live. It is no surprise that in one translation of the bible Proverbs 29:18 is translated “Without vision, the people perish."
In some ways Churches, organisations, clubs and companies are just like people. If all the people in a particular organisation can no longer see a positive view of the future, then those people will go their separate ways and that organisation will cease to exist. The effort that goes into getting along and working together in that organisation will overwhelm the hope that something good will come out of what the organisation is trying to achieve.
Over time, without continued reminding and refreshing, visions we have for the future begin to fade. They lose colour and lustre and begin to simply become part of the furniture of our lives. They can loose their effectiveness for generating hope. We in The Salvation Army have served Australia for over 100 years and now we have the opportunity to be refreshed and renewed. We have a new expression of vision driving new structures, missions, creativity and enthusiasm.
This is the beginning of a new message series unpacking this vision and revealing the heart of God behind all of it.
Did you know that there is a woman in California who operates a Barbie channeling service? For a very small fee Barbara Bell will summon up the spirit of Barbie to solve the problems of those seeking her advice. She says “I appreciate and understand Barbie…she has been forced to be shallow all these years, but underneath she’s a profound person.”
Did you know that there is a woman in California who operates a Barbie channeling service? For a very small fee Barbara Bell will summon up the spirit of Barbie to solve the problems of those seeking her advice. She says “I appreciate and understand Barbie…she has been forced to be shallow all these years, but underneath she’s a profound person.”
A retired friend of mine grew up in a small coastal town, in a cottage on the edge of a beautiful lagoon. It was a small house, but solidly built. Many years later, after his family had moved out of the house, a great storm hit the town and the house slid off its piers and into the lagoon. The house had some good foundations. The piers were solidly sunk into the earth. But over the years the linkages connecting the house to the foundations had become loose and ineffective. When a storm came, because the house had lost its connection with its foundations, it was destroyed.