rhythm+hue
My musings, writings, observations, ideas, & thoughts about God, Life, and following Jesus in Suburbia.
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Archive of "Kingdom" Category
We can create Christians so very well, what about Disciples?
Recently Wolfgang Simson was in Melbourne for a Simple Church convention - the MP3’s of the week long conference can be downloaded from here from the convention. While Wolfgang is controversial and confrontational to many in the mainstream church, there was one point that I heard, and mulled over it and must say that I agree with it 100%.
Of course there are many more things that I agree with but it was this issue that I think becomes relevant and when viewed in the larger context of consumerist church - see my mate Mark Sayers for more on that, the issue of actually creating Disciples of Jesus is central to the state of the Church today and the fact that there is even talk of consumerist christians and church. (more…)
Posted in Australia, Church, Jesus, Kingdom, Social Justice, church life, croydon, life, protest |
2 Comments »Bottled Water
I visited RE:VIVE church yesterday - they are an off-shoot from the Lilydale Seventh Day Adventist Church - and I must say that I was quite pleasantly surprised and impressed! The service was pretty much like any other contemporary worship service, except it was lead by younger folk (20’s) - and the atmosphere was VERY relaxed with folk getting up and grabbing drinks before coming back to their seats. Comfy lounges as well as comfortable chairs were available and all in all it was not a “slick” service but one that was definitely more heart-felt and spirit lead!
But it is not the worship that impressed me! The sermon was by a fellow called Luke - still need to find his name out - who was down from the Central Coast of NSW to talk. His talk was on the Living Water - the Holy Spirit - and what it means to be filled with the Living Waters. Luke then said that he had been drinking bottled Living Water for the past 32 years! To explain Luke’s background helps now; he is a Seventh Day Adventist minister who used to work at a Seventh Day Adventist School and had grown up the child of Seventh Day Adventists. So the claim that he had been drinking bottled Living Water for 32 years was very well understood by most of those assembled who knew Luke. (more…)
Posted in Australia, Church, Holy Spirit, Kingdom, church life, croydon, missional |
No Comments »Intellectualising the Gospel
Over the course of my academic career and church life - ok - let me narrow that down to the past ten years, I have noticed that there is a trend to romanticise the clergy, whatever you call them - pastor, minister etc. We tend to hold these folks up as being the way we should live - and I think that on the whole, many of these folk are wonderful people, something tends to happen to many people that study theology, whether for a degree or for “ordination” - the gospel message and what it means tends to move from being heart felt to head felt. What do I mean by that?
Well, this is not saying that it is common, but I have many friends and acquantices that I feel who have done this - taken the gospel, they know it inside and out, can quote scholars and verses, but the message, the central feel, the call to action or the love-motivation from following Jesus tends to become known very well in their heads but very little in their hearts. Oh sure, they are church goers and such, but sadly I feel that they have the knowledge and think that that is it, without putting that knowledge to use.
It’s like having the core message - the simplicity of the love of God - covered, criticised, talked about, debated, ripped apart and put together again, and clouded by too much talk and thinking. I would call this a knowing the Gospel in the head but not the heart. And I fear that many of our churches today are producing clones of these people, who while they may not know the same as the PHD lead Pastor, intellectualise the Gospel to Sunday and the latest popular authors book - more than likely telling them that knowign Jesus will bless them financially!
Enough!
Posted in Australia, Church, Jesus, Kingdom, church life, church planting, life, prayer |
No Comments »Little Kingdom’s Part Two
I hope you had a chance to read my rant about the different welfare agencies working in the immediate area and the ineffectiveness that this can cause in helping those who need it the most.
I met with a mate today and some of his tribe that he is travelling with today for lunch. It was a wonderful time, two of the folks were actually interns in the training program that they have initiated. It is quite exciting and lots happening. It was also encouraging to hear that a number of the churches in the area are co-operating and working together not just in welfare issues, but identifying that they share the same purposes and mission afterall, as well as are part of the same Kingdom and serve the same King!
We shared that we both are aiming to unify more of the churches to work together too. Not just the big churches but the emerging ones, the Forge inspired ones! If anything they may be working, but they seem to all be working in almost isolation and silence apart from their immediate team! How wonderful it would be to hear of the stories of others and share our own, how great it would be to shed a tear of joy or sadness with others travelling similar paths! We just have to make an effort!
I will be writing more on this as I think about it, as well as the church plant we’re undertaking in the area - but it’s not a church plant at the moment, more a church seed, and it’s not a plant we believe should grow, but a movement! More on that soon too.
Posted in Australia, Forge, Jesus, Kingdom, Personal, Politics, church life, church planting, missional |
No Comments »Getting over our “little kingdoms!”
I visited the VicRelief Foodbank yesterday to get inducted for the Dining Room. It was quite a humble experience, but it was something that came up in the induction that has bothered me.
The foodbank has over 700 agencies listed as being able to access the food. It came up in conversation that there are quite a few churches and agencies getting food from just the Croydon and Mooroolbark and surrounds areas. It was suggested that perhaps a group of these agencies could combine to do a “shop”, saving time, fuel, money and the staff and resources of the food bank itself. The problem is, we aren’t aware of the other churches handing food and welfare, some meal services sure, but on the whole, none of the myriad of agencies and ministries in this area know each other, let alone work for the same causes, and with the same motivation.
Even within the churches serving meals such as the Dining Room, there is fierce rivalry about days and spaces, money, food and people we serve in God’s name! This is sickening and disgraceful to say the very least.
After some thought on this, I thougt I might do a “census” of the ministries and welfare services within the area. I did one earlier for the churches in the Mooroolbark area earlier out of curiousity and disgust to find almost 15 churches in the one suburb of Mooroolbark, yet not working together in an area rife with poverty, homelessness and other social justice issues. I’ll post the PDF later when back home (on the iPhone at the moment).
It saddens me, and I am sure God, that we cannot work together in unity! Imagine the impact combined outpourings of love and resources could have on the community and imagine what impact that would have on the Kingdom! We, and I mean, those of us who profess to follow Jesus, have to get over ourselves and the need for our own little kingdoms! This means accepting others and getting over the man-made doctrines and crap we call denominations, to start outpouring the love we have been shown through Jesus!
I’ll be praying about doing this census, but would appreciate your prayers and thoughts!
Sorry for any spelling errors - using the Wordpress app on the iPhone!
Addendum: PDF of Map of Mooroolbark Churches Heres the map I mention earlier about the known churches in the immediate area.
Posted in Australia, Church, Jesus, Kingdom, Personal, Social Justice, church life, croydon, missional |
2 Comments »Sharing the heart and soul of The Dining Room
Myself, David K, and three other volunteers from The Dining Room spoke tonight at a gathering of local churches that have joined together to provide some welfare assistance as a group in their area. We were invited to speak about The Dining Room to a group of church leaders, volunteers and people who had been actively providing welfare assistance for the past ten years. (more…)
Posted in Australia, Jesus, Kingdom, Social Justice, church life, croydon, prayer |
No Comments »Reflections from a new Victorian drivers licence
Well, a couple of days ago my wife and I renewed our Victorian drivers licences. This gave thought and pause for reflection on a number of fronts. Do I mention that my wife was given a 25% discount for three years of exemplery driving with no tickets and fines! I didn’t mention the fact that I most of the driving! But, regardless I am proud of her and the discount!
Anyway, firstly it gave me pause to think about the past three years. Yeah, not long you might say but that was the last time I renewed my licence, or should I say that was when I changed back from a Queensland licence to a Victorian one - and the three years? Well it was cheaper than the ten years and at that time we were skint from the move back here! But that is besides the point (hey, I do have a tendency to become distracted!) - what gave me pause to think was about the period of three years. (more…)
Posted in Australia, Family, Grace, Jesus, Kingdom, Personal, Uncategorized, church life, church planting, failure, life, prayer |
No Comments »What the Gospel is Not
This a video by John Piper I caught on a blog I read by JR. This is very good at saying what needs to be said about the Prosperity Doctrine that pervades the church in USAmerica and the west, including Australia (yeah, you too CF!).
Love to hear your comments.
Posted in Church, Kingdom, youtube |
No Comments »What do to with the domain iChurch.com.au?
I own the domain name ichurch.com.au - bought a couple of years ago as an idea for an online “church” utilising social media software that was not quite ready at that time. So, it has been dormant for the last couple of years. At one time I did ask a few of the guys at Forge around Australia if they thought the domain could go for an online magazine for Australian missional emerging churches. But, that was not too well recieved as it was though that there was already a few of those around (US and O/S one sure but where was the Aussie voices?).
So, now I ask you all, the few that read this blog and the many that stumble across these pages, what could this domain be used for? What ideas do you have? What can we do together to utilise the domain for the Kingdom here in Australia?
This is an open call for ideas, suggestions and yes, I am also seeing who would be interested in collaborating!
Posted in Australia, Blogging, Kingdom, Web |
No Comments »Just what the middle-east needed…
… and many of the right-wing USAmerican “Christians” - George Bush telling the Israeli’s that they are a “chosen people” who can count on USAmerican support against enemies like Hamas and Iran.
Speaking of the “promise of God” for a “homeland for the chosen people” in Israel, Bush told the Israeli parliament after a visit to the Roman-era Jewish fortress at Masada: “Masada shall never fall again, and America will always stand with you.”
And this was while he is trying to set up talks with Palenstine and Israel. But it get’s worse…
Bush described the “bonds of the Book” — faith in the Bible shared by Christians like himself and Jews — as bolstering an “unbreakable” alliance between Israel and the United States.
Oh great…..
(Source)
Posted in Kingdom, Politics, Social Justice, USA, human rights |
No Comments »Imagine…
I know this sounds like it could be about John Lennon or picturing a better world, but no, in fact it is about Apple opening a new store here in Australia. Sydney in fact, and the fervor, gossip, and excitement that is building on the net and amongst the Apple user community around the store opening on June 19 and the imminent release of the iPhone here.But, while I am an avid Apple user and will be one of the first in line (hopefully and figuratively speaking) to get one of the new iPhone’s, I was reading an article today about the new store opening on the Sydney Morning Herald site;
If you’re planning to pop in and check out the new Sydney Apple Store when it opens for business on Thursday next week, be prepared to wait in line. If you want to ensure you get in early, you might consider camping out overnight.
It’s not a stunt. There are hardcore Apple fans who will do this; their only reward, a free T-shirt if they happen to be among the first 2500 customers through the door.
Disciples like these have been doing it for several years with the opening of each of the new flagship Apple stores around the world. Despite this being winter, they’ll be lining up again ahead of the official opening at 5pm on Thursday, June 19.
Posted in Apple, Church, Kingdom, church life |
1 Comment »Reggie McNeal - It’s AD30 All Over Again!
One the men I love and respect as a teacher and mentor, Alan Hirsch, recently had this fantastic video of Reggie McNeal speaking on his blog. It was very powerful and thought provoking I wanted to share it with you. (HT Alan)
Addendum - In case you missed it or are reading this in an RSS reader, Brad Brisco has let me know there is another video of Reggie speaking about the same thing on his blog, as well as a link to the audio of both talks. Thanks Brad - I would also recommend adding Brad’s blog exploring missional church to your reading.
Posted in Blogging, Jesus, Kingdom, Media, Web |
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