rhythm+hue
My musings, writings, observations, ideas, & thoughts about God, Life, and following Jesus in Suburbia.
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Suddenly my site is popular!
Seems the older post on Planetshakers, where I commented on an article in the Herald Sun, is drawing attention when folk search for Mike G (not idea how to spell it an not goign to try) and Planetshakers.
All I am going to add to this is… prayer and refer folks to Mark Sayer’s commentary on this mess.
Posted in Australia, Grace, church life, failure, megachurch, prayer |
No Comments »Channel 7 sucks… ok, maybe crass, but they stuffed up bad! (Again and again!)
I am supporter of GetUp, the social action group that rallies Australians to get together and make a statement about many issues that the Government needs to pay attention too.
GetUp organised to air a commercial urging our Prime Minister to not be silent about Tibet. GetUp raised support to produce and screen the ad during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. The ad was professionally produced, airtime booked professionally etc, etc but….. it failed to air. Here’s what GetUp had to say about this. (more…)
Posted in Australia, GetUp!, Media, Social Justice, Television, failure |
1 Comment »GetUp!- Mandatory Detention Campaign
While there have been some fantastic bits of news about the Federal Government changing Mandatory Detention brought in by the Howard Gov’t, the opposition (gee - the old Howard gov’t) wants to block it. Please add your name to the petition urging them and the governemt to take this through to the end and end mandatory detention for immigration and assylum seekers.
This video is awesome and helps make the message clear.
Go here to sign up!
Posted in Australia, GetUp!, Social Justice, human rights |
No Comments »St. Vinnies - This Time it’s Personal - really?
You may know I have previously had a rant about the quality of the food that the local St. Vinnies hands out to those in need. However, I have just seen the latest ad campaign that they will be running and want to share it here and let you know that while I think it is great, the campaign might raise funds and tickle the tear-ducts and wallets of Mr & Mrs Aussie Consumer, but that means nothing if the services you are providing are given with the same thoughtfulness and effort that the fund raising is made with.
As a Catholic charity, I would hope that the main motivation of the group is to serve and love like Jesus - and not contribute to the bottom line of the Catholic church (or that matter any church group, I’m not trying to pick on the Catholic church especially!). (more…)
Posted in Australia, Media, Social Justice, TV Ad |
No Comments »Why Mark is angry!
Mark Broadbent has two articles in the excellent Neoleader site about why he is angry about the church in the Western world. His most recent entry cites some excellent examples why we may not be experiencing success in our mission to share the gospel in Australia.
To many people I’ve met have told me that there’s a reason we are not experiencing evangelistic success in Australia: ‘Australians are just too hard to reach’. I certainly agree that we are not the most spiritual nation on Earth, but I just can’t buy into their argument.
HERE’S WHY:
We’ve given Australians every reason to walk away from Christianity…
1. Catholic priests committing pedophilia
2. TV evangelists asking for money
3. Boring Chapel Services at Private High Schools
4. Boring Church Services
5. Ned Flanders (I love the Simpsons, but Ned is not helping our cause)(If you’re not sure you agree, just watch an episode of The Chasers. They regularly find reasons to pay out Christians).
Go take a look here and here and share your comments here please!
Posted in Australia, Blogging, church life, missional |
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 »What is going on?
I wrote the following one evening recently but have been unsure whether to publish it… tell me what you think.
In the course of my studies I have been researching homelessness and poverty in Australia, and in particular, Melbourne, and recently I had the great pleasure to go meet a lovely woman who works for the Salvation Army at a Crisis center here in Melbourne. After a tour of the fantastic facilities and meeting the others staff, we sat for a coffee and chat. A great hour and I was extremely thankful for the chat.
But, it further fueled my righteous anger to understand that local churches weren’t offering to help this crisis centre - something that we have found at The Dining Room (TDR). However, before I rant, I must say that there are some churches and schools in the area who are helping TDR, but let me emphasize - some out of many. We have some churches in the local area that are perched on acres of land, some with schools on the property and some without, and some with empty buildings and some that have a handful of people meeting in them.
Posted in Australia, Church, Fund raiser, Politics, Social Justice, church life, croydon, human rights, prayer |
No Comments »We Can Be The Change
A man whom I respect, love and admire, Dave Andrews, has a website called wecan.be -calling on us all to be the change in the world and not to let the extremists from both ends and all reglions and factions set the World’s agenda. He says that small changes - little changes by individuals may just be that - little changes, but that cumulatively, when teh same action or joined, they are BIG changes.
Dave calls us to go from Plan A - Treat others Like They Have Treated Us - to go to Plan Be; Treat Others Like We Would Like to Be Treated. This, the Golden Rule, is a common thread for all major religions. But, as Andrew says,
“The strength of the Golden Rule is that everybody agrees that it is great place to start. Its weakness is that though its nice and warm and fuzzy people find it a bit vague as guideline.
Which is why Jesus of Nazareth spent so much time unpacking the specific implications of the Golden Rule in his Sermon on the Mount - summarising his suggestions in his Beatitudes.
But the trouble is, few people who would claim to be admirers of Jesus - even among those who would call themselves “believers” – take the Be-Attitudes seriously as ethical guidelines.”
Posted in Australia, Jesus, Kingdom, church life, mate, prayer |
No Comments »Which Way Home? - Rudd Gov’t releases Green Paper on Homelessness
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd launched the Federal Government’s national homelessness Green Paper on 22 May 2008. The paper, Which Way Home? takes forward the consultations on the future of housing and homelessness from the Australia 2020 Summit last month.
Posted in Australia, Politics, Social Justice |
No Comments »Mark Sayers in blogland
Mark Sayers, a mate and man of God whom I admire and respect, has started blogging again after an absence of many months. Mark is well known for his particiaption in the Red Network, but even more so for his book and DVD “The Trouble with Paris”, and his ministry with the UBER Ministries.Recently Mark wrote something that I totally resonated with. In his post, “The Politcal Incorrectness of a Non-Judgmental God“, Mark writes,
Posted in Australia, Blogging, Link, Web |
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