Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Authentic v's Inauthentic Story
I came across this interesting statement in an article here. It comes from a speech given by Barry Lopez, an author and story teller from Oregon (USA), who was in Perth recently giving a series of talks....The distinction in prose between fiction and nonfiction, though logical and even useful, is not as important as the distinction between an authentic and an inauthentic story. An authentic story is about us. An inauthentic story is about the story teller, only the story teller.
The problem I have with this is that when you engage with the Story of God, you discover that it is simultaneously about the author and us. However, it got me thinking about the motive behind why we tell stories... and in particular God's Story.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Ministry of Food
We were encouraged to think about how we might be more intentional about using food to reach out to the people around us. I for one would like to explore this further... not just because I like food... and not just because it is fun to entertain people. I really think there is something significant about sharing a meal with people.
The other great thing about tonight was that I got the chance to sit down and chat to some people from within the church that I did not know. It really was an Acts 2:42 experience... the way church oght to be.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Kitchen Joy
The joy that comes from spending time with one of your kids doing something special is just priceless. Today I made biscuits with our 4 year old daughter, Megan. We melted butter, sifted flour, beat in the sugar and licked the beaters. She helped me roll the dough into little balls which we then flattened out on the baking tray. It would seem that messy and fun are exponentially connected. The more messy... the more fun. Even better when you can lick the messy off! Now for the jam. If only you could have seen the concentration on her face as she carefully placed generous blobs of jam onto the top of each biscuit. She was all for a full teaspoon on each... but a quick glance at the picture in the recipe book helped to convince her otherwise. So into the oven they went... accompanied by squeals of delight. "Are they ready yet?" "Not yet darling, 14 minutes to go." "Are they ready yet?" "Not yet darling, 13 minutes to go." "Are they ready yet?" "Not yet... 10 minutes to go!"
I guess 15 minutes seems like an eternity to a four year old... Especially when you are waiting to see the creation of your own hands. And then comes that magic moment.... when the oven door comes down and the room is filled with the aroma of freshly baked biscuits. "Can I eat one yet?" "Not yet darling... they are still too hot." Isn't it funny how nothing is too hot when it comes to taste testing.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Great Disconnect
I have been thinking about the connection between worship and justice latley... between Christmas gatherings and all the other busy life events. I came across this article written by Brad Griffin on the Fuller Youth Institute site.
Amos wasn’t exactly what we would consider an inspiring motivational speaker. He was a 7th-century gloom-and-doom prophet. He gave promises of hope, but the big picture for Amos’ audience was bleak: impending exile for the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
A sheep-breeder and fig tree tender from Tekoa in Judah, God called the unsuspecting Amos to go north and speak a hard message to Israel’s leaders. This was during the period of Israel’s greatest prosperity, thanks to both agricultural and trade success. The people’s excessive wealth created a class division like never before, in which the wealthy were extremely wealthy, at the expense of the extremely poor (a reality that hauntingly echoes our own today).
Amos openly denounced this dichotomy. Oppression cannot coexist with fervent worship of God. By external standards, the Israelites were doing everything right in worship—their worship was elaborate and well-done. But the wealthy believed that all they needed to do was multiply their sacrifices; the more they sinned, the more sacrifices they brought. In contrast, those who were poor could not afford the sacrifices. They literally could not afford to sin. Amos teaches that rather than an abundance of sacrifices, God wants an abundance of justice. Thus Amos declares, “Let justice roll down like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” The message is clear: there must be justice alongside sacrifice—worship must flow out of and flow back into right living. (full article here)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Before the throne of God above
I have been reflecting on the words of this great old hymn...
I wonder, have you ever really stopped to contemplate what the second verse is talking about? If only I could fully grasp the truth of the freedom I have in Christ. Not the freedom to do what ever I like... but the freedom to live my life as a child of God. I suspect that many poeple, not just me, still stuggle to understand the implication of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. Lord, help us to see ourselves as you see us.