Cruciformity

Apologies. My blogging resolve has been waning recently due to a hike in the study load.

Just to give you an indication about the things that are giving me kicks in these busy times, check the tastey fonts available for free download on the SBL website. Greek and Hebrew. You know you want it!

Oh, of course, my ‘other interest’ is the very poorly timed World Cup, you’ve probably heard of it.

Analytical by day, fanatical by night.

I came back down to Canberra on Monday after mission to catch up with my family and a few friends.

I always find it hard coming back because there just isn’t time to see all the people I want to see. This usually results in the type of paralysis that leaves me seeing no one at all, or at least very few people. It’s a real shame.

But today I found it extra hard. I spent some time wandering around the Uni campus and I bumped into a number of kids that I led in youth group years ago - not kids anymore, all grown up. Or at least pretending to be grown up.

I spoke to few, and heard about a few others and it seems that many of them aren’t going so well in their walks with Jesus and it’s breaking my heart.

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

(Mark 4:3-9 NIV)

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of my friends jokingly said that this was their favourite blog. I haven’t posted in months and haven’t said anything thoughtful for much longer. So I’ve decided that it’s time.

Here are five things that I’ve learned about blogs as I’ve had mixed experiences in reading other people’s blogs and as I’ve failed at contributing to my own. Let me enumerate.

1. Thinking is just plain hard work. What this means is that blogging is easier when it expresses the thoughts you’ve had during the week and it’s harder when it’s a special project.

2. I like a good-looking website. It often doesn’t matter at all as people use RSS feeds, but when it comes to scoping out a website in its natural habitat, I unashamedly judge a book by its cover.

3. Shorter is better. It’s quicker to write. It’s quicker to read. It makes you get to the point. NOTE - this doesn’t mean that it can’t be interesting, funny and even poetic. It just means that someone might care to read it.

4. Keep it regular. I habitually visit the same sites each day expected my next snack. When there’s nothing to take I might not come back for a little while. Impulsive? Sure. Feed me.

5. Give me Meat. While underlining the need to keep things punchy, I want something meaningful, or funny, or informative or at least well written. Drivel drives me insane.

This has been more for my benefit than yours. I guess what this means is that I’ll be back again soon with something a little shorter (maybe also more thoughtful… and better looking…. )

I’ve been working to make this site look better. Frankly, I don’t want to write on a blog where half of the stuff is written in Latin. There are still improvements to be made but this will do for now.

It’s been a relavatively long few months and it’s the end of another long day.

I like the end of the day. It’s quiet and peaceful and usually has a feeling of accomplishment and the hope of doing leisurely things. The sunset picture doesn’t really reflection my current situation (staring at my wall) but let’s just say that it’s for my benefit as well as yours… It has the loose association of also occuring at the end of the day…

Anyway, I was searching through the prayer book (AAPB) and found out there’s a service for the end of the day! Those guys thought of everything! Only yesterday was pontificating the merits of wearing robes in our church building at 7.30 on a Sunday morning….

For all of the crazy traditions that some Anglicans have, I’m fond of the simple, solid and focussed wording of some of the prayers.

In your mercy, Lord,

dispel the darkness of this night.

Let your household so sleep in peace

that at the dawn of a new day

they may with joy awaken in your name

through Christ our Lord. Amen

Hi folks. It has been a long time between posts… Yes, hard at work again. I’ll show the picture of the fish I caught in Darwin really soon.

Actually, I’ve just finished an essay for Church History that just about knocked me out cold. The Anabaptists. To be honest, my constant frustration during this essay was reading Mennonite scholars who read their current ideals back into their forebears’ stories. Thankfully there were a couple of writers with some sense.

However, with that rant out of the way I have to say, in reflection, that the 16th Century Anabaptists had some remarkable stories! Interestingly, they were one of most feared and persecuted groups in the time of the Reformation by Catholics and Protestants. Yet there is a high correspondance between some of their ideas and the ideas of most of the churches we go to today.

One group of Anabaptists decided that their Christian calling involved violently invading a city called Münster and establishing it as the New Jerusalem. They set up some guy as a Messianic King and aimed to forcefully (and polygamously) bring the Kingdom in.

Thankfully, there were other winsome examples. of people labelled ‘Anabaptist’. One story that has struck me and goes well above and beyond my behaviour as a Christian is depicted in this picture here. Facing arrest, Dirck Willems fled for his life across a frozen lake. When his pursuer broke through the ice, Willems gave up his chance to escape by turning to save his persecutor. He was then captured, imprisoned and burned at the stake in 1569.

You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemiesa and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:43-5)

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:3-8, NIV)

It’s almost embarrassing to read how open Paul is as he expresses his feelings to the Philippians in the opening of his letter to them. He really loves them, and it so joyful in the knowledge that they are partners with him in the gospel and share with him in God’s grace.

I’ve just spent some time on holidays back in Canberra and have been struck with how utterly refreshing it’s been to see my precious friends and family. Like Paul and the Philippians, I had great moments of expressing this kind of joy to others and others expressing it to me. Some of the people I haven’t seen or spoken to for a few months, but then others it’s been a number of years. It sounds all a little bit over-sentimental, doesn’t it? Well, bear with me while I describe some of what happened…

I was involved in a group called Boys Brigade in the mid-nineties and, although not large group of people, the men that lead this group are spectacular servants of Christ and are still leading this group! They’re like parents to me and it was wonderful to talk to Mike and Bela about their joy in growing young lads in the knowledge of Christ.

It was great as well, to get back to St Matts and see my many dear friends there. There were some going strongly, and others struggling. But in both cases, it was great to share our experiences and to reflect on our hope in Christ. I had to bear the brunt of way too much coffee, but I absolutely loved these conversations - they really meant a lot to me.

I also went to Focal Point, the mid-year conference for the FOCUS, the Christian group I was involved in at uni. Here, I saw some good friends and and (characteristically, at this conference) looked deeply into God’s word. It was a real joy to rejoice with others in the gift of God’s Spirit living in us.

Also, although we hang out almost every day at College, Dan and I hit the town in Canberra and shared a memorable night together. I also spent time in Melbourne with Steve, a mate from St Matt’s. The weather was dismal, but it meant that we spent a lot of reflecting on questions of faith, and encouraging each other in various aspects of life.

I’m disappointed because there were others that I didn’t have time to see and spend time with. Two weeks rest isn’t enough, I want more!!

Is it right for me to feel this way and to express this? I think so. Like Paul, I have these people in my heart. As Paul says, this feeling is only right as it is the same as that of Christ Jesus. These people have raised me and loved me, they have nurtured me in ministry and born the fruit of my service among them. In the times when I pressed, I know their love and support of me; their partnership in the gospel. One day we’ll be brought to be in his rest together with all of those in Christ. I look forward to seeing my precious friends and family all together with our Lord Jesus!

Praise the Lord. I’ve been sick for a while and not been able to work out the problem. The symptoms have been sinus congestion which can usually be accounted for by the common cold, but I’ve been stumped as I have these issues for an uncommon length of time. Over the last week or so I’ve been rendered next to useless, missing out on premium study time. I’ve been frustrated and have prayed that God would bring me good health. Yesterday, I took action and had a CT scan, and this morning the doctor pointed his long index finger at what seems to be the cause.

Polyp… you don’t hear that word every day and, in fact, I only heard that word for the first time this week and I have big one in my right sinus cavity. They used to cut these out but thankfully these days they suggest using a steroid based nasal spray - much cheaper and less painful. God willing, I’ll say goodbye to the Polyp in the next few weeks and the symptoms will slide in the next couple of days.

Praise God that we’ve found the cause of a sickness that has brought me down a lot recently.

Please do pray for me as I prepare to preach on Sunday (two days!) and hand a Church History assignment in on Monday.