sustain:if:able kiwi

the collision of faith and secularity in politics

Yesterday saw a collision of faith and secularity in New Zealand politics. Yesterday it was revealed that a group of business people who belong to the Exclusive Brethren sect had funded mailbox pamphlets attacking Labour and the Greens.

Yesterday Helen Clark dismissed this as the workings of a right-wing group. Helen obviously didn’t listen to the public press conference held by those funding the pamphlet campaign. If she did listen, she failed to notice the Bible on the table. Helen, this has nothing to do with right-wing and left-wing. This is a matter of faith. It’s a group of people who care enough about their interpretation of the Bible to spend large sums of money.

Labour can be glad on one thing at the moment. Fundamentalists tend to splinter. They are better at collision than cohesion. But stop for a moment and contemplate the impact of the financial resources of half a million dollars combined with the people resources of a Destiny Political Party. Both the Exclusive Brethren business leaders and Destiny are saying Enough is enough. Both are putting their faith on the line. Both are evidence of a new religious muscle in our public domain.

I might not agree with them. Nor might Helen. But to dismiss it as political is an insult to practices of religious freedom.

Subject: Te Waiora Thanksgiving Service

Te Waiora Annual Thanksgiving Service
Sunday, November 6th, 3.00 p.m
St John’s Church, Hororata

Speaker: Steve Taylor
Title: A healing community

photos of intercession

Bill emailed; he’s collected visual images from New Orleans into one place here . Thanks Bill. We used them for intercession tonite at espresso, to a song by Cold Play. As well as New Orleans I pray for Opawa, facing 3 funerals this week, and my family, with 2 sick kids.

how was your day off?

Monday’s are my day off. Normally it’s a discipline I practise well. It starts with a sleep in and a quiet coffee with my wife. Then lunch, often followed by a walk or a movie. Then I try to do something with the kids, either bike riding or making dinner together. Today things were pear-shaped.

7:30 am email with the news of the death of a parishioner
11 am speak at Kingdom Builders on Living the text in a postmodern context.
2 pm conduct the funeral of another parishioner.

All this after a weekend with two services, 7 people attending a membership information morning, another death and the heart attack of a friend, who is now recovering.

I’d appreciate your prayers for a season of uncommonly major pastoral moments.

mission cards

What is church? At Opawa we have been exploring the idea that church exists to develop community, extend Jesus love and grow in Christian life. This understanding has laid the groundwork for a multi-congregational model and allowed the planting of Espresso, a Tuesday evening congregation.

Espresso is experimenting with the mission part, with extending Jesus love, in the following way. Once a month a person describes their work. This is followed by the playing of 3 cards;
Creator card
Redeeemer card
Sustainer card.

Each card offers a Scripture and some questions based on understanding God as Creator; Redeemer; Sustainer. Questions like; What in this person’s work takes responsibility for God’s creation? What in this person’s work enhances life to the full? What in this work breathes God’s peace and forgiveness?

Those gathered answer the cards. In so doing, they provide feedback, offering insights into how a person’s work is an extension of Jesus love.

The evening then concludes with a storytelling time. The story of a saint is shared, ideally a saint that has some linkage with the person’s work.

So on Tuesday a scientist working in the micro-biology field shared and the evening ended with the story of St.Francis of Assissi. For a positive comment, see here.

more on colouring worship

I blogged recently about the use of colours in worship (here and here), in order to allow people to bring their weeks into the presence of God.

It’s a contrast to the worship leader line: Leave your life at the door. Colours offer us God interested in all of life, rather than a sacred vs secular divide.

Fyfe, church planting in Dunedin, has now tried it in worship. I like his comments about the need for expressionism in worship. Somehow colours do that. There is a spirituality to colour. It’s part of worship as all that we are responding to all that God is. God in all of life.

out of bounds church perfect beer match

I’ve just found the perfect drink to go with my out of bounds church? book. The search has been on ever since May, when Darren Wright settled down for a extended review of the book. (The review proceeds over nine posts, so start here). His review included a plea for beer sponsorship; if any Beer company would like to sponsor me, say Coopers or Hoegaarden or Stellas, please contact me via email 🙂 to go with his dinner of Chilli Squid. Click to view dinner

And so my search began. Today I can proudly unveil the Avery Out of Bounds Stout as the perfect beer match for the Out of Bounds book.

Avery Out of Bounds Stout Commercial Description: This big, roasty stout takes flavor to the extreme. We aren’t afraid to use plenty of rich roasted barley and a mountain of hops to give this full-bodied stout that little extra something you’ve been looking for in a beer.

For a limited time period, I am willing to supply one bottle of said beer to accompany one review copy of the out of bounds church, in the hope that both products, when combined, will lead to a gentle, benign view of life, and a gentle, benign review of book on your blog. If you would like a review copy please let me know.

This post also appears on the out of bounds church? book blog.