Term 1 is near!
So the school year is about to begin (in just over a week) and I am getting ready for the craziness that tends to ensue with that. January has been great, I have had the time to do those 'little things' that often get forgotten during the year. I've been able to get my systems ready, forms, paper work, flyers etc and really do feel ready to tackle the year. However the real work starts in Feb and that is when the theory of controlled chaos comes to the fore, well hopefully.
I am actually looking forward to this because it is actually hard to get into a 'rhythm' before things are similar to how they will be for the year. I have a few things down pat but it will only be when I know exactly how crazy things will be that I'll be able to get into a routine which I am happy with.
It is also going to be interesting to see how I juggle the different 'roles'. I obviously am working as a youth pastor but on the side I have a gardening business and also another possible part time job. The gardening business is slowly picking up (and I wanted it to be slow) which is good and the other job will only possibly eventuate once school goes back anyway.
One thing I am actually struggling with a bit though is feeling 'justified' to sit down and think/work on my book. I just haven't been doing it. I won't be doing that during work time and I find it hard to do after hours. The purpose of focusing this blog as I have was to give me an outlet to discuss some of the topics I want to cover but that requires me to sit down and actually write some content which is proving difficult! Hopefully I'll get onto that soon.
Whatever happens I am pretty happy with my start to the year. Good times!
Rights of passage
For a few years now I have been involved in Leavers. One year a few years ago a particular youth stood out to me. He exhibited all the signs of being rather inebriated. This is, of course, not uncommon during leavers celebrations. It is also not uncommon that the time was approximately midday. It is also not uncommon that he was randomly walking around, not really sure what he was doing. What was a little uncommon was what he was carrying. A 2 litre sauce bottle. Upon seeing this I thought to myself 'that is actually a rather ingenius way of carrying around one's alcohol.' Due to the fact none of this was uncommon I continued walking, not thinking for a moment I'd see this youth or the sauce bottle again anytime soon.
The next day, about the same time I noticed the same youth carrying the same sauce bottle walking around in the same manner in around about the same place. Again I continued on doing whatever it was that took me to that spot. When this happened a third day in a row I thought I might engage him in conversation and ask him about the sauce bottle. I expected to get some story about needing to 'hide' his booze, about the ease of carrying it around in the bottle etc. What i discovered was a lot more disturbing.
We started out with the usual questions. Name, what school he was from, what he was going to do next. These initial questions continued for a little while until I finally asked 'so what is the deal with the sauce bottle'? His reply? 'Well, we spent all our money on alcohol...this was all we could afford for food for the week'. Yes, that is right, inside the 2 litre sauce bottle was indeed...sauce. This was to be his nutritional intake for the week. Scary.
Leavers, or schoolies as it is called in the rest of Australia, is an amazingly jam packed environment that over the last few years has almost become a 'right of passage' for teenagers desiring to enter adulthood. The major provider of alcohol for teenagers celebrating the end of school is not illegally purchased with fake id's OR an 'older brother' but generally is provided by parents who want their kids to have a 'fun week away discovering themselves'. The modern day right of passage for teenagers in Australia is...binge drinking and sexual experimentation on a scale not experienced anywhere before or after, to the same extent. This right of passage has the ability to take a completely rational, sane, smart teenager and turn them into someone who, in normal circumstances, would be seen as immature and making bad choices. I remember a school dux(top student) telling me 'normally I don't drink and I until now planned on waiting till marriage to have sex, but this week I don't care what i do!' Indeed, he believed to enter 'adulthood' he had to have a week of craziness.
This is but a snippet of something I plan on discussing in my book on 'Why Youth Ministry?'. We really do lack any semblence of worthwhile rights of passage in modern, western society. An article I was reading today suggests that where normalised rights of passage are lacking, adolescents will create their own, often less beneficial forms. Another article from youthspecialties.com suggests that
"It's unfortunate we don't have an official Christian coming of age ceremony for our boys. For most young men there's no "well done, my man" moment. The Jewish culture has the bar mitzvah. The first nations people have ceremonies—an African friend of mine told me about his three-day gathering. The closest thing to a rite of passage in our culture is the party at the bar when they reach legal drinking age.”
The same can, and is often said, for girls. Perhaps one area that youth ministry really could provide something 'unique' insociety is some form of 'right of passage' that is more useful and less destructive than the usual 'Get drunk, party, discover my limits' form that currently exists. Perhaps we'd get less Peter Pan's...teenagers who never grow up and are still, effectively, adolescents into their 30's! Just something I am interested in exploring.
Adjusting
Returning from travels I expected that there would be an amount of adjustment to make in getting used to being back in Australia. However I am definitely finding it harder than I thought! This is mostly because I am not just adjusting BACK into Australia but back into life in Perth! I have not lived in Perth for nearly 2 years and in that time a lot has changed in the area's that I used to be involved. I'm finding myself trying to pick up where I left off without the ability to actually do so. Compunding this is the fact I know my stay here is not long term but a short term stay, limiting my ability to actually 'get involved' in any meaningful way in places.
One of the issues I am facing is what to do with church. When I lived in Perth I was invovled heavily at Subiaco Church of Christ. I love the church and have enjoyed visiting when I lived down south but am not drawn, in any particular way, to the need to make that my home now. However if I was to call somewhere else home it would be difficult too because I will be away for at least 3 months of 2010 and then will leave again in 2011. Wherever I go I like to be involved, if I was to return to Subi I could probably get involved in some way in the new year, if I was to find somewhere else it would be more difficult as, obviously, they would need to get to know me and would have to work out where I could get involved for a short term stay. But then again Subiaco has also changed a lot in 2 years and a lot of what used to be the case there is not now, it is not the same as it was (in a good way) from when I left. I have a lot of friends there but still, it feels very different to what it did when it WAS my home. Being involved in a small country church has, in some ways, changed what I look for and sometimes since I've been back I've felt a little daunted by how big Subi is and how easy it IS to just rock up and leave, without really being noticed, even as an ex-staff member.
Not really sure what I am saying or thinking right now. I feel like I am in a strange place, like I am waiting for something to click, like I know God has a purpose for the year ahead but what that purpose is has not been revealed to me yet. I don't just want to 'work' for work sakes, I want to 'seek first the Kingdom of God' and trust that, while doing so, God will provide all my needs for now and the future. Just not sure what my role in that is for now!
We'll see. I am sure in a month or so I will be back to my usual self with a bit of purpose and the like and it will be much easier. Right now though I am in a strange place that I am not used to!
Weaving a tapestry
Have you ever watched a skilled weaver design and make a beautiful tapestry? I haven't seen it often but I once watched a documentary on it and it was amazing. The skill it takes to see random threads and make a beautiful piece of art out of them is huge. The thing is, the tapestry often doesn't look beautiful until well into the process. For a long while it looks, well, quite disturbing at times.Yet the artist is always in control of what the final product will look like and one thing is certain, the final product will be fantastic.
The Church
I've just started reading a book called 'The reason for God' by Tim Keller and it has got me thinking once again about church. It is fairly widely commented that the church is going through a second reformation of sorts, or if people don't believe it already is then they often believe that it needs to! For about the last 100 years or so many people both within the church and outside it have expected 'religion' to die. However this has not occurred. Instead, as Keller points out, “We [now] have neither the western Christendom of the past nor the secular, religionless society that was predicted for the future. We have something else entirely.” So what is this something else?
God's tapestry
There is not much that I am certain of in this world but one thing I draw hope from is my certainty that God is weaving a beautiful tapestry that is perfect for the times that the church today finds itself in. As happened during the first reformation there is much debate between the different 'camps' as to what this new, or different church might look like. There is great debate about who is right, who is wrong. There is great debate about how much of the old and how much of the new is needed. What if the answer to all the debate is simply 'yes'?
The old and the new
Though the church today is very different thanks to the reformation and all that followed, one thing that is clear is that there were still definitely many parts of the old that carried through to the new. Though there is little debate that some of the current methods of church will be a part of whatever God is forming, just how much is usually the issue. What also amuses me is how almost all people discussing this argue that the way of the bible is the way we should go...which I don't debate, it's just the many varied interpretations of what that means that amuses me! So will house churches become the norm? Maybe it'll be the megachurch that wins out? Perhaps those 'sticklers' hanging on to the old orthodox and traditional styles that will 'win' the so called battle. Or perhaps God is simply saying 'yes'?
The Dream
I've long been interested in these discussions about the church. This has often strained me though because I don't tend to fit nicely in any one camp. I listen to people talking about the emerging church and how it is shaping the world. This get's me excited and I want to be more like that. Then I read about the persecuted churches and how they are taking off in the developing world under extreme difficulty and this makes me feel like praying for the Western church to be more persecuted! Then of course I have the positive experiences of the larger style churches that I have both been in and regularly read about. How much time do we spend arguing whose thread is the one God either should be, or is, using? What if all the threads are both being used...and being fixed to best fit the tapestry that God is weaving? I don't doubt for one minute that a lot that is done in the name of the church makes me cringe and cry...but then I read some of the stuff that Martin Luther talked about and I realise that he too was a little rough around the edges and didn't have it perfect!
My place
I'm not entirely sure where I am going with this other than to reflect on something I have believed for a number of years, my position in all this is to straddle the middle between the many different strands of 'church' that God is weaving into his masterpiece. I don't quite know how this looks, I don't yet quite know exactly what my role is but every day, more and more God refines in me a heart to see the big, the small, the rich, the poor working together to allow God to make the tapestry that he desires the world to see. And though at times I wonder if the masterpiece is ever coming together I just have to remember that even the best weaver starts with something that looks less like a masterpiece and more like something destined for the trash! What a journey this is God has me on.
'Third Places'
I was reading and article over at Phil Cooke's blog, called "Why "Atmosphere" Matters in Connecting with a Community" and it got me thinking about the trendy phrase 'third places'. I've read a lot about creating third places in emerging church philosophy and the idea's behind it sound great. For those new to the concept, the basic idea is that people generally spend time at work, at home and at 'third places'. Good third places sometimes overlap with home and work. The story in Phil's blog is the story of how Starbucks came to be as successful as it was because it was almost the perfect third place. It allowed for relationship to build, it allowed people to combine work with this, it provided all kinds of benefits OTHER THAN buying and drinking coffee.
The idea of 'third place' is behind a lot of missional activity in running coffee shops, or pubs, or other spaces in a missional context. This is great! However another idea for a third place came to mind. It probably is being done somewhere, but is an interesting idea I believe...
Could church buildings be used as third places for people that work 'from home'?
By this I mean, is it maybe feasible to set up a church building to enable any of its members who USUALLY work from home, or somewhere other than a set office, as a workplace?
I'm having difficulty wording what I mean by this, but the basic idea is to enable believers who normally work from home (or in a coffee shop, or whatever) to ALSO be able to meet together daily? This wouldn't really be an option for people who have to work at a specific location, but as the number of home offices has increased maybe this could be an effective use of a church building during the week?
If you know somewhere already doing this I'd love to hear about it!
Thoughts?
Deep Thought
Was watching a TV show last night and it got me thinking about a particular topic that I wanted to ask your thoughts on. It is pretty contentious so I understand if you refrain from commenting!
Questionn - What might God expect of trans-gender people? (Read on to better understand my question.)
Let me explain why I ask this. I was watching Eli Stone last night and one of the story lines running through the show was of a church pastor suing his church for 'wrongful dismissal'...because HE had been a SHE when first hired, but had a sex change. The general thought presented throughout the show is that this is a prejudice that should not exist. Now, I doubt the writers of the show were trying to tackle this from a Christian perspective, but it opens up many, MANY questions.
I don't myself really want to talk about whether trans-gender people should be pastors or not, that is a whole new level of deep and contentious thought. But what it got me thinking is, if a trans-gender person comes to Christ... what do they do? Would they be expected to do anything?
To explain this I need to give an illustration. It is 'general' (but not total) consensus that homosexuality and faith don't mix. This isn't to say that homosexuals cannot be saved, but that generally they would either have to decide to remain celibate OR look for heterosexual relationships only. I admit this isn't what all streams of christian faith espouse, but it would have to be the main response. Though this is tough...it is entirely possible and you hear many stories of this happening.
So, what about trans-gender? The issues associated here aren't so much sexuality (though they come into it) but also just about the person's sex. Would it be expected of them that they go back to living 'as God created them' or would it be ok for them to continue living as their new sex? Does God HAVE an expectation here?
I don't know if we can actually answer this because it would require constructing a box. Some streams of faith believe creating boxes is pivotal and some believe creating boxes is limiting God and the freedom he desires for us. But what about you? How would you approach the situation if a trans-gender person began attending your church? What is your theology, or your churches theology, or just your thoughts on this?
You see...I actually find it very hard to answer this very question. The 'inner Pharisee'(thanks for that Hamo!) in me has me asking 'Why are you even asking this question, of COURSE it would be expected that they live as God made them'. But then...this answer just doesn't sit quite right. I am stuck between the tension of black and white land vs grey land.
Hmmm, this topic is challenging my mind greatly. Any thoughts from the blogosphere?
On the outskirts
I have had a very interesting couple of weeks. Throughout the past 1-2 weeks I have had many people talk with me about 'grave concerns' they have for me, so I obviously have been taking heed. What has really stuck me, however, is they all come from a similar vantage point.
What has been happening is a lot of Christians who ONLY know me outside of 'church' have been deeply concerned at my desire to move back into Christian pastoral ministry. A particular comment yesterday summed up what people have been getting at. A summary of the conversations I have been having would be 'I see in you a missionary heart. Not necessarily a move overseas and become a missionary but a live every day as a missionary. Why would you want to get back into a role that systematically breeds the missionary out of a person'. WOW!
Most of these people have a very deep and strong faith. They spend their lives living and dying daily to win souls for Christ. But in almost every situation they have felt like they have needed to place themselves on the very outskirts of 'church' to be able to do this. This deeply saddens me but at the same time actually confirms in me WHY I want to move back into Church pastoral ministry.
My experience of church is far from the experience of so many other people. Church has liberated me. It has freed me TO be missional. Admittedly, I have been deeply embedded in whichever church I have been a part of, and the tension of how much time to spend on 'church' specific stuff always arises, but I have NEVER felt constricted or constrained by it, well until recently. More and more I am seeing this is not the case everywhere and that it IS true that many good, solid Christians are very much constrained by their church.
I want to be a part of the new, emerging paradigm. I strongly believe a new paradigm IS emerging. However, I very much want to be part of transitioning established churches along this path, rather than specifically being a part of the pioneering movements discovering the new paradigm. These interactions give me hope because it says to me there ARE people connected with churches with this desire. There ARE people ready and willing to pick up this challenge. Many people with this mindset are not ANTI church, they just struggle with a paradigm that constricts and constrains its adherents.
I recognise I am generalising a lot, but the future excites me. In my mind I KNOW what kind of church I am looking to get involved with and I believe that God is directing my path in this way. I want to help transition people, transition ministries, transition faith BACK to the idea of everyone living each day as a missionary. This is no easy task and exactly what I mean by this could not fit a blog entry. Suffice to say far from being challenged to change my mind the conversations I have been having just spur me on more and more for the challenges that lie ahead. I'm excited!
On Trial
So I have begun the process of trying to work out 'what next'. What does God have in store for me when I return from my travels? I believe 'next' is to move back into ministry similar to what i was doing at Subi, specifically youth pastoring or something like that. As such I have begun the task of talking to churches about possible roles.
This is the third time I have started to look into this sort of role and the second time I have actually started to speak to various pastors about it and each time i cannot help but feel like i am 'on trial' in the court sense. I have to be honest, I actually don't enjoy the process. I mean, I understand it's necessity but it is just so tough.
Not only do i feel like I am on trial, but I feel like I am placing each particular church on trial, having to almost make 'judgements'. Now obviously I am very much relying on what i feel the Spirit saying to me, but I can't help but shake this feeling.
Each meeting follows a pretty similar structure. It starts by me sharing where I have come from, why I have done what I have, why I am looking to do what I am looking to do, what my theology is on various topics, why, how strongly I hold to that theology. Then after I have been grilled, the tables turn and it is my turn to grill the pastor. What does he believe, what does his church look like, how involved in the community are they, whats the role I am interested in look like, how does he see it playing out etc.
Don't get me wrong, I come away from each meeting with a positive feeling. I do like the honest nature of them, but I still find them tough!
Alternatively God could just do what he did to get me to Margaret River...simply told me to come here! This way, of course, opens up a whole DIFFERENT kettle of fish for an entirely different entry!
And to think...this is only searching for a youth ministry...I can't begin to imagine what prospective Pastor's go through trying to find a church to move to. Fun times!
Significant Update
Wow, it has been pretty quiet on my blog of late! This is mostly because a lot of things have been happening for me behind the scenes that I have not felt comfortable blogging about (and still don't). HOWEVER I do have a pretty significant update to give!
Basically, around June this year I will be heading to America and Canada for some extended travel! A mate of mine was already going and when i was discussing various things with him, he suggested I join him...and I said I would!
This is definately pretty exciting...and also quite daunting as, well i haven't exactly got HEAPS of money, having just bought a car and a laptop! But equally I do have enough to get started, and the plan is to sign up to some Summer Camps while we are over there which should be fun.
Upon returning my plan is to get back into a role similar to what i was doing when I was at Subi, working in youth ministry. Whether this be a youth pastor role, a youth worker role, some community role working with youth, I am not sure. I am leaning towards a youth pastoral kind of role, but we will see!
It is all pretty crazy in my world at the moment, but I can happily say I can see God in control, and I am actually quite at peace with all that is going on.
In fact, it is all quite exciting! And I haven't felt 'excited' for a little while, so it is good to be feeling like ME again:)
In the world of Middo
Hey all, long time no see! I am now back in Margaret River and until I go back to school, don't have regular access to net! Hence the lack of blog posts.
Anyway, the month of January has been quite interesting. On returning home from Brisbane I found out my church is in a designated month of prayer, meeting together twice DAILY! 7am-8am and 7pm-8pm. Now, obviously not everyone joins in every prayer time, but usually 8-10 people are at each and it has been very powerful so far. We are taking the time to really seek what God wants for us as a church and how he wants us to be involved in this town of Margaret River.
Also just this week I bought a CAR! It is a '97 Holden Commodore. I bought it off Sarah and Duncan. It is a very cool car, I love it very much.
Also, 2 nights ago during our prayer time I was praying about Margs and felt God has asked me to do something...so I am! I feel God has asked me to stop drinking alcohol. Now let me make this clear, I do not believe he has asked me to do this because it is wrong...but because, for whatever reason, he wants me to make a stand on this particular issue to help my mission in Margs. I have always held that drinking 'in moderation' (aka not getting drunk) is fine, and still do, but have myself chosen to adopt a 'no drinking' policy. This will be tough because drinking is SO ENGRAINED in Aussie culture, and often 'having a drink with a mate' can open up some great witness time. But I will trust God on this one...so from now on I am going tee-totaller!
This shouldn't actually be that hard to be honest. I don't 'mind' beer, but don't really anjoy it. I haven't quite adopted a liking of wine...I do really enjoy spirits but don't drink them much because it IS so easy to get drunk of them. What 'will' be hard is explaining my stance to unbelievers...but I suppose I am hoping IN that doors for discussing issues of faith might be opened because of my stance. We will see!
There are a few other things going on with church and stuff, but I will leave them for another day. Hope I catch you all well!
Over and out.