NZ PM on Letterman last week

Welcome to my first pumphouse post from my new MacBook Pro... fittingly the NZ PM doing the Top Ten on Letterman's Late Show last week!!

Worship Unplugged #62 'Plan Be' at Salt Factory

Peacemaker

Mercy

Meek

Lament

Justice

This Tuesday night 22nd from 7pm to 9pm at 'The Dockyards' cafe at Newcastle's Honeysuckle Wharf we'll be sharing a meal and our reflections on pictures related to the Beatitudes and specifically the single words related to them through Dave Andrews simple but brilliant 'Plan Be'.

Above are 'some' of the pictures and you can check out the book and all related resources here and Salt Factory is here

The rest of our time will be discussing dates and plans for the rest of the year!!

U2 Embargo: Only Annoucements about a Tour

Stay tuned in the next few days for an announcement about extra U2 Tour Plans [with rumours active about Israel, South America, Oz in March - May 2010 etc] and keen observers will have noted a short return season of U23D at Sydney's IMAX with details here.
Check out here for band announcements!!

"Beds are Burning" for Climate Change

So it seems you'll soon be able to download a version of the celebrity recorded and re-worded version of the 'Oils' "Beds are Burning" reworded for climate change and explored at least on the Tck Tck Tck website and/or MySpace here!! I look forward to hearing and seeing how it helps a vital campaign in the lead up to Copenhagen!!

Row 'M' Seat 30 "As It Is In Heaven"

I have had some space this week to write some resources I've been meaning to catch up on... including this discussion guide and resource for the great Swedish film "As It Is In Heaven."
The film operates on lots of levels and is only enriched by the direct messages for those engaged in 'church' community!!
A pdf will be downloadable soon from the Youth Unit website here but is here for saving as a gif file!!

I look fwd to a group discussion again this coming week with colleagues at the 'Formation Intensive' at Nth Parramatta!!

9th September 2009

Bar Beach, Newcastle, NSW Australia
Here's a photo of my second favourite place in the world at 9.09am on 09.09.09!!

And I was just thinking that this time last year I was in my favourite place, New York City, spending four days exploring work, fun and sport!! In the 1970's they exported sand from this stretch of the beach between Bar and Merewether to improve the eroded Hawaiian beaches!! The far end is the home 'break' and still residence of four times world surfing champ Mark Richards!!

'Salt Factory' 22nd September 2009

My 'experimental' group gathering called 'Salt factory' has gathering number two coming up as per the jpeg included here and details of 'Salt factory' are here!!

Young Adults who are interested are welcome to join in/check it out... etc

"Water" Themed Worship this week

Did some work this week on a 'water' themed worship or really 'living water' and used some things from recent ocassions but put them together in specific ways to be the happening that followed a 'workshop with the key group from East Maitland Uniting Contemporary Worship.

Pre worship live clip of "Ocean" John Butler Trio [youtube]
Four Voices Call asking for volunteers on the spot

VOICE ONE:
This is our worship
This is not a concert, a film or a play,
We set aside time to ‘be’ and to ‘know’

VOICE TWO:
What difference does God make?
How will we be the people of God in this place?
In all places?

VOICE THREE:
What do we celebrate? What do we lament?
How is the metaphor of ‘water’ meaningful for us?
God make yourself known to us

VOICE FOUR:
We own up to being less than we can be,
We accept the promise of God to forgive us,
May we live as forgiven people, with grace and freedom to share
God be with us in our time together...

Then introduced my Photostory 3 reflection on "Magnificent" U2

Having already used a 'confession' or 'owning up and being forgiven' word, we added reflection time with tracing or pouring in a tub of water while listening to "Wash Me Clean" Bernard Fanning

The Band led Communal Singing

Read part of "Previously" storybook as a reminder that we all have a 'previously' or a story of what went before...

"Woman at the Well" video from youtube and the Twist DVD
[5]questions.... who is this woman? what else strikes you? what did jesus mean? who else is this woman? how should we respond?

John 4: 7-15 read in [3] parts

Song/s

[9] Stations

[a] Words on Cards, to react/reflect on
[b] “Previously” to read
[c] “Water” doco/”Water” Blue King Brown clip AV write ‘post-it-note” prayer youtube
[d] Magnetic Poetry
[e] “NOOMA” DVD 'Today' looped
[f] Bible Passage on paper/further reflection Qs
[g] ‘Who is this Woman ?’ picture reflection
[h] “Pasha Bulker” Bob Evans looped with lyrics on paper
[i] Leunig Prayer OFFERING

SONG

FOUR VOICE SENDING OUT
VOICE FIVE:
Give us a blank piece of paper God
On it we will write our hopes and our questions.

VOICE SIX:
Shape us, guide us, through distractions, poor choices
and our own agenda
Help us find meaning in your story and make it our own through your Spirit

VOICE SEVEN:
Send us out to share our humanity, ourselves
Help us be sources of ‘life giving’ water in Jesus example

VOICE EIGHT:
Help us a create a new and different story,
So we move ourselves and others from “quietly screamed desperation”
To a different place.
AMEN
*Thoreau

FINAL SONG

"Mac-over" here we come...

For a while we've had plans at work to update my laptop. While some wierd audio-visual issues had been resolved there were still some hassles and the more I tested out creative stuff the more the limits have been obvious... my DEll is to become a second AV laptop and for use around the Unit in various more straight forward projects!!

Because we are well resourced for equipment and given permission to have the tools we need to do our tasks.... much appreciated John and Sally!! I am able to venture into the 'light' and start using a Mac!!

As I said on facebook... now for the shaved head, 30kg weightloss, Dr Martens, black framed glasses, Howies jumper etc etc... the 'Mac-over'!!

Now come the endless questions for colleagues, hackers, and officianados!!

'Wattle Day' in Australia

Typical of my preferred forms of transport and activity [e.g. I love walking but that means urban footpaths and even the pathway adjacent to the beach from Merewether via Bar Beach to town] I know it's 'Wattle Day' because today and for the last few weeks the wattle deliberately planted alongside the F3 Freeway are in full bloom!! They are a blatant attempt to make the regrowth look native and special... it works!!
The weather is unseasonally warm but I hope it continues!!

In celebration of all such things Australian I add the following from the Monty Python team



This sketch is the origin of the 'sprig of wattle' chant still used by the Aussie cricket team after a victory and led by an annointed team member. It was the source of the choker hold by Simon Katich on Michael Clarke after Clarke reportedly requested an early rendition so as to join Lara Bingle and family for dinner.
What the heck does that have to do with 'Wattle Day'...