LIve Music Cafe 19th April for Salt [Factory]

Keep an eye on saltfactory.blogspot.com for music and other details but this Liv Music Dinner at Bogie Hole Cafe is a fundraiser for OxFam... download the jpeg to invite your friends!!

"Bluesfest" Easter Weekend Again

Just another of the fascinating bands to be taking the stage at 'Bluesfest'

"Bluesfest" Easter Weekend

I'm off to "Bluesfest" this Easter [with Naomi and Jerri at this stage but who knows what other last minuters] which will be quite different but is exciting!! Basically it's a continuation of my desire to be engaged in my context and the 'missio dei' by letting 'Bluesfest' organise my Easter so I and others can reflect on the story 'in the marketplace of ideas' and genuinely ask ourselves 'what is the good news?' or how does it make sense in that place and for these people!!

I look forward to learning that I'm asking the wrong questions or being surprised or whatever really!! But I will say that if my life and faith don't make sense at 'Bluesfest', then they don't make sense anywhere.

I find music inspiring, transcendent and transformative... just plain fun and am really looking forward to the big names and the small names on the list. There will also be [3] episodes of Rockwiz over the weekend on their national tour. I'm interested in the sense of community, age range and how they stretch the definition of 'Blues and Roots' to build crowd for this event.
I look forward to comparing and contrasting my experience of 'Greenbelt' in 2008 with this coming weekend!!

It's just a bonus that I'll catch 'Crowded House', 'The Fray', 'The Break','Jeff Beck' and others. Stay tuned for post event reflections!!

And that John Hughes Tribute...

Oscars John Hughes Tribute

It probably only means something to those of us who grew up in the 1980s but a John Hughes film was a guarantee of a fun, meaningful, relevant 90minutes which when you look back was genuinely all about your life story, angst, foibles, esteem etc!!

"Vacation"

"Sixteen Candles"

"Some Kind of Wonderful"

"The Breakfast Club"

"Pretty in Pink"

"Ferris Beuller's Day Off"

"Planes, Trains & Automobiles"

"Home Alone"

"Uncle Buck"

Just to name a few...

Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick and others were part of a moving tribute to John Hughes in the Oscars today that to be honest moved me to tears for memories of those fraught years and all the anecdotes associated with the era of those films... relationships, trips, uncertainty, growing up, loneliness, and fun... all wrapped up in all night-er video parties.

82nd Oscars Today

Every year I write something of the same spiel about the "Academy Awards" where of course they celebrate everything celebrity, excess and individualistic about western self important society... yet they also top all the other focal points for the medium I just love called 'motion pictures' or movies!!

OK, ok... it's an awards show...

But don't you love to see the best in American self congratulations raided by a succession of Aussies who don't take themselves too seriously, some speeches by the real actors who show how good they are by not being able to be anywhere near as articulate as themselves in character...

This morning Sam Worthington responded to a question about the worldwide impact of "Avatar" by saying even he was sick of seeing his ugly head in the media and then followed up a question about what it should be about today... by suggesting the message was that James Cameron was an "f*&^ing good Director... whuh!!"

There are some brilliant films being celebrated this year:

The Blind Side

The Hurt Locker

Avatar

Up

Precious...

Who I hope wins:

Best Picture 'The Hurt Locker'

Best Actor Morgan Freeman but I think it'll be Jeff Bridges

Best Supporting Christoph Walz

Best Actress Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Mo'Nique

Best Director Kathryn Bigelow

Bring it on...

2010 "Razzies" on Oscars Eve

Sandra Bullock showed what a good sport she is by dropping by to collect her 'Raspberry Award' for Worst Actress in "All About Steve" perhaps setting up the double with the Oscar for "The Blind Side"!!

For non regular readers, the Razzies are the satirical 'Worst....' awards held annually the night before the Oscars where regular nominees include Sylvester Stallone!!

Spencer Tunick brought his own simple creativity to Sydney

The Opera House was the venue overnight for Tunick's latest photographic endeavour with 5200 punters turning up in the early hours of the morning for instructions!!

"It's Not Rocket Science!" Part 2

So, should we not run a group, a program or a series of interrelated groups?

If you have leadership, energy and a vision for a group/s or a program/s then go for it!!

Just don't make the program the focus... let any and all activities meet the social and fun needs of your young people and those in your local or regional community... but attend also to the wider vision of: growing resilience in young people; helping them with identity, belonging, meaning & shaping faith; providing positive intergenerational experiences; and making discipleship accessible, real and responsive.

Other colleagues have done plenty of writing about how we still often see 'building relationship' as a means to an end, even subconsciously... I will get to know these young people in order to better understand how to 'share the gospel with them'... how about because God loves and values them and calls me to do the same, or because the lived example of Jesus reminds me that he made time for all people and especially for those on the edge... he was also most critical of empty religious practice...

Alternatives to Friday Night Youth Group:

A less frequent program of varied activities with small discipleship groups as a regular centre

Activities building on 'affinity' e.g. social justice action, Wii Games, Movies, music

There's still a place for weekend camps as a glimpse of the community, values & story we share

Taking groups to regional events and beyond

Beginning with a Kids Club or Holiday Club to build on

Start a 'Priority One' Year 6 to Year 7 program

[each depends on your context and what would be best]

More soon...