Row M Seat 30 "Seven Pounds" starring Will Smith

'Ben Thomas' [Will Smith] has a secret where even the previews talk about how he took only seven seconds to ruin his life. We pick up the unfolding story in this film where it seems Ben has chosen a range of people to help out in life, seemingly out of his capapcity as an IRS [Tax Ofice] Case Worker.
This moving film comes from the 'Pursuit of Happyness' team and has a similar grain and feel whilst Will Smith works hard to create the depth and complexity of his character who is surprised by the girl he meets who is in need of a heart transplant.
As the truth about Ben and the reasons for and nature of his helping become clear, this turns into a very moving and thoughtful story of one persons attempts to make a real difference in the lives of others.

Will Smith quote:
"Usually with the films that I make there are ideas that I connect to, but lately I've been dealing with the bittersweet in life because it feels more natural. You don't ever get it really the way you want in life. That really fascinates me. As an actor, there are certain parts of a character that you create, and you train yourself to have those reactions and then it becomes hard to stop them when the role is over. You have to retrain yourself. My character in this film is like hot grits. You know you can't shake them off and when you do, it hurts."

Rotten Tomatoes movie review website was like many others not exactly raving about the film.

SPOILER ALERT
While I found the story had weaknesses and some aspects were simply implausible, it is a 'fable' in the truest sense and offers reflections on:
life
mistakes
that things don't always go well

There are challenges awaiting many thoughtful viewers and the films climax is sudden and definitive!!

U2 News

As ever the publicity and media hype surrounding U2 goes into overdrive in the lead up to every new album! As blogged before, there are stolen lyrics, stunts, rumours etc and this time is no different!!

No, there are no tix yet for a summer UK Tour
Yes, the new single will debut on Dublin radio Jan 19th
Yes, U2 will play alongside others at the 'We Are One' celebration at the lincoln Memorial in Washington as an Obama Inauguration Celebration that's open to the public.
No, they will not redefine rock n roll with the new release

AND maybe the above has something to do with the new album cover by Hiroshi Sugimoto?

Holiday Blogging

Just letting my three or four devoted readers out there know that for the next 3-4 weeks I'll only be blogging for fun and not out of duty... so resource ideas, inspired stuff, NCYC write ups etc will have to wait... sports, movies, news and observations may appear but only if I'm surfing for FUN!!

Catch you in a few weeks... I have also decided that I will then be launching a lectionary based worship resource blog as a seperate and collaborative project with links and reference to several existing blogs that this will hopefully complement... just one of many different focal points in 2009!! Stay tuned for more...

Festival of Sydney "Play Me, I'm Yours" Pianos

As an art installation Luke Jerram has placed 30 pianos outdoors across Sydney with the aim of 'creating community' as budding pianists 'have a go' and gather those around them with a tune!!
The artist tells the story of waking at 2am the other night and worrying the Hyde Park Piano hadn't been properly covered with the light showers forecast. He arrived to discover a 'rough sleeper' playing a few tunes but from half under said cover so both were out of the rain... surreal!
The Festival of Sydney never disappoints for quality free street drama, performance, theatre and engagement! WE dip our toes in next Monday with the annual trip to the Openair Cinema on the harbour at Mrs Macquarie's Chair seeing 'Valkyrie' with Tom Cruise.

Worship Unplugged # 56 Google Earth Prayer

Over three Bible Studies at our biennial national youth event [NCYC] we used Google Earth to plot the punters specific prayers alongside some related to news of the week. Each place was pinpointed and as the globe rotated and zoomed in and out we planned a musical soundtrack for reflection which for time sake became a live backing. This was typical of Tristan D's creativity following the usual response of "or we could..."

Post NCYC in Melbourne

The dust hasn't settled on NCYC but I find myself having farewelled various groups within our tour, including dinner with the Wollongong crowd tonight at St Kilda!! and so now I am in the home stretch!!
I decided not to go to the 'gigglefest' 20Twenty at the G and so I am looking forward to a good sleep before hitting the roasd for home...
For the record, while I find the batting entertaining I still think they ought to just put a bowling machine at one end and let rip... and I don't believe it'll be good for cricket in the long run... yet it is how I liked to bat in all forms of the game...
Perhaps while Israel bombs the tripe out of Gaza there are more important things going on in the world!!
In coming weeks we will be celebrating our work at Bible Studies and writing our material into a Resource for use by others. It was really energising and it was quite amazing to work with such a talented team who all worked hard to go with the creative style that got such great feedback from the 'punters.'

My highlights included:
Our day themes of Inverted, Ugly and the legendary Beautiful>Naked
Rah's painting
Sam/Katie's music
'Fall At Your Feet' with Jesse Attwood at Kicks DVD while Sam/Katie played live
Google Earth Prayer was very cool
Laser Grafitti was great until the video camera took a spill
[note to self about replacing that]
The feedback we received from delegates and their leaders was really positive
Having the time/resources/talents to do most of what we dreamed
Just seeing drama, music, speaking and video come together
Overcoming the limitations of the space
Laughing a lot about the 5 litres of paint we spilled on the storeroom floor

ncyc09 Converge

i am blogging today from Melbourne where we have today been'flash mobbing' to draw attention to 'make poverty history' as a submersion action.
I have also been working with a brilliant team in presenting a 'surfing level' bible study with 170 punters over 16

Photos to follow in coming days...

Deadpool 2009

I'll write more when I get home from NCYC09 in Melbourne BUT I know some will be horrified that I am again entering a 'Deadpool' for 2009 with some cricketing mates and friends of friends....

Each will sumbit 15 potential well knowns who might die during 2009 and earn a point for each year under 100 of each successsful prediction.... I was leading in 2008 with Edmund Hillary and Steve Fossett [legally dead in Feb] but didn't punt on the Bali Bombers who were tragically young in wasting their lives...

Anyhow, if offended, look away now:

1. Nelson Mandela
2. Barack Obama
3. Fidel Castro
4. Michael J Fox
5. Billy Graham
6. Patrick Swayze
7. Phyllis Diller
8. Farah Fawcett
9. Kirk Douglas
10. BB King
11. Mickey Rooney
12. Britney Spears
13. Paul Gasgoigne
14. Eli Wallach
15. Joan Fontaine

Just remember... I don't want any of these people to die... but they just might!!

Video for NCYC09

Just to avoid doing more prep work right now I thought I'd post one of the audio-visuals I've prepared for Bible Study at NCYC09 in Melbourne... way too much to do, way too little time!!

It's for "Ugly" theme day as an open ended intro about us 'getting ugly' in response to who Jesus spent time with and who we are called to be and what we're called to build... the world lived according to the values of God!!

"No Line on the Horizon" U2

OK so I couldn't resist after all....
The reports are that you could get your hands on new U2 on 2nd March 2009.
"I'll believe it when I see it" but some new tracks, songs that didn't make it for "Atomic Bomb" and a re-energise group working with Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno and Steve Lillywhite [The Captain] promises at least some interesting moments ahead of Easter if it all comes to pass!!
See u2.com for details of course.

"Valkyrie" rated tbc at Openair Cinema Sydney

After some internet drama I was able to book the annual sojourn to the Openair at 'Mrs Macquarie's Chair' in Sydney. We've been going along once or twice each season since it began in 1997. It's a brilliant night out with certain quirky features:

• It's a temporary grandstand with tiered seating of locked together sebel plastic chairs where the screen is on two pylons in the harbour and the hydraulics haul it into place at 8.15pm for a series of arty adverts [one year even an actual boat on the water featured alongside an ad]
  
• You must pre-book and arrive before 6pm [it wasn't always so popular but since St George took over from Phillips as major sponsor and as word got around you now have to have a system to get your dinner table and the best seats]
  
• Watch as various punters: get in the wrong queue, try to sneak in to the shortest line, attempt to sneak in bottles of wine, entertain those nearby with stories of rich relatives, their season tickets at the STC, anecdotes from the last 11 years of lining up, or repeatedly need to phone their slack friends who've let them line up for 2 hours only to arrive just as 'gates open'
  
• One of us heads straight for the seat markers and the less well known left stairs with free Lindt chocolate in hand, the other charges up to the dinner tables to reserve a space where there's not enough for all despite a recent expansion
  
• We choose to sit in the centre on an aisle with the crossover aisle right behind us so when we lean back it isn't into someone elses lap or dinner
  
• With seat markers in place we choose bangers and mash, thai beef noodles or fish n chips from Belinda Franks caterers by tagging at the long tables and then proceed to eat as slowly as possible, adding coffee and drinks so as to divert the seagullers trying to guilt you into giving up your table
  
• Only when absolutely necessary we move to our seats with extra softdrinks stowed, newspapers and magazines aplenty and take one more photo of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background
  
• Rain ponchos are distributed on the rare occasion rain is possible [needed twice in eleven years]
  
• Choose a movie under 2 hours or thereabouts if possible because of the seats


• Having parked across from the entrance by circling the headland we are well placed at movie end to retry the side stairs, hustle up the hill and getaway quickly with a stop in 20-30mins for a softdrink or snack proior to the 2 hour drive home!!


• "One year" we say "we must try out the Moonlight Cinema at Centennial Park where you take your own deckchair."

For 2009 we managed to secure tix for "Valkyrie" the reason for Tom Cruise spooky Beatlesesque hair cut 18 months ago. It's based on the story of the attempt by insiders to kill Adolf Hitler and the names besides Cruise give me some cause to think it'll be a good film.

Click the title or go here to check it out http://valkyrie.unitedartists.com/

Happy Christmas from Pumphouse via U2

While heavily into preparations as part of my team who are leading a 'surfing level' Bible Study at the upcoming NCYC09 in Melbourne!! I pause for an early 'HAPPY CHRISTMAS' to my two or three readers out there!! With the help of U2 [I will say nothing about their 'it's like nothing else we've ever recorded' line or the slated release dates for their new album or indeed the video recording in London]

U2's cover of Greg Lake's 'I Believe in Father Christmas' is among cuts from The Killers, John Legend, Jay-Z and Coldplay on (RED)WIRE, a groundbreaking new digital magazine service supporting the fight against global poverty. Check out RED WIRE!

GetUp on Climate Change

The activist network 'GetUp' has put together a funny TV spot making the point that with the Rudd government measly 5% carbon reduction target they've released a policy not too dissimilar to one that John Howard might have been dragged kicking and screaming towards.
While they've 'wedged' Malcolm Turnbull they've fallen way short of their own Garnuat Report and rhetoric.
GetUp are previewing the spot here and asking for donations to get it on air during the Aussie Boxing Day cricket Test in Melbourne telecast by the Nine Network.

Don Bradman's 1948 Australian Cricket 'Baggy Green' Cap

A piece of history is up for auction today... if only I had a lazy few hundred thousand dollars!

For the non cricket mad readers... in the game of cricket there is no greater player than 'The Don'... playing both sides of World War 2. and bringing people to the grounds when news spread that he was batting. He had no peer in his ability to make big scores at all levels of the game and led to specific tactics being developed by English Captain Douglas Jardine and enacted in the so called 'bodyline' series in the 1930's.

In a sport where a batsmen's average either side of 50 runs per innings is a fair achievement and special players average 60, Bradman averaged 99.94. Part of the legend is of course that he needed only four runs in his final innings to average 100 but was dismissed for zero [a duck].

The 1948 Australian team swept all before them and were undefeated on an extended Tour and in some 31 first class cricket matches including 4-0 with one draw in the Test Match series v England, becaming known as the 'Invincibles.'

This is the Don's 1948 cap and is up for auction in Melbourne later today!!.

Some of the notable touring party members are:

Don Bradman (captain)
Lindsay Hassett (vice-captain)
Ray Lindwall
Keith Miller
Sam Loxton
Neil Harvey
Bill Brown
Arthur Morris
Don Tallon (wicket-keeper)
Sid Barnes
Ian Johnson
Bill Johnston
Ernie Toshack
Doug Ring
and three or four others

Like any person the legend is larger than life with the occasional story about a catholic/protestant split in the team, Bradman's clash with officials over a newspaper job and later as an administrator.

Former Australian Captain Ian Chappell dared to criticise Bradman for resisting the players attempts to gain greater financial reward from playing the game. Chappell said he thought Bradman would have been more understanding as a former player, that he felt he was treated like a child and as though the money was coming out of Bradman's own wallet!!

I think he mostly likes to be seen as the only one game to speak out more than seeing the issue or the accurate history as being important!! He continues to make media comment in favour of those 'on his team' as measured by ability to down a beer or twelve while there's no doubt he was also an inspiring and successful Aussie skipper.

Row 'M' Seat 30 "Seven Pounds"

"It is within my power to drastically change his cirumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve."

Angela 'scoop' Bishop's entertainment wrap for TEN this morning on TV included a sneak peak at Will Smith's new movie due here in Oz in January!!
"Seven Pounds" Ben (Will Smith) is an IRS agent who is deeply depressed and guilt-ridden over mistakes from his past. He sets out in his job to help seven strangers. When he meets Emily (Rosario Dawson), a beautiful woman with a heart condition, he falls in love with her, thereby complicating his plans. Woody Harrelson also appears as a blind pianist who befriends Ben.
It's from the makers of 'Pursuit of Happyness' so it's probably more than the marketing that's a similar feel to that film!!

Other cinema to look for now/2009:
'Frost/Nixon' December
'Valkyrie' January [the reason for that Tom Cruise hairstyle]
'Star Trek' May
'Terminator Salvation' with Christian Bale as John Connor
'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' June
'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' July [should have been November 2008]
'The Seventh Python' July
'GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra' August
'Dirt Music' based on Tim Winton's novel September

Worship Unplugged # 55 Prayer Hands

Here's one idea I didn't get to do at the recent Advent Retreat! It was inspired by one photo from the 'We're Not Afraid' website that began in response to the 2005 London bombings.

It involves inviting everyone to write a prayer or response on the palm of their hand with a permanent marker and taking photos of each hand. Poison ball activist and U2 doppleganger Bradon tells me they walked the proverbial tightrope recently at North Rocks by doing this all on one evening... you see you take the photos and plug them into Photostory with a sound track and you have an instant audio-visual for prayer, reflection or sending out!!

The North Rocks mob were asked 'what can you offer?' It could be a response to any challenge or invitation, prayers of the people, a commitment, 'one' word...

Did Coldplay copy Joe Satriani?

No coincidence that media outlets have news of Joe Satriani's lawsuit against Coldplay just as they grab seven Grammy nominations!! This youtube video demonstrates the similarity but like many other similar cases there are probably two likelihoods:
1. There are actually only a limited number of chords so eventually similar songs emerge
2. An 'out of court settlement' before Coldplay's tour

Check it out for yourself!!

'Woman at the Well' Advent Retreat

Last weekend I was able to contribute input to our tertiary students 'Advent Retreat' which focused on 'Practicing our Faith'. On Saturday I was talking about 'stories' and one such story was the 'Woman at the Well' using a pretty good modern daramatised first person drama posted on youtube by 'lalaland481'!!

I am posting it here so collaborators on our NCYC Bible Study in January can see the kind of thing we might want to get people to do on video ahead of time of 'live' in the space.

More on the Retreat input soon!!

Life Ahead CD in aid of 'The Buttery' Rehab Centre

The current Rolling Stone has an advert and article explaining this great collection of B sides and rarities from some of Oz best rock and rollers and beyond!!

Grab a copy of the double CD here

Unreliable Idea: 'Previously'

I went to the bookshop for another title but picked up a copy of 'Previously' which I and other are still working on for a few different uses the story immediately suggests!
Each little story picks up a well known fairy tale character e.g. Jack who was puffing from having climbed down a beanstalk... Previously he had.... and then as it goes back over his story it links to the next one and so on...
At the weekend I used it at a Tertiary Students Advent Retreat inviting them at the end of a long year to write a 'Previously...' about where they were coming from to be in that space and then be able to be 'in' the moment on the weekend at hand...

I'm sure it wouldn't work everywhere with every group but it went OK this time around...
It would work in a different way with: kids; in resource ministry training, in Intentional Interim Ministry or short term roles helping people unpack the past... check it at your local bookshop before you buy!!

Prayer Booth

This mornings bacon and eggs TV included a quick item about Dylan Mortimer [an artist] from Kansas City who tries to create works and installations which encourage discussion about the usually unpopular topics of faith, belief, prayer etc...

His latest project was part of an 'Arts in the Parks' Festival in Midtown Manhattan where he installed a 'Prayer Booth' not unlike a local payphone in appearance except for the lack of coin slot and the addition of a kneeler if required!!

Interesting art installation which has attracted world media attention!

Worship Unplugged #54 World map and Textas

I have written previously about the 'prayers for others' idea of inviting people to place a tealight candle on the map while being inspired by an audiovisual with images from news that week and beyond!

I was thinking about simpler and different alternatives so I suggest using permanent markers to invite people to write a word, symbol etc on the map... in sharing the idea my NCYC Bible Study collaborators noted that you could still re-use it in the future and I wondered about working your way through the colours from lighter to darker... then we thought about laminated maps with whiteboard or temporary overhead transparency markers...

What about a large callico map and washable markers!!

Worship Unplugged #53 The Rythm of the Song

Called on to lead a reflective worship at this week's Uniting Church NSW/ACT Synod Inservice Conference for Workers in Ministry with Children, Youth, Young Adults and/or Families [called 'NEXT BIG THING']... colleague Bra[y]don harked back to some work from Nooma's Rob Bell in describing God as being like a song, a tune, a rythm and about aligning ourselves with that rythm [or not].
Bradon introduced the background to a song and invited us [as we listened to the track] to try to write the song within us... a little unsure how it would go.... it was brilliant!!
Or is that just a comment out of my recent experience as a muscially challenged person in writing some lyrics for friends to put tunes to and being used to the challenge...

If I can find my post it notes in the packing I have the beginnings of my third communal singing song... it was inspirational!!
I'm making it Worship Unplugged idea #53

Unearthed Event

I'm contributing some simple elements to a worship kick off for this event being championed by Naomi Nash and our UCA ELM Centre which is aimed at cracking open theology and stuff for young adults!!
The first is an opening, adoration, thanks and confession [owning up to our shortfalls] which will be accompanied by a spoken intro and the second will include an invitation to light a tealight and place it on a world map 'somewhere needing the light of Christ.'

They were both made with Photo Story 3 that saves powerpoint like animations as windows media files so they can be used alone or pasted into a longer powerpoint with other elements.

101 Things I Wish I'd Known

Recently in the Riverina we put together a workshop around '101 Things I Wish I'd Known About Ministry with Young People When I Started.' The truth of that is most learnings only come through experience and I wouldn't trade most learnings for some artificial 'downloading' of the wisdom... but part of learning it is sharing and helping others reflect on their ministry and relationships!!

I made it into the 70's on the list and will see how we go sharing some here [or in batches]:

1. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN MINISTRY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
2. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS RELATIONAL> INCARNATIONAL
3. WE NEED TO BE AT MISSION OR ‘SENT’ TO ENGAGE OUR CONTEXT
4. YOUTH ARE PARTICIPANTS IN GOD’S MISSION> NOT TARGETS
5. THE GOSPEL REQUIRES ‘TRANSLATION’ INTO THE CONTEXT
6. INTUITION TELLS US WE’RE DOING SOMETHING THAT’S NOT RIGHT
7. WE NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF PEOPLE TEACHING FAITH AND PRACTISING FAITH AS THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAS
8. COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE...
9. FLEXIBILITY COMES FROM PREPARATION
10. GROUPS FORM> STORM> NORM and have a 'personality'
11. ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP CAN BE LEARNT FROM SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING
12. NO RESOURCE CAN BE USED WITHOUT SOME MODIFICATION
13. KNOW THE STAKEHOLDERS EXPECTATIONS
14. PEOPLE DON’T MEAN IT WHEN THEY SAY THEY WANT QUALITY PROGRAM/S OR MISSION AND NOT NUMBERS
15. "IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE"
16. AT SOME POINT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING 17. IT IS ONLY SOMETIMES EASIER TO SEEK FORGIVENESS RATHER THAN ASK PERMISSION
18. NOBODY RSVPs FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE
19. GIVE IT A GO… MAYBE YOUR IDEA ISN’T STUPID!
20. NETWORKING WITH OTHER LEADERS IS VALUABLE
21. READ NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
22. BE HONEST
23. DON’T PRETEND TO LIKE MUSIC, FASHION,ACTIVITIES YOU DON’T… YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SOPHISTICATED ‘CRAP DETECTORS’
24. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AMAZING
25. TAKE TIME OUT TO ‘SHARPEN THE SAW’ [to have your own recreation]
26. GROW OWNERSHIP BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN PROGRAM PLANNING
27. GROW CAPACITY BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP
28. BUILD ASSETS FOR RESILIENCE
29. CHURCH COUNCILS AND MINISTERS DON’T LIKE SURPRISES
30. YOU DON’T HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT… NOBODY DOES
31. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING EVERY YOUNG PERSONS BEST FRIEND
32. YOUNG PEOPLE’S ISSUES ARE SERIOUS FOR THEM
33. PARENTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY
34. YOUR BEST SOURCE OF HELPERS AND OTHER LEADERS ARE THOSE MOST ABLE TO SEE THE MISSIONAL VALUE OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING
35. YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL> MINISTER
36. NOT EVERY PLANNED ACTIVITY HAS TO HAPPEN
37. SAFETY IS AN ISSUE
38. ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN GROUP DEALS OR COVENANTS WHEN IT COMES TO RULES
39. EXPRESS RULES IN THE POSITIVE
40. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE
41. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS CHANGING
42. LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN SPIRITUALITY & FAITH IN YOUR RYTHMN
43. IT’S EASY TO ‘LOVE’ AND BEFRIEND THE ‘COOL’ BUT HARDER WITH THE AWKWARD, WEIRD, AND DIFFICULT
44. YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HANDLE BIBLICAL STORIES AND EXPLORATION
45. MUSIC IS A TASTE SENSITIVE RESOURCE
46. MOVIES ARE MORE NEUTRAL
47. STORIES ARE POWERFUL FOR AT LEAST [4] REASONS

They cross boundaries [time, culture, language]

We seem wired for narrative

Stories create identity [what we accept, take on, reject etc]

Stories create community [ones we gather around]
48. BE A GIVER OF ‘HOPE’ the gospel is 'good news'
49. CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT
50. CONTACT ALL> CONNECT MANY > CARE for A FEW> CHALLENGE 1 OR 2
51. ACTIVELY LISTEN> ASK QUESTIONS
52. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MODEL OF YOUTH MINISTRY
53. KEEP PARENTS/FAMILIES INFORMED THROUGH PUBLICITY/INFO SHEETS

54. YOUTH MINISTRY MUST BECOME A SHARED MINISTRY OF THE WHOLE CHURCH
55. MOVE TOWARDS COMPREHENSIVE YOUTH MINISTRY [mission and ministry with all generations]
56. OBEY TRAFFIC RULES AND CAR SAFETY
57. FAITH SHAPING TASKS NOT STAGES
58. IDENTITY, BELONGING, MEANING AND FAITH SHAPING are building block aims
59. YOUTH MINISTRY SHOULD BE AS MUCH A PART OF THE CHURCH’S MINISTRY AS ANY OTHER
60. LEADERSHIP WORKS BEST ‘OUT OF YOUR GIFTS’ not just seniority> who's free
61. YOU NEED TO SET BOUNDARIES> LIMITS
62. KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SIMPLY DESCRIBE AS ‘GOOD NEWS’
63. REFLECTION AND SELF AWARENESS GROWS GOOD LEADERSHIP
64. ACTS 17: PAUL IN ATHENS or indeed Silas who actually lived in his missional community
65. DROP THE LANGUAGE OF ‘IN’ AND ‘OUT’
66. BELONGING NOT MEMBERSHIP> ETHOS NOT COMMITMENT
67. SUBMIT REPORTS
68. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUNG PEOPLES CAPACITY FOR WORSHIP
69. CREATING SAFE SPACES TAKES A LOT OF WORK
70. GEN Y ARE NOT THE GENERATION WHO LEFT THE CHURCH

71. FUNDRAISE IN THE COMMUNITY not just the same church crowd

72......

"Australia"

After a brief mention way back I have held off as long as possible before all the hype gets ramped up about Baz Lurhman's latest epic film!! 'Australia'!!

With a cast including almost anyone every self respecting Aussie could think of [and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman] it looks in teasers and well placed advertising to be a grand story which might just have interesting things to say about our values, history and indigenous story!!
It's also an interesting modern exercise in marketing and distribution with trailers, posters, women's magazine pieces and made for mobile snippets available for your phone!!

All the while Baz has stayed holed up in the editing suite to put the finishing touches on the film so that there's no chance we'll know how long it is and what the rating is anytime soon!! I recall being in Cairns for Easter 2006 and they had just been filming in Bowen before decamping and preparing for the move to the Northern Territory and the Studio...
Baz doesn't do bad work so it'll just be a matter of whether the story interests you or the themes are of any relevance...
It opens here November 26th but I suspect any locals already knew that somehow!! Personally I am looking forward to what the vision is...

Digital Media Festival

There's a Festival for digital artists including exhibitions and seminars 11-13 November in Sydney at Paddington Town Hall, Oxford St Paddington!!

Looks like lots of stuff for editing, effecets and animation and digital videoing will be on display!!

Wow! History in the Making

Congratulations to Barack Obama!!
Apparently 'Yes We Can'!

Greenbelt.UK.US # 6 NEW YORK

This trip has been a while in the making for me and as such I needed to include a US leg to catch some of the things I have tracked alongside the UK groups.

I planned to connect with:
'Transmission' faith community
Trinity Wall Street 'Our Neighbours' lifesized photo display
Origins Church Upper West Side
Journey Church Midtown
AND
A Ground Zero Walking Tour through the Tribute Centre and the 9/11 Families Assoc

I don't have time to do 'Mosaic' in LA, Minneapolis and/or Seattle!! Next time maybe!!

Had a great flight once we got away and caught the excellent Sky Train to Howard Beach Station with the train that will circle Manhattan and go right to 59th St-Columbus Circle within short walking distance to the Westside YMCA [my inexpensive accomodation right near Central Park].

I dumped my stuff and walked staright down to Times Square in humid and opressive heat... passed the stage for the NFL Season Kick OFF which will happen the next night with Natasha Bettingfield, Keith Urban and Usher!!

I still had a headfull of thoughts leaving London and watched two suitably sad movies inflight causing a few strange tears.... typical of me!!

First impressions of New York [since 1998, 2000 visits]
1. Every person flying in is net cam photographed and fingerprinted at the airport!!!
2. Kids are even more fashion conscious and only here does the baseball cap sidways and jeans exposing boxers or undies look like fashion and not a pale imitation!!
3. It's noisier than ever and hotter than even my last summer vist which was June not September!!
4. The new airtrain rather than shuttle bus leaves our transport systems behind!!

Walking around I see many familiar and many new shops BUT feel at home, safe and excited to be here.... rushing back to head to 'Transmission' I run into Robin Williams about to leave the Trump Hotel for a bike ride through Central Park. He appears on David Letterman's LATE SHOW the next night!!

It does feel like there's a 'hole in the sky' looking downtown!!

I head to TGIFs and catch the girls on the earthcam while chatting on the phone!! This was a long time in the planning and didn't pan out on my previous visit!!

Greenbelt.UK.US # 5

I made some trip notes during and after our group debrief of the UK leg and found them a helpful reminder:

1. I was inspired by the space and permission at St Laurence, READING and have and will continue to tell that story... not about the stuff they put into the space but the process of gutting the building and working at 'what' to put in... the same could be done on minimal money!!
2. 'Safespace' at Telford was inspiring because of the energy and integrity of the community members and theie clear focus on 'keeping each other accountable'
3. Issues we'll face in Oz include money for projects and the ongoing questions about the future of ordained and lay voluntary leadership
4. I continue to reflect on the simplicity of the description "mission shaped" church and a focus on contextual relevance... which includes the growing collection of C of E 'mission shaped' books
5. We need a more consistently penetrating story about the need for change... the Board of Mission and NCLS have helped but have not 'made' the case consistently and in accessible ways for lots of people...
6. We need storytelling about places and ideas
7. WE need to find ways the older generations can grab the vision of being change agents
8. I reckon the rationalisation of Presbyteries with PRG monies spread would give traction through positions focused on space and permission for birthing new things
9. While 'Pioneer' ministry is not a great name, the concept of flexible tracks to ordination and use of people with interesting backgrounds, youth and charisma are winners!! We could learn much from seeing formation as something which could happen flexibly
10. 'Mixed economy' would work for us as a concept with perhaps some work on the actual words
11. My questions: How will we BE mission shaped? Will I go home to a. connect more strongly with the Dungeon congregation OR b. Start a new faith community as well OR c. focus on fewer places as a helper for longer
12. I have decided to do a. and b. and that b. will be about working as a mentor>leader for a group of people interested and we as a family may or may not connect with what emerges
13. Check out Salt [Factory] blog to see my idea which exists at the moment only in cyber space!!