"The Daily Telegraph" newspaper has for a long time been a participant in anti-bullying media coverage utilising spots stars, actors and celebrities to talk about anti-bullying strategies! In recent times the ecclectic singer/musician Kate Miller-Heidke has played a few sets on radio and one song made an impression on teachers and parents mindful of the bullying issue...
The Education Department, the Telegraph and others are now partnering in a specific campaign related to the song in question "Caught in the Crowd" where the song comes for the perspective of the observer and calls on kids not to ignore bullying!!
Weekends have suddenly become busier [and Replay Tuesdays] with the return of Super 14 Rugby between the provinces in Oz, South Africa and New Zealand!! I have my three sets of tix for the Waratahs v Reds, Crusaders and Force spread across the season and I look forward to some entertaining footy between now and late May!!
Bitter sweet because I always enjoyed watching TV footy a little bit more when I played and it reminds me [still] how much I miss it after rupturing both patella [kneecap] tendons in 2003!!
I've blogged about this before and you'd think that after 20+ seasons that'd do... and sometimes it is OK... but I miss the team culture, the challenge, actually having some success and running around, belting people and pushing myself to contribute in a game week by week!!
I have given up coaching for a couple of seasons to allow others a chance and to spend time with the girls [looking to go back next year when Ellie hits School]!!
I did of course read of the World Golden Oldies in Sydney next year for Over 35s... it's an amazing culture!! I could just pass the ball or dog a tackle if I was worried!! Hmmmm!!
But seriously, for my annual season preview... keep your eyes on an injury free Kurtley Beale [NSW Waratahs 5/8th] only 2 years out of school and finally not being told to bulk up but rather rediscovering a reasonable fitness without losing your natural skills...
I've blogged before thet footy amtes who coached juniors had seen him playing for St Josephs in Sydney when they had been down to see former team members turn out down there!!
Hopefully his knee and ankle repairs 'take' and we see his best for the Wallabies later this year!!
U2s 2009 Grammys Opening celebrated in a 'raw session'
U2 continue to set 'pop culture' records as they take up residence on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' on CBS in the US and hopefully on that week on TEN here in Oz!! This is the week of the release of 'No Line on the Horizon' which while I predict it will be different & interesting will not be choc full of life changing stuff... more likely a few glimpses at some interesting themes... As a fan of the phlegmatic Letterman I look forward to a few late nights on the computer with the Late Show on in the background from March 2nd... For the uninitiated this program is recorded in the 'Ed Sullivan Theatre*' which is the same place the Beatles debuted in the US, Elvis was filmed from the waist up and many fine comics got their start. Of late Dave's best segments have been the stream of 'Great Moments in American Presidential History' a nightly contrasting [until recently] of some seminal public speeches with those less than stunning moments from George W Bush!! Of course, Simone was pretty excited to have scooped me on this U2 news, which is code for tragically reading the ABC website on a Friday night at work during a lull [closet net junkie]!!
Following his wife's funeral, grumpy Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) has little to do but drink beer and sneer at his mostly South East Asian neighbours, some of whom sneer back. Next door, Hmong teenager Thao (Bee Vang), is reluctantly pushed into an initiation for the local Hmong gang - to steal Walt's pristine 1972 Gran Torino - until Walt catches him at it.
Walt's general disdain isn't limited to Hmongs; he has never really connected with his adult sons, either. But when the prickly old geezer is out of beer, he grudgingly accepts an invitation from Thao's sister Sue (Ahney Her) to go next door for a barbecue - and beers.
His resentment begins to thaw, and when Thao wants to repair the family name and work for Walt doing odd jobs for a week, Walt starts to recognize the humanity in the boy and becomes the father figure the boy doesn't have, leading to dramatic changes in everyone's lives.
Urban Cinefile
Everything I read told me this would be a good film, with the grainy storytelling qualities of 'Million Dollar Baby' and some familiar themes Clint Eastwood seems to have enjoyed exploring in recent times. This is a moving parable and is one of those multilayered films I appreciate even more the further away I get.
Eastwood's character study is made most real by the authentic neighbours, with little or no English and a very different culture of family life.
Walt 'fixes things' from electrical goods to potentially his young neighbour whose sensitivity and struggle Walt sees. He is gruff and is disappointed in himself and others, yet redemption is possible and surprisingly so...
Set in Detroit, the Gran Torino is a symbol of life itself, from the glory days of American 'muscle cars' to the current economic plight and societal changes thrown in along the way.
It's a moving exploration of:
*multicultural issues
[Walt lumps all 'slopes or zipperheads' together until it's pointed out to him these Vietnamese people are there because they fought on the US side and had nowhere else to go after the war]
*classic second generation issues with a gang storyline
*generational differences pre and post the 1950s
*identity
*issues of faith & life with some nice by play between Walt and his young Catholic Priest
Spoiler Alert:
Confession, redemption and the path to seeing more in others than their flaws proves to be far more complex than might be expected and the parable ending is suitably bitter sweet!!
It's a timely story with Easter not too far away...
The one task that remained for me [besides some requests from Getty Images] was to thumb through the books on my shelf from the indefatiguable Dorothy McRae McMahon and find some crafted words for more traditional settings that I could/would adapt as single slides on various walls in a stark space.... on our youthmultimedia egroup Robert Stringer posted Dorothy's work to share.....
IN THE GRIEVING After the fires
You will need: A large bowl of water A small leafy branch A basket of leaves and cut flowers
Opening Sentences As we gather here today in grieving, our hearts cry out the hard questions for God. “Why?” we ask into the heavens. “Why would this happen to the people and the land?” Our tears are joined in loss and pain, as we look around us and see the ruins of life. Our faith trembles in confusion, as we try to hold onto certainties, in the midst of the challenges to hope. Where are you, loving God? Come to us now and weep with us as we face the harsh realities of this time. A silence is kept Our tears and the tears of all the people are joined with the tears of God. A bowl of water is lifted high and placed on the Communion Table
Hymn or song
Prayers of confession O God, who understands the deepest fears in our souls, when tragedy strikes and the innocent suffer, we cannot help but struggle. What will others ask of us, who are your people? Will we know what to say if they talk with us about you? How can we interpret the universal upheavals before us and the terrible despairs that spread abroad in our community? Silent reflection Forgive us as our faith falters, O God. May we honour what lies before us, rather than trying to offer easy answers or trite responses. Stand beside us, Jesus Christ and heal us, Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen
Assurance of pardon The minister takes the branch, dips it into the bowl of water and walks down the aisle sprinkling water on the people. We are never separated from the love of God. Jesus Christ has walked our way, with all its realities. The tears of God will become the water of life, for us, and for the world. Thanks be to God.
Readings
Sermon
Hymn or song
Affirmation of faith Let us stand and say what we believe: We believe that we are never left alone. God, the Holy Parent, holds us in the hollow of a loving hand and cradles the whole world in compassion. Christ, the Human One, walks beside us and bears within, every grief and pain which is ours. The Holy Spirit hovers like a dove of peace, breathing healing and kindness over the stricken people. This is our God, the One whose life is never defeated. Soon we will see before us the rising of good and hope. This we believe. From this will we live.
Prayers of Intercession Let us lift our lives to God and pray for all those who long for those they have lost, for treasures which they will never see again, for homes which are nothing but smouldering ashes and for the land itself as it mourns this day. As we make our prayers, let us place these flowers and leaves in and around the bowl of tears, as a sign of the renewing of the people and the earth which is to come. The people bring their prayers O God, in Christ Jesus, as you experienced in your journey on earth, there are times when it is hard to believe that life will ever rise in strength again. Grant us the faith to believe that this will come, O God. Make us your true witnesses to love and grace. Amen.
Hymn or song
Let us go from here As the bush springs green again, restoring its beauty to us as a gift, as the seeds are broken open by the fire for the beginning of new life, and as we bring together all that is among us for the future in this place: Let us go from here, stronger than when we came, holding on to those who have lost the most, ready for all that is to come and walking firmly into a new day. Let us go in courage, hope and peace, surrounded by the love of God.
BLESSING And may the Holy God surprise us on the way, Christ Jesus be our company and the Spirit lift up our feet. Amen.
Several colleagues have referenced 1 Kings 19:12 or the wider passage off the earthquake etc and whether God was 'in' those..... write a short paraphrase for reflection
Cheryl and the alt.worship folk in VicTas have generously and selflessly begun to post some aspects of the urban space they are creating from scratch for this weekend in Melbourne! I mention it here because the prayers and well thought out 'spaces' may offer you ideas for your weekend in your place... and they have some really important and appropriate ideas. I'm sure they would be happy to hear other ideas and how stuff was helpful for you... keep up with the ideas and suggestions here
This snippet from todays WARREN cartoon in the Daily Telegraph celebrates a link between the spirit of Aussie diggers and volunteer firefighters...
The Uniting Church in Australia collection of liturgies which might be useful and adaptable for worship in corporate settings this coming week and beyond can be found here.
There is still a gaping hole for discussion> reflection> space for children, youth & families and to be honest my creativity is still in recovery from a dry 2008!!
What I do know is:
treat young people as capable of feeling, processing, understanding
take questions seriously
don't expose children to image overlaod but neither ignore their reality
shut up and ask questions
create time and space for spiritual practices with space, simplicity and appropriate resonance
water is a contrasting and useful element
maybe choose one photo to use sparingly
don't mould the story to fit your picture of God
don't impose God on this story
while the stories of volunteers, relief efforts, sandwich makers, free coffee and generous donors emerge and tv newscasters are keen to refer to 'if there's any good to come out of this story' I believe it's imporant to let those acts speak for themselves...
Suffice to say the normal reactions might include:
confusion
anger
disappointment
resolution
fear
questioning
helplessness
More than one colleague has it right, suggesting SIMPLE gestures, spaces and time where God will emerge and have space to do so...
For this post I borrow a Mike Emmett photo without permission..
Australia's worst bushfires swept across Victoria over the weekend and particularly on Saturday 7th with a resultant loss of over 170 lives, countless hectares of bush, houses and all the emotional, community and physical energy that goes with it.
Colleagues are asking 'what can> should> will we> provide for people facilitating discussion> prayer> reflection> worship across synod [NSW/ACT] or the nation? Some are sharing wisdom, plans, suggestions and raw emotion as this is still and unfolding tragedy and fires are still threatening as yet untouched areas!!
Coming back off a break [complete with head cold] my mind and emotions are still swirling from all the images and news, the analysis and stories, with thoughts of all that's needed and possible...
I would want to suggest or agree with the following:
It's very early to be throwing loads of images at people
It would be sad to use music, scripture or liturgy to 'insert' God into the situation but rather it's important to trust and allow God to 'do what God does' and enter into our story, struggle and suffering in spaces and places where room is made
Every person and group will be different and I suspect the situation is very different for Victorians and others
It is possible to be too quick to try to answer peoples questions
We can affirm that God is
We can affirm that peoples experiences and emotions are real
We can seek create space for honest and 'safe' expression which might initially be about allowing people to see and know the desolation, lament and loss in what's happened
Spaces for reflection and prayer can be powerful
Think about using bowls of water or trays of sand alongside scripture [especially instead of candles] in a space where people could trace their thoughts and prayers, ask their questions and get in touch with confusion, anger, powerlessness, hope, desire to help etc
Like some colleagues I wouldn't be too keen on music attempting to answer or override where people are at, but rather use space making sound and questioning or open rythms
Today for about 20secs Channel Nine used a song with video snippets and it was "Mysterious Ways" by Bryan Adams from the "11" album. I thought the first 2mins 10 of the song would be useful with a set of slideshow images trying not to overwhelm e.g. fires, volunteers, some of the countryside but not lots of families, burnt out cars, or reminders of the worst of the tragedy... it's not yet a week since this happened
Some other tracks which come to mind include:
The album "Theology" Sinead O'Connor is a spot on suggestion from Cheryl at Hold This Space
"Fragile" Sting
"Never Meant to Fail" Alex Lloyd
"Holding On" Alex Lloyd
"Coming to Life" Andrew Winton
And there are tracks by Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers & Wendy Matthews
All of these are as much if not more about the mood than the lyrics...
I have an idea about collecting newspapers and using those for people to thumb and pray but again its pretty early and people may just need to be in a space where they can pray with very simple prompting...
Black Chalkboard painted sheets of mdf and chalk could create a chalking gallery or grafitti space
If you were looking for photos you can purchase them from Fairfax
I have asked permission to use a few of their pictures in worship [we'll see]
In relation to questions about 'where is God in all this?' I agree with Christine Sine at Godspace "...The question that many are asking of course is where is God in the midst of this horror. And I must confess there are no easy answers. I certainly do not believe that God wants disasters like this to occur, nor do I believe that it is punishment for our sins. More than anything I believe that God is present in the grief and the suffering of families who have lost everything, including loved ones in the fires . God cares deeply and intimately for all human kind. God is with us in our grief and wants to comfort us in our anguish..."
Some colleagues have made reference to Luke 13: 1-9 about the fruitless figtree but even morseo the way in which Jesus is drawing attention to peoples mortality and the need for reconciliation> relationship with God
Others mention Psalm 80
What is a biblical story allowing us to live in the story yet offering hope we are actually ready to hear in the nature of the world lived according to the values of God and all it offers us in the face of uncontrollable tragedy and loss
TextWeek has been updated with liturgy, ideas and articles related to the bushfires
The Uniting Church in Australia has a national fundraising initiative and other information, pastoral letters and responses
Stay tuned for more ideas, reflections and resources from colleagues and egroup sharers...
I know people love or hate Coldplay and they cop a lot of flak in the UK for insipid lyrics. I for one value the mood and vibe of their songs and the absence of pretentiousness that's there in spades with other bands who actually claim to be 'biggest in the world.' Anyhow I digress... The digital revolution that brought us US TV shows 'straight off the satellite' late in 2008 has meant that ARENA on Foxtel have had the Grammy's on live today and the Oscars will be live either on 9 or Foxtel later this month too... Therefore I can celebrate having watched U2, Kid Rock, Radiohead and others live today [while convalescing from a head cold] AND the fact that Coldplay 'Viva La Vida' won Song of the Year in their first of seven categories!! I know it's almost a power ballad, I know it's over used on TV and in sport coverage BUT I just like the song and find it moving... The show had lots of fun duets [including the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder] and I'll post Coldplay here when youtube catches up!! As we speak they just snagged Rock Album of the Year also...
The Grammy's are also good as a reminder of other songs I/we liked during 2008. Other notable winners include: "Say" John Mayer linked with the movie 'Bucket List' for Best Male Pop Vocal "Rockferry" Duffy with Best Pop Vocal Album "Sex on Fire" Kings of Leon with Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals "In Rainbows" Radiohead with Best Alternative Music Album
On the corner of first and Amistad Where the west was all but won All alone, smoking his last cigarette I Said where you been, he said ask anything Where were you? When everything was falling apart All my days were spent by the telephone It never rang And all I needed was a call That never came To the corner of first and Amistad Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lying on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late You found me, you found me In the end everyone ends up alone Losing her, the only one whos ever known Who I am, who Im not, who I want to be No way to know how long she will be next to me Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lying on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you, where were you? Just a little late You found me, you found me Early morning, City breaks Ive been calling for years and years and years and years And you never left me no messages You never send me no letters You got some kind of nerve, taking all I want Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lying on the floor Where were you where were you? Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lying on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you, where were you? Just a little late You found me, you found me why'd you have to wait to find me, to find me
The Fray take a similar path with their latest Oz number 1 song as it's already debuted as a TV drama advert backing but like it's predecessor speaks of the struggles of life and identity in real earthy tones that resonate with their audience. They tour here next month!!
"We Believe" is the working title for my latest bit of inspired madness!! A number of recent experiences, reminders and ideas have inspired me to work on a photographic and written artspace project that will be handy at a few events I'll be part of in coming months.
The 'Rebuilding Afghanistan' photo display, our 'Affirmations' Station activity at NCYC09, Trinity Wall St 'Our Neighbours' pics, how I might get 'Salt [Factory]' rolling and a need to actually achieve something in Mark Hillis' "Next Gen's" project have all come together in an idea I think can be done reasonably simply.
"Affirmation" by Savage Garden was a catchy pop tune with a long series of "I believe...." statements which has inspired a number of groups and events to use it's lyrics to encourage young people to either write their own, or contribute to a group, 'affirmation'> belief statement> creed!
My plan is to invite a bunch of young people to write an affirmation> belief statement> reflection> or creed AND I'll take their photo and curate a space and a display for worship, reflection or as part of a bigger event!!
I mentioned this the other day and had some space in the shadows of my holidays to actually get there myself!! It's a great upstairs space above Newcastle Regional Library. The stark white walls were ringed by a series of A3 photoboards with brief descriptions!
They were great: water wells, reconstruction, school outdoors, soldiers doing everything from carpentery to light fittings, providing whiteboards and setting up medical supplies. I found the pictures of obviously 'wise' and 'senior' locals in friendly or significant conversation with soldiers the most striking.
Colleagues have picked up on Shane's reflection on his precious time at NCYC09 in Melbourne and you can read about it here He's neither overstating nor having a lend of us and I for one am very proud of and committed to the values which have led us to doing things like NCYCs 'day of submersion actions' in NCYC, which in NSW/ACT we've done in small ways at other events and will continue to do...
All the magazines and critics said that 'White Noise' was a great return to top form for 'The Living End' after Chris Cheney's serious car accident! I caught this track 'Raise the Alarm' on aussie tv 'Video Hits' this morning, although the clip version on youtube is rubbish... this is a good quality live one from a Melbourne laneway gig!!
"Raise the Alarm" Whoa, whoa... I may not believe in God, It doesn't mean I'm a lesser person. I still have a heart, And I know what it feels like to be broken.
I may not believe in Jesus, But I believe in sacrifice. Life doesn't always stand a reason, And no one ever gets a chance to live it twice.
But I'd rather risk my fate, Than to lose my faith, In the lovin', the hatin', The constant debatin', The chaos, the calm. Raise the alarm.
The living that die, The constant deny, The chaos, the calm. Raise the alarm.
Whoa, whoa... Raise the alarm.
I may not believe in regrets, But I believe in salvation. Some things I'd rather forget. We choose what we see, And we see what we choose to believe.
In the name of the father, The son, and the holy ghost. I'm not concerned with religion, After all it's what's inside that matters most.
But I'd rather risk my fate, Than to lose my faith, In the lovin', the hatin', The constant debatin', The chaos, the calm. Raise the alarm.
The living that die, The constant deny, The chaos, the calm. Raise the alarm.
Whoa, whoa... Raise the alarm. Whoa, whoa... Raise the alarm.
But I'd rather risk my fate, Than to lose my faith, Yeah, I'd rather risk my fate, Than to lose my faith, In the lovin', the hatin', The constant debatin', The chaos, the calm. Raise the alarm.
The living that die, The constant deny The chaos, the calm, Raise the alarm
Whoa, whoa... Raise the alarm Whoa, whoa... Raise the alarm. (Yeah!) Raise the alarm.
I think it'll be an interesting pipe opener for a discussion about the place of 'faith' or 'discipleship' in the scheme of things!!
A recent version at the MPH Concert/see also the GetUp version by Uthboy etc
Bible Study # 03 BEAUTIFUL - NAKED [Curator: Rah] Today's theme is about us 'emerging' from and through the NCYC experience and is a recognition at this stage of potential 'overload' or at least where punters will have experienced speakers, worhsip, submersions in community action, calls for response, as well as Bible Study.... a lot! There was a keenness in Rah's brainstorming and curatorship that we also recognise our carbon footprint and strip back this day from electronics, screens, and complexity... to allow the participants a space to process while offering another step along the input journey!! There were also [2] aspects of NCYC more widely which pre-empted our plans and were reflected in our Order!
1. Participants were kept outside and were addressed... Bradon: 'This [pointing to his feet] is what I stood on when I came to NCYC" Lenny: 'But once here, we have been saturated with information' [Bradon doused in a bucket of water] Bradon: 'What will you be standing on when you leave?' [People enter the space] 2. STORMS VIDEO on the JT massive screen... In development [and fearing us giving heaps over the stripped back plans] Rah included an edited video of STORMS from storm chasers, found all over youtube... On the floor floodlit like last nights water tank from the alt.worship was a bluecloth surrounding a small boat made from riveted softdrink cans. 3. 'The Great Storm is Over' sung by Sam/Katie 4. BIBLE READING DRAMA [Gregor and Lenny] Reader 1 and Jesus: [Mark 4:30-37] he also said, "With what can we compaer the Kingdom of God or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth: yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that birds of the air can make nests in it's shade. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to the disciples. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him in their boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that boat was already being swamped.
Reader 2: It will be a hard day for me to forget... A hard day for all of us to forget. I mean, I am a fisherman, I am a man of the sea... but I have never experienced a storm like this. It made me so nervous and queasy. The waves were high, and the wind belted around my ears fiercely. I couldn't hear myself think. Jesus! It was a storm and a half! I couldn't believe it, Jesus was asleep!
Reader 1 and Jesus: [Mark 4: 38-40] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still! Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"
Reader 2: Crikey! [we had a throwaway line linking the pathos of the film 'Australia' in our first drama just to give it a contemporary link and Rah cleverly repeated that to link both dramas] The wind died down because he said so! I looked at the others and we were all stunned. I am sure deep down, they all felt like I did... a little gutless. Jesus was always so trustworthy. I wanted to know what he knew, be reassured by God the way he did... Maybe he was right though,... maybe I didn't have enough faith. I had no idea what storm was brewing in the bigger scheme of things... He was taking us somewhere completely foreign to Jews.
We'd all seen him do his thing before... Heal people, blind people, lame people, all of that. He was pretty good to people, you know? But, what he did... what we saw when we got to the other side was a bit of a challenge. You have to understand, that as a Jew, when you see a group of gentiles realise that God is good and doesn't want them to be opressed anymore... when a demon of death is exorcised... it is pretty amazing. That trip made me wonder? 'can it be true?, can we become like he says we can? Like Mustard? [pause] can we be free [pause] do we dare?
5. TALKY BIT This outline was expanded on live.... 'Our Team has called this the NAKED day What happens to us now? WE are the disciples. WE can see a storm. WE already know what the water is like, the conditions of the sea, the things to expect... WE have our own experiences already of injustice, of sadness, of forgiveness and grace, yet we still trun to Jesus and say "Teacher we're in trouble" The Bible is an interesting book... It can also be hard to read. It's old. It's weird. How often do you read it, AND understand it? There's a thing called "hermeneutics".... We backgrounded Mark... first book, 70 years, in a hurry... Jesus had messed with people a bit and Mark wanted people to 'get it'
Mark is clever, wants people to have courage, uses the mustard seed story and others to speak into the situation with the opressive leaders at the time... Uses the STORM as a symbol that its going to be challenging, that the disciples were challenged... The Jews didn't believe it all included the Gentiles, but in stories like Legion Jesus included others, continued the layers of meaning and the disciples like us, take a while to realise what's going on...
Sometimes this will take time... the faith stuff, the justice stuff.
Intro to "From Little Things, Big Things Grow" and a reminder of the first day story of Roas Parks.... out of people tired and weary of the systems that keepthem hungry and unrespected. It is part of our story, one we can and should enter.... 6. "FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW" sung by Sam/Katie with brief extra explanation re Vincent Lingiari... 7. STATIONS for INTERACTION Again a stripped back appraoch although we had discussed setting up some from the previous session because we'd run out of time and had a band scheduled straight after us.... a. Used Rah's 'Discussion/Reflection Circles' with slightly different focus of A4 paper with either RAT [as in I smell a RAT] or FISHY [as in there's something fishy about this thought] to allow people to 'unpack' b. Writing on your FEET... was pre-empted at whole convention gathering by Shane Claiborne but we left it in as a reflection/addition... c. SEEDS were provided for people to symbolically take home d. WRITTEN responses on newsprint with time to write e. We planned the opprtunity for people to WRITE on their HANDS or a scan of them to take away ideas, commitments etc 8. THANKS/FEEDBACK/Q&A MAILBOX RESPONSES 9. SENDING OUT SONGS "Flame Trees" "True Colours" "Beautiful" with the Audiovisual in Photostory of everyone's photos from Day One Sung by Sam/Katie
We were down on numbers a little today [testament to the 'overloaded' call] and a little 'all over the shop' feeling like we were nearly done... so I think that flavour came across and people were a little restless BUT we got there and today was similarly well received and people stayed,participated and connected!!
Bible Study # 02 UGLY [Curator: Rob]
Today's theme is about the fact that Jesus spent time with, chose, spoke out for and represented those on ther margins and calls us to the same margins!! That the Christian faith is not a selfish me first, consumer driven posession but is indeed an invitation to see others with Jesus eyes, to join God's mission in the world and it means getting UGLY!!
1. As people entered we had looped the Matrix styled countdown clock and backing with a darkened room. It reminds me that what we were attempting to do was engage the punters more fully than a 90min lecture or even a dialogue with multi-media would have... the great thing for us as a team is the way the group embraced what was offered, engaged in the options and gave great feedback to us and other leaders that asked!! We await the qualitative evaluation feedback but know ourselves that we 'did good!'
2. After the Matrix loop when people were 'in' we switched to the previously posted AV I had put together with "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay as a primer about our fragility and that none of us is 'invincible.'
3. Brief spoken intro to 'Ugly' [Rob]
4. A bracket of songs from Sam/Katie finished with a cover of "Not Pretty Enough" Kasey Chambers and it was as usual a distinctive rendering.
5. Somewhere in putting this day together there was inspiration that as Jesus surprised, cajoled and the disciples it had something in common with the great Aussie TV invention "Thank God You're Here" where actors, comics and celebrities are thrown into improv drama sketches with the task of responding for a laugh and Tom Gleisner the judge...
In this sketch Jesus was invited to walk through the BLUE DOOR and was greeted with "Jesus, thank God you're here..."
“THANK GOD YOU’RE HERE” DRAMA SKETCH
The ‘blue doorway’ is in place and a few disciples are together. Jesus arrives and [maybe even a show host introduces him and invites him to go thru the door]
JESUS enters via the door
James has one foot on a milk crate, Jesus is carrying one.
James: “Jesus! Thank God you’re here!
Have you seen the local newspapers, have you heard what people have been saying in Jerusalem?
This is outrageous!!”
Jesus: asks quizzically “James?”
James: [shows newspaper] “No, look…
What have you been saying to people?
And who have you been hanging around with?”
[pause]
Jesus: “Arrggh”
James: “Blessed are the peacemakers”, quoting the Torah back at the Teachers,
And who was that woman at Simon’s place the other night?”
Jesus: “Arrggh”
James: “Jesus, you are our leader…
some witty slogan on a t-shirt isn’t gonna bring in this revolution you know!
We didn’t leave our fishing nets to live on the edge…, we thought… “
[Jesus interrupts]
Jesus: “James, I called you, to live out God’s version of your life,
siding with those who struggle. Despite what people think,
life isn’t actually lived out on a DS Lite…”
James: “But…”
Jesus: “Look, when I said “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…
and love your neighbour…
I bloody well meant it!”
James: “Crikey!!!
You mean your premis really is that you ‘represent’ Jahweh,
whose efforts to connect with humanity stretch back to and beyond Deuteronomy
in the Jewish scriptures you were quoting
AND that your comment about ‘being a servant’ is a POLITICAL statement about the seductive nature of power and how this God we worship is about giving up power, connecting ourselves with others by siding with them,
speaking up, not standing for injustice
and by being THE BEST PERSON WE CAN BE!”
Jesus: “Ah, yeah…, in a nutshell!’
Explainer: [interjects] [stands on a milk crate]
“G’day, I’m Nigel from the Explanation Company!!
Any questions? [brief pause ignoring any actual questions]
I’ve been hired to explain this drama. I think we’ve reached that point!...
My card… [hands blank business card to one ‘punter’ at front]
You see,
Jesus and his followers are heading for trouble, confronting the powerful in Jerusalem and speaking for life lived, not by the rules, but by love…
His hermeneutic (write that down and look it up later)
his message for you and for me today is…?
His message for you and for me today is…?
Mmm, well, Jesus showed who God sides with and who is not ‘far from a world lived according to God’s values…
Zack the Tax Collector, the woman at the well… we’ll call her Amber!,
people who care, who ask questions, who aren’t fooled by brand names and fashion,
People who see their own story, linked to everyone else’s story…
Jesus: “As I was saying James… sometimes we need to get UGLY,
to know our own monsters and to look beyond them in others!”
James: “Riiigght!”
6. BIBLE READING/s were pre-videoed on the Tour heading into NCYC just as another variation on someone having to read at length
Mark 10: 32-45 Mark 12: 28-34
7. TALK [Rob]
I will have to add these notes when they're written up but the theme was that we are invited to 'get UGLY' and that faith is not a gift we simply receive but a relationship we are invited to participate in by losing ourselves to gain life.... that those who want to be great need to be 'servant' and that living out the commandments to LOVE GOD and LOVE NEIGHBOUR are costly...
It included clips to illustrate the point [and typically went a little overtime...]
“Big Issue” clip from a doco from Melbourne found on Youtube
“Fall at Your Feet” clip previously posted about with Sam/Katie singing beautifully ala the James Blunt cover of Crowded House but to a backing video from my daughters annual ballet concert with a solo dancer from that night [spookily known to Sam/Katie from their Performing Arts High School here in Newcastle. All credit to Jessie Attwood.
I included my ongoping theme about the power of stories and us 'entering into the story' with a snippet from Phil Jamieson on 'Enough Rope' cut but leaving in his final song and the audience member reaction.
"Another Radiohead Fan" from Youtube is an advert about not jusging people outwardly and features a disabled person in a wheelchair singing along to 'monsters in my head' Radiohead, which would sound a little off-putting without suspending judgement.
We cut the clip from the film "Saved' where the girls try a drive by exorcism and Mary gets hit in the back with a Bible... "this is not a weapon you know!"
8. Originally the plan was then to have Sam/Katie sing "Ugly" Sugababes with a backing of the pictures I'd taken on day one of most people from our Bible Study as they entered the door...
9. The previously posted Google Earth Prayer which we ran but used the singing as its backing.
Peoples prayers had been entered and the big screen saw the globe zoom in and out to places like Gaza, London, Zimbabwe..... brilliant!!
10. Interactive Stations
a. Planned Geoff Boyce' 'WHITE LADY' DVD of the busker from Rundle Mall [who serendipitously was in Bourke Street Melbourne two days later] as an opportunity to sit and reflect
b. AFFIRMATION or Beliefs
Writing ‘I believe… ‘ statements on newsprint inspired by the Savage Garden song lyrics for 'Affirmation'
c. TELL-A-VISION video camera with responses to what people had been experiencing
Videos about how people would change the world
d. ‘THE LEAST’ A series of b&w pictures of those who might be seen as 'the least' were on the floor with a question/prayer opportunity
d. REVERSE BUSKERS Sam/Katie with a crowd
e. DESK LAMP/BIBLE with a light on one Bible and 200 copies of todays stories with a set of questions:
I'll find this file....
Large copy on easel
f. “2020” the Herd clip on loop with copied newspaper headlines on the wall and opportunity
for news headlines you want to see
g. MASKS write on both sides of the brown paper bag... Who you want to be/who you are
h. TEAR FUND PRAYER VIDEO the plan was to invite people to video theirs “I pray for…”
OR link to Tell-a-vision activity ???
i. ROAD LESS TRAVELLED Frost's poem on a poster... Write a verse> which road?
"Two roads diverge in the woods, and I, I took the one less travelled by..."
j. Floodlit TENT Post It notes on the tent re how we could ‘bring out the God colours and flavours
k. Callico CIRCLES for discussion/reflection as per # 01
l. LASER GRAFFITI as per # 01
m. PICTURES of YOU picture or scan of you & writing on it about taking up God’s mission
n. CLOCKS wall clocks props & newsprint sheet for writing about if you had one week to live…..
Add your thoughts
o. McLAREN VIDEOS about the Kingdom of God and the nature of power and justice
11. We planned a final live SONG and Matt Harding's Dance DVD from Youtube
Bible Study # 01 INVERTED [Curator: Bradon] Up to four screens and projectors Three TVs in a pile Stations spread around the edges and spaces of the auditorium Staging, a pretend brick wall partition, two lounges and music set up on stage 1. As people arrived Sam and Katie were outside 'reverse busking' where you were welcome to take some lollies from the guitar case as you listened. Inside the big screen/s had a looped video of an inverted animated roller coaster. There are heaps of these clips on youtube 2. Welcome and Team Introductions, explaining the space and setting the scene were led by Bradon and cast as everyone being 'misled' by the 'Rob Hanks and Team' tag as I wouldn't be 'speaking' today. 3. We were all introduced by answering Bradon's 'icebreaker questions' 4. "Waiting for the World to Change" originally John Mayer Sam/Katie 5. "Name" NOOMA DVD Rob Bell [The one with all the t-shirts] As a beginning to people thinking about identity, choices and possibilities 6. BIBLE READING Mark 1: 14-20 and Mark 2: 13-17 about 'Jesus calling the fishermen' where they left their nets immediately and followed...broken up and parts printed on paper plates, frisbee into audience and punters read aloud the bit they caught, in order!! 7. Bradon spoke about the reading, theme, today... People were challenged that the message was 'follow me' away from empire/consumerism and questionable values and into the upsidedown adventure with Jesus... a choice! 8. It included a clip from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" which not only reflects JK Rowlings understanding of all that HP is about but also reminded us we have the choice.... "It's not our abilities that make us what we are, it's the choices we make..." I have the clip isolated but the audio has been corrupted... I'll see what I can do? 9. It also included the significant scene at the end of the film "Coach Carter" where the young player thanks the coach for 'saving his life' and answers the question he was asked when they first met... "what's your deepest fear?" where he quotes the teacher/writer often confused for Nelson Mandela's Presidency Speech... "our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure..." and is about not 'playing small' so as to blend in or not offend... 10. "Meant to Live" Sam/Katie 'Switchfoot' 11. Interactive Stations to EXPLORE: a. Rubbish bin into which you could place 'the cr#p you came in with' b. Wooden Cross with carving tools, into which you could 'make your mark' c. Mending netting and reflecting on what you're being asked to 'put down' to follow d. Besser bricks, feathers, 'post-it' paper asking what foundations your building on, what's pretty? Stick responses in the wall e. Tell-a-vision video booth, saying your name and something about yourself f.The TVs and DVD players didn't work out BUT it was to be Jesus images and movies asking your image/impressions g. Prayers for the world, on brown paper [to be used later in Google Earth prayer] h. [3] Discussion/Reflection calico cloths and illustrations/words on the floor around which people could gather to reflect or chat: Unpacking Getting to levels of meaning Overall reflections i. Digital Graffiti I will get the details of the programs but Tristan's 'brain child' was the computer program where with the aid of a data projector and red laser pointer you were able to freeze and hold graffiti on the projection... stunning! It worked beautifully in practice BUT part way into our time the camera on the tripod, took a dive and hit the floor... tech difficulties indeed... word is it's working now though!! j. Sam/Katie continued busking on one of the couches we'd requested for our space 11. "Oh the Places You'll Go" was read to the regathered group while Rah painted a black illustration of the story on a white board 12. The final challenge was for people to write/reflect on their deepest fear in the context of today's input and their NCYC experience thus far!!
Following a few highlights I now have the info to post a little more detail of our 'experiental' Bible Study in Melbourne at our biennial youth event known as NCYC09 Converge!! It's for 16-30s with plenty of adult leaders and volunteers. There were [3] levels in SURFING, snorkelling, scuba diving and three options from each level so we were always going to have between 150-200 punters from the younger or exploratory end of the spectrum and hopefully appreciative of the many mediums on offer and the attention to their context/s and culture/s. I had pitched this idea to the NCYC Team and was very glad to be able to assemble a Team of young adults with the talent, insight and enthusiasm to carry this off.
The Team were: Rah Bryan who is creative and kept us grounded Tristan Davison with tech savvy and left field 'or we could... ' suggestions Wes Champion and mob, with puppetry and robotics Lenny Ohye embracing drama and logistics Gregor Newton with early ideas, drama and doing all that was asked Bradon French resident theologian, evangelist and puppetry Sam Evans and Katie Evans providing brilliant live music Angus Davison who made it all actually work flawlessly
After a few false starts, we did manage to get some planning time together and worked through a long list of brainstormed 'dreams' to match the themes, discipleship and eventually what we actually wanted participants to see, hear and experience of Jesus call for us 'to follow'!!
The NCYC09 day themes grew out of the CONVERGE motif of the great variety of people COMING TOGETHER!!
CONVERGE arriving and joining MERGE shared experience and beginning to 'hear' URGE the 'call' to get involved, to follow and to be who we could be SUBMERGE a day of community action for justice, life and faith across Melbourne EMERGE unpacking experiences and bringing life, action and faith together anew VERGE AND DIVERGE standing at the edge, being empowered, being 'sent' and leaving
Our three DAY Themes were: [MERGE] INVERTED or UPSIDE DOWN [URGE] UGLY [VERGE] BEAUTIFUL/NAKED Our injoke was that despite printed material, at one point I was convinced there were four sessions, so our last two were collapsed together.
The Bible Study central thread was Mark's gospel and in particular a political reading of Mark [not out of step with the work of Ched Myers or others from the so-called 'radical discipleship' movement. The sessions took place in the MLC School JT Auditorium [which was not ideal but offered some brilliant tech possibilities in return for not being a large rectangular room with a flat floor]. It worked but would have been better if we'd seen it and the courtyard outside a little sooner... The BS and Venues support teams did a great job of working with us/putting up with us so it could happen well. They were especially gracious and fast acting when we discovered on day three that we had just tipped over an entire 5 litres of water based paint onto the storeroom carpet!! This was directly related to our less than ideal pack up on day two with a band hard on our heels in the program...
Following posts will detail: THEME BIBLE RUN SHEET INTERACTIVE STATIONS DRAMA MEDIA SPOKEN and AUDIO_VISUAL INPUT for each day
All this will be collated more fully and produced as a resource after the Team party late February as it would be ideally suited to a weekend or three session Camp along similar lines.
"Professor Michael James "Mick" Dodson, AM (born 10 April 1950, in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia) is an Indigenous Australian leader, a member of the Yawuru peoples in the Broome area of the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia. His brother is Patrick Dodson, also a noted Aboriginal leader.
Following his parents death he boarded at Monivae College, Hamilton, Victoria. He graduated in law from Monash University in 1978.
He has been a prominent advocate of land rights and other issues affecting indigenous peoples in Australia and globally and has extensive involvement in United Nations indigenous peoples forums."
Mention almost any major TV or news piece about Land Rights, the 'Intervention', our bicentennial etc and Mick features being asked for a view. Often a lone voice, with a unique perspective on issues he is often best able to encapsulate and represent the diversity of views amongst aboriginal people. Most issues of self determination, land rights, independence and the future are complex and Mick Dodson is one who can be relied upon to 'give it to you straight.'
A desreving and inspired choice for 'Aussie of the Year' lets hope his term can represent real and significant improvement for indigenous aussies everywhere!!
From this last weeks Inauguration Concert called "We Are One" you could do worse than use this Springsteen song as a 'Call' or for 'Reflection.' It's the title track of the album he wrote following the events of 9/11 and some time spent hearing the stories of survivors and family members of the New York Fire Department [FDNY]. That album includes the similar stirring and vivid 'Into the Fire.' He seemed to very much be singing about a lifting of a heavy weight, the hope for change in difficult times that the 44th President represents... a soundtrack for future HOPE!
"The Rising" Can't see nothin' in front of me Can't see nothin' coming up behind I make my way through this darkness I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me Lost track of how far I've gone How far I've gone, how high I've climbed On my back's a sixty pound stone On my shoulder a half mile line Come on up for the rising Come on up, lay your hands in mine Come on up for the rising Come on up for the rising tonight Left the house this morning Bells ringing filled the air Wearin' the cross of my calling On wheels of fire I come rollin' down here Come on up for the rising Come on up, lay your hands in mine Come on up for the rising Come on up for the rising tonight Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li Spirits above and behind me Faces gone, black eyes burnin' bright May their precious blood forever bind me Lord as I stand before your fiery light Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li I see you Mary in the garden In the garden of a thousand sighs There's holy pictures of our children Dancin' in a sky filled with light May I feel your arms around me May I feel your blood mix with mine A dream of life comes to me Like a catfish dancin' on the end of the line Sky of blackness and sorrow (a dream of life) Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life) Sky of glory and sadness (a dream of life) Sky of mercy, sky of fear (a dream of life) Sky of memory and shadow (a dream of life) Your burnin' wind fills my arms tonight Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life) Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life (a dream of life) Come on up for the rising Come on up, lay your hands in mine Come on up for the rising Come on up for the rising tonight Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li
I suppose if I were doing something in worship this Sunday I could do worse than craft a version of Rev Lowery's Benediction into a suitable piece for the Australian context [especially with Australia Day on Monday!! Remarkable to hear the spirit, wisdom and deep faith of someone there when Dr King and others were drawn into the civil rights movement by the actions of Rosa Parks. It mostly left me reminded that for all the cr#p in the church there is still an everlasting God who inspires, connects and loves and who drives a deep sense of connectedness and purpose in the minds and hearts of those who choose to try to follow!! A remarkable moment in a remarkable day!!
AND THE TRANSCRIPT:
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand — true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.
We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we’ve shared this day. We pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national and, indeed, the global fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hand, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.
For we know that, Lord, you’re able and you’re willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor or the least of these and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.
We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.
And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.
And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.
Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little, angelic Sasha and Malia.
We go now to walk together, children, pledging that we won’t get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone, with your hands of power and your heart of love.
Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around — (laughter) — when yellow will be mellow — (laughter) — when the red man can get ahead, man — (laughter) — and when white will embrace what is right.
Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen.
None of us really "knows" a celebrity, public figure, actor or musician unless we've met and spent time and gotten to ask a few questions and spent fun time with someone... But this interview says so much about the media hype, impressions, death and life of WA's Heath Ledger who died 12 months ago and has just been nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor at this year's Academy Awards!! This is of course for his role as 'The Joker' in 'The Dark Knight' Heath's family have been at pains to counter the stories about the mental and emotional effect of this work on Heath Ledger by emphasising this quote that he'd had 'the most fun' playing the Joker. What you'll also notice in this interview I would interpret as a shy young man who loves to act but hates to talk about it, himself and anything other than getting on with the job. A person who left Sydney's northern beaches to live in Brooklyn and then Manhattan to escape the invasive media. There's no doubt Heath Ledger took drugs, enjoyed the escape of WA, family and the growing significance of the life of his daughter Matilda... His accidental death [which his insurance company refuses to pay out] was a tragedy and it'll be a huge shock if he is not recognised in February with one of those amazing little statuettes!! Who really cares, well as a movie freak I love what they represent [as rigged as the voting may be] and enjoy seeing actors be themselves at awards shows vs the confidence and clarity of the characters they portray. Likewise across the world young people lose their lives each day to road accidents, drownings, drugs, illness and most culpably lack of food and clean water. It's a crazy world where people will visit a Manhattan apartment block this week to place flowers on a sidewalk with candles, photos and posters of a movie star and yet every three seconds a child somewhere in the world dies from preventable causes. The loss of Heath Ledger is no less tragic, it's just a reminder of the false nature of a world of celebrity.
A hidden gem above Newcastle's Regional Library is the Lovett Gallery which hosts a few standout and a few local exhibitions each year which consistently outdraw the actually regional gallery [almost next door]!!
Two upcoming examples include:
REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN is a photographic display sourced from government, defence and aid agency sources. The pictures show the 'ray of light or hope' represented by Australian and Canadian joint efforts in the rebuilding and include: soldiers socialising; children at school; and community members and politicians meeting. The show runs until early March before heading to Perth!!
NIKON WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPH AWARDS This exhibition opens March 13
An interesting annual conversation happened on local radio this morning as Australia has no male tennis player in the Top 100 as at this week while the Aussie Open Tennis plays out in Melbourne. Next will come doubts about it's status as the 'Grand Slam of the Asia/Pacific' with credible competition from Brisbane and Sydney, or more likely Beijing or Dubai. There have been announcements about a clay court in Spain taking visiting Aussie junior squads, the AIS, Eurpoeans resettling here with family and some future champs have been given media exposure. But the much more interesting underlying conversation has been around whether it's simply a case of the rest of the world catching up with us, the motive of a better life inspiring Eurpoean and soviet youth OR is it the soft, spoiled and consumer focused gen Y anglos who lack the desperation and commitment to 'do what's required' to rise to the top of the pile? The same discussions go on in other sports. This one included stories of the old fashioned coaches conducting sessions and sending kids out to collect all the balls [the time honoured slog work of being part of a tennis lesson] only to be told by their young charges that they were happy to pick up the ones they'd hit, but not the ones 'you' or others had hit... Do Gen Y members of a post boomer generation have it too easy with all the mod cons, a lack of desperation and a lack of appreciation for hard work....? It reminds me that my two commitments to do some work for the Assembly Next Gen's project didn't really pan out this year... at Winter Camp we were overrun just getting Camp happening and at Synod we didn't get enough younger people to attend the session for it to be widely representative!! I am still keen to: write up some observations from my NCYC Bible Study experience and to do some video-ing and a dialogue with gen Y's at coming events in 2009. In the meantime lets hope some young aussie tennis talent don't mind sharing didgy hotel rooms, trooping arounf European clay trauining venues and having to actually pick up a few tennis balls on their way to the worlds Top Ten!!
For some crazy reason [despite setting the vcr to record some hours of cnn coverage] I decided to respond to my speculative 3.25am alarm and got up to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama. The same 'empire' that so dominates the world of business, politics, military action and culture also reflects the reality of it's huge 'footprint' and celebrates the election of an impressive and hopeful figure who is also an African American. Obama and those he invited to participate, made some amazing links with US and world history. Empty rhetoric? Inflated sense of self importance? Wallpapering over a world of pain and injustice? Well, time as ever will tell! As I listened to Obama and to Rev Lowery in the Benediction I had a mix of memories of David Letterman's 'Great Moments in American Presidential History' highlighting the bumbling stupidity of George W and a poignant sense of the connections with the civil rights movement, the struggle of African Americans for justice and equality and the significance of a moment in time when the US stands able to change, to be different and to strike a chord for the future. At the same time the values of God [who loomed large in the phsyche, words and philosophy of the ceremony] as I perceive them, are independent of the system represented in Washington today. God's call to all people is to embody the kinds of values that were alluded to and listed today. There were some impressive and inspiring words spoken! As ever, the true test of those will be in the choices, the living out and the reality of there delivery. In other words are they any chance of living up to the rhetoric? God calls us to the very values espoused but that call is less tied to the identity or story of any given nation and more fundamental to who we are and how we will be. We heard the best of what's possible with an appropriate note of what's been lost in America's mistakes and what's been exposed in the financial disasters unfolding around us at this time.
"and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a nearby restaurant, can stand here and take this oath of Office..."
The connections with Lincoln, the naming of various faiths, the invitation to the Tuskedee [?] Airmen [the African American airmen group described as an experiment, in seeing whether they had the bravery, determination and skill to participate as soldiers] and the artists and contributors chosen all gave the ceremony an air of possibility. Geez it looked cold though at sub zero. How poignant that Dick Cheney strained his back shifting boxes and ended up participating in a wheelchair and the Chief Justice stuffed up the Oath so Obama had to verbally stumble.
Anyhow, I suppose we can go back to sleep, back to not knowing what the US is doing and has done in Central America, we can watch the movies, see the President on the news, hear the justifications for not lowering greenhouse or raising the aid budget and head to the Westfield to ease our pain and salve our consumerist needs with a new hat, donut or DVD!!
So why did I get up? Why do I feel despite all my usual 'love/hate' feelings about the US that this will rank up there with staying up to see Mandela freed? Who gives a cr#p? Well I do, with equal measure of scepticism, uncomfortableness and yet hope that what I've watched live via amazing satellite might actually make the world a genuinely better place and definitely asks me what I am willing and able to do about the things that are wrong! It certainly reminded me of how I felt and what I hoped, listening to/watching the opening of Federal Parliament with the new Aussie Rudd labour Government, delivering an apology to our country's indigenous people so movingly and appropriately not so long ago!!
Will they [in the words of the movie 'Springtime'] "pick [themselves] up, dust [themselves] off, and get to work..."
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