Celebrating 30th Year since Star Wars Episode IV

Worship Unplugged # 43 Digital Photo frames

My favourite activity for 'prayers for the world' still involves an audiovisual soundtrack, a world map and heaps of tealight candles but instead of the big screen enveloping images you could place one or more of the digital photo frames with a selection of world event pics on a usb stick and some even play music for small stations based experiences.

U2 rock Cannes launching new film U2 3D

No doubt attracting interesting critique for the black limousined rock and roll lifestyle... U2 hit Cannes Film Festival to promote their new 1 hour doco on "Vertigo" in Latin America.

I have always wanted to get to the Cannes Film Festival as a film fanatic and in 1998 on our 9 week holiday through Europe we were 1 to 2 weeks from everywhere... Monaco the weekend after the Grand Prix and Cannes a week or so after the Festival [some merchandising was still around for both]!!

BUT this year U2 did a set on the expansive red carpet that by all reports was fun and lively as they promote what will hopefully make its way to IMAX in Oz... U2 3D!!

I have captured the clip of 'Where the Streets Have No Name' in case I use it this Sunday for Pentecost... my idea of the vision of that day when the gift of the spirit of God became available to everyone... assuming it trumps my other ideas around Missy Higgins song 'Steer' and scenes from 'Pay It Forward'

What do we make of millionaires weekend and the trappings of rock... well you'd never get to the stage if you walked the crowd, these boys tend to be aware of what tossers they can look like [hard to believe I know] and they do live in the south of France over the summer!!

Anyhow, not my job to be an apologist for the contradictions between Nice and world poverty!!

In 1998 we sat on the gravel beach for a few hours, resting after 3 harrowing days in Rome and watched private jet after jet take off across the coastline... headed straight back to LA no doubt!!

Just along from us were the private beaches of the area with banana lounges and umbrellas right there in the gravel or on an upper wooden deck... quite the resort feature in that part of the world. Still... we enjoyed our fresh baguette and cheese slices for lunch each day.

"On the Move"

I have previously mentioned this book adding early photos from Bono's African trip and his own artwork to the speech for the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington 2006.
You can do a virtual tour of the book at
http//www.one.v1.myvirtualpaper.com/brochure/2007051702

It's available via amazon.com and I'm hoping to find a creative way to use it with a recorded reading of Acts 2 for Pentecost [surely another e.g. of God On the Move].

'Blue King Brown' on Youtube

'Blue King Brown' have done WOMAdelaide 2007, Make Poverty History and are set to line up at Live Earth in Sydney BUT their biggest break may come through a $200 clip for their song 'Water' which has featured on the ever growing story that is youtube!!

Here it is:

[3] Songs on my mind this Week

Over the last 12-18 months I have been pondering my role in the scheme of things as Coordinator of the UCA NSW Synod Youth Unit [NSW/ACT]. My Review is now upon us and I've been taking my own sense of the future as hard work and wanting to know which way to jump!!
I canvassed some emerging and interesting opportunities back 'home' and have seen most of those not eventuate. I have thought through my focus, energy and what I would like to do, should do and could do into the future...

No bombshells here! I am still pondering... and three songs I have been listening to are worthy of mention at this point. I have to write a reflection in the next week or so on my sense of a 'vitality of call' in my role and they all revolve in some way around that notion...

1. 'The Calling' Mary Chapin Carpenter
[trust Craig to remind us of a new album that instantly costs me $30 to acquire because its flamin' brilliant!!]

The Calling
Deep in your blood or a voice in your head
On a dark lonesome highway
It finds you instead
So certain it knows you, you can't turn away
Something or someone has found you today

Genius or Jesus, maybe he's seen us
But who would believe us
I can't really say
Whatever the calling, the stumbling or falling
You follow it knowing
There's no other way, there's no other way

There are zealots and preachers
And readers of dreams
The righteous yell loudest
And the saved rise to sing
The lonely and lost are just waiting to hear
Any moment their purpose
Will be perfectly clear

And then life would mean more
Than their name on their door
And that far distant shore that's so near

They'd hear the calling
And stumbling and falling
They'd follow it knowing
There's nothing to fear
Nothing to fear

I don't remember a voice
On a dark, lonesome road
When I started this journey so long ago
I was only just trying to outrun the noise
There was never a question of having a choice

Jesus or genie, maybe they've seen me
But who would believe me
I can't really say

Whatever the calling, the stumbling and falling
I followed it knowing there's no other way
Jesus or genie, maybe he's seen me
But who would believe me

I can't really say
Whatever the calling, stumbling and falling
I got through it knowing there's no other way
There's no other way
© Mary Chapin Carpenter ‘The Calling’ 2007

We talked about this song at our recent team meeting and noted the 'difficulty' of call. It has to be more than 'yeah I want to do this therefore I feel called.' There wew examples of those things affirmed by others, a disinterest in things we felt called to do and be as quite the opposite and mostly about the need to test things out. This song has a great vibe for relfection on the issues it raises.

"Hope and Validation"

Plans and preparations are decided in vain

Think we've seen enough now

Hope and validation are united again

Higher than the buds that bloomed

I've seen it hanging in your face

you may need time to think it over

Set a new direction for the harvest ahead

think we've seen enough now

Built the resurrection of a bond nearly dead

Seen enough now

Higher than the windswept moon

I've seen it hanging in your face

You may need time to think it over

Plans and preparations are decided in vain

Hope and validation are united again

Set a new direction for the harvest ahead

Built the resurrection of a bond nearly dead

Think we've seen enough now

Think we've seen enough now

Think we've seen enough now

Think we've seen enough now

This is the song I chose for a recent presentation to the Council of Synod about the tenuous future of the ministry of youth worker. A feeling of maybe there;s been enough struggle and pain and stress and its time for validation, its time for hope to be the dominant feeling arising out of positive action and ownership. It was a plea that 'plans and preparations not be decided in vain' but instead be enacted and followed through in the places that matter.

This is about the plethora of part time positions, lack of funds, short term funding, misunderstood tasks etc

"Steer"

Feel it falling off like clothing

Taste it rolling on your tongue

See the lights above you glowing

Oh and breathe them deep into your lungs

It was always simple

Not hidden hard

You've been pulling at the strings

Playing puppeteer for kings

And you've

Had enough

But the search ends here

Where the night is totally clear

And your heart is fierce

So now you finally know

That you control where you go

You can steer

So hold this feeling like a newborn

Oh with freedom surging through your veins

You have opened up a new door

So bring on the wind, fire and the rain

It was always simple

Not hidden hard

You've been played at a game

Called remembering your name

And you

Stuffed it up

But the search ends here

Where the night is totally clear

And your heart is fierce

So now you finally know

That you control where you go

You can steer, oh

And now you finally know

That you control where you go

You can steer

'Cause you've been listening for answers

Oh but the city screams and all your dreams go unheard

But the search ends here

Where the night is totally clear

And your heart is fierce

So now you finally know

That you control where you go

You can steer, oh

You get out of the box

You step into the clear, oh

'Cause now you finally know you can

Steer

© Missy Higgins ‘On a Clear Night’ 2007 Eleven Records

And thirdly that despite all the things happening around us there is a recognition that we can 'steer'. A welcome and positive entry into more pop sensibilities from Missy Higgins courtesy of Mitchell Froom!!

The clip is inspired... a vehicle crash test driver who suddenly realises she can steer and drives directly at the white coated testers alongside the shipping crate she barrels into normally!!

Powderfinger on the radar also!!

I missed the story/advert that Powderfinger tickets went on sale this morning to some Hotel ballroom venues in most Oz capital cities.... the next best thing to the Oils I am keen to catch the Finger this time around. Their single is out and the interesting sounding album is due for 2nd June.

They have caused a minor stir with a track about the struggle for aboriginal people in this country where it potentially prejudiced the current legal proceedings about the Palm Island death in custody of Cameron Doomadgee. They offered to release ammended lyrics but that was deemed un-necessary by authorities!!

New Reconciliation Push in 2007

Reconciliation Australia launches new ad campaign

Joel Gibson SMH

May 10, 2007
Reconciliation Australia has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at recapturing the emotion and momentum of 2000 when 250,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to break down barriers between black and white.

Created by the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it stars a range of celebrities including pop singer Missy Higgins, AFL player Michael O'Loughlin and actors Michael Caton and Leah Purcell.

The message, delivered by each of the famous faces, is that "Reconciliation is a story about all of us and it's a lot bigger than this ad".

They then direct the audience to the new reconcile.org.au website, which features messages from the likes of ABC Sydney's radio jock Adam Spencer, Olympic champion runner Cathy Freeman, Channel Seven quizmaster Andrew O'Keefe and South Sydney rugby league player Dean Widders.A spokeswoman for Reconciliation Australia said this campaign was designed to "start a new conversation".

"Reconciliation is about all Australians and it's not going to change unless everyone gets involved," she said.

Asked why the issue had become less front-and-centre, she said the environment had changed.

"People needed some time to digest what was happening in the late '90s to 2001. It hasn't died off, but it's perhaps not as public as it was."

She said the ANZ Bank's Reconciliation Action Plan and the Productivity Commission's setting of benchmarks and measures for indigenous people's involvement in the economy were examples of recent achievements.

The advertising agency and performers had all waived their fees for the campaign and all three commercial networks - Seven, Nine and Ten - have agreed to give free air time to the slots, she said.

Video of the TV ads and posters available at http://www.reconcile.org.au/media

Live Earth Sydney Line Up Announced!!

Live Earth Lineup

Courtesy Undercover Music News

Live Earth, the concert taking place across the globe simultaneously, announced the lineup for their Sydney show today.The newly reformed Crowded House will perform their second public show (after Coachella) and headline the festival.
Surf-folk star Jack Johnson is the only international act on the bill, but a who's who of Australian talent have lined up to play, including recent Grammy winners Wolfmother, Missy Higgins, John Butler and Eskimo Joe.Sydney based dance floor pop tarts Sneaky Sound System are the odd one out, while Blue King Brown should feel right at home.
Contrary to strong rumours, Midnight Oil will not be playing,
[ed: DON'T GIVE UP ON THAT JUST YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
However the Ghostwriters are set to appear which feature Rob Hirst from the Oils
[AND MARTIN ROTSEY].
They, together with Paul Kelly (who is soon to release an album you should all be looking forward to) will satisfy the older crowd.
That leaves Toni Collette and The Finish, the actress who manages to sneak onto the bill of every festival across the country.The event will take place on the 7th of July (07/07/07) simultaneously with events around the world including New Jersey and London.
The idea is to raise awareness of global warming and to think about what you can do to help save the environment.
Tickets May 18 through Ticketek

Don't Panic HSC Timetable released

Ahhh serenity now!!

OK its only May BUT the Board of Studies website has all the necessary details of the HSC for 2007 so you can plan your weekend social life, trips to the beach or big nights out when you should be studying!!

BUT really... in coming weeks Pumphouse will feature some primers for faith communities, families and students about how to 'survive' the HSC!!

This is about how to de-stress, be organised, be a supporter, recognise the transition ans maintain healthy links and communication through to the end of the year!!

Check it all out here:

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/