PART TWO 9.45am at St Luke's Belmont "The Man Born Blind"

   The 9.45am would be described as a 'contemporary service' in which I participated for the 'children's message' and the REFLECTION/Sermon...

St Luke's have a number of great musicians to roll in and out of a roster and the 'band' are a key feature.

A volunteer LEADS having curated what else happens during the time... Darren C put things together!!

THE MUSIC comes form a mix of sources but was 'Hillsong' in nature... with prayers for people & the world in the responding/sending part of the flow

We also heard/saw the story of several of the local women who attended 'The Colour Conference' at Sydney Ent Cent a couple of weeks back... a remarkably huge event!!

Same theme as 8am, very different style...

"CHILDREN's MESSAGE"

I explained that I could have brought mystery boxes of 'Godly Play,' cardboard boxes for grafitti, plastic, newsprint & paint etc BUT this time, I wanted to share a STORY with images onscreen [scanned form the book]

"Hunwick's Egg" by Mem Fox which I explained would likely have a meaning that unfolded in coming weeks...

I have a love/loathe relationship with such opportunities and do many things, straight Biblical talks in own words or first person, animated clips, home made clips, songs, storybooks with more or less overt connection to Scripture acknowledging that:

- children make meaning and have a spirituality

- go from the story into a space to explore Scripture more fully

- It's a one off for me in this case

etc etc...

AND I share a storybook or any activity, for everyone present, not just children. If it were up to me the kids would stay in and we'd be curating the whole experience to reflect who was in and how we could create maximum participation... for many of the younger ones at Belmont that happens in SLYM+ fourth Sunday nights 6.30pm!!

Oh, I also contributed through Psalm 23 being covered by "Meet Me in the Middle of the Air" Paul Kelly live at the Bushfire Relief Concert.

THIS IS 'something like' WHAT I SHARED AS A REFLECTION

1. Geoffrey ‘Gurrumul’ Yunupingu, a 43 year old indigenous Australian musician, who sings in Yolngu language. He was born in Galiwin’ku [or Elcho Island] off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

He is from the Gumatj tribe of the Yolngu nation.

Through his work with Yothu Yindi and the Salt Water Band - we know he plays drums, keyboard and guitar [ a right hand strung guitar, left handed] but it is the clarity of his singing voice that has made him world famous.

   Gurrumul is known to be shy, is not interested in fame for it’s own sake and has turned down more than one media interview or famous duet…

He was born blind, has never learnt Braille, doesn’t have a guide dog or use a white cane.

   Gurrumul gives voice to his culture, traditions, values and story…

From the very edges of society…

PLAY “GURRUMUL HISTORY [I WAS BORN BLIND]” with lyrics onscreen for ‘english’ verses

I had added onscreen lyrics where Gurrumul sang in 'english'

2. IN the last few weeks we’ve been invited into the story of:

Nicodemus, the Jewish teacher

Who glimpses something in the abundant life JESUS offers

[and for anonymity, he visits Jesus at NIGHT]

Jesus has a conversation with

the un-named woman from Samaria at the well, in the light of the midday sun…

These things are CRUCIAL to the story AND the FABRIC OF THE GOSPEL…

That conversation doesn’t happen without her questions,

She is much maligned by most readings of the encounter,

That’s not Jesus view… she goes back to those who shun her,

And eventually, many believe…

John’s gospel, John’s good news, is that Jesus is GOD

- There’s an invitation to believe in Jesus Christ

- That invitation promises abundant life, which John writes about c.f. K of G

3. THE STORY OF GURRUMUL HAS STRONG ECHOES with,

THIS WEEK’S STORY of THE MAN, BLIND FROM BIRTH,

ALL those stories,

[AND this one involving mud and spit], are SUBVERSIVE STORIES

- A story that’s power sneaks up on you

- A story turning expected ideas and wisdom upside down

- A story that comes from ‘the wrong people’

- A story calling us to go beyond ourselves to where God is active in the world…

4. Where is God’s hope, compassion, and forgiveness, OR empowerment NOT just needed… but where might it come from…

Who’s story is God asking us to help find a voice?

IN the Biblical story of the man born blind, it’s reinforced…

‘he is not blind because of anything he or his parents have done…’

AND GURRUMUL SIMPLY UNDERSTANDS IT’S NOT THE RIGHT QUESTION,

BUT KNOWS GOD WILL USE HIS GIFTS…

3. THE NEIGHBOURS aren’t sure…

8 The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.”    He kept saying, “I am the man.”  10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.”

They take him to the Pharisee, the religious teacher,

HE is immediately unimpressed that whoever this man is,

Whoever Jesus is, he is not OF GOD, he doesn’t even observe the Sabbath

[making mud from your spit was a provocative piece of activism]

“Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered,

 “I do not know whether he is a sinner.

One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

5. IT’S an opportunity for a response of faith…

17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him?

It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

He is brought back a second time and both he and his parents

“state the obvious”… he was blind, now he can see…

6. God’s abundant life might be available from the edges

From those who aren’t supposed to know…

AND I finish with two examples of participating in God’s activity in the world differently,

[1] Rather than judging people we meet in our communities,

asking, what God is saying to us through them…

[2] Healing the blind… what?

$25 Fed Hollows Foundation

there’s two upside down stories for you…

MY REFLECTIONS on this experience:

- I had more time to observe and think about people's participation, the theology of the time and it's different elements and had far greater choice about many mediums in which to contribute and so had a more personally engaging experience but could see whether that was true for others or not... 

- I had little time to seek individual conversations over a cuppa as those were mostly 'at the doorway' before I packed up my stuff an then most who'd stayed were gone...

- It's easier to see and sense 'feedback' from this curated experience and I think it was largely what people are used to with some curiosity around "bringing the contemporary world into out thinking" which I was thanked for and said I thought was my task/call...

- My first is that I'd like to have spoken for 12-13, not 17 mins given what I shared... but that's bout bits you know and tell and bits you go with what's scripted

- I will get more feedback next time I'm talking with those who curate SLYM+ asking them how it was for them [for next time]...

- The one theological dissonance was between my reflection and the theology of the songs in the latter half of worship, which is to be expected in a loose collaboration and in a space where I am not wanting a say in those choices for the sake of leaving someone to do what they are tasked to do, whether working with a local or an invited in contributor.

- Many people aren't thinking about this, but some will have...

   The couple of songs I remember now from the responding/sending part of the time were imaging a Kingly God, a 'high tower' of strength and a God of deeply complex theological ideas. The side of God we may have explored [were invited to explore] was more vulnerable, more visceral and 'down to earth' than the side emphasised in the songs. That can be balance, dissonance or maybe that's just me... and it can also be that the invitation and story emerges in the final days before sharing and other aspects of the time of worship will be organised differently...

- I believe most present were engaged, open to story and able to make time, respond to God and be helped in shaping their response in following Jesus. There's more conversation to be had to test that out...