"Below My Feet" Easter Walk Stations

 You can see I just needed time for one more walk through and I'd have bunched the props more closely but some turned up too close to time... there's a reason I was keen to have them 30mins early!!

Some of the images that appeared at Stations

STATION ONE: "WAITING"

INTRODUCTORY WORDS WELCOME TO THIS EASTER WALK

We acknowledge the Wonnarua people & their connection to the land on which we gather:

 

TODAY this Walk is different and involves a journey through [6] STATIONS.

STATIONS are places where people wait while they are going from one place to another. People wait at bus stops, train stations and airports.

Think of some stations where you have been?

Stations are also places where people take time to think about Jesus and his journey to the cross. They remind us how much compassion and love Jesus has for all humanity

AND they invite us to place our story alongside the story…

READER ONE:
WAITING,

39 Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. 40 When they got there, he told them, “Pray that you won’t be tested.”

41 Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, [waiting]…

42 “Father, if you will, please don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup.

But do what you want, and not what I want.”

43 Then an angel from heaven came to help him. 44 Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.

45 Jesus got up from praying and went over to his disciples. They were asleep and worn out from being so sad. 46 He said to them, “Why are you asleep? Wake up and pray that you won’t be tested.”

47 While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up.

It was led by Judas, one of the twelve apostles.

He went over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss.

48 Jesus asked Judas, “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

After a scuffle and a disturbance…

52 Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said, “Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? 53 I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness is in control.”

LEADER:

Waiting for rain, waiting for news, waiting for the worry or pain to end,

waiting to see what God is doing…

As we move from this station, reach in and take a strip of paper,

That you can take with you to be reminded about waiting…

STATION TWO: "TRUTH" "Below My Feet" Mumford & Sons playing on loop

TRUTH IS HARD WORK,

Truth is hard work… honest answers to life’s questions,

Knowing that we have to live each day in relationships, community and the environment.

Farms, mines, transport, retail, education, community, faith…

We live in a varied and sometimes harsh country,

But that doesn’t mean we need to have hard attitudes.

Compassion rings true, grace rings true, humility rings true,

Trampling everyone else to get what we want is hollow,

Holding power over or bullying others is destructive and unfair…

READER TWO:      John 18

33 Pilate then went back inside. He called Jesus over and asked,

“Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

35 “You know I’m not a Jew!” Pilate said.

“Your own people and the chief priests brought you to me. What have you done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders.

No, my kingdom doesn’t belong to this world.”

37 “So you are a king,” Pilate replied.

“You are saying that I am a king,” Jesus told him.

“I was born into this world to tell about the truth.

And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

38 Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

Later, in John 19,

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

LEADER:

A crowd occupying Jerusalem a week earlier, turned.

Voices were raised in fear and self interest or even ignorance,

Hope only offers when justice is coming and this was a hopeless situation…

We spend a few moments here, thinking and praying silently,

For people we know, for our community, for truth tellers and companions on the road

STATION THREE: "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE" Box of Photos to take/pray for

“Another world is possible,” was the catch cry of “Occupy Wall St” that went worldwide…

It’s not a slogan from the usual suspects,

It’s a hope for different values, for fairness and consideration...

It’s as ordinary as the hope that the sun will shine,

Or the bank will have money in your account when you go to get it out…

Sometimes we choose to serve others, sometimes we don’t get to choose…

READER THREE:     Luke 23: 26-27

²⁶As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

[People deeply in shock and grieving the loss of hope and the violence]

Who was Simon?

What was he going through?

Too scared to say no, too moved to step away…

What are your hopes for the world?

What are your hopes for you?

LEADER:

Come forward and take a photo, any photo, From the box.

These photos are from different stories and different parts of the world.

What’s your prayer for the world… take the photo with you to look at and remember…

As you come you will notice these sandals.

These sandals have their own story,

They belong to Queenslander Dave Andrews,

A community organiser and founder of ‘The Waiters Union’ share house community

These sandals carried Dave through places like India and Asia, meeting the poor,

These sandals were there when he learnt the value of serving others,

And there when he committed himself that ‘another world is possible’…

‘Waiters Union’ run a community garden, helping programs, accommodation & care,

They are the shoes of someone who believes another world is possible…

we take our walk further on this journey

STATION FOUR: "STORIES" "Give in to My Love" Paul Kelly playing on loop

Stories are powerful, they cross boundaries like culture, language and time.

We are wired for stories and their impact can change people and events.

The stories we accept and the stories we hear and reject, shape who we are…

This is the story of an innocent man, suffering the death of a criminal,

This is the story of Jesus who disturbed the balance of power,

Who sided with those on the edges, the poor, the disregarded,

And who didn’t stop speaking the truth, despite danger to himself.

This is a story of Jesus who stands alongside you and I in our lives and struggles…

READER FOUR:     Luke 23: 32-43

³²Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.

³³When they came to the place that is called The Skull,

they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,

“He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”

³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ³⁷and saying,

“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” ³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

READER FIVE:

This is a story of the cruelest of punishments, carried out to discourage others.

This man shows compassion and concern in the face of great pain…

What story is holding you back? What story causes you grief?

What story are you telling with your life?

LEADER:

We wait here, wondering what unfolds in this story… Things get worse…

STATION FIVE: "BAD"

LEADER:

“Desperation… dislocation… separation… condemnation… revelation…

In temptation… isolation… desolation”

These are the lyrics of the refrain from the U2 song “Bad”

READER SIX:     Luke 23: 44-49

⁴⁴It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land

until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed;

and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

⁴⁶Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Having said this, he breathed his last.

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said,

“Certainly this man was innocent.”

⁴⁸And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle

saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.

⁴⁹But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,

stood at a distance, watching these things.

READER SEVEN:     [“Funeral Blues” WH Auden, but just start reading…]

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,


Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum,

bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead,

Scribbling on the sky the message ‘He is Dead’.


Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,


My working week and my Sunday rest,


My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;


I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,


Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

We stand in silence as we remember the story, how bad that must have been…

But we cannot stay here…

STATION SIX: “SILENCE” "I Grieve" Peter Gabriel playing on loop

We stand, we wait, we listen… a little off the edge of the story, but puzzled…

READER EIGHT:     Luke 23: 50-56

⁵⁰Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph,

who, though a member of the council, ⁵¹had not agreed to their plan and action.

He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea,

and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.

⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth,

and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid.

⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.

⁵⁵The women who had come with him from Galilee followed,

and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

⁵⁶Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

READER NINE:

This is a story of shock, of nurture and care,

A recognition of hopes dashed, of a flame extinguished…

What had happened, what went wrong?

Who do you know, that things seem to go wrong for?

How have things gone wrong for you?

How will hope be rediscovered?

We grieve… we stand together…

LEADER:

But as we leave this space we are invited to each take a folded paper cross,

A symbol of hope and a reminder of one who stood by us,

Who died speaking and living the truth, even at a cost to himself…

These stations will be here for 30mins more

If you want to revisit or simply spend time…

Book Crashing

There's not much content yet but soon will be for my new crazy idea!!
Check it out here

Holden Cruze Blindfolded Hot Lap

Crafty Props begin for 'Lanterns' Weekend Retreat Camp

Two props beginning for the upcoming weekend retreat camp... theme and metaphor!!

Pocket Lamps

Look what arrived in the mail at my place today!!!
Thanks for the inspiration Steve Taylor

I wanted to keep these a secret but "simple things done well" is just my favourite form of creativity!!
Much easier than brown paper bags filled with sand and a tealight!!

I will blog the weekend pattern and my Easter stuff when the weekend has actually happened...

Community Events Aplenty

   This weekend I've been conscious of an array of community events and thinking [not too deeply] about the place of Christian faith communities and their participants. These are 'first reflections' as I have lost to do this week and will take more time on this soon!! Today it's like my 'bedroom clean up instead of studying' kind of blog post...
   On Saturday I participated for the second time in TEDxSydney at the Opera House. A recent Facebook post about 'Relay for Life' and yesterday's first Newcastle 5km Swisse 'Colour Run' is all over FB and the news today!! I saw two young adults proudly still wearing their colour dusted clothes and faces at Charlestown Square at lunch time, including a never trendy headband!!
   I chose TEDx again this year as part of my 'Continuing Education' for 2013 and will write a more considered and basically longer winded paper in response as so many speakers had great things to say and pointed to lots of causes, ethos, tasks to challenge us as listeners.
   What I'm struck by in all these things [and many more in the Weekend and Monday papers] and the already occurring and still unlimited possibilities of Uniting Church communities and individual young adults and adults to be creatively, passionately and holistically engaged in the world.
- TEDx is about a day of + or - 15min talks [with some props or visuals] from world class people in their field of interest, passion or skill, telling their story and 'sharing ideas.' It's sprinkled with musical acts, purpose made movie clips and this year all the food was provided in a partnership with 'Grow it Local' and included people who brought boxes of stuff from their backyards, honey from bees who spent the week in Sydney's Botanical Gardens and the Chefs at ARIA who received all the produce in the last 2 days and made stuff from it... a crowd sourced meal. My favourite line of the whole day [and there were many] was from Marita Cheng [2012 Young Aussie of the Year] who runs Robogals workshops teaching robotics to high school girls and encouraging them to choose 'engineering' at Uni... who said "we need all our schools to teach kids to be makers, otherwise we will just become consumers"!!
It was a profound day where even Benny Wenda from West Papua, fighting for freedom from Indonesia, took the stage at the end of a talk about that very struggle... it was an amazing moment!!
- 'Relay for Life' is an overnight event where teams run laps sponsored to raise funds for Cancer Charities and Research. The time includes a run by survivors and carers, a lantern ceremony for those we know and the run in community to do something about it. I am taking up the suggestion that we could be more involved and seeking to mobilise others to join in for 2013 in November here in Newcastle
- The 'Colour Run' drew over 10,000 participants in support of the 'Celebrate Life' Foundation or the local 'Make a Wish' Australia and the 5km run in Broadmeadow is inspired by the Hindu Holi Festival and finds runners powered with coloured dust that catches their white running clothes and purpose provided white t-shirts... to create energy, vibe, community and purpose... promoting health and happiness

Where are we folks?
And when we do participate do we have the tools to ask how we understand God in this space?
What can we learn and who can we encourage to participate, to share life and to bring that story into our space for God, our reflection and our future action to make the world a different place?

OK, back to my spray painting tasks...

TED Bono the Factivist!!

'Where is God?' Photo Essay

  On Friday I got the chance to capture two images I've been hoping to snap for months!! It was the right time of day and brilliant weather for the drive to Merriwa. The streamy cloud was a bonus feature of this scene 55mins south of Merriwa [Denman plains?] My photo essay is about collecting images from places I've been over the last year or so. They ask questions, give evidence, challenge or nuance the idea of where God might be and how God might be seen... It will be a print exhibition sometime!!

ANZAC Day 2013 and a clip pops up on Facebook

  Some ANZAC years I do post a song and reflection about justice and peace and the way the world is far from a peaceful place... even as a Year 12 I wrestled with what speech to make at my school ANZAC Day service in 1979... this song and 'Blossom and Blood' are my fav. bands efforts to say 'something' about war, their visit to France and remind me how in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, these are not the in-between years... in the back of my wardrobe I still have the t-shirt from this song, purchased at one of two nights at Newcastle's Palais Theatre [which is no longer there]

Our UCA 18 Monthly 'Synod' NSW/ACT Meeting REFLECTION ONE Vision

   I should be sleeping, so why not begin writing 'vital' reflections about our biggish meeting that brings people together from across the Uniting Church in NSW/ACT to see if there's a future direction worth pursuing in response to the 'alternative story' we believe is possible for us if we can just more fully engage in God's activity in the world, especially by doing our best not to let our institutional arrangements and predicament be the dominant theme for us. What?
   I mean, we talk about stuff that might make a difference if we get it right and we talk about stuff that'll never make a difference no matter how right or wrong it is... that's what makes it the meeting it is!!
  I may have other broad reflections in coming posts but here my preoccupation is the time spent presenting/receiving material related to strategic goals for the future. We had [2] previous sets of goals that are relevant and each was reflected on, shaped and adopted by the Synod meeting as directions for our synod sphere work against which our Boards would prioritise their work and report their accountability. The earlier set were doomed as they were too broad and represented a simple statement of the mandate of each Board so nobody was left out. The Standing Committee found it very hard to grapple with evaluating who we were against those goals and making hard decisions given the kind of information they kept requesting to assist in that...
   When due for change the goals were mysteriously extended and then no broad process of evaluation and seeking to understand, how they had and hadn't served us well, was ever undertaken. Instead we moved onto a new process and a new set of directions for up until 2011. [It's 2013 isn't it].
   Rightly it was pointed out that the world hadn't collapsed without renewed goals and that instead the synod staff had engaged in a process to develop a vision and ways of operating that would drive a new day in the life of the central bodies.
   What I liked about this work, was the clear crisp influence of good process and a skilled consultant that gave rise to a set of values/ethos statements, features flowing from that and aspirations around 'star fish' model, flat leadership, networked style, rather than hierachical 'territory protection.'
   My enthusiasm for what the outcome had been was matched by my frustration with how this was reported to us and how we were invited to engage in discussion and feedback. Discuss your impressions/reaction was the initial phase and then later a complex document to guide us left us with 20mins to try to gain understanding, ask questions, express some ownership etc... missed opportunity!!
   The trouble certainly is, if you invite the Synod to express ownership of this vision and it's ethos and ways of working, you invite them to pick it apart and reject it as wellas the possibility it's accepted. It's probably time people understood that adopting a vision and behaviours as a Synod NSW/ACT meeting and through it's Boards is not adopting it as a vision for the whole church... it's possible for regions and locals to buy in but in our series of interrelated Councils we need to keep in mind whose vision it is...
   To this end it's understandable that rather than have an exhaustive process we were instead invited to live dangerously without a vision statement of our own but secure in the knowledge that our Boards were going to work this way... BUT, how does that allow us to hold them accountable for this commitment? How does that assist this excellent work to trickle into other interrelated Councils formally or informally...?
   The presentation was muddled with an overall ethos of unifying our message and image or recognisability through fonts, theme, and the 'red ribbon' we no doubt paid graphic developers a fortune to come up with... I say that and I like it and I get it... I can only imagine what was written on the feedback from those who didn't even begin to understand what it was about...

   What was most energising about the whole thing is the shift from corporate mission planning, KPIs and such... to an ethos/values approach... this mirrors lots of emerging and experimental faith communities I've visited, read about or encountered online through their presence and ideas... and fits our current context well!! Authenticity comes from doing your best to live out who you say you you are... not just from what you say you'll focus on... but how!!
 
"If you want to change a society, you have to tell an alternative story" says philosopher Ivan Illich
[fav. quote]
Narrative style, values laden short statements or goals that read equally understandably in the public arena as they do inside the church are a good basis.

   Beyond this we had the usual banter about Jesus not being mentioned enough... people weren't reading the entire document as the whole notion was nestled in the Christian faith lived out. It was actually a strength, not a weakness that the rest made plains sense of this.
   Also just because 'you' don't get the red ribbon, doesn't mean it's a bad idea!! The idea is that it appears in and around the words and images as a symbol that unifies what's being depicted. In the media, public eye and across different parts of who we are it would make a visual connection. Ribbons speak of connection, things being tied together.

What's the theology? People asked What's the biblical connection?
Well it's the colour of Pentecost, the colour of the doves wings in our logo,
another symbol of who we are,
it's the Christ colour...

You see why people didn't think it was best to seek adoption of the material as the Synod meetings vision after all perhaps...

What I think we needed was a Proposal not just noting the work but acknowledging it's role in shaping the work of the staff and committing to hold the staff accountable to the vision and inviting them to report to Standing Committee and the Synod around how they were going in living the principles out and how that shaped our work towards engaging in God's activity in the world most effectively...

Anyhow, both group times talking about this needed 1-3 questions that matched the simplicity of the Vision material itself, to shape a conversation around our feedback... what if they'd asked if we would be willing to adopt the vision [with word changes to reflect it was the Synod meeting, not the staff, saying 'yes' to it this time]...
 

Enmore Theatre Fundraiser for the Angels' Doc Neeson

"Gentleman" Psy Chapter 2 I guess

Weekend Retreat Form

Click on the image and you should be taken to the Retreat Weekend File so it can be printed or saved...

Email me at robhanks@bigpond.net.au if that doesn't work!!

'Yurora' NCYC 2014

Comments Spam

   It must be a quiet Easter Monday as I have just been deleting spam comments from my blog and changing settings... maybe I'll update the side columns next... apologies if I accidentally marked your comment as spam, I was working through 5000 in total...

Easter Monday "Give In To My Love" Paul Kelly

Celebration, moving on, energy, talent and quintessentially Aussie...
Journey... on the road... can't stay where you are or everything and everyone else will have moved on...

Thanks Graham for the Easter Walk suggestion...

Easter Sunday "Window in the Skies" U2

   I've been listening to lots of tracks yesterday and today [including 5 hours in the car to and from Merriwa for Easter Sunday!!]. I've kept coming back to this unusual U2 track in my journey through the Easter weekend!!
   It was released as a single and as part of the '18' selection at a time of transition for U2 who seemed to be searching for a new direction and ended up investing themselves in what became the 360 tour and 'The Claw' stadium stage. When I first heard it I thought of scraps of lyrics... an in between song.
   It has overt references to strong Easter images and the OT connections with parts of the narrative. It was also part of the inspiration for my song lyrics for "Stories of Hope" and the idea of using snippets of ideas to grow the imagery of the song!!
   This version of the clip features a clever homage to the history of modern music with glimpses of U2 amongst 300 lucky punters at Richmond's Corner Hotel in Melbourne.
   Second year in a row I've not been at an Easter Camp somewhere but I still talked about 'Les Miserables' and 'Chocolat' and the JJ Abrams idea of the 'mystery box' of magic in unlocking the mystery of Easter as a reminder and call to be culture makers, contributors to community and to see this as just the beginning of action, not the achievement of some heavenly insurance!!

Easter Saturday "I Grieve"

   In between, in shock, in limbo, but still in.....



Thanks to Darren's blogging for this one at Station Six at today's Easter Walk in Scone!!

Good Friday 2013 "Below My Feet"

Welcome to my 2013 'Walk Through Easter' kicking off Good Friday with "Below My Feet" Mumford & Sons!!

New Resources in the UCA Hunter Collection

Here are some resources for ministry and mission with youth & young adults that will soon be on the shelves of the borrowable Resource Library at the Presbytery Office!! You just contact me and we can talk out & inwards post or dropping by to pick things up!! Soon the entire list will be available!!

1. Messy Church Resources

Messy Church Books 1, 2, 3                                           

Messy Church Cooks, Crafts & Sports Fun                       

                  

2. Lecturer/Youth Worker/Theologian Andrew Root – Luther Seminary

Short Book Series

Unpacking Scripture in Youth Ministry                                    

Unlocking Mission & Eschatology in Youth Ministry           

Taking Theology to Youth Ministry                                    

Taking the Cross to Youth Ministry                                    

The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry                                    

The Children of Divorce                                                           

3. Other Titles/Authors Y Min Theory & Discipleship

Sustainable Youth Ministry Mark DeVries                                         

Engage: Youth Workers Guide Creating a Culture of Mentoring         

Sticky Faith: Pract Ideas to Nurture Long term Faith K Powell etc    

‘Devozine’ Discipleship booklet subscr via Mediacom                           

4. Sparkehouse Media Discipleship Resources

re:form anti-workbook bundle                                                     

re:form DVD bundle x 2                                                                 

re:form Leader Guide bundle                                                     

5. Sparkehouse Animate

Animate DVD, Journal & Guide                                                          

6. ‘Big Games Book’ Rob Hanks editor

[10] copies available for sale at cost covering $20

The borrowing library will be on display at 

'reimagine' 10-4pm Saturday 23rd March @ New Lambton UC

You Can't be Everywhere "Songwrite" 2013

   It's true,,, "you can't be everywhere" but if I could I would have gone to 'Songwrite' in Canberra as a lyricist with a few ideas and fragments I'm working on for songs... I may have time to get more done before the end of April to submit them for consideration for 'Yurora' NCYC '14... or not!!
   But it was great to see, hear and read snippets about the creative mob gathered at Kippax Uniting to collaborate on material and broaden the quality, theology and investment in their craft!!
Well done!!

SLYM+ at St Lukes Uniting Church at Belmont

   Things have a timing and ground work is invaluable... this is true when hard work has been put in and also when things are on the slide and need rebuilding. In the case of St Luke's Uniting Church at Belmont the most recent chapter has been ten years of ground work in ministry and mission with young people. The decision to 're-vision' and look at a different direction sees the group well placed for new energy from well trained and mentored volunteers, for parents to 'step up' and for people to be reminded of what is sometimes left as the work of the Youth Worker.
   Richard & Kylie Moors ministry at St Lukes will continue to shape and encourage this generation of leaders and punters in healthy ways!!
   So in what's been a hard time, people have also been asked to consider what they can do and what needs to be done to give "space, permission and validity" [my favourite themes] to worship planned and led with and by young people at least once per month on a fourth Sunday.
   The first one for the year came together well and gave people breathing space to think they could make a contribution. When planning began for the second one I had been booked to participate, having offered my support & resourcing in this first part of the year!!
  The parents and young people who met to plan put in a few hours 'getting their heads around the task' and around what had been set up from the first month. A suggestion of giving the time identity as SLYM+ as an extension of the SLYM Friday night group was a good one...
   We spoke about the invitation to young people to shape it for them, beanbags, music, people with gifts, dinner beforehand etc and mapped out a worship around this years chosen song 'Guardian' by Alanis Morissette. The theme became 'Who do you say that I am?' from Luke 9: 18-24...

What happened?
There's quite a collection of musicians and voices and others helped with sound and vision

Specific pre music background was chosen
[2] Songs were played without Intro from the Band [words onscreen]
A Current Affair reporter introduced the key question between the songs
The songs included a 'We Will Rock You' mash up
Mark M was Leader and introduced the idea, the song for this year and prayer
'Guardian' Alanis Morissette clip with lyrics
[1] Skit with older man, hip hop DJ and Nerd asked 'who they say Jesus is?'
[1] Song with the Band
[3] Voice Reading of Luke from mics at rear of space...
simple things create interest and engagement with the 'story'
Talk introduced by 30sec title video... and centred on stories, joining our story to Jesus story and that 'who we say he is?' was a plural question asking who we say by how we live and are community... acknowledging our stories and identity... included a collage of JC pics and the vox pop 'Who is Jesus' NYC clip...
I took the opportunity to say a few things about allowing space, permission & validity [not in those words] but I'm sure I was in trouble with someone... it's not about you...
The Offering was of money and a written card with what gifts or abilities people might offer...
Josh gave the relevant announcements
Prayers for the World were tea light candles and world maps
[1] Song with the Band including mosh pit
Bec had chosen a Sending Out alongside the pre music and we spoke it together...

A lot of work goes into creating and delegating and month by month will be fun to evaluate and grow this space and endeavour!!

Photo Scavenger Hunt 15th March

An event welcoming any and all our Uniting Youth Groups from across the Hunter... they are high schoolers and some Yr5,6s plus any individual young person or carload is welcome to join in!!
See you at 7pm on the 15th March at Charlestown Uniting Church!!

Riding the Bike

   I'm trying to get back into a more consistent exercise program for 2013 [restricted to the bike and swimming] but time is often a factor... except that when I go I remember that a big part of my role, my gifts and the way I work best is to have time to 'think' or space for thoughts to be processed!! So it's time well spent when it's spent!!
Today I was reminded of a couple of missional possibilities that are 'not rocket science'!!

The Ethnic Communities Council of Newcastle and Hunter Region at the old Waratah Bowling Club near the train station [2A Platt Street, Waratah] hosted a multi-cultural celebration this morning and ABC1233 radio were there. They talked to people I know and groups I was and wasn't aware of. If I had known about it ahead I would have gone along. Had I not been riding my bike I would not have heard it at all.
They spoke of SPICE the Islander support group at Waratah High School [by it's new name as part of Callahan High Uni links] which has changed and now includes Africans etc. There were dancers, food and the boys from Mayfield East Rugby Club. May East have 40 or so young islanders in the club despite having been out of the top Division for a few years [long story, two sides].
A congregation, faith community or group of people who felt inspired saw the intersection between their passion or energy and God's desire for the world... could [a] support and partner with the Multi-cultural centre or [b] offer support to the High School Group as mentors or ??? and/or [c] build a relationship with the young islanders and all players at May East...
The relationship is the beginning but who knows...
The dance performances and sports are connection points with the young people from various cultures who were there today... a congregation, faith community of group of individuals could do worse than a soccer afternoon once a week, a youth event with hip hop, rnb flavour [which would require significant planning, people and work].

While I'm awaiting further developments of a helping involvement with my own rugby club I will make a contact with 'Bones' and Tala and see if any help would be needed with the polynesian boys!!

I take a scenic drive when I leave the centre of Newie and I drove past the set up [at Merewether Beach] for Surfest, which goes for about 2 weeks in all but started today with the Indigenous Classic [I assume Stanley Moylan is still involved]. We used to think [and some still do] how could we run a stall, be on the street, turn up at events and evangelise people [the narrowing of language at the time] but I think today it's more inspired to think of partnering and volunteering with the organisers to serve the overall good of the group, event and community... food, bodies onsite in yellow vests, set up crew etc etc... just a thought!!

Worship ponderings are less structured but still possible churning up and down the pool... when I get back to 30 laps a session I'll report back in...