"Jesus: All About Life"

I note the newspapers are taking the perhaps suitably satirical approach in bringing it's introduction to this Bible Society and ecuemnical partners project... 'Jesus: All About Life." The campaign is built on solid information about how in our wider society many people are skeptical or have had a bad experience of 'church' but that Jesus is perceived very positively.

My struggle is that no matter the media campaign/however clever/with viral video & race cars etc... the journey of Christian faith is so much about 'relationship' and 'community', connections admittedly to the core values and message of Jesus [but you then need to define this]. For those effected by the promotion they will still discover the church as it exists today when they show a crious interest... the same mixed bag of faithful expression, struggling and dying congregations, etc etc... at best the TV spots etc serve to fuel our stereotypes and while some will be motivated into action, others will see it all pass by in a blip and wonder 'when does it start again?'

Or is that just me... ?

http://www.smh.com.au/national/ute-beauty-15m-to-promote-jesus-20090822-euec.html

Burnside Cafe Eavesdrop!!

Last Friday I was doing some work at the ubiquitous Burnside Cafe opp UTC in North Parramatta!! A cosy little cafe where you're guaranteed to bump into a colleague, a student, a friend and/or one of the extended familiyt members of the hard working tribe who run the establishment.
I was doing admin work in between catch ups and 'could not' seriously 'could not' help overhearing at least the tenor of the conversation amongst a group of six thirtysomething women in the centre of the indoor cafe area.
They were a cross cultural group of differing social background where there was clearly acquantence across the group with some closer friends than others. At one piont they could havebeen indicating they were a Fete taskgroup or canteen mums from a local school or the like.
I was struck by their conversation about former alternative partners and how they came to be in their current relationships, with the ocassional intimate detail or double meaning joke and lots of laughter. There was clear reference to one of the women's recent or at least still acrimonious break up. Keep in mind I was just reading my notes, making a few additions and quite focused on my stuff but you could sense the pain in the sharing.
At one an anecdote about one of the women led to a story of a former hobby of tarot and palm reading, followed by an encouraged reading of each persons palm. She knew some of these woman well and I was tempted to interupt and suggest a neutral example...
As is often the case in my experience, quite randomly the woman with the most recent relationship turmoil was last to be 'read' and tension was in the air as it was the most strained and cautious commentary of the group.
I write about it here because I was fascinated by the topics, vibe and the dynamics of this morning tea. I wondered what I would say given the opportunity of a throwaway line of a sideways look from one of the group just checking their volume in the space.
The group broke up leaving the now slightly strained looking woman and her closest friend from the group who shared about the specifics of the recent hassles. I tuned out but was so aware of just 'pain'... pain shared, pain not yet understood and one person attempting to steel themselves 'not to be walked over' in relation to some joint decisionmaking.
Keeping in mind I was not actually part of the conversation I will continue to reflect on 'what I was really hearing' for some time... sacred moments of group sharing, caring and journeying together!! Some of the women went home with stuff to ponder from their 'reading' and one went home after a long embrace from her friend. I have known something of that lonely need and the places you go when stuff gets hard. Interesting morning!!

Some Interesting Music: New and Not So

And "Breakeven" The Script with disabled embedding code but view able here

UCA Cross Cultural Youth Praise and Worship

We had a great night on August 15th at Bankstown Uniting with a cross cultural mix of drama, music, dance and reflection around the theme "Living Water: Thirsty Land" taken from our national Assembly theme. Since being asked to deliver the 'reflection' months ago I knew straight away I'd be showing the Twist "Woman at the Well" dramatised performance as an opening clip and asking questions from there. I knew I wanted to speak about being honest about doubts, questions, disappointments and the struggles of being someone on the edge of community... despite the confident, celebratory and somewhat triumphal feel of most 'dance and music' group items at such events!! My other contemporary example [to remind us that in the face of struggles, Jesus greets us with compassion, grace and love... not judgement and condemnation] was Jamal and the teacher Erin Gruewell from the film "Freedom Writers". Erin enters this south LA School a little naively and yet qucikly adapts to the challenge of reaching the so called 'no hopers class'. She invited them to journal and if they placed the journal in the set cupboard she agreed to reda them as recognition she did not 'know their stories' but wanted to. Jamal wrote of feeling invisible in his family with a drunk mum and criminally involved older brother. Erin fronts him about his self assessed 'F' in an assignment and makes it clear "I see you, do you understand me... I see you and you are not failing...." I lifted that clip from a behind the scenes doco rather than the film itself... My point was in our honest moments, in the space between the lyrics of our songs and the moments at home alone, we can be honest BUT will also find a Jesus honest with us... in grace, comapssion and love!! Highlights for me included the mix of groups: Bankstown; West Epping; Sydney Korean; Armenian; Wagga Wagga; Garuda Indonesian; Tamil; Peteli Tongans; and more. One performance struck me for the honesty of the rap about being in church asleep and unsure why you're there, wearing black, looking cool but how it was all a bit false.... very powerful honest statements!
This is drawn from the encounter of 'the woman at the well' whose name we don't know but who engages in spirited conversation in the heat of the day at 'Jacob's Well' and has a theological question to ask. Jesus doesn't name her relationship history as a moral judgement, but simply to begin with honesty and have a deep conversation, not a superficial laugh and moving on...

"Youth Ministers" Rethinking Youth Ministry

Saw this clip on "Rethinking Youth Ministry" that with a few cultural references changed [and a few verses added for all the other stereotypes I could think of] is a bit of a chuckle about this crazy task in which we engage!!
The fun of stereotypes is that there are plenty of examples that just don't fit but it's funny nonetheless!!

Clear your Diary next March for U2 Downunder!!

I'm breaking my 'no U2' site embargo with news leaked through an interview about what U2 hope to do with the three stages 'claws' they're using to frog-jump the world on their current 360 Tour!! Check out all things U2 here

Send your park location suggestions to the lucky dog "Rev Dr Steve Taylor' [who is presenting a paper at the upcoming 'Hype and Feedback' Conference in the US in October] here

At one of my favourite U2 sites http://www.atu2.com/ and various others like deTour and Interference there are references to the Mark Fisher interview about their hope that the stages could be installed in Parks somewhere 'downunder' as concert venues in their own right... read about it here or at:

http://www.atu2.com/news/mark-fisher-says-u2-will-play-australia-and-south-america.html

There's lots of stuff around about more recording of tracks that missed the last 2 albums and a new record at or beyond year end.... AND as pictured above the band have just played to a Wembley Stadium record 88,000 crowd this week in London.... what a shame Nic will just miss the chance to head to Millenium Stadium Cardiff on the Greenbelt Trip!!

OK.... back to the silence pending official emails and my special U2 advance ticket offer email!!

Vale Les Paul

Les Paul has made the shortlist for my 'Deadpool' entry for the last few years but not the final list. His demise was slightly exagerated about four years ago and under current rules he's only worth 6 points... however...

However, the man was a legend... not only invented the flat backed electric guitar but also multi-track recording... truly two enabling inventions leading to the creation of what we now know as 'rock n roll'!!

'Breathe' National Inservice Conference in Adelaide

Despite being hopefully in the last throes of a four week chest infection I am in recovery and still thinking about 'Breathe' which I attended only by sleeping most of the day and trying to catch Steve Taylor's input sessions!!
I have previously blogged that it was Lucy and Ellie's 8th and 5th birthdays that week but having discussed it with them I had decided there were a limited range of speakers I'd list who would see me still attending. Steve makes that shortlist as I have enjoyed reading his stuff over the years and knew his input would be affirming, expanding and challenging... and it was... despite my limited 'out loud' engagement.
I have learnt that I best process input by 1. drawing or writing while listening and 2. interacting. adding comment or asking questions and both of these in preference to small group interactions. It was frustrating not feeling energetic enough to engage in that until the second last day BUT I continue to think about the implications of stuff.
It's cost me $115 in books already between Andy Crouch's "Culture Making" and 2 or 3 John Drane books about 'spirituality'.
I have heard of them before but in living up to my 'lethargic academic' self description and not really liking reading I have ignored them and many other books.
"Culture Making" sounds just like some stuff I bang on about and will help me extend my work on 'stories' and accessing creativity for worship and discipleship so we are engaging with culture not simply as critics or consumers but 'culture makers'.
My symposium paper picked up the theme of "Movie Tickets, Ipods, Satchels and Imagination" and will be a theme I develeop further and deeper, like my storytelling stuff. It includes an outline of the philosophy behind our NCYC Bible Study and other uses of music, movies, story, art and exploratory spaces!!
More on Steve's input soon!!

"2012" movie

John Cusack rarely makes a bad film [these days] and this one looks interesting, if only for the main cast and Director. Roland Emmerich directed 'Independence Day' and 'The Day After Tommorrow' and the 'Industrial Light and Magic' SPFX look impressive.
It appears ancient Mayan civilisation predicted the end of the world on a day in 2012 and it may just be happening...
From the trailer the cracking Cystine Chapel roof and Washington landmarks crumble with dramatic effect!!
Without seeing the film yet it's one of so many lately on the theme of 'fate', future, apocalypse and potential world ending disaster. It's part of a pattern of exploring such themes with one liners about God, comments about faith, hope or future... more on this once I've seen the film!!

"Elements" CD 'Launch'

A few of the artist featured on our most recent Youth Unit new music CD 'Elements' are finally coming together in a cafe styled event to showcase their music and make copies of the CD available through the event cover charge!!
See the included publicity and buy your tix ahead of the night... August 21st at the UCA Centre for Ministry, North Parramatta!! Seeyou there!!

Wedding Party Entrance Dance

This ones done the rounds of media outlets today and it is very funny with only a 90min rehearsal and everyone in the extended wedding party onboard!!

WWJD @Assembly

Despite adding a few days to my experience of our UCA national Assembly, the Orientation for Under 30s was the making of my experience last week!!

It meant I had friendly faces in the crowd, energetic and clever folks to 'hang out' with and a reason to turn up each day!!

Evidence of this comes in the form of a website of cartoons which continued to be a source of fun as they were displayed on the big screen before and after some otherwise long sessions!!

It all started with 7.7.7 and you can check out the Team and the Cartoons here

As Usual Clever VB advert for the Cricket

VB adverts are generally clever and this latest one for the cricket from England is no exception. The agency seem able to hone in on some aspect of Aussie humour and amplify it for effect. This self effacing humour extends to a parade of likely VB drinkers including: blokes punching above their weight; manscapers; those who took a sickie to be there; streakers; and aussie cricketers to name a few.

ASBO Jesus July 23rd I CAN RELATE

Geez, welcome to my world!! Not my home patch at 'The Dungeon' but lots of places visited, worked with and known about who whilst faithfully trying to do their best are blissfully unaware of the issues around following a model no longer needed by punters everywhere!!

"Redneck Wonderland" Midnight Oil

“Redneck Wonderland”
I dont want to run I dont want to stay
Cos everything thats near and dear is old and in decay
Emergency has gone, apathy rolling on
Time to take a stand
Redneck wonderland
Got you in my sights, spotlit by the fence
If your small you’re faking, its just common sense
Brick and tile for miles, rolling in the aisles
Rifle in my hand
Redneck wonderland
Well the streets are clean, nothing gets away
I can see the beauty treatment draining from your face
It is vision free, its poor bugger me
Something less than grand
Redneck wonderland

UCA Preamble Acknowledging First Peoples

On the verge of something so significant I have rarely been so angry, dismayed and stressed at the stubbornness, lack of empathy and the dishonesty of people who were part of the Assembly meeting today at UNSW!!
I wanted to speak the other night as a supporter of the brilliant work that's been done by a Taskgroup with our Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress towards the Preamble. BUT due to something of an overrreaction to a question thr time got blown away.
We then went to working groups and listened hard to issues of: time people have had to consider the Preamble; views about it's Christology; and what people could and couldn't say!!

This was represented by a Facilitation Team in a great summary of many issues and then listed as [3] ammendments. We got within 1-4 blue cards of a decision depending on who you speak to and all those concerns tumbled out to again threaten the Proposal. Congress left an 'unsafe space' and despite standing to speak about how we felt I was so angry at the crap being spoken by some people I had to sit back down to avoid swearing and offending people.
I believe those with blinkered evangelical agendas have been pig headed and failed to listen. They have behaved like a dominant culture still rubbing it into to aboriginal people and I was disgusted with the lack of empathy [total lack] and the inability to listen and listen to ourselves.

Here's hoping tomorrow brings a decision it's something we must decide and a chance to speak about why... we'll see I guess!!

Mistakes Mistakes Mistakes

The Wallabies failed to breakthru for a win tonight but my predicted score is what it coulda shoulda been! The mistakes were typical and a sign they have plety to do with some encouraging aspects to their play!!
The kicking isn't great [though the breeze didn't help] and the defence was strong but not unbreakable.
More disappointing is that we were thrashed at the breakdown and couldn't blame some admittedly erratic refereeing foe the end result!!
Even then we still had a throw with minutes left if only we could have held the ball!!

Maybe next time!!

Go the Wallabies!!

Tough taks this afternoon at 5.30pm local time to overcome the All Blacks at Eden Park Auckland but I think we have our best chance for a long time [since 1986 perhaps]!!

Predictions: Australia 28 All Blacks 17!! Ok I said it, let's see !!

Tonight at Our National UCA Assembly

It's been another long day here at the UNSW campus as we thrash out some issues in the life of our church and work in groups around issues of: identity; agency reports; being multi-cultural; and now tonight we are hearing the significant presentation about putting a "preamble" at the start our constitution which will recognise aboriginal and islander peoples as the first peoples of this land!! It's an amazing prophetic and gutsy thing which I hope when we come to decide, does get passed!!
Amongst other things this is a symbol too of how we're moving on from some other divisive issues and still talking about and acting out important things.

The preamble takes seriously the Bonhoeffer notion of the question from Jesus of "who do you say that I am?" being tied up with the "where?" question. That location is significant.

Check out this and other Assembly developments here.

In the end the speakers took extra time so when questions and comments were called there were only a few. One question [greeted agressively as an attack] sidelined other feedback and just as I was about to stand up and say "this is a brilliant thing and I hope we can just pass it when the time comes!" The Prez needed to call 'time' and just hear from one or two who were still standing.

We were again priviledged to be a told a story from our northern synod brother about the aboriginal sense of 'good' and 'evil' and their awareness of 'God' always which underpins the ability to make statements in our proposed preamble about the history of belief and spirituality amongst aboriginal people right back to the earliest times!!

This move could lead the country in what I came to believe in the 1980s was the thing holding us back from great nationhood/community in much more subtle but just as pervasive ways as South Africa's apartheid.

No scan of life expectancy, health or literacy statistics for aboriginal and non aboriginal Australians could lead you to any other conclusion.

Anyhow, we discuss this in working group Saturday and will seek consensus Sunday!!

Wordle - Salt factory 01

Wordle - Salt factory 01:

Colleagues have made reference to this site where you punch in a bunch of words and it produces a poster. Still playing but we'll see what can be done for Salt [Factory]

U2 Ramping up the Tour

Last post before the 'Pumphouse' U2 blackout of their supposed 'world tour'!!

With rumoured dates soon for a South American leg early 2010 and maybe Australia late 2010!!
The tax evading Irishmen have been criticised for 65,000 or is it 650,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions footprint and unanswered questions about whether they'll offset!!
It should be noted that despite my admiration for their music I have not gone as far as attending the 'Hype' Conference this coming October in North Carolina in the US... which has some interesting presenters and a concert nearby with tix available during the event!! Check it out here!!

"Laughing With" Regina Spektor

Here's the clip Selina mentioned in comment around my 'Adamstown Dungeon' posts!! It's this kind of 2000s reflection not unlike Alanis Morisette's "Ironic" from some years ago!!

I had seen the clip on TV but not with the sound up one Saturday morning while the girls had a CD on in the background as well!!

Stress Down Day for Lifeline

Coming soon!! FRIDAY 24TH JULY check it out here

Interesting or New Music

'The Script' were huge in the UK this time last year with this quirky album
Haven't heard these tracks yet but it'll be interesting whatever

50+ shows across the country and counting!

Great aussie hip hop protest music

I'd go to the SCG in December but I'd feel too old

Eskimo Joe attempt to move on again, with some idea what 'Inshalla' means but not quite

Bliss n Eso are creatively interesting

Second last post before the U2 Blackout

U2 kicked off their 'world tour' [well the top half anyhow] last night in Barcelona with, by all reports, an amazing stage 'the claw' and show!

Here's your playlist:
Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Angel of Harlem [with comment for Michael Jackson]
In a Little While
Unknown Caller
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (In The Name of Love)
MLK
Walk On
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
-------
Ultraviolet
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender



And the night included a live call to the International Space Station!! celebrating the upcoming moonlanding anniversary!

Easter 2010 "BluesFest"

I have just begun making contact with the organisers of the "East Coast Blues and Roots/Bluesfest Festival held at Byron Bay each Easter!! The crazy idea I have is to take a small group of 18-30s plus some leadership away to the Festival over Easter next year! The idea would be to either Camp or do a local Church Hall thing plus cooking...
We could spend the morning reflecting on: Easter in this context; who and where we were; and we'd engage in the Festival like any other 'punter' AND then at the end of the day we could do 'hot chocolate' and a closing reflection and ponder, explore, hope and learn what can/should be our response!!

I don't want to draw energetic leaders away from existing Easter Camps and yet see this as a logical next experiment for some who are naturally moving on from that space plus others who've never necessarily been to such a camp!!

It's an experiemnt in engaging with the context/culture and exploring faith in life, rather than withdrawing to do so!!

It's a Festival that draws acts like: Luka Bloom; Missy Higgins; Blues Traveller; John Butler Trio... the sting is that Festival tix cost $399 this year [stay tuned] but there may be a group discount and I may have access to some subsidy. I do have an eye on other chaeper events as an alaternative but this Festival is the biggest and despite it's title has embraced many more mainstream acts in recent times!!

"Breath" Tim Winton

In the past from my very first exposure to the writing of Tim Winton, I so wanted to be really into his stories! I heard snippets from 'That Eye the Sky' at our national youth event evening 'experiences' and also saw the play. I tried to read Cloudstreet, The Riders and Dirt Music but something stopped me from really getting into them.
Not so with "Breath." I picked up a paperback copy at the airport a few months ago in case I didn't have enough reading in the newspapers... and I couldn't stop reading it... from the gripping first chapter, through the lead characters discovery of surfing and into his life and struggles!
I am not a great and enthusaistic reader [at all] except if a biography grabs me, or the humour of Ben Elton or a 'cracking' sports yarn!
I've downloaded the audiobook of 'Cloudstreet' now to give it another shot. For an genuinely Aussie life story of a kid and man who struggles, loves the surf and begins life's journey in this story I recommend it as a Tim Winton beauty!!

Soon to be a U2 Free Zone

My blog is soon to become a U2 free zone! Not because of their tax avoidance activities or summer villas in the south of France but because they are churning out material like never before, about a concert tour which has no plans, rumours or chance of coming anywhere near us anytime soon!

BUT before that it's worth mentioning that they want to keep up the reminders and pressure about the house arrest and unfair teatment of Aung Saan Suu Kyi...

After being democratically elected in 1990 the miltary didn't accept that result and refused to hand over power. Since that time she has been mostly under house arrest.

U2 are encouraging fans to print off and wear a mask to their shows and beyond plus listing websites across Europe where you can go to learn how to help in the protests and efforts to bring change to Burma!!

"BIG" GAMES BOOK

As soon as the games are finalised and the covers come back from the printer there will be a new collection of some old favourite games, icebreakers, GTKY questions etc mixed in with recently invented ones and put together in this collection to serve groups, events and camps in coming years.

It will probably sell for $19.95 tbc and builds on the excellent work of a number of keen writers and contributors.

Michael Jackson Dead

The worlds media has changed!


I usually tune in for a few news headlines and the weather on the local Nine network TODAY Show [not that wierd cult known as 'The Sunrise Family'] before sorting the kids breakfast and school run.


This morning was one of those amazing days when news came through of the reported cardiac arrest of 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson. That's a very sad and predictable event. BUT the amazing thing was the drive to be 'first' or most informed about the developments and the prominence of reports on TMZ.com website that Michael had died.


Hosts were reticent to 'call it' but knew that TMZ gets the story. If you check their website now you'll see live feed of the gathering crowd outside the LA hospital... the world really has shrunk.


The story pushed reports of the death of Farrah Fawcett to a sideline as Richard Wilkins surfed his Blackberry and Karl Stef tapped away at the indesk internet connection!


So try as they might to not go down the path, we now get our breaking international news from a gossip website! Check it out here

RIP Michael Jackson 1958-2009