Are the Lepers Hiding?

I heard someone say the other day that the Lepers of our day are hiding. That is, for most of us that we don't walk along the street and see lepers or people in need begging. Initially, I thought yes this is true. The reason I don't get off my bum and help people I because I don't see people in need. Today I changed my mind I don't think people in need are hidden.

Ask anyone...

• Are there people starving in the third world?
• Do you think the old man in the city who smells like he hasn't bathed far a week homeless?
• Does the couple down the road who are always fighting have a good relationship?
• Is the refugee from Afghanistan trying to flee a horrible and dangerous situation?

The answer is going to be yes. In fact people in need might be more easy to see than ever before.

The Lepers or people in need in our world are not hiding. If you just look at your own shoes, always keep your iPod in your ears and watch soap operas instead of the news you can try to claim ignorance. But, I'd call it avoidance. We don't live in a world where the marginalised are hidden. They are simply on the margins.

The big problem is that it's hard work. We usually look at the story of the Good Samaritan with disdain for the priest and the Levite who just walk on by. But they are just like me when I see someone who is in need be that a third world country or someone on the street or a couple in distress. Rationalisations like "I wouldn't know what to do", "it's not my place to intervene", "the money won't get to them" or "they'll spend the money on alcohol anyway." Are all much weaker than the priest and Levite's fear that the man on the road would mug them.

The Good Samaritan, took a risk and it cost him both time and money. Perhaps, if we are not prepared to take a risk spend time and spend money then we are not prepared to help.

We have Space!

The alternative reflective Church service I've been wanting to get up and running for quite a while has finally jumped it's last hurdle and we have a good space and time to run it.

See...
Creating a new worship service
Creating a new worship service 2
New Church service tested and ready to go
Alternate Service Delay
...for the back story.

Here is the flyer if you're interested and in Perth Australia.

I've been toying with the idea for this kind of service for about five years now so it's pretty exciting to see it at this stage. Hopefully it's going to work or maybe it was just and idea that was good five years ago and is now outdated. I don't know, I'll let you know.

What kind of Xn are you?

This was a bit of fun. A test to see what sort of Xn I am. It's bit limited, but pretty good for just 60 questions. Unsurprisingly I came up as a Emergent/Postmodern Xn. The paragraph description is pretty close too.

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 89% Modern Liberal 61% Classical Liberal 57% Neo orthodox 57% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 54% Reformed Evangelical 39% Roman Catholic 25% Fundamentalist 11% Charismatic/Pentecostal 7% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

With thanks to the Rethinking Youth Ministry Blog for the tip off.

Critical Child Rearing Mistake No. 4 - Blind Willie Johnson

So I thought I'd be clever and introduce my daughter to Blind Willie Johnson.

Big mistake, now every time I play my slide guitar when she's around she says, "Daddy don't play it unless you play it the same way Blind Willie Johnson does."

People who just don't assimilate

I've found a group pf people who just won't assimilate with the rest of Australian Society. They live in their own ghettos, surrounded only by people of their own kind. They don't mix with others Australians. They special areas at sporting events and on airplanes, they even have their own shops and restaurants where most Australians just can't get into.

They are the rich. Living in exclusive suburbs that are often gated, they have their own boxes at sporting events and their own section on airplanes. They eat at restaurants and shop where no one else can afford to go. They don't assimilate with the rest of society, surely this is unaustralian. So why doesn't the government do something about it?

Alpha Again?

Having had a mixed time with my first Alpha experience I've been ask to lead another Alpha course this time with a twist, no Nicky Gumbel. The idea is that we'll do the presentations ourselves. I know this is a very unalpha approach but I'm keen to try it. Will let you know how this progresses.

Bono finds God

Bono has found where God hangs out...



After sounding like he's a bit drunk for the first 6 minutes he has some good things to say for the last minute.

Whatever thoughts we have about God, who he is or even if God exists, most will agree that God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God – where the opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God is with the mother who is infected with a virus that will take both their lives. God is under the rubble in the cries we hear during wartime. God, my friends, is with the poor. And God is with us if we are with them. This is not a burden. This is an adventure. Don’t let anyone tell you it cannot be done. We can be the generation that ends extreme poverty.

My life without cheese on toast

Four months ago the difference between me and someone who had been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) was that I hadn't had the symptoms long enough be diagnosed. With a string of doctors collectively only being able to suggest that more salt in my diet might help in crease my blood pressure no one seemed to have any idea what I could try. Not too keen on keeping the symptoms long enough to be diagnosed with CFS I went to a Naturopath.

In short apart from needing magnesium and a few other things I was told to give up wheat and dairy. Under normal circumstances giving up anyone of these would be an achievement of Herculean proportion as I love both. But, I was getting desperate so I gave it a go. Four months later I'm feeling almost back to 100% and I'm still yet to have my favourite lunch time snack, Cheese on Toast.

Time to become an Author?

A little while ago Frog Theology suggested that I should set aside time and become an author. To be exact he said "write the book and become the author you have wanted to be."

Like many I probably have sneaking suspicion that I have a well of untapped talent that I am just not using. Now I like to think that this well is long and deep and full of great ideas and potential. But that's just what I'm hoping, maybe it's not. Maybe, if I reached into my well of untapped talent I might only find the ability to write blogs slightly quicker or the ability to write more relevant personal anecdotes that I can attach to my roughly thought out theological ideas. The only thing worse than underachieving, like I tend to do, is to know that if I really tried hard that I'd only improve slightly. That's a thoroughly depressing scenario. So for now I think I'll stick to just blogging and imagining that my well of untapped talent is long a deep well of beautiful fresh water and not a two feet deep muddy bog.

Of course I could be persuaded to change my mind if someone came up with a cool title for a book for me to write. Any Ideas?