Monotheism

I was recently listening to a Philip Adam's podcast where a guest said that there is no monotheism in the bible. As I listened it struck me that this was indeed true. Israel was often worshiping other gods and the 10 commandments ask that Israel worships no other gods but Yahweh not that there is no other gods but Yahweh. Technically this is henotheism (worship of one God above all others) rather than monotheism. Similarly in Acts Paul talks of an unknown god as the god who made the world and does not go on to say that the other gods do not exist. This lack of information doesn't support the idea of Paul believing in henotheism it just doesn't support the idea of monotheism. Early Xns (not sure how early) were called atheists a reflection of their move from henotheism to monotheism I wodner when exactly this happened.

None the less the non monotheistic writings in the bible must at the very least be an acknowledgement that other belief systems work, in as much as they have a coherent internal logic and adherents to a particular belief system are not deluded, as I have sometimes heard Xns describe non Xns.

Art by Numbers

Artist Chris Jordan has put together a series of art works titled Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait. The full series can be seen here. My favourite two pieces were Barbie Dolls and Prison uniforms. All pieces visually depict different things Americans use, spend, throw away etc.. Which I'm sure is not too different from Australians.

Barbie Dolls, 2008
which depicts 32,000 Barbies, equal to the number of elective breast augmentation surgeries performed monthly in the US in 2006 (click on picture to see full size)

Partial zoom (click on picture to see full size)

Actual size (click on picture to see full size)

Prison Uniforms, 2007
Depicts 2.3 million folded prison uniforms, equal to the number of Americans incarcerated in 2005. (click on picture to see full size)

Partial zoom (click on picture to see full size)

Actual size (click on picture to see full size)

Telegraph Pole Exercise

There is a little reflection exercise that I do every so often that helps me to think about where God might be Calling me. it goes like this..

When putting up telegraph poles on long straight country roads working out where the next telegraph pole goes is as easy as lining up the previous telegraph poles and then putting the next one behind those.

Imagine if following God’s call in your life is like that. Take some time and think of four five events in you life where you felt like you were really doing what you love doing or what you are called to do.

Once you have thought of these give them each a name and right that on a pop stick. Put them in the sand in chronological order in a straight line, like you might put telegraph poles.

Now look to see what each of these have in common, what themes are running through them.

Imagine, where might God be calling you next?

Well, here are my five.

1. Leading Beach Mission for primary School Aged kids: (8 days of providing fun and introducing kids at a caravan park to Xy)
2. Manuscript Discovery small group leading (See the here for a full explanation of Manuscript Discovery) basically it’s reading a whole book of the Bible and working out what it means for your self
3. Exposure: This was an School presentation that me and a couple of friends did using music, various multimedia and group discussion to get people thinking about life, God and the universe.
4. Working as Children and Youth consultant for a mainline church. Basically I’d hang out with a church for 4-6 weeks and help them to work out a children and youth program that matched who they were as a church.
5. Studying Theology. Buried in books and theological thought. I loved it. I’d love to go back for another year and convert my Bachelor of Arts (major in Theology) to a Bachelor of Theology

The first thing that struck me about the list was how overtly Xn all of these things were. I have a passion for social justice but perhaps more of a passion to change the middle class than to be on the front line. I guess I can see that it’s not just that the poor don't have enough but that we have too much. Economies grow and economic growth can emancipate people but at any one moment in time one person has too much and someone else not enough and this is the real problem.

Every so often I feel like I'm being called to some kind of pastor / church leader type role but I have no idea what that might look like. I do know that being a pastor's wife would be my wife's worst nightmare, and with good reason. She has seen plenty of good people treated badly by congregations disappointed that they and their unpaid spouse were unable to give more than 100% to the ministry.

Valley Songs

I struggle with "Xn" music at the best of times and worship music I've found particularly difficult. So rather than whinge about it I've put together my collection of "Valley Songs". "Valley Songs" is a term I once herad Dave Andrews use when describing his music. Hillsong songs are the kind of songs you sing when everything is wonderful, "Valley Songs" are songs to sing for all the other times in life. Here is the list of songs I'm going to start playing around with links are to some authors websites some which have mp3s of the songs.

The Songs I'm interested in trying are...

• 40: U2
• Amazing Grace (sung to the tune of the house of the rising sun): Blind Boys of Alabama
• By the Rivers of Babylon: Sinead O'Connor
• Come Lord Jesus: I have no idea who wrote this song. I grew up thinking this was a song every church knew but I think it may have been unique to my little Anglican church in Sydney.
• Do Lord: Johnny Cash
• Face Of The Humbled Poor: Paul Gioia
• Gods Love is Good: Dave Andrews
• Hey Hey you say: Dave Andrews
• I am a Pilgrim: Johnny Cash
• I am bound for the promised land: Johnny Cash
• I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole: Blind Willie Johnson
• I Still Pray: Kasey Chambers
• I Want Jesus to Walk with Me: Traditional
• I will be your Friend: Guy Davis - I found this song on a CD my wife bought for our 1 year old
• In My Time of Dying / Jesus Gonna make up my dying bed: Traditional?
• Jesus And Me: Paul Gioia
• Jesus On The Mainline: Traditional?
• Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning: Blind Willie Johnson
• Let Justice Roll: Dave Andrews
• Long May He Reign: Paul Gioia
• Long Way From Home: Kaiser Mansfield
• My Hope is built on nothing less: Melody by Nicki Chiswell
• No Turning Back: Paul Gioia
• Nobodies Fault But Mine: Blind Willie Johnson
• One Day: Dave Andrews
• Our Great God: Don't know who did this I just stumbled accross some sheet music for it
• People Get Ready Curtis Mayfield
• Prince of Peace: Paul Gioia
• Shower Of Grace: Paul Gioia
• Some Great Day: Paul Gioia
• Still Small Voice: Paul Gioia
• Swing Low Sweet Chariot: Johnny Cash
• The Way of Christ: Dave Andrews
• Troublesome Waters: Johnny Cash
• Why Do You Love Me?: Paul Gioia
• You Got To Move: Traditional
• You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond: Blind Willie Johnson

Is it Time to Move?

I'm in a bit of an unfocused point in life right now. I'm about to start my fifth year of my job and I'm doing pretty much exactly the same thing as when I started. Perhaps more pressing is that my wife is finding living in our suburb hard and I have really struggled to think of how we can make any meaningful impact in our community. I don't think she's being unreasonable when she says "I'd like the second word my daughter hears from the neighbours hot to be c***". Our suburb is a mix of people who live behind their fence. one house on our street nicely illustrates how much some people like their lives to be gated from those around them. the front yard (and whole front of the house) has a gate all the way around it, there is a separate gate on the alcove before the front door and then a security door and all the windows are covered by metal shutters. So, you'd have to jump two seven foot high fences just to knock on the font door.

Other neighbours are really heavy drinkers who love their footy and cars. My job often means I'm working when the neighbours are drinking on the front porch. When I have been around to join them for a BBQ it has been very awkward. With my small drinking capacity I might as well be a tea totaller (it's a bit like turning up to a stamp collecting club with 5 stamps). Further more I know nothing about footy or cars. I'm not exactly an outgoing person but I've usually found it pretty easy to connect with people whether that's hippy arty types, street present inner city homeless people or elderly folk at an Anglican Church. So should we move? We'd like to move nearer my wife's family - who I really like - and nearer the friends my wife has made through playgroup and church. Any thoughts about making this kind of decision is appreciated.

The Religous Right is Dead

Jim Wallis certainly deserves to be the first to say it and what better platform than The Daily Show.

It will be interesting to how what is happening in the United States reverberates amongst Australia's religious right.