Jo Cocker Made Me Cry

I'm not sure how I came across this but it made me laugh so hard my wife thought I was crying.

Social Services – Picking Low Hanging Fruit

I blogged before wondering if we had sold compassion to bureaucracy. One of the things that happens in social services is that governments put out tenders for grants. Agencies compete for these grants aiming to give as much bang for the buck as possible. The best way to do this of course is often to help the person who is easiest to help. This means it is not in the agencies interest to help difficult people or people who fall outside of their target group, let alone help someone who’s problems do not coincide with the core function of the organisation. So a homeless, unemployed, drug using person would need to be seeing about a dozen or so different agencies. I know this is what happens because one of the the things people our agency meet need help with is trying to make sense of all of those agencies. If you have ever been to Centrelink for anything you’ll know how difficult that is, so this person it becomes ten times more difficult. With each service only wanting to or able to deal with a discrete part of the person’s whole problem the whole person is often ignored.

I'm not sure why I'm feeling so disenchanted with the whole social services sector at the moment. There are so many people in it with great hearts doing great stuff. I just feel like they are being ham strung and I'm kind of over that.

Valley Songs: It's Alright Now - Arizona Dranes

After discovering Sister Rostta Tharpe I did some hunting for Arizona Dranes (one of her influences) and found this gem. The original song is in the Key of A and I've transposed it down to E becasue not everyone can sing like Arizona and I made up my own verse lyrics becasue I couldn't work out hers. I've sung this song a number of times with a congregation and it's great to sing. Oh and for those of you in Australia the song was recorded before 1958 so it's copyright free.

It's All right Now

For (E)many years I wandered, through (A)out this rugged (E)land
I’ve (B)had my share of heart ache, that few could understand
But I (E)know someone who's been there, it (A)eases me (E)how
For (B)he's my loving saviour, it's all right (E)now

CHORUS
It's (E)all right now, It's (A)all right (A)now
For (B)Jesus is my saviour, It's all right now
It's (E)all right now, It's (A)all right (E)now
For (B)Jesus is my saviour, It's (E)all right now

Now trouble still surrounds me, but I do not feel lost
I know Jesus has been there, when he died upon the cross
He shares in my suffering, his spirit helps me out
Yes he's my loving saviour, it's all right now

CHORUS

So if you are in suffering, I will be there for you
From morning until evening, Whatever I can do
To love as Jesus loved me, This is my solemn vow
For he's my loving saviour, it's all right now

CHORUS

© Arizona Dranes Music and Lyrics for the Chorus
© Chris Summerfield Verse Lyrics

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place: A Theology Of Spirituals

I remember a friend of mine playing “Do Lord” at a churchy conference and apologising for the incorrect theology in the song. Like many old spirituals it looks forward to being whisked away. Tom Wright devotees will say that the song should be about resurrection and “Kingdom on earth as it is in heavan” minded people will argue that we need to start bringing the Kingdom of God to earth now. This particular had mostly people who would agree with both these tings, me included. I still sing these spirituals and in fact more so as my personal thrology has moved away from a “let’s all get a ticket to heaven” orientation. Not only because they are great tunes but because I appreciate the theology.

It’s easy to talk to a middle class western person, like me, about resurrection and re-creation. I can look around at my beautiful (slightly flawed) surroundings and imagine how this could be made perfect. For the poor of the spirituals living in terrible conditions this is much harder. Given the conditions they were in a recreated earth would be so different from what they knew that they might as well call it heaven.

Similarly, the thing that stops me being a part of some kind of kingdom of God change in the world is most usually my own apathy. For the poor of the spirituals they were powerless, the best they could hope for is that one day God would step in rescue them and take them to a better place. Which I might say is a recreated earth but I’m sure they would stand aghast at call heaven.

So I will continue to enjoy singing my “theologically incorrect” spirituals because I want to remember not only the tunes of these people but the conditions that they lived through that produced this wonderful music. For me it is a way for a brief musical moment of joining in solidarity with the poor.

Valley Songs: Let Justice Roll - Dave Andrews

I stole the term "Valley Songs" straight from Dave Andrews so I though it would only be polite to post one of his great songs that I have in my Valley Song list. He's got a whole bunch of songs at his site but this is probably my favourite of his. Apologies for the spacing on my chord chart below blogger keeps changing my multiple spacing to single spacing and I can't work out how to change that, so you'll have to listen to the song to get the timing or download the sheet music from Dave's Site.

The MP3 from Dave's Site

Sheet Music from Dave's site.

Let Justice Roll (Micah 5.24)

VERSE 1
G Em
We’ve silenced our prophets,
C D
We’ve shot down our dreamers,
G Em C D
Our lifeblood is money, we’re exploiting the poor.
G C G C
Oh, the people of the West just love to invest
Em Am D7
In the system that keeps the poor world poor.

VERSE 2
G Em C D
We have no compassion; our lifestyle is evil;
G Em C D
Higher living standard - the God we adore.
G C G C
Oh, the people of the West just love to invest
Em Am D7
In the system that keeps the poor world poor.

CHORUS
G C G
Let justice roll on like a river
D C G D
Truth like an never failing ever flowing stream,
G C G
Then tears of rage will turn to laughter
D C G
And people become what they should be.

VERSE 3
We ignore the ways of justice
Though we talk a lot about it;
We victimise the stranger seeking refuge in our land.
Oh, the people of the West just love to invest
In the system that keeps the poor world poor.

VERSE 4
Greed is our mother, silence is our father,
Our epitaph is written in frustrated tears of rage.
Oh, the people of the West just love to invest
In the system that keeps the poor world poor.

CHORUS

© Garth Hewitt. (Adapted by Dave Andrews)

Have we sold compassion to the bureaucrats in return for putting our badge on it?

Last month I had to talk to a volunteer in my organistaion who had given a homeless girl shelter for the night and explain to her that she was not allowed to do this under the organisation’s policy. It’s been bugging me for weeks. Basically the volunteer acted like a Good Samaritan by taking in someone in a very desperate situation with no one else left to turn to. As well as being homeless, she had been assaulted along with, like so many people we see, a myriad of other problems. The volunteer looked after the girl as responsibly as possible, given that it might be a risky situation (just like the original Good Samaritan story). I so feel like a member of the religious establishment telling her off for not doing things the “orthodox way” which would have meant merely giving the girl a number to call in the morning and saying best of luck fending for yourself tonight. Certainly if I was in the volunteer’s situation and followed the official guidelines I would be finding it hard to live with myself right now.

This has got me thinking about the way that the church has developed social agencies which are then funded mostly by government bodies who then put restrictions, like the above, on agency activities. The church feels good because we feel like we are reaching out to people via these agencies. The government feels good because social services are being provided. The only people who don’t feel good are those who are actually in need. Having known someone who has died on the streets of Perth I know that it could have been quite possible that the girl in need could have died or even killed themselves if our volunteer had not stepped in.

I think we have sold compassion to the bureaucrats. As Xns we need to get our hands dirty, we need to take risks caring for people who could rob us hurt us. Of course we need to take as many precautions as possible, but if we wish to leave compassion to risk averse bureaucrats then we have to be honest and say we wish to erase the Good Samaritan parable from the Bible.

Valley Songs: 40 - U2

For the last couple of years I've been collecting what I call Valley Songs (a phrase I stole from Dave Andrews). A few times I've posted a list of the songs but the list keeps growing and expanding so I've now put the list in the side bar of this blog (right near the bottom) Over the next year or so I'll post the music (clip or link) and words (plus chords to traditional songs) to all these songs. Today I'll start at the top of the list with U2's 40.

I'm not one of those Christians who believe that Bono is the second coming of Christ with just dark sunglasses. None the less U2 are a great band and there is no reason* why this song in particular, a version of Psalm 40, shouldn't be sung in church.

40 - U2 from the album War (inspired by Psalm 40)

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song
How long to sing this song
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and hear

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song
How long to sing this song
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song

Bass: D# C# C C#
Chords: G#/D# C# G#/C C#

* Actually there is a reason - getting copyright for this song might prove very difficult. So if anyone has got approval from Universal Music to show the lyrics in church let me know.

One Take Tuesdays - Amazing Grace

This is undoubtedly one of those songs that sounds way better in my head than it does once it's recorded. It's "Amazing Grace" sung to Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave you". I haven't posted for a few weeks and haven't really practised for that time either. None the less listening to this has certainly encouraged me to practice more.

Amazing Grace

The Wife's New Tattoo

Here's proof that my wife is way cooler than me.

Today she got a tattoo that, according to her, "Didn't even hurt!" (That's what two emergency Caesareans will do to your pain threshold)

It's Ancient Hebrew meaning to "cry out" typically against injustice. Eg: Numbers 20:16 "and when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt."

I always thought she was cooler than me and now she's got proof.

One Take Tuesday delay

Due to a beautiful daughter who felt like not going to sleep on time. One Take Tuesday has been delayed for another week.

7 Things for a Better Children and Youth Ministry - 7 - Preconception vs. Reflection

We all have preconceived ideas of what children and youth ministry should look like. For many people it’s lots and lots of nice kids having lots and lots of nice fun.

Really the make up of children and youth in our church should reflect the community around us. If we live in a community with a lot of retirees and say 10% of young people. For a parish of 80, 8 young people would be great, and half of that would be a great start.

If we live in a community with lots of rough kids, we will have lots of rough kids in a church group too.

So could you be involved in children’s or youth ministry?

I think you need 4 things.

Ask yourself could you...

• Be part of a group that has a 1:4 ratio Leaders to young people
• Commit to a relationship where you care for and listen too Young People
• Consider the children and youth program as a part of church
• Journey with young person as both of you develop your faith

Well that's it the 7 Things for a Better Children and Youth Ministry. I hope they've been somewhat useful if not a bit brief.

My Tradition: Evangelical Para-Church

When I hear people talking about their particular Xn tradition, whether that be sacramental, evangelical, Anglican or what ever, I start thinking what is my tradition? I certainly don't feel like I fit into any of the usual Xn traditions.

Well, I think my tradition might be Evangelical Para-Church.

I didn't grow up in a church going family, I took myself off to Sunday school and then off to youth group. My parents didn't want me going to church and getting to heavily involved in the whole thing so I’d meet up with my friends after church on a Sunday night. My "church calendar" was exactly the same as the school calendar. This is a pattern that continued when I left home, went to uni and got involved with a Xn group on campus. Church on Sunday was all but impossible with a very sparse public transport system. Christmas and Easter were not big events in fact they were holidays when the group didn't meet.

After moving to a new city I found it hard to find a church. I felt more comfortable in and easier to meet other Xns at para-church organisations, which is where I felt most of the mission of the church was being done anyway. The church I'm with now is as churchy as I have ever got and we only meet once a fortnight for big (more traditional) church, on the other fortnight we have a home group / church kind of thing.

Maybe this is why I don't feel like I fit with any of the traditional church traditions.