Death

Death comes;
it's dark spectre rising
swooping, diving
creeping, writhing.
The end is near.
We wait in fear.
A fog
closes in around us.
Final breaths.
3...2......1........
Silence screams.

Wait upon the Lord

Psalm 147:10-11


He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
The LORD favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness.


My hairy, scrawny legs could never be conceived of as attractive by anyone, so it is with some relief that I find this passage in scripture.
Less flippant, of course, is the meaning of these verses. Here we have the powerful emphasis that God delights not in the independence, but the dependence of man; God takes pleasure in the way we acknowledge our poverty when we receive from His riches; God favors those who realise the awesome majesty of his power by fearing Him and who trust in His mercy by waiting for his kindness.
These verses are so offensive because they assume that humankind's greatest achievements are unimpressive before God (cf. Isaiah 40), that any attempts at self-glorification on humankind's behalf are idolatrous and that God rightly thwarts them (cf. Genesis 11).
This is the God-centredness of God that demands God-centredness from His creation.

Top Five - reasons to love coffee

Coffee is one of the oldest and most important world commodities. It is mysterious and powerful.

Reasons to love it...

1. The smell - earthy, rich and pervasive. Wafting enticingly from cool coffee houses.

2. The kick - invigorating, energising and kinetic. Just what is required on these winter mornings.

3. The taste - bittersweet, bold and smooth. Always different; evolving, elusive.

4. The fellowship - warm, stimulating and intriguing. Minds come together over the dark brew.

5. The commodity - grown in some of the world's poorest places. When a fair price is paid, much good can be achieved.

A return to Blogging

Why bother with blogging?

As you can tell, I've not written a post for months and it may have seemed this blog was never to be revived (the way of most non-serious blogger types I'm told).

Should one blog for the sake of dialogue? Sure, and there are many great examples of this cyber discourse, debate and interraction.
Should one blog for the sake of ones readers? Sure, if you have something creative and/or important to say and people have demonstrated a desire to hear.

I have a sense that neither of these reasons apply to me and my blog.

So what bother with blogging? (I ask myself, since as I have already admitted, there may be no readers out there!)

My answer is that I found, when I was blogging, that my reading was more thoughtful, and my roaming daily thoughts were forced to develop with greater clarity. So... the blogging goes on.

Yancey on Easter

I've been reading (somewhat haphazardly) with a mate from church Philip Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew. I really think that, in terms of accessibility, clarity and comprehensiveness [is that a word?], it is the best book about Jesus I have read. Here are some of Yancey's thoughts on this most magnificent 3 days we are about celebrate.

On the crucifixion:

The balance of power shifted more than slightly that day on calvary because of who it was that absorbed the evil. If Jesus of Nazareth had been one more innocent victim, like King, Mandela, Havel, and Solzhenitsyn, he would have made his mark in history and faded from the scene. No religion would have sprung up around him. What changed history was the disciples dawning awareness (it took the Resurrection to convince them) that God himself had chosen the way of weakness. The cross redefines God as One who was willing to relinquish power for the sake of love. Jesus became, in Dorothy Solle's phrase, "God's unilateral disarmament."
Power, no matter how well intentioned, tends to cause suffering. Love, being vulnerable, absorbs it. In a point of convergence on a hill called Calvary, God renounced the one for the sake of the other.*

On the resurrection:

There are two ways to look at human history, I have concluded. One way is to focus on the wars and violence, the squalor, the pain and tragedy and death. From such a point of view, Easter seems a fairy-tale exception, a stunning contradiction in the name of God. That gives some solace, although I confess that when my friends died, grief was so overpowering that any hope in an afterlife seemed somehow thin and insubstantial.
There is another way to look at the world. If I take Easter as the starting point, the one incontrovertible fact about how God treats those he loves, then human history becomes the contradiction and Easter a preview of ultimate reality. Hope then flows like lava beneath the crust of daily life.
This, perhaps, describes the change in the disciples' perspective as they sat in locked rooms discussing the incomprehensible events of Easter Sunday. In one sense nothing had changed: Rome still occupied Palestine, religious authorities still had a bounty on their heads, death and evil still reigned outside. Gradually, however, the shock of recognition gave way to a long slow undertow of joy. If God could do that...**

*Philip Yancey. The Jesus I Never Knew. pp. 205-205. Zondervan, Michigan, USA (1995).
**Philip Yancey. The Jesus I Never Knew. pp. 219-220. Zondervan, Michigan, USA (1995).

Precious

Isaiah 43:4

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

This verse comes in a sequence of prophecies regarding God's overwhelming faithfulness to his people, and His promise of restoration. Clearly God is speaking of His people Israel, but those who have inherited the promise in Christ, who was given 'in exchange' for us, are equally the object of this verse.
The reality that we are (I am) precious, honoured and loved by God is of extraordinary importance in providing context to all I have been and will be in the future.
In a world in which people are abused, rejected and made little of, the Gospel of this God carries massive healing power.

Top Five - Opening songlines...

I love listening to song lyrics. The first lines of a song can be poignant, witty or funny. They can instantly create a scene or tone. Here are some of my favourites.


1. Dave Matthews Band, Dreamgirl:

I would dig a hole all the way to China
unless of course I was there
Then I'd dig my way home
If by diggin I could steal... the wind from the sails
Of the greedy men who rule the world

2. Counting Crows, Round Here:

Step out the front door like a ghost into a fog
Where no one notices the contrast of white on white
And in between the moon and you the angels get a better view
Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right

3. Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA:

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

4. Eagles, Take it easy:

Well, I'm running down the road
Tryin to loosen my load
Ive got seven women on
My mind,
Four that wanna own me,
Two that wanna stone me,
One says shes a friend of mine

5. Bryan Adams, Summer of '69:

I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime
Played 'til my fingers bled
It was summer of '69

Other worthy contenders:
U2, Where the streets have no name.
Pearl Jam, Daughter.
Jon Bon Jovi, Blaze of Glory.
Bruce Springsteen, Thunder Road.
Cold Chisel, Khe Sanh.

Top five - smells

The sense of smell is a powerful thing indeed. Some smells bring pure joy, others connect you with past experiences, and still others build anticipation of good things to come.
These are my top 5 smells:

1. The smell of the dirt as the first heavy drops of rain from a thunderstorm beat down.
2. The smell of sizzling garlic in a wok.
3. The smell of freshly cut grass on a summers day.
4. The smell of freshly ground coffee.
5. The smell of jasmine flowers.


Oh there could have been so many others...

The River

I come from down in the valley
where mister when you're young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school
when she was just seventeen
We'd ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green

We'd go down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we'd ride

Then I got Mary pregnant
and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse
and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
No flowers no wedding dress

That night we went down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we did ride

I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I don't remember
Mary acts like she don't care

But I remember us riding in my brother's car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I'd lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
Now those memories come back to haunt me
they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse
that sends me down to the river
though I know the river is dry
That sends me down to the river tonight
Down to the river
my baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride


This is a more haunting exposition of the slavery to nostalgia that is present in so many lives than the satire of Glory Days. Here the protagonist is trapped in the present by the memories of his youth (things which seemed to important), but ironically it is the very choices of his youth that have reaped his present disappointment. All he has are his dreams which are but empty shells of true fulfillment. The hopelessness is profound (is there a faint allusion to suicidal thoughts? - "Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, Or is it something worse that sends me down to the river"). The apparent nightmare of his current life nearly overwhelms him.
How can this slavery to the past be overcome? Can our dreams of a real fulfillment become true?

Green on Baptism - III

Green surveys the baptisms of John and Jesus in the Gospels as to their relevance to Christian baptism. He summarises:

"The baptism of Jesus, then, while being unique, has much to teach us about Christian baptism. It is the pledge of the Spirit. It is the mark of Sonship. It is the call to the path of the servant. It is commissioning for ministry.
These are all aspects in Christian baptism, but Christian baptism takes us farther still. It catches us up into the baptism of Jesus, no less. And this baptism has three mighty strands woven into it.
First, there was the 'baptism' of repentance in Jordan, administered by John, with which Jesus willingly identified himself on our behalf.
Second, there was the 'baptism' of the cross, where he dealt with the sin of the world and made possible the justification of the ungodly.
Third, there was the 'baptism' of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit came powerfully on him and equipped him for ministry.
And we are caught up by baptism into all of this. We go down with Jesus into the water of repentance. We claim for ourselves the justification he won on Calvary. And we look to the Holy Spirit to fill us and equip us for ministry."

-Baptism; It's purpose, practice and power. Michael Green. pp27-28. Paternoster, USA (2006).

wines worth trying

It has been a few months, but this selection for January is a good summer taster!

Four Sisters Wines - Grapes blended from multiple areas.
2006 - Pinot Noir-Chardonnay NV

This is a crisp, refreshing sparkling white. It has a tasty balance of sweet and sour fruit which makes it oh so easy to drink. Enjoy!

Green on Baptism - II

Green takes time to examine the significance of the old testament rite of circumcision to baptism and comes to the following conclusions;

"All of this is very instructive, if indeed we Christians are Abraham's offspring. It tells me that the Christian life is response in faith and obedience to the God who takes the initiative and comes in sheer grace to seek me out. It tells me that God generously gives a physical mark of belonging to seal that unseen contract between His undeserved love and our wobbly faith. Baptism is obviously the mark of initiation into the New Covenant, just as circumcision was into the Old. Indeed, Paul brings the two of these sacramental acts together and links them with the dying and rising of Christ in his letter to the Colossians. 'In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.' (Col 2:11-12)
Baptism, then, corresponds to circumcision under the Old Covenant. It is the mark of the covenant between God's grace and our response. Not just His grace, nor just our response. It is the seal both in His initiative and our response... The other point to note at this stage is that if we see baptism as the fulfillment under the New Covenant of what circumcision was under the Old, then, like circumcision, it cannot be treated as automatically effective. If the inner attitude of response does not grasp hold of God's loving initiative, then the baptised person in Christian society no more tastes the reality of salvation than did the nominal, circumcised Jew who did not share Abraham's faith."

-Baptism; It's purpose, practice and power. Michael Green. pp13-14. Paternoster, USA (2006).

Wade

And the silence screams
into the velvet beauty of the desert night.
It's the broken dreams
of sex and money, power and fame that leave us dry.

I need release
I need refreshment, reviving as another day passes by.
'Cause the silence feeds
my heart's investment in things that slowly die.

Help me wade
Help me wade
Help me wade into the waters of your love.
Help me wade
Help me wade into your love.

And the silence screams
into the restless hours of my sleepless nights.
'Cause this empty house
is filled with hollow dreams built on whispered lies.

I will wade
I will wade
I will wade into the waters of your love.
I will wade
I will wade into your love.

River

Ezekiel 47:1-2

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.

As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me,
"This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

I love this vision. It was first opened up to me by my minister Barry Dudding in a great series on Ezekiel. It speaks of the abundance of God's restorative power. Is this not the gospel! I recall vividly Barry exhorting the congregation to walk deeply into the water of God's healing love, and to hope and trust in his healing of this world. I love the picture of water overflowing as a way of describing the inexhaustible fountain of God's glory. The truth that He is the great giver who loves it when, out of a recognition of our need, we receive from his hand with joy is the bedrock of my faith.

Top Five - swimming experiences

I love to swim. Pools, lakes, rivers, ocean... all can be spectacular in there own way. Over the last few weeks I've had the opportunity to dive deep into cool water several times.
It got me thinking... what are my most memorable swimming experiences.

1. Coffs Harbour, Baombee Beach, April 2006. Clear blue/green water; clean 2 foot swell; long body surf rides onto the sand; solitary; peaceful.
2. Thailand, Krabi, January 2002. Brilliant sunny, hot day; Clear, shallow water; towering limestone mountains; joking around with a good mate.
3. Dorrigo, Dangar Falls, January 1999. Icy cold, clear water; sitting beneath the falls on slimy, mossy rocks; activity for our beach mission group.
4. Malaysia, Perhentian Islands, August 2006. Swimming over a shallow coral reef; diving down to swim within metres of green sea turtles; a great holiday with my wife.
5. Forster, 1 mile beach, January 1995. Outstanding 2-3 metre waves; awesome power; body surfing across the face; a great swim with dad.

Green on Baptism - I

"So, as we turn from the confusion of the modern partial answers and search in the New Testament, three strands are evident in christian beginnings. Baptism is meant to denote all three. There is a human side, repentance and faith. There is the churchly side, baptism into the visible family of Christian people. And there is the divine side, forgiveness of sins and the reception of the Holy Spirit. All three are necessary parts of Christian initiation. We have become so impoverished in our understanding, and so distanced from one another through our denomination emphases, that we often fail to perceive the need for all three strands in the rope of Christian beginnings. Baptism brings us into the church. Baptism embodies our response to the grace of God. But if we are baptised in water only, and not in the Holy Spirit, we have missed out on the gift of God and content ourselves with the wrapping paper. All three are necessary... The 'one baptism' has all these strands to it. Don't be satisfied with less. Don't write off those who stress a different strand from you. A real Christian is a believer in Jesus Christ who has received God's Holy Spirit and has been baptised into his church."

Baptism; It's purpose, practice and power. Michael Green. pp8-9. Paternoster, USA (2006).

I long ago left Egypt for the promised land

I long ago left Egypt for the promised land,
I trusted in my Savior, and to His guiding hand;
He led me out to vict’ry through the great Red Sea,
I sang a song of triumph, and shouted, I am free!

Refrain:
You need not look for me, down in Egypt’s sand,
For I have pitched my tent far up in Beulah land;
You need not look for me, down in Egypt’s sand,
For I have pitched my tent far up in Beulah land.

I followed close beside Him, and the land soon found,
I did not halt or tremble, for Canaan I was bound;
My Guide I fully trusted, and He led me in,
I shouted, Hallelujah! my heart is free from sin!

Refrain

I started for the highlands where the fruits abound,
I pitched my tent near Hebron, there grapes of Eschol found,
With milk and honey flowing, and new wine so free;
I have no love for Egypt, it has no charms for me.

Refrain

My heart is so enraptured as I press along,
Each day I find new blessings which fill my heart with song;
I’m ever marching onward to that land on high,
Some day I’ll reach my mansion that’s builded in the sky.

Refrain




This Revival song was written by Margaret Jenkins (1865-1919). She was a mem­ber of the Io­wa Ho­li­ness As­so­ci­a­tion. She and her hus­band, John Har­ris, were ac­tive in ho­li­ness re­viv­als and camp meet­ings throughout the mid-west of the USA.