Fuse 07
Tuesday, June 05, 2007 by Sam
What an amazing weekend, it was such a privilege to be part of the first ever Fuse event, replacing the CTC weekend after 41 years.
A couple of reasons why the weekend was special;
Scottie has summarised things very well, so have a look at his blog. But I want to underline how proud I am to be a part of my church, the blueprint crew. They have amazing hearts to serve, and do it with the best attitude - they have lots of laughs, happily do mundane tasks, chip in to help without being asked, serve and serve and serve.
Global Tribe are an awesome organisation, and one that deserve the platform they are quickly getting here in NZ and around the world. Particularly the generosity of its president Anthony Walton. He lives the values of Global Tribe, and is generous to a fault and his heart breaks for the poverty and injustice in this world. The generosity of Darryl and the YFC leaders to let this initiative be run by someone else is something special, and is a glimpse of the "body of Christ" working together in some sort of functional capacity without the usual paranoia of "guarding our turf". YFC happily and supportively handed there "turf" to another organisation, and I think
God is chuffed.
God is chuffed. The team putting the thing together were awesome. The huge number of YFC workers who worked this weekend, as well as Dave Treeby - an absolute machine, Tracey Bedford, Stacey, Scottie, Hayden, Andrew Galloway etc etc. As Scottie put it; "I can't wait to work with them again at our next underpaid and overworked venture together". Lots of fun, lots of submitting to one another, lots of affirmation thrown around. It was a very simliar crew to the Soul Survivor festival, and the depth in some of these friendships is why I think these events become more fun not less.
But most of all, it was the huge number of young people who expressed a little of the incredible creativity that God has crammed in them. What makes this event so cool is that nearly everyone at the event is contributing something creative, and so there is this very cool buzz happening. Everywhere you look there is art happening, created, expressed. What an awesome way to honour God.
I think Fuse 08 is going to be very exciting, and just like the Soul Survivor festival, I cant wait to see what God is going to do, and im looking forward to hanging with friends making it happen.
One little observation that I am chewing over. I was struck how young people are very clued up about the injustice and poverty in the world today. They know the information, the statistics, and a bunch of them got up and talked passionately about this issue throughout the weekend. It was awesome. For the most part young people cannot plead ignorance to the issues of poverty and justice
But the question I am wrestling with is this; Is it translating into action?
This weekend we tried to raise money ($5000) for a house for those impoverished in Mexico, and I think we did it, but it was a bit of a challenge. As I was MCing I felt the battle against apathy, I felt the sludge of consumerism, I felt the "compassion fatigue". And that was just in my life!!!
It wasn't like we were asking for money for a church building fund, or even for Global Tribe as an organisation. We were asking it for the poor, this money was all going straight to the poor. And yet it was so easy to go and buy some burger king or guitar strings, and a battle to give to something that isn't for me.
It wasn't like we were asking for money for a church building fund, or even for Global Tribe as an organisation. We were asking it for the poor, this money was all going straight to the poor. And yet it was so easy to go and buy some burger king or guitar strings, and a battle to give to something that isn't for me.
I don't know what the answer is. It is something that we will battle with in coming years with Soul Survivor, at Blueprint, at Fuse.
I do know where the problem begins.
Me
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