I spend my days doing stuff for Soul Survivor NZ and my church "Blueprint" in Wellington NZ. I am perplexed, amazed, in awe of, and spend a lot of time thinking about this revolutionary called Jesus and what it means to follow Him.
Saturday Night saw my mate Darryl give yet another brilliant yarn to the folks at Blueprint Church. I'm gonna give you his first point (with some sam harvey embellishments) mainly because the second point was really good but I cant remeber it that well, didnt really take any notes on it. Something about changing the way we view ourselves or something fluffy along those lines.
Anyway after thinking about it, what was so good about the talk was that it wasn't a "lets get sorted so God can maybe use us" talk, it wasn't a "You are going to change the world" talk, it was a couple of practical things that we should be doing if we profess to follow Jesus. Its so refreshing to hear stuff that we should and can easily do.
Point one: We should all be involved in helping the poor on three levels.
Sponsor a child. All of us should be doing this even though we are distant from the person and they are often just a picture on the fridge.
Connect ourselves (via a trip to a 2/3rds world country) so that these people suffering move from pictures to a reality in our life. That we would know someone who is living in poverty overseas. I know this is a strong view, but my perspective is that every single person who follows Jesus should go as least once in their life to spend time with the poor. I spent three years in South America as my parents served as missionaries and it has so profoundly changed my world-view it cannot be overstated. We spend huge amounts of money on study, cars, rent, christian confrences. We will be more transformed than all of this stuff combined, and we can all afford it if push came to shove.
Connect in NZ to the poor. Darryl mentioned some of the needs here in NZ that we should all be a part of (as he ranted about here)
As he was talking I wrote down the words "we actually act least like a Christian in church".
Following Jesus looks like hanging out with the un-popular kid at school. Following Jesus looks like giving our time and money to those that struggle physically, emotionally etc. Following Jesus is looking at creative ways of blessing people with no strings attached (click here for a great yarn along those lines). Following Jesus looks like the struggle in the secret place not to sin. Following Jesus is hurting and being confused by circumstances and situations that are not right in the world. Following Jesus is being angry about injustice, and giving yourself to make a difference even if it feels small. Following Jesus is sharing life with those that are on the fringes and looked down upon in our culture, with those that are hurting (which is why my friend Stu's latest post blows me away). Following Jesus is plodding along doing normal life in an abnormal way.You can continue the list yourself this definitely isnt the extensive list : )
All of a sudden it seems that our church gathering (while freaken awesome times and really important) is not just what it looks like to be a Christian.
But where does most of our energy go? If "the medium is the message" then what are communicating? I for one have had a really huge adjustment about what it looks like to follow Jesus in the last 6 years, and yet have grown up in a healthy Christian family, with part of that time overseas living amongst the poor, being to all the camps and events one goes to, studied at Bible College for three years. And with all this Christian input I still had a really imbalanced idea about what it looked like to follow Jesus.
Like many of us I suspect, I am prone to a bit of discouragement from time to time. The needs of the world around us, the hurt that friends are experiencing, the "constructive criticism" from mates that doesn't feel very constructive, the hurt in my own life starts to build up sometimes to silly levels. I was reminded again today that there are more people in slavery than at any other time in history... I dont know about you, but it feels like there is just so much to do, and that the efforts of those giving themselves to trying to make a difference are drowned in the apathy and selfishness of the world in which we live, not to mention the battle with my own selfish living, my self centerdness etc etc.
And yet we are called to be faithful, in some ways to plod along trying to do our bit. And in truth we see these little glimpses of God's Kingdom here on earth, with little initiatives around the place, and the right conversations beginning to happen. And so here are a few encouraging places that I found positive in the last week...
Debs, one of my hero's (who I have yet to have a decent yarn with, but is someone I respect off the charts) with this great initiative from some of the blueprint ladies. I would encourage you to give to this as generously as you can.
Stu with a great post that deeply moved me, and I think nails it completely. In particular the statement hit home;
Following Jesus will have no value until allow yourself to be overwhelmed by a radical love for yourself, that wrestles with addictions, selfishness, reactions and has an accurate understanding about why you do things you do, doesn’t settle for ‘well this is just who I am’ when it’s not who Christ asks you to be, someone who is transparent and broken, and strong in the spirit, not power hungry or glory hungry but actually content with who you are because God is doing great work inside you
My mate Will has just starting teaching barrista skills to unemployed kids, which is taking off. I am hugely proud of him.
Im stoked about the work of Amnesty International, the foodbanks in many churches including my own, the work of youth workers, social workers, people everywhere who make decisions every week to do something for those hurting, on the fringes, who spend time and money trying to make a difference even when it costs, even when it hurts.
Here are some pics and a letter that were in the local media that were of huge encouragement to me from the Soul Survivor festival. You gotta read the letter! This afternoon of serving the local community was organised by Rebbecca of SSNZ and the local fielding churches.
Some great photos from the festival can be found here if you were not there.
And another article about the event can be found here...
Be great to see these sorts of stories of people trying to make a diffrence amplified, so that more and more people give themselves to serving others... if you have any more yarns that are lurking around then I would love to know.
I will endeavor to shut up about U2 sometime soon, but please, have look at this clip of Bono giving a talk at the presidential prayer breakfast earlier this year. Very special stuff. I was listening to this feeling dry and discouraged, and it was like water to a thirsty man. Hat tip to Alan Hirsch for making me aware of it.
Latest article I have written for Soul Purpose ezine is here. Hopefully it speaks for itself, but im becoming increasingly aware of this rumbling in my heart for something far more "Jesus centered" than "christian culture centered" in my life, and in my communities. In conversations with many people it seems that I am not alone in feeling this growing anger, tension, frustration about what is... and what could and should be. What excites me is that this holy frustration is bubbling over into action, into life choices, into churches and communities looking outward rather than inward. Every week I encounter someone who is living out some very practical initiatives to help those on the fringes in our world.
This is why I love spending time with Darryl, because for all his shallowness and anger, he is hurting and burning for the poor, he loathes injustice. This is why I am listening to Tony Campolo every freakin day at the moment, because he is angry and frustrated about the Church's response to the needs of the poor, and he is frustrated at his governments social and fiscal policies. This is why I love the work of Urban Vision and UNOH. This is why I think Soul Survivor rocks and I hope will provoke a lot of discussion and action about the call for followers of Jesus to be active in pursuing justice, and looking to the needs of the poor both locally and around the world.
Guys like Darryl, Campolo, Ash Barker light fires. These people are modern day prophets reminding us that for the most part, we have forgotten the poor. These people spark the conversations and draw attention to the uncomfortable way that Jesus related to people, to the way that Jesus spoke, acted, the things that made Jesus angry, and passionate , the places and people where Jesus put his time.
The reality is that I cannot stand before God and plead ignorance to the cause of the poor, thanks in part to the guys I have mentioned. And I am acutely aware that my theory craps all over my practice. I am yet again very uncomfortable with what it means to truly follow Jesus...
Had a great weekend helping out at The Rock youth group camp, it was awesome soaking up some sun, getting some waves, worshiping and getting up to mishchief with the crew from the Rock. There was some great times with the biggest bonfire in the world, and the always exciting fireball soccer. I spoke at the camp, and then drove to palmy and spoke at All Saints church on Sunday night. Had some good yarns with my mate Dan that will make there way into the blog later this week if I have some time.
Jonny and his wife Bex run the youth group at The Rock, and they are absolute legends. Bex has written some brilliant short poems and reflections which have yet to see the light of day. She has given me permission to use one of her reflections on this blog. I read this, and had that sense of being convicted, rebuked, encouraged, slapped, I just felt a holy sense of being gutted all in one. It is a constant tension to reconcile the beauty and luxury of our existence, with our friends and brothers and sisters in the rest of the world. I hope we get angry, I hope we hurt, I hope we are grieved as we read what she is written. I was. The following is (C) 2006 Rebecca Gilling, and is used by permission. If you would like to use it, or read some more of her stuff, please email her at rebecca@therock.co.nz
"Its just two different worlds"
Its safer for us if we see it as two. If its two, then there are two sets of rules. One for us and one for you. And it helps that we get to make them.
If its two worlds, then we never really have to meet. We can visit yours. Maybe we can stay for a while. We can even bring you some good things. Good for me, good for you.
If its two, then we still get to feel good about being generous. We can still smile and pat ourselves on the back for being a blessing to others. We never have to move beyond generosity to concern ourselves with things like justice, or injustice.
If we are living in one world, and you are living in another, then our lives are mutually exclusive. The way I live mine does not effect the way you must live yours. Your poverty is not related to my wealth. Ending poverty does not mean ending wealth.
If its two worlds, then we never have to think about what God sees when He looks at us next door to you. I dont have to imagine you standing naked with bulging eyes and swollen stomach, parentless, and ravaged by AIDS as I add another room to my house, another investment to my portfolio. Because its just two different worlds.
And when I come face to face with the fact that there are 13million others exactly like you on one continent alone, I am reading a statistic. I am not coming face to face with you. Because if I did, I would have to hold you, feed you, clothe you, love you......I would have to change. I would have to care more about you than my portfolio.
If its two, then we can both enjoy a God who comforts the disturbed. We never have to encounter the kind of God that might be interested in disturbing the comfortable
My mate Darryl just flicked me an email with a bit of a rant after we spent some time yarning about the infamous “I am not a Christian” article recently. Ive already mentioned the article in passing in this post, and there are some responses there. And so this is especially for those linking from the wild ones blog where darryl posted that rant. Darryl is a great mate who gives me a good kick up the backside every couple of weeks when we hang out, and has being a key voice that has shaped my understanding about what it means to follow Jesus. The crazy thing was that I was not writing this article to provoke, I was trying to point to Jesus as the centre of our conversations, not these labels. It has being good to yarn with the bald headed one and process my surprise about some of the reactions, certainly from a newbee who is only getting used to people being pissed off with him (whereas Darryl is suprised if people are not!). Just a wee excerpt from his email:
"The system and its language aren’t worth the time and energy they take up. I think its time that, Jesus followers, Christians, people of the way, (your choice) start focusing on the real issues. The recent UNOH Surrender conference did this. It focused us on Jesus and therefore indigenous peoples rights, fair trade, mission, micro enterprises among the poor, poverty and our responses to it…. ….and not once did I hear a discussion on terminology! Excellent stuff!"
And as much as I would love to go; “yeah, take that people that thought my article was dumb…” I also felt flippin challenged by what Darryl wrote. I really dont spend enough time thinking about the real issues of what it means to follow Jesus, I don’t care enough, I get really carried away with issues that don’t matter, a lot of my energy, finance and time is spent on myself.
I would love to give a big Justice rant now to justify myself, talk about my history, whats happening with Soul Survivor and some of our initiatives, but I wouldn’t be doing it for the right reasons, I would be doing it to impress (yeah right!) unoh and urban vision workers… so im going to shut up now… But to all those in UNOH and UV, thankyou for making me feel uncomfortable and deeply challenged about the way I live my life. And cheers Darryl for gently rebuking me yet again :)
Interesting post by Dan Kimble on the rising popularity of Social Action, justice etc. I posted a reply because it grated a wee bit, but I had to let it sit with me for a few days to work out why, if you rummage round you may find it. But sesh, Dan Kimble is a bit of a guru, so it feels like posting a comment on one of the gospels or something... well... not quite but you get my drift...
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