Wednesday, July 30, 2008
::Politics-A change in mandatory detention laws? I was pretty excited to get this email from the Tear Changemankers network. Here is an excerpt...
We still need to lobby the minister for immigration, letting him know that we are aware that he is trying to see this law changed, and to continue to encourage him to take this positive action. Check out the website for how to get involved in that too.
If you are interested in getting involved in activity like this, check out http://www.tear.org.au/getinvolved/change-makers/Join the celebrations
After campaigning with others on refugee and asylum seeker issues since 2001, TEAR Australia ChangeMakers can join the celebrations. The Immigration Minister has proposed changes to make detention of aslyum-seekers a last resort and put in place clear boundaries so that it cannot be indefinite and unreviewable.
Asylum seekers coming by boat to one of the places that the previous Government excised from Australia's migration zone will now also have access to assistance and review of their cases – rights the former policy stripped them of.
We are very supportive of the Government's proposed changes. We hope and pray that we will never again see people (including many children) locked up for years, with all the associated mental and physical harm, while they seek protection in Australia.
We still need to lobby the minister for immigration, letting him know that we are aware that he is trying to see this law changed, and to continue to encourage him to take this positive action. Check out the website for how to get involved in that too.
Labels: Asylum Seekers, Celebration, Discipleship, Justice, Refugees
Posted by Stephen @ 2:25 PM 0 comments Sunday, July 27, 2008
::Rants-Reflections on the UNOH Conference
I spent last Friday at Surrender 08 conference. Then on the Sunday, some of us from our community, missio Dei spent the day there also. It was a great time to reconnect with some old friends in the radical discipleship movement, as well as a time of making some new ones. It is a time/place/space where, if I may borrow a phrase that Marcus Curnow often cites, I feel I am with "my people". As a matter of fact, Marcus was there!
I am coming to appreciate how calling a special time to come together to hear stories old and new, and to be inspired again, can be quite important. Lisa and I came away recommitting to being more intentional about our attempts to live a life of mission, committed to embracing those who live on the edges. So did a few of the missio guys also. It was a wonderful time.
Two of the highlights for me are as follows:
I am coming to appreciate how calling a special time to come together to hear stories old and new, and to be inspired again, can be quite important. Lisa and I came away recommitting to being more intentional about our attempts to live a life of mission, committed to embracing those who live on the edges. So did a few of the missio guys also. It was a wonderful time.
Two of the highlights for me are as follows:
- Harry (our almost 4 year old) is getting real curious about Aboriginal Australians. In my attempt to try and treat him as a person, instead of an utsy cutsy kid, I tried to explain to him about how Aboriginal people have been dispossessed of their land, and consequently their culture and dignity. He handled it pretty well, although my analogy of someone stealing someone else's house, while it worked, disturbed him a little. On the Sunday afternoon, the Jar Jum dance troop from Sydney closed the gathering, and Harry sat enthralled, as he experienced some of the rich culture of Australia's first people, for the first time. He is still talking about it. This encounter has done more in ne afternoon, than most of my attempts to tell him this part of Australia's history and story. So I am really pleased that it was transformational for Harry.
- The second reason it was somewhat moving for me, is, quite frankly, I am trying to figure out exactly how I understand and relate to the Holy Spirit, as a post charismatic/pentecostal. Notice the word "post", not "non". I am trying to figure out what it means to value Gods kingdom, and pursuing the values and principles of this Kingdom (like justice, compassion, mercy, love and forgiveness) in a charismatic/pentecostal way. I struggle with allot of the ritual that the charismatic/pentecostal experience is saddled with. So I have been on a journey of trying to figure out what a new pneumatology would look like. The focus of my reflections is the question, what would a life in the spirit, that pursues the invisible city of God look like? So it was with a deep sense of profundity, I listened to Jackie Pullinger. She talked about walking through the walled city of Hong Kong, and how, if she was to be involved in a sustainable ministry, she needed to see not only the city as it was, but the city as it should be. This was her metaphor. She would have had no idea that she was speaking straight into my question. A life in the spirit, has it's origins in being able to see not just what we would ordinarily see, but life as it would be when the invisible city of God eventually is established here on this earth. For me, it was a moving pointer to the beginnings of trying to flesh out a post charismatic, post pentecostal pneumatology. (In Christian theology pneumatology refers to the study of the Holy Spirit.)
Labels: Discipleship, Justice, Missiology, Pneumatology, Spirituality, UNOH
Posted by Stephen @ 8:17 PM 0 comments Saturday, July 26, 2008
::Resources-Prayer and Mission: The Coming of the Kingdom of God This presentation is from the Tear National Conference (from where I am currently blogging, I love internet access from anywhere! Well, anywhere Optus has coverage anyway) presentation that I made last night.
The workshop was called "Prayer and Mission: The coming of the Kingdom of God. It may not make allot of sense to those who did not participate in the workshop, yet here they are. Click here to download them.
The workshop was called "Prayer and Mission: The coming of the Kingdom of God. It may not make allot of sense to those who did not participate in the workshop, yet here they are. Click here to download them.
Labels: Discipleship, Faith, Lifestyle, Missiology, Politics, Prayer, Spirituality, Theology
Posted by Stephen @ 7:39 PM 0 comments Monday, November 26, 2007
::Activism-Secret Society I have spoken to some of you about the secret society. We are starting to form for next year. If you are interested, email me asap so I can include you in on the formation process.
Labels: Discipleship, Lifestyle, Spirituality, Tear
Posted by Stephen @ 3:21 PM 0 comments Tuesday, November 13, 2007
::Resources-Internet Fund Raising 
This is a great idea by a mate of mine in Tasmania (and a few of his friends) to get as many individual $1 donations as possible. I think the calculation is something like: if they can get 10% of the worlds internet users to give $1AU, they can raise over $7.9 million dollars.
And of course, I like the fact that Tear is one of the handful of beneficiaries too!
Spread the word, AND MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOUR $1 DONATION!
PS - THe url is www.onehitwonder.org...
This is a great idea by a mate of mine in Tasmania (and a few of his friends) to get as many individual $1 donations as possible. I think the calculation is something like: if they can get 10% of the worlds internet users to give $1AU, they can raise over $7.9 million dollars.And of course, I like the fact that Tear is one of the handful of beneficiaries too!
Spread the word, AND MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOUR $1 DONATION!
PS - THe url is www.onehitwonder.org...
Labels: Discipleship, Environment, Events, Lifestyle, Social Justice, Spirituality, Tasmania
Posted by Stephen @ 10:23 AM 1 comments ::Resource-Fair Trade info in Australia I often get asked about where people can get information regarding Fair Trade and how to be involved in a meaningful way. Yvonne James (Tear Tasmania) has compiled this list. Thanks Yvonne!
Australia & New Zealand People for Fair Trade http://www.fairtrade.asn.au/
PFFT are suppliers of Fairtrade tea & coffee and give priority to products where value adding (processing & packaging) is done by local companies in the country of origin.
Fair Trade in
FTAANZ is the coordinating group for individuals and organisations in the fair trade movement in
aust@fairtrade.com.au (03) 9662 2919. The Australian FTAANZ office is in
Fair Trade Fortnight 2008
3rd - 18th MAY
Fair Trade Fortnight (FTF) is FTAANZ’s annual promotional event that runs in May across both
World Fair Trade Day 2008
Saturday 10th May
“FLO is an umbrella organization that unites 20 Labelling Initiatives in 21 countries and Producer Networks representing Fairtrade Certified Producer Organizations in Central and South America, Africa and
People for Fair Trade http://www.fairtrade.asn.au/
People for Fair Trade (PFFT) are a voluntary network of people in Australia who are committed to fair trade with producers of goods, through the support of education and alternative trade.
PFFT are suppliers of Fairtrade tea & coffee and give priority to products where value adding (processing & packaging) is done by local companies in the country of origin.
Contacts for Fair Trade Fortnight 2008
Qld - Shannon Sheedy enquiries@thedharmadoor.com.au
NSW - Joanna Jouinn joannajouin@bigair.com.au
Vic - Victoria Schladetsch victoria_sch@msn.com
SA - Karen Wahlstrom shop50@oxfamshop.org.au
WA - Bob Roberts robert@fairgotrading.com.au
Labels: Discipleship, Environment, Lifestyle, Social Justice, Spirituality
Posted by Stephen @ 10:16 AM 0 comments Tuesday, September 25, 2007
::Rants-An 80's Education I am trying to introduce my Gen Y house mate into the richness that was 80's movies. Below is a compilation of movies that we are including in our "80's Movie Festival" to give him a snapshot of 80's pop culture. Yes there is a bias towards sci fi, but that is me.
With that in mind, I wonder what your thoughts are? Will he be getting a quintessential snapshot of the 80's? What would you lose/include?
fyi - We used www.boxofficemojo.com ad lookes at the top 50 from each year and tried to narrow it down to 3, 4 at a pinch. Let me know what you reckon. We start with Close Encounters this week!
1980:
With that in mind, I wonder what your thoughts are? Will he be getting a quintessential snapshot of the 80's? What would you lose/include?
fyi - We used www.boxofficemojo.com ad lookes at the top 50 from each year and tried to narrow it down to 3, 4 at a pinch. Let me know what you reckon. We start with Close Encounters this week!
1980:
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Empire Strikes Back
- Fame
- Escape from New York
- American Werewolf in London
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Blade Runner
- First Blood
- Gandhi
- Scarface
- The Outsiders
- Wargames
- 16 Candles
- The Last Starfighter
- Karate Kid
- The Breakfast Club
- The Goonies
- Back to the Future
- Pretty in Pink
- Ferris Beuller's Day Off
- Aliens
- Top Gun
- The Lost Boys
- Wall Street
- Predator
- Good Morning Vietnam
- Mississippi Burning
- Cocktail
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- A Weekend at Bernie's
- Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
- Field of Dreams
- Dead Poets Society
Labels: 80's, Culture, Discipleship
Posted by Stephen @ 12:28 PM 9 comments Monday, August 27, 2007
::Rants-Bible Rewrite The Sheep and the Goats doesn't get a whole lot of airplay. Maybe a bit more now but very little when I first came to faith. A significant contributor to my formation was a rewrite of the Sheep and the Goats that looked something like this:
I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger, thankyou.It impacted me to such a degree that I thought that I had to do something to give it the same gravity to the young adults that I spend time with, that the original had upon me. Here is my humble version...
I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar and prayed for my release.
I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless and you preached to me of a spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seemed so holy, so close to God, but I am still very hungry and lonely and cold.
For I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. So we found a water table and drilled a well. But Coca Cola Amatil came to our city and outbid us for access to our own water. They use it to make your Coca Cola. They outbid us with the profits they made from selling you their product.I would be interested in your thoughts...
I was imprisoned in my own country, so I fled in desperation with nothing except the money that I was able to get in exchange for everything I ever owned. I managed to get to your country, even though the people smugglers told me I was going to England! When I got to your country, you put me into another prison. Except you call yours a detention centre?
I was naked, and you did not clothe me. So we had to find work in order to buy our own clothes. I found work, in a factory. I worked every day from 7am till 9pm with very few breaks, 7 days a week. It was hard work. I rarely got to see my family, life was very hard. This kind of life made me very sad. The factory I worked in made clothes that were sold to you.
I was sick. I agonized as many of my family, friends and especially the children in my community die from things like diarrhoea and simple infections. I was afraid I would die in this horrible way too. Day after day, month after month, year after year. This happened whilst every now and then, you would give thanks to your God for your health.
I was homeless and I read in one of your Christian books that if I applied myself and worked hard enough, I could have whatever I could conjure up enough faith for. I have been praying and believing for a home for my family. I cannot wait for God to answer that prayer.
I was lonely, hoping for someone to visit. Often I saw your aeroplanes flying overhead. I suspect that you were probably on your way to London, or Paris to see things that were very important and special.
You seemed so blessed with so many things. You must be very holy for God to bless you with so many good things. I am still very hungry and lonely and cold.
Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Rants, Social Justice, Spirituality, Theology
Posted by Stephen @ 4:35 PM 16 comments Tuesday, August 14, 2007
::Rants-Social Justice is the new Emergent Social Justice is the new black. Apparently.
Seems as though (in the Australian context anyway) that "cool" for Christians is involvement in social justice. Emergent has worn off a while ago it would seem.
The problem I find with interest in social justice is (as I have blogged before) it's consumed just as quickly as any fad. "Social Justice" becomes another t shirt, wrist band or some other consumer product that gives someone a feeling of involvement.
In the same way that social commentators refer to Gen Y's experience of community as "pseudo community", so too the social action engaged in is "pseudo social justice".
The issue, once again becomes the ability to hold the information or an idea in our head whilst living out contradictory actions, and at some level considering this to be belief.
One of the biggest issues I find is the long term nature of living a life in response to the injustice that grips so many levels of our world. It requires continuous action, every hour of every day. Our purchases, our interactions with people, our interactions in the systems which we inhabit, it is never ending.
In this context, I find Paul's encouragement to "not become weary in doing good" (Gal 6:9). There is recognition that the task of remaking the world is a long term one, requiring several million small acts each week, that may at certain points, really annoy you because you sometimes will feel like giving up and buying into the prevailing culture.
Seems as though (in the Australian context anyway) that "cool" for Christians is involvement in social justice. Emergent has worn off a while ago it would seem.
The problem I find with interest in social justice is (as I have blogged before) it's consumed just as quickly as any fad. "Social Justice" becomes another t shirt, wrist band or some other consumer product that gives someone a feeling of involvement.
In the same way that social commentators refer to Gen Y's experience of community as "pseudo community", so too the social action engaged in is "pseudo social justice".
The issue, once again becomes the ability to hold the information or an idea in our head whilst living out contradictory actions, and at some level considering this to be belief.
One of the biggest issues I find is the long term nature of living a life in response to the injustice that grips so many levels of our world. It requires continuous action, every hour of every day. Our purchases, our interactions with people, our interactions in the systems which we inhabit, it is never ending.
In this context, I find Paul's encouragement to "not become weary in doing good" (Gal 6:9). There is recognition that the task of remaking the world is a long term one, requiring several million small acts each week, that may at certain points, really annoy you because you sometimes will feel like giving up and buying into the prevailing culture.
Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Mission, Rants, Social Justice, Spirituality
Posted by Stephen @ 10:34 AM 7 comments Wednesday, July 18, 2007
::Rants-Still in Queensland 
In Brisbane at the moment. I have been involved in the Forge Intensive on Spirituality for Mission. It was a great conversation held at Bracken Ridge Baptist.
On Sunday night, I spent the evening with Joshua Tree, Steve Turner's tribe on the Sunshine Coast. It was a good evening, having conversations around money and mission, and catching up with some old (and new) friends.
Yesterday morning I had breakfast with the crew from City Wesleyan, the community presided over by the luminous Ken and Leanne Baker. Had a great time conversing around the artificial gap placed by the Western Church between Evangelism and Social Justice.
Today I spent the morning at YMIS. We reflected theologically on the nature of conversion and its practical ramifications, as well as
some good reflection on the Kingdom of God narratives understood by the early church.
I am getting to the point of exhaustion. So I am really looking forward to meeting up with Ralph (ex-Tear) and then picking up Lisa and Harry from the Gold Coast Airport tonight. I have not seen either of them since last Thursday and miss them crazily.
So I will be signing off for a week and a half, devouring re-runs of the X-Files on my laptop and reading the 14 books I have brought with me on holidays!
In Brisbane at the moment. I have been involved in the Forge Intensive on Spirituality for Mission. It was a great conversation held at Bracken Ridge Baptist.On Sunday night, I spent the evening with Joshua Tree, Steve Turner's tribe on the Sunshine Coast. It was a good evening, having conversations around money and mission, and catching up with some old (and new) friends.
Yesterday morning I had breakfast with the crew from City Wesleyan, the community presided over by the luminous Ken and Leanne Baker. Had a great time conversing around the artificial gap placed by the Western Church between Evangelism and Social Justice.
Today I spent the morning at YMIS. We reflected theologically on the nature of conversion and its practical ramifications, as well as
some good reflection on the Kingdom of God narratives understood by the early church.
I am getting to the point of exhaustion. So I am really looking forward to meeting up with Ralph (ex-Tear) and then picking up Lisa and Harry from the Gold Coast Airport tonight. I have not seen either of them since last Thursday and miss them crazily.
So I will be signing off for a week and a half, devouring re-runs of the X-Files on my laptop and reading the 14 books I have brought with me on holidays!
Labels: Blogging, Discipleship, Events, Itinerary, Mission, Theology
Posted by Stephen @ 1:27 PM 2 comments Friday, June 15, 2007
::Chuch-Why we make it hard for people to come... I have had quite a few discussions (dare I say arguments?) with people recently regarding the way we go about doing missio Dei. I was having an email conversation with someone about this (don't worry, it was quite civil) and I wrote this to respond to some of their questions. I thought it would make a good blog entry...
We use some strange terminology, like initiation, I know. One of the main reasons we do this is because a few of us do a bit of public speaking and preaching outside of our community. Consequently it is easy to attract Christian people who want to check things out. If we are not careful, it would be pretty easy to get a crowd of Christians who want to come and consume what we are trying to do. Before we know it, we will be running services for Christians coming from other churches. After a while, they will probably move on, and then we find ourselves with something that we shaped for Christians moving through.
We wanted to put priority on engaging with unchurched people in our local communities. We hope that Christians who want to connect with us, realise that the gathering is not a place of excitement and entertainment, rather it is a place of intentional formation that is contrary to the culture in which we find ourselves.
Over the years, inspired by the old monasticism, we are trying to develop what is being described globally as new monasticism. A set of simple practices that help us to continue to be oriented towards the least, the lost and the last. These practices hopefully not only challenge and change our behavior, but also our beliefs and understanding.
We have had uninitiated people come into community gatherings in the past, and the conversation moves very quickly to "what I need" or "what I am looking for in a church". So we find that right from the outset, we have discussions about better sermons, more teaching, better worship etc.
We decided early on that this is not what we were called to do. So initiation is about trying to orient people to a missional life style before they begin to participate in the gatherings. Once people get oriented, and start to experience their world in terms of being called by God to create something of his Kingdom here on this earth, well, let's just say that when they participate in a gathering *after* initiation, the conversations are very different.
Labels: Church, Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Mission, Spirituality
Posted by Stephen @ 2:14 PM 0 comments Tuesday, March 27, 2007
::Rants-NepalDEEP This will be a cracker! I was a part of designing the Tear Short Term program and this trip to Nepal is part of the overall program. I can guarantee that involvement in NepalDEEP will be hazardous to your faith!
Wish I was leading it!
Keep an eye on this link for more details as they become available...
Wish I was leading it!
Keep an eye on this link for more details as they become available...
Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Rants, Tear
Posted by Stephen @ 4:24 PM 1 comments Friday, March 09, 2007
::Spirituality-Lent Hurts I am two weeks into lent and it's a hurting.
The way we practice Lent is in the week leading up to Lent, we encourage people to ask God what it is that he wants us to give up. For me, for the last 7 years, I have felt God ask me to give up cynicism.
This year, I kind of felt that God was asking me to give up something that was hiding behind my cynicism. I chose cynicism again, knowing that there was something a little deeper this time around, and as is the case with many of us who practice Lent in this way, things were revealed this week to me in a very Pearl Harbour kind of fashion.
There were four (count 'em! Four!) incidents where I have discovered that in my bluntness and directness, I have hurt people with my approach. Some quite deeply, and some superficially.
As an educator, your intention is *never* to do harm. Your hope is that a good space for learning would be created and that everyone grows.
To find out that I have actually been the obstacle, and further still, to have caused someone pain is deeply disturbing to me.
Don't get me wrong, I know that in the course of life, when you take a stand on some things, it will cause some people pain, and a pain that leads to growth. That is not what I am talking about.
What I am talking about is in conversation/presentation, when you have the option to use the cynical comment that you might think is witty, that choice leads to creating unnecessary pain in the life of those who have entrusted their learning journey to you, and you in fact cause destructive pain in the lives of people whose lives have become part of your own.
That knowledge hurts me deeply. Not the deathly kind of debilitating pain. Rather the pain that comes when you realise that without having any kind of intention to harm, you have in actual fact done that.
So I am struggling with that thought today.
Lisa has been wonderful in helping me think through this. She is a 7 on the enneagram and therefor my path to redemption. I have asked her to look at the presentations that I need to make in the next few weeks so that she could help me see how a 7 would convey the same sentiments. She has agreed to do this, so I will be fascinated to see how this will change my approach.
Also, tossing and turning last night, and trying to hear God's way for me, my mind has settled on a thought that I will contemplate for the rest of Lent.
It is based in a fable by Aesop. It is the story of the North Wind and the Sun. In an effort to win a competition that the North Wind initiated, to get a man walking on the earth to remove his coat, the wind blustered and blew. This only succeeded in getting the man to pull his coat more tightly to himself.
In response to the North Winds challenge, the Sun shone warmly. The man feeling the warmth of the Sun, removes his coat of his own volition.
Last night, as I wrestled with these thoughts, I felt God encourage me to:
At least at this point!
The way we practice Lent is in the week leading up to Lent, we encourage people to ask God what it is that he wants us to give up. For me, for the last 7 years, I have felt God ask me to give up cynicism.
This year, I kind of felt that God was asking me to give up something that was hiding behind my cynicism. I chose cynicism again, knowing that there was something a little deeper this time around, and as is the case with many of us who practice Lent in this way, things were revealed this week to me in a very Pearl Harbour kind of fashion.
There were four (count 'em! Four!) incidents where I have discovered that in my bluntness and directness, I have hurt people with my approach. Some quite deeply, and some superficially.
As an educator, your intention is *never* to do harm. Your hope is that a good space for learning would be created and that everyone grows.
To find out that I have actually been the obstacle, and further still, to have caused someone pain is deeply disturbing to me.
Don't get me wrong, I know that in the course of life, when you take a stand on some things, it will cause some people pain, and a pain that leads to growth. That is not what I am talking about.
What I am talking about is in conversation/presentation, when you have the option to use the cynical comment that you might think is witty, that choice leads to creating unnecessary pain in the life of those who have entrusted their learning journey to you, and you in fact cause destructive pain in the lives of people whose lives have become part of your own.
That knowledge hurts me deeply. Not the deathly kind of debilitating pain. Rather the pain that comes when you realise that without having any kind of intention to harm, you have in actual fact done that.
So I am struggling with that thought today.
Lisa has been wonderful in helping me think through this. She is a 7 on the enneagram and therefor my path to redemption. I have asked her to look at the presentations that I need to make in the next few weeks so that she could help me see how a 7 would convey the same sentiments. She has agreed to do this, so I will be fascinated to see how this will change my approach.
Also, tossing and turning last night, and trying to hear God's way for me, my mind has settled on a thought that I will contemplate for the rest of Lent.
It is based in a fable by Aesop. It is the story of the North Wind and the Sun. In an effort to win a competition that the North Wind initiated, to get a man walking on the earth to remove his coat, the wind blustered and blew. This only succeeded in getting the man to pull his coat more tightly to himself.
In response to the North Winds challenge, the Sun shone warmly. The man feeling the warmth of the Sun, removes his coat of his own volition.
Last night, as I wrestled with these thoughts, I felt God encourage me to:
- Be the Sun, loving warmly.
At least at this point!
Labels: Discipleship, Lent, Spirituality
Posted by Stephen @ 7:53 AM 5 comments Thursday, February 08, 2007
::Rants-Where's Seddy? Been away for a three day retreat. As part of my work with ACOM, I facilitate what they call a Formation Group. Formation is actually a subject that students have to take for the three years (full time) that they study, or three times over the course of part time study.
It is a fantastic idea where students essentially are thrown together with a group of strangers who are at similar places, and then they intentionally and deliberately share their lives together. The first part of the process is to gather together for three days and everyone in the group (each group has an average of 4 to 5 people) tells their story.
I have had the privilege for the last four days, of spending some time with who I now consider to be four of the most remarkable people I have ever met. The honesty, the tragedy, beauty, wonder and grace has left me quite punch drunk.
It will make me look at people I meet for the next few weeks anyway, quite differently.
Everyone has a story. Imagine what our world would look like were we all to make time to treat each other humanly, hear each others stories and being invited, as we invite others, into each others stories?
It is a fantastic idea where students essentially are thrown together with a group of strangers who are at similar places, and then they intentionally and deliberately share their lives together. The first part of the process is to gather together for three days and everyone in the group (each group has an average of 4 to 5 people) tells their story.
I have had the privilege for the last four days, of spending some time with who I now consider to be four of the most remarkable people I have ever met. The honesty, the tragedy, beauty, wonder and grace has left me quite punch drunk.
It will make me look at people I meet for the next few weeks anyway, quite differently.
Everyone has a story. Imagine what our world would look like were we all to make time to treat each other humanly, hear each others stories and being invited, as we invite others, into each others stories?
Labels: Discipleship, Rants, Spirituality, Theology
Posted by Stephen @ 10:02 AM 3 comments Wednesday, January 31, 2007
::Discipleship-Technology Recycling On the left, my old MP3 player in a box. On the right, my new MP3 player. Why is my old one in a box? My tech savy inlaws organised a new MP3 player for Christmas. It is a 2GB LG model. The old 256MB model is being recycled. I have organised it to go to friends of mine who will make good use of it, including the dozen Richard Rohr MP3's on the device already.
I am keen to ensure that my ecological footprint is reduced at every opportunity, including my technology footprint.
I am keen to ensure that my ecological footprint is reduced at every opportunity, including my technology footprint.
Labels: Discipleship, Lifestyle
Posted by Stephen @ 9:37 PM 0 comments Ideas have a mind of their own, and when they get together, woa, what a party!
About Me
- Name: Stephen Said
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
I am National Youth Coordinator with TEAR Australia, spending most of my time helping Christian young adults come to terms with being disciples "in" Pop Culture, rather than disciples "of" Pop Culture. In addition, I am part of the leadership team of missio Dei, a faith community based in the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and I am a sessional lecturer with Tabor College Victoria and ACOM. Husband to Lisa and father to Harry and Noah. Founding member of the Melbourne Victory FC.
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