Links:

What the??.

From the fall-out. Ricky Ponting really impressed me in how he handled himself. Ponting (160 from 105 balls), and Gibbs (175 from 111 balls) were jointly awarded Man of the Match, and Ponting declined to accept, as he believed Herschelle Gibbs to be the Man of the Match.

Denton interviews Bono on Enough Rope (well worth a read)

A place to belong

I’ve been thinking about church over the past few weeks, mainly thinking about what it means to be part of a community of believers. I think we need to pour as much energy into making our churches communities as we spend in teaching and exhorting people to evangelism.

Here are a few questions that have been on my mind.

:: As we see our brothers and sisters struggle with issues in their faith, how well do we encourage, support and equip them to answer the questions they may have of their faith.

:: As I think of those who come to church for the first time, how do nourish their faith, and integrate them into our churches.

:: As we look at our pastors I wonder how well we equip and encourage them in their own walk with Christ, and as the minister to each of us, each Sunday.

It seems to me this is where we need to work the hardest. While we always seem to have people joining our congregations, I’m equally sure that some of these people, find a back door to leave, perhaps without anyone noticing. While we are encouraged by the fact that many more people are coming into our churches, we need to learn how to be a community of believers.

I think for me I need to begin where I can, in me, I think it is about seeking or striving to be open. Sure it might be a two-way street – but it begins with me. It begins with a heart willing and able to serve however, and wherever it is needed, none of this is to say that it is easy - it is hard work, it is a struggle for me, but it will be worth it.

Ole Ole Ole

We went and saw Goal! last night.

The film charts the journey of a soccer prodigy Santiago Munez who is seen playing football in a park in Los Angeles, and ends up trialing for Newcastle United.

The film lifts you, as you ride with Santiago through the fortune and misfortune of his life. Beginning with an unsupportive father, to an aggressive Centre back, through to the highs of playing for the reserves, to being brought on as a substitute and finally starting for the Newcastle club, in the clichéd must win game, in which he scores the match-winner. There is a romance about football, and it transfered beautifully to the screen. (maybe this is just a guy-type-thing).

It is worth a look, if you are looking for a feel good movie.

+ + +

I was quite pleasantly surprised by the Oscars last week – I was particularly delighted to see that Crash won the award for Best Picture. I thought it was quite a fascinating, original and confronting film. I thought it deserved to be recognised.

Men’s Convention 2006

Friday night I headed up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains for Men’s Convention with a group of men from Unichurch (UNSW). First thanks to Marty for organising it all. Friday was quite strange, as I was not really sure I wanted to go, I felt I like I needed a little bit of time for me, and not spend time heading away. I guess its funny, though perhaps not surprising, that I left thinking it was what I needed.

While we headed into the Blue Mountains, we were reminded of another group of disciples of Jesus, who heard a different sermon, on a different mountain.

It’s worth noting two things about the Sermon on the Mount: firstly it is directed at Christians, about how to live in the Kingdom, and for the King; not about how getting into kingdom.

Secondly, the sermon is perhaps not so much one sermon that Jesus gave in one setting, rather a summary of the teaching of Jesus.

Though there was nothing particularly new or revolutionary mentioned, each of them challenged us to be who we are, here's a glimpse about what caught my eye:

Who We Are?

We are blessed, we are poor in spirit. We are powerless without our God. We are unable to save ourselves, and we depend on God for our salvation. The beatitudes are however about more than our identity, they are about our destiny.

The question on my heart is how well do I know my Father, how well do I know my identity, do I mourn for sin, and hunger for righteousness.

The Unheeded Christ

Michael Hart wrote a book about the world's 100 most influential people. His list was topped by Mohammed, and anticipating our objection, he commented with: Mohammed has more influence over his followers than Jesus.

I was challenged to focus not only on how I act, but on my attitude -and my attitude to others, should not be impacted by there attitude to me.

A life lived in Secret

We are playing before an audience of one. The audience of one; from whom no secrets are hidden, one who knows our hearts and minds; one who knows each of our words, thoughts, and deeds.

There is something both liberating, and fearful about ‘playing before the audience of one’. It liberates us from the expectations of others; both it is a fearful thing knowing that God knows all of the ‘secrets of our hearts’.

Our profession must matches our confession, we are to be men of unfalteringly integrity.

Tin Shed: Role-play

Something Al Stewart mentioned during the panel has resonated with me; we need to work out our priorities and arrange our time around them. In other words what we value, we will have time for.

Relationships: Three thoughts

We won’t understand Marriage without reference to Christ; we won’t understand Christ without understanding the Cross; so, we therefore won’t understand marriage withoutunderstanding the Cross.

Two Ways ...

We can listen, but not adhere; we can be challenged but not change, and we can be informed, without being transformed.

If we go away from the word of God without being transformed by the Word of God, we are in a worse place than when we started.

In some ways, the easy thing is going up the mountain to Katoomba and hearing faithful speakers faithfully teach God's word and being surrounded by encouraging brothers; the harder thing is taking off the name tag, and heading down the mountain, and back to our lives and struggling to live out the life to which we are called.