Police and Fergie

This wasn't planned but it was huge!
Thanks to my brother in law's brother in law who can get free tickets to such things, went to the Police and Fergie concert last night and it was an awesome spectacle. The music, the lighting the whole shibang, awesome!
Not heaps into The Police but once those songs start playing you can't help but sing along and get into it. We sat in very good seats to the right of the stage which means my right ear was kinda deaf for the rest of the night.
Anyway, great event, definitely recommend it, can you guess what song they were playing from the phone photo?

Heath Ledger Dead

News
As news comes in this morning on Heath Ledger’s passing away it makes you think about life and death and the importance on living everyday as a day not to be taken for granted.
I guess I’d say that God has given us this life to live for a purpose, finding that purpose and living it to the full is what makes life so enjoyable. For me living for God and knowing Jesus makes life awesome, an adventure.
My prayer for you is that life is fulfilling in the innermost parts, not just on the outside.

Next Read?

Ok so it's taking me a while to read Velvet Elvis but I've just been on to Scott's Blog and it seems there could be a new read on the horizon Pagan Christianity hmmmmmm

Golf

Up for a game?
Got me some clubs, - a late Chrissy / birthday gift. Been playing a bit with a mate and his sons with Brody as well the last couple of school holidays.
I suck at golf! It has to be the most frustrating game on earth! So if you ever need a confidence boost, come and play a game with me and I'll make you feel like a champion!

Velvet Elvis - Jump

Ok so things are slow, this is just the first chapter! Michelle has probably finished!!
Anyway. . . . The question I have in my head from this chapter - 'Jump' - is, while we're on the whole painting imagery, is it possible to view being a follower of Jesus, after following Him in certain boxes and frameworks for most of our lives, like starting a new paint canvas? Is it possible to strip all that we have learned about Christianity (the good and not so, right or wrong) to come to a place where we follow Jesus and be his people here and now in this culture in a form that is not hindered by boxes, rituals, traditions etc
I agree with Rob Bell that all of us when we read scripture and talk of God and Jesus will come from it with our own bent, with all that has gone before us to shape us to who we are. But . . . my belief (probably my bent :) ) is that God and Jesus blow boxes, rituals and tradition apart!
So . . . I think Rob in this chapter is getting us to move our minds (Jump) to a place like this, where we try and view God from a new canvas. I guess for me, let me waffle here a bit, if I was to strip all the stuff away and it was just me and a few people left on earth and all the church buildings had been wiped away, there was not enough 'Christians' to meet on a morning sometime during the week, who would God and Jesus be to me? If I was the only follower of Jesus left on this earth what would I do with that? What would I value about being a follower of Jesus the most? If I knew Jesus yet my family didn't and there was no-one else, who would I spend most of time with? If the impression of 'Christianity' is not a reflection of the character of Jesus, who will lead people to the real Jesus?
Impacting book so far, just soaking it in.

Up at the crack of dawn!

I think this is God's time. When everything is so still and just waking up. This morning was a bit cooler after a 41 celsius day yesterday and it was dead calm, really nice amongst the bush and the vines. Kookaburras were laughing at blinkin 5am so they seemed happy and I was up at 5.15 for a hopefully productive day at the shed with the fam.
There is something about this time though that is God shaped, when the hustle and bustle is out of the way and it's just you, creation and God, and maybe a dog trying to eat your toast. It doesn't happen often enough, yet, actually, for God and His creation it happens every morning, it's just me that usually misses it.

Velvet Elvis Review 1

Currently reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. It’s a great read! It was on my list for Christmas . . . and received it gladly 

I have a fair bit of respect for Rob Bell from what I hear from his messages at Mars Hill and his Nooma dvd’s and wanted to read this book on ‘Repainting the Christian Faith’.

Teresea and I listen to Rob Bell’s messages when we’re manufacturing bricks. Teresea is a quicker reader than I am so she’s nearly finished it and loves it, I’m up to the third chapter. There’s a couple of reviews on line of ‘Velvet Elvis’ and ‘Sex God’, Rob’s other book, so I’m not going to reproduce the wheel, especially seeing as I’m no book reviewer anyway but I am going to write down some thoughts from my perspective and what I am thinking and would love to interact with anyone if they have the time.

Firstly ‘Velvet Elvis’ is a velvet painting of Elvis that Rob has lying in his basement . . . . My Bro’s use to have these velvet paintings in their room and I used to love them as a kid coz if you had a uv light some of the lighter colours would glow and it would look 3d ish, it was soooo cool, so I’d like to know if Rob's Elvis glows but that’s just a side point eh.

The main thrust of the intro to me is that the exploration of life, theology, and Christian faith has always been fluid and needs to stay that way. . . . not set in any one way but fluid, changing, reinventing, repainting, reforming. Recognising that Jesus, His truth, His love, His hope is never ending but how we embrace it and how it is perceived and communicated needs to mean something now, for today, for the person living in 2008 not in the 1800’s, 1970 when I was born, 1980, 2000 or even 2007.

This struck a huge chord in my heart. One of my major frustrations of formal ministry was the resistance of people who say they follow Jesus yet would not even consider or didn’t know how to consider, being the people who follow Christ in fresh and fluid ways. Just trying to dialogue about it was a threat to something that was held dear. My belief is that what was often held dear was not in fact the many beautiful facets of a loving God but the mere long standing traditions of a people who had become comfortable in their environment.

In this then I think Rob Bell is spot on and totally agree with his thoughts. I’m probably not so graceful (so I guess it’s an area of personal growth) when he says that it’s ok when a body of Christ in whatever form, sits with the current painting and says that’s enough. What if the current painting has faded and no longer looks like Elvis, is it still Elvis? If the faded painting was Jesus, is it still Jesus?

Don’t get me wrong, my love and acceptance of people in this boat still exists to a point that people probably wouldn’t understand but my grace is stretched when I see Jesus portrayed as something I think He is not and where people who need the faith, hope and love of the creator are served outdated rituals of something that used to look like Jesus but is now at times a fading memory.

My aim for my life and for 2008 is to keep discovering what it means to follow Jesus on this earth and to try and be His hands and feet in the places He sends me wherever that may be.

More in the future. Have an awesome 2008!
Glenno