Smacking? There's worse...

I'm always amazed at the kinds of debates that rage over issues such as smacking. 2 points of view with so many (and arcane) underlying motivations.

My stance on the issue actually differs somewhat depending on which way I look at the issue. I am not a practitioner of smacking - especially for discipline - but I will smack (one, short, sharp) in situations of danger where Rhys is unresponsive. I'm not trying to rescue him, I am simulating the shock response he would have had had I not intervened - substituting a controlled "danger" for danger that might actually do harm. I'm trying to protect him from immediate consequences without him missing out on the lesson that consequences teaches. I think of it a little like the kind person that helps the butterfly escape its cocoon and in doing so deprives it of the critical development opportunity it needed in doing that task itself. Butterflies that don't get out on their own, can't fly. I know its not a perfect analogy but you get my point.

But fundamentally and personally I am anti-smacking for disciplinary reasons. I think consequences of wrongdoing can be brought home in other ways.

However, I support the right of parents to work this out as much as I support the resourcing of alternatives eg timeout etc.

All this to say: Sue Bradford's straw baby "smacking is assault" claim doesn't hold water. Assault is wilful (or perhaps reckless) harm. Smacking may or may not be assault by that definition.

Where I become offended is when the rhetoric exceeds the issues. The Sue Bradford approach links NZ's record on child abuse to smacking. It's a view that's not sustainable, nor is it supported by the Unicef reports or recent years. The Unicef report DOES pinpoint drinking, which is why of course we lowered the drinking age. It DOES pinpoint drug taking which is why we are one of the softest countries out there on drugs and ignore party drugs. It does pinpoint poverty which is why John Key gets mocked for political profit when he raises the issue of hungry children in our schools (and I am not a National supporter OK?)

One thing not often mentioned, that I think is the cause of massive rates of child abuse, is NZ's lax legislation on abortion. We have pretty liberal laws in this area and appallingly liberal practice. Officially you can get an abortion in NZ:

> to save the life of the woman
> to preserve the physical health of the woman
> to preserve the mental health of the woman
> foetal impairment
> in cases of rape or incest

Practically its much easier.

The Abortion Supervisory Committee collects statistics on the numbers of terminations performed each year, and for what reason under the terms of the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977. There were 17,530 abortions performed in New Zealand in 2005, compared with 18,210 in 2004 and 18,510 in 2003. As the annual statistics for the Abortion Supervisory Committee have repeatedly noted, mental health grounds are the predominant grounds for most certified abortions in New Zealand. In any year, 98–99 percent of all abortions are performed because of serious danger to the mental health of the woman. I find it hard to believe that so many women are in such serious danger that it justifies killing a child.

That's 50,000 plus children killed in 3 years. This compare to the Family First's reported cases were a parent has got off an smacking assault charge by reference to the "reasonable force" defence: 16 cases.

Makes you wonder whether the maypole dancers are missing the point (again).

Aussie Bashing

Does it get any better? A blackwash against the Aussies! For those that want to point to an undergunned Aussie team - they managed 2 scores in excess of 300 and both times we chased them down. Its batsmen they've rested (Ponting, Gilchrist, Clarke), not bowlers - OK so Brett Lee was out invalided out before a ball was bowled and today McGrath didn't play but Bond and Vettori were also rested today and Mills is gone with an injury.

The reality is: the Aussie attack is not the same without Shane Warne and with an aging Glen McGrath playing inconsistently. They'll come again, don't worry about that - but for now, its 3-0...go home...

Some kudos for Bracewell: he picked Taylor and Fulton consistently and they are flourishing. He brought McMillan back from the death - he just played his best one day innings for NZ. And give him credit, he hasn't always seen eye to eye with Lou Vincent, but he knew when to bring him back once Astle retired. With its team rested and fit for the world cup, I give NZ an outside chance.

My tip? Sri Lanka.

The Muse

So I decided I needed an identity for my scriptwriting work and maybe even extending it to other copywriting and consulting:

In Greek mythology the muses were the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, each of whom presided over a different art or science. The idea of a muse as a "source of inspiration" flows from this. So MUSE will take the raw materials of an organisation, product, website, video idea etc and provide the "inspiration" - mostly the wordsmithing I'm guessing, but maybe also the consulting edge. It may go nowhere, but it would be a preferred way of doing the bi-vocational thing than taking another job.

(Thanks to Rhett for the font...)

From Nightmare to Dream

It's been a tough week. I decided to check in with my old boss last week, with an eye to a possible future that has me back in bi-vocational land. Within 90 seconds I'd been offered a 2 week (full time) contract. I decided to take it and drop the church work back to half time. They were desperate and so it seemed like the right thing to do. The plan is that it will mean there is more money in the church bank account as a result when I really need to be a one-job man ie when the baby arrives June/July. Anyways, I enjoyed the teaching and the people, but its been one of those express train weeks which I remember with so much fondness from the early days of cessioncommunity (not). Lots of late nights catching up on emails and the things that won't wait.

It was capped off by a strategic planning day which I'd agreed to do for Auckland Habitat affiliate, before the job rearrangement. Can I say with passion, it was the last thing I wanted to do! I was knackered, missing my family and frankly feeling like I would be thoroughly out of depth working with a board of accountants, lawyers and other professionals, plus the office staff and building team supervisors. A truly disparate group and really too large.

But it went well. It was very taxing. But it still went well. So well, that the board chairman offered me another consulting role with another organisation (and he should have known better if I really did a crap job). It got me thinking afterwards about how I once held the dream of doing consulting for organisations - when I started the MBA it was one of those things I hoped would take me out of law. It kinda got lost in the whole "call to becoming a pastor" and I was OK with that. But for a long time, it was my dream and something that spurred me on during my MBA studies.

So while the week itself was a nightmare of sorts, there was something of a restoration of a dream that was a bit unexpected.

Branding the Church

Sunday night we began our DNA series - part of orienting the cessioncommunity around our Vision, Mission and Values as we kick off this new year.

It was fun - at one stage we used a clip from "The Corporation" to introduce the idea of the church as a brand. Interesting.

Anyways, we've been trying to do some branding through the local print media - just seeing how we go with it. Trying to do something very different to the standard advertising recitation of the consumer options...

Its been fun...who knows: it may even be effective!

Emerging Church Article

This interesting article by Scot McKnight on the emerging church is both affirming and challenging of the "movement". McKnight issues some great warnings - for example, he is clear on his convictions concerning the need for evangelism which some emerging people lose sight of in their desire to be inclusive. In similar vein, he points to the need for emerging Christians to maintain their missional and ecclesial focus alongside a social one. Maybe its just that I often agree with his views and find some emerging writers to have crossed the line into liberal heresy...

Holiday Reading

It's been an excellent season of holiday reading 2006-07 - plenty of variety within the admittedly narrow reading parameters in which I operate!

Destiny's Children - Stephen Baxter

I recently discovered this phenomenal Sci-Fi author via his book Evolution. Baxter writes within a strong evolutionary context which is consistently fascinating - for example across his works you'll find him asserting that human beings developed big brains because they needed the evolutionary advantage that social skills gave them in cooperative activity - physically they couldn't compete - so his real point is that humanity didn't survive because they had big brains - but rather that they developed big brains in order to survive. Not particularly new, until you find in later books he postulates some human societies (for example in closed Ark ships) where big brains become a liability and so evolution demands regression.

Anyway, I read the 3rd and 4th books in the Destiny's Children series. The 3rd book, Transcendent, was an interesting study on the human quest for redemption - following 2 parallel story lines - the first describing the tortured family life of a man who will in time save the world; the second telling the story of a young girl who participates in a future humanity's quest to redeem humanity's past by "witnessing" the pain of every human who has ever lived. Fascinating pretext - of course, she is watching the life of the man in storyline #1. Excellent series. 9/10.

Pride of Carthage - D A Durham

I enjoyed this compelling historical novel on the life of Hannibal Barca of Carthage (a city state in North Africa now part of Tunisia) - an inspired Carthaginian general who came within an inch of bringing Rome to its knees. The characterisation in this book is really first rate. Not only Hannibal but his family, others within his retinue and the Romans who opposed him. Reminded me how much I enjoy good quality historical fiction. 9/10.

Murder in La Mut - Raymond Feist and Joel Rosenberg

I quite like these Riftwar spinoffs, albeit that I am not a big fan of the collaborative writing ventures these celebrated authors use to spin out ta series! A fun book with a well constructed plot and likeable characters (always the key in these fantasy books). 7/10.

The Roses of Roazon - Cherith Baldry

There were aspects of the fantasy novel that I really enjoyed: the riches to rags to riches story of a relatively minor character, Bertrand; the messianic allusions surrounding the pacifist Duke Joscelin; the underlying spiritual themes - a spirituality of love and grace supplanting a harsh judgmentalism. In the end, it just went a bit far for me - especially, the homosexual love story! 6/10.

The Wee Free Men - Terry Pratchett

Supposedly this book is (a) A Disc World novel and (b) A Children's book. I can't agree with either proposition! For a start it doesn't read like a Disc World novel - Death doesn't even make a cameo appearance! Secondly, I would have thought it too advanced for a child! I did like it a lot - its a really subversive fairy tale about a young girl who becomes a witch with the aid of the "wee free men" who are super hilarious elves who speak in broad Scots accents and live for fighting, stealing and drinking (especially Sheep's linament). Quote of the book (which kinda illustrates the subversive nature of the work):

Miss Tick [Mystic...] sniffed. "You could say this advice is priceless," she said. "Are you listening?" "Yes," said Tiffany. "Good. Now...if you trust in yourself..." "Yes?" "...and believe in your dreams..." "Yes?" "...and follow your star..." Miss Tick went on. "Yes?" "...you'll still get beaten by people who spent their their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy. Good-bye."

Priceless indeed. Supposedly, its going to be made into a movie. It will be a lot of fun if it is. 8/10.

JPod - Douglas Coupland

I do like satire in small doses - and this is a great example. An hilarious read about a group of software engineers whose surnames all begin with J (a weird HR policy has made it so...). So much borax poked at so many institutions of modern (and particularly digital) society. The book is highly cynical, even for Coupland. In fact, its so cynical that he appears in the book! He doesn't save himself from self-criticism by characters that you've come to like despite the fact that they are miserable, unproductive losers. There are some really funny plotlines in this book - the militant lesbian who has an affair with the main character's mother and then converts midway through the book to the compliant, plastic surgery coveting, girlfriend of a Chinese smuggler/gangster/interior designer; the plot to sabotage a Playstation game with a homicidal Ronald MacDonald character; the asinine competitions the JPod have in the office when they get bored of real work (which is often) eg. writing EBay ads selling themselves (you get to read the ads...). 9/10.

So that's it - my holiday reading. A rewarding mix of my main reading fare - Sci Fi/Fantasy leavened with some well written satire and historic fiction. All available from the library!

Sport of Kings

How much difference can one man make? If you're Ricki Herbert quite a lot it seems. The Football Kingz down and out (you knew it from the start when they added the onanic "z" to their name) with 4 games to go. Then the worst happens and the franchise falls apart and the coach goes down with the ship. Helter skelter negotiations just to see if a team can be put on the field. And what happens? In comes national coach Ricki Herbert and 4 games later its 3 wins and 1 draw from the last 4 games and a creditable last, just one point behind the next best.



I've been making a difference myself this week with a new sport:

At first glance you might think its tennis. And I suppose it is of a sort - there's just no tennis ball required. I like to think of it as big game hunting - the bigger the quarry, the more satisfying the result. But this is no ordinary tennis racquet. For a start its battery powered - just 2 AA's to open a whole new vista of sporting opportunity. Then there's the strings - except they're not really strings at all - more like a metal lattice - a finely woven metallic crochet with a simple lattice on either side. I suppose you could hit a ball with it but it has a deeper, more primal use.

The racquet is activated by a small switch on the handle which sends an electrical current into the inner most web of metallic strands...and you're ready to serve and volley...backhand or cross court and most importantly the FLY ball...

Welcome to the 21st century fly swat! The unsuspecting fly is approached carefully with the racquet extended - too late it tries to fly away, straight into the waiting mini forcefield. A satisfying crack (rather like the retort of a cap gun) signals success. If you're swatting at night, the sound FX are enhanced by a blue electrical spark. Does it get any better? All for $9.99 (batteries not included)

Ah truly the sport of kings...the king of the flies...

Summer Hols!

This Christmas the Jones family did something different: we went camping! Some scoffed at the wisdom of camping with a soon-to-be-two-year-old; others wondered at the fortitude of the wife for such activities (especially in her "condition"). But the pioneering spirit of the Jones forebears won through and a great time was had by all...

We headed north to Matauri Bay on the east coast, north of Keri Keri, on 29 December 2006. The trip wasn't too bad despite holiday delays around the small towns on the way up - the sooner the new highway is finished the better.

We arrived at the turnoff and began the descent to the coast - its a beautiful view with the Cavalli Islands in the background.

Its here you'll find the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior - the final resting place of the Greenpeace boat bombed by terrorists authorised by the French government.

Our campsite was right at the foot of this hill - on top is the Rainbow Warrior memorial with a map directing you out into the Cavalli Islands.

As you can see, the weather was idyllic and our 2 tent complex was nice and cosy in the summer heat. We had 2 tents: one for sleeping; the other for food and essential equipment like large blow-up dolphins.

Rhys did so well in his new environment. He loved the beach - building sandcastles and enjoying wave jumping with Daddy! Now when we go near a beach he yells "beach" or something close to it. Pretty much it was business as usual for the little man (and his Mama).

Rhys was a little hard to keep track of! He loved playing with the kids in nearby tents who were all a bit big for him. Often he'd be spotted heading off to the other side of the camp - when asked for his destination he'd say "Hannah" or words to that effect. Yes he was keen to spend time with his friends Isabella and Hannah Dunn. It has to be said his parents were also quite content spending time with the Dunns (Reuben and Vania) as well (using their BBQ and sharing illicit contraband smuggled north). Old friends Gary and Charmayne Johnstone were also there (Vania's parents). A highlight was the Tuatua sandwiches cooked straight off the beach! Here's Isabella feeding her aged grandfather who seems to have lost the power of feeding himself:

All in all, a wonderful time away - a very refreshing 5 days of sun, sea, sandcastles, shellfish, friends and learning to be a family.

Sweet Jesus

You've heard the saying concerning working with children and animals? Add to that electric appliances...Sunday night, it being the finale to our Great Expectations series, I decided to add to the anticipation of Communion by cooking bread live in the service. I have done this before with great success...not this time! When the moment came and I lifted the lid of the breadmaker I was greeted with something that looked only a little like bread.

So, I tipped off one of our resourceful people to go see what she could find...there'd be bread in the kitchen...a cake maybe? No. Just chocolate. Lots of it. Dark. White. In Christmas shapes.

So we consumed the sweet body of Jesus Christ, not to be confused with sweet breads...it was quite a moment! I guess I shouldn't have preached from Acts 8:28

Still with 3 seekers there, 2 of whom accepted the invitation to take communion, I'm not complaining - we even had a first timer pray aloud, go figure?

Merry Christmas

It was about this date 20 years ago that a sceptical 19 year-old atheist gave the God he didn't believe in 1 week to show himself. I'm always drawn to that rash challenge this time of year...life has never quite been the same since! For me, there has always been a palpable sense of the incarnation - to go from someone UNABLE to believe in any way in a God and then to miraculously literally overnight experience a subjective revelation of a God...well its really too hard to explain adequately. But it has always meant for me that one day there was this place without God and the next there was this whole new vista of spiritual experience.

Anyways, it makes Christmas a very real time of joy, remembrance etc for me.

Today we open presents...as soon as a little boy wakes up! And then its off to family for the day. Brunch at my brothers and then down to Tauranga for a Jones family reunion.

Whatever you're doing this year, Merry Christmas!

An Immaculate Conception

So, speaking of virgin births...did you know that the whole immaculate conception term is a horribly misapplied in colloquial chit chat? I've often heard it used to describe the role of God in Jesus' conception - ie Jesus was immaculately conceived because God was his Father and therefore no actual sex took place. When you add to that the literal meaning of the word: without stain or blemish, you're left with this horribly Victorian sense that it is the act of sexual intercourse that is the issue. Jesus was immaculately conceived, without stain or blemish, because there was no sex involved. Which is actually quite wrong as it turns out!

Its the identify of the mother, Mary that fuels the CATHOLIC doctrine of immaculate conception - MARY was the one given special grace by God so that the taint of original sin did not pass to Jesus. Interesting huh?

Protestants still go for the virgin birth mostly, but opt for the idea of Incarnation - the miraculous conception of Jesus - but not the immaculate.

All this to say it's Christmas soon...

...And: we're expecting our second child in July 2007. The world's worst kept secret!

Blog Under Construction

Alright, so I finally switched to the new blogger thingie...and so with it a change in template. Work to do yet so don't feel offended if I haven't linked you yet...

Borat: The Anti-Christ?

So I went to see Borat, or should I say Boor-Rat, on Monday. Much of the content was lewd and obscene. I didn't catch the censorship rating but I hope it was high. For a Jewish guy he's remarkably anti-semitic and quite gypsy-phobic - that could be cultural I guess, so who am I to judge? I was surprised that he seemed to like black people (he marries one in the end). I think he has a connection with that Ali G guy who is a blackguy who gets quite a lot of prejudicial for being very whiteskinned for someone of his race. There was one scene where a pastor, who seemed like a very sincere man of God to me, left a dinner party because a prostitute arrived. You can see why that was a very biblical choice for a man in his position. His English was very good for someone from his country and it was great to hear the national anthem of Kazikstan in English - whoever translated it did an excellent job because it still rhymed after translation.

It was cool to see him make a commitment to Christ and I hope it was for real. But its hard to tell because some bad stuff happened after that which made me wonder.

Anyway, I'm glad I seen it so I can have an opinion on it.













Borat

New Grace

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to freshen our dinner graces. Its been a long while since "Meet the Parents" redefined the possibilities. At last something new to help.