Modesty Aside

Because this is my blog I will just note I did top my Mates List for the Virtual NPC this year by a comfortable margin. Some will note their absence in an attempt to dilute the achievement. Others will note their rugby depth may have been challenged by the detailed focus needed on a wide range of teams across 2 divisions.

I do see this as a real achievement of head over heart - with Auckland playing so poorly, one couldn't exactly get to this point by backing your own team every week! Will be interesting to see how the AB's squad to the Northern Hemisphere performs with some form selections.

Good to see star and AB captain in the making Jamie McIntosh be rewarded for strong form. Great to see Messam there. Interesting to see Corey Jane effectively leapfrog Paul Williams in the absence of Leon MacDonald. And odd to see Corey Flynn recalled ahead of Hikawera Elliot - if you're going to take a 3rd string hooker, take a young guy who can throw straight! Rudi Wulf the unlucky fill-in wing to miss out.

Not sure I mind the Donald/Carter experiment. It somewhat comes back to the combination issue and also who is the better 'raw' player - does one prefer Donald at 1st V or Nonu at 2nd v? And perhaps its the selectors asking whether a Carter-McAlister pairing in 2009 could work if he does indeed return.

The Many Headed Monster

John Key is waxing lyrical about his own Gorgon - the 5 headed monster coalition that Helen Clark is building to defeat John Key.

But I'm more worried about this:

What kind of deal is Frank brokering with Helen?

The Excellence of Humility

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

“Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).

A Jedi Encounter

Yoda: Matters much, poor quality, it seems, hmmm?
Paduin: Yes Master Yoda, it makes me feel worthless when things around me are poorly executed.
Yoda: Worthless you are not, child of God you are, hmmm?
Paduin: Yes Master Yoda, but....
Yoda: "But", an answer it is not, a question it is, yesss.
Paduin: But...
Yoda: Hmmm. Feel...
Paduin: The Force?
Yoda: No. Just feel.

Another Night in Politics

So the public thinks John Key was a 2-1 winner in last night's leaders debate. Perhaps thats because they expected Clark to spank him and she didn't gain that kind of superiority. There's no question Clark performed well - she is a past mistress at these debates. However, at times she seemed rattled in a very un-Helen kind of way. I think she has herself to blame - at the last election various news agencies reported the following:

Prime Minister Helen Clark has poured scorn on claims by National Party leader Don Brash that he took mercy on her in their TV debate because of her sex. "Sounds like an excuse for losing to me," Clark said yesterday. "I think after the event he's trying to work out what happened to him. I think in this day and age you don't treat women differently because they are female. "I've grown up in a New Zealand where girls can do anything and we expected to be treated as equals," she said. Clark said she found Brash's attitude "quaint, a little old- fashioned -- patronising".

Last night, a feisty John Key seemed happy to give Helen an equal opportunity spanking leading Helen to squeal in protest:

"You're not going to shout me down, John. You may get away with that at home..."

Did she really say that? Most of the news media are only reporting the first half - I thought the second was more revealing!

World Crisis: Helen's Saviour?

It's been interesting watching the global credit crisis mess completely with John McCain's campaign. With all the baggage of being a Republican and therefore "incumbent", Obama's message of change is winning the hearts and minds of voters. Only entrenched racism will stop him now you'd think.

Meantime, the incumbent here, seems to be gaining strength from the crisis, despite a horror show "opening of the books" last week. The governments big announcement on "guaranteeing" bank deposits here will have a lot more clout than it should - its never likely to be needed. But the timing couldn't be better and the advantage of diplomatic channels with Australia being open to the government, leaves Helen with the advantage of playing the incumbent card in a way which Key can't.

Then the tax bribes, I mean cuts, got cut. Which doesn't motivate me, but it will mean something for the electorate.

Then there's Kiwisaver. Its just not a good look cutting the employer contributions in half. Businesses will be happy no doubt, but again this will carry more clout than it should. People are more passionate about Kiwisaver now that its being taken away from them (to some extent) than they ever were when faced with the prospect of voluntary contributions to the scheme from their pay packet!

Say what you like about Helen Clark: she is a leader. She may well outshine John Key in the crisis management department. And Labour may just avoid the stain of an appalling financial disclosure last week, that should have been enough to sink them forever.

While Frank's blog is flirting with the benefits of voting Maori Party, this voter is struggling to work out how he will exercise a vote at all. The breakdown:

Labour - no longer trustworthy - need a good kick in the bollocks to promote a return to a less radical social agenda
National - never voted National and not likely to start now - Key and English are a bit "deer in the headlights" for me
Green - hahahahaha
Progressive - who? Old Labour.
NZ First - wiNZton First
ACT - don't have a chance so a wasted vote
United Future - a spent force unless Peter Dunne can win Oharia-Belmont - no worm in sight to save Peter this time
Maori Party - don't be fooled this is a party for Maori with a radical bi cultural agenda. Honest about it though and some salt of the earth types involved

All in all, the only thing I can think to do is to with hold my vote from Labour and not vote. But that doesn't sit well with me. At least with cars, I can pick on colour...

In Memorium

All Blacks - World Cup 2007 Quarter Final

The moment it all went wrong

Would You Like Some Vomit With That?

Its moments like this that I'm sure Rhett Snell still wishes he had a blog! Because he is more qualified to express wisdom and sound musical critique than I. He may well comment! But meantime for your viewing pleasure, the "Sonseeds" (courtesy of Imagine That [Rachel Nigro])

How could something so wrong be so wrong.

Always Emerging

Fascinating post here from Scot McKnight following on from the anonymous jerk who posted on Out Of Ur (what really was his intent?) All about the Emerging Church continuing to define itself midst the great diversity of this 'movement'. Sounds interesting and if it helps focus EC evangelism then all good. EC is well positioned for evangelism it seems to me.

Kiwi Psalms

We've been having fun with our current series Hydroponic Christianity - looking at the book of Acts and the growth of the church. One fun feature (apart from the highly entertaining Troy Manure's "Dig This") has been the Kiwi Psalms. A good idea to use Chris Grantham's Kiwi Bible, became a great idea when we discovered there weren't that many Psalms in his new authoritative translation. So we started writing them ourselves. First up, was Rhett Snell, former blogger, currently having an extended period of RL existence - a champion effort which makes the blogging world's loss easier to bear (actually someone recently commented how much more time they have since Rhett paused in his blogging...) Here is his masterful Psalm 130:

When I’m not feeling that flash I call out to you, God
God, hear my voice
Listen up and help me out
I’m having a whinge; but I need your help!

If you, God, kept a record of my stuff-ups
I’d be up the creek without a paddle
But with you there is forgiveness
And so I respect you heaps

I hang out for God, I’d spend yonks waiting for him
His words are straight-up, aye (not like Winston)

Like I said, I hang out for God, I’d spend yonks waiting for him
More than Waikato waits for a quarter-final
More than Aucklanders wait in traffic

So, Israel, trust this God, eh?
He doesn’t pack a sad; he always loves us and that’s choice
With him there’s redemption; the full deal!

He’s gonna sort out Israel
And redeem them from all their stuff-ups.

This was followed up by Sarah Snell with her up-to-the-minute rendition of Psalm 47 - you can read her version here . Someone asked me whether I liked them and I said, "Yeah, No, It's pretty choice I reckon."

This week we're doing Psalm 89 and the quest is on for someone to write an excellent Kiwi paraphrase? Will it be you? If you want to have a go then email me bj@cession.org.nz - we aren't looking for the whole thing but key verses include - 1-8, 46-48...

The Rhys Chronicles

Alright so I will happily admit I am biased, but my boy IS smart.

Last time he went to Plunket (he was 2ish) the Plunket Nurse tested his knowledge of shapes. "Oh yes he knows his shapes," says Kristen. So the nurse holds up a circle. "O" says Rhys. "I guess he doesn't know what a circle is," says the nurse who must have got her qualification in a cereal packet. "He told you it was an O," says Kristen. She gets the distinct impression that she is not believed.

So yesterday I take the boy off for an eye test again at Plunket. They give him a set of letters and the plan is that he looks at the letter on the test and then matches it to the one on the set of letters he is holding. So the nurse holds up the test. "Hmmm, an O" says Rhys as he matches it to the sheet. Next one. "I can't find the H", he says, "Oh there it is." From there the sheet is forgotten and he shouts out every letter. The nurses are visibly impressed - he is fast and accurate...and having a lot of fun.

So, then its time for the other eye. She holds up the "O". "We've already done the O", says Rhys, with just a faint disdain in his tone (not sure where he gets that from). Awesome. He nearly doesn't make it to the end of the test, as he is thoroughly bored by having to rattle off the same set of letters. "We don't see them again after 3 and 1/2 unless there are issues," says the nurse, "But he seems ready for school now." Pride from the Dad suffuses the room.

But I think he's ready for University actually. This morning he asked:

"Where did I come from?" I was a little worried at first - was I supposed to give the sex talk to the 3 year old? I was hoping to avoid that for a few more years. I found a more age appropriate answer. And then the next question:

"Why did you have Raegan?" His mother came up with the best answer: "Because we had so much fun with you, we thought we needed two!"

He pauses. "We need three," he says, "I need a brother as well."

Hilarious.

A Climate of Discrimination

Is there a climate of discrimination in New Zealand as it relates to churches and church organisations playing their part in society?

Last week I heard a very respected lecturer describe a sustained assault on Christianity through misinformed, biased courses of study at Auckland University across a range of disciplines. I've heard accounts from students that back this view up.

I'm aware that a church group which operates in Auckland was recently savaged by an elected community official in a public forum, describing the operate of that church's social services through a community trust as "very Winston Peters". The gentleman is either misinformed about the widespread use of community trusts to deliver social services or he is malevolently inclined towards church organisations.

The Flat Bush area in the eastern suburbs of Auckland has no provision in its district plan for churches. It may be the first community of its kind: no churches. Some will say good job and maybe that proves the point.

Does the climate exist or am I imagining things? Cos the way I see it, misguided or not in their belief in a supreme being, many churches are holding the social fabric of the country together.

Words That Resonate

I was thinking recently about the way preached words can inspire - and reflecting personally on examples in my life. Not so much great sermons although they may have been. But the measure in the end of a successful preached message is not in the performance or even the exegesis. Both are critically important and I push myself to get better for the sake of the listeners! But the measure of a sermon for me is the mystery of God working through it - did I get out of the way enough, did I listen hard enough in my preparation, did I 'hear' the need that I was to speak to clearly enough - that God might be freed to move.

A friend then mentioned he'd done a top 10 sermons, so I thought to record the 5 most personally impacting messages that I can recall (cos how many I have 'forgotten'):

Dean Drayton - 1992 at a Methodist Aldersgate Revival Camp at Lake Taupo - Dean was the visiting speaker, an Evangelical from the Uniting Church in Australia. Still reeling with the loss of my Dad and still very new to faith, Dean exposed a raw nerve in me that helped me discover my identity as a child of God.

Paul Windsor - 2001 at an Auckland District Camp of the Wesleyan Methodist Church out at Chosen Valley. Paul introduced me to conjunctive theology with his message from John 1 on being grace and truth. Living in the tension of 2 apparently conflicting impulses and being shaped by that tension to be a more faithful reflection of Christ. A single theological insight that has massive application across the spectrum of life and ministry.

Rob Bell - 2003 in Chicago at a Willow Creek Preaching Conference, Rob Bell preached one of the most amazing messages of all time on the atonement. It opened up for me the depth and resonance of the OT with the NT and I was astonished at the clarity of the links between Leviticus and Hebrews. He also had a goat on stage which is always going to win my vote, especially being there in person!

Melissa Powell - 2005 at cessioncommunity. Melissa preached on the church as salt and light - the need to be both and the tension that exists for the church in being both: preserving society from the rot AND being beacons that banish darkness. If I hadn't been the pastor of the church, I would have signed up on the spot to help take the vision forward. It told me I was a believer in what God was doing with my life.

So there it is, my top 5...hang on thats only 4. The #1 most impacting message of all time? It was one of mine. My first. It was appalling. I failed to communicate well. I was insufficiently prepared. It made no impact. It drew no mentoring response. And I didn't preach again for years and years. But it shaped me in ways I cannot even begin to explain - it primed me for ministry to be expressed as call rather than competence (cos only call could draw me back to it). But it prepared me for the hard work of competence in answer to the call.

Fur Patrol

If this wasn't so disturbing it would be funny...OK its still funny, especially if you know feline vigilante which I do! Can you imagine if the guy was say a pastor or something?

Miaow.

The New Orthodox Rob Bell

What a relief that I can read and listen to Rob Bell again, thanks to Manna Music and the 80:20 rule. This just in from my Inbox today.