My Blog Address is MOVING!

Hi guys - if you're interested, my blog address has now changed. I've discovered the creative possibilities at the wordpress blog portal!

You can find JUBILEE MAN at http://www.jubileeman.wordpress.com . Could you change you links on your sites over to this address? Ta!

Look forward to seeing you there. AP

Where I Am

You may be wondering where I am at the moment with blogging. Well, I've actually taken up the offer of 'a blog a day in the month of May' from a good friend.

I created a new blog for this (temporary!) at http://www.tuipiri.wordpress.com . If you want to you can see my pretty average bloggin skills at work!

See you in June, AP

Wait on The Lord

Recently at Mittagong Anglican Church we had a Moore College mission come for a week.

On the second Sunday of the mission, immediately before the last service of the day at 6pm, one of the students came up to me and said that he had been praying with a group before the previous service when he felt God give him 'a word' for me.

He said this usually wasn't his thing. I said to him in a sigh of exhaustion, 'Is it bad?' He said 'No!' and then quoted these verses from the Bible:

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

I found this greatly encouraging just a few seconds before I led the last service of the mission. It had been terribly exhausting over the week and I had felt beforehand as if I had no physical or emotional strength left to keep it all together. God was gracious and kind to remind me of that verse.

About 10 days later I was reading through Satisfy Your Soul by Bruce Demarest when I was stopped in my tracks by this passage from the book:

Have you ever wondered what it means to 'wait on the Lord'? I suggest that it is akin to practising the presence of God. Isaiah declares, 'Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. they will fly high on wings like eagles. they will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint' (Isaiah 40:31).

So I have been really thinking hard and praying to 'wait on the Lord'. Since the mission finished I have still not recovered. I feel enormously exhausted still even 10 days later, especially emotionally.

New strength from God awaits.

Christian Spirituality - a Context

Theological correctness alone is no balm for the wounds of our frail and sinful humanity...We cannot nourish the mind but neglect the heart....good theology is not enough. There is the serious danger of the emergence of an arid evangelical rationalism.

We can think of spirituality as the internalisation of our faith. It means allowing our faith to saturate every aspect of our lives, infecting and affecting our thinking, feeling and living....the way in which Christian individuals and groups deepen their experience of God.

From Alister Mcgrath, 'Loving God with Heart and Mind', in A McGrath and T George (eds), For All the Saints: Evangelical Theology and Christian Spirituality, Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.

Sensing life.

Isn't this a beautiful scene. The rich colours, the depth.

The 12 Stones

Hi, nice to talk to you again. It's been too long.

I've learnt a lot from God since we last were together (always grateful to God for that). Can I share some?

1) In 1 Samuel 3 is the story of when God first spoke to Samuel the prophet (and Israel itself again, after God's previous long absence from speaking during the time of Eli the prophet). Samuel hears God, and then at the end of 1 Samuel 3 the narrative says,

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19).

That last phrase - and let none of his words fall to the ground - God really hit me with that. I've been praying for that for myself, the ministry team here, and the Moore College mission team that's been at Mittagong this week. How awful that the words I speak could fall to the ground. May God keep them all off it.

2) The 12 stones - from Joshua 4:2-20 - placed by Joshua as a way of remembering God - ultimately that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever (Joshua 4:24). Again, hit me between the eyes and made me take the picture above.

3) I've been entranced by the idea of Christian spiritual formation. What a horrible phrase. It's otherwise known as Christian spirituality or Christian formation. Again, these are all horrible names. Basically it's just the idea of daily Christian living. Living in Christ in his fullness and what that looks like.

So, I've been reading Henri Nouwen, Dallas Willard, Bruce Demarest, Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn. May I strongly recommend any of these writers. Check them on Google books. I think it's what's been missing from my Christian life and education: simply what Christian living looks like and thinks like and acts like.

Jesus as KING as well as SAVIOUR is what I hope to pass on to others in my preaching and speaking. May God continue the transformation.

Mittagong Lace

Listen to the Postman

Neil Postman, that is.

I've been meaning to read his book called "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business", which gives a critique of media and television and their extensive negative influences on our society.

In the meantime, I've read a key Neil Postman idea from the pen of Marva Dawn (probably my very favourite author along with J I Packer) - an idea called the Low Information-Action Ratio (LIAR).

[Quote from Marva Dawn, Preludes to Discovery, in 'The Unnecessary Pastor', p38]

This Low Information Action Ratio (LIAR) is caused by our society's plethora of contextless information. The result of our bombardment with too much data is paralysis - we are not able to, or become not willing to, act on what we hear and see. In fact, television has trained us NOT to act on what we learn. thus, the ratio of action to the amount of information received spirals continually lower...it makes LIARS of us to read the scriptures and not act on God's commands, to hear sermons and not put them into practice.

Jubilee Man's 100th Post

For Jubilee Man's 100th post, I've been tagged and am required to admit six quirky things about myself!

The rules of the meme are these:

1. Link to the person that tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here goes.

1. The person who tagged me is my lovely wife. You can find her here: http://www.loveasunnyday.blogspot.com/

2. Well, I've posted the rules of the tag above!

3. This is the meat of the tag. Six non-important quirks or habits about yourself. So, without further ado:

a) I flick my toes a lot. So much so that I wear holes out at the front of socks pretty quickly.

b) I go to bed usually between 12am-1am every night and get up at 6-6.30am.

c) I clean my study every Monday morning because there is so much paper around.

d) I am frequently frustrated at not having enough time to read books.

e) I read the Between Two Worlds blog (see link on my list) every morning.

f) I usually have to have a window open in the room where I am or else I feel claustrophobic - especially if someone else is in the room!!! I like fresh air and not someone else's!

Jubilee Man Answers That Personal Questions Thing

1. Were you named after anyone?

Not first name. Second name is William (my Grandma Paterson's dad, who was a jockey). My third name is Tuipiri - named after my grandfather Paterson.

2. When was the last time you cried?

It's been a long time, many years. Occasionally I might feel very emotional.

3. Do you like your handwriting?

Yes, I think it's very beautiful!

4. What is your favourite lunch meat?

Smoked ham thinly sliced.

5. Do you have kids?

Three (see below)

6. If you were another person would you be friends with you?

I'm not sure I would be patient enough. It takes a while - and a fair bit of space - to see me at my best in a friendship. I ease into friendships rather than put myself out there before someone.

7. Do you use sarcasm alot?

All the time.

8. Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes - they're in a box under my bed (joke).

9. Would you bungee jump?

No, for two reasons: firstly, a friend did it and the blood vessels in his eyes burst; secondly, another male friend of mine jumped wearing a shirt - it lifted revealing his need to wear what Kramer would call 'The Bro' (it put me off the whole thing after that). Weird story I know, but true.

10. What is your favourite cereal?

I would mix cereals for my ultimate cereal - Sultana Bran with Nutri Grain.

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Yes.

12. Do you think you are strong?

Physically I am under-rated...mentally I think I am pretty tough.

13. What is your favourite icecream?

I don't eat ice cream usually. However - maybe a cornetto.

14. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Good question. Ummm - their sense of style combined with their speaking voice.

15. Red or pink?

Red.

16. What is the thing that you like least about yourself?

My lack of self-confidence.

17. Who do you miss the most?

Some of my friends from Bible College who I prayed with and opened my life to.

19. What colour pants and shoes are you wearing?

Blue jeans, brown shoes.

20. Have you ever re-gifted?

Oh yes!

21. What are you listening to right now?

The sound of the dryer.

22. If you were a crayon what colour would you be?

Sky blue.

23. Favourite smells?

Rain following a muggy afternoon. A new book. Double Delight roses.

24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

John Beasley asking me to come to church to hold a ladder for him while he replaced lights 40 feet up.

26. Favourite sports to watch?

Cricket in any form. A fast international Rugby match is hard to beat.

27. Hair colour?

Red turning to brown.

28. Eye colour?

Sky blue.

29. Do you wear contacts?

No.

30. Favourite food?

Caesar or beef salad, Lamb Korma with naan.

31. Scary movies or happy endings?

A scary thriller (as opposed to a horror movie) can be exhilarating.

32. Last movie you watched?

Amazing Grace - a fabulous film that heartened me to keep following Jesus as Lord!

33. What colour shirt are you wearing?

Dark blue with thin pale blue vertical stripes.

34. Summer or winter?

Winter.

35. Hugs or kisses?

Kisses.

36. Favourite dessert?

Vanilla or caramel mudcake with cream.

39. What book are you reading now?

Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll; The Unnecessary Pastor by Marva Dawn and Eugene Peterson; Contemplative Youth Ministry by Mark Yaconelli.

40. What is on your mousepad?

I don't use one, I find them clunky and unnecessary.

41. What did you watch on tv last night?

America's Top Model with Cecily; news.

42. Favourite sound?

Heavy rain outside.

43. Rolling stones or Beatles?

Beatles.

44. What is the furthest you have been from home?

Physically, Singapore. Mentally and emotionally - a million years away.

45. Do you have a special talent?

I think I create goodwill and diffuse tension in people - making them feel at ease and more willing to open up to me.

46. Where born?

King George V Ward, Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

In the last year or so my wife Cecily and I have been learning (purely by compulsion - it's required for our son Campbell who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder) to slow our lives down.

You would not believe the improvement in the quality of our lives at every level since we have had to do this: from a parenting point of view; (my) relationship with God; a genuine appreciation of, and enjoyment of, others; enjoying hobbies at a far deeper level than for many years - just to name a sample.

Here's how my lovely wife has summarised our recent journey:

'We had to get to a point where we accepted what we had done with Campbell so far had not worked, and was not going to work. I’m talking about the regular parenting things like naughty spots and reasoning and explanations and smacking and time outs and all of the stuff we all do all the time. We had to completely change our tack with him. We also had to look at our attitudes of how we perceived our children, what we expected from them and why, and what our basic presumptions were.

I realised that I came from a point of view where even though I loved them, I saw the children as unimportant, impositions and also a source of pride and status. What they did reflected on me. If I could make them behave, I looked better and got more kudos as a ‘good parent’. I also wanted them to go away and leave me alone when I was doing most things because they took up time and energy and nothing was as efficient. I also saw them as naughty and gave them consequences accordingly.

People said here and there to me, “Well, even if he autistic, how much of his bad behaviour is just plain old sinfulness?” The assumption was that you had to handle the ‘naughtiness’ with smacks and punishment and time outs, even if he was autistic. Well, the reality was that that stuff just didn’t work with him, even if he is sinful, which of course we all are. I needed other ways to deal with him, so I started reading stuff. One important book was ‘The Explosive Child’ which basically taught me to relax and realise that there are many things that just don’t matter. It also taught me that punishments and time outs put up power struggles. Better to work through and see the child as a partner in solving the problem.

RDI (our rehabilitation programme for Campbell) as well has taught us to take a far more interactive approach with all the children. We command less, and invite more. We do more things together, we slow down, we get rid of things we don’t need and that cause stress. We enjoy our company together and choose less pressurised lives. We don’t worry so much about things that make us appear good and acceptable.'

Don't Blame It on the Moonlight

The Wonder of Generosity

Three young members of my church with not much money were hoping to go to Katoomba Youth Leadership Convention this year (cost $275). In spite of their lack of funds they paid with what they had anyway.

A little later, a money donation came to me from another church member who wanted to pay for them all.

I face my own money issue at present. There is not enough money in the church coffers to support Cecily and I this year in Mittagong. We will know by the end of February whether we are able to stay.

In January, someone sold their second car and gave the church the money to contribute to our staying. People have given anonymous donations. Usually our offertory is around the $2,300 mark - it was $11,000 two weeks ago.

It's a privilege to receive generosity from God's people - and to receive the grace of God himself.

Click on the Two Ways to Live button on my blog to hear more about that grace if you don't already know of it...

A Test of Privilege?

An interesting post from Byron Smith's blog recently. He posts a class consciousness quiz. I thought I would answer this quiz and I invite you to have a go too.

[Text below copied (with modifications) from Step into Social Class 2.0: A Social Class Awareness Experience. Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka, Indiana State University, © 2008. See Rev Sam's post for the original.]

Embolden the true statements.

1. My father went to university.

2. My father finished university.

3. My mother went to university.

4. My mother finished university.

5. Have any relative who is or was a lawyer, doctor or academic.

6. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.

7. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.

8. Were read children’s books by a parent.

9. Had extra-curricular lessons of any kind before you turned 18.

10. Had more than two kinds of extra-curricular lessons before you turned 18.

11. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.

12. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.

13. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your university costs.

14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your university costs.

15. Went to a private primary school.

16. Went to a private high school.

17. Your family regularly employed a cleaner.

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.

21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.

23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.

25. You had your own room as a child.

26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.

27. Participated in an HSC preparation course or study camp outside of school.

28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.

29. Owned a mutual fund or shares in high school or university.

30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.

31. Went on a cruise with your family.

32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.

33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.

34. Growing up, you were unaware of how much electricity bills cost for your family.

I scored 18 out of 34. An interesting set of questions to answer.

Billy Stewart Sings 'Summertime'

I'm on holidays this week and have discovered the music of Billy Stewart. I'm listening to his version of 'Summertime'.

He made this arrangement of Summertime when he was only 29 - (fantastic achievement!) - then died in a car accident only a few years later. What a loss. You can find his music on iTunes if you are interested.

Coincidentally, being 35, I have been aware of my own mortality in the last year. I was thinking - if I was to live out an Australian average male age, I would have maybe 45 years or so left to live...although I like to think of it as being half way to heaven (if not way more than half, only God knows that one) now.

Being a bit slow on the uptake, being much more aware of my mortality has been truly, marvellously liberating.

Paul, when he was commenting on those who preached the gospel out of false motives in Philippians, could say 'What does it matter? the important thing is the gospel is preached'.

It feels kind of like that. Time is short. Petty things become clearer. Forgiveness seems to come easier with a 'forward to heaven' perspective. Seeing what is important and decision making becomes sharper and much more fun!

This may seem like a morbid post, but actually it's a post about Christian freedom!

Incidentally, have you noticed how hard it is to find the definitive 80s music collection??