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??