Adventures in Paradise: Week 2

An early morning walk, some time at the golf course, time with family and our first swim of 2009....it's a tough life.

The week has had its highs and lows - the low being a very windy day. Not only did it make golf challenging, but we experienced the joy of clearing dust from the caravan afterwards.

The "Tour Down Under" was also in town that day. The wind made some sections of their ride very difficult, and last years winner exited the tour after a fall. Victor was awash with bikes and lycra - and parking was at a premium around the centre of town. My prime viewing spot amongst the crowds near the finish line provided a sense of the excitement, and a glimpse of the action. Those guys ride fast!

With the Australia Day weekend approaching the traffic is getting busier. We will enjoy the celebrations and continue to enjoy this lovely part of Oz.

My Wednesday quiet time friend has not returned... maybe the wind upset him (or her).

True Wealth

One of my recent adventures has been to follow a few blogs. One on my list is "Get Rich Slowly". Here are some words of wisdom about wealth.

"Please, my friends, always remember that true wealth has nothing to do with money. True wealth is built from friends and family, from experiences and relationships — it is derived from a life filled with meaning. Without these things, money means nothing. Do me a favor this week, and spend some time with the people you love." J.D.

To read the whole article at click here.

Weekly Worship 4

Week 4 of our wandering and once more we joined with family on a Sunday morning. This time it was at Victor Harbor Baptist Church where our niece had shared in a holiday kids club during the week. Children and their families were invited to attend this Sunday's family service.

The welcome was warm and the service relaxed. Bright yellow themed T-shirts identified the participating children, and blue polo shirts the leaders and helpers. Decorations gave the church a holiday feel, songs learned by the kids were used, and a multi-media presentation of the weeks activities allowed those present to get a sense of what had happened during the week. During the service we learned that it was the eighth year of the holiday program, which had grown from 15 kids the first year to 65 in 2009. It was clear through the week that it was a well run and well planned program which offered a service to families during the holidays and an effective means of outreach for the church.

The message focused on the reliability of the Bible - a unique book that can be trusted, is living, powerful, and leads us to Jesus. Delivered in Indiana Jones attire in keeping with the theme 'Adventures to the Lost World', it was a helpful reminder to the faithful of the remarkable collection of books that are our Holy Scriptures, and an invitation to others to explore what for them might be a 'lost world'.

For a service in the middle of the holidays it was very well attended, pointed people again to the Word, and even offered an invitation for further participation in small groups later in the year.

It was good to share again with God's people - and to enjoy hospitality after.

Adventures in Paradise: Week 1

We moved into our new home on Monday morning, and out of our old home a few hours later. By 7 p.m. we were set up at our first stop - Adare Caravan Park, Victor Harbor.

The trip itself was uneventful, but had been punctated by some anxiety. After twenty minutes travel I discovered that my wallet was not where it was expected to be. Some frantic searching, attempts at mentally retracing my steps, and some phone calls to friends did not reveal its location, so our visa card was cancelled and we continued on our way. Hopefully inconvenience and my personal sense of frustration will be the only lingering effects of that loss.

The past few days have been spent organising the caravan and trying to organise our lives. After the chaos of moving everything out of a home and putting it into boxes for storage or our much-reduced

living space there are still a couple of small containers that require sorting. In the midst of this process time has been found to share with family, to play golf, to watch cricket, and to wander along the beach.

It is a tough life, but we are managing!

Weekly Worship 3

The plans that we make do not always come to fruition.

While we intended to share with others in worship together every week this week my worship took a different form. With the final deadline approaching, and the work to be done diminishing all to slowly, our Sunday was far from normal.

We took time to share with others - and enjoyed hospitality and shared our journey with people close to us. We planned to do so over breakfast - we shared over lunch, and God was present.

We took time to order our lives around that which was important. This week it took the form of physical ordering, storing away that which was not needed, and entrusting much of our 'stuff' into the hands of others.

We took time for some cleansing. This week it included a trip to a physical rubbish tip- getting rid of the junk and giving away some useful stuff that could be used by others. Worship includes focusing on that which is important, and getting rid of the rubbish in our lives.

We took the time to hear the Word of God. On the way I listened to Walter Brueggeman speak on Acts 1 "The risks of truth telling"

Some quotes:
"Easter news challenges and subverts and overthrows all settled arrangements, all power grabs, all assumptions about entitlement, and privilege and advantage."

"By its words, by its acts of generosity and emancipation the church opens up new possibilities that makes all old possibilities impotent."

"And as the story goes the powers of death did their best on that Friday, but they could not prevail. They are shown to be helpless before God's power for life, and so the church continues to mock death and to celebrate God's will for life that will not be defeated."

And we are to give testimony "....that the future is open and death cannot win."


"The church is surrounded by people who lie. .....
They say, assuming the power of death, that violent force will make us safe. It is a lie.
They say, assuming the power of death,that more stuff will make us happy.It is a lie.
They say, assuming the power of death,that more cleaver techniques will make the church more faithful.It is a lie.
They say, assuming the power of death,that more cosmetics will keep us young.It is a lie.
They want us to gather around the still power of death in order to stay in control, and it is a lie.
They lie and we in the church are called to tell the truth about Easter that opens the future."

This Sunday was different - but fellowship was shared, encouragement gained and shared, and challenge received from God's word.

I am called to tell the truth, by my actions and my words to challenge the lies about who is really in control. Brueggeman suggests that this is always risky work (the Greek word for witness is marturion from which we get our word for martyr)- but the practice of this truth gives eternal life, beginning now."

Weekly Worshp 2

Geelong is a delightful city not far from Melbourne. Located on Corio Bay, and close to ocean beaches, it is a good place to live. We were privileged to live and serve there for nine years. Returning last Sunday to share in worship was almost 'coming home'.

The most noticeable change was the decor and furnishings. Despite the limitations of architecture some minor internal works, new carpets, new seats, and some changes in colour created a warm and welcoming atmosphere that was matched by the response of the people.

For us there was a strangeness about the visit, however, and it was the farewell of the officer at a Corps that was not 'ours'. We know both the officer and the Corps reasonably well, so I almost felt a little like a voyeur as we shared in the farewell segment. Still, it was good to be there.

Once again music spoke most strongly. 'Blessed be that name of the Lord' by Matt Redman reminded us that God gives and takes away. God is to be praised when things are good, and not so good.

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

A much older song "It is well with my soul" by Horatio Gates Spafford was also used - and it was a reminder that ministers or officers not only lead their congregations, they also share their journey with them. God is revealed in how we face the experiences of life, perhaps even more than in what we try to do in organising and leading others.

We shared a rich time of worshipping together - and again I was encouraged by the faithfulness and enthusiasm of those with whom we have shared in Geelong, and by the new faces that we saw amongst the congregation.

It is good to worship the Lord together.

Cricket - it's time for Hayden to go!

If Matthew Hayden was just beginning his career he would be dropped from the Australian side. That would be right, since in his last 5 matches he has failed to give Australia the start they need. As a young player he would have the opportunity to rebuild his confidence, accumulate some runs and force his way back into the side.

If Matthew Hayden was aged 25 it might be worth giving him a few more matches to get back into form. At 25 he would have another 5 or 6 years of good cricket ahead of him, so it would be worth perservering.

But Matthew Hayden is 37, and at most has only a year or two of cricket top class cricket left. Is it worth perservering for another match or two? Should he go to South Africa, and perhaps to England? NO!

If Matthew Hayden does not retire after this game and open the door for a younger player to be blooded in Sydney the selection should show him the door. Sorry Matthew, but it's time.
Should the selectors keep you in the side then put aside your pride, announce your retirement as at the end of the Test, and go out with your head held high.

For Cricket Australia the choice should be clear - either Hayden goes, or the selectors do!