In Transit

This YouTube is interesting.

What happens if the government puts a curfew on flight paths? Let's say... nothing before 6AM and nothing after 11PM? The answer is that all the world's airlines travelling to that city have to time their flights to land on or after 6AM.

In a few hours, we'll be sitting on that Qantas flight coming from LA.



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'How to destroy a church.'

I'm still taking a break, but I can let you know what's happening on Sunday, right?

I'vejust realized that I'm speaking on 'How to destroy a church' from 1 Corinthians 3.

I've don't think that I've ever done that before.

I hope no one takes my advice.

:)

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When suffering knocks at your door...

I'm still taking a break, but I can offer you a quote, right?

When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.

Chinua Achebe -- Nigerian poet.

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Pic by Sizima.

Four Studies on Deuteronomy 5-8

I'm still taking a break, but I can upload, right?

Would you like a set of Bible Studies for your Home Group? Four Studies on Deuteronomy 5-8? They are not the 'ask 10 questions' kind of Bible Studies. And some of it may need explaining. So feel free to contact me if you have any questions...

Deuteronomy5-8_Studies.pdf
(Let me know if it doesn't open, I can email it to you.)

There is one sermon that goes with it on Deuteronomy 6 that you can download HERE.

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Pic by maruchan313

Amusing Ourselves on Sunday...

I'm still taking a break from Blogging, but I can cut'n'paste, can't I?

I'm preaching on Sunday at Church on 1 Corinthians 3. In that Chapter, Paul warns those who like to pursue preachers for their sophistry and wise-sounding words:

V18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.

I wonder whether our 'age' is not about sounding 'wise' but it is about being entertaining and 'holding attention' (maybe we aren't into sophistry) . If that were the case -- and I don't yet assume it is -- could we rephrase V18 thus? --

V18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is entertaining by the standards of this age, he should become "un-entertaining" so that he may become compelling.

I wonder if this is a possible application. And I wonder how we would actually do it (some of us wouldn't have to try too hard). I wonder how Paul expected leaders in Corinth to become a 'fool' (which is as odd as my rephrasing, let's face it).

All this comes because I read both Chapter 3 at the same time as THIS helpful article from CT. The writer assumes that Narrative (the narrative of the Gospel) is the antidote to preaching in an age of entertainment. Here is a quote:

To be sure, the church ministers in the entertainment culture, so it must find ways of arresting attention, engaging, inspiring, and motivating audiences immersed in this culture. It must also resist the insidious nature of entertainment discourse, which demands fragmentation, while having confidence that it offers something more engaging than entertainment: narrative. (...)

Let's not fill the church with collaborators. Let's join the resistance, a resistance that, if successful, will allow people to cohere and flourish in ways our culture can hardly imagine.

Do you wish to join the resistance?

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A Break from Blogging.

Just to give you the heads up: I probably won't be posting for a while. Maybe the odd thing or two. I have just got too much to do before we leave for our antipodean trip in a few weeks. Pray for me, if you can. And pray for the Engage conference in Katoomba-- 4 weeks to go.

In the meantime, I leave you with the movie quote that inspired the name of this Blog:

"I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' it-self, down through the generations, westward the wagons, across the sands a time until-- aw, look at me, I'm ramblin' again. Wel, uh hope you folks enjoyed yourselves."

Don't forget me, when I come back postin'.