Update of my Life (a short version)

Off to do a south west visit for a coupla days. The south west of Western Australia would have to be one of my all time favorite places (Well Tasmania wins).
I have a couple of nights down there with Christine. I am catching up with a guy I mentor down there from Margaret River Chruch of Christ as well as a dinner with a handful of south west youth pastors. Should also meet a winery or two and catch up with some study whilst Christine write reports for clients of her’s. (She is a speechie)
I have just finished Tom Sine’s book Mustard Seed Versus McWorld. A brilliant read.

I started ‘having’ to read it for an assignment, but ended up engrosed in it. A very real challenge to culture and the way we live in it and interact with it as followers of Christ. Interesting to have read it alongside Affluenza, as it is kind of a Christian companion to what Hamilton brings up in Affluenza.

I have been reading a fair bit of late. Mainly for this assignment “Beyond Consumerism“. Another book I read in the last few weeks was “Renegotiating The Church Contract – The life and death of the 21st Century Church”

It was a good read, but you know how some books just drag out the same stuff a bit at the end, I felt he repeated a lot of stuff. I think Hamo thought the same, it was his book and the whole front end was underlined and notated but the last few chapters had nothing in it. There was a heap of very clear stuff on explaining what Platonic Dualism is. This helped me. I see the danger of seperating the sacred from the secular and what trouble we get ourselves in as a church when we elevate what we do on a Sunday over the mission of the ‘working week’. The idea that all is sacred, all is redeemable, all is God’s creation!

It has been good reading Christine Sine’s book Sacred Rhythms. She is Tom’s wife (Above). I have not finished this book as I am intentionaly reading it slowly, almost devotionally so I can take it in in the way it was intended. I am soaking it up, every page has some great insights into the crazy pace of life we make ourselves live. I was even thinking of this yesterday as I drove kids all over the state for sport issues…not sure it sits comfortable with me. It’s not about me having a day at home, it’s about disconnecting our family from our community in order to play sport with kids from all over the shop that they have nothing to do with at any other time in their lives. Maybe I should start a local ‘fun’ Tee Ball legue! Anyway Christine Sine’s book is a great read.
I am taking “the Divine Conspiracy by Willard and his new(er) book Renovation of The Heart, to read down south, although I know I wont get to hardly any of either, it’s just that Christine is reading “The Divine Conspiracy” so it will be hard to get it out of her hands!

By the way it was fun preaching at York on Friday night, they are a great bunch up there. It was a stack of churches from the Avon valley. We had a top night, Johnny Z came with me, it was funny because we saw a kid who was outa control and obviously needing some ADHD kinda medication. Johhny was like, “What is that kid up to?” I told him he was watching a video of himself from 5 years ago. He was blown away that he could have been so…so…um we outta control! I’m glad we grow up!

All is well.
Looking fwd to Melbourne Youth Ministry Tour and National Gathering followed by 2 weeks with my family and the Merediths being tourists…and skiing!! 9 Sept – 1 Oct – Bring it on!!!