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  • A Radically Ordinary Faith

    There is much written about the radical nature of following Jesus.

    The call to come and follow Him.

    The call to take up your cross.

    The call to be a radical disciple.

    Whatever way you put it Christianity can be portrayed as some type of hyper-enthusiastic, always active, and amazingly awesome life.

    And then you have to clean the dishes currently lying in the sink, change the babies nappy, make your bed, or put the rubbish out.

    That’s not amazing.

    That’s mundane.

    That’s ordinary.

    A Radically Ordinary Faith

    And what do you do with a verse like 1 Thessalonians 4:11, “…make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you…”?

    Sounds pretty ordinary to me.

    There can be a tendency to believe we’re not ‘radical’ enough in our faith,  that we’re not doing enough radical stuff with our lives. The implication of this is that we’re not being obedient. We’re not living up to the kind of discipleship required of us as followers of Jesus.

    But when we think this way we begin to diminish the life God has given us.

    If God has created us, made us who we are, and has us in the place we currently find ourselves in, then perhaps we can trust that our faith is ‘radical’ enough.

    This isn’t to be used as an excuse for laziness, a reason to neglect serving others, and avoiding any form of growth in our faith. But, our faith must be something that relates to and be relevant to our daily lives.

    I always find it inspiring to hear of the adventures and opportunities missionaries have as they serve God overseas. It’s inspiring to see people get involved in missions, church planting, and other evangelism initiatives. Every now and then I get an email from a university worker working with international students. The stories that are shared are quite incredible, hearing of the way people are attracted to hearing more about faith and understanding the Bible for themselves. Some of these stories are very encouraging.

    And so it’s inspiring to see the work people are doing, and even more exciting to see people become interested in knowing more about Jesus. But I’m not sure they’d tell you they’re being radical in their faith because of the work they’re doing, and neither will a missionary or a pastor. The work is often very ordinary.

    And so what does a radical faith look like for freshly minted teaching graduate who is in the middle of a long first year, struggling to find time to read their Bible because the nightly preparation takes so long. Or the plumber who has been dealing with crap all day, trying to spend time with the family among the household chores. Or the mum who looks after the children, who is waiting for her partner to arrive home from work in order to help her out.

    What does ‘radical’ faith mean for them?

    It may be me in my most cynical moments, where I totally turn deaf to this call to be radical, but I’m not sure whether telling people to be more radical is helpful. To me, it adds another burden, another layer of guilt, where I end up feeling my faith isn’t good enough and I need to do more. I see the need to make the call for people to be more radical in their faith, many of us aren’t. But at the same time, what does it mean for my faith to be relevant in the mundane?

    What do you think?

  • Inspirational Books

    Inspirational books can shape and change you. They can stay with you for years and years and influence what you do and the way you live.

    The other day I was asked on Facebook to list the top 10 books that “have stayed with me” in some form. While that phrase is open to interpretation I listed the following 10 books as having an impact and influence in my life thus far.

    1. The Bible by God
    2. Jim Elliot by Barbour Publishing
    3. Charles Spurgeon by Arnold Dallimore
    4. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
    5. The Trellis & The a Vine by Tony Payne & Colin Marshall
    6. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
    7. On Writing Well by William Zinsser
    8. Pity the Nation by Robert Fisk
    9. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones (2 Vols.) by Iain Murray
    10. Knowing God by JI Packer

    What books would you list?

  • Book Review: The Pastor’s Kid

    the pastors kid bookMy father is a Pastor.

    My grandfather was a Pastor.

    My great grandfather was a Pastor too.

    When I was a boy I lay on top of my bed one night balling my eyes out.

    The reason?

    I didn’t want to be a Pastor.

    Because of the heritage of my family I thought that to be a ‘Coombs’ meant you had to be a Pastor. I looked down the generations and saw that the first born son turned out to be a Pastor. Something at the age of twelve I didn’t want to be.

    This was one of many unique challenges I can remember growing up as a Pastor’s kid (PK). Granted, this was more a phenomenon of our family’s rich Christian tradition. Yet, there are other challenges of living with the forever abbreviated title of ‘PK’ that others don’t face. And these challenges are the reason I find the book, ‘The Pastor’s Kid’ by Barnabas Piper an excellent book.

    Piper has recently published this book about PKs for PKs, Pastors and churches. A book that “describes the unique challenges PKs have faced being the children of ministers”.

    Throughout the book Piper seeks to serve individuals and churches by highlighting the challenges that come from being a child with a Pastor as parent. Through his own experience as a PK, and conversations with others, Piper gives insight into these challenges. As he puts it,

    “The constant pressure to be something, do something, and believe something creates enormous confusion for PKs. And one of the main confusions is about who we are…”

    After all, nobody chooses to be a PK, you’re either born into it or brought into it through the calling of your parents.

    On one hand it is a privilege. The constant meeting of new people from different parts of the world. The hearing of what God is doing in different countries and places. The unconscious absorption of biblical teaching. And the community of people that you’re surrounded by. All these things provide the PK with tremendous opportunity to hear about God, what He has done, and what He continues to do.

    On the other hand, it is a situation where the fishbowl of the local church can strangle the life out of you. Where there is an ambivalence to the truth because you’ve heard the stories so often. Church becomes a place where everyone knows of you, but no one actually knows you. Where expectations are laid on thick, from parents to congregation. And, of course, where you get to see the ugliness of sinners dealing with sinners from the front row.

    Therefore, PKs turn out differently as they seek to find themselves within the life of the church and the world around them. Some stay within the faith, following in the steps of their parents. Others rebel, leaving the church behind for a life apart from God. And others end up finding God and their place in the world in a way that is their own.

    Piper rightly highlights the need for grace for the PK, as they seek to grow from within the all-encompassing nature of church ministry. Grace that is experienced and shown, not just told. Grace that recognises that legalism and rules won’t help. Grace that recognises the PK has their own journey of faith-discovery and self-discovery. Grace that is therefore holistic, unassuming, respectful and full of hope for the PK as a person. Grace that comes from Jesus Christ, shown through the Pastor and the church.

    A PK isn’t anyone special. They are as special as everyone else. But they do have unique challenges.

    This book is a great conversation starter for you and your family. I’d strongly recommend you buy this book – read it and talk about it. It’ll help you as a PK. It’ll help you as a Pastor. And it’ll help you as a church member.

    This book review was also posted on the Baptist Union of Victoria’s ‘Witness Blog’ on the 22/09/2014. 

  • The Eighth Sin: Apathy

    I’m inspired by today’s The Dailypost topic “The Eighth Sin”.

    image

    First, I’m intrigued that sin is still talked about. Outside of the church I don’t hear too many people talking about sin. It should be talked about more. I’m glad to see it on the radar here in this little exercise.

    Second, what came to mind when thinking about what might be the eighth cardinal sin was apathy.

    When reflecting on the past couple of weeks I can’t help but think we’re an apathetic people.

    This is an apathy that is best wrapped up in the saying, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. But because of the information age we’re in there is no real excuse for being out of sight. My social media feeds are filled with people sharing articles and posts written about the persecution of Christians in Iraq and the terrible conflict in Gaza. Yet, as I reflect further I notice that it’s only a handful of people that are talking about this, or commenting or liking.

    I don’t expect everyone to have their say. For some it’s not a forum where people wish to discuss or even mention their views on anything. Yet, that is one of the main reasons we are so apathetic.

    Apathy allows us some emotional distance from what is going on for others. Apathy means we don’t make a stand when we should. Apathy means we don’t give a voice to the voiceless. We let injustice run its course.

    To be apathetic means we don’t care. And that’s sad.

    Not everyone can care about everything. That’s impossible in such a complex and issue-ridden world. But on things that aren’t ‘issues’ but are to do with the life and death of human beings, then perhaps we do need to care. Perhaps we need to shake off the comfort and ease of apathy. Perhaps we need to confess we are sinners and one sin that affects us is our apathetic nature.

    Thankfully sin is forgiven, even our apathy. Yet this doesn’t mean we don’t have to change. Just as the sin of apathy is forgiven through the person and work of Jesus Christ, the ability to change and work toward a more just world, a world where the voiceless are heard, is achieved through the continual trust in Him and His rule.

  • The Resolve

    The following is the Resolve, which people of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery hold to within their community. I had the chance to visit their monastery during the week and meet some of the people. It was an interesting time of going back and forth with questions. I also sampled some of their hospitality in edible form, which was simply terrific.

    RESOLVE

    In honour of the non-violent God

    Assured of life eternal, with your whole being proclaim your gratitude.

    Reject nothing, consecrate everything.

    Be the good of love, For God, for neighbour, for all creation.

    Judge no-one, not even yourself.

    Love beauty.

    Maintain inner-silence in all things.

    Show hospitality, err on the side of generosity.

    Speak truth to power, especially power without love.

    Let your only experience of evil be in suffering, not its creation.

    To breathe peace in to the world, first disarm your own heart.

    For us there is only the trying, the rest in none of our business.

  • Church Marketing in 1892

    I’m slowly making my way through the reading of old church meeting minutes (as you do) and I’ve come across this entry in the Deacon’s Meeting on June 15, 1892:

    “Resolved that Sunday services be advertised in (The) Age newspaper every Saturday.”

    It seems that this is the first evidence of church public church marketing in this congregation. At a Deacon’s Meeting in on September 9 of the same year they extended this advertising to Mondays and Tuesdays too.

    Fascinating.

  • Who Am I? by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    Dietrich Bonhoefferby Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

    Who Am I?

    Who am I? They often tell me
    I stepped from my cell’s confinement
    Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
    Like a Squire from his country house.

    Who am I? They often tell me
    I used to speak to my warders
    Freely and friendly and clearly,
    As thought it were mine to command.

    Who am I? They also tell me
    I bore the days of misfortune
    Equably, smilingly, proudly,
    like one accustomed to win.

    Am I then really that which other men tell of?
    Or am I only what I myself know of myself?
    Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
    Struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat,
    Yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
    Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
    Tossing in expectations of great events,
    Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
    Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
    Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all.

    Who am I? This or the Other?
    Am I one person today and tomorrow another?
    Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
    And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?
    Or is something within me still like a beaten army
    Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

    Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
    Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine!

  • “N” As A Social Media Movement

    This past week has been horrific in world affairs, from the continuing Israel/Gaza conflict to the MH17 disaster.

    On various social media outlets over the last 24 hours there have also been reports of Christian persecution in Iraq due to the over-powering presence of the ISIS group.

    As a showing of support with fellow believers in this part of the world a number of friends have begun putting the Arabic letter ‘N’ as their profile picture. I’ve joined in as well and would encourage you to do the same.

    arabicNazarene

    The reason for this is because the Arabic letter ‘N’ (noon) for ‘nasara’ or ‘nazarene’ is being written on Christian homes in Iraq by the strict Muslims of ISIS. This is a warning sign, telling Christians to convert to Islam, pay a subjugation tax, or expect their death. Many of these believers have taken a fourth option, fleeing. Now, there are very few Christians in this area at all.

    While it’s become a small movement, and some would say doesn’t bring much change, I believe it (1) highlights the need for people to be educated about the current situation and (2) reminds people to pray for them. At least we can do that.

    The original article I read about this idea was from David Ould’s blog, while there are also a number of other outlets writing about this issue, including The Telegraph here, and Murray from Mentone Baptist has a few reflections here.

  • Millennials & Mission Organisations

    Time_MillennialI’m a 1982 baby. Depending on what survey you’d like to agree with I sneak into the Millennial, or Gen Y, generation.

    My wife and I headed to the Middle East when we were in our early twenties. Spurred on by a call to global missions we spent two years working as missionaries through a local school. Since then I’ve continued the ministry path as a Youth & Young Adults Pastor, and now working with the Australian Baptist mission agency – Global Interaction. My main tasks include walking alongside young adults and encouraging them to follow God into missions, connecting with churches and pastors, and facilitating short-term mission teams. For the last 12 years my world has involved working with youth and young adults in a variety of ways and mobilising them toward long-term mission service – here or overseas.

    In the recent Evangelical Missions Quarterly journal Jim Raymo writes an article entitled “Mission & Millennials: Encouraging A Generation Toward Mission Service”. In this post I simply want to engage with it and affirm it. But also, after months of pondering and talking about this article with a few people I’d like to add my own reflections to what Raymo has said.

    Engaging with Millennials is an important topic for mission agencies and churches to be thinking about. It will be the Millennial generation who will be the most active on the mission field in 10-20 years time. They will be the next team leaders, the next organisational leaders, the ones who will pass the faith onto the following generation and continue the enormous task of reaching the least-reached.

    When I look at the Christian young adults I come across I see people who are wrestling with what God is calling them to. They want to serve Jesus in the best way possible, use their gifts, skills, and abilities in ways that will extend His kingdom, and bring love and compassion to those who don’t see much of it. They seek to serve God and serve others, willing to give up opportunities in the West to serve in other places and in other cultures.

    In light of this mission agencies may like to consider the following points in how best to integrate young adults into the life of their organisation.

    1. Communicate regularly and clearly
    A large portion of the points Raymo makes are related to communication, spoken and unspoken. In fact, it may cover all his points. Leaders need to be willing to communicate the ‘why’ in everything. Whether it is the ‘why’ of the organisation or the ‘why’ of a particular task in a particular project. We like to know why we’re doing what we’re doing and whether it actually has any significance. There’s nothing worse than being given tasks that seem irrelevant. But if the relevance is explained and questions answered, that’s certainly helpful. Oh, and don’t skirt the issue, just tell us plainly what’s going on.

    2. Give room for improvement and growth
    Linked to communication is the aspect of improvement and growth. In each role I’ve had I have always wanted to grow in my experience and expertise. In any role I want to know if it is actually helping me in my ‘career’ or chosen vocation. If it’s not helping or is looking like a dead end I get nervous. I want to improve and better myself, organisations need to show how this can occur.

    3. Show and tell high expectations
    Everyone has expectations and we, as a Millennial generation, have high expectations. We want the best out of ourselves and the best out of everybody else. If people aren’t pulling their weight then we quickly become frustrated and annoyed with them and the system. It’s like the group assignments at uni, nothing worse than a person who doesn’t put in and gets good marks off the back of everyone else. The leaders we work for need to show they have high expectations for themselves too. Give us a task and tell us you want to achieve a high level of success, tell us your benchmark of what success looks like. We’ll try our damn hardest to get there if we reckon it’s a goer.

    4. Be open to new ideas
    The phrase “that’s the way we’ve always done it” is the worst possible phrase to come out of any leader’s mouth. Don’t say it. Don’t even think of saying it. If you do, you’ll lose us. Our ideas aren’t meant to be radical or cutting edge. They’re not meant to be upsetting for people who are not used to them either. Our ideas are simply that, ideas. But somewhere along the line you’ll need to give us the freedom to work with them and do them. Let us do that and you might be amazed at how things turn out.

    5. Respect
    If you’re not communicating, not giving us room to grow, not setting high expectations, and not open to new ideas then you’re telling us you’ve got no respect. Respect is earned, but it is also there initially when you take us on or when you have that first conversation with us. Respect us for who we are and what we can do and help us grow as people.

    6. Have a big vision of God and the work
    Of all organisations, mission agencies should be the ones who are leading and equipping people to serve God. God who rules the world and continues to play an active role within it. God who is spoken of with such high and lofty language in Scripture that we should be able to see that vision of God a mile off. Like generations of the past, we hunger after more of God and seek to be part of what He is doing. So tell me why your organisation is one I should be involved with and what kind of vision of God you have in the work you do.

  • Jesus And My To-Do List

    tdlistWhy is it that I often walk out of church on a Sunday morning feeling more guilty and with more on my to-do list than I did walking in?

    I’ve had this occur numerous times over the last couple of years. I’m not sure if it says more about me or the church service and preacher. I can’t help wondering whether it’s my expectations of what it is to go to church and worship that leaves me wanting. Nevertheless, I occasionally walk out having that sense of needing to do more in the coming seven days.

    I’m a preacher myself, so I know I need to work hard on the application of my sermons. The explanation of the Bible and understanding of the passage can be worked through slowly or quickly but application needs to be there…somewhere. And it is within this application section that I need to know that the burdens I’ve been carrying for the last however long can be lifted. That my cares can be taken care of. That I can hope and know God is in control of all things.

    I need to be reassured that I don’t have to do anything more this week to have God love me more. 

    I know God. I know God because of my faith in Jesus and his work on the cross. Through that work he has enabled me to have my sin forgiven and be in a relationship with Him.

    I understand this will mean I will need to change. Following Jesus means growing as a disciple. This happens over time and with the Lord’s help.

    But when I am weary from a week where I know I’ve sinned throughout, where I didn’t read my Bible as much as I’d like, where things haven’t gone right, then I come to church seeking comfort, seeking encouragement, and to be reminded that God still loves me and is taking care of me.

    Of course, I may know this at a cognitive level. I may know this at an emotional level. But I need to know that this is the case again this week. Just as it was the last.

    This reminder may happen through the Scripture passage, or through the words of the preacher in explaining the text, or through the application part of the sermon.  Whatever way it may be it needs to occur in a way where the application doesn’t mean I walk out with more to-dos this week.

    Because guess what?

    When Jesus died he didn’t add a single to-do to my list. He took many, many, many to-dos away though. When Jesus died he didn’t add guilt to my burdens, he took them all and dealt with them.

    So, preacher (and I speak to myself as much as any other), preach Jesus. Preach Jesus in such a way as to articulate what he’s done without adding more to my week and my to-do list. Please.