The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps. The groom was late arriving, and the girls became drowsy and fell asleep. Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, “Here’s the groom! Come to meet him!”
When the girls got up and started getting their lamps ready, the foolish ones said to the others, “Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”
The girls who were wise answered, “There’s not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”
While the foolish girls were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed. Later the other girls returned and shouted, “Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”
But the groom replied, “I don’t even know you!”
So, my disciples, always be ready! You don’t know the day or the time when all this will happen.
Matthew 25:1 to meet the groom: Some manuscripts add “and the bride.” It was the custom for the groom to go to the home of the bride’s parents to get his bride. Young girls and other guests would then go with them to the home of the groom’s parents, where the wedding feast would take place.
I’ve heard a few strange interpretations of this parable. Like the one where we’re told we shouldn’t sleep. ‘It’s a sign of disloyalty and laziness’. I don’t think so. After all, sleeping is an excellent way to prepare for action. When the time for action comes, don’t sleep.
What does make sense though is the call to invest in relationships with God and with one another now - while we have the opportunity.
From the context of Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus appears to be asking his followers to be prepared for his second coming. If that’s the case, we need more than an individual preparation for the contingency of Jesus returning in our lifetime. We need a ‘Body of Christ’ approach that keeps the fire burning over many lifetimes.
Vision Books and Trinity Theological College are working togother to host a couple of forums on theology on Saturday November 26.
Challenging the church with the gospel
The morning session (10 am - 12 noon) is an opportunity for dialogue with the President of the Uniting Church, Rev. Dr. Dean Drayton. In a recently published book, Which Gospel? Three New Testament Perspectives, Dr. Drayton has challenged the church to re-acquaint itself with the New Testament accounts of the gospel. The book has been described as a wake up call to the churches to reconsider their function as gospel bearers that focus on God rather than ourselves.
Dr Drayton will expand on these insights and discuss them with a panel of UCA members.
As well as being President of the Uniting Church in Australia (2003-2006) , Dean is Lecturer in Theology: Mission and Evangelism at the United Theological College in Sydney. See his profile there. Ordained in 1969, he has served as parish minister, Director of the New South Wales Synod’s Board of Mission, and Moderator of the NSW Synod in 1995/96.
Defending Christianity in a scientific age
The afternoon session (1 pm to 4 pm) is an opportunity to explore some recent discussions in the encounter between Science and Christianity. Professor Peter Harrison (Bond University) and Professor Ross McKenzie (University of Queensland) will provide insights into Alister McGrath’s, Dawkins God: Genes Memes and the Meaning of Life.
Richard Dawkins, Oxford’s Professor of the Public Understanding of Science, is one of science’s most unrelenting critics of Christianity. Alister McGrath, Oxford’s Professor of Historical Theology, is among the most able contemporary Christian apologists. Peter Harrison and Ross McKenzie will introduce us to the theological and scientific issues at stake in this debate.
Peter is Professor of History and Philosophy at Bond University. He is widely published in the history of modern thought and his current writing is at the forefront of discussions about the relationship between science and Christianity. His book, The Bible, Protestantism and the Rise of Natural Science (Cambridge, 1998) has been widely acclaimed. He is a founding member of the International Society for Science and Religion.
Ross is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Physics Department at the University of Queensland. His research interests focus on using quantum physics to understand complex molecular materials ranging from organic metals to proteins. He often gives seminars at universities and churches on the relationship between science and theology. He is currently the Chairman of the Queensland branch of ISCAST (Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology).
Indooroopilly Uniting Church is located at 74 Station Road, Indooroopilly (on the corner with Musgrave Road, directly opposite the south-west corner of Indooroopilly Shopping Town).
You do not need to have read the books to participate in the sessions. The presenters will not assume that the books have been read beforehand. A bookstall will be present on the day. If you wish to purchase Which Gospel? Three New Testament Perspectives beforehand, you can do so via Vision Books. Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life is available at most mainstream Christian bookstores in Brisbane at the various online bookshops.
Vision Books is an activity of Broadwater Road Uniting Church, 481 Broadwater Road, Wishart. It specializes in resource needs for UCA congregations.
I received an email from Adweek on Friday, offering a free copy of Chuck Nyren’s “Advertising to Baby Boomers” for people who subscribe today. Curious I was. I’ve found Chuck’s blog, “Advertising to Baby Boomers“. He obviously wants us to read his book.
Nyren’s guidelines to Boomer advertising cover how boomers want us to see aging, giving Boomers room for choices, infomercials and internet advertising, ‘viagrification’ of drugs, and the end of stereotypes. He concludes with hints on finding the best advertising agencies for Baby Boomers - the ones with Baby Boomer creatives who know how to advertise to themselves.
At the third session of the Generations in Conversation course we took as our text the recent meeting of the Queensland Synod, held on the Gold Coast in September. Our goal was to reflect on the ways in which generational values were exhibited in the planning of the meeting, as well as in the responses of those in attendance.
We began with the first event, the convocation of clergy. One of the members of the reflection group had taken a leading role in the planning and leadership of the day. The goal was to develop an atmosphere of mutual respect, achieved as people in specified ministries told their stories with honesty, referring to their own issues rather than the issues of others. We reflected on the cynicism held by many beforehand that turned to gratitude and expectation through the day. Authenticity was the value of the day - a value that made the event accessible to those from younger generations. It was an intergenerational event that was marked by story telling and listening rather than sermonising. Was it counter-cultural for older generations?
We wondered how the event might have developed if it had been around tables rather than in rows. Would future convocations focus on specified ministries or would future generations focus on leadership in other ways?
We moved on to the Synod celebration and induction of the Moderator. The group was not so gentle with this event. There was a sense of disappointment that this event did not live up to its potential to provide an experience that modelled intergenerational and multicultural celebration. In one sense there were clear symbolic moments that attempted to include many people. Language was spoken without verbal translation - a sign that we were moving beyond tokenism.
But the overall feel of the event was that of a post-War generation. The seating arrangement perhaps mitigated against the development of a sense of accessibility. The space was far too large. There were far too many seats. People in the back half of the congregation would have felt like observers rather than participants. Group members commented on the proportion of pre-prepared text, spoken, printed and projected, to drama, conversation.
So what would this group do if it was developing an intergenerational induction of moderator in the future? We reflected on the recent Assembly in which formal proedure was brought alive by weaving into it an ongoing story told in dance, drama and visual imagery. We thought about the need for a space in which people would be part of the experience rather than ‘watchers’. We would develop a number of points around the room at which action was happening. We would think about the educational process as we planned, integrating worship with engagement, thinking, dialogue and the asking of questions. We would attempt to do so develop multi-sensory engagement tying together touch, taste, hearing, smell and sight.
From Saturday morning on, Synod members sat around tables, with mints to eat, coffee and tea to drink, and the capacity to draw, converse and listen during the proceedings. We noted how life-giving this had been for younger representatives.
We looked at one of our participants sketches, outlining the faces of about twenty Synod members. We noticed that she had chosen mostly older faces. Many of them wore glasses. We considered their relaxed face muscles and how easy it was for younger people to assume that they were feeling unhappy or angry when in fact they were merely relaxing. We noted that there were very few obvious tattoos or alternative hair styles. They were mostly white. Why, I asked, do we send “elders” to Synod? Perhaps we want to value the reliable, respected, steadfast and loyal members of our congregations, knowing that they have developed the capacity to see the ‘big picture’.
There were ten youth representatives on the list of Synod members. Only six turned up. Four had other calls on their time at the last minute. On reflection I remember that many of the older members also pulled out in the last few weeks. We wondered why many of the youth representatives did not engage in the activities or networking made available to them. Later in our conversation we thought about the ways in which the ‘mobile generation’ communicate. Perhaps we needed to be looking at the ‘flash crowd’ approach in which mobile phones are used to mobilise and coordinate gatherings in the minutes before rather than days before.
Twenty somethings affirmed the setting of tables, appreciating and using the opportunity to get up for a drink whenever needed. They related well to the idea of ‘communal munchies’. But we heard that the younger generation would have related to a more ‘to-the-point’ shorter experience. We noted that those from older generations were more interested in debating process. Younger ones just wanted to get on with it. David Pitman’s explanation of process at the beginning was helpful, particularly when outlining the peramters of acceptable behaviour. The involvement of Gen Xers in the multimedia department had led to a sense of humour that lightened the mood of the gathering.
We looked at the ‘Time of Listening’ in which people from migrant ethnic groups, many of them young, were invited to talk at tables about how their group viewed the issue of homosexuality and ministry. We found that the interaction with other people was significant for all. However the underlying agenda seemed to widen the gap between people of different ethnic groups. We reflected on the hard line taken by the two Tongan ministers and wondered how much their agenda had been affected by their seniors in the Methodist church in Tonga. We wondered about the young people who had been told to express the party line. Was this an example of colonialism and serfdom? (See next post on Doing Theology Ourselves). However we were impressed by the capacity of thirteen and fourteen year olds to communicate with older people as they struggled to express themselves in response to theological questions. “This is what our church has taught us”.
So how would we want to take the next step in a time of listening between people of different ethnic origins? What would it look like for emerging generations? Perhaps we would be careful to distinguish listening for the sake of decision making process, with its capacity for manipulation, and listening for the sake of encounter of the other. We noted that NCYC (National Christian Youth Convention) in 2011 would be held in Queensland. How would we start now to build a foundation for a multicultural expression of worship, prayer and community?
We considered the Presbytery reports. They have become dynamic pieces of communication over the years, partly because of their budget but also because of their brief of inspiration. We noted the danger that reports could become technically brilliant but substantially bankrupt. We acknowledged that written reports provided detail while visual reports provided inspiration. But substance for us would be found in evidence of intention and effective action.
We noted the lack of decisions to be made. What would the Synod gathering be like if we were to honestly share our engagement with the future?
Many people did not attend the guest lecture. Why? We could see that many people had felt exhausted after the first full day of business and were keen to explore the night life of the Gold Coast. But what would we do to inspire participants to engage in a process with the guest speaker? What would the engagement with the Guest speaker look like? Maybe she/he would be on at a more high-profile time.
We finished with the recognition that the Synod gathering was continuing to develop. And we would have a role in empowering emerging generations in that process.
In Balclutha I met up with Malcolm Souness, my sister’s son, who’s started a business called “Rural Energy”. Malcolm has a background in electrical, electronics and management engineering, based in Wellington. He’s spent years developing an approach to energy efficiency that will help dairy farmers respond effectively to electricity price rises.
After Jesus had made the Sadducees look foolish, the Pharisees heard about it and got together. One of them was an expert in the Jewish Law. So he tried to test Jesus by asking, “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?”
Jesus answered:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.
Matthew 22:34-40 (Contemporary English Version)
First question - how did Jesus make the Sadducees look foolish? Looking at the previous story, Jesus appears to have outclassed these guys in a debate over life in the future world. He’s made it clear that they’re using categories that are too small to deal with life after death.
Second question - what are the categories from which this ‘Pharisee’ is operating? It would seem his vision of human life is derived from interpretation of the written codes and guidelines of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus here opens up the perameters by which people can develop their expression of God-honouring humanity. By giving us the big picture of loving God and loving one another he gives us room for cultural interpretation.
I spent part of yesterday with a colleague who was reflecting on the distinction between discipleship and socialisation. Much of what we think is obedience to God is in fact conformity to the codes of politeness we’ve inherited from our families and churches. Take for example our codes on swearing, drinking, smoking, tattoos and dress code. Can you have a swearing, drinking, smoking, tattooed, roughly dressed person who loves God and loves others as him/herself? Sure thing.
On Sunday night I went to see The World’s Fastest Indian at the Reading Cinema in Invercargill, ten days after the world premiere there. The family were curious to see if Uncle Jack Johnson got into the movie as the driver of one his 1960s cars.
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The World’s Fastest Indian is the story of Burt Munro, a 68 year old Invercargill resident who takes his 1920 Indian motorbike from a capacity of 55 mph to a speed capable of setting a world record. To do that he sets out from Invercargill for Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, via Los Angeles. Doesn’t sound much of a plot does it. But somehow this movie seems full of humanity and drama.
Roger Donaldson, director of The Recruit and Thirteen Days, takes the true local story and weaves it into a true piece of cinematographic theatre. Filming took place on location in Invercargill and Utah, making the most of financial incentives from local governments. I wonder if the one condition for Invercargill City Council support was the casting of mayor Tim Shadbolt as the man in the post office. Fortunately Tim didn’t upstage Anthony Hopkins who gave a captivating performance as Burt.
The movie has an official site at http://www.worldsfastestindian.com/ which includes a quicktime trailer. Indian Motorbikes have a page dedicated to the TWFI, including photos of Burt, trivia on the making of the film and excerpts from articles published by Burt Munro in the 1960s.
The great thing about seeing the movie in Invercargill was being able to see one of the bikes used in the movie on show in the theatre foyer. The other bonus was sharing in the laugh when Tim Shadbolt first appeared.
There’s something disturbing about Don Brash’s appointment of a political correctness terminator. In today’s shadow cabinet line-up, the National Party in New Zealand has given Wayne Mapp the portfolio of “Political Correctness Eradication” - the task of agitating for the removal of special consideration for minorities. The Human Rights Commission and the Waitangi Tribunal are first in the sights of Alan Brash and Wayne Mapp. They have a few supporters in New Zealand, people who would like to see a society marked by majority rules without consideration for voiceless. It chills me to think that New Zealand this year came so close to putting this party into government with policies that bear a remarkable resemblance to those of 1930s Germany. I wonder how the rest of the cabinet sees this move.
Sure - there should be limits to the ways in which minority interests impinge on everyday life. We do need honest questions and honest engagement with those questions. But it is irresponsible for a potential government to campaign for the disregard of the welfare and equal participation of indigenous people, disabled and gays.
Who was it that said that the level of a society’s civilisation is gauged by the way it treats its most vulnerable members? Or that democracy is measured in the way society treats its minorities?
Monday night was a night of storms here on the Gold Coast. As I arrived on the train from Brisbane Airport the sky was being riven by fork lightning. My daughter and I went storm chasing with the digital camera - testing out its capacity for night time shots.
It’s a bit tricky but photographing lightning can be done.
With an SLR camera we could have just left the lense open, covered with card, opening it when the lightning struck. However this camera doen’t offer that option.
We had to make do with taking shots of the sky for 10 seconds at a time on the off chance that we might strike it lucky. Here’s one of our shots, taken from a hilltop next to the Molendinar Tip.
Next time we go out with an empty camera and a fully charged battery.
This last Sunday morning I wagged school (CSC Reunion) to attend church at North Invercargill Presbyterian, the church that employed me as a youth worker in 1984 and 1985. It was also the place where Ennis and I were married in 1985.
But of course it was nothing like the old days! Lots of families were away on holiday. The children and teenagers I worked with twenty years ago are all grown up, many overseas. There’s a new hall big enough to host a game of badminton. An excellent move long overdue.
It was good to have the invitation to share about the Seeds of Hope and Vision for Mission initiatives in Queensland. It was a reminder that I’m part of a missional network that includes a strong intercessory base. Maybe I should make more of that prayer support base.
The youth hall was still there - looking smaller than ever. This was the room where we held the newspaper night - filling the room up to knee height with crumpled newspaper. This was the room where we held our mock wedding. And the room where we held our discos. Not to mention indoor soccer and hockey games. I couldn’t resist taking a snapshot…
Duncan Macleod posts on life, faith and culture in Australia, drawing from his involvement in the creative industry, the Uniting Church, the blogosphere, generational research, the emerging church and life on the Gold Coast.
The morning session (10 am - 12 noon) is an opportunity for dialogue with the President of the Uniting Church, Rev. Dr. Dean Drayton. In a recently published book, Which Gospel? Three New Testament Perspectives, Dr. Drayton has challenged the church to re-acquaint itself with the New Testament accounts of the gospel. The book has been described as a wake up call to the churches to reconsider their function as gospel bearers that focus on God rather than ourselves.
The afternoon session (1 pm to 4 pm) is an opportunity to explore some recent discussions in the encounter between Science and Christianity. Professor Peter Harrison (Bond University) and Professor Ross McKenzie (University of Queensland) will provide insights into Alister McGrath’s, Dawkins God: Genes Memes and the Meaning of Life.
