Well Annandale Neighbourhood Center was packed to the rafters this morning as we gathered as a church to commission Matt Lemsing and Thora Marsh to their new roles of executive pastor and women's pastor of our ministry.
Matthew Whitfield and I are delighted to have them as co-workers and look forward to a long and happy relationship together. Here's my address from the commissioning meeting. audio | handout.
Well our trusty camper trailer was parked out the front of our house and a Jeep Cherokee slammed into the back of it on Tuesday morning at 8:15.
The damage was extensive. Every panel is damaged and the two truck people who took it to the dealers at Penrith were afraid that it would collapse on the way. It certainly wouldn't have been possible for us to have towed it with our car. Apparently the driver who smashed into the parked campervan came through the roundabout, was heading for a head on smash with a car coming the other way, but then overcorrected and smashed in the back of our parked campertrailer. The driver was OK. It took ages for the two trucks to come. We've sent the camper trailer back to the dealer at Penrith. I think they are expecting that it will be written off but we will find out in the next few days.
The four wheel drive isn't too damaged but it appears that they don't put campertrailers through the same crash testing regime.
It was a really good night at Christians in the Media church last night. We asked people to put up hands if they were in and then made a huge order of Thai takeaway and people stayed late and had a greart time. I gave a talk on 1 Corinthians 3 that outlined how we should be thinking about the ministry of Christ that we are engaged in. Please pray for God's spirit to work amongst those who heard. audio | handout | video.
Today it was a delight to officiate at the wedding of Bethany McCaffery and Martin Southwell. We had a really nice afternoon at Christ Church Springwood. It was great to see lots of friends thereand I particularly enjoyed a long conversation with Evan and Nicky Batten before the wedding reception.
Walk around the church building from Christians in the Media on Vimeo I had a day off today as it's a big day tomorrow, when I'll be marrying Bethany and Martin. Well they will be marrying each other - but I will be officiating. But first thing this morning I headed down to the church building with my Dad (who was visiting for breakfast) and we walked through with Paul Waterhouse who filmed the walkthrough. It will give you a sense of the brilliant job the builders are doing. There seemed to be about 15 guys working today. It was a huge day on the church site. And it's all looking really good.
Cathie's dad Wilf was working at Wittenoom in WA in 1958 when he contracted mesothelioma. He died when she was eight years old. My lovely wife grew up without a father. Her uncle Bob filled that role to some extent. But he too was killed by Wittenoom's mesothelioma a few years ago.
One of the places that Cathie really wanted to visit on our trip to WA was Wittenoom. Strangely it has gone from all the modern maps and the tourist office at Port Headland was directed to advise us NOT to go there.
There are a few people still living in Wittenoom braving the asbestos cancer risk. But the government provides no services: Police, Post, Courts, Electricity etc. As far as I could work out those living there were squatters prepared to take life in their own hands.
The rest of us stayed in the car. Cathie got out to take a photo of a roadsign, to collect flowers, and to place them under a tree near the town's abandoned petrol station.
My own feelings were muddled. Last time I was at Wittenoom I was single and the town and it's asbestos cancer related history was just a curiosity. This time it is a town from whom the poison came - that has killed two of my relatives - and scarred the life of the girl I care for most.
Tomorrow at church Matt Whitfield is speaking on the Lord's Prayer, where Jesus teaches us to pray 'Our Father.'
It is an enormous comfort to me to have a father with whom I am in good relationship. He's not perfect - not like the heavenly father. But he's my dad.
Last night we had four of Solomon's friends for a sleepover. He was due for a birthday party last October but because we were on our trip around Australia that didn't happen. We did it last night.
There were two boys from church and two boys from school and Solomon and Abraham. We had sock wrestling, campfire, marshmellows and damper, scary stories, they stayed up to late, talked to much, and then this morning were mellow eating pancakes and watching the movie Oliver.
This afternoon it's a quiet afternoon at our house
Every day off I plan to edit up a new holiday video ...
... this one is of our visit to the Qantas Founders' Museum and the Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach. The Qantas Museum exceeded our expectations and the Stockman's Hall of Fame was a disappointment. It was good - but the build up in my mind had perhaps been too high.
Over the summer break I found this video of Andrew Barry's excellent talk on 'The Father's Heart'. Somehow we failed to put the video on line at the time he gave this address two years ago. But here it is now.
We are asking all who are exercising any sort of leadership in our ministries to join us Saturday February 7 at Annandale Community Center for our Leaders' Bootcamp (8:30am - 1pm). Our program is shaping up to include:
Breakfast
A Biblical Theology of Elders, Deacons and Christian leadership (Dominic Steele)
Significant input and discussion on vision and church/ministry name
An excursion tour our new church site
Details of our new 'team ministry' structure and how year will work (Matt Lemsing)
Groups Meeting and Training: Community Groups, Youth and Childrens, Scripture, Media Leaders (Worker ministry team, Pyrmont team, UTS team, Mac Uni team), Resources Ministry (Publishing), Resources Ministry (Downloads), Finance Committee, Church Council, Women's mid week groups, Playgroup/Littlies
Prayer
Lunch
There will be a creche on site and a older children's program run in parallel (this will happen at Dominic and Cathie's house). (We are looking for volunteers to help with these programs)
We've just kicked off a major series on Sunday nights hoping to address particular issues that we face as a church. I've called it 'A letter to us that's not to us'. Here's the outline and talk from last Sunday night.
This Sunday night I am speaking on preaching Christ Crucified from 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5.
To think ahead...
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 1. Remember from last week that the Corinthians were dividing over silly things. What is the real ‘division’ in this world (v18)? 2. What does God think of human wisdom (v19-20)? 3. How did God turn the tables on human wisdom (v21)? 4. Greeks are looking for wisdom, Jews are looking for power. Why might the idea of a crucified messiah trip up both groups (v22-23)? 5. What totally different view of Jesus and the cross do you get when God calls you (v24-25)? kick off The cross 6. Why is the cross the ultimate answer to people getting carried away with pride, thinking we’re strong or clever? 7. Think about the idea that the real division in this world shouldn't be in the church, but rather it is the great eternal divide between the saved and the perishing. Discuss all the consequences you can for us as a church, from that gospel truth. 8. If Greeks thought the cross was foolish, and the Jews thought it was weak… what barriers do Australians put up to belief in Jesus’ death for them? How can we address this?
Questions taken from a study by Southern Cross Presbyterian Church.
A Christmas present for the kids from Cathie and me. We decided to call him Barack. His mat is oval and we call it the Oval Office and then we call his kennel 'The White House.' I like the idea of saying 'Fetch Barack.'
