Multicultural Ministry Matters

This is my final post (for now!) on Biblical sexuality. In previous posts, we've discussed the need for a Biblical, Evangelical sexuality , how it'll be good for everyone and useful for evangelism . When we're discussing Biblical sexuality with people - Christian or not - we'll probably need to do a lot of background work to unwind the presuppositions they approach sexuality with. These presuppositions come through uncritically absorbing the messages of our atheistic, materialistic, hedonistic, permissive, economic-utilitarian society. Most people uncritically assume that if they feel a desire for something, they should seek to fill that desire, and that ‘repressing’ that desire is dangerous. The way to fill that desire is through the market: we ‘demand’ goods and services, and other people ‘supply’ things to fill those demands. For the right price, you can satisfy any desire. The market has no inbuilt morality; it is simply a meeting place for buyers and sellers. So w...

This continues from my previous posts on the need for a Biblical, Evangelical sexual anthropology and ethic , and how Biblical sexuality is good for everyone . This leads to a third point. Human sexuality is a point of contact for the gospel. The goodness of Biblical, Christian sexuality provides evidence towards the plausibility of the Bible and Christianity generally. If the Christian, Biblical God puts people deeply in touch with themselves as sexual beings, that God might have something to say about the rest of life as well – even, conceivably, eternal life. This is especially the case in post-modern culture. The post-modern mind is not persuaded by rational arguments, but by life in community which ‘works’ – which is obviously, palpably brings happiness and satisfaction. As Christians live a healthy, realistic lifestyle, especially with regards our sexuality, we will function as an advertisement for the truthfulness and reality of the God we worship. This will have two effects. It...

This continues from my previous post about the need for a Biblical, Evangelical sexual anthropology and ethic. This Biblical sexual anthropology and ethic will not be merely for the church, but for the world. The Biblical God claims to be the creator God of all people. Therefore, his way of living is healthy and applicable for all people everywhere, not just for the community of believers. An evangelical, Biblical sexual anthropology and ethic is the Church’s gift to the world. We can show people how to live the ‘good life’ – a life deeply in touch with God’s design and purposes for this world, including his purposes for sexuality. And we show this to hurting, needy people, who sense the need to be sexually whole beings – and rightly so, for thus we were created by God – but who, through our rejection of God, have broken ourselves, even in the depths of our sexuality, and who now wilfully and foolishly live in sexually self-destructive patterns of behaviour. A Biblical sexual anthropo...

Orright - enough messing around & hilarity - time to get back to some serious theologising. Series of posts on sexuality coming up. Sexual identity and behaviour lie at the core of self-identity and self-worth. When a baby is born, the first question we ask is “is it a boy or a girl?” Issues of masculinity, femininity, love and romance pervade all aspects of life: young boys run around with plastic machine guns while the girls have a tea party; teenage years bring an outburst of sexual self-awareness and activity; and sexual relationships, whether stable or casual, have a huge impact on people’s physical and mental health. Our sexuality is, therefore, visibly at the core of our human identity. For the Christian Church, this means at least three things. This post will explore the need for a Biblical, Evangelical sexual anthropology and ethic. The next two points will explore how that anthropology & ethic helps us love all people, and points to the gospel. First, it is imperativ...

Click here for a whole lot of other reasons Parramatta is an interesting place to live...

I was walking down Church St Mall a coupla days back, and there were young Indian men, with bindis (Tamil: pottu) on their foreheads, handing out invitations to the Festival of Chariots . A few meters away was an old gentleman speaking into a portable public address system. The sign at his feet asked ‘Does Jesus Save?’, but his portable PA was so bad that I couldn’t understand a word he was saying – his voice was muffled – so I don’t know if he was arguing for or against. When I walked back a few hours later, the Falun Gong adherents were practicing their exercises – right in front of St John’s Anglican Cathedral , which is a thoroughly Evangelical, Bible-based, Christ-proclaiming church. Yep, Parramatta sure is an interesting place.

This follows on from The Race . ***** Nate opened his eyes and blinked. A cloudless blue sky stretched above him. The sun beat down on him, but it was totally devoid of warmth – he was freezing cold. His head was throbbing with a steady rhythm, as if it were caught in a vice that had been set to periodically tighten and loosen like an ancient instrument of torture. He tried to sit up, but only managed to gasp as pain lanced through his chest, radiating from just under his right armpit. He settled back again with a low moan. He ran his tongue across the roof of his dry mouth. He didn’t taste any blood. It wasn’t a torn lung, then. Must be a cracked rib. Nate flexed his fingers, feeling something dry and powdery and cold crumble under them. he gingerly raised his right arm from the elbow, and turned his head so he could look at it. He managed both actions without adding to his pain. That’s a relief – no other broken bones or vertebrae, at least. He was holding a lump of snow – dry, powde...

Just came across an excellent article on ministry to people with mood disorders. Christian and Depressed: What Churches Can Do to Help Persons with Mood Disorders , by Therese J. Borchard . Have a look at Therese's blog on Beliefnet, Beyond Blue . Then there's Leigh Hatcher's book & website on chronic fatigue sydrome (CFS), I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell .

This is what I came up with for the writing exercise at last weekend's New Writer's Group . Remember: five items, fifteen minutes. ***** The lottery ticket burned his hand. His vision blurred as tears filled his eyes. Blinking them away, he stared at the ticket again. No, he wasn't imagining it. Three in a row. He'd just won two hundred thousand dollars. He glanced at the gold watch on his hand. He had ten minutes to get to the lottery office before it closed for the day. He spat out the chewing gum in from his mouth, not caring as it stuck on the painting his teenage daughter had done and proudly hung on the wall. He leaped from the chair he was sitting in, and raced for the door. The folds of his coat flapped around him as he dashed down the corridor, upsetting the candelabra on the side table. He didn't wait around long enough to smell the smoke as the carpet caught fire. He puffed down the street, shedding his clothing as he went. First he pulled off the colour...

This is my mum's script from the writing exercise at last weekend's New Writer's Group - as mentioned in my previous post. Remember: five items, fifteen minutes. ***** "Damn it you selfish, arrogant bastard, how dare you keep it from me?" Sue stood in front of him, her slender figure in the tight blue jumper and jeans trembling. Her rainbow coloured beanie was pulled low over her forehead, the bells on it jangling as she shook her head. "Keep what?" he stammered. Damn, how did she find out? "This!" she screamed, flinging the gold watch on the table. "It’s hers. Don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen it on her. I’m leaving. For good this time – don’t even dream of getting me back. Goodbye." He sat watching the candles burn down, flicker and die. He slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out the lottery ticket. Three matching symbols; a million dollars. And he didn’t have to share it with his wife!

As you can tell from some of my posts , I'm trying my hand at creative writing. I sometimes attend the New Writer's Group gatherings at Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta . Last weekend we did a writing exercise where we were given four objects, randomly selected from around the room, and fifteen minutes to write something based on them. The four objects were: a packet of Extra chewing gum; a candelabra; a gold watch; a multi-coloured beanie; and a lottery ticket. After just fifteen minutes, people came up with some terrific stories and poems. It was interesting how, when writing under pressure, each writer's natural style came to the fore. One person did an absolutely hilarious piece about getting chewing gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe. Another lady wrote a romantic poem where each item stood for some aspect of the lover. I wish I collected their scripts. They were all fantastic. The two scripts I could collect were my own, and my mum's. Mum's a fully paid-up member ...

We're in the middle of a week of evangelism at St Mary's Presbyterian Church . We're going through the book of Romans, and this Sunday we'll be getting to the famous Romans 3:21-26 . With that in mind, and noting that last Monday was a public holiday, we decided to make this week a special week of evangelism. On Monday we had a church social, to which we invited non-churched family & friends. We had a lot of visitors - at least fifteen - which is pretty good for a church of forty regulars. Everyone had a great time. I particularly enjoyed meeting family members & friends whom I'd heard of but not met before. Please pray that the visitors will come to church, hear the gospel, and be saved. Bible studies this week put on a special evangelistic meeting. I would have attended - except I've come down with a cold! I'm sitting at my computer typing this while sneezing & wiping my nose (toooo much info...). Strange, hey. Why this week??? Anyway, please p...

A shout out to all aspiring writers who live or work in Western Sydney: consider putting something in for ZineWest 2010 . Sponsored by New Writer's Group .

This Tues I visited Sydney Missionary Bible College ( SMBC ) to talk about SweatCon . While I was there I went to a seminar on dealing with stress on the mission field. The principles are, I think, equally applicable to ministry generally – or the ordinary struggles of trying to live a normal Christian life. Here's what we brainstormed together. When stressed: Remember the gospel & its missionary motivation – why are we there on mission (in ministry / living as a Christian) in the first place? Memorise the promises of scripture & remember God’s faithfulness to his promises. Read the Psalms. If you’re stressed about conflict – don’t let the sun go down while you’re still angry (Eph 4:26). Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. Count your blessings & be thankful – like it says in the middle of Php 4:6. Remember God’s sovereignty; Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all ...