Still not seen a kangaroo

Day 7 in Australia and no kangaroo sightings yet.
Truth be told, the last 2 days I haven't seen much at all.
I've walked from my bedroom to the conference room, to the dining room, to the laundry room and back to my bedroom.

I have heard a Kookaburra bird.
But still to see a kangaroo ...or Melbourne (where I'm staying!).

But what I have seen is so much better than seeing a Kangaroo.

I've seen pastors decide there are necessary endings they need to make when they return to their corps.
I've seen pastors face honestly their biggest fears - including the fear that perhaps they haven't got the gift of preaching and they need to rethink their role -so many brave, courageous pastors who do not want to be an obstacle in God's way.
I've seen pastors dream of what could be an no longer ask 'why?', but say 'why not!'
I've seen pastors grapple with the big stuff, ask the central questions, wrestle with important tensions.
I've seen tears of hope for what God could do in and through their leadership.

So - no Skippy yet, but I never came for that.

It's like going to Kenya.
I sit in the Nairobi airport and I see tourist after tourist buy tee-shirts with giraffes on them.
But they miss it.
Kenya is not about giraffes or elephant sightings - Kenya is about the people.

My trip down under is not about seeing the Gold Coast, a kangaroo or Mick Dundee - this trip is all about seeing church leaders grasping what God can do in and through them as they turn their churches or corps outward to be all about what God is about -reaching people who are lost.

I want more of these sightings.

Mooroolbark

It wins the prize for the strangest sounding place I’ve been to in Australia – and believe me they have some strange sounding names ….. Burrumbuttock, Gooloogong and Wagga Wagga to name a few.

Mooroolbark is my destination for a 3 day conference with Salvation Army Officers.

We’ve talked before about how leaders define reality, but today we also shared that leaders move people to a preferred future. This is leadership. Moving people.

So my day began at 4am and a text from a friend - Sean Bautista – a United pilot who regularly flies into Sydney and Melbourne.
‘U in Melbourne’ his text read
‘Yes’ I managed to rouse myself to reply …..as I looked at the time and groaned….adding on that ‘I am in Mooroolbark an hour from the airport.’
‘I’m there for 2 hours enroute back to Sydney no time to meet’ was Sean’s reply.
‘You mean you woke me at 4am to tell me we can’t meet up!’ I texted back and tried to return back to sleep.

His text moved me – firstly to happiness thinking of sharing a pint with him.
But then it moved me again …..and again……and again…..and again as I struggled to sleep more.

Moving people.

Historically God’s people were nomads – moving was not hard for them.
Sadly, the Church is anything but nomadic.
Movement is painfully slow for many Christians.
We have lost our ability to move.
And in losing our ability to move we don’t stay static we die.

Scripture says – where there is no vision the people perish.

Movement leads to life, non-movement leads to death.

This is why leadership is so vital.
Leaders move people.

Pray that a bunch of Salvo’s downunder become people movers.

My first Sunday in Australia

Church and Christianity in Australia are viewed by the majority as irrelevant to life. Only around 5% will attend a place of worship today.
America fairs slightly better at around 12%.
But like Australia there are a growing number of people in the US who see particularly Church as irrelevant to life.

Truth be told – often Church is irrelevant to life.
But, Christianity isn’t.
And that’s our problem.
How do we hold the most relevant hope and reality there is (life with God) in a vessel (the Church) that in so many ways is unattractive, irrelevant and misrepresentative of the Jesus who is the head of her?

So I walked into the Fortress to be the guest preacher today.
The Fortress is the central Perth, Western Australia main citadel.
A central corp of the Salvation Army and led by Majors Barry and Ros who are two neat relevant pastors.
I’d met them yesterday as we lead coaching for Army officers and leaders. They introduced me to one of their equally neat leaders a guy called Robin. He’s in PR and I teased him about his trendy hairstyle, cool clothes and slightly graying partial beard – the necessary accessories to be cool.

Two neat majors and equally neat and cool lay leader ………

So today my eyes were slightly surprised when I entered the Fortress and the Major’s were in their old-fashioned Army uniform (only slightly because they were the Major’s); but then my eyes were shocked when Mr. Cool PR dude was also in his uniform!

Truth be told often Church is irrelevant to life.

I expected a marching band – and the musicality was excellent.
I expected a choir – and the harmonizing was excellent.
But in many ways it seemed so …… irrelevant.

What surprises me is that after some Salvation Army band music the band leader led us on drums into some modern worship music.
After church we ate in a really hip gourmet burger place.
I headed to their home and enjoyed watching Aussie Rules Footie on their modern HD TV.
We were taken to the airport by one of the uniform, band playing officers listening to modern rock music on the car stereo.
And my neat cool relevant Majors are dressed hipper than me!!!!!

My point is a point of confusion. It seems there is a dichotomy, a dichotomy that seems to be unnecessary.

I know the Army has a great heritage.
I know they have been a part of magnificent ministry.
I know all their rituals and traditions stem from reasonable roots.
I know you can’t just throw away history.
I know there are molehills and mountains.
I know there are things worth fighting to keep and fighting to lose.
I know they are a group of good people.

PS …….I’m writing this in Perth Airport waiting my flight to Melbourne and this really attractive girl has just sat down next to me. There are hundreds of empty seats and she chose to sit next to me. Maybe uncool, shirt tucked in, balding, fairskinned with freckles, skinny Scotsmen ……is the new cool!!!

Sorry for the sociological distraction – back to my first Sunday in Australia.

I know uniforms, band music, and Army titles are not central theological issues or even the issues.
But it sits on the surface of the bigger issue.

Churches (mine included) can embrace dichotomist realities that reveal an inauthenticity/hypocretisim that unchurched people sniff a mile away, and keep them miles away.

There is a strong call for us to be One.
That call is to trueness.

My first Sunday in Australia has got me questioning where I am not one. Where am I a walking dichotomy?

Day 3 in the most isolated city in the world

I watched my first Aussie rules footie game today.
Geelong beat Melbourne 233 to 47.
That’s more like a cricket score than a footie score!!!
Don’t understand the game at all – but from what the commentators were saying – the score was the worst ever!!!
I only saw the game on the telly - funny how the Aussies use similar slang to the Brits!

The second day of the layered learning event in Perth was a good day. Even although I was hungry for most of it.

Last night’s dinner/supper didn’t quite work out.
My hotel has no restaurant but they contract with a company who deliver from various restaurants.
I duly ordered a tasty pizza – pineapple, chicken, fresh tomato, mozzarella cheese and avocado (when in Aussie land eat what they eat ….and I thought it was all bbq’s and Skippy meat) to eat with my rented movie – The Top 10 Chain Saw Murders.
2 ½ hours later the pizza arrived – cold.
Being true to my Scottish frugalness – I didn’t pay for it …but did eat 2 slices of a disgusting pizza.
(PS the movie I rented was The Tourist!)

So today I was hungry all day …..but obviously I am a pathetic westerner who doesn’t understand true hunger.

Check our www.whenigrowup-global.com and get involved in ensuring really hungry kids are given hope.
Come on guys ……use your money to make a difference.

Interesting day.
A room full of Aussie pastors/officers and lay leaders passionate about seeing their churches/corps reach more and more people for Jesus.
But also a room full of Christians sadly grappling with the elephant in the church.

Listen to Dallas Willard’s insight on the elephant:

“It is not the much discussed moral failures or financial abuses or the amazing similarity between Christians and non-Christians. These are only effects of the underlying problem. The fundamental negative reality among Christian believers now is their failure to be constantly learning how to live their live in the Kingdom Among Us.
And …..it is an accepted reality!”

The elephant in the church is the acceptance of non-discipleship.
People will embrace Jesus as Savior – but will not follow him as Rabbi or Teacher.
People will take his forgiveness and grace – but will not live the way Jesus wants us to live.

But the elephant is – it’s acceptable.

It’s time for the church and its leaders to stop accepting it.
It’s time name it, confront it and kick its butt.

I’d love to write more on this ….but its supper time and they are taking me to a real restaurant tonight.
So sorry – theology comes second my own needs and greed come first.
Yep ……there’s an elephant not only on the church!!!!

Still down under in Australia

So Day 2 saw me awake in Australia ready for the reason for my long travels to begin. Day 1 of teaching.

So to prepare I went a 5 mile run around Ascot Racecourse and along Swan River. My mind was cleared - partly due to being chased by a dog and the clarity running can bring.

It all begins with God, and so theology took centre stage in Session 1.
Who is this God that we have given ourselves to?
Who is this God that we preach and declare?
Who is this God that we lead our congregations to give themselves fully to?

Enter ......... trinitiarian theology.

Not the easiest beginning topic to handle, and tonight I'm rewriting some of it, but at its core stands a trinitarian God who incredibly moved with the sole purpose of human redemption.

3=1
We believe that God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is One God.

3-1=0
Each person is God only with the other two.
So, the incredible death of Christ on the cross and his cry 'my God, my God why have you forsaken me' describes not only the suffering of Christ but the suffering of God. God was 'damaged' due to the cross.
But this was all purposeful. God the Father sent the Son (at such a cost) to rescue humankind.
His purpose flows out of God being missional - a sending God.
Christ was sent to bring about God's rescue.

3+1=1
The Missio Dei accomplished, you and I are joined to God, heirs, co-heirs. We are brought into the union of the Godhead.

The Trinity was not exclusive. It moved to include you and me. God is inclusive.
Its moving was at the ultimate cost.
The Church is called to live out that cost - radically, sacrificially, selflessly give ourselves to see others included in God.

.....and there were too many blank stares hence my rewriting tonight.

But its core.
Miss who God is and all the pain and effort in trying to lead and serve in a local church becomes vain.
Grasp how far God went ....... you'll not pull back, pull up or pull away.

Session 2 was simple - lets talk leadership.

But over lunch conversations began, and what rose to the surface was here in Australia, like in America, Britain, most places - church leaders sit around and discuss how to help dysfunctional Christians grasp the scale and the urgency of reflecting the image of the God we worship and who made us.

Tonight I sit watching another storm hit Perth. Gallons of rain are falling as i eat Cadbury's chocolate and hit my netbook.

Trinitarian faith in all its depth and complexity being contemplated even outworked by a simple Scots guy slightly carnal and slightly tired trying to help a bunch of Aussie pastors lead towards health.

The key is knowing it is God working purposefully to bring about his one and only purpose - the missio dei ....in and through jars of clay.

Off to watch a movie and eat more chocolate.

Australia Day 1

Travelling for 19 hours on a plane to reach the first city in my tour of Australia passed as slow as you think it passed.
19 hours on a plane – add on the airport waiting time and it brings you to a total of 28 hours.
Even trying out the new A380 double decker super jumbo made it only interesting for the first hour –when they had a sky cam attached to the tail of the plane for you to watch the takeoff from! But then it was back to ordinary airplane food and cramped leg space – trying your best to sleep as you flew over nothing but water.
When I did the short 5 hour flight across Australia from Sydney to Perth the monotony was broken by the incredible golden coastline we hugged and the three bars of Cadbury chocolate I eat in place of more yuck airplane food.
Thank the Lord for Cadbury’s down under.

And while I seem to have begun my travels complaining, it is absolutely amazing that I am sitting nearly 10,000 miles from California reaching here in just over one days travel – safely.
Thank you Jesus and Qantas (which I discovered stands for Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services).

Apart from watching three pretty good movies Lincoln Lawyer, The Adjustment Bureau and the weird but funny Paul, I finished off two good reads.

Read #1 (which I finished between waiting in Fresno and reaching LAX) was a leadership book called It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy @ Captain D. Michael Abrashoff.
Fun read.
The story of turning the USS Benfold from one of the most dysfunctional ships into the go to ship in the Gulf War. Basis premise – give every sailor ownership of the ship, hence the book’s title. Revolutionary thinking in a highly pyramidical US Navy culture.

Read #2 was about Dean Karnazes called UltraMarathon: Confessions of An All-Night Runner.
This guy is incredible – he’s run the Badwater Race (Death Valley to Mount Whitney) in the summer heat where your shoes actually melt on the road surface! He’s run the Western States 100 (yep – 100 miles not 100km). He ran a marathon at the South Pole. The Relay Race is teams of relay runners running from Calistoga to Santa Cruz – 199 miles! Dean Karnazes ran it without a team ……. he ran all 199 miles himself and then ran a full marathon (26.2 miles) immediately after it!!!
Crazy.
Fanatical.
Possessed.
Or …..committed to what he can do well.

Both books stirred me as I flew to Australia.

My trip here is to work alongside the Salvation Army in Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney and coach on church transformation.

It was initially a 10 day trip talking in 2 cities; it’s now 17 days, 39 talks, 4 cities!

I needed stirring for this trip - so these books, amazing scenery and Cadbury chocolate has brought me that.

So to read #3 and the most stirring:
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
Written over 400 years ago, the first modern novel, it is a classic and one of only 20 or so pieces of literature that have survived for more than 400 years.
Steven Sample suggests we give up reading new books and if all we read every year are the 20 or so true classics we would have done ourselves more good.
So here goes.
I’m at page 43 and its slow, different but in a strange way refreshing and intriguing.

Today (Thursday) I saw the Indian Ocean for the first time as I explored Western Australia.
Tomorrow – my main reason for being here begins.

I begin it with a 2 hour teaching on the Theology of the Trinity. Wonder if any will return for more on Saturday and Sunday.

So far I’d describe Australia as an English feeling place with an American overture. Unsure if that is a compliment.

Tomorrow I meet church leaders ……. brings purpose and the tangible to why I’m here.

Can’t come soon enough.

Heading to bed ……. still fighting the old jet lag and too much Cadbury’s!!

Rob Bell - poet, prophet or pest?

There’s something about poetic language that draws me in.

Take this poetry:
“Many have these questions.
Christians,
people who aren’t Christians,
people who were Christians,
but can’t do it anymore because of questions about these very topics,
people who think Christians are delusional and profoundly misguided,
pastors,
leaders,
preachers – these questions are everywhere.”

There’s something about the way the poetic weaves together groups of people who would not normally go together.
The poetic finds way through a phrase even a word that pulls the unusual into community.

Take this poetic phrase:

“Honest business,
redemptive art,
honorable law,
sustainable living,
medicine,
education,
making a home,
tending a garden – they’re all sacred tasks to be done in partnership with God now, because they will all go on in the age to come.
In heaven,
on earth."

Poetry.

Putting together words that on earth don’t go together.
Merging what’s normally unmerged.

There’s something about poetic language that draws me in.
For some the movement of poetry appeals, for others it raises questions.
For me the rhythm evolves poetic license; for other its vagueness confuses or denies.
For me it draws me to think and consider possibilities; for others it causes them to think that the poet is considerably wrong.

Chesterton once wrote: “it’s the mathematician that goes mad not the poet”.

The mathematician is trying to get heaven, God, faith, truth into his head, the poet is just trying to get his head into heaven.

The poet can hold vagueness; the mathematician can’t.
The poet can write something unconcluded; the mathematician must see the conclusion. The poet in this case is the pastor and author Rob Bell.
The mathematicians in this case are the pastors and Christian leaders lining up to shoot the poet.
The topic is Rob Bell’s latest book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, And The Fate Of Every Person Who Ever Lived.

The poetry written above comes from this book.

I loved the book, in all it inconclusiveness, vagueness and poetry!
Excellent.

Like everything else Rob Bell has written he weaves new thought alongside orthodox thought and invites you to be shocked and stirred and intrigued and scratched, question and disagree and agree and applaud, and want more and want less all at the same time.
As a poet he lets you swim in the sea not curtailing its vastness ignoring the ‘don’t swim here’ signs.

It’s the work of a poet not the work of a mathematician or a scholar or a theologian.

Is he really preaching universalism as some charge him with?
Is he really presenting a false God as others charge him with?
Is he really denying the atonement?
Should he really be burned at the stake for heresy?

He’s a poet.

Another poet Eugene Peterson endorsed the book indicating that while he doesn’t agree with all that Rob’s written, he’s my brother in Christ writing nothing new but continuing a worthwhile discussion.

To some extent it’s a classic modernity/postmodernity clash.
The clash of formulaic, propositional truth with narrative.

I live in the borderland between two cultures.

I can be the poet, but I can also be the mathematician.

There are times when the ‘modern’ in me wants better supporting evidence for the new definitions Rob gives.
There are times when the ‘postmodern’ in me wants him to pull back from wording that seem to be too deconstructive.

But I enjoy Rob Bell and his poetic exegesis.

For me, God is as much a poet as He is a mathematician.

The intricacy and preciseness of creation; the clarity and formulae of The Law He gave enable the mathematician to claim God as his friend.

But the mysteries left hanging; Jesus’ answers that were more questions; the both/and of His Being (three but one; fully God but fully human); the Psalms, the Revelation, the Book of Songs ……reveal a Divine Poet.

There’s room for both; and both should allow room for the other.

To a degree I need there to be a box – call it Orthodoxy.
I need there to be lines drawn and conclusions reached and The Faith handed down.
I need the Didache, the Creeds, the Confessions of Faith, the completed Canon.

But I’m nervous of a box with the lid fully closed. (In fact the only box I know of where the lid is fully closed is a coffin!)

I’m wary of theology that has systematized God into concluded theories.
I’m skeptical of faith built upon conclusions.

Does faith not require lines to sometimes bend or be dotted?
Does God not stand bigger than even the biggest box we can find?

I need perhaps not vagueness – what if we call it largeness.

I need space for more – more redefined, or more to be defined.

I need the poet.

“And to that,
that impulse,
craving,
yearning,
longing,
desire – God says yes.
Yes, there is water for that thirst,
food for that hunger,
light for that darkness.
If we want hell,
if we want heaven,
they are ours.
That’s how love works.
It can’t be forced,
manipulated,
or coerced.
It always leaves room for the other to decide.
God says yes,
we can have what we want,
because love wins.”

Poetry.

“Is the cross about the end of the sacrificial system
or a broken relationship that’s been reconciled
or a guilty defendant who’s been set free
or a battle that’s been won
or the redeeming of something that was lost?

Which perspective is the right one?
Which metaphor is correct?
Which explanation is true?

The answer, of course, is yes.”

To some it’s misleading, indecisive, confusing, heresy.
To me its poetic thought invites thinking, engagement, discussion.

For some, including a good friend of mine, the debate is irrelevant – God’s sovereignty answers it all.
For some, Rob Bell has struck his final nail in his own coffin.

But for others, myself included, Rob Bell has enabled us to keep largeness a big part of God; a largeness that allows us down here to discuss and disagree, but do so respecting our brothers and sisters rather than displaying both the arrogance of claiming to be right and the arrogance of stating the other is wrong.
It allows largeness in thought and worship that quickness my heartbeat, thrilled by the vastness of God and The Faith I’m a part of.

The poet never sets out to complete the box; the poet sets out to express their emotion and in that expression wonder if they’ve latched on to something divine.
If they have – the poem will deliver, it’s an outward journey.
If they haven’t - the poem is but an inward restlessness revealed.

For the poet while the former is best, the latter still holds meaning.
For the reader if they seek to critique it they will deduce one of either of the endings.
Or, if they can, they become the poet and the circle continues.
And continues.
And continues.
And continues.

Freaks some people out!
Helps some of us to breath.