Cityscapes

During our first ‘God of our City’ series we introduced our City Scapes segment. Each week one of our 645ers brought to us something they had seen or heard in our city that had got them pondering.

Week 1: Magnum’s ‘Are you a worshipper’ advertising campaign. What does our city worship? We know, as Christians, we worship a God that is bigger than ice cream.

Week 2: Mardi Gras. How do we as Christians engage with and love our city in all its debauchery.

Week 3: Fitness First’s latest ‘Get in a Sweat’ ad campaign (complete with free condom). How does our city view sex? How does our Christian world view engage with sex in our city.

Week 4: Statistics. Our city lets statistics define it. We want to find our identity in Christ and not statistics.

As we begin the second chunck of our ‘God of our City’ series keep your eyes open for things in our city that make you think. People, converstations, tv, music, current events, hot date spots, anything! If you want to share it with our community email sarah@nac.asn.au with your thoughts. 

RevWrites - May 3

When you read this Robyn and I will be away on some leave. We are able to spend two weeks in Noosa due to the great generosity of some friends who are allowing us to stay in a unit they have there. Please pray that the Lord will grant us good refreshment.

This gives me a good opportunity to encourage you to look after your ministers. Our friends are looking after us in a most helpful way at a time we need it.

The Scriptures encourage us to look after our ministers so can I encourage you to pray about how you might look after those who labour among you? I think they are hard workers who do a very good job.

Another way to encourage them is to join them in their endeavours. We are deeply involved in Connect09. Some specific Connect09 events are coming up and they give many of us great opportunities to make better connections with friends and neighbours.

Parenting nights are always a hit. Probably because most of us parents struggle with it! A parenting night is coming up. Details are in this Connections. Talk about it with your neighbours and friends as soon as possible. (I know you will pray about talking with them before you do.)

The model train fair at Winston Height Public School gives us another opportunity. Details are also in this Connections. Our congregation at WHAC will be supporting the School and Rotary in this very popular annual event. Because the Fair runs over the whole weekend WHAC will all be there on Sunday morning. Church will be at the Fair!

WHAC won’t be meeting as usual because they can’t get into the hall but will be meeting at the school to support the school and the community. While the school and Rotary will benefit financially from the air WHAC will not get any proceeds. (Although our logo will be on all the advertising.)

We are doing this to connect with our community. What can you do to help if you’re not a member of WHAC? Pray! Pray that the WHACers and NACers there will grab hold of the good opportunities to be friendly on the weekend. Pray we will see ourselves as servants and do the stuff that others don’t like doing.

Go! Go to the Fair and encourage our members.

Offer to help! Our 5.00pm congregation are making it a priority to help on this weekend. Others can too. Contact James to offer your help.

One of the best ways to encourage your ministers is to join them as fellow-worker for the Kingdom.

Neil

200 words on… protesting against our culture?

Last week at the Opera House ‘Jerry Springer the Opera’ played. There has been an interesting discussion involving Michael Jensen (a Moore College faculty member), the Sydney morning herald, and even the gay press website.

The show sounds terrible in many ways – mainly the way it portrays Jesus. The producer Andrew Spence said "So what if we have a black Jesus who's a little bit gay. At the end of the day, it's all about love … “

Sounds like rubbish to me!

But as Christians – what do we do with that? In the UK, there were great protests about the show. But Michael Jensen disagrees with this approach. He says 

“I think it actually damages the cause of the gospel when we pose as just another protest group in society that is making noise for its own space. If we are not convincing in showing that what we are arguing for is not the good of our own sector of the community but the good of the community as a whole, then our gospel becomes just more white noise.”

I like that. I don't want the gospel to be just white noise. But I wonder – what does that mean we should be doing to stand out in our culture as different?

For the full article and interesting comments, go to this link 

Hello from Kenya (George and Jeff)

Well we have had an interesting few days. I am now at the African Enterprise (AE) offices in Nairobi, where I have access to a computer. I am meeting here with a group of 12 students who are doing the Biblical Theology course. I have left Jeff at the centre where we are staying to continue teaching the larger group of 30 who are doing the Doctrine course. It is all very intense.

We arrived very early on Sunday morning and were met at the airport by William from AE who drove us to  the conference centre outside Nairobi. Instead of a dead kangaroo on the roadside, there was a dead zebra! We got off to a slow start as we waited all day Monday for people to arrive. We couldn't start until Tuesday, a bit frustrating, but that's African- time for you! The pastors have come from several parts of Kenya, some travelling for 2 days, and some did not make it because they had to choose between using the money they had for travel or to feed their families. Things are a lot tougher for them here than for us in Sydney. The really encouraging thing is to see how vibrant they are for the Gospel and Jesus and that they tell us over and over again how helpful these courses are for them and what a difference they make in their lives and ministries. They want to do more and they want to do them faster.

A couple of young men I spoke with over dinner last night are full time workers one in a bank and the other is a teacher. They spend every weekend travelling around the country speaking to school groups and seeing many students come to Christ. It's very exciting to see how our teaching helps them in their ministries and their own growth in Christ.  

We are both well. No sickness (yet). The food is good and plentiful. Jeff got to eat his maize porridge (or ugari as it is called here). The conference centre is right next to Nairobi National Park and from the balcony we have seen giraffes, baboons, impala, eland, warthogs, and monkeys (that run across the dining hall roof top as well). We are still waking up early in the morning as we get used to the 7 hour time zone difference. It also didn't help when one of the pastors decided to pray for half an hour at the top of his voice just outside our room at 10.30 on Monday night, then again at 5.00am the next morning! I have also made contact with Noel and Margo Clark and we will see them on Friday May 1.

i always love seeing a rainbow and today there
were two. such a beautiful reminder of God's promise

RevWrites - April 26

The funeral service of former Archbishop of Sydney, Sir Marcus Loane, was held this week. Archbishop Loane was the first Australian-born archbishop of Sydney (1966-1982). Before that we imported them from overseas!

Marcus Loane had a remarkable ministry. He was a lecturer and then principal of Moore College. Although he had a speech impediment and learned to overcome it, it meant he had a distinctive voice that students and clergy regularly imitated.

The former Bishop of North Sydney, Paul Barnett, wrote:

Marcus Loane had an incredibly powerful influence on my life.  His lectures to my class at Moore College (in the early 60s) on the life of St Paul and the Life of Christ showed me the importance of the historical basis of our faith.

During World War II he served as a chaplain to Australian forces in New Guinea. Later in life, I think he was in his seventies, he returned to New Guinea and walked the Kokoda Trail.

Peter Jensen hails him as “one of the key architects of post-war Anglicanism in Sydney”, and a “remarkable leader who served both church and nation”.

Marcus Loane was a minister of the gospel of Christ. He was always concerned for the lost. He led the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade in Sydney. He was very active in ministry to people, visiting them and advising others, right up until he died at 97!

Marcus Loane demonstrates that God can do much through a person when that person is willing to actively and passionately pursue gospel ministry. It meant for Marcus giving up the pursuit of other things, like worldly wealth and worldly comfort and success. He and his family often went without things other families had.

His life also demonstrates that God can achieve much through a man when the man’s wife is totally committed to the same ministry. The commitment of Patricia Loane to the same gospel ministry enabled Marcus to pursue the extent of ministry he did.

One of the reasons that Sydney Anglicans are now such a great resource to other churches, like those in Africa and India(!), is because of the patterns established by Marcus Loane and those who have followed him.

They are models to many young people today. We need to pray for specific young people in our church who will pursue gospel ministry with the same determination. Who know? Maybe God is already raising up yet another Australian-born leader of God's people!

Neil

200 words on... A Christian cynic?

I’m sure most of us have heard about or seen this clip. An average, unemployed woman took the world by storm last week as she auditioned for Britain’s got talent. The judges were completely cynical at first, but then had to eat their words. They had a wake up call.

What does it have to say to us? People are often cynical like those judges. Even as Christians, we can be cynical – about life, about people, about lots of things.
Is there a place for a Christian cynic? There is a place for analysing ourselves and our culture and seeing the places that don’t work and fall short. But cynicism seems to have something else at its heart. Pessimistic, sceptical, distrustful, suspicious – these are words associated with cynicism. They sound like words of the world and the devil to me.

Perhaps we’re underestimating God’s power when we’re cynical. Perhaps we need to see the potential for God to work wonders even when on the outside, things look hopeless and unlikely. We are often cynical about our church, about our leaders, about each other. But where does that get us? There is a place for rebuking and refining. But need to trust God to always work for the good and we are to be joyful in Christ. Is this a chance for us Christian cynics to have our own wake up call?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Real Stories (The Pilot)

Prayer Points from 645:19/4/09

• N. - Pray that N. brother will accept Jesus as God. Pray he will stop criticising N. and her brothers for their love of God. Help them to be wise in their answers to his questions
• Kat Gardener - Pray for her friends O. and D. going to St Anne’s (Ryde). Pray that they will find Jesus as they prepare to be married
• Rach Chapman - Thank God for provision of a house for her Mum, Brother and her to live in
• Bronwyn - Pray for patience at work
• Pray that 645 will know and enjoy God’s peace each day of our lives and that our friends and neighbours will be able to rejoice in God’s peace too
• C. – thanks that Auntie’s cancer can be treated. Pray for her treatment that it is successful
• Pray for Jeff Keith and George May in Africa for 3 weeks. Pay that God would be glorified through their ministry with African leaders. Pray that the African leaders will be able to more clearly proclaim the Gospel as a result

Connect Groups (April 2009)

If there are any mistakes or you would like to join a group please email Ed at ed@nac.asn.au.

taking a photo of the photographer
out in circular quay

Music Roster April/May VERSION 2

RevWrites - April 19

Some reflections on Easter and preparing for Easter 2010.

Good Friday is a service like Christmas – it has a lot of visitors. Easter Day has less visitors but it has some. When we know there will be visitors like on these special occasions we need to prepare well. What is preparing well?

First, the services need to be well prepared. I think we did well on Friday morning at NAC but could have done better. While what we did was first rate there was little interaction with the congregation from up front, except that they reacted to what happened. But there were a lot of visitors.

Easter Day at NAC didn’t really aim at visitors. There weren’t as many but still there were some (except 5.00pm).

At WHAC, Good Friday was well done but nothing really special for visitors. There didn’t seem to be many visitors. Easter Day at WHAC was very visitor-friendly with the family-based treasure hunt and sausage sizzle. We had more visitors.

So, on the first front, well prepared services, we did OK but there was room for doing it better in 2010.

Secondly, while the services need to be well prepared, the members of NAC/WHAC need to be well prepared. There were a lot of visitors at NAC on Friday and many of them must have been invited. So well done to those who invited friends and neighbours. There was a lot of preparation for the treasure hunt on Easter Day at WHAC and many members involved. The visitors seem to be engaged. So well done.

But this Easter, like most Easters, there were a lot of members who took the opportunity to go away. I wonder if this is good thinking? Yes, I know it’s a good opportunity for a break and I value holidays as much as anyone else. But we know it’s going to be one of those occasions when, like Christmas, many visitors find it easier to go to church.

So looking ahead to 2010. We need to think about the three areas.

1. Well prepared services. Both Good Friday and Easter Day need to have sharper focus on visitors. After all, there more of them than any other time of the year! We can look after that. But your help will be needed in many areas of ministry.

2. Members inviting friends. I think we need to resource you better, like we did before Christmas. We need to be in it together and do something like have an afternoon when we visit our “block” as a team in fellowship. That worked well last year and we need to do the things that work. So many of us need encouragement in this.

3. You need to plan ahead so you’re here! We know that it’s only one of two times in the whole year when non-believers find it easier to go to church. We need to grab such opportunities with both hands. You can’t do that if you’re away. So start planning to be here at Easter 2010.

Neil

200 words on... how bad are we really?

There was an interesting and shocking article in the Good Weekend on Saturday. It was about a man who had murdered both his parents and brother. It was a horrific crime – the mother and brother stabbed 17 times and all lit on fire. The man blamed his brother for killing his parents when in actual fact he had killed them all.

A GP was asked, ‘How could this have happened in a normal family?’ The reply – ‘Normal people don’t kill people’. The forensic psychiatrist disagreed saying, ‘Anybody can do anything... don’t for a moment think you’re immune from being a criminal... Our motives vary but that aptitude to kill is within us all in the right circumstances.’

I know that every human is born as a slave to sin. I like to pretend sometimes that sin and evil aren’t really that bad. But I think the psychiatrist is right. All of us are capable of horrific things if we’re enslaved to sin and the devil. I need to remember the reality and horrific nature of sin and evil and thank God all the more for forgiveness and salvation in Christ.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation… Col 1:21-22

RevWrites - April 12

Holidays. Australia is the Land of the Long Weekend. Easter is a major holiday. Did you know that the word holiday comes from old English Holy Day? People used to celebrate certain days each year in the Christian Calendar that were Holy Days. Easter and Christmas are obvious ones.

It’s interesting that as Australia has become more materialistic and more secular, so holidays have become more important and Holy Days less important. There’s even a concerted effort in the media and education to rename the traditional holy days.

But how do we, as God's people, celebrate holy days? Does the Bible have anything to say?

First, there seems to be nothing in the New Testament about Christians keeping special days. Every day is special and is to be lived “for the Lord.”

Second, Paul slams the Galatian Christians for “observe(ing) days and months and seasons and years.” Now that they believe in Jesus the Christ he is amazed that they can “turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world” and is perplexed that they want to be “slaves … once more.”

So the New Testament doesn’t seem, on the surface, to have all that much to say about what we might do at, say, Easter. So what should we do on Good Friday, for example? Well, as we all have a holiday we have freedom to use it any way we like. And as there are no special days in Christianity, then we have freedom to use it as we like.

But is that all there is to consider? Surely the fact that we are to live every day for the Lord, then holidays give us extra opportunities. We might simply see it as a holiday. It’s a break from the normal routine. It’s time for us to do what most Australians do – relax, go out, spend it on myself. But most Australians aren’t Christians. So to behave like them might be missing the opportunity. So how might we use Good Friday? Obviously meeting with our Christian friends to celebrate and remember Jesus’ death is a good thing. So that’s clearly on the agenda. Then there’s the rest of the day.

There’s special events in St Andrew’s cathedral that are worth going to in the afternoon and evening. Reflecting on Jesus’ death on Good Friday in a focused and intentional way is a good opportunity and a good way to spend a holiday.

Some people use the whole Easter break to go to Easter Convention. Great way to use a holiday! But what about Connect09? How about inviting neighbours to a BBQ? Nothing wrong with using Good Friday or Easter Day to connect with our neighbours. They might even connect with God after we connect with them!

I think what I’m suggesting is that we need to develop ways of using holidays that reflect the fact that we are Christians. Sure, we have the freedom to act like average Australians. But we’re not average Australians. We’re God's people! So, think and pray about how we might be distinctively God's people on days that we’re given as holidays. In many ways it should be easier to live holidays as for the Lord. If you’d like to be stimulated to think a bit more about holidays, you might check out Philip Jensen’s article at:

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/ministry/theology/advancing_atheism_at_easter

Neil

it might've been a pain to walk to it but it was a pretty nice view
from the most easterly point of the Australian mainland

645 Music Roster (April and May)

APRIL and MAY Rosters

Click to Enlarge
Email Troy@nac.asn.au with changes early!!

200 words on... Our Image, our Culture

I was read an opinion piece in the Herald yesterday on ‘gym rage’ - a phenomena which has coincided with the financial crisis.

I was struck by the world view of the writer. She began by talking about daytime television which tells us that when we try to improve our bodies ‘I’m doing it for myself’. She says for most people – this is a lie. Gyms encourage us to look in the mirror and analyse our bodies to the extreme. The reason she goes is ‘for fear of my own morality, fear of aging and fondness for attention’. She knows that a lot of it is about pride – she’s not proud of that or ashamed of it. She was honest enough to admit that we are proud and seek admiration from others about our physical appearance. But she didn’t seem to know whether being proud of that was good or not.

We live in a world where so much of it is about the external. I believe as Christians that we need to look after our bodies, we need to eat well and exercise because that’s the way God made us to function best. But we need to be careful to not get sucked into the world’s extreme views on image and self worth.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/when-credit-crunch-meets-ab-crunch-the-lycra-hits-the-fan-20090407-9zhx.html?page=-1

on the senior high cruise last year :)
a party boat if there ever was one

200 words on... the irony of chocolate at easter

This week, I feel like I'm being confronted by the idea of fair trade chocolate. At Northmead High on Thursdays we run a Bible study for people who don’t know Jesus. Every week we also share chocolate together. When I was in Woolworths looking to buy it they had a special on Nestlé blocks for $1.99. Bargain! I didn’t think twice about getting it.

But twice this week I've been prompted to stop and think about whether to support the big companies who exploit child labour to make their products. I love that some members of our 645 community take a stand and only eat fair trade chocolate. I love that at Northmead High on Friday many of us signed a letter to send to Cadbury Australia asking them to follow their UK counterpart and use cocoa that hasn't been harvested by exploiting children.

I get angry at the way Nestlé and Cadbury and other companies exploit children to make a cheaper product. So I think that it might be time for me to take a stand too. But at the same time, I recognise that there are so many other things to think through and take a stand on in our world... But instead of using that as an excuse, perhaps we all need to do something and reflect and pray as we go?

If you want to think more about this issue check out www.donttradelives.com.au

RevWrites - April 5

Somebody once said: “You can achieve a great deal if you don’t care who gets the credit.” As Senior Minister of NAC I often get credit for what somebody thinks we have done. I often point out that I’m part of a team. In a church like ours so much happens that I cannot even know about all of it let alone claim any credit for most of what happens.

But I might be able to claim credit for some of things! So let’s stop and think. God does things in people’s lives because of some things I do. So, first of all, glory goes to God.

Let’s think a little more. There are people who pray for me every day. Some are even members of NAC! They have asked God to do things and bless my ministry. In response to their prayers, the Lord Jesus acts. Again, glory goes to him but some thanks go to those who pray.

These people have prayed. God has acted. And the temptation might be to give credit to the Senior Minister. But who achieved it? I think the person who prayed achieved it first of all. Nobody knows they did but it came as a direct result of their prayer. They have achieved it and didn’t care who got the credit. They didn’t even mind if I got it

I have written about teaching for the last two weeks. I’ve argued that teaching others about God is something most Christians should be doing. But some can’t teach and none of us teaches all the time. So what other ministry opportunities are there?

Prayer is clearly one most significant ministry. All of us, all of us, should be praying for others and for the ministry of others. We might even achieve a great deal if we don’t care who gets the credit. In fact, no one other than the One who notices all might ever know. But in the end it’s what he notices that matters most.

Another significant ministry is supporting those who teach. Robyn has always supported me. Her support has enabled much significant ministry to happen. So spouses are important.

People who prepare material for those who teach others are really important. You might not be able to stand in front of a school SRE class, but you can back up someone who does. Prepare their activity sheets each week for them. You can achieve a great deal if you don’t care who gets the credit.

How about being a class-room helper for an SRE teacher? A gentle, patient helper can change the ethos of a class room. More than that, they can change the lives of individual students. And no one might ever know what you achieved. Maybe even you. But our Heavenly Father will. He might, in fact, be the only one whoever knows.

Behind the scenes ministries. We all should be involved in them. Remember, you can achieve a great deal if you don’t care who gets the credit.

Neil