According to Scott

Why it's great to be me

2010-03-26T13:39:00.003+02:00

Just another 'normal' day really . . .

Our kids are pretty typical really . . .

The playdoh family in another one of their reincarnations. I like the little red guy on the right.

Summers over, but the goggles continue

The Day After . . .

2010-03-24T11:37:00.004+02:00

The day after camp is the perfect time to do something that makes you feel human again . . . so this time round it was a trip to Groot Constantia (where we had our wedding reception for those of you with a 9 year memory). The food was yummy, it was totally serene and the kids loved walking through the vineyards.

Dress Up

2010-03-13T21:49:00.002+02:00

We stumbled across some dress up clothes for the kids.
Better than TV!

You gotta know when to give in.

2010-03-02T00:15:00.008+02:00

The amount of posts since 2009 . . . 0

So you gotta know when to give in on the rambling reflections, and return to family fun. In honor of that moment of clarity, here are some snapshots of the last few weeks!

Home made pizza, Scott and Hayley style!

Jem down at St James tidal pool

Ben with a fish who had seen better days

Super tube awesomeness!

'Making' chocolate muffins

Fun in the pool

Yum

Yum #2

Ben on Junior Youth Camp

How To Be Good: Part 4 of 4

2009-12-01T04:54:00.005+02:00

I'm trying to figure out where 'being eager to do what is good' fits into our Christian lives, especially in the life of our local churches.

If you just joined in, take a moment to read the last few posts.
It's ok, I'll wait for you.

Right. Now we are ready to see how 'doing good' might work out in practice.

I've decided to pick up a specific example of Christians doing good which comes from my own backyard. It goes like this:

About 100m up the road from St James there is a park. (click on the pic to enlarge) It's pretty run down. The grass is dead in the middle, it rarely gets cut and the play equipment is old. Hayley and I take the kids there all the time, cause it's just around the corner. So do lots of other mums and dads too. But as I said, it's only a shadow of a park.

So, I am going to speak to our local member and ask if St James can adopt the park. We'll rehabilitate the grass, cut it and see if we can't raise some money from the community to get a decent jungle gym put in.

The mission is to make the park a place where families can come and play and meet and be safe. Because families matter, and St James cares about the families in our neighbourhood. We might even try a Sunday afternoon picnic a few times a year so people who live so close can get to know each other better. That will go a ways to strengthening the community too.

This could be one way which St James will be seen as a church that cares about those who live around us (rather than just parking them in every Sunday).

Thoughts (especially from you St Jimmians?) Do we have any wingmen or wingwomen out there?

S

How to be Good: Part 3 of 4

2009-11-10T04:54:00.003+02:00

In case you just joined us . . .

I'm trying to figure out where 'being eager to do what is good' fits into our Christian lives, especially in the life of our local churches

Paul’s letter to Titus has a lot to say about doing good. In three short chapters, Paul pushes ‘doing good’ no less than eight times! (Ch 1:8, 1:16, 2:3, 2:7, 2:14, 3:1, 3:8, 3:14)

Paul ‘s focus here is not just on sound teaching (good doctrine) but on good living. He tells Titus to set an example to the younger men by ‘doing what is good’, that he must remind people to do what is good (here in 3:1 he is talking about being good citizens in our relationships outside the Christian community), and in 3:14 that we must learn to be good so that we can be productive and not a burden.

But a watershed moment is when you realise the difference between being good and doing good. Being good is a status that none of us can achieve without the death of Jesus to redeem us from sin. Nowhere does Paul ever tell us (in Titus or anywhere else) to ‘be good’. That would be a stab in the back to the gospel of grace. Two of the key verses in Titus (2:14 and 3:8) make that crystal clear.

However, Paul can’t bear to offer his gospel nugget without wrapping it up by saying we must therefore be ‘eager to do what is good’ and ‘to devote ourselves to doing good, for this is excellent and profitable.’

You don’t become a Christian because you are good, but once you’ve become a Christian, we are free to do good born out of grace, and we gobble up opportunities to make that happen.

Next time: How we (at St James) might be able to ‘do good’ in Kenilworth.

PS: I have no idea why Titus appears to missing half a finger btw . . .

How to Be Good: Part 2 of 4

2009-11-07T14:13:00.005+02:00

In case you just joined us . . .

I'm trying to figure out where 'being eager to do what is good' fits into our Christian lives, especially in the life of our local churches.

Here are my answers to the questions from the previous post . . .

As a local church, where does doing good for your community fit on your list of priorities?

It's always been there, but perhaps recently it climbed a few steps. Not sure if we have all caught up yet however.

If you try to pursue what is good for your neighbourhood, do you feel a little guilty that you’re not using that time and energy to evangelise them instead?

Yes.

If you were to decide to devote yourself to doing good for your community, where would you start?

Thanks to the vision of that wonderful women I'm married too, we actually have a plan for that now! But more in a post or two . . .

Do you think doing good just needs the church to be a bit ‘nicer’, or would it take a paradigm shift?

Both. Speaking for myself, I certainly need to relax a little and be willing to look outside of my normal sphere of concern. However, I haven't stumbled into this, it hit me like a truck, so I'm also going to put a hand up for 'paradigm shift' as well.

Next post is something which will clarify lots and put some head scratching to rest . . . "What's the difference between being good and doing good?"

How to be Good: Part 1 of 4

2009-11-06T14:49:00.004+02:00

I thought this might be a catchy title because a few years ago I read a novel by Nick Hornby (of ‘High Fidelity’ fame) called, ‘How to be good’. It was a great read, if not a little depressing.

It was a story about Katie Carr who thought she was a good person, but had to come to terms with the fact that she had just committed adultery. She had done this because her husband was not a good person, but quickly undergoes a transformation which makes him nauseatingly good. Katie’s moral compass starts to spin and what it means to be good is up for grabs. As I said, an interesting read.

I’ve been thinking a bit lately about how we feel as local churches about doing good.

Doing good with no strings attached, not as an icebreaker to evangelism, not as a lay ministry training opportunity.

Just doing good because we value the neighbourhoods we live in and we think that they could be better, and that we as a church are in a unique position to help.

We know where evangelism should be taking us.

We know where edification punches it’s weight.

But, like Katie Carr, have we lost our bearings on doing good? Have we forgotten what it’s there for and what we’re meant to use it for?

My guess is that this will either hit home, or bounce off you like bullets off superman.

So I’ll leave you with some questions to ponder:

As a local church, where does doing good for your community fit on your list of priorities?

If you try to pursue what is good for your neighbourhood, do you feel a little guilty that you’re not using that time and energy to evangelise them instead?

If you were to decide to devote yourself to doing good for your community, where would you start?

Do you think doing good just needs the church to be a bit ‘nicer’, or would it take a paradigm shift?

Tomorrow (Sydney time), I’ll give you my honest answers to these questions.

Welcome Back!

2009-11-06T05:13:00.006+02:00

According to Scott has undergone a face lift. New template, a nice pic of our holiday beach up top there, and a few changes down the side. But we stopped short of botox.

The reincarnation is to keep me on my toes during sabbatical. Yes, I know it's half way done already. So there might be a little catching up to do. But the trouble with having space to think is that if the thoughts aren't committed, then they just float off.

So this is to keep some speculation . . . well, honest.

I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll have a new post up, 'How to be Good'; Reflections on the local church, community and Titus.

Till then

Australia Day

2009-01-27T12:24:00.003+02:00

In the spirit of Australia Day (yesterday) here is my blog-tribute to the things that make you proud to belong to the biggest island in the world.

(And in good Aussie fashion, I got this from my Mum)

1. You think it is normal to have a Prime Minister called Kevin

2. You can translate: 'Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to Maccas'

3. You call your best friend 'a total bastard' but someone you really, truly despise is just 'a bit of a bastard'

4. You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like them

5. Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language

6. You understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude, while 'scuse me' is alway polite

7. You understand that 'you' has a plural and that it's 'youse'

8. You still think of Kylie as 'that girl off Neighbours

9. When working at a bar, you understand male customers will feel the need to offer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer

Sydney Holiday Post #1

2008-12-14T04:53:00.002+02:00

I did something a little out of the ordinary for a Saturday night – I went to church.

My brother leads the 5:30pm Saturday night service at Church by the Bridge (www.cbtb.org.au) in Kirribilli (for the South African readers, the name is no misnomer, this is literally right under the Harbour Bridge. It’s pretty freak’n awesome!)

The talk was on the Armour of God from Eph Ch 6 – I had visited this passage many times during ’08 and as I was sitting there smugly thinking, ‘I know this stuff’, I discovered something new.

“Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God . . . “

I was made to consider for the first time why Paul calls it the sword of the SPIRIT. I would have called it the sword of GOD, or at least the sword of CHRIST. But the sword of the Spirit draws our attention to something altogether different.

God’s word is the way that the Spirit works in us to such an extent, that Paul can call the Word the Spirit’s sword. The Spirit illuminates it to us, He writes it on our hearts. He convicts us to the truth of it. As I was sitting there under the bridge, with the Word before me, the Spirit was rushing amongst us and within us doing a supernatural work.

Sometimes the evangelical circles I move in almost seem to deserve the criticism that we neglect the Spirit. (For the record, I don’t think we do, but I can see where the misunderstanding comes from.) But last night I realised that for God’s Spirit to wield God’s word is an intense spiritual activity from another realm, invisibly breaking into our own time and space. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact that it is the very nature of God to reveal himself in this way, it would be down right spooky.

Not a bad thought for a Saturday night, me thinks.

(Epilogue: After church was done, Hayley, my brother and I hooked up with some old friends, got some pizza and red, and sat on the grass under the bridge watching the sun go down and the lights come up. I’m on holiday! But the CBTB people get to do this every week??!)

(Epilogue part 2: And for the South African readers, guess who we met at church on Saturday night? Kenny and Rose Lloyd (with little Jenna)! How cool is that?!)

2008-10-10T14:33:00.001+02:00

Ahhhh . . . so busted.

Dilema - The Resolution

2008-09-05T09:38:00.002+02:00

So there I was.

A homless guy on one side, an abused partner on the other.

And on the third side of this messed up triangle, the social worker saying, Don't tell!'

Scott in the middle.

So . . . . .

I told the guy that I had called the shelter and that they had no idea where she was.
I said sorry, I couldn't help him, and he left.

I had about 60 seconds of anxst as I walked from the office back outside to tell the guy the news. But I gotta be honest, I was pretty OK with my decision after that.

I emailed the situation to the rest of the pastoral staff (not because of the dilema, but so they would not get sucked in by this guy if he came back). But I did let slip that I felt a bit weird about the whole thing. One of my collegues emailed me this rely . . .

"Gal 5:14"

Short but sweet. It reads . . .

14The entire law is summed up in a single command:
"Love your neighbor as yourself "

(Craig, you stole my thunder!)

The spirit level of the law is love. Always as been. So that was a good word for a temporarily confused minsiter, don't you think?

Craig's comment that in fact the homless guy lied to me in order to (most probably) continue his evil ways also plays a big part methinks.

Besides, the reason the commandments are written in the negative form ("Do not murder") is so that we may embrace the bigness of the opposite. In other words, to obey the commandment, 'Do not murder' you must preserve and treasure life. That is what the Pharasees never understood, which is why Jesus nails them for turning the law into a burden for men's backs.

I hope in not honouring the word of a liar I have helped to preserve and treausre someone elses life.

I pray that I have used the law 'lawfully' and maybe given a women with a rough past a shot at a better future.

Scott

Dilema

2008-09-03T09:01:00.003+02:00

At last, a post to get 'Zombie Attack' off the front page.

I had a dilema yesterday. I made a choice.
I am interested to know what you would have done if you were in my shoes.

A homeless man came to church yesterday and told me he had 'lost' his wife. She had left and he didn't know where was was. Could I ring the shelter that he thinks she might have gone to to check if she is there?

I say sure.

I make the call an as soon as I introduce myself and mentioned the ladies name, the social worker tells me that she knows this couple well.

But, they are not married.

He is a chronic abuser.

This social worker has been there to witness when he put his 'wife' into hospital. She tells me that the lady is staying with them but wants nothing more to do with him. (Which is a good thing). She is now sober and has the support of her family in getting back on track. She tells me not to let him know where she is.

Oh, did I mention that at the moment we are doing the 10 Commandments in bible study? Haven't reached #9 yet (do not bear false witness), but we are close.

So I walk back outside and say to the guy . . .

[To be continued]

What would you have said?

What should I have said?

Scott

Are you ready for the Zombie attack?

2008-07-16T09:59:00.005+02:00

I should really be working.

But somehow, I stumbled across this very funny book.

I haven't read it, only seen the review on Amazon. It's a zombie survival guide, but man, just the content page made me laugh - hard.

Not sure if that tells you anything about my state of mind right now, but here it is anyway:

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack

1. Organize before they rise!

2. They feel no fear, why should you?

3. Use your head: cut off theirs.

4. Blades don’t need reloading.

5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.

6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.

7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.

8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!

9. No place is safe, only safer.

10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

So if you're looking for a b'day present for me . . . .

The Jaundice Eye of David Marr

2008-06-18T09:42:00.004+02:00

This is the second reflection from the Good Weekend article on the schism in the Anglican Church. For the intro, read the previous post.

2. David Marr writing on Anglicanism is like China speaking out on human rights

What I found most bizzare about the article is that it was the evangelical anglicans who were accused of schism, while the liberals get a free pass to rape and pilage the very foundations of what it is to be an anglican, and yet they are still regarded as mainstream.

There are many reasons for this of course. None the least of which is that the world will always side with the most corrupted washed out version of Christianity becuase it will never challenge and confront, but rather appease them by telling them that they are ok just as they are.

But you really have to wonder how qualified David Marr is to be writing as the religious correspondant for a major newspaper when he goes on to make comments like this . . .

He argues that Sydney is not classic anglican. Fair enough. He goes on to explain that it doesn't LOOK classicaly anglican in that you will often find no crosses or vestements etc. Up to now, I'm with him. But then he says that visiting anglicans will be shocked and puzzled by

'Sydney's demand that all beleivers be born again in Jesus Christ'.

Hello?! Has this man ever read the 39 articles? Does he know anything about church history, anything about the roots of anglicanism?

Personal bias aside, how does this man become a writer on a topic he clearly knows nothing about? Can someone please shut this man up?

More to come

Scott

The Jaundice Eye of David Marr

2008-06-17T15:43:00.004+02:00

Ten days ago in the Good Weekend section of the Sydney Morning Herald, there was a feature article by David Marr on the split in the Anglican church. He billed it as Philip Jensen and co. (the radical renegades) vs. The Archbishop of Canterbury and co. (the true Anglicans).

The article was classic. Thinly veiled (or no veil) disgust at the Sydney Anglicans and a chronic one sided treatment of the issue. I was not surprised. But it did get me a little cranky.

In case you read, or want to read the article (whether you are a Christian or not), over the next few posts I'll give you a heads up as to what I reckon are things worth noting if you want to have any form of balance to your weekend reading.

1. It's not hard to spot the sub-text

David Marr doesn't mince his words as he seeks to paint his portrait of Jensen and the evangelical world.

Jensen is a 'frequent flyer in pursuit of schism'

GAFCOM (The Global Anglican Future Conference which will be attended by many of us dirty degenerate evangelicals) 'plans to collapse the church into a Balkans confusion'

And Liberty Ministries (who care for Christians struggling with homosexuality) is not an organisation or a program but 'an outfit'. Sounds shady enough for you?

At best he refers to evangelical Anglicans as orthodox or bible believing - but uses those words in inverted commers, as if to say, 'That's what you would have us call you, but just know behind your backs we all think you are a bunch of retards."

More to come . . . .

Scott

Fathers Day

2008-06-15T14:16:00.002+02:00

I scored this year.

Firstly, I got 2 pairs of tracksuit pants. This may sound kind of an anticlimax, but it wasn't. Just to put you in the picture, my current pair if tracksuit pants were purchased . . . on my honeymoon . . .7 years ago. Apparently lots has happened in the tracksuit fashion world since then. And my standard at home winter uniform is still the trakkie pants and the flannie shirt. The more things change the more they stay the same.

But the other present was 'Dad's book'. It is a really nice journal type book which the kids can write messages to me, or add whatever they like about their dad when the mood takes them. Hayley got it started with what you see below.

After church this morning, we broke out the roast lunch - which Hayley masterfully created (even though she was sick - what a wifey!). It was superb. Jemma liked it too.

The self take doesn't do the meal justice, but to be honest, I was more interested in the food, that cpaturing the moment on camera.

Thanks Hayley for being a beautiful wife and mum.

Ben and Jem, you guys are tops - love you huuuuuuge!

Being a dad in this family is a blessing.

Scott

It's been a long . . . June

2008-06-04T18:44:00.003+02:00

The wait is almost over

We are so there.

Come, Drink

2008-05-07T09:49:00.003+02:00

I opened my email this morning to find this quote from the new Narnia movie. It was forwarded on by Frank Retief. It is definately worth sharing.

”Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.

“I’m dying of thirst”, said Jill.

“Then drink”, said the Lion.

“May I – could I – would you mind going away while I do?”, said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realised that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

“Will you promise not to – do anything to me, if I do come?”, said Jill.

“I make no promise”, said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

“Do you eat girls?”, she said.

“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms”, said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink”, said Jill.

“Then you will die of thirst”, said the Lion.

“Oh dear!”, said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream”, said the Lion.”

Seven

2008-05-06T09:28:00.002+02:00

Yesterday Hayley and I were married for 7 years. Not a classic milestone, but every day is a celebration I reckon. We went out for a meal last night . . .

And left Ben home with Uncle Leights and Aunty Kitty.

Good times.

Evangelical Students Conference

2008-04-29T22:28:00.002+02:00

On the weekend I gave 6 talks on the Sermon on the Mt at the Evangelical Student Conference. It covers 3 university campus and their student ministries. It was a great time which really opened my mind to some of the amazing work the staff workers are doing. It was also a real eye opener for me in terms of the people that I met. Culturally very diverse and as it was interdenominational that also gave it a really exciting edge!

The campsite was nestled in the hills out the back of Stellenbosch. It was pretty stunning.

Meet Paul. He is from the DRC. He has only been in SA about a year and was really encouraging about the talks. He made himself part of our 'classic memories' package because when he heard that Hayley had arrived on camp he went to find her. When he did he ran up whistling & shouting, 'Mrs Scott! Mrs Scott!' Then after his curiosity was satisfied he ran back to me, slapped me on the back and said, "your wife is VERY beautiful!!"

Good man that.

On the left is Fritz - Campus director at UCT. On my right is Kurd, a new apprentice working with Fritz. They are both lengends and both still undersupported. If you are looking to give - let me know and we can hook you up with them.

Just a little taste of the winelands that surrounded the campsite. It's a pretty nice time of the year out there.

Bread

2008-04-25T12:28:00.001+02:00

Yup, we're baking our own bread!

Nice eh?

I'm also eating fruit for b'fast.

Wow. Crazy times.

Conclusion

2008-04-22T16:12:00.003+02:00

This is the conclusion to the sermon that has been occupying the last few posts.

Easter has become a victim of the calendar.

It gets locked into the end of term school holidays and gets camouflaged by chocolate eggs and special church services. We know it’s important, but we resign ourselves to the fact that life moves on, and so Easter becomes a quiet suburban cul-de-sac rather than an on ramp to the freeway. In other words it becomes an annual ‘dead end’ rather than the starting point for an exciting journey.

Think about it this way:

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in ’69 many thought that the space race was all wrapped up.

But even though that was without a doubt the defining event in space exploration, it turned out to only be the end of the beginning.

The space race took its queue from 1969 and has expanded in ways that people could only imagine.

· There were 6 other manned moon landings by the USA

· In the 80’s the Star Wars program introduced missile shooting satellite and space station as the new strategy in warfare.

· In 2005 we had a successful probe landing on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn.

· And now we are racing into Space tourism with Richard Brandson’s ‘Virgin Galactic’ claiming that they will take passengers up for zero gravity pleasure cruises by 2010.

Jesus wants us to see Easter in the same way.
Easter is to Christians what the moon landing was to the space race.
Only the end of the beginning.
And so we are to take our queue from Easter and think of it not as an end in itself, but as the invitation to pick up where Jesus left off.

He is Risen, but not gone

2008-04-22T16:08:00.002+02:00

This was part of a sermon from Matt 28. To catch up, read the last few posts.

And lastly, Easter will outlive the holidays because even though Jesus has risen, he is not gone.

When Jesus says, ‘Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ He is saying: Risen does not mean absent.

When the angel’s message to the women was that Jesus is not present in the tomb, but present in Galilee!

But these words of Jesus have even more bite to them if we read them together with the rest of the great commission.

Ever had a non Christian friend say to you, ‘If you can SHOW me Jesus, then I’ll think about taking him seriously.’ It’s something we find hard isn’t it?

But in what way is Jesus ‘here’ even though he is risen?

Or, in what sense do people ‘meet’ Jesus as we go to all the nations?
In Ch 28: There are 3 ways;

· They will meet Jesus’ authority as the Easter story is retold. ALL authority has been given to me. My death and resurrection testify to that.

· Matthew also says that they WILL meet Jesus’ flesh and blood here on earth. People like you and me whom have already responded to Jesus’ call to follow him. Is it true to say that when people meet you, they get to meet Jesus? It can be if we decide to let Easter prepare us for life after the holidays.

· And it’s also fair to say that people will meet Jesus through his words as we teach them and commend others to obey.

The way that Easter out lives the holidays is through the fact that even though Jesus is physically in heaven right now, he is still active in this world as we seek to make disciples.

Get Working

2008-04-09T09:16:00.004+02:00

This is part of a Easter Sermon. First, read the passage and the last 2 posts below.

Jesus also reveals in Matt 28, that for Easter to outlive the holidays we must see that while His work is finished, Easter means that our work has just begun.

It might sound a bit funny to put it this way but after 33 years on earth, Jesus left a lot of loose ends. A lot of unfinished business.

He secured salvation for the whole world but he never left his backyard.
He left that responsibility for you and for me.

There is an emphasis in how Matthew wrote these words. The main verb, is ‘make disciples’. The other verbs in the sentence, the words ‘go’, ‘baptize’ and ‘teach’ are all servants to the imperative ‘make disciples’.

Let’s start with baptize.

On one level I think it is ok to take this at face value, to be baptized is a great and biblical symbol of new birth.
However, it is quite likely that Jesus is using the word ‘baptism’ as shorthand here to say that making disciples is about bringing people to repentance.

Do you remember John the Baptist at the start of the gospel account?

We are told that John came with a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John was not concerned so much with the water, he wanted people to turn from their sin so they could turn to follow Jesus. Baptism was the symbol of repentance, of doing a complete 180 so that you would stop worshipping yourself and start worshipping God.

Our work is not finished until we call all nations to repentance.

Another element Jesus mentions in ‘disciple making’ is to teach them to obey everything Jesus had taught his first disciples.

Making disciples is not just about conversion. It’s about growing them in obedience to the words of Christ. Jesus it seems, is not as worried about quantity as he is about quality. If we want to be serious about making disciples of all nations, and making disciples of ourselves, then we will feed off the words of Jesus, not just for knowledge, but primarily for obedience.

Our work is not finished until we teach all nations to live in obedience to Jesus.

And then of course is that little word ‘go’.

Because the scope of Jesus command is so wide – all nations – it’s not surprising that we will have to go if we are to apply Easter as Jesus commands us to. So whether you go to China or go to your university, going is unavoidable is you want to make disciples for Christ. It won’t happen by osmosis – we as individuals and we as a church will have to get off our backsides and ‘go’ for it.

Our work is not finished until we go.

Last point to come

Jesus is for everyone

2008-04-04T09:05:00.003+02:00

This Read the passage and the intro below.

The first way that Easter outlives the holidays, is becuase Easter makes Jesus avalible for everyone.

It’s hard for us to imagine, but before the first Easter, Jesus and his gospel were not accessible to many people at all. Not because they didn’t have email and cell phones to spread the message, but because Jesus and his gospel was really only for Jewish people. If you were a gentile (a non Jew) then Jesus and what he had to offer was more or less out of reach. The coming of the kingdom of God was an announcement and invitation, first and foremost for Israel.

And yet the most famous words Jesus spoke after His Easter work had been completed were:

‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, so go and make disciples of all nations.’ ALL NATIONS

It is Easter that makes Christianity an international, multiracial and multicultural religion.
Easter is the reason you don’t have to become a Jew in order to become a Christian.

Easter bursts the bubble of the Jewish priority during Jesus' 33 earthly years.

More to come

Scott

Easter is over

2008-04-02T14:50:00.003+02:00

Here is the first of a few post from a sermon I gave last Sunday.

To get started, read Matthew Ch 28:16-20

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Easter is all over.

And after you have recovered from the chocolate high, and after the public holidays have faded, if you are anything like me, you sit back and you ask yourself, is that it? Easter all done for another year?

Well, as far as Matthew is concerned, the Easter story doesn’t end with the resurrection. The conclusion, or as I’m going to suggestion, the application of Easter is what we read in Matt 28:16-20.

Ponder this moment from WWII:

By 1942 General

Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps had the run of Egypt. But by October, Montgomery with an army double the size of Rommel’s, were ready to take it back. Thus began the famed Battle of El Alamein. After 2 weeks of fighting Montgomery had won the battle, 30,000 German troops had surrendered, and the awesome Rommel was made to look mortal. It was the first major victory by British Commonwealth forces over the German Army. Along with Hitler’s defeat at Stalingrad, the battle of Alamein was a turning point in WWII.

Here is what Winston Churchill had to say:

"The Germans have received back again that measure of fire and steel which they have so often meted out to others. Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

Matthew wants us to see that Easter is not the beginning of the end,

but just the end of the beginning.

And so I want us to read Ch 28:16-20 as:

‘How Easter will outlive the holidays’

More to come.

Scott

PS: Thanks Richardt for the quote!

12

2008-04-01T09:45:00.005+02:00

I have just seen a great movie, a movie that got to me.

But you'll be surprised what it was.

'Cheaper by the dozen'

Yup, the Steve Martin flick where he and his wife have 12 kids. (And it's got a great character which Ashton Kutcher does to perfection). It's a comedy, heart warming great movie. I was surprised. (I love Steve Martin, but I was expecting a Disney puke fest)

Here is why you should watch this movie and what it did for me.

1. It torpedoed the myth that if I work harder (longer hours, more stress) to provide more for my family, they will be better off. I find it hard to beleive that people still buy into this, but I have recently discovered that they do, big time. This was a refreshingly Christian message to get from a mainstream movie.

2. It encouraged me to not feel intimated by others when it comes to family. If you're on a good wicket, thank God for it and live it to the max. Don't listen to the detractors who try to lure you back to their highway of mediocrity.

But perhaps most importantly . . .

3. It reminded me of the joy of selflessness. Of giving up yourself for others. In a family of 12, that was the road they had chosen. And I know it is just a silly movie, but man, it had me at 'hello'. I was sold again on the message I first recieved from the scriptures (and my own parents) that to give yourself fully to others is the only way to get true freedom from self. As Jesus says, if you want it all, you gotta give it all away.

Make no mistake, it is a risk to do this. It is completely counter intuative. To others it will make no sense. Maybe not even to yourself, but it is truly a beautiful thing.

After the movie ended, Hayley and I re committed ourselves to selfless living. We had to do that becuase we are not very good at it. But we are learning, and we are now a little more hungry for it, and 'Cheaper by the Dozen' was a great inspiration.

Not bad for a Steve Martin flick eh?
Make sure you watch it soon.

Scott

Resurection Sunday

2008-03-24T17:03:00.000+02:00

Here is gist of the sermon I gave last night - Resurrection Sunday

First, read Matthew Ch 28:1-10

Harry Houdini made a pact with his wife that the first one of them to die would try and communicate to the other from beyond the grave. They even had a secret 10 word code to make sure it was the real deal. Houdini died first and for 10 years his wife, Bess, tried in vain to contact him. She eentually put out the candle she had left burning by his photo since he had died and said, 'Ten years is long enough to wait for any man'.

The fact that death is a one way street is a biter pill to swallow.

Butin Matth 28, the resurrection story is also given an interpretation for us so that death' suden end, doesn't have to be the end.

*** Matthew wants us to see that the power of death is snatched away as God exercises his power to bring life. ***

The earthquake is the give away.

In the bible, earthquakes are the sign that God has arrived with his powerful presense. Check Mt Sinai (Ex 9) or Paul and Silas in prison (Acts). It's the same in Matt 28.

But in case you missed the sign, God sends his messenger (the angel) to interpret he sign for us.
He announces that God's power has been put to work to raise Jesus from the dead.

So far so good. But so what?

Well, the two groups at the tomb that morning give us a choice. You can be like the guards or like the women.

The guards came face to face with life, an they trembeled like dead men.

The women came to mourn a dead man, and they left rejoicing with life.

For the guards it was lose lose. The had to one day face death - like all of us - but also were mere spectators when life came to town.

For the women it was win win. Not only did they recieve Jeuss back in the flesh, but also recieved the hope of eternal life themselves.

Furthermore, their response should be ours.
They worshipped Jesus
And they went and told others.

Your homework:
Read Colossians Ch 3:1-10 and answer this question:
What is the resurrection application for us in our Christian lives this week?

(This was the homework I gave the congregation last night. They had to email me their thoughts)

Let me know!

Scott

Rant

2008-02-26T10:01:00.004+02:00

Today was meant to be the day that I began some thoughts on 1 Cor 12-14.

But you may have to wait a day or two extra I'm afraid.

Because I have to rant.

Hayley and I got a dvd the other night.

Unfortunately, I can't boast an epiphany like my brother with 'Once'.

We got out the third in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. We had seen the first 2 and we thought nothing could suck as much as the second one. We were wrong.

Now I know, it's not the sort of flick known for it's depth etc etc etc - but I thought it would be at least watchable!

My Rant is as follows:

The plot was so muddled I think it may have technically made sense if you plotted the think on a flow chart, but to the average watcher - it was just bizzare (And I'm not one of those guys who doesn't get movies)

Some characters where used as the premise for whole sub plots and then they die or just disappear and . . .that's it?!

Weird things never got explained and so continued to make no sense once the movie ended.

I know I may be expecting too much, but all I ask for is for a writer (or writers) to earn their millions of bucks. Just make the damn thing make SENSE for crying out aloud! It's not that hard!

AAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Well, rant is over. I learnt my lesson though - more art house for me. Sure, they are in french and you see peoples bottoms, but at least you get the feeling that the guy who wrote it actually cares that you are spending your bucks to go see it.

Scott

(as it turns out, the skull and crossbones are there for a reason)

Forgiveness

2008-02-22T15:01:00.002+02:00

A static blog page is a sin.

Not like 'international terrorism' is a sin, but kind of in the way that 'buying 2 burgers for the price of one and then not sharing them with your friend' is a sin.

But fear not!

In the coming week I will start a little series that has been occupying my attention at Senior Youth. I wanted to finish it at SY first before I committed it to blog land.

Till then

Scott

Railway Tracks

2008-01-23T13:23:00.001+02:00

I got an email this morning which was apparently excerpts of an interview with Rick Warren (author of the Purpose Driven Life franchise)

I must be honest - I'm not a big fan of the Purpose Driven Life. I am also a little suspicious of these 'interviews' when their source is not clear. I find they often spring up like urban myths. ‘Rick warren said . . . ‘ becomes a bit like ‘I knew this guy who got maggots growing out of his tongue because he licked an infected envelope . . . ‘

But for what it's worth here is a clip from the clip . . .

Rick on His Wife’s Cancer
“This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

I add it here because it makes sense to me.

My life is certainly more railway tracks than hills and valleys.

And yours?

Scott

Lost for Words

2008-01-21T15:17:00.000+02:00

There are always some parts of the bible that we find tricky.

Perhaps it's because the language is hard, or it's culturally removed, or we just don't want to do what it says.

But how about this scenario.

Imagine you are involved with a church running a ministry for deaf people. Each Sunday morning you sign the service, songs and sermon to those in the congregation who are hearing impaired. It's a great ministry and you have had a great start to the year. Until now.

Because this Sunday you had to sign the bible reading and the sermon - which both revolve around Galatians Ch 5:11-12

11Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

If the beginning of v11 was tricky, the end of v12 is a shocker!

This happened yesterday to my good friend Lisa Harvey, who is doing what I just described, having launched the ministry for the hearing impaired called 'Talking Hands'.

It would be a great work to pray for as the year continues.
I've got some prayer points for Talking Hands available on request.

But apart from that, you gotta love the story :)

Scott

You will get in that car now or so help me . . . .!

2008-01-15T13:05:00.000+02:00

Here is a discussion that is doing the rounds in my backyard at the moment.

Should you force your kids to come to church (a.k.a Sunday school / youth group)?

The unsaid that brings you to this question could be something like:
'We don't want to mess our kids up'
We don't want our kids to hate us'
'It's tough because we don't know how to do it'
'We value Christian things and aren't sure how to help our kids to do the same'

I've heard views expressed across the spectrum.

And I have been quite surprised / upset by some of them as well.

For what it's worth - here are some of my thoughts:

Faith and churching should start in the home.
So if you don't go to church or bible study as a parent, your dead in the water.

It would seem odd to me however, if you do read the bible and pray with your kids to then say, 'This is as far as it has to go. Corporate fellowship outside of this family is optional.'
Communicating to your kids that their faith can be a personal and secret thing seems a strange counterpoint to trying to get them to engage with God in the first place (not to mention the messed up theology of church you would be teaching them)

One objection I heard was that faith is a choice of each individual and we can't make demands on someone else's conscience.
But that misses the point doesn't it?

You are not forcing them to become a Christian, but just insisting that they attend church once or twice a week. Big difference. Unless you think that they are one in the same, in which case may I suggest there are bigger issues here than just the question at the top of the page.

It's also worth noting that little kids and early teens do not yet have fully developed cognitive pathways for processing abstract and complex choice scenarios. Which is why as parents we make decisions for them all the time (You will hold my hand as we cross the road / You will brush your teeth / sharing is caring). It is grossly unfair to expect a kid to reason like an adult - to tease out all possible good and bad consequences from this choice and be mature enough to weigh these up. And on this issue the stakes are too high to not intervene.

Perhaps an unspoken anxiety is that I don't want my kids to hate me for making them do something they don't want to.
At which point I would ask you to consider what is your angle when it comes to drugs, sex and rock and roll (actually, when it comes to RnR, I ope you encourage it! But I digress . . . .)

We are willing to have our kids think we are 'old school' for the sake of their safety and well being in restricting them from dangerous substance and dangerous people. How about being willing to cop a bit of flak for getting them to say yes to something which is much more important. (Do you believe that it is more important?)

Hand in hand with this is that you don't want to turn them off Christian things
I get this one - and it is a good concern to have, obviously.

But will the approval of complete non engagement in Christian things be of any real difference at the end of the day from the worse case scenario of making them attend and having them not enjoy it?

And do we believe in the Spirit of God convicting their hearts? And the power of the Spirit working through his word? And the prayers of believing parents? And the commitment, giftedness and prayer of the sunday school teacher / youth leader?

Now sure, there are situational considerations to keep in mind.
'Is their reluctance to go because they are getting bullied?'
'Are they too young to be able to handle to group'
(EG: an infant overstimulated at a noisy sunday school)
But there are solutions to this - perhaps become a sunday school helper yourself to ensure the environment is a good one!

And rather than making this another classic parent kid tug of war - isn't it an opportunity to teach and train?

To insist that you will discharge your parental responsibilities as best you know how, but to also explain (perhaps at a different time) why church is important, especially for believers. Why your happiness is not the most important thing.
Why turning up and putting a bum on a seat to fill a room can be a great encouragement to the kid who feels he is all alone in this 'Christian thing.'

Anyway, enough from me.

That was part post, part vent.

Did I miss anything?
Am I way off base?
Your thoughts?

Scott

How to make the good, great

2008-01-12T14:13:00.000+02:00

A new year, a new look.

I'm not a big fan of new years resultions and the like, but I do like fresh starts.
I like new routines and the 'pause' and 'delete' button of life.

So I'll be using both those things to make the next few weeks groudbreaking.

Part of my excitement comes from the fact that I now have a youth minstry team!
Byron and Steph take a bow (photos to come)

They are both gifted, fresh and ready. They are ex GWC students (not expelled, just finished) who are putting the icing on their ministry cakes by spending the first 2 years out of college with me and the gang at St James. They are no strangers to the place, but I think their presence will blow our youth groups wide open. (In the good sense, not the Hiroshima sense).

I am now a 'boss' / overseerer / manager / trainer . . . of sorts.

So here is my question:

Who was the best person you ever worked under / for / with?

What made that experience so totally excellent?
(Or if you have a horror story, how could it have been different?)

Please comment - Byron and steph beg of you :)

Scott

Three Weeks is, like over, man!

2008-01-09T12:05:00.000+02:00

We have waited all year for this three week window when Craig would arrive and ignite our holidays. Well, he came, he saw, and contrary to his recent blog post - he conquered.

He now has the 28 hr flight home.

It was very very good for us to have him here - however it also underlines how profoundly sucky it is that we have to plod on through the next 11 months without a face to face. And the house feels quite empty and incomplete. On the upside - we will save on tomato sauce.

But we prayed together last night that the memories will become fuel to drive us forward with great anticipation, not just till Christmas '08 but also to that great feast that will overshadow al of this.

But for me, tomorrow, it's back to work.

Uncle Craig - music teacher (aka School of rock)

Uncle and Jem

Flying high

Up the back as usual

2007-12-28T14:22:00.000+02:00

Wow, it's been a longtime between drinks, so to speak.

Truth is I'm more than just a little bit sleepy, and although I do have some things of noe to post, a quick update will have to do for now.

In the last few weeks I have:

Been sick
Gotten better
Picked up my brother from the airport
Done some gardening with the boy (Ben that is not Craig)
Finished my book on the Age of Empire 1850-1914
Started one of Craig's books - Living with the Underworld by Peter Bolt
Begun an addiction to Heroes with Hayley and Craig
Had a pretty fine Christmas
Seen Jemma start solids (for more click here)
Enjoyed some classic Bing Crosby Christmas music
Been for dinner at the beach - sunset style.

Come to think of it, holidays have been not too bad so far . . . more to come.

Scott

Ben with Hannah on Chistmas Day

The Fam on Christmas morning (Uncle Craig the photographer)

Uncle Craig and Bubble Boy

Confessions

2007-11-26T19:54:00.000+02:00

Can anyone help me?

I am a bad Australain.

I have no clue about what the heck is happening in regards to the politcal landscape of my country. (or maybe that means I am a good Australian - not sure)

I know we have a new PM - and intentd to do what I can to get to know him as soon as I can - ie google him.

I'm not sure why he won, if he is any different to the old PM and what all the fuss is about.

Can someone help me, or show me where I can go to get some help?

Scott

Sunset last night at the Tubman place

2007-11-16T12:08:00.000+02:00

Catch Up

2007-11-07T11:02:00.000+02:00

We just had a few days off last week to catch our breath before the end of year run. We got way to Betty's Bay and a top little (big) holiday house. Some of the moments you'll see below.

In other news . . .

This morning after we all got up Ben went on stealth mode - I didn't hear him for quite a few minutes - which often spells trouble. I found him in the bathroom with my razor in hand having proudly started to shave like daddy . . . and with blood oozing out of the cut on his chin. Nothing too serious but he very quickly discovered that 'Daddy, its SORE!'

Hell yes my boy.

What's it all about

2007-10-26T11:50:00.000+02:00

Book club

2007-10-15T09:41:00.000+02:00

Tonight is the first meeting of 11 guys for a book club

But I know what you are thinking. Me too.

'Book club' sounds so girly, right?
So I emailed the lads and suggest we think of a better name.
Here are some of the suggestions

(The premise of the group is to meet once a month to pick up a new book, talk, and drink beer.)

Beer and Books

Lads, Liquor and Literature

Dead Prophets Soceity

Puff, buff and poetry (this gentlemen suggested we add cigars to the mix. I'm not sure about the 'buff' part though?)

And then came along Carl.
Carl had the following suggestion which put a whole lot more grunt into the 'book club' label.
See below.

The first rule of book club is that you don't talk about book club.

And if it's your first night . . . you HAVE to read.

Scott

2007-10-10T09:53:00.000+02:00

Having a baby can be kind of expensive. There are lots of bills and your medical aid never covers it all. So we also applied for 'gap cover' which, as the name implies covers the shortfall from your medical aid.

Well, we got some good news the other day.

Not only did Gap help us to break even, but they paid us out even more than that. It's kind of a long story, but at the end of the day we actually MADE money out of having Jemma!

I know back in Australia the government pays you to have kids, but here in SA that is like trying to describe snow to an Egyptian. So we were pretty stoked that Jemma starting pulling her weight in the family by simply being born.

Thanks Jem

Scott

All things

2007-09-25T11:24:00.000+02:00

This weekend I'm taking a camp where we will be looking at the book of Titus in the New Testament. Had a read of it this morning to get myself ready. Here are somme things I discovered, which I hadn't cottoned onto before . . .(I'm a slow learner)

"To the pure, all thing are pure, but to those who are corruped and don't beleive, nothing is pure." Titus Ch :15

Paul is comparing those who hold firmly to the gospel message and those who talk religion, but are in reality far far from God.

Things to note

1. It is a very in your face way to talk about those who aren't Christians yet. Do you think it's fair?

2. I used to assume that when it said, 'to the pure all things are pure' that if you were a Christian, then everything was always gong well for you - you never made a mistake. But that's not true is it?

This morning I realised that if you have been made pure by the forgivenss offered by Jesus then all things will fall under that. There is no more sacred / secular divide - everything must be made to come into line with the forgiven life.

So for the beleiver he/she will insist on being pure with
* facebook
* how they drive
* who they talk to and and how they do it, before during and after church
* what they spend their money on

You get the idea.

Got me thinking, do I treat all things as part of my new life of purity in Christ?

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Scott

An almost B'day post

2007-09-18T13:02:00.000+02:00

It's my birthday today.

Yes, thank you.

And I've got in mind a special birthday post, but for now, some pics from this morning with my little Jemma girl.

2007-09-04T08:58:00.001+02:00

Unless you are a casual surfer who happened by this blog, (if that is you, welcome!) you will no doubt know that I am a youth minister. And before I was doing this as a vocation, I was doing it anyway. That means that I have sat through, spoken at, and lead over a decade worth of weekly youth group meetings.

This Sunday just past, however, was something special.

Senior Youth really moved me quite deeply.

I'm not 100% sure why, but here are some possible reasons.

1. We have a band made up of 90% youth group members and they ae dedicated, full of passion and growing in musical skill and Christian maturity. It's beautiful to see.

2. It struck me almost from the beginning that our times together on Sunday are profoundly Christian. In a meaningful real way, not a dorky forced and painful kinda way. (This is not a surprise mind you - it's what we work for each week but it's great when you see it so powerfully)

3. Kid's were praying. We are blessed to expect that almost every week, but I am hearing prayers that really make sense.

4. I was worried for one of our kids who was going through a bit of a tough time. I was wondering (as I sat there in the meeting) if we were doing enough to help her. Then 2 min. later she prays, 'God, thanks for our leaders who run the small groups. This whole fellowship vibe thing really works.' Enough said.

5. It was a heck of a lot of fun. We laughed a lot.

6. My leaders are really starting to nail it. They think it through and hit the bulls eye more times than not.

7. Catherine (another leader) gave the talk this past week and it was really good. I have yet to tell her that it helped me personally but I will tell her.

These may be some of the reasons, but it seems more than that. I guess you had to be there. But it is true that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. I'm guessing the other factor that I haven't accouted for is God working in our hearts by His Spirit, and I am eternally grateful for that.

Scott

Why Being a Librarian is a Radical Choice

2007-08-28T09:38:00.001+02:00

Here is a little something I stumbled across this morning - worth a read . . .

It is from an article called: Why being a Librarian is a readical Choice

"Sharing is under siege.

It is the sworn enemy of the global market – which is why so much of international trade law is designed to criminalize sharing.

Forget Napster, and the crackdowns on pirated CDs and software.

In Cochabamba Bolivia, the uprising against Bechtel was sparked by the fact that under the contract, it became illegal to collect rainwater, since the company had bought all water rights.

In India, farmers are sued by Monsanto for engaging in the age old practice of saving their seeds and sharing them with their neighbours – they are supposed to buy them anew each year from Monsanto.

This is the essence of free trade: making sure that absolutely nothing – whether books or water or ideas – is offered for free.

The role of international trade law must be understood not only as taking down “barriers to trade” – as it claims – but as a legal process that systematically puts up new barriers — around knowledge, technology and the commons itself, through fiercely protective patent and trademark law.

There is absolutely nothing free about it.

Most of you probably didn’t think that helping people to share books was subversive when you decided to become librarians.

And it shouldn’t be: sharing, giving, saving and reusing are the most human of impulses and we are at our best and most human when we act on them. The desire to share, as you know, is immense.

Yet the fact is that you have chosen a profession that has become radical. "

How does this intersect with the Christian life?

Are we 'radicals sharers?'

Scott

PS: check out the article here

2007-08-22T13:30:00.000+02:00

I've opened pandora's box.

On Facebook I discovered the group, 'Barker College Class of 1993'. Which is when I did year 12. (Or matriculated for my SA readers). There were 50 people from my year already in the group. I became number 51.

But scrolling through the faces and names I started to get all conflicted.

Some I didn't remember at all.

Some I remember fondly, a few of whom I am still in touch with. It has also helped me to re connect with others long forgotten which has been tops.

But there were a 3rd group of faces, those whom while at school I never spoke to and (or is it 'because'?) they never spoke to me. I never clicked with them then , and I am wondering if I should click on them now.

I hate phoneys. So I don't want to pretend that we are interested in each other now when we never where at school - and lets be honest, not much has changed since then.

But then I start thinking, was the problem with me? If I could be back in 1993 with the eyes I have now, would I still see them in the same light? Would I realise that it was just as much me as it was them and in the foolishness of youth I missed some good people?

Or where my inital impressions the right ones and it's best to let sleeping dogs lie?

And if you are reading this and are one of those 50 facebook contacts from the class of '93, what do you think of all this?

Little help?

Scott

I'm in

2007-08-20T13:12:00.000+02:00

When I got to work today, I checked my mail.

This was how one of them began . . .

"All our wives meet once a month to share books, conversation, tea and biscuits.

I suggest that we, the husbands, meet once a month to share books, conversation, beer and chips."

How good is that! I beleive this is what they mean when they talk about a 'no brainer'?!

Scott

Don't mess with us

2007-08-16T14:02:00.000+02:00

I actually really like South Africa. I do.

I like my house, my job and there are heaps of cool places to hang out (whether you're looking for funky, arty, rural, metro, beachy, or township).

But statistics tell us that this is one of the most violent places on earth. Which kind of sucks.

Hence the new addition to the Tubman house - now referred to as the Tubman fortress. Not exactly my security measure of choice, but when your boss is paying, you should be thankful, right?

But have you ever felt safe and scared at the same time?

Scott

In the beginning . . .was confusion

2007-08-13T21:38:00.000+02:00

We are spending some time in Genesis with Junior and Senior Youth at the moment and I'm always looking for chances to sharpen my spontaneous answering skills. One question that gets chucked round a bit is, 'Is Genesis real? Like, I mean, should we read it literally or is it just figuraive - like poetry or something?'

So, as a test run, here is a shot at an answer

Please feel free to help me by leaving a comment? Ta

Scott.

Should we read Genesis as literal or just poetic? (And what difference does it make?)

The bible has different types of literature spread throughout its 66 books. Some read like history, others like letters. There are also some poems, songs and biographies. What makes Genesis a little tricky is that it combines some of these different styles in the one book. For instance the first 11 chapters seem to be written in a slightly different style than chapters 12-50 (which we would probably refer to as history). So yes, Genesis is poetic and it is literal and other parts of it are probably a bit of a mix!

But here’s the thing: just because something is described poetically doesn’t mean that it is not true. So it’s important to remember that we can’t just ‘explain away’ the bits of Genesis we find a hard to swallow by saying, ‘Oh, they are just the poetic bits’ as if by saying this we mean that this part of the story never really happened. If I told you that ‘I love Hayley (my wife) so much that my heart feels like it will burst’, it doesn’t mean I have coronary problems, it’s simply a way to try and describe something that is hard to grasp unless you are in my shoes. Since Genesis records events like the creation of the universe, how the first humans stabbed God in the back and how God still provides for those people under His judgment, is it any surprise that the author dips into poetry, symbolism and epic story telling from time to time?

The trick is not to get so caught up in the style of the story that you miss the point. A classic example is in Gen Ch 1 when we are told God created the world in seven days. Were they seven ‘literally’ days or is it just symbolically referring to seven ‘periods of time’? The bottom line is who cares, right? The point is that God is powerfully in control so that all He has to do is speak a word and things appear from nothing. He made people on day six as the highlight of His creation and on day seven He brought everything to rest as the goal of creation. Can you see how whether the days are literally or figurative doesn’t really matter in the end – at least it certainly doesn’t change the point of the story.

Little help?

2007-08-06T10:34:00.000+02:00

Help Me!!

When I changed templates -Ii lost the ability for you to leave a comment.

Hmmmm - can't seem to find the problem on dashboard. What am I missing?

Since you can't leave a comment (doh!) try emailing me

scott@stjames.org.za

ta

Living In

2007-08-01T12:18:00.000+02:00

I am coming to understand something about writing a sermon.

The dawning of my insight goes like this . . .

Sermom 3 in my Proverbs series began last night at 10:30pm after bible study left and after I got Jemma up for her feed (no, I didn't do the feeding despite my blossoming man boobs). The sermon got a remarkably good start (Thank you Holy Spirit). It continued this morning in the car to college with Mervyn where it got another push. It also felt happy after getting some attention on the train back from college. Even as I type it is bubbling away.

So here is my pearl: I am starting to think you live with a sermon, rather than just write it. It's kind of the same contrast between sharing a house with a spouse or a bunch of mates compare to just meeting that person for coffee 3 times a week.

It's a little more intensive and potenatially disruptive but mega more satisfying.

Scott

2007-07-24T13:43:00.000+02:00

It's great when you find a song that sums up how you are feeling.

Some of us can actually write songs and so skip right to the chase, the rest of us borrow from others. So with apologies to Things of Stone and Wood (Greg Arnold wrote it on the birth of his first child, but I took the liberty of changing the odd word or two) here is the song that sums up the last week and a bit.

Safe and Sound

You fell out of a blue sky
Landed with a smile in my open arms
I thought that there'd be fireworks
But you lit the night like a billion stars
Greet it all eyes open wide,
We will be there standing by your side.

I thought that I'd heard tambourines,
Then you were a back beat across my heart.
I thought you'd be a tiny grin
Then you hit the cool room like a belly laugh
If you're sad it won't be long
I will keep you warm in song tonight.

The whole world is a carnival
Wrap your arms around my neck,
We'll go see it all
If you ever get scared
I will be around
Going to keep you safe and sound

I dreamed you as a tear drop,
Then you hit the shore like a cyclone
Changing everything I'd ever know You where the wheel, you were like fire

The whole world is a carnival
Wrap your arms around my neck,
We'll go see it all
If you ever get scared
I will be around
Going to keep you safe and sound

Scott

2007-07-23T10:37:00.000+02:00

Jemma Grace

2007-07-15T18:48:00.001+02:00

No time for reflections right now, but here are some pictures that sum up the last 48 hours.

(For more check out www.babytubman.blogspot.com)

Scott

Proverbs Part 1

2007-06-29T10:42:00.000+02:00

Over the next week or so I'm going to post some of my thoughts as I'm preparing 3 sermons on Proverbs. (They won't necessarily be in any particular order - just as they come)

Where does wisdom start?

With Dr Phil? Navel gazing, or graduating from the school of hard knocks?

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But you will also notice in Ch 2:5 that the fear of the Lord is the goal of wisdom too.

The fear of the Lord?

In Exodus 20:20 the Israelites are faced with God in the cloud and lightning on top of the Mt. Understandably they are freaked out. But check what Moses tells them:

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

Don't be terrified of the Mt, this is God coming to you. Now that you are about to meet Him (i.e: you are about to recieve His words) you will be able to say no to sin if you fear Him. That is, if you respond to His word by faith in reverant awe.

We get the same picture in Mark 4 when the disciples are caught in the mother of all storms and fear that the waves will crush their boat into matchsticks. Jesus wakes up, instantly stops the storm (with a word) and now the disciples are afraid of Him. They ask, who is this man and what has he done?! How is this possible?! (I put it to you that you too would react in this way if you thought that God himself might be in your boat).

In order to unlock God's blueprint for life in his world, and to know how to live well in it, the starting point, the front door, is fear of the Lord. Responding to His word in faith with a healthy dose of reverant awe. (That's the bit that lets God be God and reminds you that you are not.)

This is the fence line within which we are able to graze freely in the pasture of wisdom.

More to come

Scott

Open Doors

2007-06-22T08:56:00.000+02:00

Last night I made my way to Marike and Gordon's place - an older couple in our church who have decided they are sick of not knowing people at St James and so once a month have an afternoon tea and then a supper to get to know more people, and to help us get to know each other. Since they have begun, they have had over 100 people thru their house - well done guys.

But they also use the time to have a presentation for Open Doors - a Christian organisation that exists to help the persecuted church around the world by sending bibles, giving training as well as loving support. I know there are zillion of groups doing all sorts of good things for Christ, but these guys have got my attention.

To check out a bit more, click here

They try to serve 200 million Christians in the 66 closed countries who are persecuted in one way or another for their faith. If you go to the link, you can find out about 3 Indoensian women who spent almost 3 yrs in jail for running a sunday school club (evangelism is prohibited). Last night I also heard about Pastor Samuel Lamb in China who after spending 21 years in jail went straight back to his house church (he cramps 700 people into his place 4 times a week) and states quite forthrightly, 'Persecution good! More persecution, more growth!'

I was reminded last night that even if God has spared you persecution (for now) you still feel the affects of it. When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. It's abut time that we started to listen to the aches and pains of our global body.

Check it out.
Scott

If you could ask God one question . . .

2007-06-19T10:30:00.000+02:00

Can you remember when you were in high school?

Did you ever ask a question about the Bible, God or what you should do when faced with a tough choice? Well, I could use your help.

I'm putting together a book of questions and answers on some of the classic questions youth group kids ask about Christian things. Here are some of the classics already assembled:

Where do the dinosaurs fit in?
Who made God?
Do babies who die go to heaven?
Can Christians get tatoos?
How far is too far?
What's with predestination?
If God loves everyone, why all the suffering?

In fact so far I have about 80 questions, but I would love to hear the ones that baked your noodle back in the day (maybe they still haven't been sorted).

Can you help?

Scott

2007-06-18T12:23:00.000+02:00

This is not what I had in mind for the first post on my born again blog,
but it did make me laugh very hard.

Scott

The Dude Abides

2007-06-14T20:40:00.000+02:00

It's been a long time between posts but as a friend of mine has observed, life comes before blogging.

I'm sitting here listening to Bruce croon out some anthems from Human Touch, a new pair of ug boots on my frozen feet and a tastey beverage close at hand.

My time away has not been wasted, so drop by soon and we'll get this party started.

Scott

Wow

2007-05-10T10:54:00.000+02:00

A friend of mine went for some an inservice training with work the other day, you guessed it, all about AIDS and STD's. He was quite forth coming with the fact he was a Christian and what that meant when it came to discussion time.

Afterwards a guy came up to him and said the following.

"Although I went to church as a kid, I'm not a Christian. I have a girl friend and we are sleeping together, but after I have sex with her, I feel so bad. I feel guilty."

Amazing, isn't it?

Here is a guy who has no restrictions, can do whatever he wants.
So he does, and afterwards, how does he feel?
Hopeless.

Reminds me ofthe passage I preached on Sunday night.

Colossians Ch 3.
Put to death therefore whatever belongs to the earthly nature . . . things like sexual immorality . . .becuase of these things the wrath of God is coming."

Scott

Job

2007-04-25T11:23:00.000+02:00

I'm doing 5 talks through Job for my youth groups at the moment. I haven't visited Job for a while and (as usual) it's the surprise that grab you.

Job has had everything stripped from him in Ch 1 (although worse is yet to come in Ch 2). Money, status, security and kids, all gone in a heartbeat. So Job looses it, tears robes, shaves head and mourns. Check the next sentence;

Then he fell to the ground in worship . . ."
[OK, I didn't see that one coming]

"and said, Naked I come from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised."

Thoughts.
Job seems to understand a lot better than we do that everything he had from the second he was born doesn't belong to him. It was a gift from God. Or a loan from God - becuase one day, when you die, God will take it back. So if God calls back some of his gifts a bit early, that's OK. Suffering in this way doesn't mean God hates you or that God has suddenly become untrustworthy.

It also seems that Job knew this before the suffering came, he didn't figure it out in the midst of the storm. His reaction was to fall down in worship. He was prepared for this. He knew this stuff already and had used this knoweldge to discipline and brace himself for such a day.

Last comment.

Job can see what is happening around him clear enough, but he is totally clueless as to the reason behind it. (The narrator gives us a glimpse into the conversation between God and Satan, but Job himself never hears about it). Job's response is a response to suffering which arrives with no explaination or interpretation. Which gives us a choice. Do we react to what we SEE around us, or, from what we KNOW to be true about God? It seems to me that while he is a full participant in the tragedy around him, Job chooses the later.

More to come (perhaps)

Scott

Nat and Ev

2007-04-20T14:38:00.000+02:00

This is long overdue (they are somewhere in Namibia now) but better late than never.

Nat and Ev came for a visit or 2 while they spent a week in Cape Town recently. They are doing a round the world thing with a twist - not just pure hedonism ;) but with a mix of Christian service (2 months with an aid organisation in a former Soviet Republic / Christian orphanage in Uganda etc). I like their style.

Anyway, it was tops to catch up - i think I heard a click - and you would do well to check their travel site http://natandev.travellerspoint.com/

Explore away, my friends.

At Newlands watching the Stormers thrash the Lions.

Scott

Two Oceans 2007

2007-04-11T08:52:00.000+02:00

The road home

The mighty Celtic's at UCT and behind, the mt

This guy fell apart with about 50 m to go.

The mission: To get under 1hour 50 min.

The hurdle: Enough training to feel good but not enough to probably make much difference.

The crisis: 20 seconds into the race - I get a killer stitch. My training partner disappears and I'm in a hurt locker.

The panic: Half way thru the race i check the time - 1hr 03 - if I stay on this target I'm running a 2hr 06! Nooooooooooo!!

The decisive moment: I pop one of Trevors blue pills. I don't know what's in them but it kicks on so that . . .

The finish: I run the second half in 45 min and finish with 1:48:42

The next mission: To take another 5 min off for next year.

Scott

Actually, it has me

2007-04-10T10:09:00.000+02:00

I'll whack up some pics and a post of the Two Oceans tomorrow, but for now . . .

This mornings Cape Times told me about Lisa Perry, 45 year old from St Paul's Minnesota.

She wants a fresh start before she moves across the country so she is selling all her belongings (except her cat, dog, photos and some clothes) on ebay. The top bidder would get over 300 items inclusing snow shoes, a futon, a village people album and seashells.

Listen to what she said;

"This might be mid life, but it's not a crisis. It's mid life excitement. I don't need it all, I don't use it all. I just have it all. Actually, it has me."

Has a truer word ever been sopken? "Actually, it has me"

You can not serve 2 masters - it comes down to being owned by God or owned by your stuff. Remember, you don't own it.

Would anyone out there like to follow in Lisa's footsteps?
If so, what would you keep (let's just say you'r allowed to fit it into a big suitcase.)

Scott

Help

2007-04-05T10:01:00.000+02:00

Here is my problem.

I have a home phone, a work phone, a cell phone and a fax number.

I have email at work and email at home.

I have skype I have this blog and another blog .

I have a door bell.

There is Dawn at the front desks who hands me little squares of paper telling me to call people.

And now, for some unknown reason I have begun Facebook. Face book is kind of like my space, but nicer (I think). All the kids are doing it and I didn't want to be left behind.

Come visit me here.

Or don't - because I have 50 million ways to communicatwe with people but no time to do it. I still have 3 people we have promised to have over for dinner from last year. I want to go tribal, stone age, maybe a carrier pigeon at best. Is anyone else stung by this too?

Scott

The Chad

2007-04-04T09:19:00.000+02:00

Hey y'all!

Go check out Nathan and Cass' blog from down south in the US of A.

I miss these guys . . .

(It's true, I miss you guys!)

http://www.nathandcass.blogspot.com

300

2007-03-29T10:40:00.000+02:00

I loved this movie. It was what I was hoping for.

It didn't pretend to be something it wasn't or couldn't deliver (don't you hate that?). In other words, it was honest to what it was.

It hit all the right buttons. It had father and son, sacrifice, the underdogs, a commitment to death. They fought like there was something greater at stake than just themselves.

And Kimg Leonadis was a king you wanted to follow, or the kind of man you wanted to be.

And yes, I get that it was 'just' a movie, and that it's based on a comic book (sorry, graphic novel) which was based on history and so that gives it more room to interpret the facts. But do you think I care?

I enoyed it. Period. But it made me think about ideas like honour, duty, fear, hope and glory. And what those things mean for me as a Christian. And how would my conversation with my son differ from Leonadis' conversation with his - if at all?

If you have seen it, care to comment?

Scott

PS: It is rated high for it's violence and a sex scene so view at your discression.

Testify!

2007-03-23T09:14:00.000+02:00

A few weeks ago I was finding pictures of gospel preachers for a talk one of my leaders was giving. I found some pretty interesting characters (of course, I'm not sure if any of them were genuine gospel men, but it was all about perception anyway, so we were safe).

But I came across this guy. I think it is posed, but the 12 string makes me think. (If you were going to do a funny picture shoot, you would just grab any crappy 6 string lying around - why a 12 string, unless it is real!)

Now I gotta be honest, I've got no great thing to say here, I just thought it was a cool picture! Maybe you want to leave a comment, or a caption?

Scott

2007-03-13T09:00:00.000+02:00

OK, so it's Thursday night last week. I'm running with the club and we have just conquered a particulary nasty hill. We get to the top and our wobbly legs force us to walk for a few moments. And as we do, the guy next to me (not a Christian) says to everyone and no one inparticular;

'Man, that was spiritual!'

I don't say anything, I am just trying to suck oxygen into my lungs.

Without wanting to be too harsh on the guy, my take on him is that he is a trendy coffee and book store kind of guy, opinionated and inner city-ish, but without the clout to back it up. He may be a bit of a poser.

So it is kind of a 'cool meets interllectual' thing to say, right?

I take it that he meant running up the hill was so bloody hard and painful that it took him to the transcedant (or at least that he was suggesting that it was the kind of experience that could do that sort of thing).

But as we ran down the other side I thought to myself that actually, he is spot on. It was spiritual, but not in the way he meant it.

"For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is recieved with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." 2 Tim 4:4-5

Even big, sweaty hills (at twilight on a summers evening).

It occured to me however that a few sentences later appears a verse that he really needed to hear;

"For physical training is of some value but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Scott

I'm feeling pretty tough

2007-03-05T13:41:00.000+02:00

In 32 days I'm running the Two Oceans Marathon, 'The most beautiful marathon in the world'. It's only going to be half as beautiful for me cause I'm only doing the half (acute pain, permanant damage and expensive hospitalization are not where I'm at right now).

So I thought I'd pick up some longer runs to get some k's under my belt.

On Saturday morning I run with Denzil and Leights and they took me. Man, did they take me! Now remember, I'm training for the 21kms. We ran almost 30! I've never run that far before in one go.

The bad news was that there was pain.

The good news was that I made it, I recovered quickly, I have broken the mental barrier and I got inspired.

So right now, even though compared to the others I'm still a newbie, I feel pretty tough.

Scott

Colin

2007-02-28T11:46:00.000+02:00

If you're a praying person, pray for Colin.

Colin is a homeless guy who has been visiting me at church over the last few weeks. After some over zealous church member showed him where I live, he is now visiting us at our house - all hours. This morning I took him to the church down the road who have a fully operation ministry to the homless (we don't) called UTurn. He is hooked up with the soup kitchen today and Friday and next Wednesday is their monthly intake and interviews. Colin said would like to start a program and stay in a shelter so we will see how he goes.

This next week will be tricky. Now that we have got a bit of a relationship going with him Sam (from UTurn) suggested that we continue to help him until the intake into their program. But at the same time we need to set boundries, as you do in any relationship. This will take much wisdom and love (both tender and tough) in deciding when to do what, and when to say no.

Please keep us in mind and prayers over the next week that we can do the right thing by Colin and be the face of Jesus to him without chucking wisdom out the door.

Scott

My sunday

2007-02-26T11:53:00.000+02:00

Let me tell you about my Sunday.

Sunday moring, Junior Youth, was HARD.
Numbers were a bit down and the kids were like zomies. Or statues. It was like swimming through concrete. We have been doing a series 'People who met Jesus' (see last post). So I kick off the last talk in the series by asking,
"What is the series we have been looking at this term?"

No response.

So to prompt them I ask,

"Was it . . . people who met Elvis?!" (I'm a funny guy, right?)

No response.

So I try a different approach. I say,

"Last week we looked at a guy from the bible who met Jesus. Let me act it out for you so you can take a guess."

I proceed to act out the man of the tombs. It's violent, noisy and scary.

"I ask them - so who was it that Jesus met last week?"

A kid sticks up his hand . . . .

"A monkey?"

It was a HARD morning.

Sunday evening, Senior Youth, was EXCITING.
We had an evangelistic bring a friend type meeting.
We had 7 new faces.
We had 60 all up.
We had a great testimony from a grade 10 girl who was interviewed by her friend.
My brother provided a top evangelistic talk.
We had dinner together.
People responded.
It was a buzz to be there.

What to make of all this?
1. Gospel work is never so bad that it can't get better.
2. Gospel work is very real and gritty and (in one sense) vulnerable to being bruised by this world (bad number, bad attitudes, laziness)
3. But in the other sense, gospel work is thrilling because it is supernatural and beyond our ability to manage (that's largely what I attribute the success of Sunday night to).
4. Despite the sunday mornings, there will always be sunday nights.
5. And I love my work.

Scott

The little big guy

2007-02-21T10:25:00.000+02:00

I am just finishing up a tried and tested series for my Junior Youth Kids - 'People who met Jesus' or 'Meeting Jesus makes a difference'.

This Sunday we are looking at Luke 19:1-10, the mini me of the series, Zacchaeus.

Meeting Jesus made a huge difference to this guy - check out verse 8;

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Two things struck me this time around.

1. That although there were many things that Zacchaeus probably needed to change, he straight up zooms in on his relationships.

'I’m a rip-off merchant' he says to himself. 'Greed at the expense of others has been my style.'

So he gives half my money to the poor, and repays 4 times the stolen amount.

For us our relationships don’t usually revolve around money. But they may be dominated by gossip. In which case we can 'do a Zacchaeus' by stop talking behind peoples backs and start being trustworthy.

Or perhaps we are ultra cynical and biting. We can 'do a Zacchaeus' by stop cutting people down and start showing kindness.

2. Change is more than just stopping a behaviour.

In the story you don' see Zacchaeus just stop being a rip off – he STARTS being generous. Change is not just about stopping the bad but starting the good.

Don’t just stop being a gossip – START being trustworthy

Don’t just stop being a bully – START being kind

The change that we should be looking for when 'salvation comes to our house' (v9) is surely something like this.

There's a lot more to these 10 verses to be sure, but stumbling across this was a blessing.

Scott

300

2007-02-14T14:01:00.000+02:00

Here is my movie.

'300'

It is an adaptation of a comic book that recounts the heroic but tragic battle of King Leonadis and the 300 Spartans against the entire Persian army as they were set to invade Greece.

Let the trailer move you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0QJuu1n5Vk

Granted, I think this is a boys movie.

Also, it is only basically true to history (it is an adaption from a comic book after all) and it looks as though it has a mythological slant on it as well. But from what I can tell it still looks frick'n awesome!

"Give them nothing, take from them EVERYTHING!"

Scott

2007-02-09T09:43:00.000+02:00

This week I realised in my 7 years at St James I have never done a talk on giving.

Well, this Sunday, all that changes.

Why?

I read 2 Cor 8:8-9

"I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

Generosity is at the heart of the gospel. It was actually the spark that began the whole thing; God's generosity to us.

So we're going to ask a youth group 30km down the road who can't manage a camp of there own if they would like to come with us on our camp in March. We don't want to be generous with money but also with our fellowship and fun. I'm selling it to our kids this Sunday. You might want to pray that the unfettered generosity of God takes root in their hearts too.

Scott

Nothing Deep

2007-01-26T13:54:00.000+02:00

No, you haven't strayed onto the Cho's blog by mistake.

(Rich is a buddy of mine in Sydney who is about to become a misso in Thailand and keeps us regualry up to date with his garden. Check out http://go-cho.blogspot.com/)

But a few weeks ago I came across what I think is a tommy plant growing in my compost. I rescued it and soon I might even see some fruit.

Nothing deep about it, just thought it was kinda cool.

Scott

Why you may have more in common with Romania than you think

2007-01-22T09:28:00.000+02:00

Last night I met the Consular General of Romania.

He is a really nice guy, easy to talk to and has been in the country with his family for about 3 weeks. It turns out he is a Christian, has studied theology and done a Phd in human rights at Oxford. This is his first diplomatic posting.

For the record, I discovered there are about 150 Romanians in Cape town and about 4000 in the country as a whole.

He has a couple of teenage kids who will come along to our youth group which is tops. And he has already invited me over to the consulate to play tennis!

It made me think though. If you're anything like me, when it comes to evangelical Christianty we think Sydney, friends in the UK and Canada, some select Americans and the outposts like SA. It is great to be woken up to the fact that there are brothers and sisters all over the globe. Even in Romania. As my good friend Fritz keeps reminding me; there is a lot to be saidfor global Christianty.

Viva la Romania!!!

Scott

PS: He told me about a website he started. I haven't visited it yet but why not pop into www.areopagus.ro

2007-01-17T10:19:00.000+02:00

Holidays were solid. Hayley was as sick as only a pregnant women can be but apart from that . . .

We ended our time in Betty's bay with disaster - go check out Ben's blog http://babytubman.blogspot.com so see why.

But here are a few glimpses of the happier times . . .

We went to see the penguins. It's kind of weird to see hundreds of them sitting on the rocks when it's 26 degrees. You kind of think there should be snow around. The little guys are cool, but leave the place smelling like penguin poo. (This of course is a shot of us, not the birds)

Also took a trip to the waterfall. You feel like a swim but apparently the water is full of snakes?! We didn't see any but contented ourselves with throwing big rocks in to make a splash (actually that was more me and Ben than Hayley)

The place we stayed in was right on a lake. An essential stop-of-dip on the way home from the beach.

As usual, Ben went nuts over the beach

African Sunset

Check'n In

2007-01-06T12:54:00.000+02:00

These holidays have been a break from most things – including the blog. But to fill the gaps – here are some dots since we last met;

* In case the grapevine broke down – Hayley is preggies again. Yeah, thanks. This one is due on the 16th of Aug, one day after Ben was born. Are we creatures of habit or what?

* To begin our holidays, all 3 of us were sick which was less than average. Since then the 2 boys have recovered but . . .

* Hayley’s morning sickness is a thing of wonder. It’s truly intense. Even a walk past the meat section at the shops makes her gag.

* This made Christmas day a challenge – in addition, Hayley got a viral infection and was even sicker. But at least I was able to eat – and I was introduced to ox tongue. It wasn’t the worse thing I’ve ever eaten, but I can see why we go for the other bits of the animal first.

* Holidays since then have been a mix of beach in the mornings, kirstenbosch gardens, a few people over, a movie or 2, lots of reading.

* I finished a great novel, ‘The Fall of the Russian Empire’ and half way through John Piper’s ‘Don’t Waste your Life’. A great first read for the year.

Come to think of it I’ve had lots of exciting thoughts and theories over the holidays, but I really need to blog them as they arrive. A post mortem blog doesn’t really feel right. Nevertheless I’ll give you some thoughts next week on the Piper book. As for now, we’re going away for the last week of hols. See ya soon

Scott

PS: My new little project - getting a wall of photos - we have begun!

Big week

2006-12-19T23:02:00.000+02:00

Long time no blog!

It's been a big last few weeks.

I was away for a week long camp without Hayley or Ben.

Then I got dog sick.

Today Ben got really sick and Hayley has started to follow suit.

But that could also be because of the other bit of big news . . .

She's pregnant!

2006-12-07T12:27:00.000+02:00

After my last post, I was accused of having a blog that was 'too heavy'
(Jenni, Mel, I'm looking in your direction . . . )

So just to balance out the karma . . . here is a must have t-shirt

Scott

It cuts through all our hearts

2006-12-06T11:40:00.000+02:00

Alexander Solzhenitsyn is one of the most quoted Russian authors of the 20th cent.

I stumbled across one of his books for R7 in a street carnival.

'The Gulag Archipelago' is his story of how he went from a officer in the Red army to be denounced, arrested and put in a gulag for 15 years. Let me tell you, Hitler had nothing on Stalin. Hitler only killed 6 million, Stalin at least racked up 60 million.

I think he might be the most quoted Russian becuase he has such a clear vision of evil and no delusion that man is basically good. The stories on every page are just terrible. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, it does. It's not despressing, but deeply sad.

"If only there were some evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to seperate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

Mark 7:20-23

Scott

PS: If you want to get your hands on a copy, get the abridged version (450 pages) not the full 3 volume set (1500 pages)!

2. The Goodbye

2006-11-21T09:15:00.000+02:00

About 6 hours after we watch Leights and Kitty drive off into the rest of their lives, I said goodbye to our matrics for 2006. They ran their final Senior Youth and did an awesome job. I love them, and they are my friends, as much as a 12 year age gap will allow. It was hard for me to say goodbye to the end of an era, and as if to punctuate the moment, we had a fierce, but short, summer thunder storm.

Rain pelted down on the hot cement just after dusk and in a matter of seconds, that beautiful smell of hissing rain topped off the most emotional time of my year. At the end of Novemember I always say goodbye. But this time the summer rain took me back to 1996 when I said goodbye to my first ever biblstudy, as the grade 9's moved up to Senior High back at Christ Church. It rained then too, same sound, same smell, and although it reminded me of sad goodbyes, it also was kind of poetic.

(plus Andy baby)

(plus Nadine, Lisa, Lucy)

Part 1: The Wedding

2006-11-20T09:33:00.000+02:00

I've had a real emotional weekend - all good, emotional neverthteless.

Part 1: The Wedding

Leights and Kitty - you guys are beautifully awesome and rejoicing just bubbles over when I think of Saturday. For those of you who weren't there - here are some of the moments. As we look at these shots, you are living it up on honeymoon. You need to know that we are all desperately jealous!

Sherbit!

Scott

PS: If lights is my brother in law - then kirsty and I are . . . . [a little help?!]

2006-11-15T13:20:00.000+02:00

Steve sent me an underwater shot of our shark dive (see a few post back). It's taken with one of those disposable jobbies in a plastic case.
I love this photo, it's eerie, spooky and kind of scary. It looks like a great shot from a shark horror movie (not the clean cut type of flicks like Deep Blue Sea).
For instance; Is that blood on the sharks lips? Is that a piece of person on the end of the rope?
(The answer is no and no of course) but can you see where I'm coming from?!
Thanks steve

Scott

Stuff you didn't know Part 3

2006-11-09T09:50:00.000+02:00

Cook had returned to Hawaii but this time he wasn't treated like god, he was recieved as one would welcome back a pet who wasn't house trainned. The locals began some serious theft and Cook, determined to keep the upper hand, went ashore to hold the chief to ransom until all the property had been returned. This tactic had worked well on other pacific islands, but this time didn't work out quite as he had hoped. They were chased back to the beach by an angry mob. The best way to hear the end of the story is to listen to it thru the journals of the men who were there (as described by Tony Horwitz).

"Phillips had lost sight of Cook, but the men aboard the launch saw the captain standing with his arm outstretched, apparently beckoning for the boats to come closer. But the launches commander either misunderstood the gesture or chose to ignore it, and ordered his men to row farther out.

Cook struggled to the shoreline: a ledge of lava, covered in shallow water. He was about 10 yards from the saftey of the other launch, if only he could swim (which he couldn't).

'Captain Cook was now the only man on the rock,' Samwell wrote. The captain stepped out into shallow water, one hand sheilding the back of his head from stones, the other clutching his musket. The Hawaiians seemed hesitant to pursue him.

"An indian came running behind him, stopping once or twice as he advanced, as if he was afraid, "Samwell wrote, "then taking Cook unaware he sprung to him, and then knocked him on the back of his head with a large club."

Cook staggered, fell to one knee, tried to rise. Another man rushed up and stabbed the captain between the shoulder blades with an iron dagger. Cook toppled into knee deep water and the crowd fell on him with a frenzied group assult.

"They now kept him underwater, one man sat on his shoulders and beat his head with a stone while others beat him with clubs and stones, Samwell wrote. Then they hauled Cooks body onto the rocks and continued the stabbings and beatings. "As soon as one had stabbed him another would take the instrument out of his body and give him another stab."

Captain Cook died on the lava shelf just after 8am.

Seaman Gilbert wrote; "All our hopes centered on him, our loss become irrepairable." Samwell added that the men returned to the boats, "crying out with tears in their eyes that they had lost their father."

This stuff makes me all emotional.
If you're an Australian this is compulsory reading, if your not, you'll wish you were.

Scott

Stuff you didn't know about Cook - Part 2

2006-11-06T13:25:00.000+02:00

In some ways, Australia is lucky that it doesn’t belong to the Dutch or the French.

Captain Cook claiming it for the King of England was almost a complete fluke.

He and his crew had just finished some astronomical measurements in the Pacific and had decided it was about time to head home. Rather than taking the most direct route, Cook decided to cut across previously uncharted southern waters. This passage home was kind of out of obligation because, once at sea, he had opened sealed papers which ordered him to also try and discover the mysterious southern continent.

(Up until this point, the great south land had not recieved a great rap. The Dutch had bumped into the coast of Australia in the 16th cent. but passed quickly on commenting; “We could not find one fruitful tree or anything that could be of use to mankind.” William Dampier, an English privateer who visited the northwest of Australia in 1688 also added, “The inhabitants of this country are the most miserable people in the world.”)

Nevertheless, Cook’s probing loop brought him right into the Eastern coast of Australia, which he followed and charted all the way up to the tip of far north Queensland. He wasn’t looking for Australia; he just wanted to get home. If he had been a less adventurous soul, it would have been left up to someone else to bump into the great south land. But as it turns out he charted most of the East coast and as a result gave the big boys back home an ‘out of sight – out of mind’ option for the relocatation of it’s overcrowded prisons 7 years later.

So why has Cook been greeted with the excitement that meets a dry piece of toast?

Tony Horwitz (the author) reckons it’s because Cook wasn’t bad enough,

“Ned Kelly was eventually hanged, the Eureka Stockade fell after a 15 min battle, and the ‘jolly swagman’ drowned himself. But Australians love losers, so long as they lose with panache against overwhelming odds, or as martyrs to British authority. The true national holiday wasn’t Australia Day; it was Anzac Day, commemorating the doomed, British ordered assault by Australian troops at Gallipoli in 19156. James cook – a winner, faithful servant of his majesty, a wigged pom without much flair or humour – had little hope of entering Australia’s pantheon of antiheroes”. P148

One more Cook insight to go - his brutal death and dismemberment in Hawaii.

Scott

Things you didn't know Part 1

2006-11-02T16:17:00.000+02:00

James Cooper is a good man. He always remembers stuff and even sends me a birthday pressie all the way over to deepest darkest Africa. He recently sent me a biography of another great man who shares his initals - Captin James Cook.

If you are an Australian, you know Cook was an Englishman who sailed into Botany Bay in 1788 and claimed the place for the British. Seven years later, they started shipping the convicts our way. He was the compulsory start for year 7 history and let's be honest, it was about as inspiring as school assembly.

If you're not an Austrlaian, you would be lucky to even know this much.

But friends; we have been mislead! Misinformed! This book is great, and Captin James Cook is a pretty amazing guy. In honour of the man (and as a thanks to Jimmy Cooper) I'm going to pop up a fact or two about Cook over the next week or so. Do yourself a favour and pop in.

Stuff about Captin Cook you Didn't Know Part 1:
James Cook charted and named more of the world than any other navigator in history!

Over his 3 journeys of discovery, Cook sailed from the Antarctic to the Arctic, from Tasmania to Soth America, from North America to Siberia and the Pacific Islands.

All in all he clocked up 200,000 miles, roughly equivilent to circling the equator 8 times or travelling from the earth to the moon.

If it wasn't for the fact that he saved me from growing up in a dreary mining town in England, you wouldn't say that Cook sticking the Union Jack in the sand at Botany Bay even rates that high on his list of all time acheivements.

But stay tuned . . . there's more

Scott

Dum da . . . . dum da . . . .

2006-10-30T09:39:00.000+02:00

As I slipped on the wettie, and lowered myself into the chilly waters of Gansbaai the thought, "I could be eaten", never crossed my mind. I looked at Steve, who was grinning like a madman, and said something forgettable - to which he replied, "This is SO cool!!"

Myth number one about shark cage diving. It's scary. It's not.

It is thrilling, amazing, awesome but not scary. The sharks aren't aggressive, they don't want to kill you. They are curious.

The other element no one tells you about is that when you are told to go underwater you enter a world of silence. Not a sound. You see this huge beast swim past the cage (or ram into it, or stick its nose in and bite it - yes that happened to us too) but it is mute - quite a bizzare experience.

Then of course there was Jeff. The 15 year olf British kid who from the second he stepped off the jetty got sick. I saw him hurl overboard into the path of a circling shark. I think if I had asked Jeff, he would have been more than happy for me to tip him off the side. Poor kid.

But by ther end of the day, I was starting to feel a little queezy myself. It probably wasn't helped by the chuming. There were 2 'crewman' on board whose sole responcibility was to fill a big bucket with fish parts, fill it with sea water and then stomp in it until it became a watery soup of shark fragerance. Then they would slop it over board. For 4 hours. After a while when you went under to view the sharks you would see the fish bits float past your mask and no doubt into your nose, mouth and ears. Another hidden gem of shark diving.
(For those of you shaking your heads, apparently chuming does not lure sharks into the beach to eat people as it has been rumoured. So there.)

But, it was unreal. Thanks to Steve for making it happen. Thanks to God for making such awesome beasties. And thanks to Hayley for sending me off with a smile!

Read it and be at peace

2006-10-18T09:37:00.000+02:00

Here is a blast from the past my brother posted on his blog.

Read his post and be at peace.

The irony is that I finally used my b'day money and just went and brought some new clothes.
Now I feel like I've let the side down! :)

Scott

(BTW; that is me at the back and Craig in the front. I'm the one with the 'news readers hair piece' loo9k. Oh, hang on, that doesn't really help does it?)

No TV

2006-10-12T09:50:00.000+02:00

We've done it.

We've made a stand.

No TV after 7pm at night.

For the next week. (I've long ago learnt my lesson about unrealistic goals).

Which for me is basically no TV (Hayley sometimes slips in a Dr Phil at lunch if she can).
Last night, as Hayley wrote a talk, I spoke to a friend back from OS and then read lots of my book. But after that I couldn't get to sleep.

Still with 1 night down, 6 to go, I'm feeling good.

But (for all you fans out there) I am haunted by the words of Homer . . .

"No TV and no beer make Homer go mad!"

Good thing I haven't given up beer.

Scott

He's back

2006-10-06T09:44:00.000+02:00

OK, CD review time.

Reviewers always seem to me like one of the faceless masses who just couldn't make it themselves, so I'm going to try and not be that guy. I'm doing this shout out cause I love The Boss.

Devils and Dust is pretty good. It grows on you. Some 'one man one guitar' stuff and some band numbers too.

Highlights and Low lights . . . .

Highlights:

His story telling is alive and well. You will become part of tales of a bareknuckle boxer reflecting on his life, an uncomfortably graphic story of a visit to a prostitue (and how immensly unsatisfying it was) and even the story of Jesus walking up to the cross and the words he used to comfort his mother. Nice and diverse.

No anthems, but the haunting sound of Bruce comes through loud and clear

I got the double CD which includes a DVD

Lowlights

The best story telling isn't always paired with the best musical tracks.

He is becomiong less and less articulate, to the point that even a seasoned Bruce fan will have trouble working out what the heck he is singing about without the words

You will have heard some of these tunes before - some of them sound suspiciously re-hashed from previous stuff.

But hey, I'll buy every CD he makes, cause you can't argue with the Boss.

Scott

2006-10-05T14:48:00.000+02:00

I don't have much to say at the moment but I thought I would share this:

I just had an afternoon snack of some chilled dates from Libya.

So there.

Scott

2006-09-28T09:24:00.000+02:00

Three posts in 3 days.

I must be trying to avoid something. Proctastination is a great inspiration.

Don't skipt the last 2 posts if you just arrived - I enjoyed them both. But also don't miss out on checking out this link

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/ultimate+showdown/#start

Ever wondered what would happen if all the superheroes fought each other in the ultimate show down?

Well, now you know.

Scott

The greatest adventure story ever told

2006-09-27T09:17:00.000+02:00

It's a big call for the title of a book, "The greatest adventure story ever told", and I must admit, I was skeptical. But if you've got some spare cash, you'd be hard pushed for a more mind bending adventure. It might be a boy thing, but I'm pretty sure this will bake your noodle either way.

Shackelton started off to cross the Antartic - but before he even landed, his boat (The Endurance) got caught in an ice flow and over a period of a week or 2 the most modern and expensive ice going vessel of 1914 was crushed into pieces no bigger than your dining room table.

Thus began a 2 year (that's right, 2 year!) trek of survival. They spend most of it camped out on an ice pack drifting slowely towards a deserted island (no palm trees and coconuts here though - just a frozen lump of rock) from where they could launch their row boats for the 650 mile journey across the worst sea in the world to another lump of rock where there was a whaling station.

For 2 years they ate penguin and seal blubber, were almost never dry, spent 3 months in south pole winter (24 hrs of darkness) all got frostbite, had to kill and eat their sleigh dogs . . . the list goes on. But instead of re writing the book here, I'll let you go read it yourself.

It taught me 2 things.

1. The burden of command. For those of us who have people under their charge it can be a weighty load to bear. Most of us aren't trying to keep 27 others alive on an iceberg, but to be a leader is like being a parent, you worry that your best might not be good enough.

2. You can always push harder, go further, last longer. I now believe that we usually fail because we give up, not because all is lost.

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. Courage is what counts.”
Churchill

Wortelgat 2006

2006-09-26T13:33:00.000+02:00

Just got back from another great camp. It's our fav. spot with some of my fav. kids.
It is very photogenic, esp when it comes to QT's. Also had lots of first timers on camp who all clicked really well. We are tired but thanking God for another great weekend.

The only trouble was the bus. We got the campsite late, bouncing down a dirt road in the country. We went down the wrong path, ended up in a neighbours farm, and when we tried to reverse out got bogged! So at 9:15pm we unpacked the puss, got cars to shuttle the luggage, and Leights lead the kids on a night hike to the cape site. Then a tractor came and pulled the bus out. We ate dinner at 10pm and then all crashed.

Then on the way home on sunday, our bus had to stop 5 times becuase it was getting air in the fuel line. The bus driver 'knew' how to fix it, but is repair work was a bit scarey (he threw out one of the fuel filters!) We made it home an hour and a half late.

But ingoring the buses, or maybe because of them, it was a pretty memorable time.

Pray for me as I do it all again this coming weekend with the juniors . . . .

Scott

2006-09-19T13:05:00.000+02:00

For a top thought on something serious, check out Monday the 18th on my brothers blog.

http://www.tubemantravels.blogspot.com/