Confessions

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

Catch Up

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

Book club

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

Jemma Grace

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

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