Some say the better team on the night didn’t win, but I think that’s bullshit. What I saw was a powered-up French team with nothing to lose playing their out of the box stunning game where they can beat anyone in the world…yet they still lost. Why? They were playing the only team in the world that could possibly contain them. No one else in the world could have won against that French team that turned up last night.

Don’t forget what 24 years of pressure from within and without can do to a side. The All Blacks were playing with that burden on their shoulders against a side with practically none.

As a game it wasn’t pretty, but this All Black team did what none of the forebears could; they won an incredibly tight match by grinding it out and neither conceding a penalty nor making a handling error when it mattered, when the pressure was suffocating.

Yes, there were parts of the game where I felt a drop goal or penalty would decide it against us, and yes we looked overwhelmed at times but the tenacity and grit that has been instilled in this team for eight years finally shone through.

We won the arm wrestle, we finally stamped our no.1 status on world rugby, able to lift the cup as victors once more.

I learnt so much from these guys, and in particular stagecraft. I learnt to go at 100% activity, swing my bass around manically and till stay tight. I also fell over a lot, but that was cool. It instilled in me an insatiable urge to do something the crowd isn’t expecting, and I learnt that when you go crazy, you enable the crowd to loosen up. I loved their faith (I was barely christian at the time) and their adherence to their core ideals. I was the crazy drunken munter that smoked too much, whilst they went crazier, harder, and never seemed too cool for me. I always respected that no matter how worldly I got, they just walked beside me. I owe a lot to those guys, and the crew of ever faithful supporters, Brehaut, Jim, and Fraser, who were there for every gig we rocked and every gig we sucked. It was refreshing to get off stage and have three guys go “yeah, that sucked.” Why? Truth is good. And when they came up and said “that was amazing!”, you felt 10 feet tall because you know you had done your job right. At the time, we were picking up support gigs everywhere, and it really helped us get super tight. Then, as he does, the lead singer faded out again, this time for good, to Canada. That was that.

I want to better that now. I want to get a good bunch of fans, do tours, write cool collaborative music that rocks, and go mental on stage once again. There is nothing  as cool as the night where everything clicks together; the crowd on your wavelength, you’re playing out of your skin, the atmosphere is electric,. You can just FEEL a memory being made. It’s exciting stuff indeed, and rather addictive.

But as people go more acoustic and mellow, I feel my chances are dropping. Maybe I won’t get to where I want. Maybe that was the high point? It could well be that I need to find a whole different bunch of musicians.

Nah, I’ll be back again. I can’t help but pine for it.

Unfortunately, it’s developed stockholm syndrome.

The Gospel must be served face to face, in person. You can avoid it by avoiding the messenger. The Gospel is issued by the clerk of the court in the name of the judge presiding over the case. Once served, the gospel gives you a choice. You can choose to shun the requirements of the gospel but the penalty is severe. Once served, you ALWAYS have a choice; you cannot return to the choice-less existence enjoyed whilst the gospel is binding. The purpose of the gospel is to call someone to witness.

Just a thought.

Feel free to disagree with me, and I whole-heartedly encourage posting comments that high-light areas of contention.

Also note that my commentary is first aimed at myself; generally admonishing, exhorting or trying to feel out ideas.

So if you feel I’m kicking your head in a bit, be safe in the knowledge I’ve already got a sizeable bruise.

I make no apologies.

It’s the only way you’ll understand that when God in exodus says :

EX 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.’ “

and Jesus says in John:

JN 8:58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

that He’s using the present tense “I am” perfectly. Perfectly used because someone who is based outside of time but involved in it would have their present at all points of time; past present and future. (also proving continuity between old testament new, and also Jesus’ divinity; He’s claiming to be the voice of the burning bush, AND the start of plausible proof that we have an interventionist God) Hence pharisees picking up stones to throw in the next verse We have a weird sense of reality, we don’t know what happens next, and I am always fascinated that time only goes one way, and often exclaim it to people at work that “I’m so glad time goes forward!” which seems slightly retarded if you don’t get the backstory.  I don’t see time as linear, only my perception of it is.

Just for a strange aside, if time slows down to a stop in a singularity or black hole which has infinite mass, would the assumption that the more mass you have, the more gravity you have be plausible? And the more gravity you have, the slower times goes? If so would it also be true that the less gravity you have, the faster time goes? I have thus explained why short people run faster and talk faster – they have less gravity. But seriously, as a minor psychological effect…

Have you noticed that as a kid, a year seemed massive, and summer holidays seemed to last forever? But as you matured, the years grew shorter and shorter? Might it be something to do with brain mass, I wonder.

I think a marvellous exercise would be to try and ponder what the human condition is; try and separate personality, soul, heart etc, from whats essentially a tool, our body. What would happen if we weren’t subject to gravity? What would life be like if our bodies could just pass through anything? How would our perception change when not subject to time? What would power our bodies if we had no need for cleansing by blood? What if our brains are just the control panel to the body, being operated, played almost, by personality or spirit which has no proximity or mass, much like software on a computer?

Have you ever noticed how time seems to slow down when you’re having a shite time? Perhaps the phrase “the gravity of the situation” is more descriptive than we realise? Question?

My mind works in weird ways…

Curious.

Anyhoo

We’ve forgotten that sharing our faith isn’t about racking up points with God, it’s about love.

Trying to get as many souls as possible to Christ is a noble and awesome thing but how are we doing it? Are we doing it so God will like us more, in effect being quite self-centred? Or are we doing it out of love?

I had a good yarn to a close mate of mine who has always been in and out of the church, and He really made me think.

“Tony, it’s all about the song ‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.’”

I suddenly was in a crazy introverted tunnel of discovery. Was it disco? Very.

It’s not about sitting around with your christian mates and forming a pocket of resistance, although there is a time and space for that fellowhip. It’s about getting out, hanging out with the tax-collecters, the prostitutes, the drunkards, the people that don’t know God. That last term isn’t a summation, it’s a category, because anyone can be a slave to money, lust or addiction. And if you’re honest with yourself and aren’t blessedly naive, you’ve felt the pull of these things. Anyhow, back to the point. It’s not about avoiding the world. It’s being IN the world, not OF it or OUT of it. Thats step one, I mean how else are you really going to help people if you’re not there in the first place?

I see the church as a place where christians worship, where curious people can go and observe without feeling conspicuous; safety in numbers. The church as a group should be out in the world, and the church as place should be welcoming of the world.

The thing I hate about the rack as many souls on the chalkboard mentality is that it doesn’t make sense. People standing on street corners, are you really making a difference? Yeah, you are. But think for a moment; are you doing out of love or are you scared that you won’t have enough brownie points?

Admittedly, I’m getting worried that we’re not reaching people anymore. We don’t really know what we’re talking about, blathering fluffy life skills and hugs to everyone. No wonder people aren’t picking up on it, we’re saying Jesus is the ultimate Dr. Phil (He’s not a real doctor but he is a real phil). But hey, I don’t blame you for espousing that, thats what we’re getting preached, and chances are you haven’t read much of the bible so you’re only going on what your pastor is saying. It pisses me off when the “leadership” are more about fluffy life skills, and about giving the right image than stepping aside and letting a real preacher get on with the job. I mean, whats with the whole chain of command deal? It’s a church, NOT a business, Get rid of the pyramid of power leaders. You should NOT be having the most people serve you, you should be inverting that pyramid, and realise that as a pastor in God’s kingdom you should be serving the most people. You have to realise this because in God’s kingdom, theres you and then theres the King, and there is no room for this nicolaitan crap. Read the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 and see what Jesus says about the nicolaitans. Oh by the way nicolaitan pretty much translates as ruler of the people. As I said, let someone else with their head in the word, humbled step in and take your head out of the clouds.

People aren’t understanding love.

Try this. Let it be known in your workplace where your faith lies. Don’t preach, just let it be known, and be candid, don’t condemn or judge.

As a church we should be out amongst the people, living in way that glorifies God but doesn’t distance ourselves too much from those not in the know. Because if God is love and we have to love the unchurched, we have to bring God to the unchurched with love, not fear. We have a tendancy to say “hey stranger you’re going straight to hell unless you get on your kness and pray, foo!” How much more effective would it be to say over a beer “Bro, I want you to know Jesus, the life you lead after you meet Him is awesome!” and mean it. And be able to answer questions.

Thats how I truly came to God, and get a love for Him.

Jeremy helped me through and was always there trying to save my sorry ass, Al showed me thatt there are more mysteries and mind-blowing concepts in the bible than anywhere else, Joel showed me that enthusiasm & joy is available who want it, and John taught me not to judge and how to life like a real christian man. I owe my life to 5 men, 4 friends who didn’t rush me and 1 man who is Jesus, God.

Sow the seed on the street corner, cultivate it through fellowship. Because there is so much misinformation about real christianity that the only way you’re gonig to get through is let the little light shine. You don’t have to stick it in people’s faces till they’re burnt and running away.

I seem to keep thinking that theres a type of person that I desperately want to surround myself with but I can’t find them. So many times I’m kicking around the house, which I swear has lethargy-spray all over it, I feel so strangely alone. There are no friends I can just ring and say “Bro, whats up? Lets kick back and do nothing.” Well, lets just say theres a few groups of people.

Group one is full of people who can’t because they’re married/in a relationship and spend all their time working on those things.

Group two is full of lovely but intense people that I could have some yarns with but they’d probably not join me in having a beer or I know would be uncomfortable with some of the grottiness I can blather.

Group four are people I like but don’t know so well and they’re the “doing” types, fun but not really comfortable with scaling intellectual heights (not that they are ill-equipped).

Group five are people who aren’t in the city.

Group six are people I don’t know very well but are pretty cool but I think would be shocked at my take on things and my propensity to swear occasionally and talk about sex.

Group seven is full of amazing wonderful people that I find fascinating, whom I can talk bollocks or go insanely deep and intellectual with, who do insane stuff and have wonderful stories.

Bear in mind I seem to know most of Christchurch at the moment, but I think I know three of group seven, and I’m getting a little wary of wearing them out.

I think I’ve just got itchy feet, I desperately want to travel the world and see crazy things, walk the shores of galilee, meet weird amazing people, and have crazy stories to tell and come back with a crazy, fascinating and gorgeous texan/irish woman on my arm . I guess I’m unsatisfied with the relationships I have with people at the moment. The people that make me think are usually older and at a bar. I had the best yarns with a dude and his wife after a gig at the civic. It was the best conversation I’d had in such a long time, firstly talking about abraham and the problem of sacrificing issac with the dude, and then the concept that we lump everyone into a group, stereotype them, then hate them, when individually they’re lovely people (specifically refering to muslim peeps) with his wife. I relished that, it was the best yarns I’ve had in such a long time. They were a few years older than me. Is it just life experience on their behalf? How come i can connect intellectually with these people, yet can’t find anyone else around me? I mean, I know some very switched on, opinionated people but no one is triggering that stuff off in me, it feels like my brain is idling. My dad is awesome, we can have some good yarns about interesting, biblical, relevant,socially impacting & heavy stuff which I LOVE but I fear I wear him out sometimes.

I’m dying to move out.

No $.

I have such trouble trying to line up what the bible says I’m to do with my life.

I think I need counselling actually.

What did I do today to further the kingdom of God?

I think thats a very relevant question to ask each day.

Also, I do find it strange that we associate people with economic terms.

Priceless. Valued. Worthless.

Thats it,

I’m listening to journey.

“…Just a city boy, born and raised in south detroit, took a midnight train goin’ anywhere…….”

]]> http://tdubsucks.wordpress.com/2007/01/09/blathering-and-a-bit-o-bad-time-venting/feed/ 4 tdub http://tdubsucks.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/a-few-thoughts-on-preaching/ http://tdubsucks.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/a-few-thoughts-on-preaching/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:35:37 +0000 tdub http://tdubsucks.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/a-few-thoughts-on-preaching/ ]]> I’ve noticed a very weird phenomenon within our churches. Preachers get up, drive home a good message and hold an altar call. Now what’s weird is the fact that the message generally will have nothing to do with the gospel. In fact, it won’t really have any relevance to non-Christians at all. Then the preacher vainly stares into the audience to try and spot a half-raised hand. Sometimes they get some people recommitting. Sometimes they get a couple of people. A couple rest on the fact every eye should be closed and just make it up.

Now before we get down this cynical road too far, we’d better take a pit stop and check our heading. There are anecdotes of people coming to salvation through really odd and unrelated messages; this would be quite typical of God. But let’s think for a moment – is your church bulging at the seams? Have you finally relocated to new premises to try and contain your congregation or are planning such a move? If not, you might to take a look at how you’re doing things. Does your church have leadership depth, or does it kind of lose its way when the senior pastor takes a break? Is the gospel being included in every sermon? Are you wondering why there’s a mass altar call at services like Greg Laurie? It’s not rocket science.

When I was a teenager, the church I attended never emphasised grace and how it cannot be earned. Thus I ran off trying to do good works; I never had a solid grounding. There’s something called the gospel, and it’s simple. And it’s the very core of belief. There are a few points I’d like to outline here. I’ll call it the foundation.

Works -What are works? Why won’t works get me saved?

^

Grace - What is it? Why is it free? What does it entail? On whose behalf?

^

Salvation – What is it, what did it cost, from what are we saved, why are we saved,

how are we saved?

^

Gospel - Who Jesus is, what He did, what He said, what setting, why He said it.

You start off with the gospel, then to salvation after that to Grace then finally to works. Each time you add a layer, you’re relying on the layers before it to provide strength and clarity. The last two are very key to getting things right, because so many people don’t understand grace – that it is a gift and if we could possibly earn our salvation we’d have lost it already. Then the definition of works being acts that show loyalty to a loved one, not a box to tick. If we miss something people fall into the trap of trying to earn salvation which leads to frustration, and not having a humble heart. You can’t lose your salvation because you never earned it; it’s only by the grace of God that you have it.

We don’t include these things in our sermons, even though they should be in every sermon. The gospel is very compelling – it’s God’s word. Let God use it. Don’t leave it up to mega evangelists to convert your church for you, do it every time you’re on the dais. God uses situations for His purpose no matter what, so why not make it easy for Him to reach the most people? Doesn’t that make sense?

We also have to stop the “oh you’re christian, I’m christian, give me mates rates” attitude (quoting Matt Dubya) and the unthankfullness of our christian culture. If you say “oh I’m thankful! Thats not me!” you’ve got a big chance of being full of bollocks. We don’t say thankyou. We expect the acts of charity from each other but give little regard to acknowledging the effort. And we need to stop our non-committal attitude – sometimes we hide behind the “I believe God is telling me not to do this now” phrase. Is He really? He might be. But would a God that delights in making and keeping His promises really being telling you to break yours? God will use you, no matter where you are, no matter what you’ve committed to. If He needs you to be somewhere, He seems to make it very obvious – things just happen. Coincidence not being a kosher word and all.

Another thing that I still believe is relevant is our biblical bankruptcy. How does God communicate? Still small voice. Personally, I believe that God doesn’t repeat Himself without purpose; how many times has a verse number popped into your head, you’ve looked it up and its been applicable to your situation? We’ve got a whole volume full of God’s words. God doesn’t waste any of them. So why waste words repeating what He’s already said? His word is already here. The whole counsel of God. The reason biblical bankruptcy is a big issue with me is because without biblical knowledge, we can’t judge what is right and what is wrong. Think of the parable of the mustard seed where the birds rest in the branches of the mustard tree. The tree is an idiom of the church and the birds are an idiom of ministers of satan. Yes, thats what I’m saying, there are ministers of satan settling in the church. You don’t like me saying that? Well take the issue up with Jesus, He said it in the very first place! We can’t just accept any thing thats thrown our way, it all needs to be tested against the whole counsel of God. We can’t just go on what sounds right, because the most effective lies are 99.9% true. The truth is stranger than fiction sometimes so have a filter that illuminates what is wrong even if it looks right.

The most I can do is extole you to take the Bible seriously. Sure, there are obvious metaphors and figures of speech but I’m finding the Bible more and more interconnected, and you can’t just throw out what you don’t like because it won’t make sense. All the prophets took scripture as saying just what it meant, the apostles did, Jesus was incredibly precise using scripture. SO why do we think we can just throw parts out? Its all there to be learnt. Get a good commentator that clicks with you and get into it.

From a world view, Christianity is uncool and quaint. Yup, it is.

But it seems the more fashionable things in society are detrimental to your moral mental and physical heath.

You’ll find the bible fascinating with a good teacher.