Perhaps goodbye

We had lunch at Mrs Blurb's parents place at Christmas. They were once my pastors. This year we shared Christmas Day with a couple of friends of theirs, which we met for the first time . They are about 10 yrs older than me. A few weeks after Christmas, the husband (Brian), went to the doctor with a persistent headache and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He has had surgery but tonight he is not expected to survive. And there you have it....it happens that quick. I sat tonight on the couch with my 30kg boxer sharing my lap with my kids as we sat and watched "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" and I cherished the moment. I think its important to be sobered...

Bumper sticker for ya bum!

Culturally significant?

Living on the outside

I think we often gravitate towards things because of a ‘feeling’ but don’t really know what we’re in for until we get into it. So I find myself co-ordinating both myself and a group of others in the nuts and bolts of re-settling our new African friends. I don’t have any skills in this area of course, I didn’t develop the settlement plan either…I just have the job of following it for the next couple of weeks until the main coordinator returns from holidays….and anyway….its his first crack at it too! I was no good at fund raising either! I think I’m a people person rather than a committee person, but you simply have to be both. So this voluntary role is 100% fundraising until someone arrives, and then 100% re-settlement once they’re here and once they’re on their feet its back to fund raising again. So I’m learning.

I’ve met a couple of re-settled Bosnian ex-refugee woman who are jumping in with their energies wanting to ‘give back’ since they know too well what being displaced through war means. They came to Australia several years back when we were sending planes to get them. You may remember the political trouble that brewed when they were mostly returned some time later. But some managed to obtain visas to stay.

Our chair-person or ‘leader’ is a medico who specialises in grief and trauma counselling so we are well equipped. I have learned a little about the situation back in the African refugee camp but that conversation will continue for some time I guess. The deeper I journey with this the more I realise that we will never put a dent into fixing these situations…but for the individual it’s a different story. An individual or a family can be saved and given a new and safe life.

I have wondered about what all this means to me. Does this justify my faith? Not really…scripturally it’s supposed to as James says, but there’s all these non-Christians doing essentially what is our God given charter. This is new to me. I am used to the Christian life where you put all your energy into the life of the church, which is literally preparing for church services and other programmed events but not this. And that is why I left, but I am also a tad confused on the outside. There are no Christians here. Sure….”find out what God is doing and join in” is a great saying, but what if you are on your own? If I was to go back to church I would be encouraged to give my energies there. I would certainly have no time to continue this, but now I have no continuing Christian friends either. They are back in their world and I am here in mine and it gets a bit lonely. I would love to connect. So we both struggle with the lack of community and hope that eventually we might meet others who are happy enough to join us.

Making friends with refugees

I have posted a bit about the sponsorship of African refugees into our local community...well..
Today we visited with our newly arrived Ethiopian friends. No longer are they refugees but immigrants with an Australian humanitarian visa. They have hard names to pronounce and their English is difficult to understand but they’re here. The youngest is 3 ½ years old. She has her hair braided with coloured beads. She is amazingly cute yet doesn’t smile yet. I walked through Coles today with her father as well and enjoyed the smiles people were giving her. This is all new for me.

The refugee group has worked together well and I won’t bore you with all the detail that has transpired, but just to say that there is a job a day at the moment involving a visit to their house which we all share. I have just met a once Bosnian refugee woman who has also settled in the area, a victim of war several years ago. Her family is keen to give back to the community by helping us with this family. It’s amazing how people are getting together, too many stories to bore you with, but its all good.

I posted recently on emerging church and tithing and for me my free will offering as an emergent has been shaped by these sort of events. I feel that we can explore Godly giving where it is simply part of our lifestyle rather than an offertory plate. So I find myself in Coles paying for a relatively grocery bill with a little 3 ½ year old African child holding my hand. Now please don’t read this wrong, I’m not big-noting myself, its just the realisation of something I had come to believe could happen. Yes, I do find the offertory plate rather sterile, just drop the notes and they’re gone, and quite often into high church overheads….or, I could leave the structured church and be physically and financially involved in something that God gives me a passion for. It really makes sense.

Only two weeks ago they were sleeping on plastic outside their tent in 42 degree heat living on a basic and bland diet. The father is a few years younger than me had been there for 13 years ! Man … how hard would that be. The Coles trip was interesting too. It was their 2nd shop visit and they were selecting really bland food….baked beans, pita bread, porridge. I though go the Scotch fillet!!!! But he wasn’t interested! And when we left them today he insisted on giving my little girl one of the stuffed toys that was given to his, because already he had too much ‘stuff’. Ha! (Yes we will take it back next time).

Brokeback Mountain 2

Perhaps this one wouldn't be met with the same level of blokey opposition?

Triple J, National Church Life Survey & Emerging Church

"When Triple J, the ABC youth radio station, uses ‘emerging church’ as their Buzzword of the Week, it is time for church researchers to get to work. “We are seeking all new ventures and hope that they make themselves known to us,” says Dr Ruth Powell, NCLS researcher. "

The quote comes from a new iniative on the NCLS web page. The Emerging Church seems to have been spotted on the radar and they want to know more about the diversity of experimental Christian approaches. I was happy to see that they are also starting a registry for Emerging Churches as I have recently attempted. So register at both because they have different audiences.

I guess there promises to be some emerging information about emergent demographics as mainline churches attempt to try something different, in fact they publish stats showing a small but somewhat significant shift toward experimental planning. There is also an article where our mate Darren from the Livingroom gets a mention.

So if you are involved in a community, consider joining the registries (NCLS and Emergent Listing Oz) for both demographic interest and for those who might be looking to connect with their nearest gathering.

Emerging Church Directory

An emerging church could exist just down the road from you and you'd never know. There's no shop front and its likely there's no advert in the local paper. So how do you find one?

Here's a chance for Australian emerging churches to be part of a registry that may help individuals seek each other out. It will also be good to get an idea of how many churches are out there!

http://emergentlistingoz.blogspot.com/

I will make up a button in the next week to place on your web site.