Taking 2014 one day at a time

Well 2014 has been going strong now for three whole days.  It's a beautiful time of year. Hot, sunny, the Taste of Tasmania is on, there is hope for what 2014 may bring.

Randomly, because they are on my iPhone, I have been listening to some sermons from Louie Giglio at Passion City Church that he preached on the Lord's prayer sometime in the middle of last year.  I was really struck by a message he preached on 'give us this day our daily bread'.  To cut a long story short, his point was that basically Christians spend to much time focusing on how God will provide from them and help them out yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.  But actually, there is something in knowing that God's promise is for today.  He promises to come through tomorrow as well, but only when tomorrow becomes today.

Anyway, as tends to happen around new years.  My eyes were firmly focused on my plans to be better this year.  I had even prayed that God would help me to do well this year and to guide me this year.  What a beautiful but subtle thing to be reminded then by listening to those sermons that my prayer, my daily prayer, is God help me today.  Help me to serve you today.  Help me to do enough today. Help me to have all I need today.

There's something kinda cool about setting yearly goals, but then knowing that you only need to worry about today.  I may want to read this many books, or that much of the bible, or be more generous or whatever.  All of those things happen with little steps today.  And I know God can provide all the grace I need today to make a few small steps in the right direction.

This has been a profound reshaping of my thinking.  Perhaps I've not articulated it well.  Please ask me in the comments if you have questions.

On a related but slightly different note, I came across this article about New Years resolutions.  Whilst I didn't love the whole article, this blog post titled kinda hit home at something I think. "New Years Resolution" is a nice way for you to say, "I repent".  There's a great truth to that.  In identifying areas where we want to do better, we are in a sense confessing that over the last year we've been lazy, or lacked self control, or whatever it is for you.  Sure my New Years Resolution of clock 50% on FIFA 14 is not a confession of my lack of PS3 gaming time, but my news years resolution to tick off year one of Tim Chester's bible reading plan is indeed a confession of my need for more constant and deliberate personal bible reading.

So I'm going to take 2014 and all my hopes and dreams and the challenges and exciting things God has for me one day at time, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can get through today, because God is always enough for today.

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Preaching 2 Tim 2:1-13

This Sunday just gone I preached on 2 Tim 2:1-13.  A great passage written by Paul to Timothy charing him with taking on the ministry of the gospel which will involve a life of suffering.

You can listen to it here

On a slightly different note, tomorrow I head to Melbourne and then to Germany/France and Switzerland on Friday for two weeks soaking up the sights and sounds of the Reformation.  Should be good!

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I became a Rev - Life Update

It's been a while since I've posted on the blog lately so I thought I'd better give an update of the last six months or so.

We moved from Melbourne to Tasmania where I took up the position of Assistant Minister at Wellspring Anglican Church (located in Hobart).  We're really excited to be part of what God is doing in this part of the world.

I became (got ordained) an Anglican Deacon and will hopefully become a 'priest' in the near future.

In a week from now I will head to Germany for my final subject which will mean my Masters of Divinity from Ridley Melbourne will be completed (assuming I don't fail the final assignment when I get back).

I've updated the blog template which I think is a little nicer.

We're really enjoying life in Tasmania and think you should come visit this beautiful part of God's creation!

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I know you're awesome, but it makes me feel bad

Ok, so this is a post about me, even though I'm talking about what other people do, I guess at the end of the day it us as individuals that control how we feel.

I have ministry friends on Facebook and Twitter, this is mostly good.  I see what they're thinking, feeling, doing, seeing God do, struggling with etc.  However... sometimes its not a good thing.  For me at least anyway.  Some times all i see is awesomeness.  Their ministry is just awesome.  The most awesome things are happening... thanks to God and on and on it goes in and almost endless assault on my twitter and facebook feeds.  Now this is not bad.  It's good that things are going well, but there seems to be something about it that just makes me feel sad.  How come everything I do isn't awesome?  How come sometimes I think hard, work hard, pray hard and God doesn't seem to do anything awesome or out of the ordinary?  Do i need to pray more perhaps?  Or get a better outlook on life?  Why are you God's special instrument of awesomness and I am his instrument of sort of normal sometimes great, sometimes awesome,  but mostly normal, averageness?

I guess my point is that not everything we think is encouraging is actually encouraging.  'Success' is encouraging but so is joyfully slogging it out when God is doing nothing particularly 'awesome'.  If you're prone to constantly posting how awesome you are.  Or how awesome your ministry is then maybe you need to temper it with some reality?  Tell me about the time something mega un-awesome happened and ask me to pray for you!  Alternatively, if you find yourself reacting to the constant barrage of awesomeness like me, then like me, perhaps you need to turn your jealous reaction to praise of God for what he's doing.

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Surviving and Thriving

Ok, so I've recently been listening to the Entre Leadership Podcast which I'm finding to be very excellent and stimulating as I'm public transporting to and from college each day.  A recent episode, (I can't remember which one exactly sorry!) combined with the rebuke I got in chapel last week about the need to be thankful (see here) has got me thinking about how one should survie and thrive in Youth Ministry, or any ministry, or perhaps even just in life in general.

One of the things that struck me in the Entre podcast was that people need to make a conscious decision not to blame others for their situation, but to instead focus on what they can change and influence.  It was perhaps a bit too individualistic, but a valid point nonetheless.  How easy it is to blame others for the bad things that happen to us.

Anyway, I think the key to surviving and thriving is building a support structure with intention.  That is thinking about what areas of your life you need to be working on and growing in and then seeking people out to support, challenge, and encourage you in those areas.  Here are a few of the areas that spring to mind

1. Spiritual
• You need help and support you in your spiritual life.  If you're in ministry, you're going to be giving out lots of spiritual help.  How do you expect to do that without your own help?
2. Intellectual
• I think, especially as Youth Pastors, there is a tendency to be anti-intellectual.  Like we think if we read too much we'll lose touch with our youth.  But actually we need to be developing our intellectual life in order to speak in meaningful ways to young people.  Not only that but if we actually sound smart that might help us when dealing with parents or other members of the church.  Leaders and learners is the old saying, and the best way to learn is to read stuff.
3. Family/Sexual
• How easy it is to not put your family first, or be tempted in the area of sexual sin.  We must be open with people so as not to fall.  I guess you would also include finances in this category.
4. Ministry Responsibilities
• Aside from your 'boss' you need to have a place where you can talk about what you're struggling with.  What your goals are.  What your hopes, fears and dreams are.  Being accountable in this area, outside of your job, allows you to be honest and to avoid getting stuck in a rut.
5. Personal Health
• Again, it's easy to eat a lot of chocolate, pizza, and coke when in youth ministry (or perhaps ministry in general?).  Not only that but it's easy to not get enough sleep, not do any physical activity.  Gain weight, get tired lots and lose effectiveness.  You need to be accountable in this area as well.

So they are the 5 big areas that I think you need to be accountable with.  My other feeling is you possibly need 5 people (one for each area give or take) who keep you accountable deliberately in these areas.  This saves the pressure of having a single mentor figure who you rely completely on and I think it is an easier thing to invite someone to speak into one area of your life.

So what are your thoughts?  How do you make sure you survive and thrive in the rough and tumble world of ministry?

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Thankfulness is the antidote

We had a great encouragement in our chapel service at Ridley today from Peter Brain, former Bishop of Armidale and author of the book Going the Distance, about how we need to be thankful in order to be joyful which is both the way to live the Christian life, and the antidote to the pessimism and much of the depression (situational rather than clinical I suspect) that can cloud around us in ministry or simply in life in general.

I was convicted of my lack of thankfulness recently so thought I would list just some of the things I am personally thankful to God for (these are in no particular order, nor is it a complete list!):

• I am thankful to God for the provision of a Godly wife who spurs me on to greater Godliness and lovingly helps me be a better follower of Jesus, a better husband, and an all round better person.
• I'm thankful to God for the way she works hard to support my theological study and is willing to make sacrifices personally so we can work and be part of what God is doing in His world.
• I'm thankful for the great privilege it is to be able to spend a year studying full-time at Theological College without the distractions of work or other things.
• I'm thankful for all that I've learnt about myself in the last few years that have made me a wiser, slightly less sinful Christ follower.
• I'm thankful for the chance to worship God with His people at our new church home Plentylife and for the friendships we've made there
• I'm thankful that each day God gives me the grace of a new day, with new experiences, new challenges, and new adventures.
• I'm thankful that God is in control of my future and he will always look after me and my family
• I'm thankful for good relationships with my family and in-laws.

There is so much to be thankful about!  I live in a world that wants me to complain and to criticise.  But God want's me to live a counter-cultural life.  If we chose to take off the glasses that make us see everything as negative or neutral and instead chose to put on the glasess of thankfulness, then not only do we become happier, more content people... we also become more obedient gospel people who will shine like lights.

So what are you thankful for?

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Guy Mason is famous today

So today a local Anglican Melbourne minister is featured in a local secular mag.  See here and here

I'm grateful for this.  I'm thankful to God for the work he is doing through City on a Hill.  I've learnt lots from the many visits to Ridley classes that Guy has made and I'm friends with some of Guy's good friends.

But the danger for me today, public confession time, is that I want to be Guy Mason.  I want to be a famous minister.  I want success.  I want to go on billboards and get on the front page of magazines.  But surely this can't only be me?  Surely there are others who are happy about the success but who secretly wish it was them?

This is sinful.  This is pride.  Sometimes I tell myself it's because I'm jealous for God's kingdom to be made known.  But that can happen through people like Guy!  It doesn't have to be through you or me (on a big scale).  All of us need to use the gifts and talents God has uniquely given and serve him wholeheartedly and to the best of our abilities.  If you end up 'famous' like Guy, then it will be because God has humbled you.  If you never 'make it'.  You will still be a useful member of the body of Christ.  Serving in whatever capacity he's gifted you in.

I'm glad that from all my encounters with Guy I find him to be humble, quick to give God the glory.  City on a Hill is a growing church making disciples and getting good press for the Kingdom.  I'm glad about this!  But what I know even more is that every non-christian who reads the magazine article today will probably only be bought into a relationship with Jesus or a church if people like you and me, who aren't famous, get alongside them.  Ask them what they thought of the article, invite them to church, speak to them about Jesus.  If you do that today then you are fulfilling your call just as effectively as Guy!

God uses all his people for his glory.  You don't have to be famous.  Just faithful to serving in whatever capacity and through whatever opportunities God place before you.

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2012 Life Update

Hey everyone.  2012 is well and truly underway and so it brings a brand new era in our family life.  It has now been 2 months since we finished at Holy Trinity Doncaster so I thought I should update you on what's been happening since then and what's in-store for the next little while.

After finishing up at HTD we headed down for a week away on Phillip Island with Ellisa's family.  This was nice and relaxing.  On Christmas day we narrowly avoided dying in the Melbourne Christmas Day hail storm and after the weather cleared up flew down to Hobart.  We spent around 3 weeks back there mostly relaxing, but I also had the chance to preach on New Years Day at my old/home church Wellspring and speak on their junior youth camp.  The youth camp was really excellent with a few of the youth making decisions for Christ or reaffirming their commitment to him.  I'm so thankful to God for the work he is doing down there.  It was also encouraging to see youth who had been in a discipleship group I led back there stepping up now into significant roles of leadership (directing camps and assisting as senior leaders).  In that way that God knows how to do things, it was a great encouragement to me at just the right time.

After Tassie, we came back to Melbourne and had a hectic week sorting things out and hanging out with visitors before Ellisa began her fulltime teaching job and I started learning Hebrew at the Ridley Melbourne Biblical Hebrew intensive.  That was three weeks ago, and today I am three days away from sitting the exam and having my head around enough Hebrew to get somewhat involved in a commentaries discussion of some debate over the translation of a Hebrew word.  I've really enjoyed the intensive as it was taught in a more 'natural' language learning style than Greek was.  In Hebrew we have been doing lots of listening and watching and speaking and then filling in the gaps and grammar later.  This has made Hebrew almost seem easy (for a language)!

Which brings me to first semester at Ridley.  This semester apart from Hebrew which is just about done I'll be doing four subjects.  My first theology subject (Doctrine of God and Work of Christ), Church Planting, Christian Worship (how we do church i think) and, Paul and Corinthian Christianity (exegesis subject).  In addition to these I'm also doing an internal subject called Anglican Identity which will help as I continue to explore and discern the possibility of journeying towards Anglican ordained ministry.

I'm yet to figure out what this means for the blog or what I should do with the title (Youth Ministry and Me) seeing as I'm currently not in Youth Ministry.  But when I do blog my feeling is they will take on a more theological reflective sort of nature.

If you pray for us, then the main thing would be that Ellisa and I find a church community to call home.  We've been searching pretty intently in the month or so that we've been back and we are close to making a decision, so prayer for the right church that we can contribute to and that will equip and encourage us.  It's a nice feeling to pick what church to go to, but also hard to be homeless!

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I'm not a Youth Pastor anymore

So this Sunday just gone marked my final sunday as the Youth Pastor at Holy Trinity Doncaster.  It means that I'm now two days into not being a Youth Pastor of a church.  It is a bit of a strange feeling.  I've learnt so much about God, myself, ministry, leadership, time management, motivation, situation depression, marriage, practical theology, youth ministry and a whole lot more over the last four years.  It's been a time of emotional highs and lows and we're looking forward to taking some time to sit and reflect as we work out the next step.

We've got a bit of a holiday planned now (I'm currently on the lovely Phillip Island about 2hrs south of Melbourne).  We then head to Tassie for three weeks of holidays mixed with some ministry.  The ministry part will be preaching two sermons on New Years Day and then speaking on a 5 day youth camp about two weeks after that.  These are both at my old/home church.  So I'm very much looking forward to heading back there to share with them as well as spending time with the extended family and catching up with old friends.  It's a nice bracket to the end of my time at HTD, to return to the place where my passion for ministry was first kindled!

After the summer break I start full time study at Ridley with a hopefully not too nasty three week Hebrew intensive.  Followed by my first ever full time semester of theological study.  While I'm at that I'll also be making some big decisions about my future and what ministry options might look like for us in the future. Pray for God's wisdom and guidance for us would be much appreciated.

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Cross Cultural Ministry

A couple of weeks ago I engaged in some cross-cultural ministry.  I donned some robes and spoke in 1662 English (I think I mostly understood what I was saying!)

 

Anyway, it was an experience, and like not wearing robes and speaking in current language to get the gospel out to youth if this is what works for feeding and growing the faith of older generations of Anglicans then I suppose it’s not all bad.

 

All for Jesus

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Reading the Bible

NT Wright has done a series of fascinating little videos over on the Alter Video Magazine site.  I particularly enjoyed this one where he gives advice on how to read the bible.  He talks compares the bible to a symphony.  Taking little chunks here or there doesn't give you the whole feel for what's really going on.  A good analogy I think.

Anyway, over the last few months Ellisa and I have been using a bible reading method which does a bit better at giving us a broader picture of the whole of scripture.  I found it over on Communicate Jesus a while back.  In this plan you read 10 chapters from different parts of the Bible each day.  It sounds big, but it's actually not that bad. Takes me about 30-40mins to read.  The greatest thing is there is never a dull moment.  I always found with other bible reading plans that sometimes I would get bogged down in lots of 'boring' bits and therefore give up.  This plan ensures I'm always reading something from the epistles or gospels or pslams or proverbs or acts, meaning if I'm getting bogged down in some confusing OT prophets or seemingly drawn out descriptions of who got what land in Joshua then I don't feel defeated.

It's a well worth a try if you're struggling to read the bible or want to try something different.  There's also a facebook group you can join if you want tips or support.

(Note: If you're going to start doing this, I recommend downloading and printing out this list to help you keep track of where you are up to.)

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The end of an era at Holy Trinity Doncaster

With mixed feelings Ellisa and I have announced to all at Holy Trinity that this will be our final year serving at this great church.  Mixed feelings because we are sad to be going, but also excited and hopeful for what the future has in store for us in this next chapter of our lives.  The time is right but it is difficult to leave none-the-less.

Ellisa has been at Holy Trinity since she was about 8 years old.  She has grown up through the great childrens and youth ministry.

I have been the Youth Minister since January 2008 and when we leave in mid to late December I will have been at the church for 4 years.  These have been 4 years that have changed me heaps, driven me to Jesus more, challenged me and taught me heaps about ministry, church, people and life.  I'm most grateful for meeting Ellisa during my time at Holy Trinity and it feels very much like my family church.

As for what the future holds Ellisa will be graduating at the end of the year as a fully qualified Physical Education (PE) teacher and working full-time in a yet to be determined school.  I will be devoting myself to full-time theological study at Ridley and continuing the process I began this year of testing my call to ordained Anglican ministry.  Your prayer for us as we sort out all these final details will be much appreciated.

God only knows what the future holds.  I'm looking forward to a fast finishing momentum building 6 months at Holy Trinity to set it on the best footing for the future.  Our recent Youth Camp was a great start to that goal.

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Youth Camp

Well, less than a year ago I posted this post about how I was hurting because due to a whole range of circumstances our youth ministry had more than halved in size and our youth camp was facing cancellation due to low numbers.

Thankfully camp didn't get cancelled but it was still relatively small.  It ended up being a good time for our youth to bond and grow closer as a community.

Anyway, we moved our youth camp forward a few months this year and things have gone far better.  We have 21 youth registered for camp.  Which is excellent, well beyond my expectations.  I'm giving talks from Colossians which I gave on a different church camp at the end of last year.

I'm really looking forward to a great weekend with our youth.  Your prayers for safety would be much appreciated.

Anyway, I think the lesson is that a month is a long time in youth ministry and a year a very long time.  In the space of a month our youth ministry hit some major hurdles.  Now in less than a year it has grown to be of a more healthy size again.  You can never rest in Youth Ministry.  A big change, the natural flow of students in and out, is always just around the corner.  Don't get comfortable like I did!  If you do, you may find yourself spending the best part of a year wondering what happened and just what you did wrong.  The answer might be nothing, you just haven't been prepared.

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The Widow at Zarephath

In 1 Kings 17 we read the story of the Widow at Zarephath who despite having only enough flour and oil to make one last meal of bread for her and her son, follows the instructions of God, through the prophet Elijah, and first makes some bread for Elijah.  This is a pretty big deal I reckon.  Imagine being in that situation, knowing you were giving your last bit of food away, food that would feed your family, to a stranger who said that God would provide for her if she did this.

 

Now this is either a brave act of faith or a act of desperation.  Who knows what went running through her mind.  It could have been, I have no food anyway, so I might as well risk losing my last meal in the hope of having plentiful meals?  Or I believe God does and can and will provide?

 

Anyway, I was struck by this story as I was reading 1 Kings recently 0because whatever the case, her faith is impressive.  We have a faithful God who provides all that we need, yet I and many others don’t live like that.  I’m left with the hopeless reality that were I in her situation I’d eat the bread and tell Elijah to go away.  I’d be thinking this one last meal might be all I need to get me through another day where I might be able to find something else to eat.  I’m struck as I read this passage about how self reliant I am.  Not just in my view on who it is that provides for my meals, but on who it is that gives me wisdom to teach (my education), the ability to lead people (my natural talents), and the roof over my head (monetary rewards from my work).

 

What a mindset shift I need indeed.  For it is not my wisdom, or my education, or my natural abilities, or my money, or my food at all.  No it is all God’s, given to me as undeserved blessing.  How I need to refocus.  For without God I am nothing, and it is by His grace alone that I can do or achieve anything.  The story of the Widow of Zarephath reminds me that I need to constantly start my day remembering that God is in control.  That he provides everything I need for every situation.  I want to try and live much more by faith in the God who reveals himself to us through the Bible and less by faith in my own self reliance.  Maybe one day I can truly say that I would do something totally irrational (to my mind) for the sake of stepping out in faith to more radically and faithfully serve our God.  May I have faith like the Widow of Zarephath.

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Year of Discernment

On Tuesday I signed on for the Year of Discernment.  Basically it’s a program run by the Anglican Church here in Melbourne to help you discern your call or lack of to some form or full-time ordained ministry in the Anglican Church context.

I’m looking forward to the adventure.

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2011: The year I lose weight

Well it's 2011 and yesterday it was the 11/1/11 and if you add the last two digits of your year of birth (in my case 84) with the age you turn this year (in my case 27) then you get 111... So many ones!!

Putting this super amazing fact to the side for one moment I thought I should take some time to post about New Years Resolutions.  Often I make a big long list of things I wish in an ideal world I could do or achieve.  This year I have not done that.  This year I have one goal only.  To lose weight.  Since starting my work here at HTD I have put on around 10-15kgs.  I currently weigh in around the 95kg mark and I am determined not to push over the 100kg barrier!  The other thing I normally do with resolutions is never make a plan to achieve them.  This is the other big difference about 2011 and my new years decisions.  I've actually got a plan to shed the kilos.  I've decided to bite the bullet and put my money where my mouth is and hire a personal trainer.  His name is Bill from Energetic Rush.  He is writing me a plan and hopefully helping me transform into the picture of fitness and health.

I should take a photo of me before and then after.  Maybe I'll even bleach my hair and increase the fashion-ability of my clothes after I lose weight for my after shot.  That seems to be what your supposed to do when you lose weight.  Actually, I don't think that is necessary.

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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my faithful blog readers and friends.  May God bless you as you remember the great gift of Jesus.

Thanks for your comments, thanks for your time.  Thanks for your friendship.

I will be on holidays from tomorrow afternoon for a couple of weeks.  Following that I'll be speaking on another camp before going away for a couple of days for my wedding anniversary.  As well as sorting out how our Youth Ministry will run in the midst of building renovations at HTD.  So the blogging will probably be at a minimum in January.

I hope to get back to many more regular posts in 2011.

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Spiritual Gifts Sermon

I preached again this Sunday.  This time it was on the rather controversial topic of Spiritual Gifts.

I tried to major on the idea that gifts are given for the benefit of the church, not the individual, and that we should be active in ministry in our churches either using our gifts or doing things to help discover our gifts.  I tried to avoid defining what tongues is, or how healing works etc.

I preached probably an open-but-cautious-but-not-to-cautious view of the Spiritual Gifts (especially in relation to the miraculous).

You can listen here or download here

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2 John Sermon now available

As I said in my last post, on Sunday 5th Dec I preached on the small book of 2 John.  I very much enjoyed it.  The title, (pre-doing that much work on the passage) was "Know and Love the Truth".  However, I think a better title now, post sermon would be something like, "Walking in Truth and Love".

You can download it here or just listen to it here

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Praise God

Sometimes I feel like God has forgotten about me and my ministry.  It's dumb I know.

Yesterday as I smashed my car into the back of someone as I was driving a bunch of youth from my house to church I was reminded that God does remember me and he is ever so gracious.  Even though we had an accident, we were all fine.

In a nice twist the kids didn't even tell their parents they'd been in an accident on the way to church, I think they were trying to make sure I didn't get in trouble or something.

And in case your wondering.  I did tell the parents and apologise profusely!

Praise God

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