Solace EMC

We brewed a beer - and it was good

2011-05-11T16:17:00.004+10:00

Solace hosted 'Take up beer for Lent' recently and it was brilliant. The creation of Marcus Curnow (marcuscurnow.wordpress.com/), the concept was for a small bunch of people to meet every week of Lent, brew a beer together and read through the bible readings for Lent from the common lectionary. Solace recognised this as a great idea and invited Marcus to make use of our facilities to make sure this happened. Marcus generously agreed to travel each week from Footscray and we made it happen.

The brewing journey was replete with risks, exotic ingredients and simple fun. We brewed a Celtic amber ale kit brew from Brewcraft in Heidelberg, sanitising the equipment, mixing together the wort and setting up the fermenter at Solace's place in Heidelberg Rd, Alphington. The fermenter chortled away during all of Solace's activities for a few weeks, bringing smiles of anticipation to the faces of Solace people experienced in the ways of home brewing. Bottling the brew was frenetic and much fun, a brilliant label was composed by the group and affixed to the bottles after a nervous two-week wait for the brew to mature. On the final night we opened a few bottles and tasted it. Some bottles were flat! But the beer tasted satisfactory anyway. The final bottle opened had a creamy head and the possibility remains that the rest of the brew will taste magnificent. Everyone agreed that brewing together had been fun and a great experience of stepping outside the usual consumer experience and undertaking the risk of producing something special for ourselves.

Each week we read another section from the bible, all the readings being traditional Lenten ones. Marcus did a great job helping us grasp the cultural nuances that shaped the original writing. One of Marcus' techniques is to interpret a contemporary political cartoon together, as this requires similar skills to reading the bible. Our small group of men (some women said they would come, but couldn’t make it in the end) took to debating the meaning of the cartoons and the bible stories with gusto - perhaps encouraged by tasting some highlights of the brewer's art. Each week we all gained a deeper understanding of a bible story and all achieved a fresh perspective on the world around us. We had joked about 'reading the bible through the beer goggles', but Marcus genuinely helped us see the text in a fresh way, bringing out how those who are tired and perhaps disenfranchised by the games the powerful in society play may react to these ancient stories of wisdom.

A theme throughout the season had been 'coming of age'. Both beer and wisdom stories have a profound influence on our coming of age rituals in Australia; all of us could recount stories of starting drinking beer as young men. Also, all of us could acknowledge that authentic food was a part of our spiritual lives, as is the bible stories. The journey together brought both of these themes together in a powerful way. All of us quickly became enthusiastic about what we were achieving together. The lessons we learnt together during Lent defy simple articulation; but each of us finished with a profound sense that we had learnt something that would enrich and encourage us on our life journey. Perhaps we learnt that making a profound connection with another person is a necessary part of reconciliation; perhaps we learnt that the promises of power are hollow compared with the chance to become aware of our place in a wonderful living creation. Whatever we learnt, we will look at the world in slightly different ways from now on.

Thanks to Marcus and all the good men who participated.

THE HEAVENLY BANQUET

I would like to have the men of heaven

In my own house:

With vats of good cheer

Laid out for them.

I would like to have all the saints,

Their fame is so great.

I would like people

From every corner of heaven.

I would like them to be cheerful

In their drinking.

I would like to have Jesus too

Here among us.

I would like a great lake of beer

For the King of Kings,

I would like to be watching heaven’s family

Drinking it through all eternity.

Autumn at Sunday Stuff

2011-05-05T12:14:00.001+10:00

We've started our Autumn season at Sunday Stuff. Highlights are the return of our labyrinth (this week May 8), our famous upside down week (29 May), the creation of mugs for our hospitality (June 12) and the legendary yule feast (June 26). See www.solacechurch.org.au/sundaystuff for all the details and a down-loadable program.

Liv's Easter Journey

2011-04-21T13:16:00.002+10:00

During our Easter journey we have been exploring how we might breathe new life into the liturgical saying of Easter Sunday "Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!"
Some of the sessions have involved looking at the meanings in Mark, Luke and John's crucifixion accounts.
In those sessions we have tried to encapsulate the story succinctly and even replace "Christ is risen" with a short slogan that reflects some of these meanings
(it has been hard)

here are some of mine (taken from all three accounts)

death done God's way is victory
You can't keep an innocent man down
Jesus: just ask
Man's doom can not defeat God's hope
put all your eggs in God's basket
all things have come to pass

For me this Easter it turns out that the account by Luke has had a big impact and stayed with me these last 10 days. It is a doom laden account -with the wailing women (the greek chorus) and Jesus' prediction of a terrible future for Jerusalem as well as darkness when he dies. This fits my mood of these last months. (I have nothing to complain about but feel hemmed in by such bad news within our own country and round the world -both natural and human.) Within this setting Jesus acts as a confident hope filled man. It has been stark and shocking to me this Easter. He confidently offers paradise to the one dying next to him and his last act is to place all that he is into God's hands. He remains full of trust to the last. To the one next to him who also dares to trust he grants everything.

This last week when i have felt low or divided about how i want to live i have muttered to myself "Into your hands i commit my spirit". For me it is an act of throwing myself forward into a greater god-shaped future. Its about putting all my eggs into God's basket and choosing God's way as my way in all circumstances and God's being as the home of my spirit (my very self) at all times. A few years ago i realised that something had changed for me in my relationship with God, that i could sense a good God despite of or independent of circumstances. My trust of God was getting unhooked from how i was treated by life. This is a basic article of faith...blessed is the name of the Lord -he gives and takes away...Job chapter 1. But i am slow to learn it, and slower to live it. The idea that God is good despite there being lots of data in the world that some say proves that God is either wicked or non-existant is a foundation for living faith. However for me i can sense that only in these last years has it moved from my head to also inhabit my heart and i "know" it in a different way. Therefore the path to "more" with God continues to present itself as the best one for me to walk fully and deeply and it feels increasingly unsustainable to "hedge my bets" as well as unappealing.

In Luke Jesus does not waver and knows that even in this extreme situation God is his sure hope. For me to say this Easter "Christ is risen" is to own something like "all my bets are on Jesus" .

In committing my spirit to God i am of course committing my feet to walk his paths, my mind to his thoughts, my heart to his heart and so on. In daily life for me this means to keep finding practices and habits that make my heart soft and compassionate (i tend to respond to the many mundane tasks in my life by going harder and becoming harder), it is to keep forgiving and making space in my heart for those i am in long term relationships with (I am so much better at making new friends than keeping old ones close), it is to have a commitment to doing justice (I prefer to get away with whatever i can rather than acknowledge that in life i have already been given and taken so much). It is to make a place in my heart for a quiet and confident hope for the world alongside the muted grief and pain from the newspaper headlines. For me to say this Easter "Christ is risen" is to own something like " though doomed by the world, your ways offer me life"

What will it mean to you when you say "Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!" this Sunday.

Easter week at Solace

2011-04-05T10:39:00.005+10:00

Easter holidays have started here in Victoria, and Solace is celebrating running our first seasons of Tuesday Stuff and Sunday Stuff at our new venue in Alphington. Easter week is fast approaching and we're anticipating a fantastic time. Details on gatherings are given below, but first a comment on the meaning of Easter.

Easter is the time for celebrating and reflecting on Christianities central event: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Christians greet each other on Easter Sunday with the words 'Christ is risen', and replying 'He is risen indeed'. At Solace we are exploring together what it means to affirm 'Christ is risen'. There have been many attempts at explaining the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus over the course of the church's history. Many of those attempts have gone beyond the gospel accounts, some using the epistles plausibly, some using other parts of the bible with less credibility. At Solace we are encouraging each individual to reflect on the meaning of 'Christ is risen' for themselves. In our conversations about the meaning of 'Christ is risen' we come to a meaning that we as a dispersed community hold as truth.

One theme that has already emerged is our attraction to the opportunity to be transformed personally: by love, by grace and - mysteriously - by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We've considered contrasting ideas about Easter from Marcus Borg and from Keith Green. Really different men, different ways of understanding bible and yet both are excited (in their own way) about the opportunity for positive and loving transformation.

We hope that you also will reflect on what 'Christ is risen' means in the coming weeks and find your own excitement in this age-old phrase.

Easter Week at Solace
April 17 10am Palm Sunday
April 22 2pm-3pm Good Friday
April 24 10am Easter Sunday
See Solace Lent and Easter events 2011 for more details and locations.

Solace Alphington is up and running

2011-03-15T14:48:00.000+11:00

Solace has secured a new venue in Alphington for all our activities, office and resources. We shifted in before Christmas 2010 and have been fitting out ever since. We secured a commercial lease of a shop-front and dwelling in prominent Heidelberg Rd Alphington.

The new venue will help us grow the organization and better serve all our fantastic supporters and punters. Having a single place for everything is going to save heaps of time by getting rid of setting up, travel, packing up. We'll be more innovative too: both because we have the time and because we will have to adapt to a typical shop-front space. The lessons we learn about commercial leasing and using this type of building will be made available to other Christian communities: sharing the benefit around.

Sunday Stuff and Tuesday Stuff have made the move already. Both congregations are settling in well and enjoying the new space. Rebekah Pryor is our first artist-in-residence and her exhibition, 'homecoming' has launched and proven very popular already. A new group are meeting on Monday nights to brew a beer for Lent and read through the lectionary readings together. These are good signs that the venue works for us.

We're currently knocking down a wall and getting air-conditioning sorted, so the place will be even more comfortable and useful in the very short term. We've got some of our resources set up in our new library, so if you would like to innovate in your own community, why don't you come over and we'll share some lessons we've learnt?

Advent and Christmas at Sunday Stuff

2010-11-30T10:00:00.002+11:00

December 5
All Ages Prayer
Labyrinth space
Conversation - what is Christmas for you?
Kid's Stuff is doing the Christmas story

December 12
All Ages Singing - carols!
Hot Topics - how many true meanings of Christmas have you got?
Kid's Stuff is doing the Christmas story

December 19 (our last Sunday for the year)
All Ages Jesus Meal and carol singing
Workshop - surviving Christmas by bringing a bit of Kingdom
Contemplation space
Kid's Stuff is doing the Christmas story

Christmas Day - get your donkeys ready, Gabriel's coming with a message.
9am champagne and salmon, stories and singing.

Sunday 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm

Owning a transforming initiative

2010-11-18T08:59:00.000+11:00

I've written previously about the Sermon on the Mount and how the major section of it can be read as a set of transforming initiatives (thanks the Glen Stassen for the academic work behind this concept). This week at Solace, the staff sat down and worked through the Sermon on the Mount together, asking questions and seeking understanding together. We all liked the transforming initiatives, but some of the cultural gulf between us and the original readers prevented us from becoming fluent in the idea of transforming initiatives. We each attempted to write our own three-part teaching, to develop a better sense of what the Sermon on the Mount is about. Here's what I wrote.

You have heard it said that you should focus on your prosperity. But I say to you that only the control of all the world's resources and people can be considered truly prosperous. For true prosperity shall be measured by the removal of all threats to you and your families lives and lifestyles. So go, lose focus and be distracted by the scary and disaffected; waste your time on insoluble social ills, so that at least you can be part of the solution, rather than a cause, of the problem.

I must admit, I was quite pleased with my first effort! I tried to use the same sort of phrasing as I saw in the Sermon on the Mount and the result was a similarly confusing piece of writing. I picked a 'traditional righteousness' which is both common in our culture, but one that's actually pretty easy pick holes in (to give myself something easy to work with). I then explained how I thought seeking absolute prosperity can lead us down a vicious cycle of domination and greed and my transforming initiative is to relax about focusing on prosperity. I don't think my result is anywhere near as insightful as Jesus teachings! But it helped me understand how the teachings are communicated.

It's getting close to Christmas now, so this blog will start writing on that theme. We're hoping to take the theme of a transforming initiative into the season of Christmas. How could your experience of Christmas be made more joyful by sowing the seeds of the Kingdom?

Jesus wisdom teachings in the Sermon on the Mount

2010-11-04T14:38:00.000+11:00

Most of the Sermon on the Mount contains radical and transforming teachings from Jesus. The longest section of the Sermon on the Mount contains teachings of Jesus; I'll call this section 'the teachings of Jesus'. The teachings are written in an unfamiliar style, and most western interpretations of them disregard the teachings as too hard for normal people to live by. However, recently a bible scholar from the Fuller Seminary in the USA, Glen Stassen, published an interpretation of the teachings which has helped unlock the teachings of Jesus for contemporary readers.

Stassen's contribution was to return to the way Matthew is written and take seriously the style of writing that Matthew uses. Matthew uses a three-part style to communicate wisdom and uses this three-part style consistently throughout the gospel of Matthew. The three-part style is used in other documents written at a similar time to Matthew's time of writing, making Stassen's interpretation a credible and persuasive approach. The three-part style includes reminding the audience of a conventional wisdom, illustrating how the conventional wisdom leads to a vicious and unhealthy cycle and offers a transformative initiative to break out of the vicious cycle.

The three-part style is most obvious in the first part of the teachings of Jesus section. The conventional wisdom is 'do not murder'. The vicious cycle is the festering hatred between men, which could lead to murder, in spite of the law against murder. The transforming initiative is to prioritise reconciliation above anything else, even practicing religious rituals of purification. I've laid this out below, adapted from a table in an academic paper by Stassen.

Traditional Righteousness
Matt 5:21 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.”
In the Greek, “shall not” and “shall be” are futures, not imperatives; as translations of the Hebrew in the Ten Commandments, they do of course imply a command. Jesus is quoting commands rather than giving them.

Vicious Cycle
5:22 But I say to you that every one being angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire.”
There are no imperatives in the Greek, so this sentence isn't written as an instruction or command from Jesus.

Transforming Initiative
5:23-26 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there... and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then coming, offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser....
Explanation: lest your accuser hand you over to the judge... you won’t get out till you’ve paid the last penny.
(Italics mark the Greek imperatives. The words Jesus are using as direct instructions.)

Matthew doesn't follow the three-part form slavishly as we might if we used a code or a poetic structure; he follows the three-part form as a logical form of persuasion. Other parts of the teachings of Jesus section don't follow the three-part form as obviously. I have worked through the teachings of Jesus section on my own, highlighting what I thought were the conventional wisdom, illustrations of vicious cycles and transforming initiatives and I am satisfied the whole section uses the three-part form. Sometimes the transforming initiatives or the vicious cycles are omitted as they would be repetitive or so clearly implied that to state them would insult the audience's intelligence. If you are really keen, try to find all fourteen sub-sections and work out the three parts for yourselves. If you don't care for that kind of thing (I love it!) then Glen Stassen has written academic articles that are publicly available or some popular books including "Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Grace and Deliverance (Enduring Questions in Christian Life)", available from Amazon.

The transforming initiatives taught by Jesus are incredibly helpful and are still radical in our contemporary world. I hope to unpack them further in coming blogs. A useful thing to ponder is whether laws (whilst absolutely necessary to bring justice for the victims) can hope to prevent injustice and harm - they may be a deterrent, but can law affect our passions and instincts?

The Beatitudes

2010-10-19T13:13:00.000+11:00

The Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew 5-7. While it should be read as a whole, there are distinct sections within it. The first section is known as 'The Beatitudes'. I've put a copy of that text at the bottom of this.

The Beatitudes is a collection of statements, with the phrase 'blessed are...' being repeated. The people who Jesus say are blessed (or will be blessed) are the opposite of what we would call 'succesful'. Success is commonly held to mean wealthy, influential, comfortable. Instead, Jesus focuses on those who are enlightened, generous, vulnerable, dissatisfied. It's easy to say that the Beatitudes is a good list of what it is to be 'good' and that we all should try to be 'good'. However, it is much harder to commit to the Beatitudes as a set of core ethical principles.

Dave Andrews of Brisbane has teamed up with the Bible Society to create a great resource for engaging with the wisdom in the Beatitudes. Dave's reading of the Beatitudes is that Jesus intended them to be a core set of ethical principles, and the adoption of these ethical principles was an important aspect of what Jesus meant by 'salvation'. Dave has worked hard on producing a rational and comprehensive theology supporting his view, and also an accessible set of resources that you can find at www.wecan.be. I particularly like Dave's riff on the name: he calls them the 'Be Attitudes', uses the phrase 'Be the change you want to see' (borrowed from Gandhi, I believe) and describes Jesus' intention as 'Plan Be'.

In contrast to Dave Andrew's reading of the Beatitudes is the view that the Beatitudes represent an unattainable ideal, which will only become a reality in an after-life. I don't find the 'unattainable ideal' view convincing. I think that Jesus intended the Kingdom of Heaven to become a reality in our current lives, even if only in an imperfect form. Given that I'm keen to somehow be pro-active in participating in the Kingdom of Heaven in my own life, I'd prefer to take the Beatitudes as the basis for my own ethics - as challenging as that may be.

As a middle-class male in a democratic and capitalist society, the Beatitudes present me with a different set of challenges and hopes than they would have to the peasants and aristocracy of 1st century Judaism. I think our political and economic freedoms are great; however, our reliance on individual consumption and our willingness to have economic losers in order to create more economic winners are challenged by the Beatitudes.

So, the Beatitudes have become an important part of my study and worship in recent times. They are both a comfort and a challenge for me. I think they raise difficult questions for anyone who chooses to engage with them; but those difficult questions are the kind that can really energise our lives.

Matthew 5.1-10

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

How I encountered the Sermon on the Mount

2010-10-14T13:17:00.000+11:00

Once upon a time, only a few weeks ago, I was pondering how I could find new inspiration in my own spiritual life, and to bring that inspiration into the Sunday Stuff community that I lead.

Every day I would read opinion pieces and study spiritual practices and theological themes and positions, and they were all good, but they lacked the spark I was looking for.

Until one day, I looked at a bible reading daily reading guide that my wife was reviewing for her work, and it struck me that most of the readings were either in the Old Testament, or from the Epistles, with only about 4 weeks of the year spent in the Gospels, looking directly at Jesus’ teachings and actions. It struck me that focusing my own spiritual journey on Jesus, and encouraging others to do the same, would be best inspired by actually focusing on Jesus.

Because of this, I did some research into the Gospels and discovered that they contained large chunks of teachings from Jesus, as well as stories about healing, leadership and the ultimate story of Jesus death and resurrection. The first chunk of teachings, and one of the most famous, is a set of three chapters from Matthew (6-8), which is the first gospel in the New Testament, known as the Sermon on the Mount. So I read the Sermon several times, and started researching, looking at how others have understood the it through history and how the Sermon on the Mount has shaped the Christian Tradition.

Because of this, I discovered the complicated and disputed nature of the Sermon on the Mount. It is probably the most read text, not only in the Christian Tradition, but also in Western thought (perhaps globally). The Sermon on the Mount is hard to read: there are apparent contradictions, some parts seem to be metaphors, other parts are meant to be taken literally, it’s a big chunk of text presented in a way that is very foreign to me, there isn’t the structured argument or the story-telling conventions that I’m used to. The fact that the Sermon on the Mount has inspired so many people through history was both a big selling point and a barrier to getting to grips with it. Opinions, books, papers, ideas, and things written on paper started to rise on my digital and hard-light desktops, rising above my head and continually growing. There came a point when I despaired: would my attempt to understand the Sermon on the Mount be overwhelmed by a mountain of sermons?

Until finally I concentrated on the first little bit of the Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes. I thought about them as something that could be done right here and now, something that described an inspirational and tantalizing concept: the Kingdom of God. The rest of the Sermon on the Mount started making more sense and I found that thing I was looking for: a source of inspiration and a rich insight into Jesus’ teachings, ministry, purpose, spirituality and passion.

And ever since that day I’ve been excited about what I’ve been reading, both the raw text of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and also the writings and thoughts of many humble servants and great leaders in the Christian Tradition. I suspected that focusing on Jesus would bring inspiration to my spiritual journey, and it has. The Sermon on the Mount is now a rich source for ongoing inspiration, learning and contemplation.

I'll be blogging more about the Sermon on the Mount over the next weeks - join in the conversation!

Solace picnic day

2010-10-14T13:12:00.000+11:00

If you're reading this and are in the Melbourne area, then we've got a family-friendly picnic day coming up to help our dispersed network and our congregations connect.

The Solace picnic day

The Saturday of Melbourne Cup Weekend (30th October)
Start 11am and run to 3ish

Darebin parklands in Alphington
Eastern end of Separation St, Alphington
http://www.dcmc.org.au/parklands/index.php

BYO for BBQ lunch (and treats for late morning tea and early afternoon tea)

Organised games for kids, giving adults a chance to play, catch-up or walk the spiritual healing trail that is in the parklands

Sports challenges for kids and adults as teams

The Kingdom of God parables

2010-10-07T15:41:00.000+11:00

I'm doing the research and early writing for a new theme across the Solace network: the Kingdom of God. It's a foundational concept in Jesus' teachings and well-worth studying.

We'll also use it as a theme in our contemplative practices: at the moment I'm preparing a contemplative time on the parable of the Mustard Seed from Luke 13:18-19. A tiny seed (most people get the symbolism here) grows into the gnarliest, weediest, tree that's actually very healthy for you (know that's symbolism).

Right now, we're stilling rolling out our theme on 'The Sermon on the Mount' across the Solace network. Sunday Stuff used it for the Winter 2010 term, Tuesday Stuff is looking at it for the next of their cycles and I'll be posting regularly to our blog, Solace Facebook group and online community over the next couple of months. It's a great theme and is really developing into a lived thing as people incorporate into their spiritual practices.

October at Sunday Stuff

2010-09-30T10:26:00.000+10:00

Sunday Stuff is an emerging Christian church, combining contemplative practices, contemporary readings of the bible and a focus on personal well-being to create a dynamic and rich spirituality in the Christian tradition. After a two-week break for school holidays, Sunday Stuff returns for the Spring term. Below is the program for October, head on over to www.solace.emc.org.au/sundaystuff/ for a full calendar and more information.

The learning theme for Spring is the 'Kingdom of God', a brilliant concept from ancient Judaism that has grown and developed in the Christian tradition and remains an inspiring and life-giving wisdom for today.

October 3
All Ages Prayer
Labyrinth Space - conversation
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 10
All Ages Singing
Presentation - The Kingdom of God
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 17
All Ages Jesus Meal
Workshop on the Kingdom of God
Contemplation time
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 24
All Ages Stories
Solace Liturgy - a contemporary and multi-sensory liturgy
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 31
Games
Blokes to lead kid's stuff, Olivia to lead the adults
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

Sunday 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote

Church for August

2010-07-29T12:39:00.000+10:00

We've had a short July at Sunday Stuff - but lots of fun! August is coming up, so why don't you consider visiting us at Sunday Stuff?

There's a nice calendar at Solace Sunday Stuff Emerging Christian Church

August 1
All Ages Prayer - prayerful bits using voice, body and soul that anyone can do anytime (very refreshing)
The Labyrinth - our unique take on an ancient contemplative practice.
Conversation time - 'cause chatting is what comes natural. This month: what is scripture?

August 8
All Ages Singing - a joyful noise
Presentations on the 'Sermon on the Mount' from Paul and others, actions, images, music and more.

August 15
All Ages Jesus Meal - when we come together in a sacred ritual of remembrance and hospitality
Small groups on interesting bits of the Sermon on the Mount - salt, light, ostentatious piety!
Contemplation time - experience the transcendent in a supportive and accessible environment.

August 22
All Ages Stories
Taize style liturgy

August 29
Games week! Maybe a simulation game exploring poverty in Cambodia
Blokes will be taking the kid's program and Olivia will be taking the Adults - come here our best teacher on the Sermon on the Mount

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote

mission is best called "compassionate service"

2010-07-23T17:25:00.000+10:00

Last term the sunday adults community spent a number of weeks exploring the idea of "mission". The tools used, and the conversation generated was excellent. Hopefully the sense of freedom AND call has expanded some people's lives as well.

The resources are easy to grab and so i am including them in this email. You might like to use them with a group you are part of or perhaps do some of your own private work, or with a friend/partner over a meal.

If you are interested read on......

Mission as compassionate service table of contents:

good questions to start a conversation on the topic
notes from a conversation Olivia and Paul had together
some great talks on compassion at one of solace's favourite websites
a broad view of mission using the 7 ways

GOOD QUESTIONS TO START A CONVERSATION ON THE TOPIC

lets start close to home with our real life flesh and blood neighbours

*What are the names of the people living around us? How long have we known them? Do we like them? do they know or like us?
*What are the names of the people we work with? What are they like as people?
*What are the names of the people we buy from? Do we know the names of any of their customers?
*How frequently do you see/connect with someone in order to regard them as a neighbour?
*How selective are we in our relationships? (Can you describe what happens?)
*What good things are our neighbours up to?
*What could/do our neighbours teach us?
*How could/do our neighbours participate on our "salvation"
*Who is the neighbour most different to us?
*Who is the neighbour most similar to us?

NOTES FROM A CONVERSATION BETWEEN OLIVIA AND PAUL

Mission is one of those terrible words that gets used by the Church and carries a big stick. the word "should" gets used with it a lot and we tend to feel guilt and duty at its mention. We are keen to divest ourselves of that baggage!! The words and ideas of mission and evangelism are often mentioned together and seem to be used more by fundamentalist or conservative groups. YEt their take on the idea is fairly narrow.

Mission is an outward focus -the wellbeing of others not yourself. (Life with God has a huge and primary place for every person's wellbeing and whilst we start at the place to be renewed we are inevitably urged by God to focus on "others" as well.)

Jesus' whole attitude was "missional" -focused on "other" - he was sent and sends his friends and followers in a likewise manner.

Compassion seems to be the motivator and the compass. If we can be soft hearted and full of love for the "other" then perhaps we may not go too far wrong. So practices and lifestyles that grow our hearts are vital - much more so than messages or techniques.

Loving God and loving our neighbour are the core of God's commands to us and make up the communal fabric of our life on earth. They are the same command with different faces and as all the letters of John in the NT make clear you can NOT love God and hate your brother.So service to God and the world is the same thing.

To really care for people and get involved in being changed and offering positive change is hard work, so the word "Service" seems apt.

Solace will use the term "compassionate service" to talk broadly and deeply about Jesus' command to be sent out into the world in his name. (The thing some parts of the Church call "mission")

Compassionate service makes sense of and is integral to Jesus' teaching. It is the fulfilment of our true nature.

We wish to include people in the things of God that we have found and enjoy NOT convert. We do not think it has much future focus (apart from hope on the renewing of the earth and heavens), we do not think that it is about getting energy from end times and judgement. It is about God and goodness and each individual and group having a unique and respectful place before God. IT is not about universal homogeneity (we are not all going to look the same, do the same, believe the same etc). It is a dialogue, we are learners in every way. We do not seek to make others like "us".

Can we expand peace and love in the midst of diversity and confusion? Can we truly serve with compassionate hearts?

GREAT TALKS FROM TED

Robin Wright: The evolution of compassion

Pasted from http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_wright_the_evolution_of_compassion.html

Natural History of compassion. Compassion as part of the gene pool. Atheistic take on the golden rule.

Rabbi Jackie Tabick: The balancing act of compassion

Pasted from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jackie_tabick.html

Woman, UK, Rabbi. Love one's neighbor. The challenges of compassion.

15:46 min.

A TABLE OF THE 7 WAYS AND COMPASSIONATE SERVICE

see the next blog entry!

compassionate service and the 7 ways table

2010-07-23T17:21:00.001+10:00

July at Sunday Stuff Emerging Christian Church

2010-07-08T12:22:00.000+10:00

Sunday Stuff is continuing our fun journey together as an emerging christian church after the mid-year holidays. We're going to be looking at the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes over the season, as well as all the rich contemplative practices that we enjoy so much.

July 11
All Ages Singing
Informal All Ages Time - some simple things to celebrate the new season together. No Kid's Stuff this week, we'll all be doing things that kids can enjoy alongside adults.

July 18
All Ages Jesus Meal - our central ritual
Learning time for adults - workshop the beatitudes from the sermon on the mount
Contemplation time - a short time for practicing contemplation, with a bit of help!

July 25
All Ages Stories
The Solace Liturgy

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475

June at Solace Sunday Stuff emerging church

2010-06-01T16:16:00.000+10:00

6 June
All Ages Prayer
Labyrinth and contemplative prayer for adults - disorient and re-orient.
Small group - our own connection to land and place; where do you come from?

13 June
All Ages Singing
A visit from the folks at the Indigenous Hospitality House - offering hospitality to indigenous Australians on land traditionally owned by indigenous Australians.

20 June
Mid-Winter Feast! Yule Tide celebration. All welcome, so bring your friends! Carol singing, a message of hope, yummy warm things to eat.

No Sunday Stuff until July 11 - enjoy the winter holidays!

Solace Sunday Stuff. An emerging church in Northcote Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
www.s olace.emc.org.au/sundaystuff

Rabbi Jackie Tabick on Compassion

2010-05-13T10:02:00.000+10:00

We used a great Ted talk from Rabbi Jackie Tabick on compassion at Sunday Stuff last week. Rabbi Tabick is a cheerful and engaging woman with a gently passionate manner. Her talk is part of the 'Charter for Compassion', a project to gather support for compassion as the central value uniting humanity and religions.

Rabbi Tabick focuses on the everyday challenges of being compassionate. She reminds us that saying we will love our neighbors is all very well, but often we dislike them! She draws on the ancient Jewish teachings of the Torah and the ongoing Rabbinic teachings to illustrate the idea that compassion and justice need to be in balance so that compassion is possible. Our capacity to be compassionate is enhanced by accepting our true selves, understanding when compassion needs to be moderated by justice and then performing acts of kindness as we can.

Rabbi Tabick's talk at Ted is worth watching (it's only 18 minutes), I personally found it very interesting inspiring and comforting. I found the insights into the Torah and Rabbinic teachings gave me a fresh perspective on Jesus' teachings, as Jesus was certainly a Jewish wisdom teacher.

After engaging with Jackie's ideas, I have started exploring the idea that 'mission' may be best described as an act of compassion. I'm inspired to deepen my understanding of mission by exploring how compassion has been a part of Christian spirituality since Jesus time.

So, a good video, well worth watching, and more ideas to engage with.

Sunday Stuff is back on for May

2010-05-07T09:05:00.001+10:00

Solace Sunday Stuff has started back for May.

9 May
All Ages Singing
Video - the challenges of compassion & facilitated chat about being compassionate
Multi-Sensory Prayer options

16 May
All Ages Jesus Meal
Meditation practice
Video - a secular view on compassion

23 May
All Ages Story Time
Taize

30 May
Games for everyone!
Olivia McLean on compassion in the Seven Ways of the Christian tradition.

Sunday Stuff is an experimental emergent church in Melbou rne.

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475

April 2010 at Sunday Stuff

2010-04-01T12:49:00.001+11:00

It's a new month, so here's a reminder about Sunday Stuff for the next month.

April 4 - Easter Sunday
In the Chalice hall. Singing, Jesus Meal, Resurrection story and celebration. Easter chick hunt for the young at heart and body.

No Sunday Stuff during school holidays or for Rusty Spring

Apr 11 No Sunday Stuff
Apr 18 No Sunday Stuff
Apr 25 No Sunday Stuff - Rusty Spring Festival www.rustyspring.net
May 2 Sunday Stuff

http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm

John was a bit different

2010-03-09T09:33:00.000+11:00

Across Solace and for all Lent, we're all considering the Gospel of John and also looking at the Glenferrie Gospel by our very own Stuart Davey. When I looked at John in preparation, I was most struck by how different it is compared to the other Gospels. If you asked me why look at John, then my answer is 'because John was a bit different'.

John has the whole 'logos' ('word of God') theme, especially in the prologue, which is a real difference to the other gospels. It appears that John was addressing his gospel to Jewish people of the day who were adopting Greek philosophical ideas into the Jewish story. John’s assertion that Jesus was both spirit and man was a really vital part of the theological debate of the time and remains a vital concept today.

John is also different because the gospel is missing most of the stuff the other Gospels talk about. Check out this list at Wikipedia of omissions in John's Gospel. Some big differences for me is the relative absence of 'the Kingdom of God' language, no mention of forgiveness, no mention of loving enemies - important stuff for me. Why wouldn't John have it?

John is a long gospel and full of unique things: Jesus delivers long essay-style speeches in various parts (there are no parables as such); Jesus talks about himself a lot and; Jesus asserts himself as a God a lot more. The emphasis in John is different from the other Gospels; my understadning is that there is more about Jesus as a timeless revelation of the loving creator.

Given that John is so different from the other Gospels, why wouldn’t we simply discard it? After all, John seems to contradict the other Gospel’s reports of what Jesus did and said. I think John is a fantastic addition to the bible because of two things. First, it shows us how the early Christians were doing theology; they were wrestling with the meaning of Jesus and creating rich ideas and stories as part of that. Secondly, John connects the Jesus story to a broader philosophical conversation about meaning and hope, which is still relevant to each of us today.

March at Sunday Stuff

2010-03-04T10:28:00.001+11:00

Solace guys,

Feb at Sunday Stuff has been great. We've kicked off at a new venue ('Chalice' Northcote Uniting Church on High St Northcote). We've thought about our own spiritual journeys this year, tried a Quaker style meeting (thanks Gerard), done some loud singing in the wonderful acoustics (thanks Andrea & Naomi), down lots of meditative stuff in different forms and enjoyed thinking and discussing the Gospel of John and the Glenferrie Gospel. Wow!

For March, we'll be journeying through the season of Lent and joining with the rest of Solace in focusing on the Gospel of John, through the contemporary creative work by Stu Davey 'the Glenferrie Gospel'.

Mar 7 - Lent 3
All Ages Prayer with lots of movement prayers
Adults - Prayer stations: prayer for issues, meditation, prayer flags. Short bible study Nicolas and Andy (Nicodemus and Jesus): is Jesus an inconvenient truth for us?

Mar 14 - Lent 4
All Ages Singing
Adults - Labyrinth and music for meditation. Guest speaker: Stu Davey, author of 'Glenferrie Gospel'. Guided creative writing.

Mar 21 - Lent 5
All Ages Jesus Meal
Adults - Music meditation, Lectio Divina on the Lazarus story (Marcus from Glenferrie Gospel)

Mar 28 - Lent 6 (Palm Sunday)
All Ages Story Time
Singing meditation in the Taize tradition
The arrest of Jesus (The taking of Andy from the Glenferrie Gospel)

Sunday Stuff - a gathering to help people engage with Jesus-centred spiritualities - run by Solace at 'Chalice' Northcote Uniting Church.
Solace Sunday Stuff.
Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
http://solaceemc.blogspot.com
http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm
--
Paul Minty
Solace Sunday Stuff Leader
paulm@solace.emc.org.au
0418 307 475
http://solace.emc.org.au

Give a Chicken for Easter at TEAR

2010-03-04T09:53:00.002+11:00

TEAR is all organised for Easter, with live chickens! Here's the blurb from their own promotional emails.

Chocolate bunnies have nothing on real, live chickens as an Easter gift.

For only $5, a pair of chickens can provide a family from a poor community in Burma, Cambodia, India or Uganda with a source of eggs to eat and sell. So, they’ll be healthier and on the way to earning a small income.

When you order, you can choose a traditional printed card or an e-card to give to a friend or relative for Easter – or any occasion. You’ll also receive a tax-deductible receipt.

Wrestling with an angry god

2010-03-03T10:13:00.002+11:00

i am loving the easter journey this year with the Glenferrie gospel. I mainly work with it at tuesday stuff and then mull it over during the week. so far, with two out of the three readings, at least someone in the group has been offended at Andy's words and actions.

We loved it when Andy fixed the ferris wheel and saved the street festival but we HATED it when he took offense at being manipulated and "owned" and put a chair though a cafe window. (As you have read yourself or perhaps guessed this is similar to the cleansing of the temple in John 2.) Someone said "i just would think he was a loony and have nothing more to do with him." We all agreed, it would be scary, awful, wrong and disturbing. No matter how much good such a character might do, i would think "danger". So can i let myself off the hook by just saying "well Stu got a bit carried away- he wrote a character like Andy but could not quite do Jesus justice on these tricky bits." Hmmmm -i don't think so, nice though that might be.

As we looked at the passage more, Stu showed us that in John Jesus had sat down and made a whip (pre-meditated act, smouldering anger at the injustice done to God and God's world simmering away.) and then cleared out the whole temple like a bushman herding cattle through the dust and the bush....that is correct...the whole temple forecourt. Animals running everywhere, tables overturned, money split and stolen by people rushing out of the way. Businesses ruined, trading halted. An ugly scene, a violent scene -an unreasonable God.

At this point i was feeling a lot of sympathy for the religious leaders of the day. Stu downplayed the scene with only one cafe cleared (he should have cleared the whole street!)

So i have been mulling it over. Glad that Stu has brought Jesus to life in such a vivid way. Struggling and examining myself, the bible, God. I have not got very far and would greatly enjoy your thoughts.

Firstly it seems clear that i am still very influenced by the Greek philosophical view that the highest reality/the great God is devoid of emotional impulses -the classical terms (that are still central in the teaching of academic theology SADLY) are "impassive", and "unchanging". so terribly unhelpful and NOT the key ideas that the bible teaches as it introduces the world to God. (God's name and deep self revelation "I am who i am" and equally in the hebrew "I will be who i will be" -is about open, dynamic freedom, centre-edness and personhood -bloody Greeks -they have not helped us here.) So let me more deeply embrace an EMOTIONAL GOD, who delights in the deep truths of emotion. How could God not be wailing with grief and anger over the terrible deaths, murders, disasters, rapes, persecutions and wars. Equally how could God not be joyfully hovering over sunset and beach, mountain and city, love and friendship, art and food?

Secondly i am a person who struggles with anger (in myself and others.) The more anger that is in the air the higher my anxiety levels get. I move away from it at speed. So that's my problem and whilst perhaps unpleasant no doubt i have some growing to do in order to be present to anger.

but yet! this violent destruction is just unreasonable. i am teaching my kids to use their words, not their fists. Jesus made it VERY CLEAR but is that OK? i am struggling and can't say "yes".

It is all God's stuff - his to destroy, the bible often reminds us of that. James teaches that God is a different being -able to be righteously angry (where as we have little chance of that). But yet...

and yet... still mulling it over, attracted and repelled by Andy, fascinated and aware that I may have rejected "un-sanitised Jesus" had i lived in Palestine.

We live in a "waybuloo" world

2010-03-03T09:51:00.005+11:00

my kids love a show called "waybuloo" -and what is not to love- it is full of wonder, beauty and God. I grew up with the modern, fun and useful "sesame st" -still going, but now in a post-modern world "Waybuloo" shares the same time slot. The creatures of the "waybuloo" world levitate whilst they pray, are called to practice "yogo" when the chimes start and are surrounded by mountains and trees. Children come to play and get involved in the "yogo" prayer. At solace we are trying to do both "sesame st" and "waybuloo" (let me just pause for a moment and say how sad it is that none of the Christian media makes it to mainstream TV - mostly because it is not accessible enough.) We have a great time of learning from a bible story and then re-enforce that learning through crafts, games and all that. the kids love it. We also call them to pray and to learn some spiritual exercises - currently praying the Lord's prayer in words and movement, finding God's love and enjoyment in their everyday lives (by recalling favourite things from the week) and contemplative prayer (singing aloud the marantha chant rather than silent prayer.) At each stage we explain why we do it, what they might feel, how to use this exercise during the week and more. the kids love it.

my prayer is for my kids, and all our kids, to experience Jesus and the God he revealed through mind, body and spirit: by engaging head, heart and soul.

Sunday Stuff Up and Running

2010-02-09T14:30:00.004+11:00

We've debuted at our new venue: 'Chalice' Northcote Uniting Church, 251 High St Northcote. We've started at a new time as well, 2pm-3:30pm; and we'll only run during term time, plus an extra week for Easter.

The church building is cool, airy and sounds great when we sing. We've plenty of indoors and outdoors room for kids and there's plenty of parking nearby.

The young 'uns have started with a new format, they'll be learning and doing more active spiritualities than previously. The kids will learn spiritual practices, stories and understand beliefs that will encourage them for many years to come.

If you've been hanging back from doing Sunday Stuff now is the time to give it a try!

December at Sunday Stuff

2009-12-01T17:30:00.002+11:00

Fabulous is the new normal at Sunday Stuff - I hope all churches can say that! November at Sunday Stuff was stunning - so good that even the rain started coming.

We kicked off with our Jesus Meal - which just grows in beauty as we do it together. We also explored some new ways of praying with joy and gratitude, sang with astounding gusto (on-ya, Dave!), threw ourselves into games and met aboriginal people together - and that was just all ages! Adults learned about Barak, experienced empathy with aboriginal people, suspended ourselves in music, studied a much-loved bible story and prayed through a Celtic morning prayer. Many thanks to Cate, Naomi, Andrea, James and Liz for helping out a bit extra this month whilst we were short-staffed.

December is a joyful time for Christians. At Sunday Stuff we will

6 Dec (Advent 2)
Jesus Meal
The Ways with Stu Davey

13 Dec (Advent 3)
Singing
Presentation on Missional Christianity with Paul
Planning our new venue and new year

20 Dec (Advent 4)
The Christmas Story

24 Dec 4pm (Christmas Eve)
Fairfield SPACE Christmas Eve

25 Dec 9:30-10:30 (Christmas Day)
Champagne Breakfast and Nativity Celebration

Sunday Stuff - a gathering to help people engage with Jesus-centred spiritualities - run by Solace at Fairfield SPACE.
Solace Sunday Stuff.
Sunday 10:15 (doors open) to 12:30. Fairfield SPACE, 88a Station St Fairfield

Advent is Incarnation

2009-11-17T17:00:00.001+11:00

Advent is coming up on Nov 29. Sunday Stuff will be following a candle lighting liturgy and reflecting on the incarnation of God and how that impacts our incarnational mission.

November at Sunday Stuff

2009-10-27T11:55:00.001+11:00

October was great - thanks to Olivia, Jacob wrestled the angel (man? Esau? Jesus?), we participated in the Open Minds Fiesta, we practiced some contemplation (thanks Stu), we spent time praying, singing, read some stories and started thinking about engaging with the indigenous people of our area.

November promises to be a great line-up

Nov 1
Jesus Meal
Lectio Divina (funky bible engagement) on 'Jesus Blesses the Children'

Nov 8
All Ages prayer
Morning Prayer from the Northumbria Community

Nov 15
Singing
'The First Australians'

Nov 22
Story Time
Guest Speaker from the Indigenous Community

Nov 29
First week of Advent
Games Games Games
Singer Songwriter Christina Green

Sunday Stuff - a gathering to help people engage with Jesus-centred spiritualities - run by Solace at Fairfield SPACE.
Solace Sunday Stuff.
Sunday 10:15 (doors open) to 12:30. Fairfield SPACE, 88a Station St Fairfield
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
http://solaceemc.blogspot.com
http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm
--
Paul Minty
Solace Sunday Stuff Leader
paulm@solace.emc.org.au
0418 307 475
http://solace.emc.org.au

Sunday Stuff Spring 2009 Calendar

2009-09-29T16:32:00.002+10:00

My, my, we are organised.

Get your copy of the Sunday Stuff Spring Calendar for 2009.

Beware it changes!

Sign up for the Sunday Stuff email list.

October in Sunday Stuff

2009-09-29T14:54:00.002+10:00

The details are coming clear for Sunday Stuff in October 2009.

Oct 4: Jesus Meal and Olivia looking at Jacob Wrestling with the Angel.
Oct 11: Open Minds Fiesta (open to the public, Prayer Flag Stall running)
Oct 18: Singing and Stu Davey doing the Seven Ways'
Oct 25: Story Time and Praying

See http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm for more details.

Woah! That was September

2009-09-27T11:00:00.001+10:00

What a great September we had at Sunday Stuff.

We did the Way of Relating with Stu, had our Solace Liturgy, did 'Job for Dummies' thanks to Olivia and picked apart the story of Zacheus (world's shortest stand-over man). We sang some cool songs, celebrated the Jesus Meal, prayed together and had story time. The hard-working younger Stuffers (many of whom are yet to start school) raised almost a thousand dollars for development projects in Cambodia (with vital help from Kath).

A big thanks to all who helped make September a great month!

Sunday Stuff August 30

2009-08-27T09:51:00.002+10:00

A fifth Sunday! Games, Games, Games. We have a bunch of games gear from Scripture Union (thanks, Naomi) including giant boxing gloves and we are gonna have some fun.

Check out Playing Childrens Games as Spiritual Practice

Stu Davey on the Way of Learning - the spiritual practice of learning and understanding. Stu will show how the story of the prodigal son can come alive by using a series of different ways of looking at it (including with your eyes).

Sunday Stuff August 23

2009-08-20T14:19:00.001+10:00

THE BIG DAY HAS ARRIVED,

August 23
Bible Story for All Ages - with pictures and actions and all!
Olivia preaching on Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery: THAT'S RIGHT, OLIVIA IS PREACHING.
(Oh, alright, it's cheap trick to get you reading this week. Still, it's worth hearing Olivia and she doesn't preach that often at the moment. This may be a chance to get in before she gets all famous and exclusive through being a star on YouTube as a preacher.)

August 30
A fifth Sunday! Don't you people know how hard it is to plan for fifth Sundays!
Games, Games, Games. Elves TRIP giants when we're playing with pre-schoolers, people! We'll get some games from SU or something and go nuts.
Stu Davey on the Way of the Everyday - the most mysterious, yet most accessible of all the ways (I just made that up)

September 6
Carlton plays an AFL final for the first time in a little while. Can they keep their wonderful record of a premiership in every decade (except the '50s, dammit) alive?
Jesus Meal for all of us
Solace Liturgy - everyone can help prepare.

Running Commentary

2009-08-13T10:16:00.001+10:00

There's a bit of blue sky and sun coming through our tiny, high-up, window in the Solace office in Clifton Hill today. I just hung our signature clock up from an old piece of string that I believe is attached the the ceiling. Stu is working here and he hasn't noticed yet.

Today I'll work on preparing for Sunday Stuff this week. I've got a short segment on Grace, getting some prayer stuff organised for Children and Adults (adults will do a choice of three praying stations, so we need stuff for each station). It will be 'beer o'clock' with Stu and Olivia this arvo: it's nice to sink a brew and have a winge with your colleagues! Otherwise, I'm starting to plan a working bee at SPACE and there's ongoing work pulling together strategic planning for the medium term. Feels like a god day to come.

So Far at Sunday Stuff...

2009-08-11T11:23:00.000+10:00

Our August program at Sunday Stuff is going well (see last post). The campfire videos were great! We loved Cyclovia and the American-Muslims holding up signs with short messages. Our sing-along last week went really well, thanks to Naomi leading strongly and Andrea playing wonderfully with the minimum of preparation. I did a workshop on Spiritual Hungers that went pretty good; it's pretty abstract stuff, but with great emotional and everyday possibilities. Even though it's a cold, wet month here in Melbourne, we're having great times at Sunday Stuff.

Sunday Stuff in August

2009-07-30T10:20:00.002+10:00

Sunday Stuff is raring to go for the coldest month. It's a five Sunday cracker coming up!

August 2: Jesus Meal, Short Films from the Campfire Project
August 9: Singing, Meditation and Presentation on Spiritual Hungers
August 16: All Ages Praying, Reflection on Grace, Prayer Stations
August 23: All Ages Bible, Sermon from Olvia
August 30: All Ages Games Spectacular, Stu Davey on The Way of Learning

Sunday Stuff - a service for people leading Jesus-centred spiritualities - run by Solace at Fairfield SPACE.
Sundays 10:15am (coffee) 10:30am (All Ages) 11am (Playgroup & Adults) 12noon (informal chat)
Fairfield SPACE: 88a Station St Fairfield - come in the front doors like regular people!
Contact Paul Minty paulm@solace.emc.org.au 0418 307 475

The End of Poverty - Book Review

2009-06-18T10:48:00.005+10:00

'The End of Poverty', a book by economist Jeffrey Sachs is a fantastic resource for those interested in The Way of Justice, and particularly the issue of Extreme Poverty.

Jeffrey Sachs is a leading economist from the USA. He was involved in bringing about free-market reforms and associated development in Bolivia, Poland, Russia, China, India and Africa. He works at Columbia University and often consult to various governments.

The book addresses extreme poverty, the fact that 2.7 billion people survive on less than 2 dollars per day. Sachs argues that we know how to end extreme poverty and have the resources available to end extreme poverty. He claims that extreme poverty will eventually come to an end, but making an effort to end extreme poverty soon will save millions of lives.

The book outlines the facts of extreme poverty and tells enough stories to visualise the effects easily. The facts of various nations being successful in eliminating extreme poverty were surprising and encouraging.

The middle part of the book is a bit slow, as it describes the various big projects Sachs has undertaken over the past twenty years. It serves to establish his credentials and are interesting to a student of economic history, but are a diversion from the current problems of extreme poverty. More space could be devoted to current, successful, projects such as micro-credit schemes and global free-trade.

The last part of the book build a very careful and comprehensive argument for an approach that would eradicate extreme poverty. There is enough here to address the major concerns of sceptics. It is important, but long-winded for someone who is already keen for action to happen.

Sachs is an advocate for free-trade, open markets and a form of globalisation, as he sees it as a necessary pathway to material improvement for those in extreme poverty. This will set him at odds with those who oppose globalisation in any form. I found Sach's arguments convincing and I am now much less cynical about globalisation than I was before.

This is a great book, it goes beyond the hype that is a necessary part of charitable fund-raising and it provides a strong critique of current approaches to ending extreme poverty. Well worth having a copy for reading or referring to.

The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs website
The UN Milleniunm Development Goals website

Mid Winter Feast - It's on for 2009!

2009-05-26T11:05:00.002+10:00

Last year, Sunday Stuff ran a mid-winter feast in our Sunday morning time at Fairfield SPACE. The idea was to mark mid-winter with a traditional celebration. Mid-winter has been important in Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere since the beginning of history. The mid-winter festivities have greatly influenced western Christianity through Christmas (a Christianised mid-winter festival).

We held our feast to encourage people along as the days got darker and colder. From mid-winter on the days get lighter, but colder and wetter (we hope!). It was a great time, with hearty food, some stories and music ("Bring Us In Good Ale" got a really good listen and we sang Carols with gusto).

We want to do it again this year, and open it up to out friends and neighbours to encourage them along. We'll do it on June 21, starting 10:30 at Fairfield SPACE (88a Station St Fairfield). If you have ideas or want to invite someone, shoot me a message!

Rusty Spring Festival - Highlights

2009-05-26T10:55:00.002+10:00

Great festival - wow!

Solace ran a house party up at the Hepburn Springs Chalet, lovely venue and we all had a great time. Good to spend a weekend with our broader faith community.

Stu ran a great festival. My highlights were:

short film festival from Campfire film festival (campfire.net.au), heaps of unusual perspectives captured with humour and insight
Reading the Gospel of Mark through with 5 other people - what a story!
Hearing Dave Collis unpack the Jubilee stuff from the Old Testament a bit - very inspiring and a good source of imagination for our economic arrangements
Chatting with Paul Steel about work and finding meaning and inspiration no matter what job we're in
Sharing the Hymn of the Big Wheel with a bigger bunch of people - thanks all who came!

Check out rustyspring.net for more info on the Rusty Spring Festival

Work and Sabbath - week 7 Household Covenant

2009-04-22T11:31:00.000+10:00

The question is: "What impact does your 'work' (whether paid or unpaid) have on your time for family, commnunity and service? Do you have adequate space for spiritual reflection and renewal?"

The suggestions include setting aside time regularly for reflection, restricting distractions and urgent messages at certain times, and even taking a year off to consider life goals, etc.

Funnily enough, I'm on a career sabbatical at the moment. I'm working a couple of part-time jobs that are in areas of interest to me, mainly to research on which area I will focus on in my next, full-time role. Even though I'm quite deliberate about this, a few things make me worried. I worry a bit abouot whether I am contributing enough, about whether I (and, more importantly, my family) are going backwards in terms of prosperity (which may affect our long-term health and my daughter's education oportunities), whether I'm losing ground in terms of social status and whether that will make my voice marginal in times to come.

Overall, though, it is a good thing. Most of the reading I've done on leadership and personal effectiveness do recomend setting aside time to reflect on your own life and how you can plan to make it happen.

It's hardest to do when you have some responsibility, whether with parenting or at work. It's easy to feel that you are letting others down by not being busy all the time. But, other people have to solve their own problems; a few hours spent on sabbath each week may well mean you increase your effectiveness for the rest of the week; and working is not the only thing we are on the planet to do.

We've got a reasonable handle on this topic in our household. I reckon we'll address some of the anxieties we feel about taking down-time and also be a bit more deliberate about when we do down-time so that it happens before we crash in an emotional and physical heap.

Social Justice and Spirituality

2009-04-01T13:23:00.001+11:00

For me, getting involved in social justice has two main elements: it's right, and it helps me be complete.

I have no doubt that following Jesus means (in part) trying to be a moral person. One out-working of my personal morality is to help others. I see that social justice is a means of doing that. I like Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan and I take it to mean that all people are my neighbours (whom I should love), even if I'd like to screen them out on the basis of race or distance.

But I am not completely altruistic about social justice, I say that there is a benefit to me.

Being involved in justice demands that I consider the plight of others. This helps me feel empathy for others. I reckon that being able to feel empathy is a great sign of health and maturity. If I ever managed to focus on my own needs to such an extent that I simply did not feel anything when I heard of another's suffering - I reckon something would have died within me.

So, I can see that I will me more alive if I feel empathy, I can keep working my sense of empathy by considering the plight of others (especially those I may be tempted to ignore), and I can make sure that I consider the plight of others by being involved in social justice.

Others receive justice, and I get to be more alive. That's a fair and healthy way of living!

Poverty & Marginalisation - Week 6, Household Covenant

2009-04-01T13:13:00.003+11:00

Wekk 6 of the Household Covenant concerns Poverty & Marginalisation. The key question is: "Do you ever interact in a meaningful way with people from a very different social stratum than your own, particularly those who are marginalised?"

Some suggestions are: volunteering at soup kitchens, shelters or clinics; researching the needs of local refugee or migrant communities; committ to a 'exposure' program, where you are introduced to marginalised people.

For our own household, this has definitely dropped since we became parents (and needed to focus more on career, saving for a home, etc.). Partly because of new focus, partly because of lack of time and energy.

We do get to say hello to some marginal people in and around Sunday Stuff (our church service), both locals who drop in for a cuppa and also a couple of attendees. It's not really a very meaningful interaction though.

In the past, I've been involved in a community lunch in Carlton, which gave good exposure to a broad cross-section of the local community. The lunch held in Credo Cafe at Collins St Baptist church is another great way to get involved.

To boost our involvement in this, we'll have to work hard to create some time and energy for it - a tough call with a pre-schooler and several part-time jobs to consider!

Consumption - Week 5, Household Covenant

2009-04-01T12:51:00.004+11:00

The household covenant asks this key questions concerning consumption: "What ways can you go further in reducing your consumption and changing your patterns to conform to sustainable patterns?"

Some ideas are: checking you're not addicted to anything (coffee, books, shoes?); an audit of goods produced under fair-trade, anti-sweatshop or locally produced conditions; setting a target for foods sourced locally or produced organically or; learning about local food sources.

A suggested resource is the Sustainable Living Consumer Guide.

For us, this will require a bit of work. We don't have a fancy lifestyle, so we don't tend to think of ourselves as big consumers. We'll have to think very carefully about what we do consume and the related issues.

I'd like to know if spending on second-hand books has any negative ramifications. We tend to get tinned tomatoes from Italy (they're pretty cheap): is this better or worse than Australian tinned tomatoes? Is there an alternative to tinned? Does the preservation in steel cans actually help to reduce waste? Does the extra weight of the steel (during transport) outweigh the benefits longer-life?

And it's tiny things too. Is it better to buy pre-chopped sundried tomatoes than chop them up ourselves? I'd assume that a factory can chop them up in huge amounts and that would save energy consumption somewhere - but is that better than using my muscle energy at home?

I think the way to go is to write down a long list of things that we buy, then try to find out the things that have significant negative (or positive) impacts.

Something unique about Mark's Gospel

2009-03-24T13:32:00.002+11:00

Over the last few months on 3 different Sundays we have read Mark's gospel aloud in big chunks. It has been refreshing, confronting and invigorating. Mark's gospel was probably written first and for some (probably some villages in the Galilee area) it was their only written text about Jesus for perhaps a generation. What might it be like to have this story as your only written Jesus story? How might it shape you? (In other words..... what is unique to Mark and what matters most to him?)

Here are a few things..... as you read Mark -what strikes you?

ü The “parable of the sower” takes the place of the “sermon on the mount.” A focus on God’s goodness and kingdom invitation being thrown everywhere and seeing a dynamic process of life and death, just like in the fields around about you.

ü Action, emotion– dynamic, immediate, emotional, confronting and confusing. I imagine that this community expected discipleship to be all kinds of highs and lows. There is not a lot of teaching (apart from chap 4.) There are lots of radical acts that are lauded (the widow’s mite, the syro-phoenician woman, John the Baptist). The kingdom is massively different to everyday life and comes to life with big sacrificial acts.

ü Faith – the “answer” seems to be radical trust in Jesus –and ACTING upon this. (The bleeding woman, his own village and the failure of the disciples to cast a demon out of a boy, moving a mountain.)

ü Failure and misunderstanding is normative – the followers and “insiders” who choose to remain close to Jesus experience failure as a norm. The ending of the gospel (16:8) highlights that raw encounters with God often produce negative results, as do many other stories. We would want to say that this is not the end of the story but need to be circumspect in this since in this case it quite literally is!!!

ü Inclusion of all kinds of people, yet something about Israel. Jesus criss-crossed Galilee (the key to this is knowing Jews mainly live on one side and gentiles on the other.) YET felt the need, in dealing with the syro-phoenician woman – to put her in her place.

As we were reading on Sunday i thought of another distinctive. Jesus teaches only in Chapter 4 (what is the kingdom like) AND in chapter 13. This second lot of teaching is as big and is all about the life and times of believers/church after Jesus has gone. This "end times" teaching is passionate and extreme. Perhaps it makes for some hard core "hanging on" in tough times but perhaps also some sad weird end times beliefs in soft times.

Environment - Week 4 Household Covenant

2009-03-19T12:23:00.002+11:00

The topic for week 4 of the Lent Household Covenant is 'Environment'.

The key questions are: 'What concrete steps can you take to make your household and lifestyle significantly "greener"? How can you become knowledgable about the issues in your community and advocate for change?'

We do the usual things of recycling, re-usable shopping bags, turning off lights and appliances (a bit) and walking or biking a little. We only run one car in our household.

We could make more of an effort to get info about current environmental issues. As an engineer and investor, I could learn a bit more complex stuff about power generation and consumption on a big scale. We could do some more to measure our gas and electricity consumption - perhaps by looking at our meters more often.

We eat a bit of meat and don't grow much food at home. We could investigate that kind of stuff pretty easily.

We certainly don't know lots about the natural environment around our home. We could learn a bit more about native vegetation and what is a sustainable ecosystem in our immediate area.

Lot's to think about!

Ethical Investing Resources

2009-03-17T12:01:00.002+11:00

I've collected a little list of resources for people wanting to start out in ethical investing.

A key part of investing is being well-informed. If you are wanting to consider ethical issues you will need to seek information from alternative sources. Not all information will lead to sound investments and I do not endorse the investment advice from any of these sources of information. alternative sources of information should be read alongside mainstream sources to get a more complete picture.

Kiva is a micro-credit organisation that matches up investors from the developed world to entrepreneurs in the developing world. www.kiva.org

Ethical Investor magazine is another good newsletter, I've only seen a few hard-copy issues so far. www.sri.com.au

The Uniting Church have an ethical investment fund which has a retail offering. It is both a vehicle for churches to invest, as well as a provider of captial for some social programs run locally. It also invests globally in ethical opportunities. www.ucafunds.com.au

TEAR are starting to produce some resources to help guide investment, check out tear.org.au, they are also a source of general information on big infrastructure projects and developing world infrastrcuture need. TEAR have links to developing world microcredit organisations, but I don't think they offer a retail investment opportunity. www.tear.org.au/resources/harambee/

Reading the 'New Internationalist' alongside The Economist etc. is a good way of following news of infrastructure investments and also micro credit industry movements. www.newint.org

The 'Intelligent Investor', is an Australian value-investing newsletter. This is a good check for the soundness of investments. www.intelligentinvestor.com.au

a picture of faith

2009-03-15T18:29:00.002+11:00

For a baptism this morning we were asked to provide a definition of faith that we felt comfortable with. Fortunately I was given pre-warning and in my reflections I came across this picture again by Richard Stine... It's the front cover of his book, one I picked up second hand some years ago - the image speaks volumes to me!

I find it interesting that there are many books out there explaining faith, but I haven't come across nearly as many picture books tackling the same topic. Hmmm.

Giving - Week 3 Household Covenant

2009-03-13T11:43:00.000+11:00

It's week 3 of Lent and topic 3 of the Household Covenant is 'Giving'.

The Household Covenant states 'Giving helps build social relations rather than private capital'. That's an interesting perspective that is contrast to giving as a simple, non-rational, transfer of wealth.

We give to church, to Red Cross (for humanitarian work both in Australia and overseas) and to the Australian Conservation Foundation to help the environment. We also give a lot of our time to friends, family, church and some causes. We have a strong network of friends as a result.

We've probably given to the extent that money and time that could have been invested in career and wealth creation has been forgone. I suppose only time will tell whether that was a sensible decision. It was a compassionate decisions, so perhaps that's enough.

One idea that came out of my review, is that we could give a little less time and try to earn a little more money. That money could be well spent on eradicating extreme poverty within our lifetime. I've started reading books by Jeffrey Sachs (The End of Poverty) and Peter Singer (The Life You Can Save) that strongly suggest that we can eradicate extreme poverty soon at at reasonable cost.

Above all, I'm keen that giving be something that builds relations, not just a voluntary tax.

Hymn of the Big Wheel - week 3

2009-03-12T10:14:00.002+11:00

Last night I read through the section of the liturgy called "List of Poverty". It takes about 10 minutes to read aloud and everyone who's spoken to me about it says that the experience is overwhelming and just difficult to get a grasp on what it contains.

That's the point.

Some of what is contained in it is as follows:
Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.
$50 Billion (USD) is spent on cigarettes in Europe each year.
$9 Billion (USD) is required to provide water and sanitation for all.
(you can read the whole thing from http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats)

Previously I've heard it being read, and last night I read it through for the first time. It was everything that people say it is: overwhelming and difficult. Probably more so when you can actually see the words and numbers on the page.

I've been each week to the Hymn of the Big Wheel and plan to continue doing to. I suspect that as I do, each week the experience will be different, building up to a challenge that I hope won't be overwhelming for me personally, but quite possible to do.

It's easy to get lost in the weight of the enormity of the world's problems. I'm using this time each week to ask the question, "what's my response? what can I do?" For now those are some questions I can manage.

The second Sunday of Lent

2009-03-08T14:25:00.004+11:00

A lot of thought went into Part Twelve of Glenferrie Gospel, which went live today. Re-writing and re-contextualising the story of Jesus walking on the water, from John's perspective (Jn 6:16-21), was hard. It was one of the last parts I wrote - having skipped it and left it for a couple of months, almost sacking the episode altogether amidst laboured cries of "why on earth did you put that bit in, John!?!" Scholars were largely unhelpful as they imported the meaning of the story disciphered from the other gospel accounts. Only six verses long, I understand the temptation.

Whether or not I understand it acurately (should such a position be absolutely possible!) I found a point to the story that both seemed outrageously new and exciting, while also reassuringly familiar. In John's account there is no Peter stepping out on the water, no homily about faith and doubt, no unpacking the geographical significance of where they are going and from where. Rather it is about Jesus' friends in the midst of utter fear (darkness, water and storm represented some of the great threats to life in that time). It is about Jesus calming that fear. Is it mostly about Jesus reassurig his friends that they wouldn't face something which he had not - he wasn't (and couldn't) assure them that they wouldn't die, but told them that it wouldn't happen before he first had died.

"Follow me" Jesus said to them. He wasn't interested in them running on ahead without him.

I had breakfast in Rococo on Glenferrie Road this morning, with my younger brother. I noticed across the road a cafe that had changed hands again - possibily the fifth time in the past few years. Its facade now a different color to what I photographed just a couple of weeks ago. I thought about the "death" of various businesses along the street, which has increased over recent months. I looked around at the other people in the cafe, and those on the street. I thought about the people we had seen last night - old school friends and aquaintences. Each have a story, where death and life - death and re-life, are a part.

Jesus says "follow me" and then promises to go before, to leave only to come back, and to walk with us in this following.

Grappling afresh with the fear of the disciples in this part of John's story of Jesus has brought a new awareness to Jesus' promise. Within the next couple of years I hope to be opening up a cafe with friends; should it "die" or shut down, I am reasurred that this isn't something foreign or beyond the experience of Jesus. I am encouraged to engage in the opportunity and face that possibility, rather than hold back from the fear of it. The same can be discovered for many other parts of my life too.

As I've already said, this little 'lesson' from only six verses of the story, seems so new, yet is so familiar.

Debt in the Household Covenant Week 2

2009-03-07T11:28:00.001+11:00

Over Lent this year I am assessing our household finances against the topics in the 'Household Covenant'. For week 2 of Lent, the topic is debt.

The Covenant poses the questions - How is debt affecting you? How does debt affect other people? (my paraphrase).

Debt does not affect us overly much. I've been running a small business for a number of years (Mintleaf Studio - professional website design and development in Melbourne) and had made sure I was relatively debt free as part of the overall financial risk. Not everyone in small business does that, I'm sure that many households are greatly in debt to finance a small business that isn't actually very viable.

So, we did it differently. We have no mortgage, a small credit card limit that we pay off most months and a HELP debt (that's a debt to the Commonwealth as they paid for my engineering undergraduate and post-graduate study).

This means we can tighten our belts very effectively and live on less than many of our peers. We can be a little more generous with time and money as we don't have to service debt.

Of course, we may have forgone some wealth-generating investing in order to stay so low in debt; which may not be the best place to be long-term.

We don't know enough about the effects of debt in the world, except that Highly Indebted Poor Countries often face debt that can never be repaid. We've been involved in the Jubilee, Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History campaigns for a while and that helped us understand that kind of debt.

We should find out a bit more about how debt affects relatively affluent westerners, as well as how debt can be sustainable in poorer regions of the world. At the moment I couldn't tell you much about the difference between bad and good debts - and I think I ought to know.

Household Covenant Week 1

2009-03-03T15:10:00.000+11:00

I'm aiming to go through each of the seven topics in the Household Covenenat over the seven weeks of Lent. The first topic is 'Savings and Investment'. I decided to list out the ways that we save and invest and decide if they are making a positive contribution to a fairer and more sustainable world.

We keep most of our savings in an online bank account. I did a quick check and the bank does do some donations to environmental and children's health causes. Children's health is a pretty safe issue. The causes are located in Australia. Given how many kids die of preventable diseases overseas, that doesn't seem like a priority. Still, if my daughter got sick; I'd certainly feel different about the anmount of care available locally. It's nice to support causes my closest neighbours would identify with as well.

We do have a small amount of money in the 'Kiva' microcredit scheme. The scheme operates out of the US and matches lenders in the developed world to borrowers in the developing world. Borrowers may only borrow a few hundred dollars. Typically there are a good number of lenders, so the loan is spread out across a few lenders. Our money is currently with a woman in India, who has used it to buy a sewing machine. She has successfully paid off most of the loan already. We get a small return on investment, so it's worth doing another loan through the scheme and maybe extending our committment.

We have an online trading account for share market investing and I'm learning about the sharemarket through the ASX public help. I'm aware that there are managed funds for pretty much every investment flavour. I'd be interested to find out if we could go further than a local ethical investment fund (of which there are a number of good ones) and find a fund that helps address a critical need overseas; such as health and education. It's hard to know what needs will be suitable for private investment; especially as we'll need a relatively low risk investment.

After a recent adventure running my own business, we're setting our sights on home ownership. That's a big investment! I'd like to find out more about buying a smaller, more energy efficient, dwelling - maybe renovating a small house over a few years will be better than a large place in the outer suburbs.

So, that's our review in a nutshell. We have a couple of little things we could committ to, otherwise we'll need to do more research before we can turn these wishes into a definite savings and investment plan.

first Sunday of Lent

2009-03-01T17:59:00.004+11:00

The first Sunday of Lent... My focus this Lent is my blog Glenferrie Gospel. I was wondering whether I should update it on Sundays - Sundays having the tradition of breaking the "fast" during the Lent period... I decided to rather spend a part of each Sunday deliberately reflecting on the story, the area of Glenferrie where I live near, and my interaction between both... So here goes...

I've always had the impression that as a foreigner to the time and location of the Gospel story that I missed much. If only I knew the customs, smells and sights it would unlock some hidden treasures of meaning for me... My study of John's Gospel over the years has debunked this idea totally. Sure, there's something to gain in some background knowledge, but in John particularly there is a sense that the whole story is set in front of a blank screen. A blue screen, perhaps, waiting for us to project our own context in it... Maybe.

The observation encouraged me to take a greater look at what can be found in my local area. I've since found many layers and facets of life down on Glenferrie Road, things that are lost when I describe the area simply as inner eastern middle-upper class Melbourne (which of course it is, but it also is not).

Who is in need in this area?

Where are the poor?

Where are the wealthy? None of these questions lead me to simple answers anymore.

I'm encouraged to take the second, third and fourth look at what I see around me. I wonder if what I imagine Jesus doing in Glenferrie, the things that would make him happy, are anything near what actually interests or delights him. I wonder, so I go back for the fifth, sixth and seventh look around me...

Hymn of the Big Wheel - Week 1

2009-02-28T14:00:00.002+11:00

The Hymn of the Big Wheel had its début last week; and it worked!

The Hymn of the Big Wheel is a 1 hour contemplative service with a social justice theme. It's focus is a reading of a list of statistics concerning the magnitude and issue surrounding world poverty. It's a list that can't be rationally absorbed when heard; it's more of an emotional thing. Then we contemplate the hope that Jesus brings.

Elements of the service include sitting in silence, listening to music (mostly contemporary), lighting candles, praying together and a few random elements.

Stu and me wrote it to give us a really different contemplative experience. It's great for Lent, but we hope we can put it on any time of the year.

The first week went well, though I was nervous! We noticed that there was a lot of silence, so we've made some changes to allow people to recite prayers together earlier and to make a personal response earlier. We tried a bit of drumming, but it was too much to ask, so we're replacing that with some candle lighting instead. Week 2 should be even better.

One of my favourite moments is when we pray Wesley's prayer, and then the prayer supporting the Millennium Development goals. One prayer is from the start of the industrial revolution and is in archaic language, the other is at the end of the industrial revolution. The prayers have similar sentiments; but are coming from really different contexts. Both ask that we commit ourselves to something different from the pursuit of our own prosperity whilst ignoring the plight of others.

8pm Wednesday nights in Lent, Fairfield SPACE, 88 Station St Fairfield.

The Household Covenant

2009-02-26T13:45:00.006+11:00

The Household Covenant is a new thing to help people engage with big issues of social justice and sustainability in an accessible way.

The idea is to make a committment within your household to make changes to patterns of money and other resource use. Each household is completely free to make their own committments. The Housegold Covenant is promoted in Australia by Jon and Kim Cornford from Manna Gum, they've based it on one from the US (Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries www.bcm-net.org).

Jon and Kim came to Solace Sunday Stuff on Feb 22, 2009 and introduced the Household Covenant. Jon explained some of his ideas behind Christians getting involved in economic issues and Kim very generously shared some points from their own Household Covenant. We thought that Solace households could certainly have a go at the covenant and provide each other with a bit of support. I'll be looking at the covenant further over Lent.

The covenant has seven topics, making it easy to review your household economics and make some definite goals. The seven topics are:

Savings and Investment
Debt
Giving
Environment and Green Living
Consumption
Poverty and Marginalisation
Work and Sabbath

Each topic has specific questions about whether your activity is sustainable, fair and life-giving.

It's challenging, but very approachable. I'm excited to give it a go!