Ordination? Part 3

Thought I would update you on thoughts from last week's discernment process...

I am feeling much more settled with the decision by the BUV regarding being interviewed in May. I would like to go see Frank Rees at Whitley this year to talk about how my ordination process would look, seeings I have most of my study under my belt, and that I am moving into mission rather than pastoring. I feel this would be helpful in planning out my study and also in developing a friendship with Frank.

During the discernment week, thoughts on timing of children emerged, as well as the story of Esther. It would be great if you could offer further insight into these from your prayer time on my ordination, as I am still a little unsure about these.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

Baptist Media Release on Poverty and Politics

I was very encouraged when I read this today...





"Baptist Union of Australia MEDIA RELEASE


For immediate release

4 November 2007

Foreign aid a key moral issue for Australia

Foreign aid is a significant moral issue and this should be reflected in real increases in Australia’s foreign aid budget, the President of the Baptist Union of Australia, Rev Dr Ross Clifford, said today.

Baptists are often portrayed as focused only about issues related to sexuality and the beginning and end of life. The reality is that Baptists are deeply concerned and active on dozens of social and ethical issues, and eliminating poverty through aid and development programs is one of the most important.

Young people especially are committed to action to alleviate poverty. Morling College, the NSW Baptist seminary, recently held a highly successful Fair Trade Fair to raise awareness of fair trade issues and offer solutions for consumers. The most strategic and ambitious anti-poverty measure endorsed by Australian Baptists is Micah Challenge which sets the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in a Christian framework.

There is strong Baptist support for Micah Challenge and the Make Poverty History campaign aimed at halving global poverty by 2015, Dr Clifford said.

Alleviating poverty in the world’s poorest regions literally saves lives and ends terrible human suffering. But this is not a political issue but a moral and humanitarian issue. Foreign aid targets should be ambitious and attract bipartisan support. Australia can afford to increase foreign aid well beyond the current level of 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income.

I welcome the personal interest taken by Mr Howard and Mr Rudd in increasing foreign aid. Mr Howard has already met with Micah Challenge spokespersons, including Rev Tim Costello, and Mr Rudd has agreed to increase foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI.

There is strong community support for Australia increase foreign aid. I call on all federal political parties to commit to raising foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015. In particular I urge Mr Howard and Mr Rudd to agree on this ambitious but socially responsible goal in the lead-up to the November 24 election.

Developed countries have committed to increasing overseas aid to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015, but Australia has reached only about half that figure. It is estimated that when Australia reaches 0.7 per cent of GNI there would be 70,000 less child deaths each year and 15,000 fewer AIDS deaths each year, and 100,000 more children receiving basic education.

I call on Australian Baptists to support Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History, and to pray earnestly that God will give our national leaders the necessary courage and wisdom to bring lasting justice to the world’s poorest people and rescue them from a vicious cycle of poverty, misery and hopelessness.

We have a moral responsibility to use the abundant resources God gives us to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Increasing Australian foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015 is achievable. It is within our power to do this. The time to act is now. Mr Howard and Mr Rudd: commit to raising foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015.

ENDS

Media contacts: Ross Clifford 0417 685 201 or Rod Benson 0412 421 678"

Ordination? Part 2

I had a phone call today from the BUV saying that I was unable to get an interview this year, so have put me down for the May interviews, so I can start in 2009.

Feeling a little frustrated and disappointed.

Will continue in this week of discernment though before I decide whether to ring or meet with one of the interviewers, the Principal of the Baptist College down here, to discuss my ordination with him.

I will keep praying for: (1) guidance in timing; (2) doors openning if the time is now; and (c) protection.

Ordination?

As mentioned in my post on my Emmaus Walk below, I am feeling it is time to start the process of being ordained. At Emmaus I felt that as God is setting me aside for full time ministry as a missionary, that I actually go through the process of officially getting set aside for fulltime ministry, that is, ordination.

This first was put on my heart in my early years of college, but at the time I was happy to do it, to give credence to my work, being a women, and planning on church planting. I know that that is not a good enough reason, and I know also that I was not up to the process time-wise yet, as in NSW you don't start exploring the ordination option until your 3 rd or 4th year of College (down here the process starts much earlier). By then, I knew I was headed south anyway.

It seems God was placing the idea on my heart at that time, even though I wasn't ready. Actually, to remember back even further, I remember considering the idea when I was in high school, and also enquired officially back about 10 years ago when I was at Uni studying teaching – but at that time they told me no women were ordained/became ministers in the Baptist Church in NSW.

Anyway, times have changed and I have changed. I had resolved that if God wanted me ordained then I would probably go for it after we got back from the mission field, but now it seems God has other plans.

To get to the point, I was wondering if you would pray with me over this next week about whether I should pursue this option now.

I rang the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV) last Friday, to enquire about the process and info. I am aware that if I did it now, next year would be a "discernment year" where a team from church would go through a regular group interview process with me through out the year, and then a couple of more formal years of process. However, I have also found out that the applications for ordination process starting next year closed 31 Aug. I will also need to do some extra study, which I was planning on anyway.

I got a call back from the BUV on Wednesday, and the next interviews are in May 2008, to start the process in 2009. I asked if it was possible to get an interview this year, so I can do the Discernment year in 2008. They are going to see if that is possible and get back to me.

So, if you can pray for me, (1) please seek guidance as to whether I should go for it, starting next year, (2) please pray that if it is the right timing, that the doors will open before me to start 2008, and (3) I will be protected from spiritual attack at this time, as I have lots of college work to do (essay, 2 email responses, exam).

Please let me know any thoughts (positive or negative) that have come about during this time of prayer. Thanks and God Bless, :) Jen

Been busy studying

Sorry I haven't been very vocal of late, I have been studying. Got an essay to finish today, plus have 2 email responses and an exam in the next 2 weeks. Fhew!!

I am loving the subject though. It is Theology: Church, Sacraments and Ministry. It has been facinating looking at church strutures, excommunication, females in ministry, worship, prayer, communion, etc. I love reading about why different church groups do things the way they do! It helps me figure out the way I think things should/might go if I did them.

My essay is a theological and biblical response to the Vatican II document lumen gentium, the 'Dogmatic Constitution of the Church'. I have really enjoyed doing it... 400 more words to go!

World Day Against the Death Penalty Petition

Got an email from Amnesty International Australia today...

"Today, Wednesday 10 October, is World Day Against the Death Penalty.

In the coming weeks the UN General Assembly will vote on a Moratorium on
capital punishment. Over 20,000 people worldwide are awaiting execution by their
own governments. Amnesty International takes a consistent and principled stance
against the death penalty, and continuously campaign for unconditional reversal
of every sentence.

We believe that human rights are inalienable and belong to everyone
regardless of their ethnicity, religion or status.

Now is a time for a worldwide end to capital punishment. Sign the petition to Abolish the Death Penalty. "

Let's remember to stand up for justice.

Facebook

I having fun discovering the world of facebook!

Tagged: About Me meme

Paul tagged me, so now it is my turn to tell you 8 things about myself:

1. I have three favouite colours - my main one is pink (but not "medicine" pink), but I also love chocolate brown and green.

2. I am passionate about food - I love to cook it, eat it, and share it with others! I believe the world of love revolves around food - and I believe every gathering of people, be it work or play, should be centred around food. But not crap food. Life is too short ofr crap food!

3. I am also passionate about HIV/AIDS and injustice in the world today - especially in the third world. So I support Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History.

4. I am allergic to cats, dogs, gardenias and floral fragrances.

5. My favourite food is... well, for cuisine I'd choose Indian... for dessert I'd choose creme brulee... for night I'd choose cheese and wine (particularly love camembert and merlot)... for day I'd choose lattes and Llindt chocolate :) mmm food

6. I'm currently studying a B.Min at Morling College. In the past I have studied B.Teach (Early Childhood) and B.Ed and UWS Nepean and cake decorating at Community College

7. I am currently working as a Tupperware manager. I have previously worked with Global Interaction inspiring Young Adults in mission, with Baptist World Aid Australia as an intern looking at development in SE Asia, at Spotlight and KFC, and have taught primary school kids at Essington Christian Academy

8. David and I plan on being missionaries in Africa with Global Interaction. I would love to be connecting with the women in the villages, teaching them through song (and dance), and helping the women with HIV/AIDS and child-headed households do daily tasks like shopping and washing.

I have tagged Chon, Jenny, Geoff, Philip and Matt.

The Emmaus Walk

I went on the Emmaus Walk 2 weeks ago with the Maribyrnong Nth West team. It was a retreat type thing that went from Thurs night to Sun late afternoon (3 full days). I went on the Ladies walk, and my husband was a speaker on the Men's walk the week before. It was my first time and I didn't know fully what to expect.

There were five short talks a day that were about the basics of Christianity and a Christian life. They were helpful, practical and explained simply. In between we did relfections in groups on the talks which were anything from posters to songs to skits or wahtever. They were fun ways to solidify our understanding.

Also, throughout the weekend were times of silence, prayer, singing and communion.

It was a very vulnerable experience. I had to be really honest with God and myself about how I feel and have been going as a disciple of Christ.

I knew before I went I really did need this time spent with God. When I got there the first day or so I felt like crying and I didn't know why. I think in emotions and pictures and so I did know why I felt this way as yet. As the days went by I realised that because I was really missing deep friendships I was feeling very lonely. Sure, I have deep friendships, but with people in Sydney not down here in Melbourne. And the friends I have down here are great, but they are David's friends from way back, not my very own friends. I felt God saying to me at this time "I am here." This was great and I really took hold of that one night and layed down and just allowed myself to bask in his pressence. That brought me great peace and consolation!

Also, on the weekend I think I re-felt the call to Ordination. Will keep thinking and praying about that. Will also approach the Baptist Union of Victoria and ask what the process is.

I made some great friends and look forward to keeping in contact with them. One I'm going to ask if she'll be my mentor.

When I got letters from friends and family at the end, it really blew me away and I cried and cried! All of you who wrote to me were such a blessing!

Since Emmaus I got back to being regular in my quiet times and have initiated a prayer triplet with young two mums from my inlaws church. I am very relieved and excited about this! I am still feeling emotionally fragile and have the odd "sad" day. But I am spending more time in prayer.

Thanks for your support and prayers xxx

Launch of Missional Concepts Consulting

Our good friend John Smulo and his mate Phil Wyman have just launched their Missional Concepts Consulting ministry. Here is an excerpt from John's blog about it.

Phil Wyman and I are forming a consulting group called Missional Concepts Consulting. Our vision is to help leaders, non-profit organizations, businesses, churches, and community groups to navigate the difficult to follow and often misunderstood world of New Religious Movements (NRM's), and similarly to help give guidance toward becoming missional in the 21st century.
Missional Concepts Consulting has the following goals:
- Mapping popular trends in the occult and NRMs among youth and adults
- Allaying fears and misunderstandings surrounding unique religious expressions
- Giving sensitivity training toward religiously diverse individuals and groups
- Identifying legitimate concerns attached to occult practices
- Understanding the worldview and the subculture of NRMs
- Creating an effective evangelistic and apologetic model towards the occult and NRMs.

Read more on John's blog.

How am I going?

Well, David and I have been married for 6 mths now, and I think we have ironed out all those initial issues like putting the dirty clothes in the basket and who will do the washing up, so we are getting quite settled with each other now. (It took me about 2 mths to start sleeping properly, getting used to having someone else in my bed, waking as the other stirred or turned over, etc)! :)

Our home is fairly set up now. Of course, there are still things we want to do, like renovate the laundry and repaint two bedrooms. We haven't done any of the garden up to this point, because nothing was growing (not even weeds). Now that the rain has started, I want to get out and start working on the garden beds. We have plans for the yard and need to make some new gardens beds for vegies and the formal and the native areas.

Our guest rooms are set up and have already started being well used! (We delight in having people visit and stay!)

David's teaching is going well and is now also also the Careers Advisor, which he will do very well. We are both working in our Tupperware business and I am now an Associate Manager, with my own team. I love it!

I have started studying again, after a semester off when I moved down here to Melbourne and we started learning how to be married. I am doing two distance subjects through Morling College by distance. I am doing a theology subject and an exegesis subject on Paul and Corinthians. I have never done distance learning before, and am quite nervous about it!

Honestly, how am I going?
I feel very much at home down here (originally from Sydney, for new readers). I love the town I live in and every time I go on a day trip I feel like I am on holidays!!

All the girls down here are very warm and welcoming, but I do yearn for those deep relationships that you have with people you know for years, those who have carried you through your worst and best moments, those who you've lived, laughed, and cried with. I really do miss my girls.

Please pray with me that I find and develop some key relationships here.

Rain, Rain

It has been raining here for about 6 weeks! I think the drought is moving towards breaking - praise God! The rain hasn't been heavy, but it has been most days that is has been sprinkling. I still have cracks in my front yard but the weeds and some grass has started growing! The drive around Melbourne West and towards the airport in Geelong and the drive to Ballarat are now green - no longer bare red earth and a few remnants on golden straw-like grass stubble.

It is an absolute delight to see the heavens open up! I have always loved the rain. I was born in the last major drought 25-30 odd years ago. Mum said when it was raining when I was a toddler I stood at the window for ages trying to figure out what was happening - I had never seen rain before! My grandparents owned a farm, so I know the importance of rain for rural communities.

After reading the Scriptures, I believe that rain is an predominately a blessing from God. He delights to quench the thirst of the land and its inhabitants, and bring new growth. I acknowledge that because of the theology of the fall, the earth groans from the consequences of man and that rain does not always fall in its due season, but when it does, we see God's goodness breaking through.

I love rain, and am joyous as I endure this cold, wet place I call my new home.

:) Jen

Make Poverty Personal

I have just realised I haven't written for a while... wow time flies!! It's been all the starting a new business, going to weddings interstate, having family holidays and celebrating Easter I think. But blogging is not the only thing I have neglected, I haven't done the washing for a while either (and we're running out of clothes)... better go and put a load on...

I am very excited that my homegroup agreed to jump head first into a topic of study very close to my heart. We are studying poverty using Ash Barker's book Make Poverty Personal.

We are only a chapter or so into the book at the moment, but I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts as I grapple with making poverty a personal issue and personal cause.

Peacemaking for Christians in the 21st Century

I read this post on Matt Stone's blog last week. I thought it was well worth a read, so after seeking permission to copy the post, here it is...

I came across a speech by Peter Garrett, shadow minister for the environment, that I thought deserved some wider circulation within the Christian community in Australia, and amongst the evangelical left in particular. It concerns the continuing war in Iraq and the shape of Christian politics in Australia and is just as relevant for today as when it was first spoken six months ago.
In it, Peter Garrett states:

I should take this opportunity to speak on the values debate at this point, which has been in the news of late, in relation to three contemporary elements of the involvement of Christianity in politics.

First, there is a fair amount of fuzziness about where the line of demarcation between church and state, that is the separation of church and state, lies.

This separation is a principle I firmly believe in, while also believing that someone's personal values should and do inform one's day to day thought processes and decision-making.

But there is way too much selective following of the rule nowadays by this government. It invokes the authority and wisdom and so-called legitimate involvement of the church in politics and policy-making when that involvement is pro-government policy.

And the Howard Government directly uses various congregations and speeches to them to promote government policies; but when the church points out human rights and humanitarian values "shortcomings" and "failures” of the government, for example in relation to refugee policy, then the church is loudly deemed to have no place in such discussions and told, often not so politely, to go away quietly.

Second, it is very much "do as I say, not as I do" with this government.

It falsely promotes itself as having a monopoly on "Christian" values and upholding a set of ethics and principles which are in strict keeping with those values - yet its
actions do not accord with them.

What is ‘Christian’ about the treatment of David Hicks? What is ‘Christian’ about the treatment of asylum-seekers? What is ‘Christian’ about believing that sleep deprivation and other harsh treatment of arrestees is not torture?

Finally, let's by all means have a discussion about personal values, and Christian values, and humanitarian values, without the strong suggestion that there is only one correct set of them - the set the government claims sole ownership of - and anyone of any other religion, opinion or general set of beliefs is sidelined, or, at best, "tolerated", but certainly not respected or accepted.

The spectre of the West being involved in or effecting the use of torture, the forced removal of suspected terrorists to countries not connected with the war to enable interrogation outside the legal systems of Western countries, and the imprisonment of alleged terrorists without proper legal process is troubling many lawyers, church leaders and members of the public.

So what should the Christian response be in these circumstances?

In the first instance to oppose these practices. To say loudly and clearly that actions of this kind are contrary to the political traditions, including those that derive from Christian values, that make up our democratic system.

...........................

My reading of Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek, is that not only is it a clear rebuttal of the literalness of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but it is also a practical insight into how arguments that justify the use of violence on the grounds that violence has already occurred can be countered.

It is a fact that it is that much harder to break a cycle of violence, once retribution has started.

The injunction to love your neighbours and pray for those who persecute you meant the early Christian writers, in the main, were clear that violence and war making was unchristian.

..........................

Christian doctrine is not comfortably numb to the scenario of unmitigated, unlawful aggression.

..........................

Unilateral pre-emption throws off the bounds of containment within which any nation operates in relation to others, and which is implicit in the Sermon on the Mount message; namely do unto others as you would have them do unto you (not before they do it to you) and explicit in the accepted rules of international law.

..........................

The rule breaking that defines Christ’s mission as recorded in the gospels is the ushering in of an age where peace is pre-eminent, not one where war is justified.

As I read this six months after it's initial delivery, the war in Iraq continues, David Hicks is still in custody in Guantanamo Bay without any formal charges having been laid against him, the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, continues to cynically
manipulate mainline Christianity with his dog-whistle politics of 'family values' as if Christian values could be reduced to that.

And only yesterday my wife told me of the latest Christian Democrat ploy to demonize the Green Party as Pagan, consequently deligitimizing environmental concern in the eyes of many Christians. Jesus weeps.

[A note for my American friends. Yes, this is the same Peter Garrett who for many years fronted that quintessentially Aussie band Midnight Oil. He is now the environmental minister for the Australian Labour Party, your equivalent of the Democrats].

Matt has more great posts on Christianity and Australian politics, giving traditional views of Church & State a kick up the pants! Have a read...

Becoming Jane

I love Jane Austen's books, especially Emma. I am delighted that a movie of her life is now coming to the big screen!! My only wish now is that BBC would make Emma in the same way they made Pride and Prejudice ten years ago!


To see the trailer and other info, click...

Conference talk downloads

Interested in talk downloads from some amazing Aussie conferences by organisations like Forge and UNOH? Check out the Idea Ripple site here. This includes the talks from the latest Dangerous Stories 2 (Forge) conference.

Also, for news on Alan Hirsch's movements, read his blog post here.

Children, our future

An excellent post by Chantale here on children around the world!

Two weddings, two cities, two days...

One the weekend David and I went to two weddings which was lovely! The first was in Melbourne on Saturday and friends from church were married. The second was in Sydney on Sunday and David's cousin was married.

It was a lovely time, catching up with people we don't see often.

I was great coming to Sydney on Sunday and Monday! We went to my old church on Sunday morning... the first time we have seen most of them since our wedding in December! And yes, I did get a little teary :)

We also had the chance to catch up with my old mentor Di and her husband Phill from College on Monday morning for breakfast... it was great!! I enjoyed hanging out with David's family more as well.

I want to go back to Sydney for about a week and schedule in catching up with people for the whole week!

When being "Neutral" is a good thing

Recently, as the discussions about Global Warming have been chatted about around the globe, the idea of being "neutral" has been promoted. Not "sitting on the fence" or fart-arsing around, doing bugger-all, but being carbon dioxide neutral.

Being CO2 neutral is about reducing the emissions we dispence, and paying for offsets to counter the emissions we cannot help.

Alan Hirsch has a good discussion going about such issues here.

Some practical ways to be neutral, for churches, homes and businesses, and David and I are attempting these are:

a) install water tanks

b) use energy saver light globes

c) fix leaking taps

d) install grey-water filters and pipes for use in flushing toilets and watering gardens

e) turn off photocopiers, computers, lights, etc. when they are not needed

f) preach these practical measures

g) have tree-planting and Clean-up Australia day type outings

h) get our electricity from Green companies

i) get “neutral” by paying for iniatives that counterbalance the emissions and waste we make

j) drive hybrid or feul-efficient cars

k) use public transport, or better still ride a bike or walk

l) reuse bags, especially green, cloth or paper bags

m) use Tupperware instead of clingwrap

What some ways you can suggest? What are your thoughts on the Global Warming issue?

International Women's Day

Celebrate International Women's day by:

1. Showing the women in your life how much you love and appreciate them; and



2. Support Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

I have two Hillsong t-shirts

Many people in the "emerging church" arena in Australia and in the "evangelical" arena in Sydney spend plenty of their time and energy bagging, slagging and snobbing Hillsong Church. I pose the question is this critising warranted?

Firstly, let me say that I come from the view point of a "Sydney born-and-breed" "Uniting-come-Baptist-influenced-by-FourSquare(Pentecostal)" who believes the future of Christianity lies in "incarnational mission" and "accountable-to-denominations communities of believers".

My Mercy t-shirt

The first Hillsong t-shirt I owned has butterflies on it and the word mercy written across the side. It is to support the social justice and transformation outreaches of Hillsong church.

Many people overlook the massive amount of social justice and transformation work Hillsong is involved in. They take advantage of there size and income, devoting a massive proportion of it to work in the community, with the broken and needy.

As the butterflies symbolise, they believe in the power of God to recreate broken and hurting people into who God created them to be. And as the word mercy indicates, nothing is expected or sought by Hillsong in these acts of compassion, they are just responding to the heart of God.

Question: For those of you who bag Hillsong, what is the social justice and transformation work in your church or community like?

My daughter, warrior, princess t-shirt

Despite the sword on the front, which I know Matt can't get over, this t-shirt supports the Colour Your World conference and associated womens ministries of Hillsong Church. It is based on Holly Wagner's book God Chicks. If you have been to a Colour conference, you will get this, but for the rest of you...

The Hillsong female pastors have a passion for empowering women, desiring them to be all God created them to be. And for many women this is vital. I can attest to this myself. Many woman (and men I know) struggle with insecurities, conformity, roles dictated by men, singleness, marriage and motherhood.

The daughter aspect focusses on being a beloved child of God. To know their identity as loved and treasured by God, that he delights to give good gifts to his children, that his discipline is healthy and his steadfastness is unmoving. This is a very powerful image and very difficult for insecure woman to accept, but basic for a secure and full life in Christ.

The warrior aspect focusses on the victory of Christ and the power in Christ to overcome lifes obstacles and hardships, to stand firm in onslaughts, to remain true, to survive. To know that they can survive singleness, or a difficult patch in marriage, or the terrible twos of your toddler, to the despair of losing a loved one. To know and claim the power of prayer in the name of Jesus and to know that other woman will stand by you and be your rock when you don't think you can stand anymore. This is very powerful for woman, and a true blessing to know and take hold of. This is what will allow woman to be great woman of God, great single chicks, great wives, great mothers, great business women, great pastors.

The princess aspect looks at being the Daughter of the King, the daughter of God. To know that you are a princess (or prince) because you belong to God is key to how you allow people to treat you. If you know that you are a princess you will not settle for second best in male-female relationships. You will not allow yourself to be trampled by others or bullied. You will act graciously and respectfully, honouring the King. This is especially important for teenage girls and woman of all ages to accept so as not to be used in relationships. It is also important for teenage boys and men to realise. They cannot treat their woman folk as they want for their own pleasure and personal gain. They need to realise that God the King is very protective of his girls, and these princesses need to be treated with dignity and respect, they deserved to be loved and cherished.

Question: How is your church empowering, supporting and treating women?

Although I would probably not myself regularly attend Hillsong Church. I do visit and I support their work. I am also proud of the way they handle wrongdoing in the church. Ps. Brian had to sack his own dad, the founder of the church, over sexual misconduct, and he sacked him without scandle. How does your church handle misconduct?

Yes, I know that every church has its faults. They are all made of humans! But instead of focusing on these faults, how about we focus on the good in churches, celebrate these, and learn from them!

Prince Caspian cast chosen

The cast for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian have been selected and filming commenced on Feb 12 in New Zealand. See details of the cast here.

Lent

It is now Lent, so I thought that these might be helpful for those wishing to be more reflective:

1. A journey into wholeness: a study for Lent by Christine Sine, download here.

2. A poem I wrote in 2003:

Sit quiet and still before the Lord.
Listen for His whispers.
Sit there for as long as you need.

God bless you.

Wilberforce abolished slavery... or did he?

With Amazing Grace in the cinemas in America, there are some great articles emerging about slavery. The article Free at last on Christianity Today.com is truely worth a read. Here are some snippets...

Two hundred years after William Wilberforce campaigned to abolish the slave trade within the British Empire, slavery continues. Experts estimate there are 27 million slaves worldwide today, probably more than at any time in human history. About 17,000 are trafficked annually into the United States.
"They are not slaves in a metaphorical sense," notes International Justice Mission founder Gary Haugen. "They are held in forced servitude by other human beings."

Modern-day slave trading, called human trafficking, funnels slaves into two types of forced servitude: sex and labor.

Between the 1700s and 1860s, lawmakers banned slave trade and ownership in Europe and the Americas. In 1948, the United Nations condemned it in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Worldwide, many Christians have considered the victory complete and have found other causes to champion. The laws, however, merely drove slavery underground, and some nations do not enforce existing laws.
Modern slavery thrives through deception and secrecy. Traffickers lure millions of victims through lies, fraud, and coercion. A trafficker may offer to smuggle someone into a nation for legitimate work, such as becoming a waitress or nanny. Later, the unsuspecting target discovers the evil bait-and-switch: The actual labor is sinister and exploitive, with no pay, insane hours, and physical brutality. By then, escape is nearly impossible. Traffickers confiscate passports.
They relocate captives where they cannot speak the local language. In one infamous case, police caught traffickers after they had enslaved 1,000 mute or deaf Mexicans, whom they had lured into the U.S. to beg.
Traffickers instill hopelessness through violence and death threats against the slave or his or her family members. Bribed law enforcement officials look the other way.
Bonded labor is another ancient form of slavery that survives. Also known as "debt bondage," it is rampant in certain parts of Asia. A loan shark or trafficker lends money to someone who works at a very low wage to pay it back. The debt may not be paid off for decades and can be passed along to family members, sometimes enslaving generations.

Read the full article here.

William Wilberforce movie

There is a new movie out about William Wilberforce and his efforts to end the slave trade. It is called Amazing Grace. For a trailer, see here.

"Compassion"

I am not interested in picking up the crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu South Africa

What I'm up to

I have been attending Melton Baptist with David since we were dating, and now that I live here, I have enjoyed becoming a part of the community here.

David and I have decided to take a less busy year (focussing on our marriage getting established and setting up home) and as part of that, we are choosing were to focus our combined and individual energies.

David is not studying this year and continues to teach fulltime. I am looking for work, while doing some casual work with Baptist World Aid Australia. I have taken a semester break from studying, and plan to pick up one subject in semester two, providing the subjects I want/need to do are on offer.

At church, David and I are joining another couple in leading Young Adult-ish home groups. They have been running one for quite a while now, and it is getting too big, and not everyone can make it on the one night. So, David and I are hosting the new group.

We had a BBQ all together on Monday night, letting everyone know about the new group, and we will invite others not already in home groups to join one of the groups. We are now up to the stage of finding the night of the week for ours and discovering who will go where. We also decided at the BBQ that there will be combined events, social events and weekends away and the like. David and I are happy to head that up with whoever is interested joining in the organising.

The group seem pretty keen that it is all expanding. They like the thought that if they miss their usual group because of a work meeting or wahtever they can join the other group that week. They like that it is an expansion and not an us and them.

And I am excited!!! I loved co-leading and being a part of Anything Goes with Matt Stone, and the gang at Pendle Hill, and I am keen to get into a new group! Can't wait!!

Other than that, I will join the music team at church in two weeks as a backing singer. I have also been asked if I mind being put on the preaching roster later in the year. Who knows what the future holds at Melton for me :)

We are still looking for a new fulltime pastor, so please pray for us finding the right person/family for that position. Our Interim pastor leaves us this weekend.

The Amnesty International e-magezine issue 11 says...

"Close!""¡Cierren!" "Schliess!" "Fermez!"

When it comes to saying "Close Guantánamo!", few people have been as creative as Make Some Noise supporters. At home, on the bus, in parks and from rooftops, with the widest array of props (candles, flags, puppets, cakes, pebbles, glasses, ball pools (!)), alone, with family or in groups, you have expressed your outrage at the legal blackhole that is the US detention centre of Guantánamo Bay, demonstrated your solidarity with detainees who have been held for up to five years without charge or trial, and demanded that human rights violation there stop immediately.
You have taken the message to the four corners of the world, from New Zealand to Canada via Peru and Cyprus, in more languages than one could ever master. The first video came from Birmingham, England, less than 24 hours after we posted our call. The latest came a few days ago from Québec. Join in and add your voice to the international chorus of protest.
You can also sign the Guantánamo animated online petition , where you can customise your avatar and check out comments from other activists. Keep making some noise and lend a voice to people who are being silenced. You can make a difference.

"Amnesty International has been very supportive of our efforts to get a trial for my son. Their Make Some Noise campaign is very exciting to me. While I don't know much about music, I recommend it."(Khaled al Odah, father of Guantánamo detainee Fawzi al Odah)

I have added my voice (and animated character) by signing the Guantánamo animated online petition . (My character is Jennifer Reed from Australia, if you want to see my character).

Will you add you voice?

Fun kids aid & development website

I stubbled across this great website designed for kids (and parents/teachers). It is all about children around the world and the issues they face, like poverty, agriculture, human rights, fair trade, etc. It is full of fun stories, activities, lesson plans, homework helps and... games. David played some of the games last night and said they were probably more for upper primary and older.

The site is developed by Christian Aid in the UK.

Global Gang Homepage

It is certainly a fun and well put together site... have a play!

Water wise

With the "greater" restrictions on water use that have been shared with us Victorians during this drought and hot summer, check out this info on the new rebates for water tanks and grey water...
Rebate Information

Small Groups study on poverty & justice

I found this on the Catalyst website. I am considering using it for my small group from church if they are keen...

Small Group Studies
Interested in getting a discussion going on global justice and advocacy? Then why not try our discussion guides?
A Time to Speak
This four part guide will help participants explore what it means to build their lives around God's heart for a just world and recover the prophetic vocation of calling on leaders to enact justice. The format is four articles that are read and then discussed. Both the articles and the discussion questions are provided.

Get into it! :)

Visitors!!

On Sunday night David and I were joined by our first visitors from Sydney!! We were surprised by a phone call earlier that day when they said they were on holidays in Victoria and just nearby and can we catch up. And I have been buzzing and telling everybody ever since!

Thanks Carolyn and Stu for your wonderful surprise and fabulous company! We had a ball having you for dinner in our new house. God bless you in you life and ministry in Sydney.

Narnia online

For those who love The Chronicles of Narnia just as much as me and can't wait for the next movie to be made, check out NarniaWeb for all the goss on the new movie Prince Caspian and future Narnia movies. You can even sign up to get Narnia movies updates by email!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!

"Licence for prayer"

I found this article in my local paper Melton Leader this week (Tues Jan 30 2007), written by Gabrielle Hodson:

SKIPPING church for the pub won't be such a sin in Gordon [Victoria] anymore. Now you can have a beer as you listen to the weekly church sermon. Anglican minister David Oulton will lead the first Sunday service at the Gordon Hotel this weekend then again on the first Sunday of each month.
I've done mass in many homes and on camps in the bush, but never in a pub," the Ballan-based minister said. "It's generated an enormous amount of conversation already."
Fr Oulton said the idea came after talking to a series of people about religious services in hotels everywhere, Gordon's population boom, its location as the centre of Ballan-Bungaree-Morrisons parish and sale of the town's former Anglican church.
"The Bishop agreed to the idea and the hotel owners were also OK," he said. Sunday's service will include pre-recorded music and communion - but there will be no alcohol from the bar.
"Parents will be responsible for making sure alcohol is not serviced to children at the hotel, but they should be OK if they wish to have wine at communion," Fr Oulton said. "This will be for anyone who for whatever reason is afraid to cross the threshold of a church and everyone is welcome."
The 5pm Gordon service will be reviewed at the end of the year.

I am quite interested to see how this service turns out. I am impressed by the research by the pastor, but I question its contextualisation with the "pre-recorded music" and all.

I am reminded by "A tale of two pubs" that Mike and Allan review in their book The shaping of things to come, pp.9-13 which discusses the contextual approach of churches and pubs.

I think I will go along at some time to check it out.

What are you thoughts on the article above?

Heroic women

Matt Stone has a good post on learning from the women in the Bible called "Heroic Women".

What a girl dreamt about

Last month my little, not-so-little, and big girl dreams came true when I married my very own Mr. Darcy!

We held the wedding and reception at Parkside Baptist Church is Western Sydney and then after photos around Sydney Harbour (the Rocks and Observatory HIll) we had dinner with family at the Little Snail in Sydney's Pyrmont.

It was a perfect day and I love my husband David dearly!

New Year, New Life!

After our wedding on Dec 29, David and I have started the new year as married! We arrived in Melbourne on Sunday morning, an hour before church started and toddled off to my first visit to Melton Baps as a regular attendee.

We are living in our new house, a new city for me (from Sydney to Melbourne) and even a new name! I am Jen Waddell now!

It's nice to be settled again, after 3 months of travel, house sitting and wedding: Cambodia and Thailand in November, house-sitting and wedding in Sydney in December, honeymoon in New Zealand in January.

I look forward to reading everyone's blogs again and catching up with what going on in the blogshere!

:) Mrs Waddell