Global Economic crises

Just a pointer to lots of links very useful re GFC on the resources blog...Ed

A rear view of the church then about face, job done!! 16/7/11

Gloom and Doom

If you need any convincing to be self sufficient and act for a sustainable future follow some of the links passed on to me by a good friend....ed

I follow the current global crisis (perfect storm) with keen interest and am more convinced than ever that we must be about creating resilient communities and working for as smooth as possible energy decent.

Politicians will not heed the call to change course.  We have to act as citizens or nothing will happen.

Have you come across the Automatic Earth website?

I heard Nicole Foss (alias Stoneleigh) speak earlier in the year – http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/ - fascinating analysis, lots of material to sift through.  To get an idea of her background see- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvoFJsqF1wQ.

I also like Steve Keen’s work - http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/ – one of the saner Aussies worth listening to.

Noam Chomsky is also a prophetic voice - http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/noam-chomsky-on-obama-the-financial-crisis-the-middle-east-and-more/

depression, loneliness- pathway to God?

I (Ed.) find Every Day Light articles to be a constant source of inspiration, however the direction of this article seems to ignore the reality that God works differently within each one of us. The observation that God is best found in the depths of depression or loneliness may work for some, however others may find that the pain of depression/loneliness is in fact a separation from God which can be overcome (in some circumstances) by reinforcing one's love for God and God's love for the sufferer. One does not have to feel love to acknowledge its reality, but the knowledge that the love exists can break down barriers to the soul and enable that love to be felt as well as just being a theory......Ed.

April 8

God of remarkable surprises
For reading & meditation: Psalms 18:20-40
"O thou Eternal, thou wilt light my lamp ' thou wilt make my darkness shine." (v.28, Moffatt)

If you have not yet taken hold of the truth we have been discussing over the past few days, then grasp it with both hands today: the greatest loneliness is the loneliness of "a corn of wheat afraid to die". If we are afraid to die to our own purposes and allow God's purposes to become supreme, then we finish up pleasing ourselves but not liking the self we have pleased. And again, being willing to face any situation that comes with the conviction that God will make it contributive enables us to face life with an inner fortitude and poise. Understanding this truth and being willing to apply it to all circumstances and situations is one of the greatest safeguards against emotional or personality problems. In fact, I would go further and say that it is one of the greatest defences against reactive depression that I know. I say "reactive" depression because there are some forms of depression which are chemically based and result from malfunctioning of the body's chemical systems. Reactive depression is the depression that comes from the way we interpret the knocks and hardships that crowd into our lives. And what greater hardship can there be than loneliness? The Bible teaches us, however, that God will never allow one of His children to find themselves in any situation where He is not able to help them - loneliness included. Someone has referred to our heavenly Father as "the God of remarkable surprises". What a fascinating description - and how true. In the midst of life's loneliest moments, God has a way of approaching us and revealing Himself in ways that we would never have conceived possible.

Easter death and rebirth

The author of Every Day Light here catches the easter mystery of how we can follow Christ to the Cross, hand over our lives to God and bear rich fruit, or as the seed returns to the ground and produces a harvest. ....Ed.

April 5

What is the "Father's Glory"?
For reading & meditation: John 15:1-11
"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (v.8)

Over these last few days, we have been seeing that just as Christ came face to face with the issue - To die or not to die - so also must we, His disciples, face a similar challenge. It is one of the axioms of the Christian life that in order to realise God's purposes in our lives, we must be prepared to die to all self-interest. Why is this so necessary? What possible purpose can our Lord have in making such a demand? Our text for today gives us the answer: "This is my Father's glory, that you may bear fruit in plenty and so be my disciples" (NEB). The Father's "glory" is what? Rainbows? Waterfalls? Chanting angels? No, the Father's "glory" is men and women who bring forth fruit in plenty. Is your life fruitful? Does it yield a rich harvest from which your Lord will derive eternal pleasure? If not, then perhaps the reason is that your are "a corn of wheat afraid to die". You draw back from experiences which are designed, not to demean you, but to develop you. And if you are afraid to die, then, as Jesus put it, you "remain only a single seed". A women once came up to me after I had preached a sermon on this theme, and said: "Why is God so cruel in demanding so much of us?" She meant: Why does God demand the one and only thing I own - me, myself? It seemed to her that she would be consenting to her own extinction. She saw only what she had to give up - not what she had to gain. If we are to win this battle, then we must do as Jesus did and continually focus our gaze on the fact that beyond the chosen way of the cross lies ultimate power and victory. 

closeness=prayer+scripture+obedience+sharing

March 22

Take and tell
For reading & meditation: John 20:10-18
"Go ' to my brothers and tell them '" (v.17)

Today, on this penultimate day of our meditations on Psalm 73, we face the important practical question: How do we go about the task of keeping close to God? Firstly, we do so by prayer. The person who keeps close to God is the one who is always talking to God. Many definitions of prayer have been given; I add another: prayer is co-operation with God. In prayer you align your desires, your will, your life to God. You and God become agreed on life desires, life purposes, life plans, and you work them out together. Secondly, we do it by constant study of the Scriptures. God's Word is alive with meaning, and when you read it something will happen to you, for "the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb.4:12, NKJ). Expect it to speak to you - and it will. Faith is expectancy: "According to your faith will it be done to you" (Matt. 9:29). Remember also to surrender to the truth that is revealed: "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know '" (John 7:17, NKJ). In a moral universe the key to knowledge is moral response. The moment we cease to obey, that moment the revelation ceases to reveal. We do it, thirdly, by sharing with others. Remember, nothing is ours if we do not share it. When we share, the things go deeper inside us. We must share what God is doing, both with our fellow Christians and with non-Christians also. The psalmist's last words are these: "I will tell of all your deeds." We take and we tell - we take and we tell; these, we must never forget, are the two heartbeats of the Christian experience. 

split personalities

Does this strike a chord with anyone, it does with me! ed.

February 27

One view of things
For reading & meditation: Philippians 2:5-11
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." (v.5, NKJ)

We continue meditating on the importance of learning to think spiritually. It is sometimes interesting to listen to Christians discussing together both earthly and heavenly issues. Take politics, for example. When involved in a discussion on this subject, many Christians seem to put their Christianity on one side and bring out all the prejudices and worldly arguments which they have been accustomed to use over the years. What does this say to us? It reveals the great need we have to break with the idea that life can be viewed on two levels - the natural and the spiritual. The Christian must learn to view everything from a spiritual viewpoint or otherwise he will fall prey to the same problems that the psalmist had. The great preacher C.H. Spurgeon once told a group of theological students that after they entered the ministry they should not be surprised to find that people who prayed like angels in a church prayer meeting could act like devils in a church business meeting. Unfortunately the history of the Church proves his statement to be true. How can this happen? It's because in a prayer meeting people think spiritually, but in a business meeting they revert to their natural thinking, with all its prejudices and worldly assumptions. They have a party spirit within them and as soon as any one bumps against them - out it comes. Our Lord, as our text for today shows so clearly, saw everything from a spiritual point of view. This is why, in the hour of overwhelming testing, He was able to say: "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). 

John Cannell's birthday function at Oyster Cove, Jan. 2011

Good fellowship, food, jokes and stories. Many happy returns John

Here is John Cooking up a storm with Graham Kingston observing

Resources moving

Moving to another blog site but moving the spirit also!

Saintmarksblogresources.blogspot.com will house (surprise) resources and this blog will be reserved for other moving matters, i.e. things that have helped our Christian journey, Parish events and other items where we have seen God at work.

I will attempt to compile an index so that the resources are accessible. watch this space!

Repressed issues

The author of Every Day Light has over the past three days been looking at psalm 73 and how many "good" Christians don't admit to themselves that they have a problem and go about busily promoting their good traits and others bad ones while deep issues within remain unresolved. The psalmist airs his problems openly and works through them. It struck a chord with me that it can be easier to avoid confronting an issue by concentrating on where you believe you are making progress but without admitting and dealing with matters, they just don't go away

More natural disasters on Australia's radar - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

More natural disasters on Australia's radar - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Brisbane floods

I arrived in Brisbane 16th Jan. three days after the peak of the floods virtually all the affected houses had their contents awaiting collection by then.Many were able to save nothing, the warning was so brief.
This is outside my brother's house at Rocklea
and looking 180 degrees about

This is my Brother and his bride,(of 20 years) besides the contents of their property at Rocklea. These piles were continuous along every flooded street and for many, not only included their possessions but the walls and ceilings of their houses.

60,000 volunteers registered and helped owners and tenants restore properties, delivered food and drinks to keep people nourished, set up barbeques and cooked thousands of sausages

Three days later it looked like this.

Again, the 180 degree about view
During all this cleaning and restoration work, volunteers called at each house about every 20 minutes offering sandwiches, water, soft drinks, bread, pizzas or their labour.

Affected owners had the emotional roller coaster of the loss and trauma, then the positive emotion of the groundswell of volunteer aid.

The OT reading for Sun 23rd tells of Isaiah's prophesy that the people of Napthali and Zebulun in Gallilee have seen a great light because to them a child is born, mighty king , wonderful counsellor, Prince of peace. I reckon the people of Rocklea, Fairfield etc also have seen a great light, the very same light as the goodness of Queenslanders shone brightly and it will be a blessing for all who have experienced that light.

The goodness of Jesus runs to his gift of salvation, however much of His essence was displayed during the aftermath of this flood. My prayer is that the essence which is common to humanity joins people to Christ and makes the step of accepting Him as Lord closer and easier.

Lynette's very genteel afternoon tea

The gentle breezes, gentle scenery and gentle Channel and Cygnet society gathered at Lynette and Graham Lakin's home at Nicholls Rivulet and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea with light jazz and chamber music. Here are some snaps.

This painting was donated by Julie Kellly as an auction prize

Sacrifice, # 2

One of those hunger attacks last night which allow some clear thinking without clutter of the day. The certainty of only two things, death and taxes came to mind in the context of sacrifice.

If we accept the premise of the author of the Jan 4 Every Day light reflection, that no pain, no gain. Helping others costs, and with the certainty of death a reality, the question becomes do we want our lives to pass with no value added to the world. If we decide we want to contribute positively then it will cost us. In adding to Jesus' mission in the world, this simplistic thinking helped me to make a conscious decision and identify areas of sacrifice that I choose to make.

sacrifice

The Every Day Light reflection for Jan 1 was about the sacrificial nature of Jesus and how it is necessary to have a sacrificial nature in oneself to understand Jesus. full text as follows...January 1

Understanding the Cross
For reading & meditation: Romans 5:6-21
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (v. 8)

An ancient theologian - St. Augustine - suggested that "the answer to the mystery of the universe is God and the answer to the mystery of God is Christ." If this is so then I would like to make a further suggestion: the answer to the mystery of Christ is to be found in His sacrificial spirit, the supreme evidence of which is the cross. We will never in our mortal state be able to grasp the full meaning of the cross. But what we do grasp gives us a clue to what lies in the heart of the Infinite. Theologians often discuss the various theories of the atonement. Personally, I find myself accepting any theory of the atonement that makes the meaning of the cross more vital and clear. No theory seems to me big enough to fit the facts. As Jesus broke the bars of the tomb and stepped out beyond them, so the fact of Jesus dying seems to transcend our most careful statements or form of words. To really understand the cross one must have an attitude of mind and heart that responds to its meaning. I came across this: "To understand art one must have art within one; to understand music one must have music within one." I thought to myself, to understand the cross one must have a sacrificial spirit within one. Those who profess to know Christ but live only for self will know something of the cross but will miss its real meaning. The cross is best understood not by an argument but by an attitude.

This caused me considerable thought as I wrestled with what and how to sacrifice, without dying.

Todays reflection 4/1 has the answer...

An Unintentional Tribute
For reading & meditation: Matthew 27:32-44
"'He saved others,' they said, 'but he can't save himself!' " (v. 42)

What humiliation and shame our Lord endured for us on the cross of Calvary. Cicero, a Roman philosopher, said of crucifixion: "Far be the very name of a cross not only from the bodies of Roman citizens, but from their imaginations, eyes and ears." But He, our Lord, though sinless, was crucified on a cross. Although His blood was flowing freely from wounds inflicted by the crown of thorns on His head, from His back that had been lacerated by cruel thongs, from His hands and feet through which He was skewered to the tree, yet He refused the deadening drug offered Him. He underwent the ordeal with brain unclouded and with nerves unsoothed. The crowd who watched Him cried: "He saved others, but he can't save himself!" But strange as it seems, that mocking phrase became the central truth of the gospel. He was saving others and therefore He could not save Himself. That is one of the greatest truths of life -if we are to save others we cannot save ourselves. To quote Spencer again: "It is a great mystery," he says, "yet an everlasting fact, that goodness in all moral natures has the doom of bleeding upon it, allowing it to conquer only as it bleeds. All goodness conquers by a cross." This law of saving by self-giving runs through life. Those who save themselves cannot save others, and those who save others cannot save themselves - cannot save themselves trouble, sorrow, hurts, disappointments, pain, and sometimes even death. This is a law of the universe, and it applies to God as much as it does to us.

peace,

John

Prayer: