Sri Lanka Team

We had the privilege of hosting General Eva Burrows for Easter this year. During her time with us she was the guest at a fund raising dinner (Sri Lankan Banquet) for 70 people. A total of $900 was raised and will be used to purchase materials and resources to use, and leave, in Sri Lanka.

Photo: (Left to right) Major Gay Roberts, General Eva Burrows (Rtd) Ian Scoltock, Gael Laughland, Gill Scoltock, Major Daryl Crowden.

Meeting us, and facilitating our visit in Sri Lanka are Majors Nihal & Rohini Hettiararchchi who have been friends for a long time. I grew up with these officers and have come to repect their leadership and friendship. We are in safe and competent hands.

The schedule is almost confirmed and will be posted on this site soon (for those who have asked). We will value your support and prayers as we travel and learn from our engagement with the people of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka 2008

The Meeting House (The Salvation Army - Mt Albert) Mission Team are counting down to their departure for Sri Lanka on June 28.

Amongst the five members of the church travelling to the Pearl of the Indian Ocean are two teachers, a nurse/community worker, and two Salvation Army officers.

During our time in Sri Lanka we will be conducting training programs at childrens homes, an orhpanage (pictured), schools, attending a camp for teenagers and engaged in development and support ministries in tsunami rehabilitation areas.

Look out for more information and updates.

God Caused the Cyclone to Punish Those That do Not Believe and Follow

During a session at High School last week my daughter was asked to discuss the big question: "Where is [the Christian's] God in Myanmar?" "Where is God in the earthquake in China?" One of the responses was that God used the cyclone as punishment and warning. (An opinion I do not share!)

It's a question asked in one form or another after every natural disaster, or whenever some one we love is diagnosed with illness, or injured in an accident. It's not a question asked only by the athiest or the 'trouble maker' who sees an opportunity to debunk Christianity and God. Although 'they' do love the opportunity.

Unless I am really strange then Jesus' Followers like me ask the question too. How can God allow that much pain and suffering? Where is God? I have my own answers, but I do wonder:

If God is the 'creator, preserver and governor', if God is the architect of the weather, and the earth, then didn't God create the cyclone and the earthquake? Isn't God ultimately the cause of the chaos, the deaths, the injuries, the grief and pain? And if that's true then why?

The discussions at shool did not attempt to answer the huge question of why? But some of the things that were said included the opinion that God is in the gifts of money that are given, God is in the people that respond. God is experienced in the faith, hope and love that are evident in those that give water and an outstretched hand.

The school discussion may not have satisfied all questions, (but then academics haven't got the answers either), but the overwhelming response was that in the storms of life, God is there - often through friends, family, and even strangers who make themselves available to reach out to others.

Scary Relations

So you don't get on well with your neighbours? You're not really very good at making, or keeping friends? You are too shy to introduce yourself to any one, let alone a person of the opposite sex?

Don't sweat it! A British scientist just told me (via the BBC) that within the next 40 years Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be sufficiently advanced to be able to 'birth' robotic partners and friends. You will be able to design a robot that is sufficiently like you, or has the personality and physical attributes that you want in a partner. These 'humanoids' (my word not his) will be so human that they will be able to satisfy all physical (yes, even that!) and emotional needs.

And perhaps scarier still is this man's opinion that by this time humans will be so used to this interactive technology that we will not think it weird to engage in a physical relationship with these creations, so much so that we will use the phrase "some one" rather than "some thing" when we refer to them. (Interaction with a robotic dog or dinosaur is already nothing unusual for our children!)

This seems to me to be the ultimate in selfish individualism - the final solution to broken community and the ultimate catalyst for virtual community. Not too long ago it took 'a village to raise a child' soon we can leave it up to our AI partners, teachers and nannies. It makes some of the science fiction movies (such as Spielberg's AI, or Columbus' Bicentennial Man) seem not so far fetched.

Humanity is created for realtionship and community - just because we find it hard to relate; just because it's hard to live together; just because I'm shy - doesn't mean we should settle for another 'man-made' replacement. This is scary...

LESSONS FROM THE RED SHIELD APPEAL

People want to tell their story! I am humbled by how many times complete strangers told me their stories as they gave a donation. Some of the stories were pretty intimate too.

Whilst I am happy to be available to hear the stories, and thrilled that people still esteem the Sallies enough to know they can trust us, it also means that there are a lot of lonely people out there who just need someone to listen. They didn't want much, just a few minutes of our time, and a non-judgemental listener.

Once it was family, community, church that cared and listened, today, more often than not we pay professionals (psychologists, counsellors, life coaches) to do the same thing. Whilst I have nothing against these professionals, I think that if we need to reclaimed the importance of family (and friends).

One Story:

As I stood in my flouro yellow high viz Red Shield vest, my bucket silent but pleasantly weighty, I pretended not to watch and listen as a man, pointing in my direction knelt down to his two young boys. As he dug in his pocket for his wallet, and fished out two notes, he spoke to them about their grandpa.

"That guy is from the Salvation Army", he said. "Do you remember I told you your grandpa was in the war? Well he was hurt real bad, and it was a Sallie man that picked him up and carried him to a hospital where he was saved. The Sallies did amazing things for people in the war".

With big eyes and timid smiles the boys came to me, placed their donation in my bucket and taking a little Red Shield "thank you" sticker from me they walked away proudly wearing their stickers on their shirts.

I don't really like making those first moves to set up the collection point (especially when it’s wet and cold). But people like that, and the opportunity to listen make it worth while.

Scary Christians

Opinionated, influential Christians scare me!

I heard the other day (yes it is hearsay) about an internationally recognised christian evangelist and teacher who preaches that the 'mark of the beast' is not bar codes, nor 666, nor even secret script embedded in Microsoft windows, it's Muslims.

Apparently, he announces that a 'good Muslim' wears symbols on his forehead and wrist and these mark him as an Anti-christ. (I seem to remember the Christian Scriptures advocating that Jews were to wear these same symbols of allegiance.) He goes further and suggests that any Muslim that is not intentionally seeking the destruction of non-believers, is in fact a 'bad' Muslim.

This kind of preaching scares me, I believe it is not only inflammatory but wrong, and I reject it!

Too often people sprout ill informed, biased opinions grounded on stereotypical, politically motivated agenda. Their pronouncements aim to inflame emotions by perpetuating and celebrating differences, of which there will always be multiple, rather than seeking and encouraging the common ground.

It would seem to me that this agenda of 'division' is itself anti-christian. Didn't Jesus seek to unite and include? Even when people opposed him ('Anti-Christs') he identified them and then sought to include them - accepting them as they were first and attempting to transform them by relationship.

I have some amazing Islamic friends: people that I respect, trust and honour. People that are open to dialogue, men and women for whom acceptance, love and peace are life scripts.

It's easy to have and declare an opinion - it's much harder to have and develop a relationship. If I'm serious about influencing people (and proving that my faith relationship is worth having) then I need to stop talking and start being a friend.

When Prayer Doesn't Work!

This has been an horrific week in New Zealand. A 15 year old went missing over a week ago and today the authorities are speaking to a 'person of interest'. A 13 year old, on her way to school, (in our neighbourhood) disappeared and was not missed for a week!

Then, 10 young people from a local Christian College were swept up in a canyoning accident which ultimately claimed the lives of 6 students and their teacher.

As the news swept the nation people prayed. Parents prayed that their children were not amongst those involved, and I have no doubt that the students prayed that God would save them, and yet 7 died.

To say, as some have, that four were saved because they prayed seems a little insensitive to me. Does that mean that God didn't listen to those that died, despite their prayers, or that God listened more to the parents of those that survived: or does it mean that they didn't pray 'right'. (How many thousands of Christians suffer, go hungry, are lonely, die each day - despite the fact that they ask God to get involved and make it different? Does God not listen to them? Or are they not praying hard enough?)

Don't get me wrong I am thrilled that some survived and I have no doubt that God heard their prayers, and even that God acted to provide for their escape. But I don't think we can say that God saved just because of prayer! I think there is more involved!

Could it be that God has a lot more information than we do - that our vision and understanding are finite and narrow - and that God doesn't always act in the ways that we dictate, or even as we understand compassion and love?

The amazing thing is they prayed! That's always the best and right thing to do.

The Party's Over...

The motivators and educators have spoken ... The leaders have cast their vision... the bands have played... the victory has been claimed! So now what?

Hundreds of people responded to the various challenges presented over the week. People promised to change the way they live, their priorities, their motivations, and their ambitions - but today they're back home and (if any thing like me) they are playing catch up and dealing with the realities of their present.

So how do we make sure the exciting, potentially world changing intentions of the moment are not lost in the tyranny of the urgent and the demands of the present?

Perhaps one way is through accountability!

Most times our decisions are made in private and because they are, we can pretend it never happened, we can pretend even God was too busy to listen, and let's face it we can ignore God! But what if we told one other person of our decision and by doing so asked them to keep us accountable, gave them permission to help us live up to that change?

Personal transformation happens best when we submit to and live in community - because a community of integrity presupposes a commitment to accountable relationships.

Just Action

Dunedin is the magnet that will draw 275 delegates to The Salvation Army's annual 'Just Action' Conference. Together the delegates will explore the possibilities for 'Freedom from Injustice'. But as I prepare myself to lead a workshop on global injustice, I am forced to ask a few questions like:

What is development? If our globe is unable to sustain the existing levels of requirement - that is where the minority have everything they need, and most of what they want and the majority fight to survive - what happens if the powerless and marginalised - the poor - do develop to the economically privileged level of material requirement. Does that just hasten an ecological Armageddon? If so, should we, the church, the Army, be committed to development?

Other questions come to the surface too: what benefit is globalisation - and to whom? what is community?

It's just one of the questions I'd like to ask at my workshop.

Easter with General Burrows

It was obvious that The People’s General had not lost her passion for people as she moved amongst those gathered, greeting and affirming each person in turn. She sang in language with the Zimbabweans, reminisced with the Sri Lankans and the Scots, told stories of Salvationist ‘heroes’ in China – and each person felt like she had been there just for them.

The number of people attending the Easter meetings at The Meeting House in Auckland grew as people left each successive event inspired and challenged by the words of General Eva Burrows (Rtd).

Together those who attended were led on the familiar Easter journey from the garden - where wills conflicted - to the empty tomb. But each person left with a challenge reverberating in their hearts – if Christ was not raised, then there is no gospel, there is no eternal life, there is no freedom – what we do and are is senseless – “but there was a resurrection!”
A highlight of the weekend was the dinner to raise funds for the Sri Lanka mission team. Over seventy people paid to hear the General speak of her experiences as the International leader of the Army. Those gathered sat spellbound as she recalled audiences with heads of state; embarrassing moments with African Kings and alcohol; engagement with the poorest and champions of the poor (Mother Teresa); moments of panic in airline mishaps; and times of thrill in worship and fellowship.

Regardless of who you were you could not help but be inspired by this unique woman of God – and by the way in which God spoke through her – as if to each person individually.

General Burrows is on her way

It's all about to start here at The Meeting House, in Auckland. Newspaper journalists have rung, television and radio stations have booked interviews, the sound system is checked through, the leaders have booked lunch dates - and as we speak the General should be somewhere over the ditch (other wise known as the Tasman Sea).

Easter is a special time, and it has resulted in more questions than usual from our people. It has been a privilege to speak to the people associated with our Church about Jesus, the cross and Easter. Mostly they want to know what relevance Easter has for them, now! I'm not going to preach here - but it has caused me to make sure that all that we do here this weekend, in all the running around, that we make sure that we don't get so busy that we don't hear the questions, and we don't lose sight of the fact that if we fail to present the relevance of Easter then we have failed.

So, it's some pressure to put on the General, but it is equally pressure on the rest of us - because if the people don't feel accepted and welcome then the words will be irrelevant - won't they?

Religion That's Lost The Plot

I have long been suspicious of religion and the religious! I think I am now getting to the stage that I might even have to confess that I hate religion. I think I'm in good company in this attitude because, as I read it, Jesus felt the same way!

I don't know how many times I have heard a preacher tell me that the difference between Christianity and every other faith community is that following Christ is about relationship ("vertical to God and horizontal to God's creation") and all other faiths are religions (rule based constructs).

So, if that's true, why do so many Christians so slavishly adhere to a hybrid construction of 'man-made' rules and regulations? Why do charismatic leaders who espouse 'new' rules and more advanced behaviours - or regulations for belonging and believing - attract more and more people. (Is there some danger of cultic following here?)

I am not suggesting that there is no place for rules of living, of course there are! Rules for living in a civil society, and Biblically based principles of living form the foundations of living as good representatives of Jesus.

But, I object to being told that unless I live and operate the way you do that I am less of a Christian. Especially when many of the things you tell me are essential for being 'an effective Christian' are your personal (and contextual) additions. Additions that are essentially selfish lifestyle choices - some of which are great for personal health, well being and discipline - but not necessarily beneficial for relationship building and kingdom expansion.

Jesus said that the way the world would know we are 'effective Christians' is by our love for one another as a result of our love for God. His priority was making sure people knew they were loved, important and accepted: he was single minded in his desire to build relationship and develop capacity.

He took care of himself: he was disciplined (walked a lot!) and he adhered to many of the rules for living and faith allegiance. But he had a special name for the people that added more and more 'rules' for best practice and as a condition of belonging - expectations that made others feel inferior if they weren't living the same way - Pharisees.

I am not advocating for 'anything goes' Christianity - there are clear and sensible guidelines for living the Jesus Way. What I'm advocating is that the priority for ministry, and default for humanity, must be on relationship development.

If, as a result of adhering to your extra suggestions, I do not have time, or energy for my family, or others then haven't I lost the plot?