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?

Unrealised Potential

There is nothing more frustrating than watching a talented person choosing to disengage from the opportunities and in so doing live a life of unrealised potential.

I know a man who is naturally gifted: he can pick up any musical instrument, listen to a tune once, and within minutes be playing that tune back: he can pick up languages quickly: he can converse on any subject with confidence in minutes: he can be friendly, disarming and outgoing - but he chooses to exist rather than excel - he frustrates me and, at times, I believe himself.

As a person passionate and committed to identifying and releasing capacity (or potential) in the people I work with there is little more disapointing than working with people that refuse, (or choose not), to see that their engagement in the community could make an amazing difference. Not just for the community, but for their own self worth and sense of achievement.

It's when you hear of another person 'letting you down' (and perhaps letting themselves down) that you begin to wonder whether you have what it takes to make a difference. When I consider the past I know I do, but the immediate present can tend to overshadow the reality of a lifetime!

Perspective is an essential tool for capacity developers but often frustratingly illusive.

When Visions Become Reality

It's nearly always exciting to hear from friends, and that was especially so when I had the chance to chat with an officer from The Salvation Army in Rwanda.

It's almost a year since I arrived in Rwanda - I spent five weeks there working with a team to provide water and sanitation and to see that come to fruition was an amazing buzz. But even more of a buzz was to be part of a community - the people where so warm and inviting, they could have been defensive and wary, (they had every right to be), but instead they invited us strangers in, they shared the little they had - but perhaps most profoundly they shared their stories and their lives.

Whilst there I also had the privilege of investigating the possibility of building houses and a community centre - when I left it was just a dream, a paper vision.

So when the Major told me that the community centre is finished and the houses started, I was thrilled. But despite the thrill of the tangible and essential necessities of life that are being provided you know what excited me most?

The news that today, as a result of the relationships built between local Salvationists and the community there are 19 new senior soldiers and 16 new junior soldiers. We went there to transform lives through the provision of essential material needs - but through mutual friendship, trust and respect lives are being transformed in much deeper ways.

It's the Small Things

It's not unusual for me to be sitting in my office, surrounded by all the things that apparently need attention (not just the reports and returns for HQ) but instead of ploughing through them finding myself staring out the window wondering - does all this really matter? It's not a frequent event, but at times I ask myself whether what I spend my days doing, what I use most of my energy on really matters.

In my mind I know it does. But sometimes that's not enough. (Am I alone in this?)

It was after another one of those days, when I felt like I had been hitting my head against a brick wall; I was tired and just a little frustrated when the man sought me out. He was new to our group, but he told me that he was interested in what I had said, he hadn't heard it put like that before, and could I show him how to find the passages to which I had referred so that he could "check out if what I said was true"?

Encourgaement can come in many forms and from unexpected sources but is almost always a powerful motivator, but the most precious encouragement is that which comes from people who have nothing to gain by being nice!

International Cultural Festival 08

The day started early with a dead truck... with no other way of getting marques, tables and equipment to the site... we took off for the hall, hopeful that a miracle would happen - it did! There waiting for us was one of our members, with a truck - "just in case we needed him".

We were set up and ready to go when an Indian Meditation and Vegetarian Food tent set up next door to us... so we moved our (far from vegetarian) sausage sizzle as far away as we could. The tents (thanks HQ) were great, with visibility from a good distance people came to see what the Sallies were doing at a Festival like this!

The air was soon swirling with the sounds of African drums, Indian, Thai, Pacific Island and American Indian music - and accompanying them on his squeeze box a regular attender of our Corps Drop-In centre provided music in our tent. Our tents provided a place for people to sit and rest with a cup of coffee (or tea) and a muffin or sausage - many took the opportunity and were soon joined by one of our members to share a chat and a few moments.

People from all nations meandered throughout the 200 or so tents sampling the smorgasbord of food and drinks - amongst them were the people of The Meeting House (red shield) shirt, giving out chocolates in the shape of the Army shield and stopping to tell people why the Sallies would be there.

"A lot" of children lined up to have their faces painted, and take ownership of a balloon sculptured pet.

It was a great day - the rain stayed away, mostly: the people of the community were reminded again that The Sallies are in their community: the members of The Meeting House were reminded of the reason and the people for whom they exist.

No Church!

This weekend The Meeting House will not open it's doors for Church. One Sunday each year we shut the doors and head down to the park - where Auckland City Council expect 40,000 people to attend the annual Auckland International Cultural Festval.

So, we take the church down to the Park. With a lot of other groups we will set up a big tent (with a huge red shield on it) and we'll provide tea/coffee and muffins or cup cakes, paint children's faces and provide a sausage sizzle. We'll be a presence in our community.

It's a fun day! But it's also being the church.

The Last Man Standing

I've been watching a fascinating, and fun, program over the last few months. Six young men have travelled to some fascinating and remote villages around the globe to compete in traditional and often brutal 'sports' - all with the goal of being "The Last Man Standing".

It's been fun to watch the changes in the personalities of these men as they are confronted by cultures and practices completely foreign to their norm - especially the spiritual and ritualistic. In nearly every culture the 'sporting event' has been preceeded by a ritual that sought to gain advantage by spiritual empowerment.

No matter who we are, or what our culture, we look to the spiritual to find advantage, to claim hope, to seek direction. Even the agnostic and the athiest look to something bigger than themelves when theyare in trouble, or hurt.

For some of the tribes featured in The Last Man Standing their ritual points to a belief in a god of war, a god to be bargained with and sacrificed to; a religion motivated by fear; a selfish religion with a reliance on sorcerey and 'black magic'...

Some of the other cultures revealed a more kindly, benevolent god; there was not such a reliance on sorcery, but rather a religion celebrated through dance, song and constant celebration.

It made me wonder how you would define the God I serve if you watched me at work and play for a week. Would you see a god like that revealed by the Pharasees: stern and legalistic, couched in a life governed by 'decency', authority and duty, reinforced by preaching that induces guilt. Or would you see a god revealed by the example of Jesus, who loved misfits, dropouts, marginalised (sinners) and therefore enjoyed parties, lived spontaneously in a world that revovled around feasting and joyful celebration.

Would I reveal a model of ministry based on the Pharisee who demanded repentance before acceptance, or like Jesus would you see me turn that expectation around?

My conception of God radically influences my living, and both intentionally and unintentionally influences your imagination of god too. That's a huge responsibility!

When A Nation Stops

It's been quite an amazing day here in Auckland. Two unique New Zealanders were farewelled: Sir Edmund Hillary, the man who conquered Everest and Hone Tuwhare, New Zealand’s most distinguished Maori poet writing in English, playwright and author of short fiction.

Tuwhare is probably not as widely known as Hillary but I was introduced briefly to him through my daughters school studies last year. (http://www.honetuwhare.co.nz/) His poetry in particular has captured her imagination - his major, recurrent concerns, expressed through his writing were love, friendship, the life of the feelings, the experience of loss and death. It was sad to hear of his passing, but this man will live on through numerous writings; young and old alike will read his words, and like my daughter be transported from the mundane to the sublime - and in his words find challenge and release.

Despite the impact of Tuwhare his funeral today passed almost unnoticed in the shadow of Hillary's state funeral. A man known the world over for his conquest, (with Tenzing Norgay) of Mt Everest in 1953. However, until his death I was unaware that that was not what defined the man as special. It took guts and determination to climb Everest, and I don't want to minimise that - but it's what he did as a result of that fame that made him special. He devoted his life to helping the ethnic Sherpas of Nepal's Khumbu region. His Himalayan Trust has helped build hospitals, clinics, bridges, airstrips and nearly 30 schools and as a result was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003.

Last night, with my family and a friend (Darren Hailes) I lined up with thousands of others (for two hours) in the squally rain to pass through the Church and view the coffin, the painting and the emblems of his life. As the line crawled toward the church, bikers, business men, children, grandparents all swapped memories and discussed the impact Hillary made on their lives - there was laughter, there were flowers - but the moment a person passed under the magnificent stained glass windows and through the church doors, there was silence, reverence and respect.

It is interesting at these time to see that people of all nations, cultures and ages look for something beyond life. Not only are people looking for role models and heros, but there is an inherent soul reach for hope and meaning beyond death.

Where are the heros, the role models and the mentors? Where can people find hope, truth and meaning? If church is going to be relevant it needs to be occupied by people striving to be heros!

Sri Lanka 2008

In June this year a small group of people from The Meeting House are travelling to Sri Lanka for a few weeks. Whilst there we will be supporting some of The Salvation Army's ministry to children and women. One of the places we will visit and work in is The Haven in Colombo - here children and women rescued from the sex trade are given new hope, young girls who have no where to have babies are looked after, children who have lost parents are cared for. It's an amazing ministry and one that we are thrilled to be able to support.

We will also have the opportunity to work with Tsunami victims in the South Western district (and I will have the privilege of meeting some of the families I helped back in 2004/5).

This trip is an opportunity to make a small difference in the lives of the people we visit and journey with, but more than that it's an opportunity for those of us going to be taught and have our lives impacted by the stories of others.

My experience of these visits is that the visitors are changed (for ever) - and as a result their ministries back home are transformed. So not only will this trip impact those we visit, but it will impact our Corps and further energise the ministries of The Meeting House.

When the World Goes Quiet

Our house is almost at the base of one of Auckland's 50 (or so) volcanoes, on one of the busiest roads into Auckland: a major feeder into the city, the highway system and one of the biggest schools in the area - just down the road they are constructing a major new highway and the footpath outside our house has been ripped up and rebuilt 5 times in the last year. Some of our nighbours like to 'party' long, loud and late and that's when they aren't having excited, exhilarating, exhausting 'discussions' with family and friends.

During school term and 'normal' days the road is busy and loud, but over this past week it has been relatively quiet. It's a time of the year to savour, and for some in the house to sleep.

Life is often a bit of a surprise roller coaster isn't it - you know the general direction that your going in, and often we have even scoped out the finish line, but the bends, drops and climbs in between can sometimes take us by surprise. I am grateful for the times, when in the middle of the ride things smooth out for a little while and you can catch your breath, even if it is just to steady yourself for the next gut wrenching fall, or muscle tightening climb.

It's good to make time to be still... for a while