The Cave

We have decided to call the new work in Ascot Vale, the Cave. The remodel of the building is almost complete, and will soon be used for a community center. There will be movie nights where people can come watch a dvd, and share free popcorn. There will be help for kids in the neighborhood with their homework. There will be a space for doing art. There will be classes on tile mosaics. And on Sunday night we have a worship experience.

The hall is set up like an eclectic bohemian coffee house. On Sunday nights we serve coffee, tea, biscuits and toast. Everyone sits around tables. We have some music, some discussion, some teaching which may include video, discussion, excercises of some sort. We partake of communion and prayer.

We had our first service at the cave last night, and it was a wonderful evening.

We chose the name the cave for a number of reasons. The first, and most important is ofcourse, my wife said so. But to make my fragile male ego feel better I needed a few more excuses to take the name. The second is that three people came up with the same name apart from each others influence, and as it is an unusual name, that seemed significant. The thirds is the Cave can be an acronym for Churches of Christ Ascot Vale Experiment. And then ofcourse there needs to be a scriptural or philosophical reason, and I had three caves from the bible that seemed to connect with what we are doing.

The first three services I am talking about these scriptures, and I will post a brief summary of my messages here.

Elijah's cave

Elisha's cave

Lazarous' cave

If you would like to join us any Sunday night the service is at 7pm at the Ascot Vale Church of Christ on St Leonards rd in Ascot Vale. We will be having a grand opening celebration service on the 21st of May, and you are all invited to that.

the rev

mother and child

Well sometimes we see things that are a bit uncomfortable. Yesterday as I was standing in the rain waiting for the tram to take me from Richmond to Flinders station, I looked across the street as I heard some yelling. It was a mother yelling at her little daughter (maybe four at the most) to keep up. She was in her school uniform still, with a rain slick and big rubber boots and was almost running. The mother turned around angrily and started walking again, but at such a rapid pace. She was slowly increasing the distance between her and her daughter again. Her legs so much longer were taking one pace to every two of her daughters. The daughters head was down and you could tell she was concentrating with urgency trying to increase her speed, but her mother got farther and farther away.

As the mother got to the corner she stopped and turned around clearly annoyed that she had to wait for her little girl to get there so they could cross the street together. I couldn't hear what she said to her, but the tone was sharp.

I felt so sorry for the little girl, she was trying so hard.

I wonder why we so often view God like that mum?

the rev

The best wedding quote I have ever heard!!!

Went on Wednesday to the wedding of two friends, Paul and Deb. They are a an inspirational couple, both work for UNOH in Springvale, and have given their lives to the kingdom of God. It was very special watching a wedding like this, very powerful.

It seemed atleast to me that God personally gave His blessing to the wedding. As the bride finished her long walk down the stone stairs at the beautiful Murroonda reserve, and stood for a second at the edge of the crowd, a couple of kookaburra's started laughing. I really thought that was awesome.

During the grooms speach he said something that I will ever remember. "Deb and I don't have much, but we hope someday we never will" I love Paul and Deb, I pray for a long, fruitful marriage, that will bless everyone they come in contact with.

the rev

Art from me and Raquel

On some of my past posts the pictures don't show up anymore, so I thought I would post a few and give you a link to look at others. The tryptich above hangs in my mothers house now.



this is one of Raquels mosaics.

you can look at some more of our art by clicking HERE.

the rev

Sorry I have been missing

I have been very busy remodelling the building in Ascot Vale. With this and my other resposibilities I haven't had much energy for original thoughts.

We expect to have our first Sunday night service on the 7th of May, and we will have a "GRAND OPENING" celebration church service on the 21st of May. I hope you Melbourne folks will put it in your diaries and come out. We are excited, and hope this will serve as a center for mission to the western and northern suburbs.

the rev

Supermarket monkey

What a great blog by a newer friend of mine. Has pictures!!!

I should try that. Great insights, very deep thinking. This really blessed me, and convicted me this morning so I thought I would share it with you. Please use the links and experience the wonderful blog.

Good on ya Josh

the rev

The Cross part one

As we prepare for Resurection Sunday, I would like to talk about the cross a bit. As we start, I would like to focus on the cross from a different perspective. You see, the cross is probably the biggest difficulty in explaining our faith. Martin De Graff talked to us yesterday about how the cross is the stumbling point when speaking to non Christians. And that it is in fact, not only confronting, but down right insulting. "What do you mean, that someone had to be murdered for me?" And I will get into the cross, and what it means to us, and why its so difficult to understand for those that aren't in our club. But first I would like to look at something from a different point of view. I would like to look not at Jesus' cross, but rather my cross.

In the eighth chapter of Mark, Jesus says that we are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. That if we seek to find our life we lose it, but in losing our life we find it. It appears to me that for all of our focus on Jesus' cross, we have a very lacking understanding of what it means to pick up our own cross.

Now before guessing where I am going with this do me a favour, stop and reflect for a second on what your cross is.

If you are like most Christians, myself included the first thing you think of is the difficulties you are experiencing. Or a particular temptation or sin that you are constantly fighting against. Well, this definately is part of our Christian walk. And I believe this is definately what Paul was talking about when he tells us of his "thorn in the flesh", but this is hardly our cross. I have heard people talk about their arthritis as their cross, or their struggle with pornography, or even their spouse. But my friends, this is not even close to being your cross.

Now before I go any further let me not minimize suffering. We must acknowledge that much is gained in our suffering, and as we offer our suffering up to God, we get true fellowship with God, and as we are told in scripture, we participate or have fellowship with Jesus' suffering. And this truely is a beautiful thing, I do not make light of it at all.

However, Jesus cross took His life. And your cross, must take your life as well. There is no difference in our crosses, they all are the death of us. As Jesus said, when we seek to lose our life, we truly find it. The cross I am called to pick up is the one that kills me, so that I may be truly resurected in Christ. I think Paul in Romans summed it up best when he says, the only reasonable way to worship God, is to offer our very lives, as a sacrificial offering. When God sent the once born son, into the world to die on the cross, the love of God was proved. But in the same way Jesus was sent to the world to fulfill Gods love, we are now sent by Jesus, to fulfill Gods love to the world. When I understand, that like Jesus, I am to lay down my life for others, to make the ultimate sacrifice and leave off my selfish ways to serve others, I am understanding the kingdom of God, and violently bringing it into this world. We are called to imitate Christ, not just in morality, but in the very essence of His life, which is the calling of the cross. We are not excused of this. God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son, and my friends, He still loves the world so that He sends His adopted sons and daughters, to give their lives for it as well.

I think that we may understand the legal part of the cross, and the love of God through the cross, but the true disciple of Jesus must experience the cross of Jesus, by taking up there own cross. It is in this, that we truely understand the Christ. I pray I might have the courage, to give up my life, that I might live. And I pray the same for you.

the rev

Watched V last night

I loved it. And the fact that I really like pretty girls with shaved heads, is not the reason I liked this film. I won't get into the plot too much, and admittedly this could have been a very very poorly done film. It is just the idea, and the dream that captured me. I actually cried a bit at the end.

You see, I am forty years old, I have two teen aged daughters and I have been married for 17 years. Yet I still have this belief, this hope, that some day the people on this earth will wake up. We will together bring justice, mercy, equality and love to the forefront of our consciousness, and actually bring about change. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I think we may someday cast off the yoke of oppression, and be truly free. I believe that their will be a revolution, a non violent revolution that will bring the kingdom of God in such a way that all the world will see, how good and how perfect it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity. I don't know how I hold on to this hope, my life seems to say it can never happen. Maybe I am just stupid.

Lest anyone misunderstand me, I do not advocate violence, ever.

the rev

My pastor Buddy

No that not his title, that is his nickname. His real name is John, but everyone calls him Buddy, or maybe bud. I just talked to him today, first time in maybe two and a half years. It was so good to hear his voice I almost cried. I needed to talk to him regarding our visa application. It sucks that it took me needing something to finally call my friend, and the most important Christian influence in my life, but it did.

What is a bit funny is I was thinking about him just the other day. See Bud isn't your average pastor guy. He worked construction, and kept working construction after he was a pastor. He never went to bible college, but taught himself to read Greek. He has a photographic memory, and has read the bible from cover to cover so many times, that he knows almost every passage and its address. He has never learned to speak Christianese, and is one of the funniest men I have ever known. He used to be a quick draw artist, yes I mean cowboys and pistols here. And the guy can do magic with a knife, from all his years as an insulator. But what is most amazing about him is his way to relate scripture, and stories, to whatever situation you happen to find yourself in. He is one of the wisest men on the planet I think.

Now this may sound a bit arrogant after all of the praise I have heaped on him, but the other day I found myself saying the things I had heard him say many years ago. I realized that I am now, the age he was when we met. And as I talk to the young leaders I am coaching, I find myself copying my old coach. I also find myself trying to counsel and encourage others like he did. I am becoming like he was, though not as good I suspect. What a testimony, and a warning to us all. What we are, will influence those that we minister to in profound ways.

When I grow up I still want to be like Buddy, cause he is a lot like Jesus.

the rev

things have changed

When I woke up this morning I had a remembrance. Not sure if I was dreaming about it or not. But I remember watching a movie about a native american (we called them indians back then) and a frontiersman that had become best friends. At one point the indian took a knife and cut the other mans hand, and then cut his own, then he clasped hands with the white man, and wrapped their hands with a white rag that became a bit less white.

They became blood brothers. This was a way of saying we are now of the same blood, we are now family.

Ofcourse my best mate and I immediately did the same thing. Although, we just scratched ourselves with pocket knives, and our hankerchief didnt' actually get much blood on it. It was our way of saying we are best friends forever. We were probably eight years old.

It is interesting in this day of HIV and AIDS how important blood is now. I would guess even a child would not do this anymore. I mean we stop a wrestling tourney, go running for the bleach bottle and will even disqualify a competitor if we can't completely contain the blood.

And mine is a bloody religion. I was made a blood brother with another in a far more gruesome, and universal act years ago. And I celebrate this bloody act often. The life is in the blood.

the rev