We had a great talk today at uni from the campus co-ordinator of the Christian group I attend, and I just wanted to share what I took away from it, even though I'm sure you've heard it before.
Following the hype of World Youth Day here in Sydney, our talk this week was "Catholic, Protestant, Christian?". We looked not at any one specific denominations, or any particular issue of contention between the denominations, or at any reasons to support one over the other, but thinking about what we all believe and how we all need to be coming back to the central truths Christ taught.
Although the talk covered things like how we should go about choosing what church (not what denomination) we should attend, what I really liked was the focus on unity. If people from different denominations who all believe Jesus is their Lord and Saviour can't get over the difference they practice what is often essentially religion rather than faith, what kind of witness is that to the world? Why should anyone be interested in any church who can't agree with the other churches around it? If we show disunity as Christians, people will focus on that hypocrisy, rather than on Christ.
Unity is one of the things I love about campus ministry. Several of the Christian groups on campus are non-denominational, and I think this is great. Not only do you get exposed to other teachings and sources of input that you may not know about through your own church, but you are able to acknowledge that in such a secular environment as a university, all the more superficial differences fade away in the face of presenting a united front as Christians. Today, I was sitting with two other girls - one attends a Catholic church, the other a Uniting church. I attend an Anglican church. I think it is great when we are reaching out to the campus, that not only are we showing unity, but we are a unified group, despite our different backgrounds.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fairytale?
I was listening to a great talk by Mark Driscoll, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, on joy (from Philippians) and I was really struck by this question:
Why do we want the fairytale life?
This may seem an odd thing to ask - I'd never questioned it before. Of course I want - even expect - a good home and a happy family and the right job and a loving husband. I believed God would give them to me (in his timing, of course) because I wanted them.
But that isn't right, is it?
Think about it. Who is the person we are supposed to be modelling our lives on as Christians?
Jesus. That's an easy one.
Here's the crunch. Did Jesus have any of those things that go in my vision of 'the good life'?
No.
Jesus was poor. He came from a humble carpenter's family from a backwater town. Later, he was an itinerant preacher, relying on the support of others. Jesus didn't always have happy relationships with everybody. His friends abandoned and betrayed him. Jesus wasn't married - he didn't need an 'other half' to make him complete. And his job certainly wasn't stress free.
So if that is what kind of life Jesus, my Lord and Savoiur led, why do I think I deserve anything else? Why should I want anything else?
Why do we want the fairytale life?
This may seem an odd thing to ask - I'd never questioned it before. Of course I want - even expect - a good home and a happy family and the right job and a loving husband. I believed God would give them to me (in his timing, of course) because I wanted them.
But that isn't right, is it?
Think about it. Who is the person we are supposed to be modelling our lives on as Christians?
Jesus. That's an easy one.
Here's the crunch. Did Jesus have any of those things that go in my vision of 'the good life'?
No.
Jesus was poor. He came from a humble carpenter's family from a backwater town. Later, he was an itinerant preacher, relying on the support of others. Jesus didn't always have happy relationships with everybody. His friends abandoned and betrayed him. Jesus wasn't married - he didn't need an 'other half' to make him complete. And his job certainly wasn't stress free.
So if that is what kind of life Jesus, my Lord and Savoiur led, why do I think I deserve anything else? Why should I want anything else?
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Haunted
Some of my university friends and I - two guys and two other girls - really enjoy watching movies together and eating a lot of junk food. So we've developed a holiday ritual of crashing at someone's house, hiring three or four movies and lazing on the couch all day. Now, particularly because of the influence of the boys, we tend to watch a lot of thriller and horror movies.
We had such a movie day last Wednesday, and I have been haunted ever since. The first movie the group decided to watch was Wolf Creek, which is an Australian horror movie. It has an 18 plus rating in most countries and it definitely requires it, because it has haunted me since.
And I only lasted for half the movie.
Most of the first part of the movie is spent setting it up, but when it starts to get gory, it goes all the way and very quickly. After 10 minutes of this, I was crying, shaking and completely nauseated.
One of my male friends, who regularly watches this kind of movie, was surprised by my strong response to what I was watching and hearing. He made a remark that seemed to imply he thought I should be able to seperate reality from the make up, effects and acting that is on the screen. I was unable to answer him at the time, and at that point, the other guy (whose house it was) stopped the movie to escort me to somewhere I could sit and entertain myself for the rest of the movie, as he could see I wasn't enjoying it.
Though he will probably not see it, here is my answer to why I think I responded so strongly to the scenes in Wolf Creek. One is that, in Australia, this story of kidnapped and tortured backpackers is not so far-fetched. We have had two high profile cases in my lifetime of backpackers or stranded tourists picked up off the highway and killed, sometimes in very brutal ways. The second is that this film is really confronting in the fac that it gives no excuses for the cruelty and sadistic inhumanity of the villain. In the other thriller/horror films we watched that day, we saw violence and death blamed on haunted houses, on curses and hoodoo, on alien invaders, and on schizophrenics who believe they're God. The killer in Wolf Creek was none of these things. He simply... killed and raped and tortured because he found pleasure in it. He found pleasure in evil.
I fear this. I fear it, because I know there is a tiny bit of this madness in every soul on this Earth. My own included, for certain. Because when we're left alone, in the wilderness, and all the rules seem to go out the window, this is what can come out. Maybe not to the same degree, in the same gruesome way, but it is there.
I certainly won't be watching horror movies anymore. It scares me too much, but not in the way most people think. I am not afraid of blood; I am afraid of people.
We had such a movie day last Wednesday, and I have been haunted ever since. The first movie the group decided to watch was Wolf Creek, which is an Australian horror movie. It has an 18 plus rating in most countries and it definitely requires it, because it has haunted me since.
And I only lasted for half the movie.
Most of the first part of the movie is spent setting it up, but when it starts to get gory, it goes all the way and very quickly. After 10 minutes of this, I was crying, shaking and completely nauseated.
One of my male friends, who regularly watches this kind of movie, was surprised by my strong response to what I was watching and hearing. He made a remark that seemed to imply he thought I should be able to seperate reality from the make up, effects and acting that is on the screen. I was unable to answer him at the time, and at that point, the other guy (whose house it was) stopped the movie to escort me to somewhere I could sit and entertain myself for the rest of the movie, as he could see I wasn't enjoying it.
Though he will probably not see it, here is my answer to why I think I responded so strongly to the scenes in Wolf Creek. One is that, in Australia, this story of kidnapped and tortured backpackers is not so far-fetched. We have had two high profile cases in my lifetime of backpackers or stranded tourists picked up off the highway and killed, sometimes in very brutal ways. The second is that this film is really confronting in the fac that it gives no excuses for the cruelty and sadistic inhumanity of the villain. In the other thriller/horror films we watched that day, we saw violence and death blamed on haunted houses, on curses and hoodoo, on alien invaders, and on schizophrenics who believe they're God. The killer in Wolf Creek was none of these things. He simply... killed and raped and tortured because he found pleasure in it. He found pleasure in evil.
I fear this. I fear it, because I know there is a tiny bit of this madness in every soul on this Earth. My own included, for certain. Because when we're left alone, in the wilderness, and all the rules seem to go out the window, this is what can come out. Maybe not to the same degree, in the same gruesome way, but it is there.
I certainly won't be watching horror movies anymore. It scares me too much, but not in the way most people think. I am not afraid of blood; I am afraid of people.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Words, words, words...
Words, words, words
I'm so sick of words
All I get all day through
First from him, now from you!
Is that all you blighters can do?
I don't know about you, but I get very sick of words and talking in general. One of the things I hate the most, is listening to the drivel that comes out of my own mouth. My mother has tapes of my sister and I talking when we're little, because she wanted to record our baby voices. She thinks they're cute; I cringe when I hear them, becuase what I am saying is such nonsense. The problem is, I've never grown out of it. Half of what comes out of my mouth is time-wasting rubbish. If you were to record me now, I would probably be in agony within minutes of playback, wondering why on Earth I thought it was necessary to utter many of the things I did.
So I undertook a project this week. Before I spoke, I was to think about what I was about to say. And more particularly, how is saying this serving God's kingdom on Earth?
We say things for many reasons. One obvious way of building God's kingdom through speech is speaking to God, in prayer and praise. Others are usually more indirect. It could be counselling a friend, encouraging someone, helping someone out, or just the words needed to plan an activity.
But we also say things that aren't kingdom building too. These are things that aren't loving. You know, the snide comment about someone we find unattractive and have to poke fun of; the whinging complaint because we feel we've been hard done by; the joke that tears down other people. Even the disruptive chatter when someone is trying to achieve something, and we hinder them.
This is what I plan to go to war on.
I have to say, that I haven't been entirely successful so far. I've still let out quite a few "catty" comments, joined in some highly criticising conversations at work and done more than my share of complaining. This is going to be a long term project, becuase it's not only a change in what comes out of my mouth, but also altering what the words are expressing - my thought and my attitudes that underly my words. And any change in us is only going to be through the power of the Spirit and through prayer.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Cause I'm a copykit...
Because I only have a few hours left to pack, until I need to sleep before heading off on one of the most awesome (imho) camps all year... I really wanted to post something though, so I've copied this quiz from my dear Nica at About a Girl. So, may I present, the Three Quiz (insert flourish here).
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:- Kit, Kitty and Trini
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:- Space of Flowers, Marauding Snowflake, Magenta Lee Hope
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:- My eyes - they can change colour!, my increasing curly (no longer frizzy) hair and my double jointed thumbs.
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:- Multitude of scars from variuos surgeries and accidents, small veins which collapse when having blood taken and very acne-prone skin.
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:- Australian, Scottish and German.
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:- Heights, the concept of me driving a vehicle unsupervised and health care professionals who are in the 'business' for the money.
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:- God, writing in my journal and tea
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:- Black trackies, red hoodie and ugg boots
THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:- Rebecca St James, Leeland and MercyMe
THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS:- Iris, More Than It Seems and Comptine d'un Autre Ete.
THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:- Love (which must first come from God, and is reflected in the love for one another), shared values and being able to serve one another.
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:- Expressive eyes (i.e. where you can see what that person is thinking or feeling by their eyes), arms suitable for giving good hugs and a smile that charms you into smiling back.... (No, of course I'm not picturing anyone in particular as I'm describing this....)
THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE HOBBIES:- Knitting/embroidery, writing and sleeping.
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:- Hug Nica, sleep, do more knitting
THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING/YOU'VE CONSIDERED:- Pharmacist, foreign aid worker, chemical engineer
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON HOLIDAY TO:- Europe as a whole, Central and Eastern Canada/USA and anywhere in Asia
THREE NAMES YOU LIKE:- Jonathan, Felicity and Simon
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:- Become a wife and mother (in that order :P), finish strong in faith and see my parents (re?)commit to Christ.
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A BOY:- I don't usually consider putting on makeup before leaving the house, I think the hoodie is one of fashion's greatest achievements and my culinary expertise only extends to instant noodles and boiled eggs.
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL: - I classify gymnastics as a sport, I like to sew and do craft-y things and I love wearing pink.
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:- Kit, Kitty and Trini
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:- Space of Flowers, Marauding Snowflake, Magenta Lee Hope
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:- My eyes - they can change colour!, my increasing curly (no longer frizzy) hair and my double jointed thumbs.
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:- Multitude of scars from variuos surgeries and accidents, small veins which collapse when having blood taken and very acne-prone skin.
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:- Australian, Scottish and German.
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:- Heights, the concept of me driving a vehicle unsupervised and health care professionals who are in the 'business' for the money.
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:- God, writing in my journal and tea
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:- Black trackies, red hoodie and ugg boots
THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:- Rebecca St James, Leeland and MercyMe
THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS:- Iris, More Than It Seems and Comptine d'un Autre Ete.
THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:- Love (which must first come from God, and is reflected in the love for one another), shared values and being able to serve one another.
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:- Expressive eyes (i.e. where you can see what that person is thinking or feeling by their eyes), arms suitable for giving good hugs and a smile that charms you into smiling back.... (No, of course I'm not picturing anyone in particular as I'm describing this....)
THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE HOBBIES:- Knitting/embroidery, writing and sleeping.
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:- Hug Nica, sleep, do more knitting
THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING/YOU'VE CONSIDERED:- Pharmacist, foreign aid worker, chemical engineer
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON HOLIDAY TO:- Europe as a whole, Central and Eastern Canada/USA and anywhere in Asia
THREE NAMES YOU LIKE:- Jonathan, Felicity and Simon
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:- Become a wife and mother (in that order :P), finish strong in faith and see my parents (re?)commit to Christ.
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A BOY:- I don't usually consider putting on makeup before leaving the house, I think the hoodie is one of fashion's greatest achievements and my culinary expertise only extends to instant noodles and boiled eggs.
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL: - I classify gymnastics as a sport, I like to sew and do craft-y things and I love wearing pink.
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