MyEDGEMag Winter 2016

MY EDGE MAG

Winter 2016

Radicalism A Radical Call To

FOLLOW

HIJACKING Of The

GOSPEL

RADICAL CHRISTIANITY

—RADICAL LOVE

Rad•I•Cal Characterised by departure from tradition; innovative or progressive.

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HIJACKING OF THE GOSPEL

T

O BE OR NOT TO BE . . . THAT IS THE question!” To be or not to be a religious, or more particularly, a “Christian” radical.

Radicalism can be defined as “one expressing strict adherence to a worldview that is at extreme odds with the cultural norm.” As such, the pendulum of radicalism can swing both ways. If “normal” is the middle, then a “radical” would be a person at either end of the arc. It can be either positive or negative depending on one’s viewpoint.

Critics often wave their fists at Islam.

Islamic leaders claim that the violent acts reported by the news are perpetrated by religious extremists and do not represent the “mainstream.” They say these are “radicals”; “fundamentalists” and not representative of the wider Muslim community. Division prevails and debate on this and other “terrorist” acts rages. Throughout history, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, pagans, sun-worshippers and virtually every other religious group or sect on the planet have at times used the name(s) of their god(s) to inflict terror, persecution, even genocide on those with religious differences. Even the Adventist church has spawned its own extremists as the fires of Waco (Texas) and the victims of David Koresh’s radicalism attest.

But wasn’t Jesus Himself a “religious radical”? And aren’t we called to be like Him in every way?

There is no question that Jesus’ message of love, mercy and forgiveness was completely out of step with the accepted religious views of his day. Take the following statements: • “Deny yourself and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

• “Become a servant” (Matthew 20:26-28).

• “Gain the world, forfeit life” (Mark 8:34-38).

• “Sell your stuff and give it to the poor” (Mark 10:21).

• “Blessed are the persecuted” (Luke 6:22).

• Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44).

2 // E D I T O R I A L

The cover photo was taken by Jessica Symes <www.jessigned.com>, and modelled by Timothy Greenham, in St Kilda, Victoria.

In addition, Jesus refused to fight back when attacked, held Peter back from defending him with violence, and refused to endorse stoning the woman caught in adultery. He willingly gave up His life, dying on a cross with no words of recrimination to affect our salvation, an act that was radical in the “extreme.” The very fact that free-choice, rather than coercion is the basis of entry into the Christian community of faith also attests to Jesus’ radical status. But to incite violence and terror in Jesus’ name? That is not and will never be an option!

As one commentator put it: “Those who incite violence and persecution in the name of Christ are not radicals at all. They are ‘enemies of the cross’ (Philippians 3:18–19), doing what comes naturally to their fleshly minds. Biblical Christianity is in polar opposition to the natural way of living, which means that those who choose Jesus will be considered radical to most. Living a Spiritfilled life is radical because it goes against everything our selfish nature wants and it stands in stark contrast to the world’s way of the flesh.”1 Religious radicalism has been hijacked by those who would force extreme views and behaviours on others. Christianity, and even Adventists are not immune to this, and sadly it could be said that passive, lukewarm (see.

Revelation 3:14-22) followers of Jesus have allowed it to happen. There is no question the time has come to rediscover and reclaim a genuine radical Christianity—that of living the true Christian life Jesus called us to, changing the world through self-sacrifice, love and the simple but bold sharing of the faith that we have (see 1 Peter 3:15).

1.

<www.gotquestions.org/Christian-radical.html>, T ON Y K N I G HT lives in Melbourne, Victoria, and is the Resource Centre Manager at the Australian Union Conference.

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K A N YE W ES T requested a barber’s chair, lip balm, shower shoes and yoghurt.

Radical plan or

unrealistic dreams?

BRITNEY SPEARS routinely requests a framed photo of Princess Diana.

ZERO CA R B O N E M IS S IO N S The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2014 proposed that by 2050, net carbon emissions should be 0.

B EYON C É requested a room kept at 25.5ºc and heavily seasoned baked chicken.

WORLD FO O D S U PP L IES A study of 500 food supply scenarios over the next 35 years found that if the world turned vegetarian, 94% of scenarios would not require any more deforestation.

D O YO U FIN D THAT SUR P R ISIN G? Why Islam, and not just the extremist sects?

55% of Americans have an

“unfavourable” opinion of Islam.

J U S T IN BIEB ER asked for herbal tea, Swedish fish, quality steamer and that no-one speaks directly to him.

VA N H A LEN demanded all brown M&Ms be removed from the group’s candy bowl.

W I L L FER R ELL requested an electric scooter, fake tree on wheels and protein bars.

C U L T U R E W A T C H // 3

m <www.wikipwdia.org> taken fro Photo

When the whole world is silent,

04 // C U L T U R E W A T C H

even one voice becomes powerful. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Malala Yousafzai

Radical OPPRESSION —Radical Rebels M

ALALA YOUSAFZAI WAS A GIRL WHO JUST wanted to go to school. In the Swat Valley, Northwest Pakistan, Malala was well known for this view; she had appeared on Pakistani TV in 2009 when she was only 11 years old, defending her and her friends’ rights to education after the local Taliban leader issued an edict to cease female education in the local schools. Locals were amazed and inspired by the bravery of this girl, schools were not shut down and the area was regained by the government later that year. Malala knew that her “radical” viewpoint put her in danger—but it was only on a school bus in October, 2012, that her and her family’s fears were realised. Stopped on their way home from school by two men who asked “Who is Malala?”, she was shot in the head for asserting her right to education for women.

We all would see Malala as a hero—a young woman with a world-changing mindset and view point.

She recovered from the gunshot wound and lived to tell her story to the world. She is a radical, but not what we would perceive as the typical form.

Because when we say the world “radicalism”, our minds probably have a negative connotation and think of the men who shot her—fanatical men who have extreme ways of fulfilling their objectives that are actually the very opposite of radical. More comically, it might turn to Donald Trump, who is leading the Republican race to the White House (that has to be a wig, right?). He has outrageous plans, which many Americans would consider “radical”, but which actually aim to protect very conservative interests.

So, next time you’re watching TV and a news break comes up, ask yourself, who’s the real radical —the oppressor or the one fighting back from oppression? Never has it been so popular to be a radical. Be one for God.

LU K E HA S SA N is studying Applied Science/ Master of Dietetics at Latrobe University, and loves his car a little too much.

C U L T U R E W A T C H // 05

A

radical

W

HEN I WAS A YOUNG PREACHER, I THOUGHT it would be a great sermon topic to give my young adults a series of biblical insights entitled, “Jesus, the only real radical.” I got a phone call from one of my church leaders after he saw the bulletin announcement for the coming series.

“Pastor” . . . (pause) I knew something was up, because I have one of those names that nobody forgets. After about 20 minutes of my trying to listen and respond, I realised that the sermon series might seem a bit aggressive, or at least I had better change the series title. But the more I read the Bible, the more I’m convinced about the appropriateness of the title describing the nature of the message of the Gospel.

It’s said that when Henry Ward this is a call for radical love, Beecher, an early American for radical commitment . . .

Congregationalist clergyman, was a boy, he had a teacher at school who asked one of the boys in class a question that the boy answered.

The teacher became angry and told the boy he was wrong and commanded him to “Sit down!” The boy

06 // F E A T U R E A R T I C L E

was obviously confused because he’d thought he’d answered correctly, but he sat down abruptly.

Several other boys were asked the same question.

They gave the same answer and were promptly rebuked by their teacher. Finally, Beecher was asked to stand and answer the question. He gave the same answer and was commanded to “Sit down!” But Beecher held his ground and insisted that the answer was correct.

For a few moments, the teacher stormed at him, but seeing Beecher wasn’t going to give up, he smiled and said, “Well, boys, you were all correct, but Beecher was the only one sure enough to stand up for it.”

Many people have lost their faith in Christ because they simply lacked the courage to stand up for what they believed. They had grown so used to apologising for their faith that once someone mounted a serious challenge to that faith, they just gave up and sat down.

Radicals, if they really are genuinely radical, have a common thread—they actually believe their

commitments. This leads to both inspiration for some and isolation for others, but almost always moves to action of some kind. Let me illustrate.

The terrorists who destroy, maim and kill others —they believe so strongly that not only would they die for what they believe, they will kill for it too.

This kind of radical is obvious. The Bible says, “Don’t cast pearls before these kind of people.”

There are the faithful Christians who deeply believe that commitment always leads to strong actions, so as part of their response to the message of God, they correct others. They then judge others, they criticise others’ personal expressions of faith, and challenge opposite or questioning beliefs. Christian radicals in a way are equally as terrifying as those terrorists that fill the nightly news.

So what do we do with this Jesus, the radical, the revolutionary? Does commitment to Jesus encourage the negatives we too often see in God’s people?

Our research on the attitudes of young people in the church over the past 20 years has taught us something about this. In a short paragraph, here it is.

In our three major studies on youth in the church called Valuegenesis I, II and III, along with other major research on generational faith such as the Study of Generations research, all establish the following facts.

call to

Trying to find the actual Jesus is like trying, in atomic physics, to locate a submicroscopic particle and determine its charge. The particle cannot be seen directly, but on a photographic plate we see the lines left by the trajectories of larger particles it put in motion. By tracing these trajectories back to their common origin, and by calculating the force necessary to make the particles move as they did, we can locate and describe the invisible cause. Admittedly, history is more complex than physics; the lines connecting the original figure to the developed legends cannot be traced with mathematical accuracy; the intervention of unknown factors has to be allowed for. Consequently, results can never claim more than probability; but “probability,” as Bishop Butler said, “is the very guide of life.” —Morton Smith, Jesus the Magician

Look at what Jesus proposed. There was one major theme of Jesus’ ministry that went beyond anything any other rabbi taught and was entirely unique to Him. Not only was it radical, it also was central to His lifestyle, His teaching about the Kingdom of God, and His mission as the Messiah. It is the following: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the

follow

If a parent, teacher, pastor, or adult—basically your and my church—uses excessive control, uses punitive measures or is over-strict, the likelihood is greater that their youth will: • Reject traditional moral standards.

• Become involved in rebellious behaviour.

• Reject the faith of the church.

• Become more self-oriented.

The data on this are conclusive. Being exposed to these kinds of attitudes, no matter how strongly they are held or believed, tends to move young people to become moral rebels, rejecting the very values that those same churches are trying to impose on them.

But the research also has a bright side. Radical commitment to Christ and His love for us, His life, His promises, His empowerment, His forgiveness, all have positive results. This positive radicalism builds churches, increases personal self-esteem, increases caring for others and even assists in one’s academic success.

good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45).

This is probably the most difficult command Jesus ever gave, and even for us today it might seem impossible. But this one teaching guides our attitudes toward others, toward those that don’t think the same way we do, that disagree violently or calmly, that have drawn other conclusions than we have, or have a model of religion or following God that is uncomfortable to us or completely opposite of our own conclusions.

This is a call for radical love, for radical commitment, all because that is the way God is, according to Matthew 5. And to feel comfortable about using God as your model as seen in the life and ministry of Jesus is about as radical and revolutionary as anything the world has seen today.

B A I LEY G I L L ES P I E is an author, researcher and Associate Dean for the Divinity School of La Sierra University, California.

Jesus’ message was radical.

F E A T U R E A R T I C L E // 07

Christianity // Radical love

N

OVEMBER, 2014: MY FIANCÉE (NOW WIFE) and I were walking through Martin Place, Sydney, when we passed the Lindt Café. Since we are both devout chocolate testers, Brittany excitedly told me that we needed to go there one day to check it out. A month or so later we turned on the TV to find a gunman carrying an Islamic State flag had entered the café and taken its patron’s hostage. This act, which has been labelled by some as, “religious radicalism” is not uncommon in today’s society. My thoughts were taken back to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian gunman who, in 2011, took the life of more than 80 young people in the name of “conservative Christianity.” Charlie Hedbo. ISIS in the Middle East. Paris. Ankara. Brussels. The list of religious radicals doing diabolical things seems to be getting longer, much longer, each year. One is forced to ask themselves: “Are all religions filled with radical madmen?!” Even closer to home: “Is Christianity filled with radical madmen?” Let us take a look at what scripture says on the topic.

Is there any room for radicalism in Christianity?

08 // B I B L E S T U D Y

1. A Radical Tone Read Luke 9:23; John 12:25; Matthew 10:37; Matthew 28:19,20.

Jesus certainly sets a radical tone for those who desire to be Christians! Did you notice these ones?

“Deny yourself and take up your cross daily” (Luke 9:23). “If you love your life in this world, you will lose it” (John 12:25).

“If you love your father or mother more than Jesus you are not worthy of Him” (Matthew 10:37). “Make disciples of all nations— everyone!” (Matthew 28:19).

What’s with this Jesus guy? Jesus has got radical written all over Him! The first thing we notice about Christianity is that its leader sets a radical tone for the movement He created. But is Christianity’s radical tone justified? Or is it a poisonous foundation that has the capacity to lead bewildered followers to noxious action?

3. A Radical Calling Read John 13:35; Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 4:11-13.

What’s with this Jesus guy?

Jesus has got radical written all over Him!

In order to be a loving Christian, salt and light of the world, a person of good works, a priest of God who uses their gifts to build up the Church, we sometimes need to be a little radical (see all verses above). Instead of enjoying only our favourite activities or the comfort of our own homes and social groups, we sometimes need to step out and deny ourselves so that others can see Jesus’ love for them. Although some Christians come from a family that is deeply embedded in a religion outside of Christianity, in order for their family to see Jesus and His love, there will be times in their life where they will need to love Jesus more than their family and make decided stands for Him. If people are going to see Jesus’ radical love for them, His followers will have to do some radical things to get their attention.

4. A Radical Response 2. A Radical Love

Read Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-6; Ephesians 6:10-12; Joshua 1:9.

Read Mark 10:45; Romans 5:8; Philippians 2:6-8; Romans 8:37-39.

We began by asking the question: “Is Is there any room for radicalism in Christianity?” While there are certainly Christian extremists who have done atrocious things in the past, a biblical perusal shows that Jesus is not asking His followers to follow the lines of the fanatical extreme. Rather, Jesus is asking His followers to be radical in love. The love of many has grown cold (Matthew 24:12). We do face a society in which evil is prevalent (2 Timothy 3:1-6). And our fight to love is not an easy one! For we do not fight against human strength, but against spiritual powers of darkness that operate behind the scenes of our every day lives (Ephesians 6:10-12).

To stand against these prevailing forces is certainly a task! In fact, you could say it would take a radical to do such a thing. My hope is this: that Christianity will be filled with radical men and women. Not radical mad men who bring hurt and heartache, but radical men and women who believe that God is with them, and in His strength take Jesus’ love to the world (Joshua 1:9). Let us be a radical movement again—radical in the way Jesus intended us to be—radical in love!

There’s no doubt that Jesus sets a radical tone for Christianity and at first glance you could easily think He’s a mad man!

But, in His defence, a further look at the Man Himself shows that although some of the things He said are unsettling, His character is drenched in love.

Think about these texts we’ve just explored and what they say about the character of Jesus: 1 Jesus, the King of heaven (Revelation 19:16), left the comforts of heaven and gave His life as a ransom (redemption price) for humanity (Mark 10:45).

2 Even though we humans, by nature, were in total hostility to Jesus, He died for us anyway (Romans 5:8, 3:10, 23; Psalm 51:5; Mark 1:24).

3 Although equal with God, Jesus was humble enough to be treated like a common slave and die at the hands of His created beings for their sins (Philippians 2:6-8).

4 Jesus’ love for the human race is so strong that not even death itself can separate us from it (Romans 8:38).

Have you ever encountered the type of love these biblical concepts portray before? Relentless, unabating, intransigent, radical! That’s the kind of love Jesus possesses. Jesus loved, and He loved relentlessly. So if people are going to see Jesus’ radical love for them, His followers will have to do some radical things to get their attention.

S I M ON G I G L I OT I I lives in Mackay Queensland with his wife Brittany, dog Xerxes, and cat Zeus.

Simon works as an intern pastor serving the Mackay region. In his spare time he likes to hang out with Brittany and play with their pets. He also enjoys reading, hiking, camping and the gym.

B I B L E S T U D Y // 09

Coming face to face with radical It was our last day in Paris and we were enjoying a leisurely stroll along the Canal Saint Martin. The air was crisp and fresh, the sun was shining and our winter coats were providing just enough coverage to keep the cold at bay. My husband and I had been walking for most of the morning and our feet and stomachs were telling us it was time for a muchneeded rest and lunch break.

We bustled into the closest cafe that looked relatively busy. We’d learnt while travelling that busy generally meant good or inexpensive and it had become our benchmark when choosing places to eat. The maître d’ ushered us to a table near the window and we enjoyed our meals while taking in a bit of people watching. It was while gazing lazily out the window that I first noticed the flowers.

My eyes were drawn to the colour that seemed to sprout from the cold grey concrete. I followed the colour up the pavement and saw an explosion of flowers, cards and candles spilling out over the street.

I hadn’t noticed it at first but there were pedestrian barriers and large placards covered in pictures and messages. In our naivety, we questioned the waiter who instantly became sombre and subdued. We were sitting in the same cafe that only four weeks earlier had been showered with bullets in an act of religious extremism. The mood sobered and we realised how offensive our questions and ignorance may have seemed. Apologising to the waiter and offering our condolences (in our best broken French), we paid the bill and left.

As I began the journey to the airport I got to thinking, this was my first real confrontation with the effects of these types of events. Regardless of the politics, the opinions and personal beliefs, the impact of this extreme ideology was long reaching.

When does religion reach the point of extreme?

When does a call to radical faith go from life-saving to life-destroying? How do we incubate passion without inflicting pain?

SYNC : totally radical

quotable Do you agree or disagree?

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy . . . It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.” —David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream “If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don’t begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.” —Kay Arthur

Let’s Unpack That . . .

On page 2, Tony suggests that Jesus Himself was a “religious radical”, to what extent do you agree with this statement? In what way was Jesus a “religious radical”? What is the difference between radical ideas and radical actions?

10 // Q U E S T I O N S & C O N V E R S A T I O N S

Bailey suggests on pages 6-7 that “radicals, if they really are genuinely radical, have a common thread— they actually believe their commitments.” But how far is too far, where do we draw the line between true commitment to belief and taking those beliefs to the extreme? What is the difference between radicalism and extremism?

Conversation

Starters What is the most “radical” thing that they have ever done in the name of faith?

What motivated you to stand up for your belief? Would you still consider doing something so radical? What holds you back? Has our church been too hesitant to encourage a radical faith?

Ask

someone oldeR

What comes to mind when you hear the word radical religion?

Do you think this is a negative or a positive term? Do you think there is a difference between radicalism and extremism? If so, what is it?

Ask

someone younger

If you had to rate your faith on a scale of apathetic to extreme, where would you put yourself? What gets you really passionate? If there was nothing holding you back, what would you be willing to do to follow Jesus?

Ask

a trusted friend

What is causing religious apathy in my life?

Why is it so difficult to fight religious apathy?

What are the things that often prevent me from giving my full attention to God? What is it that really gets me fired up and passionate? If money, time or resources didn’t get in the way, what would I be willing to do for God?

Ask

your -self

Making It

Personal It’s been suggested that “for most of us, our greatest danger is not that we are too radical.

Rather we too easily become apathetic, compassion-fatigued and spiritually ‘lukewarm’.”

How do you see this idea becoming manifest in your own Christian walk? What practical steps could you take this week to avoid apathy?

Gillespie makes a bold claim on pages 6-7, saying that “many people have lost their faith in Christ because they simply lacked the courage to stand up for what they believed?”

When was the last time you were so strongly convicted of something that you pursued it no matter the cost? What was it that had you so convicted? When was the last time you felt this way about your relationship with Jesus?

L

Radicalism vs Extremism?

type it in

Conflicting Ideas Jesus says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).

VS.

When faced with His impending arrest in the garden of gethsemane Jesus rebukes Peter saying, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52).

<www.relevantmagazine. com/god/god-ourgeneration/when-reallife-gets-way-radical>

LY N DEL L E P E T ER S ON writes from Sydney where she works as a pastor and lives with her pastor husband, Adrian. She believes all good ideas start with the question why and that breakfast food can be eaten at any time of the day.

Q U E S T I O N S & C O N V E R S A T I O N S // 11

What has been a radical

step of faith for you?

I

AM A WOMAN WHO HAS GROWN UP AND BEEN taught that a person, be it man or woman, is capable of achieving anything as long as you work hard enough. The corporate world that I live in demands knowledge, answers and constant forward movement. As I become more immersed in corporate culture, it has been a lot easier to also apply this need for constant forward movement into my personal life.

In recent times, Psalm 46:10—“Be still and know that I am God”—is a verse that has greatly challenged me, especially since I work in a field which states “action equals results”. Being still, being patient and waiting, all require an obedient heart that challenges the values of my society and the corporate world that I live in.

This is where radical faith comes into play. Radical faith trusts when the going gets tough.

It trusts when there are no answers to prayer, no jobs to apply for, and no marriage prospects currently in the church (this is for the ones who want to get married).

It is my desire to please God first and everyone else later, so this means I need to have radical faith. A faith so big and so radical I can stop, be still, and know that God will take care of everything. Yes, everything.

CA ROL I N E M A HU K A is from Perth, Western Australia.

12 // V O X P O P O P I N I O N

I

HAD BEEN IN A WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT became stressful for many reasons. Far more stressful than what it should have been! I was just trying to hang in for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, I was sending resumes out to a few places and even getting help from my friends.

However, after a few months passed there was still nothing, no prospect of any new job. I had been praying all along, but especially now as it was getting to the point where I just couldn’t stand the work place any longer. I felt that God was telling me that I should just get out! So I handed in my resignation, with no job to go to. After I resigned, the very next day I got an interview with a firm in town and a few days after that I was offered the job!

CALE B WI LLI AMS is from Port Macquarie, New South Wales.

W

HEN I GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY, I had always planned to move back to my hometown in Melbourne. There was no way I ever thought that I would ever want to go somewhere new and unknown—that was too daunting! God worked on my heart and He changed my desire and gave me excitement to go to Adelaide. When job offers came out, I had two choices, Melbourne or Adelaide. I took a step of faith and chose Adelaide even though I didn’t have any family here and I hardly knew anyone. At first, it was tough—it always is when you first move to a new place, but God gave me the assurance and I gained confidence in His guidance and direction. I can honestly say that I feel so blessed in my job at Prescott College and I know 100 per cent that it is where God wants me.

Everyday that I teach I see God working through my students, my colleagues and the ways He is able to use me.

K R I S S I E HOP K I N S is from Adelaide, South Australia.

V O X P O P O P I N I O N // 13

3 steps To being a

radical adventist

14 // I N T E R V I E W

A

CHURCH MEMBER JOKED THAT THE personal fundraising effort involving their pastor skydiving would raise more money if he did it without a parachute. That pastor is Casey Wolverton of the Glenvale Adventist church in Toowoomba. Wolverton is a “radical” pastor not because he has critics—that’s an occupational hazard for most pastors. Nor is he radical because he strongly advocated his church support the Toowoomba mosque after it was firebombed last year, even though this did grab some headlines.

What really makes him radical from a traditional Adventist perspective is what he describes as, “the pretty aggressive engagement of his church with the wider body of Christ in Toowoomba in terms of building bridges and relationships with other Christian churches and their leaders.”

Wolverton has become radicalised over time. He explains, ”It started with how I was treated so kindly by the Christian leadership in the city at the weekly ministry prayer and fellowship meetings. When I started attending, it was almost like a lost brother had joined and I was told we want the Adventists here— which he also says speaks to the previous pastor’s good relationships”. But this acceptance of him as an Adventist Christian and the prayer of Jesus for Christian unity in John 17:15-23 has changed his thinking.

EVERY ACTION HAS A REACTION Wolverton sums up the challenge: “If we believe we have something to contribute to the wider body of Christ, then we have an obligation to build relationships of trust so that we can be of influence. This honours— not compromises—any insights we may have.”

“It’s not an easy thing we are trying to do. The elders would say it has been a radical shift in their thinking. Not everyone agrees and there is criticism but the majority of the church and all the elders see it as part of their calling and DNA as an Adventist church. We should not be so fearful of the “e” word which is often misapplied by Adventists.

Even though we do not embrace ecumenicalism we also don’t run from opportunities where we have a shared interest with other churches”.

“Other Christian churches might be more open than perhaps we think,” claims Wolverton. “Diversity is celebrated by the leaders of the churches he associates with and therefore each of the churches can be who they are. Often we as Adventists tend to think that everyone else is the same and that we only have the major differences. That wrong thinking has happened because we have been separate so long.”

Being more closely involved with other churches has meant that Wolverton does not attack them.

“In our church time, we don’t hold back on and we clarify and articulate our distinctive beliefs but we also confirm those core beliefs we share with other churches. That balance is a key thing.” Despite that balance, he notes he still gets criticised.

WIDEN THE CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

to step into the pulpit of four other non-Adventist churches every year to preach on whatever he wants.

That includes being requested to share his personal testimony about the Sabbath and about the health message and its relation to faith. “That’s highly unusual for an Adventist pastor.” he comments. This open type of engagement has also been helpful for four people in the last couple of years joining the Glenvale church.

Wolverton is one of a three-pastor group who meet monthly with the mayor of their large council to pray with him and provide a spiritual advisory panel.

“That’s crazy!” he exclaims and then honestly admits, ”It’s required a bit of a shift in me as I have to actually care about the city and care about unity in the body of Christ!

That’s a bit of a new thing as we don’t get that from our theology training.”

Glenvale church has partnered with other churches to launch a daily soup kitchen.

Wolverton explains this partnering doesn’t have strings attached: “There is total freedom with what I can speak about with the disadvantaged. Often the Adventist fear is that if it’s not a total SDA thing we’ll be sucked into an ecumenical thing. It’s just not true!” Wolverton say’s there is no rivalry, the attitude being, “Go for your life, Casey—that person who has addiction problems, if you can win him to Christ you can have him—that’s a good thing”.

CA S EY WOLV ER TO N with his wife and two daughters in Toowoomba, Queensland.

ARE YOU RADICAL? Glenvale has a healthy youth scene and Wolverton advises young people, “Own the radical tag if you receive it for the same reasons Jesus did.” He lists three qualifications to be a radical Adventist. He warns any combination of two out of three won’t cut it.

1. Nurture a love for Jesus that grows year on year and that exceeds that of even for your family.

2. Deepen your beliefs with regular systematic study, not just reading your Bible, albeit that is important as well. But studying biblical themes and beliefs means you will be able to share in a compelling way, for example about the Sabbath.

3. Widen your circle of influence by networking with non-Adventist Christians and the community.

Wolverton throws out the radical challenge: “The big picture is that if it is true that as a church we are a movement that God is going to use in a powerful way, and not just like a little brother, then if we are loving Jesus more, if we are not threatened because we better understand our beliefs and we just know so many people, well the Holy Spirit will be able to do amazing and radical things with us!”

DER E K R I P P I N G A LE lives in Launching Place, Victoria, and is co-founder/managing director of an IT company.

As a result of the bridge-building effort of Wolverton and other church members, Wolverton is invited I N T E R V I E W // 15

16 // C R E A T I V E A R T S

C R E A T I V E A R T S // 17

friend who’d experienced corruption and poverty first hand for years in Africa, struggling with depression for much of his life. I also recounted my anger at a God who would, as I saw it, allow a world of war, poverty and injustice. In tears, we entered the classroom only to look down and see the topic: “Theodicy: The vindication of God’s goodness in light of the evil and suffering in the world.”3 Over the next four hours, Ty Gibson offered the most convincing, compelling reasoning for the existence of evil, and how it proved God’s love. Through this and many other moments of 2015, I gained a revelation that God is good. Beyond a God of legalism, rules and restrictions, I saw the existence of God as good news. I saw the gospel in truth: that an all-powerful and all-mighty God placed so much value in us, that He was willing to give up everything to provide us a way out (see John 3:16).

Challenging

God

These days God and I have a pretty blunt relationship. I’m arguing with Him constantly. I’m doubting, I’m questioning, and I’m considering whether what I’m told about Him is what He tells us in His Word. But before anyone cries sacrilege or threatens to excommunicate, consider this: challenging and questioning God is something He invites us to do! “Come now, and let us reason together,” “let’s argue this out.” It’s something that Abraham (Genesis 18:16-33), Jacob (Genesis 32:2231), and Moses (Exodus 3-4) all did, to name a few Old Testament patriarchs. Even Christ Himself on His final night was wrestling it out with His Father, pleading for a Plan B other than the cross (Matthew 26:36-42).

these days God and I have a pretty blunt relationship .

I

N HINDSIGHT, CHALLENGING GOD SOUNDS LIKE a pretty crazy thing to do. And I don’t think it’s something that I actively set out to do; rather it’s something I was trained to do. “Critical analysis” and “evaluation” are heeded as the climax of logic and reason in the education system, sitting atop the Bloom’s Taxonomy Pyramid. Throughout Year 12 English, the more I challenged and the more I questioned, the higher I scored. So, amid my life of challenging everything—a mindset that got me on the wrong side of my school’s phone and uniform policy many a time—it made sense that I would also come around to challenging God.

Year 12 had me surrounded by a group of incredibly intelligent friends, who appeared to all have more exciting, fulfilling and enjoyable lives than myself, all the while rejecting God and the world-view I’d been raised in. So, following a camp in September of 2014, I made an ultimatum with God: I’d give Him one final shot, give Him the first half of my” Gap Year” at a program called ARISE,1 and at the end of it, decide whether to stick with Christianity or walk away.

And there, in a class of 36 young people from five different continents, hearing from some of the most well-reasoned and inspiring speakers in Adventism, I found that day by day, class by class, my intellectual barriers to believing in the existence of a loving, just and merciful God came crashing down. “Babylon”— confusion—was falling in my mind through the clear and compelling message of the gospel.2 One of the most pivotal points was about a month in: I was having a heart-felt conversation with a 18 // H E R O O F T H E F A I T H

Since then, I’ve come to a point where God is not something I’m forced to believe in; in having an accurate picture, the God of the Bible is someone who I want to believe in. And that radical step of giving God my gap year has completely and utterly changed the trajectory of my life, both here in this world, and the Kingdom to come.

Clearly, challenging God is not only OK; it’s necessary for a healthy spiritual life. When God calls, it’s OK to have objections, and it’s normal to feel uncomfortable. But only once we’re willing to admit that and talk straight with Him can our relationship actually develop. Because God’s not looking for blind followers, and He doesn’t want slaves; God is looking for friends. And a God who’s radical enough to see value in us, a God who’s willing to put up with the complaints, the arguments and the objections of me—and you—is someone I reckon is worth sticking with, through thick and thin.

1 ARISE is a Discipleship Training Program run by the North New South Wales Conference and Lightbearers for 14 weeks each February to May at Kingscliff, New South Wales. For more information visit <http://www.lightbearers.org/arise/arise-australia/>.

2

The Second Angel’s Message: Revelation 14:8 .

3 Ty’s answer to suffering can be accessed at www.truthlink.org, and if

you want to go real deep, check out David Asscherick’s book God in Pain.

DA N I E L C OC K I N G is an avid adventurer, and loves getting outside on foot, on bike or his Peugeot pocket rocket. He’s currently studying Bachelor of Environmental Engineering/Arts.

RECLAIMING “Radical”

M

ANY PEOPLE ARE RIGHTLY AFRAID of the potential damage caused by radicalisation. These are the tragic headlines that have caught our attention over recent years. And we are justifiably appalled by violence and terror in the name of radicalised religion, radicalised politics or just straight-up hatred and greed.

But for most of us, our greatest danger is not that we are too radical. Rather we too easily become apathetic, compassionfatigued and spiritually “lukewarm”. Most often, the problem is not that we don’t know what to do, but whether we take the sometimes-radical step of actually doing it.

It’s a danger that manifests itself in all aspects of our lives but perhaps it can be most easily observed in how we invest our time, resources and energy, how we respond to the needs of others and how we engage with issues of injustice in our world.

The authors of Kingdom Ethics make this observation: “Those who do not routinely suffer injustice frequently get lulled into a lack of concern for others who do suffer it. At the heart of Christian discipleship is overcoming that privileged lull.”1

I recently visited the office of Etiko, a small Fair Trade clothing company. Etiko and related brands Jinta Sport and Pants to Poverty were three of only four Australian brands rated A+ out of the 219 brands surveyed for the “Ethical Fashion Guide 2015” (see <www. behindthebarcode.org.au>).

While buying a couple of T-shirts and a pair of shoes, I asked Etiko’s founder Nick Savaidis about the 10-year history of the company. One comment caught my attention. He had expected that the most difficult part of the business would be sourcing ethically manufactured clothing and materials, but that this has proved easier than he feared. It seems ethical production is not so hard to do, if we make it a priority.

But he did not expect that these products would be so hard to sell. “Everyone has heard or read about the issues of sweatshops and child slave labour in

the fashion and sports industries, but few actually act on these issues,” he commented. He mentioned his particular frustration with many church groups and Christian schools (think, uniforms and sports equipment) whose purchasing choices do not seem to reflect their moral beliefs.

We know our purchasing choices affect people; we know why we should care; we know what we ought to do; but yet we don’t do it. It isn’t that Fair Trade sneakers make us somehow holier than anyone else, but that this is a choice, an investment, even a vote for a different kind of world that is a little more fair, just and right.

And if that’s what we often fail to do when choosing something as simple as a pair of shoes (even available online: <www.etiko. com.au>), what about the bigger things in our lives and in our world? The opposite of the radicalism that has been capturing headlines is not apathy but positive radicalism, faithfully choosing love and creatively seeking the good of others.

By definition, such radicalism will cost us. Attention, money, time, energy, inconvenience, discomfort, perhaps danger and more. Jesus risked Himself to serve and save: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). That’s our radical model.

The Etiko T-shirt I bought shouts, “Rage against something.” There are so many things in our world that should grab our attention and provoke our angry, radical, creative and compassionate response.

As a disciple of Jesus, choose one—and do something about it. Our world needs more loving radicals and more positive radicalism. Let’s reclaim “radical.”

1.

Glen H Stassen and David P Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context, page 365.

N AT HA N B ROW N is book editor at Signs Publishing Company in Warburton, Victoria, and author of Why I Try to Believe.

D I S C I P L E S H I P // 19

not as they seem W

E AS PEOPLE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS REALLY well. We all have different skills, abilities and talents that help us leave our mark on the world. And while we love to recognise the good parts in ourselves and in others, there’s another thing that we do really well but don’t often want to admit. We can do it with our eyes closed, we can do it without concentrating, we can even do it without actually knowing we’ve done it. We all have the gift of opinion. In other terms, judgment. And we do it really well.

How many times today have you passed judgment on something? For example, you’ve probably flicked through this magazine really quickly to see if there’s anyone you know in the pictures. You’ve probably picked the articles that look the most interesting and skipped over the rest. Hopefully you’re reading this one . . . But how many times have you judged another person? Whether it’s what they’re wearing, who they’re with, what they did last weekend. How many times have you, maybe without even meaning to, created a quick opinion of somebody else based on what’s in front of you?

A recent study conducted by two Princeton psychologists discovered that it takes less than a tenth of a second for us to form a quick impression of somebody else, based entirely on what we see.

That’s less than the time it takes to blink! It’s not to say that every judgment we form about another person is a bad one. But in that exact same study, they also found that more than 90 per cent of those snap judgments were negative.

There’s a lot that can go wrong with this habit.

Not only can we subconsciously make up a story about someone in our heads that’s so unbelievably damaging and untrue, but we can allow these tiny judgments to dictate who we invest our time in.

A little while ago, I was late to class at uni, not unusual. When I stepped into the room, I had a

20 // L I F E C O A C H I N G

few seconds to choose where I was going to sit.

After a quick glance around, I located some friendly looking people and went to sit with them. In that moment, I was choosing to sit with these nice-looking individuals because most of them were smiling, and because everybody else looked scary. While I thought I was helping myself, this split-decision backfired within minutes. You see, I thought the group of guys in the corner looked rugged and intimidating, so I didn’t sit there. I thought the loud group at the front were too outgoing for me so I avoided them too. I chose the small, happy-looking group near the door because they looked the least terrifying.

Turns out the guys in the corner were exchange students from Germany and didn’t speak much English, so they were probably more scared of me then I was of them. The loud group at the front had just finished singing “Happy Birthday” to one of their classmates, and didn’t say anything after that for the entire session. The group that I chose to sit with based purely on what I saw, lost their smiles as soon as I put my bag down. They had to make room for me on their table, and that was a huge upset because their laptops were already set up in a perfect circle before I arrived.

I passed an immediate judgment on more than 80 per cent of that classroom, resulting in picking the wrong group, and had no-body to blame but myself.

As Christians, we stand by loving everybody no matter what their individual circumstance or beliefs. And even though this is one of our main convictions, we are only human and we’re going to struggle more than once in our journey. Luckily for us, our verdicts regarding others count for absolutely nothing. But there is still a constant need for us to better ourselves. Believe it or not, there are actually tips on how to avoid judgment, formulated by our very own Creator, as He obviously knew we’d need a bit of assistance here.

While I thought I was helping myself, this split-decision

backfired within minutes.

#1: Pray for wisdom and discernment before you talk (PROVERBS 10:13) Many of us are guilty of speaking without thinking, and often regret what follows.

Formulating an opinion based on a situation we know little about has the potential to cause more harm than good, so God suggests to practice a bit of compassion and understanding before we act.

#2: Treat others how you would want to be treated (MATTHEW 7:12) When we get dressed in the morning, we don’t pick our clothes out thinking to ourselves, “I really hope someone hates this outfit and throws food at me today.”

No, we usually dress in what we think looks good. Nobody wants to be treated poorly, even if they say otherwise. So before we do or say anything, visualise somebody saying it to you first, then make your decision.

#3: Respect diversity (1 CORINTHIANS 12:27) Do you ever look at somebody else’s family and think to yourself, “They’re so weird”, then you send yourself on a mind trip wondering if your family are the actual weird ones? Whether it’s multicultural, multilingual or multicoloured, we are all normal. We have all been hand-crafted by the exact same God, with not one single person being more or less perfect than the other. So before wondering how God could possibly love that person over there, wonder first how He could possibly love us.

#4: Let God be the final judge (JAMES 4:12)

Being quick to assume can affect our ability to reach out to others . . .

As much as we like to think we do, we will never know enough to judge another person fairly. We won’t ever have that truly complete, unaffected understanding of another person that goes deep enough to build a fair conviction. Each and every one of us have our own stories, scars and personal journeys that cannot possibly be understood by any other than the One who created us. He did not give us the capacity nor wisdom to judge the way He does, so let’s not try.

Being quick to assume can affect our ability to reach out to others and it often takes a hard lesson in humility for us to realise it.

We are human and we will always make mistakes, but God has already got that covered. When we used to forget how to feed our tamagotchi, we’d look up the instructions. Much the same, God has written an entire book on how to navigate our way through life! He’s done the hard part already, all we’ve got to do is look it up.

EL LE S HA K N I G HT lives in Melbourne, Victoria, and is studying a Masters of Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University.

L I F E C O A C H I N G // 21

Carrum DOWNS

Samoan Youth Group T

HE CARRUM DOWNS SAMOAN youth group actively live out Jesus’ commandment to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (see Matthew 28:19). When talking with one of the group leaders, Anthony Sofe, he shared just some of the ways they serve their community.

MANA MINISTRY: “This ministry was formed by members of our church to address the needs of a local high school, which identified many students coming to school without lunches,” says Anthony. “As a result of this, students were not concentrating and at times distracting or taking lunches from other students due to their family’s inability to provide them with lunch. Another high school found out about this ministry and requested the same. We are making 120 lunches per fortnight! This is currently as much as we can afford as this ministry is selffunded. We had to decline some schools as it was bigger than we could handle.”

Anthony goes onto earnestly ask, “If there is someone reading this who would like to help us feed more students in need, please contact us.”

ALOFA MINISTRY: “This ministry is a street ministry—literally!” says Anthony. “‘Alofa’ means ‘love’ in Samoan. Members of our church provide hot meals every Friday night at the Dandenong train station. Now, if you have ever heard of this area, you know not to hang around when the sun goes down. But the police enjoy our presence as it creates a positive environment for street youth to hang out and listen to gospel music sung by elders in the church and our ministers. There has been so many stories come out of this ministry; you need to be there to understand what I mean. If you ever travel to Dandenong station on a Friday night and see a group of Islanders having a BBQ and singing, that’s not a gang—it’s Seventh-day Adventists. Don’t be shy to say hello.”

. . . that’s not a gang—­it’s Seventh-day Adventists.

22 // Y O U T H G R O U P

FOODBANK/COMMUNITY VEGGIE GARDEN: “Our church is in the process of having a foodbank. This will help local families who are finding it tough. We have plenty of land and space to have a veggie garden and this will help with our foodbank,” says Anthony.

BLANKET MINISTRY: Winter is close.

And in the month of May we are planning

to go out to the Melbourne CBD to provide blankets, toiletries, food and other necessities for the homeless,” reports Anthony. “This is planned as a yearly event that started last year. We have a strong presence as more than 50 youth attend. We look through every street and every lane to seek and help every homeless person we can find.”

Anthony finishes by saying, “Our focus is always going to be on Christ ‘The finisher of our faith’ (Hebrews 12:2). There’s no question that there is going to be hardship and obstacles the enemy is going to throw in your path. Being active and involved in your church and community plays a big part in our spiritual growth.”

Northern Youth Weekend, Northern Australia

Teen Summer Camp, South Queensland

Big Camp, North New South Wales

www.NAyouth.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/NorthQLDandNTsdayouth Coming up // Mega Maggi Camp September 23-26, 2016

www.SQyouth.org.au www.facebook.com/SQyouth Coming up // Young Adult Conference June 17-19, 2016

www.NNSWyouth.com www.facebook.com/nnswyouthministries Coming up // STORMCo Trips July 4-15, 2016

Genesis Program, Greater Sydney

JET Camp, South New South Wales

Summer Camp, Victoria

www.SYDNEYadventistyouth.com www.facebook.com/sydneyadventistyouth Coming up // Shred It July 29 - August 1, 2016

www.SNSWyouth.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/SouthNSWYouth Coming up // Youth Rally August 13, 2016

www.VICyouth.com www.facebook.com/vicyouth Coming up // Winter ReCharge August 14-16, 2016

Giving blood at Youth Rally, Tasmania

Youth Rally, South Australia

Big Camp, Western Australia

www.TASyouth.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/tasyouth Coming up // Youth Rally June 24-26, 2016

www.SA.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/SAyouthministries Coming up // Revolutionize Conference September 5-10, 2016

www.WA.adventist.org.au/youth www.facebook.com/wayouth Coming up // The One Project August 26-28, 2016

iThirst Camporee, South Pacific Division

Touch Tournament, Rotorua, New Zealand Union

Converge, Australian Union

Black Transparent Box is not part of logo.

MINISTRY.

www.youth.adventistconnect.org 02 9847 3221 Coming up // Move With The Power IV September 27 - October 1, 2017

MINISTRY MINISTRY.

www.NNZC.org.nz/youth www.SNZyouth.adventist.org.nz Coming up // NNZ Youth Rally October 22, 2016 MINISTRY.

MINISTRY.

MINISTRY.

MINISTRY.

www.AUCyouth.com www.facebook.com/myedgemag Coming up // Chosen IV July 4-8, 2016

ASA Summit 2016 SYDNEY, JULY 15-17

Get

and equipped to share Jesus inspired on your university campus! with

Pr Jiwan Moon General Conference Public Campus Ministries Director

ASA Summit 2016 Get inspired and equipped to share Jesus on your university campus!

July 15-17 Sydney

with

Pr Jiwan Moon GC Public Campus Ministries Director

myasa.org.au myasa.org.au bit.do/ASAfacebook bit.do/ASAfacebook