Eternity Newspaper June 2013 Issue 37

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NUMBER 37, JUNE 2013 CIRCULATION 100,000 ISSN 1837-8447

Why

Aldomurillo

Kids’ puzzles and games

PRAYER is like a slow cooker

‘Father’, ‘son’ and The Bible and Muslims disability John Sandeman

Kirk Patson

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JUNE 2013

Obadiah Slope Bill posters ARE prosecuted: It was a rare outright victory for Christian protestors when a Foxtel billboard was removed within 24 hours. Foxtel quickly admitted that the poster, which depicted bestiality, was in “appalling taste”.

The activists, spearheaded by the Australian Christian Lobby, attracted a lot of positive media. ACL’s Wendy Francis was quoted in the Fairfax papers: “I’m in my 50s. I’m big enough and ugly enough, but that’s really distressing.

My stomach actually turned”. On social media, Collective Shout—normally concerned with demeaning images of women (of which this poster contained none) still put on the pressure to take the poster down, according to advertising news site Mumbrella.

The Advertising Standards Bureau was of no help in the billboard incident. Mumbrella reported that “An answerphone message at the Advertising Standards Board says the office was closed for the day for staff training”.

Dan does Dante: Literary critic Clive James bore up bravely after finding out that Dan Brown (of The Da Vinci Code fame) has written a novel called Inferno based on Dante’s epic poem. James has just published a new translation of Dante’s The Divine Comedy (which includes the Inferno) that took him years to complete. “My initial reaction was to ... rewrite the translation ... so it would become the story of present-day scholars of medieval literature conspiring to take over the Catholic Church and install P. Diddy as pope,” James told USA Today.

Change the words? In Christ Alone is one of Obadiah’s favourite songs, although that is no guarantee he can sing it in tune. It contains the line “Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied”. The “wrath of God” has generated a bit of, umm, wrath.

Bloggers and their followers have come up with alternative lines: “And on the cross as Jesus died, the arms of love were opened wide”, “... the love of God was glorified”, “.... the debt of sin was satisfied”, and “... the love of God was magnified”. Most of them fit okay. But Obadiah has the oldfashioned idea that “the wrath of God” is meant to make us uncomfortable.

Taking Jesus seriously: Martha Mullen was at Starbucks when she heard an Associated Press radio news item about the difficulty of finding a place to bury the Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

“My first thought was Jesus said love your enemies,” she said. Then she had an epiphany. “I thought someone ought to do something about this—and I am someone,” Mullen said. She found a small Islamic cemetary which took the body. Cemeteries in three states had turned down requests to bury the body.

Reframing justice John Beckett In the 2011 National Church Life Survey, a sample of Catholic, Anglican and Protestant church attenders were asked the following question: “Do you believe it is a Christian responsibility to take part in mass campaigns designed to address issues of global poverty or injustice (e.g. Make Poverty History, Micah Challenge)?” John Beckett reflects on responses to the survey.

The research data, released this month by NCLS and Micah Challenge, shows that a large majority (69 per cent) of church attenders believe that Christians have a responsibility to take part in mass campaigns to address global poverty or injustice. This is a strong affirmation of the Christian responsibility to be concerned for society.

However, the survey reveals another interesting trend. Of the 69 per cent who believe we do have a responsibility to campaign for justice, only 13 per cent have been actively engaged in a recent campaign. So why this apparent disconnect between intention and action?

It would be interesting to conduct follow up research and ask respondents why they think this disconnect exists, but based on the purely anecdotal evidence of my conversations with people over the last 10 years, I would guess that the top three reasons given would be: 1) I don’t have enough time, I’m too busy with work and/or family life; 2) it’s important but I have other priorities at the moment; and 3) the problem seems too big, so I find it hard to see how my actions make a difference.

These are practical problems, and you would think practical problems require practical solutions. For example, we might suggest that we could overcome the disconnect if campaigns like Micah Challenge came up with easier pathways for people to take action.

Or we might simply try telling people in a louder voice to move poverty up their priority list because it is more pressing and important than any of their other priorities.

While I don’t have any hard evidence to support this, my hunch is that these practical solutions would not bring about a significant change in the statistics over the long term. I think people find the thought of engaging in work for justice tiring and these reasons are merely symptoms of a deeper underlying cause.

I want to suggest that the disconnect

June g n I h c T Ma e g n e l chal n! now o

between intention and action stems from our misunderstanding of God’s justice. If we want to overcome the gap between theory and practice, we need a fundamental reframing of how we understand justice.

Let me pose a question. Is ‘justice’ a verb or a noun? That is, is it something we do or something we seek?

I want to suggest it is primarily a noun. Most people think of justice in transactional terms. When someone does something wrong, they should make a payment to right the wrong.

But this transactional view neglects the reality that the payment has an ultimate purpose: the restoration of relationships. When Jesus died on the cross on our behalf, he provided more than just a payment for sin. By satisfying God’s requirement of justice, he opened the way for our relationship to God and to each other to be restored.

Justice sets in place the parameters by which relationships can flourish in society. It is therefore the state of being that makes it possible for God’s good intention for creation to be achieved. It is not primarily something we do, it is something we seek.

If we reframe justice in this way, then it moves from being something that is an add-on to my faith and life, to being something that is integral to who I am as a follower of Christ. Seeking justice (i.e. the restoration of relationships and order in God’s creation) becomes part of my purpose in life. As I step into the world each day, I seek to join with God in pursuing this restoration, this wholeness. Far from making me tired, this energises me.

So, the mother who uses her weekly mothers’ group meeting to educate her friends about the needs of women in childbirth overseas, or the businessman who sends an email to his manager highlighting the benefits to the poor if their company pays its fair share of taxes in the developing nation in which they operate, both become participants with God in establishing justice.

Perhaps, if we can reframe justice as a part of our purpose rather than a list of to-dos, we will be able to much better integrate our action for justice into our life of faith. And perhaps in five years time, in the next NCLS survey, we could even see the gap between what we think we should do and the way we actually live become much smaller.

For more ideas on how you can take action with Micah Challenge’s Finish the Race campaign which is running in the lead up to the Federal election, visit finish2015.com.au.

John Beckett is National Coordinator of Micah Challenge Australia.

Who actively campaigns for social justice?

Anglican 9%

Baptist/Church of Christ 18%

Catholic 11%

Lutheran 15%

Pentecostal 20%

Uniting 16%

Other Protestant 11%

Source: 2013 National Church Life survey

Miracle of FMNR Tim Costello Remember the acronym FMNR. It stands for Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration. It is changing the landscape of Africa, one country at a time.

The brainchild of this simple farming technique is Tony Rinaudo. He is a man who has devoted his entire adult life to helping those living in poverty grow enough food to feed themselves.

Back in 1980, Tony discovered almost by accident that in the barren desert wasteland that is Niger there are actually underground forests. By that, I mean the root systems that remain of trees cut down for firewood, building or farm clearing.

A very simple, cost-effective knife is the only tool needed to prune that sprout to get the tree growing again.

When the trees grow—and in Niger we have seen half a million acres regrow from these underground forests—not only do you get organic material again, but the river systems, biodiversity, and fruit trees bounce back to life.

As with anything in life that is really worth doing, the process did not start easily for Tony.

Just before he first discovered FMNR, and feeling the despair that you see expressed in many of the Psalms, he asked God why he had been sent to this terrible place.

As he prayed and as he worked, and as God revealed ways of restoring the land, Tony realised that something was happening which was far beyond just physical restoration. He found that restoring creation is a spiritual experience and is just as much a part of the mandate of the Christian as preaching the gospel.

Tony says that one of the verses that encouraged him when he was in Niger was 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Looking at the desolation, chronic hunger, and poverty in Niger at the time, Tony remembers asking, “Is that true Lord? Do you really grant us all that we need for life? Even here in Niger, Lord, in the desert?” The answer Tony felt in his heart was, “Yes, even here, I grant all things necessary”.

It’s Time.

Partner with Leading The Way today and help take the gospel to your neighbour and the world.

All donations to the Australian ministry over $2.00 are tax deductible.

To find out more visit us online at www.leadingtheway.com.au or call 1300 133 589

JUNE 2013

BRIEFS

NEWS

New hope Good news from Katherine in Cairo Langham Partnership Two thousand years of Arab Christianity’s Bible texts and commentaries are now available in Egypt for study use as the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo opens its Centre for Middle East Christianity (CMEC).

The Centre has been the vision of Atef Genty, an Egyptian who gained a doctorate through the Langham Scholarship programme.

Chris Wright of Langham recalls Genty saying, “We cannot compete with Oxford and Cambridge and the libraries and resources they have built up for nearly a thousand years. And why should we? We here are sitting on a heritage of Arab Christianity, with its ancient texts and commentaries on the Bible, stretching back even further through nearly 2000 years”.

CMEC will endeavour to preserve the heritage of the church of the Middle East’s rich treasures, such as its biblical texts (in Arabic, Coptic and Syriac), Arabic theological reflections, Coptic history and its missional expression in the Islamic context.

It will also seek to develop opportunities to serve as a place of encounter between the church in the Middle East and the church in the West, by inviting Western scholars and institutions to engage in study and dialogue.

CMEC has opened at a difficult time for Christianity in the Middle East. But it offers the hope of an intelligent witness to Christianity in Cairo, the centre of Arab scholarship. au.langham.org

Aboriginal Christians gather at Morrow’s Farm each year ...

Very few have access to a full Bible

Lajamanu/Kalkaringi Men’s Choir

Phil Zamagias CMS

Phil Zamagias, MC at the KCC At the Katherine Christian Convention in the Northern Territory outback, many first-timers took the stage, testifying to Christ’s life-changing work.

Among them was a men’s choir from Lajamanu and Kalkaringi, former Baptist missions in the Northern Territory.

The men not only sang, they acted out the Bible reading from Luke 16:19-31– the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

This year’s theme was ‘Life changing Words – Stories from Jesus’.

Former Northern Territory CMS missionary, David Woodbridge, gave the Bible talks and encouraged people to respond to God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Hundreds of children sat at the very front to get a good view of around 50 community presentations in song, dance and drama.

Scripture Union, Bush Church Aid and CMS provided staff to help run children’s and youth programmes throughout the weekend.

Aboriginal Christians gather at Morrow’s Farm in Katherine every year to hear the Bible read and explained. Very few have access to a whole Bible in a language they understand; many have just small portions.

This year, the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier, came with a group of Sudanese refugees. Some are studying at Ridley College and looking for ministry opportunities for the future. The visitors blessed the crowd by singing a song in Arabic, further enhancing the multicultural feel of KCC. At the conclusion of the conference, Aboriginal leaders made themselves available to pray with people who wanted to respond to the gospel.

Allan Tippett Symposium on Mission and Cross Cultural Ministry A two-day event by and for the Australian missions and missiological community 13- 14 September Alphacrucis Colllege, Sydney

Register Today

ac.edu.au/tippettsymposium

Hosted by Alphacrucis College and supported by the Australian Association of Missions Studies (AAMS), Missions Interlink, and St. Mark’s National Memorial Library, Canberra.

More Bibles than ever The worldwide Bible Society federation, United Bible Societies, has released some impressive stats: A. In the last two years, we have distributed more Bibles than at any other time in our history.

B. We aim to complete 100 Bible translations in the next three years. 45 of these will be first translations. These translations have the potential to reach 500-600 million people.

C. We have almost 20 per cent more income for ministry projects worldwide than we had five years ago.

Evangelism in the near North As Eternity goes to press, Egyptborn, Sydney-trained evangelist Dr Michael Youssef is hosting three meetings in Indonesia. As the Istora Stadium in Jakarta fills with thousands of Indonesian people hungry for the truth of Christ, Dr Youssef will meet them with a powerful message, answering the question, “What is the value of your soul?” leadingtheway.org Two better than one The Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Brad Wilcox, said the inaugural 2013 World Family Map Report which he co-authored shows that two-parent families give children an educational advantage. “In the vast majority of the developed world, children are more likely to thrive academically when they have two parents in the home,” said Dr Wilcox, speaking at the World Congress of Families 2013 in Sydney.

Worth Keeping The author of the intriguingly titled Worth Keeping: Global Perspectives on Best Practice in Missionary Retention, Rob Hay, principal of Redcliffe College (UK), is a keynote speaker at Missions Interlink’s National Conference: ConNEXTions 2013. www.missionsinterlink.org.au

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Christian VoiCes in the PubliC square How should Christians speak on public issues?

Archbishop Peter Jensen Wednesday 26th June 2013 7.30pm St Barnabas’ Church Broadway $8 pp. Bookings essential: ccl.moore.edu.au (“CCL Payments” Tab)

9577 9956 ccl.moore.edu.au

Dr. Alan Tippett (1911-1988)

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JUNE 2013

IN DEPTH

Churches, buildings and tax Anne Robinson, Prolegis Lawyers There’s been some confusion and angst about the implications of the Australian Tax Office’s (ATO) recent ruling on school building funds (SBFs). Eternity raised the issue in its April edition (“Church tax rule change”, p. 3), and I’d like to offer some clarification.

To make sure we’re all on the same page, an SBF is a public fund that provides money for the acquisition, construction, or maintenance of a building that is used as a school. Donations made to SBFs are tax deductible.

There are six elements that the ATO needs to be satisfied of: (1) There must be a school; (2) There must be a building; (3) The building must be used as a school; (4) The building must be used as a school by a qualifying body; (5) There must be acquisition, construction or maintenance; and (6) The fund must be established and maintained for the requisite purpose. Of these six elements, the two that churches need to pay particular attention to are the first and the third: whether they have a “school”, and whether the relevant buildings are “used as a school”.

So, what does the new ruling (Taxation Ruling TR 2013/2) say?

It’s important to be clear that this latest ruling leaves the law on the requirement to be a “school” unchanged – SBFs associated with churches have always had to meet the necessary indicia of a school. All the ATO has done is to elaborate on the detail of when it considers that the indicia for a “school” have been met. What the ruling has altered is how the ATO determines that a building is being “used as a school”, in order to address with more detail how it will deal with shared building use – for example, multi-purpose halls. The ATO has ditched its old percentage test (which required a building to be used as a school for 50 per cent of the time it was used), in favour of a characterisation test (the primary use and building character tests outlined below).

It’s simply inaccurate to say that the ATO has ‘shut the door’ on churches using SBFs for their building projects.

It’s just not true that a building is only allowed to be used as a school to receive deductible funds—and there’s certainly something mischievous about suggesting it is illegitimate for churches to access deductibility through SBFs. But it’s also wrong for churches to think that they can get tax deductibility for no more than glorified child minding. Simply put, the new ruling helps to properly encourage churches to be intentional about compliance around its Sunday school and religious education programs, whether that be regarding child protection, governance structures or the teaching curriculum.

It’s perhaps helpful to explain in

greater detail what the substance of the ruling is regarding two of the six elements – what is a “school” and what constitutes “use as a school”?

A “school” is an institution in a physical place of assembly providing regular, ongoing and systematic instruction.

Some Sunday schools, and other schools internally operated by churches, may need to be more organised and intentional in order to meet the required indicia—but compliance isn’t insurmountably difficult, and fairly reasonable when viewed from the ATO’s perspective.

There must be an educational institution that both (a) has a distinct identity and (b) provides regular, ongoing and systemic instruction in a course of nonrecreational education.

Could Jo Public look at the building from the outside ... and objectively come to the conclusion ... it [is] a Sunday school building?

To satisfy the requirement for distinctiveness, it needs to be an institution in its own right – which will normally require it to have its own name, defined purposes, a quality of permanence, and a governing body which controls its affairs. Some churches might be feeling anxious at this point! But compliance with these requirements isn’t actually too onerous, and can be satisfied by, for example, having a school policy or constitution and a committee through which the Sunday school is operated.

To satisfy the systemic instruction element, normally the following requirements must be met: having a set curriculum; instruction/training provided by suitably qualified persons; a formal procedure for student enrolment (as distinct from being open to anyone who turned up on the day, without keeping any record of attendance); some form of assessment and correction; an externally recognised qualification (recognition within the broader church is enough); and not more than incidentally recreational in character. Again, this may require some churches to tighten up their processes in the way they ‘do’ Sunday school, but many churches operating a well-organised Sunday school would already satisfy these elements of the “school” requirement.

Probably the most complex aspect of the ruling is when a building will be deemed to be “used as a school”. His-

torically, the ATO determined whether a building was used as a school by applying a “more than 50 per cent use” rule of thumb—that is, a building would be considered to be used as a school if it was being used as a school for more than 50 per cent of the time that it was being used. I never liked the old rule – it didn’t represent the law accurately. The new ruling scraps the 50 per cent rule.

Instead, the “use as a school” element now requires that (a) the building is used to provide instruction of the kind described above (the primary use test) and (b) the extent and character of that use is such that if you were to walk through the building, you could describe it as being “used as a school” without any linguistic acrobatics (the ‘drive-by’ building character test).

What are the challenges for churches in satisfying the primary use test? For churches using a multi-purpose hall, or a building for multiple purposes, it’s important to consider whether “school use” is substantial—and, correspondingly, that “non-school” use isn’t substantial. This means that “non-school” use can’t get in the way of/materially limit/ detract from the school use. The kinds of questions to ask are: Is the nonschool use of such a kind, frequency or relative magnitude that, objectively, the building shouldn’t be described as a school? Having said this, it isn’t necessary for non-school use to be minor and occasional – it can be regular and more than minor. Most churches already have a building or part of a building that is designated for Sunday school use, and so shouldn’t run into trouble.

What are the challenges for churches in meeting the building character test?

For starters, it’s an objective test that requires the weighing up of a variety of factors, and, particularly in the case of a multi-purpose hall, the process can be complex. But the most important (and possibly decisive) factor is the physical attributes of the building. Could Jo Public look at the building from the outside, or walk through it, and objectively come to the conclusion that it can be regarded as a Sunday school building?

Is the building bigger than is reasonably required for the present and future needs of the school? It’d be easier to satisfy this building character test if the church operates its Sunday school in a building or part of a building (e.g. floor/ wing of a building) that is separate from the worship hall/church building.

The ruling covers a few other requirements, but the above should sufficiently clarify the main implications for churches. The requirements are achievable and shouldn’t be an obstacle for well-organised Sunday schools and ministry colleges. If you have questions about how the new ruling affects you, please contact me on (02) 9466 5222 or at arobinson@prolegis.com.au.

Keith Condie and Karl Faase

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Olive Tree Media When producers made new TV series Towards Belief—designed to get Australians to take Christianity seriously— they listened to their audience first.

Stage one of their project, the Australian Communities Report, uncovered a surprising fact: of the top ten issues that block people from faith, half of them were about the church.

Issues such as the church being seen as obsolete, religious wars, church hypocrisy, such as demonstrated in cases of sexual abuse, as well as the vexed issue of homosexuality, were on the list.

The usual issues that block people from faith included difficulty believing in the miraculous, why people suffer, believing what the Bible says and science and faith.

The research was conducted across Australia in October 2011 by McCrindle Research, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,094 Australians.

“The research for the series demonstrated that 25 per cent of Australians are open to Christian faith,” said series presenter Pastor Karl Faase. “What they need is to have their significant blockers dealt with seriously and honestly.”

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JUNE 2013

NEWS

Finding the best words to reach Muslims John Sandeman

“They may have been too adventurous in their translation, but their intentions were good.”

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A dispute over usage of the terms “Son of God” and “God the Father” in Bible translations for Muslims has been resolved in favour of the traditional terms.

Muslims generally take “Son of God” and “God the Father” to mean that Jesus was the product of God having sexual relations with Mary.

In an attempt to avoid the strong negative reaction that comes from this understanding, and to make their real meaning clear, a small number of translators (including some from Wycliffe Bible Translators) have used terms like “representative of God” instead of “Son of God”, and “the great protector” instead of “God the Father”.

This attempt to avoid confusion over these terms provoked a very strong backlash from some local Christian communities, in particular some in the US who felt the words should be translated more literally.

“Bible translation is all about getting the message clearly and accurately through to your ‘target’ readers and hearers,” Graydon Colville, chair of Wycliffe Australia, told Eternity. “Language, culture, social environment and religion all affect how words are used and what they mean.”

The Turkish translation of Matthew at the centre of the dispute was produced by an unconventional translation organisation. It has no links with either a mainstream Bible Society, Wycliffe, nor Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), although an SIL consultant was approached to provide some input.

Eternity understands the dispute has caused concern for some donors to Wycliffe in the USA who have withheld

their monetary support. The Australian branches of Wycliffe and Summer Institute of Linguistics have not been involved in the dispute, and have not been affected by any withdrawal of support.

But a number of projects and Bible translation activities were put on hold while the panel reviewed these translation issues. Wycliffe USA is addressing the concerns voiced by their donors.

“This is not a story of ‘liberal baddies’ trying to water down the Bible,” Colville said. “Rather, it is an attempt to come up with the best way to get Muslims to read the Bible. They may have been too adventurous in their translation, but their intentions were good.”

Freddy Boswell, SIL International Executive Director, told Eternity, “The heart of the translators’ concern continues to be that Muslim readers understand the correct meaning of the terms ‘Son of God’ and ‘God the Father’ rather than a wrong interpretation.”

In 2012, Wycliffe and SIL asked the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) to sponsor an independent panel to resolve the dispute, and agreed to accept the finding whichever way it went. The WEA panel of evangelical scholars from around the world has delivered a report recommending the use of traditional, familial translations of terms like “Father” and “Son” for God. Wycliffe and SIL have accepted the report and will implement its findings immediately.

The report affirms: “The words for ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ are among the most important ways the New Testament conveys the central truth that Jesus is and has always been in a relationship as Son to his Father—derived from God and possessing the same divine characteristics (and thus fully divine), and yet

The people we want to reach: Eating fish in Eminonu Square, Istanbul, Turkey, April 2013.

distinct from God the Father as well.”

The WEA panel acknowledged the difficulty of making it clear in the Muslim context that Jesus was not the product of a sexual relationship. They suggest that translators follow the example of Matthew and use “Heavenly father” or “God who is father” to avoid the Muslim misunderstanding. They also suggest translators provide explanation of the terms through footnotes or commentaries where necessary.

The background to this story is complicated and Eternity is keen to avoid suggesting that translators have been slipshod or careless.

• The WEA report accepts that the translators were not trying to change or diminish the gospel, but to explain it in

terms Muslims could understand.

• There is a great deal of autonomy in the Bible translation world. Many organisations are involved, often working in partnerships. The Wycliffe Global Alliance includes over 100 organisations from more than 60 nations.

• The Bible translation world is complex, and the ‘familial terms’ dispute involved agencies other than Summer Institute of Linguistics and Wycliffe.

• The number of translations involved in this dispute was rather small.

• Once Christian disputes start, they have a habit of growing ever wider. But this is a story of how Wycliffe and SIL called on Christians around the world to help them resolve a dispute—and now Bible translation can move forward.

Equipping the whole believer to take the whole gospel to the whole world

The Meanings of the Atonement Forum Day for Pastors and Leaders 1 July 2013 REGISTER NOW!

Rev. Dr Graham Cole

Morling college invites you to spend a day with Graham Cole, a professor at Beeson Divinity School.

Over four sessions we shall explore how to use Scripture to construct a doctrine of atonement and how atonement fits God’s grand project of shalom. We shall also consider two hot topics in atonement theology: violence and the atonement, and debates about penal substitution.

This forum day can also be taken as part of a week-long intensive on July 1-5.

To register: www.morlingcollege.com/events Morling College  120 Herring Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113 P (02) 9878 0201  F (02) 9878 2175  enquiries@morling.edu.au

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Freephone: 1800 807 172 Email: ehc@everyhome.org.au Website: www.everyhome.org.au

JUNE 2013

OPINION

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Stewardship: why cheap is not cheerful giving Rick Dunham As I travel the world working with a variety of parachurch and church-based ministries, I am convinced the issue posing the greatest challenge to Christian philanthropy is a systemic misunderstanding of biblical stewardship.

This malady is equally present in both charitable institutions (including the church) and in the lives of Christians.

Churches and ministries get it wrong The most basic and consistent expression of a wrong understanding of biblical stewardship among Christian institutions has to do with a wrong definition of what stewardship entails.

Overwhelmingly, stewardship is currently viewed as ‘expense management’.

While these actual words might not be used, in its practical outworking that’s the way stewardship is expressed, which couldn’t be further from true biblical stewardship.

Think about it for a moment: if a project or programme is executed for less money, there are pats on the back all around for good stewardship, even if the impact or outcome of the project or programme is negatively affected. After all, money was saved.

Saving money, or doing things more cheaply, is not biblical stewardship. In fact, God actually condemns the saving of money if results are compromised.

You don’t have to go any further than the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 to discover this truth.

All three servants were stewards of the master’s money. But the one who did not put the money at risk and guaranteed it was safe, the one who failed to get a return on the master’s money, the

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one who made sure nothing was lost, was the one the master condemned. In fact, he called that steward “worthless”.

Yet, the two stewards who put the master’s money at risk, who could have lost it all but ended up generating a 100 per cent return, were praised and rewarded.

Biblical stewardship is defined as the effective investment of what is placed in our trust to get the greatest return for the Master. It is not how well we save what he has entrusted to us. Biblical stewardship is not expense management but investment management.

There could not be a greater difference between the two.

God is not interested in his people doing stuff on the cheap. He isn’t impressed. What he is interested in is his people using what he has entrusted to them to get the best possible return

We look at The Christian donor gets it wrong everything When it comes to the Christian donor, most define stewardship as tithwe have ing: giving ten per cent of my money to as a support God’s work. If we’re honest, we treat it like a tip. We tip God our ten per trust cent and then, feeling our duty is complete, we do with the rest as we please. from the But the overwhelming majority of Christians don’t even come close to givmaster. ing ten per cent of their income to God’s for him. He is honoured even when we spend more, but end up with a much better return.

work. In America, the average is about 2.6 per cent. I would be shocked if that percentage is much different in Australia. So we aren’t even good tippers.

Take a look again at the parable of the talents and how Jesus turns the idea of

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giving and stewardship on its head. It isn’t about 10 per cent but 100 per cent.

Biblical stewardship operates from a conviction that 100 per cent of what we have is God’s.

We are freed from parsing percentages. Instead, we look at everything we have as a trust from the master to be used to advance his kingdom.

It is a complete game-changer when a follower of Christ grasps this truth.

That person becomes more like the Macedonian church begging for the opportunity to support the suffering saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor 8).

What I have found is that the single greatest hindrance to Christians adopting a truly biblical view of stewardship is insecurity.

If I can be so bold, many Christians today have replaced God with their wealth, believing they are, as a result, more secure. The outcome is that the funding of God’s kingdom work is stymied and the believer is stunted in his or her spiritual walk. As Jesus said, you can’t worship God and money, which is why, where you invest your money is so important. If it is with the hereand-now, your heart will be here. If it’s invested for kingdom purposes, your heart will be there.

It’s time to replace the conventional view of stewardship with a view that reflects the truth of Scripture. Stewardship is not expense management, but investment management. And it’s seeing all that God has given you and I as resources to be used for kingdom purposes and not falling into the trap that money will provide us the security that only God can provide.

Rick Dunham has spent 34 years helping Christians think about giving.

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JUNE 2013

PRAYER is a crockpot 1

Keith Mitchell

HOW I PRAY Praying daily for others is something I love. For seven years, I have been sending weekly text messages, emails, Facebook messages or ringing various brothers and sisters asking them what I can be praying for them. Seeing how God chooses to answer these prayers and bless people is a blessing in itself. I now have 57 people that I pray for weekly, and I love the encouragement that prayer gives to me and to those I pray for. D.V., NSW.

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I’ve found it difficult to focus on prayer since becoming a mother. So when I have a quiet moment, I sit and write my prayer in a journal. It helps me avoid getting distracted by thoughts, which tend to wander off on tangents. The journal helps me be like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet, rather than rushing around like Martha, forgetting what’s important. Harriet, NSW.

When my children were really young, my wife and I became used to eating our meals at a very fast rate. Looking after four active, young children, we had to! But when we were able to arrange a childless dinner night for the two of us we found an interesting development transpired. We discovered that we were able to travel, sit down, order, eat, chat and be ready to go home again in all of about an hour. No, we did not dislike each other’s company and no, the restaurant food and environment were not bad, and no, we were not the type of parents who were so concerned and overly possessive of our children that we needed to go back home quickly. Rather, we had become so used to eating our meals at such a fast pace that when given the space and opportunity to eat at a slow and uninterrupted speed we

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failed to slow down. We then missed the enjoyment of a more contemplative and delectable time of eating and enjoying each other’s company.

Taking this situation and applying it to our prayer lives, we can sometimes see a correlation with allowing our fastpaced lives to pattern our engagement in this way with God. We sit down with God, maybe quickly read a passage of Scripture and present a speedy prayer, and then we are off again. Failing to ensure space to ponder over God’s word in prayer, to revel in his company and to delight in our relationship with him means we short-change our spiritual lives. We need to see our prayer life in relationship to God more like a slow cooker or crockpot, where the flavours of God’s Holy Spirit seep into our souls, rather than an instantaneous, frozen, microwave meal. As the apostle Paul demonstrates, the Christian faith is more like a marathon than a sprint (1 Corinthians 9:24–26; also Hebrews 12:1). The Bible calls this slow encounter of solitude and connection ‘meditation’ (Psalm 48:9; Psalm 199:15, 23, 27, 48). Meditation, in a Christian and scriptural sense, is the time when we reflect on God’s word and engage in relational connection with God through prayer. This image of meditation is particularly captured in the first few verses of Psalm 1, where we see meditation on God’s word giving sustenance, root structure, and growth to the person

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of faith.

However, some of us see prayer as a wish list, with God as a genie in a bottle who we come to when we want something we cannot get ourselves: “God, can I have a new car?”, “God, can you make my friend better?”, or, “God, can you stop Frank or Miriam hurting me?” Now don’t get me wrong; God loves us to ask him for things. I’m one who asks God for a lot of things (Matt 7:7–11), including car spaces. But when prayer is treated as just a shopping list of things we desire to acquire, it limits our relationship with God. Prayer with God is understanding that we are in a relationship with the safest, most caring, most grace-full and powerful person in the whole universe, who wants us to connect with him.

Prayer is not complicated per se. It is simple in many respects because it is about conversation with God and a developing awareness of his presence with us (1 Thessalonians 5:17). However, my encounters of prayer with God have been challenged at times as I try to place qualifying statements on God, especially those times when God seems absent and is playing a type of ‘hide and seek’. I bang on the door of heaven and God does not seem to be listening.

Psalm 28 expresses something of this silence of God. This psalm seems to be a finale to the previous three psalms that are presented—a climax.

1 To you, LORD, I call;

JUNE 2013

We need to see our prayer life in relationship to God more like a slow cooker or a crockpot, where the flavours of God’s Holy Spirit seep into our souls

robynmac

you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his

anointed one.

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

We see in this psalm at verse 6 an exuberant and joyful shift in emotion from the earlier struggles of verses 1-5.

Some say that a pronouncement from a Priest or temple worker was given, and so this meant the prayer was granted, which explains the shift in emotion.

Other writers claim that this sharp emotional shift could be the psalmist’s bold and strong type of faith in God. The speaker has now made a clear claim on the desired response to their prayers. Or, just maybe, this person’s prayer struggle is now over and they are resigned to totally relying on God such that, whatever the answer, they accept it as God’s will for their life.

In my life, I resonate with this third outcome. Many a time I have been earnestly praying for God to remove a “thorn in the flesh” type experience or situation, and I end up resigning to the fact, as Paul deduced in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, that this is about dependency upon God and not about my narrow view of what should be the best outcome. These scenarios indicate to me that prayer is more profound and mysterious than I could ever fathom. In one respect, God will answer prayers, albeit in his time and way; and on the other hand, prayer changes and transforms

my limited understanding of who God is and how he operates. Sure, I would love to see the person healed whom I was praying for, or the extra income to pay for my child’s gift that I asked for, but in this process of prayer, I am transformed as I realise who this great God really is.

Prayer can be a labyrinth of expression, perseverance and connection that seems to have no end. Yet I am drawn closer in intimate relationship with God as I cry out in desperation for that relational connection with him.

In essence, prayer is communion with God (Matthew 18:19–20). It could be seen as a type of conversation with a best friend (John 14:13–14) and yet it is scented with a formality of respect as for a father (Mathew 6:9–10).

Charles Spurgeon said: “Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might.”

Prayer presents to me a boldness and courage to ensure that I keep pulling on that cord and ringing that bell despite the response I think I might receive.

God knows how to give good gifts, and so I trust that you too will pray more fervently and engage more deeply as you enter into that place where heaven touches earth in your prayer life (Matthew 6:10).

Keith Mitchell is a lecturer in Pastoral and Practical Studies at Morling College with over 20 years pastoral experience.

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HOW I PRAY

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Whatever is of concern to me is of concern to God and it is a privilege to share daily life with him. Every three or four months when the worries of life overwhelm my husband and I we go for a ‘day of prayer’ (or half day), taking a picnic lunch and deck chairs and finding a park or beach to just sit and talk to God. He hears every concern—personal, family, church, work. We come home refreshed and get on with daily life. Psalm 10:14 says, “But you O God do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.”

Josephine, Victoria.

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My consistent and main praying place is at home, in the living room and my room, but I also often pray when I am out, no matter where I am. I pray every morning during and after breakfast and I often pray when I am on my way somewhere, whether on the tram or walking. I also pray during Bible study and before our international student group meets on Thursdays.

I’m motivated to pray to talk to God, listen to God, to intercede for others, when I need mercy and forgiveness, strength and wisdom, to give thanks and praise, or just to enjoy God’s presence. Sometimes I use the prayers in the Bible to help me pray. I learnt to pray by hearing people pray, from prayers prayed in the Bible and as I know God more. I enjoy being able to talk to God and tell him about anything on my mind, no matter how little or embarrassing. And also, prayer is an assurance for me that God and I have a relationship and that he listens and speaks to me.

Bryan, Victoria.

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JUNE 2013

BOOK EXTRACT

DISABILITY

Twin testimonies from people with a disability, poet Stevie Wills and musician TJ James featured in the May Eternity.

Their conviction that their disabilities are part of who they are, with Stevie saying “Don’t pray for healing”, has caused readers to respond, “ Does God will us to be well?”

In this book extract from Take Heart, Kirk Patson reflects on how the Bible can help us understand disability.

Patson is senior lecturer in Old Testament at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College.

When a baby is born, you will often hear the comment that the baby is well. You will sense everyone’s gladness that it is.

If there is something wrong, you will often hear comments that, “They can do so much these days,” and sense that all eyes are on some doctor to put things right.

As babies grow in our culture they quickly learn that everyone is wanting them to achieve: crawling, walking, words and, before you know it, the clarinet, the computer, the car. Along the way, the child will pick up a message that resources are scarce, that we need to beat others to win, that efficiency and competence and ability are what life is all about.

In the middle of that cultural pressure, seasons will come for most of us when we will be caring for a person who has been labelled ‘disabled’. Seasons will come when most of us will ourselves be disabled in some way: an accident will damage our back or limbs or brain, a disease will affect our vision or breathing, our hearing will fade, our emotions will unravel.

My experiences of disability have come from my work as a therapist, from being the father of a boy with intellectual impairment, and a girl whose disability meant she lived only briefly.

Close contact with the lived experience of disability can mean we find the stories, beliefs and clichés of our culture a little thin—unable to help us live with, or as, a person with a disability.

The Bible speaks into such a situation richly and surprisingly. In an introduction like this I will have to leave out

many of the perspectives that it offers, but here are a few that are thoughtprovoking and, I think, life-giving.

Disability is not a mistake When God wanted Moses to ask Pharaoh to release his people from slavery, Moses tried to get out of it by pointing out what a bad (disabled?) speaker he was. God’s answer was quite shocking: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11) Moses needed to be reminded of the truth that we are all created by God, who knits us together just the way he wants us to be. When the Lord addressed Job he also spoke of his rights and powers as Creator, urging Job to think about the wild and wonderfully diverse world he created.

The world includes creatures like ostriches of whom the Lord says: “She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.

“She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labour was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.” (Job 39:14–18) In this passage and the ones that surround it, God seems to be delighting in his own capacity to create diversity, even if it seems inefficient or puzzling from a human point of view.

I find this very liberating when I want

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A journey with the Bible

to see disability as an unfair tragedy or to see my children or myself as victims in a random, cruel game. There is One who stands behind disability who knows what he is doing.

Interestingly, the ostrich comments come from a speech that is meant to help Job marvel at the world and give up the desire to understand everything.

It’s an elaboration on the idea, raised earlier in the book, that humans are immensely clever and can achieve things that no other creature can—yet we find it so hard to live wisely and make sense of everything that happens around us (Job 28:1–28).

We don’t have to find the cause or ascribe blame The book of Job spends 42 chapters to help us see that when people respond to a sick or suffering person by looking for the sin that caused the problem, they make profound fools of themselves.

That’s not to say that there is no connection between sin and disability.

Specific sins, like shooting a person or driving while drunk, can do all kinds of damage. Systemic corruption will mean that famine, chemical weapons, land mines and dangerous drugs will take their toll in people’s lives.

But sin is just the wrong category to have in mind as we sit with a person with a disability. In Job’s case it was actually his incomparably good life that meant he ended up burdened with grief, social isolation and an intolerable skin complaint.

When Jesus’ disciples encountered a man born blind, they acted like Job’s friends by trying to see who was to

blame. Jesus stepped above the question and urged people to notice how God’s work might shine in and through this man because of his disability (John 9:1–5).

Sometimes I wonder if the heavily medical way we think about disability in our culture is very close to the impulses of Job’s friends and Jesus’ disciples. We don’t say we’re looking for a sin as such, but we still look pretty hard for a cause.

I know this is of use in providing treatment, but it brings with it the unspoken assumption that we need to get to the bottom of a child’s disability so we can get rid of it or stop it happening again.

As more and more antenatal testing becomes available, the pressure to make sure we are not the cause of bringing a ‘defective’ child into the world is growing. We wonder whose sin caused this disability: the doctor who failed to diagnose? The mother who let herself get sick while pregnant? The midwife who was careless at the birth? And our questions deeply devalue the person with a disability.

I know I can sometimes feel ashamed when I am with a person with a disability who is acting in a loud or unusual way. The Bible assures me that shame can be cast away.

God can work for good and give strength in human weakness One of the most fascinating treatments of disability in the Bible comes in the life of Paul, who spearheaded the spread of Christianity across the world.

It seems that some sort of sickness or disability impacted Paul’s life. We’re not sure of the details but he writes:

JUNE 2013

So while I have tried to be positive about disability, I don’t want to be unrealistic or sentimental, because the Bible is neither.

Disability is difficult.

babykrul

“As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn …” (Galatians 4:13–14) Paul seems aware of the way disability can be a medical issue and a social issue. His own weakness and the way others treat him are both important dimensions.

He is also aware of God’s hand in his experience of what he calls his ‘thorn in the flesh’.

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong.’” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10) Paul stands in the line of some wellestablished truths of the Bible. God’s people often find God’s strength and blessing in the very experience of their own brokenness—be it Jacob being crippled, Joseph being enslaved and accused in Egypt or the Psalm writers calling out to God from the pit of despair. Further, God seems to work through suffering and weakness, rather than in ways that avoid it. It was true for Paul, and for prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel before him. The book of Isaiah even describes God’s servant who is crushed because that is the way God works to bring triumph and victory (Isaiah 52:13–53:12).

Standing at the very centre of the Bible is the scandalous death of Jesus.

I have heard people describe the cross

as a display of the disabled Christ. His body was injured and his fellow humans despised him, giving Jesus a taste of life with disability. The profound twist is that the disabled Christ was ably paying the price for sin. If we are all disabled when it comes to wisdom, we are also all disabled when it comes to putting things right with God. In an experience of disability for our sakes, Christ has put things right.

Be it at the death of Jesus, or in Paul’s weakness, God has a strange way of being present in what we may describe as the worst of experiences. God is making a new creation, with no pain and no tears. I have deliberately paid attention to the ways that disability is not a problem that needs a solution. But I don’t

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The End of Poverty

want to sound like a shallow optimist. I have shed my share of tears over a disability that meant my daughter couldn’t even breathe.

I have stumbled under the burden of my son’s uncontrolled seizures and the hours and hours of physiotherapy needed to get him walking. So while I have tried to be positive about disability, I don’t want to be unrealistic or sentimental, because the Bible is neither.

Disability is difficult. The ancient laws given by God knew that people with disabilities could be mistreated. Jesus healed people who couldn’t see and who couldn’t walk. Indeed, Jesus’ resurrection shows that God is committed to giving us new bodies in a whole new creation. Those who belong to Jesus will

Take Heart: For families living with disability.

Edited by Kate Hurley, Blue Bottle Books, 2008.

journey with him into this new world.

One day, God ‘… will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).

There is a mature reality here. We can honestly admit that crying and pain are part of our experience now. That is a big help in the day-to-day work of life with a disability. And we can honestly look to God to do something new. Such hope is also a big help in life with a disability.

The Bible dares us to believe that seasons of disability come to us from God. We do well to seek him and his strength in the midst of those seasons for, in Christ, God knows the experience of disability more than we might think.

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JUNE 2013

Bible bafflers to bust (or blow) your brain!

God separated the darkness from light and named them 'Night' and 'Day'.

God commanded the light to shine.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Find-a-Wthoe rd Genesis 1

Find these words from t. creation accoun

page to help you complete the Find the purple words scattered on this

Begin here...

O O D H I L A N D C G beginning Y D R T G birds C H O F C O M T O N B blessing B U C K D K command T M I M P L M E I S S creation S E creatures E A A T D H L N A e dom N I E N A S N N R G Q good F E G H D humans S S I I S I land R L R H P I B N J G W t ligh I O N C T N C R E A T night G B I S P ocean G Z B K U V sky R E S V V C R E A T U trees

water nd the a m one m God co together in dry e s m a to co so there w the place, God named nd a d. groun nd “Land,” .” n u a o e r c g “O dry water e h t d name

ble (_ _ _ _ _ _ _), The first book of the Bi the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ says that God CREATED erything and the _ _ _ _ _ and ev ear was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. th

God separate d the water below and m above and ade a dome, naming it 'S ky'

In the Beginni ng Quiz Which day did th is happen?

rth to and the ea God comm lants. kinds of p produce all

Code Puzzle

God made two powerful lights, the brighter one to rule the day and the other to rule the night.

What happened when God had finished creating the world?

Use the code key to find out.

B

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G

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Every child needs God’s Word.

17 11 13

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Code Key

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God command the ocean to be full of living creatures and birds to fly above the earth.

a = 11 b = 12 d = 13 e = 14 f = 15 g = 16

sentence.

h = 17 i = 18 k = 19 n = 20 o = 21 r = 22

s = 23 t = 24 v = 25 w = 26 y = 27

17 18 23

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Genesis 2:2

Very Good

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Make sure you check out

Heavens

Bible Society Australia and GodSpace working together. Next Wild Bible issue September 2013

www.wildbible.org.au for the answers & more about the Bible!

Genesis

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(See Genesis 1 Day __: God commanded th – CEV) e ea rth to gi ve life to reptile Day __: God s separated light from darkness Day __: God made the stars Day __: God named the wat er “Ocean” Day __: God commanded th e ocean to be full Day __: a do of living creatu me separated th res e water above Day __: God it fro m the water be told the human low it s to rule over th in the sky, and e fish in the oc every animal on ean, the birds the earth Day __: God named the light “Day” and the Day __: God darkness “Night commanded bi ” rds to fly above Day __: God the earth named the dry ground “Land,” Day __: Ligh ts that showed th e time for seas Day __: God ons, special da looked at what ys and years he had done. al Day __: Ligh l of it was very go t started shinin od! g Day __: God gave the living creatures his bl Day __: God essing said, “I comman d the earth to pr Day __: God oduce all kinds created human of plants...” s to be like himse Day __: Ligh lf; he made men ts separated da and women y from night Day __: God commanded th e earth to give animals, wild an life to all kinds of tame imals Day __: God made the dome and named it “S Day __: The ky” earth produced fruit trees and grain

JUNE 2013

SPONSORED PAGE

15

REVIVE

The divine spark Where does the spark that leads to greatness occur?

There is often a divine moment or a catalyst that perpetuates the inspiration for all that follows. A word or a song and all of a sudden a light is ignited bringing vision to a cloud of darkness, isolation, fear or complacency.

That idea, that momentary flash of clarity, starts you tumbling and falling, like Alice down the rabbit hole or that moment of breaking the crest of a rollercoaster track. A flurry of excitement, activity and spent energy leading to that idea, conceived at the first spark, being creatively birthed into history.

I fear that spark at times. Once it bites it spreads throughout your consciousness until it consumes every part of you like a crushing wall of water. Yet the idea at its core is beautiful; creativity and inspiration ignited in your spirit, driving you to put pen to paper and share it with those closest to you.

It is the spark that if nurtured, leads to the accomplishment of greatness or, if quashed, can lead to life’s greatest regret.

I fear that spark, yet at the same time I covet it and the excitement that it brings. For me it was that spark, a moment in a Tasmanian church service while I was on holiday, which led me to plant a church. A nagging voice and goading dream that began to grow and mature in my psyche. It was that same spark that led me to leave a good job and go to bible college and that same

spark that has helped and continues to help me overcome trials and tribulations. That spark allows me to stand in awe of an awesome God and know, without doubt, His power and His love.

Where will your spark come from?

The heart of REVIVE is to bring all the elements together so you have an opportunity to encounter that spark.

To open yourself up to the Holy Spirit and the word of God, allowing Jesus to ignite in you a holy passion and a divine cause.

REVIVE is an opportunity, which only requires from you a desire to receive something from God. REVIVE inspires! Story after story continues to be told of lives that were radically transformed and ministries that were conceived at REVIVE 2012.

Time after time we’ve heard the story of people who had initially planned not to go or who were not expecting much from attending – only to have a divine encounter and a spark ignited in their spirit.

REVIVE not only inspires vision and dreams, it encourages you to keep going, to keep clinging to the glimmer of passion that burns within you. The burden of a cause and a calling, either in pastoral ministry or the Christian life, can sometimes be overwhelming. REVIVE encourages and fans that flame, often a flame that has been long forgotten or neglected. REVIVE shouts “Yes

Paul Scanlon, from Life Church in the UK, will be this year’s guest speaker at Revive. you can through Christ who gives you strength” and places you in the midst of brothers and sisters who can support God’s dream in you.

REVIVE equips you through relevant and practical workshops based around topics such as mission, leadership, Christian living and creativity. Giving you foundations from which your spark,

your dream and vision, can be nurtured and born.

This year looks to be even better with Paul Scanlon who is renowned for being used by God to transform people, churches and communities through his messages. Do not miss your opportunity. It is now up to you!

Register online www.revive.org.au

Where will your spark come from?

16

JUNE 2013

PAGE SPONSORED BY BIBLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA

The Bible spells change for Mozambique Suzanne Schokman Australians on average spend 11 years in school, but for people in Mozambique the average is just one year. But, thanks to a Bible-based literacy course, many are learning to read and write, bringing change to whole communities.

36-year-old Maria João never went to school at all. Her parents, like many others in the country, believed that they only needed to educate their sons. Men filled positions in the workplace while women ran the home or sold garden produce to shore up the family income.

Where education was made available to females it was restricted to high density communities, leaving girls in rural areas little chance of receiving an education.

So while her brothers went to school, the young Maria had to herd cattle.

That left her illiterate for years, able only to help her husband on their land.

Today, however, a grateful Maria has learned to read and write, thanks to the free Rural Literacy Programme run by Bible Society Australia, in partnership with local churches and pastors.

The course uses Bible-based literacy materials, enabling participants to find out more about the scriptures while they learn to read and write.

“When I started the literacy course I wanted to read, write and preach like some other women I’ve seen,” says Maria. “I’m now able to read and write a little, and I can narrate Bible stories!

Since I joined the programme I can really see the change in my life.”

“Since I joined the programme I can really Maria João can now read at age 36 see the Stories of changed lives, like Maria’s, are bringing hope to Mozambique, one change in of the world’s least developed nations. my life.”

Centuries of colonisation, a 20-year civil war and multiple natural disasters have ravaged life in general.

80 per cent of the people in Mozambique live a subsistence lifestyle, trapped in a cycle of poverty. Many have little or no access to running water, sanitation or electricity. Even after 17 years of peace, Mozambique is among the world’s poorest nations, and illiteracy—affecting 44 per cent of the population—remains its great challenge.

Bible Society Australia is committed to equipping Mozambicans with the life-giving skill of literacy. By the end of the 18-month course, students have a functional literacy equal to Grade 3 in Mozambique.

For adults who’ve never had the opportunity to attend school, this provides a great sense of achievement. The Bible they receive when they graduate from the course is often the only book they have ever owned.

Teachers also help their students learn to count, and to know more about health and agriculture. Through these vital life skills, Bible Society and its supporters are giving people greater confidence and hope for the future.

Isabel Tivane, 45, is married with nine children. She’s a vendor like many other rural women, selling food and charcoal at a local market.

“I didn’t know at first if I had what it takes to finish the course. It seemed like a hard task to complete the programme, because of my work commitments,” she remembers. “As time went by, I started to become more interested in the things I was studying, and I enjoyed learning.

“Now that I can read, write and

count, I have no problem at all with handling the transactions at my stall.

“This programme has transformed my life and the lives of other people in our church. I’d like to thank those who started the programme for bringing us life and light.”

Pastor Jesnal of the Assemblies of God in Manica Province says his community had wanted the programme for a long time. “It’s really helping people a lot. Since the programme started, many students are growing in areas of prayer and faith, and becoming actively involved in church life. Churches running the literacy programme have changed spiritually, with many people starting to follow the ways of God.” Bible Society’s Rural Literacy Programme has planted seeds of growth and hope in many villages. Enrolment is exploding, with 1,247 people from 68 villages having signed up as soon as the 2013 programme was launched.

Thousands more are waiting for the opportunity to learn how to read and write. The Bible Society needs your help to break the poverty cycle through this free Bible-based programme that sees lives transformed.

Your tax-deductible donation will help buy literacy materials and Bibles, as well as subsidise the living allowances of pastors and teachers running the course on the ground.

If you want to help support this programme in Mozambique and change lives for good, visit biblesociety.org.au/ mozambique.

17

JUNE 2013

The Great Gatsby

In 2013, the world ends again Mark Hadley There are many things that set us aside from other species on this planet, but surely one of them has to be our preoccupation with our world’s demise. At the dawn of the 20th century the first filmmakers were already turning their minds to the end of all things. In 1916 Danish director August Blom released The End Of The World, a hugely successful pyrotechnic spectacle focussing on earthquakes caused by the passage of Haley’s comet. Since then an easy 200 films have followed its trail of devastation, cataloguing even more ways in which life as we know it could come to an end. Hollywood has effectively replaced Nostradamus with its lurid predictions and spawned a whole new genre: the apocalyptic film.

However, like every successful genre, there are rules to follow. God has so imbued us with a sense of our own mortality (regardless of what medicine might promise), that we readily accept not only our end but also the likely end of all things. The most successful films follow a well-trodden path that further hints at our Creator’s design, and in the coming months, eight releases will mark out every step of the way…

1

Forces beyond our control Hollywood’s favourite foe for humanity is one that can’t be convinced to just pick another planet. This month Brad Pitt will face off against the Z-virus in World War Z , while Laurence Fishburne warms up against the next ice age in a remote underground station: “Life as we know it will come to an end in 90 days!” And if anyone is left come July, they’ll watch Pacific Rim battle gigantic dinosaurs from outer space.

The common factor is an unreasoning, irresistible force or at the very least one that won’t be swayed by our arguments.

Widespread destruction The cataclysm is one that can’t be sidestepped. Last month Tom Cruise wandered the face of a world almost swept clean by aliens in Oblivion. Any safety discovered is always temporary. This month Will and Jaden Smith discover that not an inch of our planet is unmutated in After Earth. If humanity’s in line for a cosmic judgment then there’s no use trying to hide under a rock. The best thing you can do is start looking for a new home.

Look – a way out! That’s the good news—every apocalyptic film suggests there is a way through the apocalypse. For some films,

2 3

Ben McEachen

like Matt Damon’s Elysium this August, there’s the chance to renew a world devastated by the abuses of a wealthy elite. For others, like the extremely lewd but strangely insightful This Is The End, it’s about making it through to the ‘new creation’. “There was a God after all – who would have thought?” asks Seth Rogan. “About 90 per cent of the planet,” answers Jay Baruchel. Both discover the only way to survive God’s judgment is to stop serving themselves.

The sacrifice And what’s the key to every salvation offered above?

The hero is always bridging the gap between total destruction and the beautiful escape, allowing others to cross over while he faces the wrath to come. Last month, Spock and Captain Kirk took turns dying so that worlds could be saved in Into Darkness.

Later this year, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will reunite for an epic pub crawl in The World’s End and realise they are humanity’s only hope for survival.

Settling down for the end of the world in the coming months? Tick off the following boxes: a judge who can’t be sweet-talked; a judgment that can’t be avoided; a promise that can be relied on; and a saviour who’ll stand in your shoes to see you through.

4

Tom Cruise in Oblivion, one of a new wave of apocalytic movies that offer great conversation starters.

Great has been the response to Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s flamboyant rendering of the revered American tale about the emptiness of abundance.

Not so great has been the volume of flak it’s copped since The Great Gatsby premiered at Cannes Film Festival.

The star-studded 3D carnival was mostly reported as being a dud adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s source text.

With scathing reviews such as “there won’t be a more crushing disappointment (in 2013)” (Rolling Stone) and “spectacle in search of a soul” (Wall Street Journal), many ignored the favourable responses Gatsby also sparked.

The fifth film version of Gatsby opened on May 30, so we can see for ourselves if the negative emphasis of most media coverage was warranted.

One accusation against Luhrmann can be instantly clarified though.

Those branding him as unfaithful to Fitzgerald’s novel must be referring to the movie’s tone or depth, because the original storyline is intact.

While set amid New York affluence, in the Roaring ‘20s, Gatsby remains a poignant fable. Our era of aspiration, airbrushed reality, and obsession with buying happiness, seems purpose-built for the tangled unravelling of wealthy, mysterious Gatsby (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). And the tragic impact of his extravagant yet barren life continues to skewer the persistent delusion many have of manufacturing ‘the perfect life’.

The tragic impact of Gatsby’s barren life ...

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JUNE 2013

OPINION

Confession in an Age of Denial Michael Jensen

small frog

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman …”

Is this the most famous denial in modern history? President Bill Clinton’s failure to confess to his sexual liaison with White House intern Monica Lewinsky is, even now, squirm-worthy to watch if you conjure it up from the depths of YouTube. Clinton had—and still has—a capacity to elicit sympathy from an observer, so that despite yourself, you can’t help feeling that this warm and friendly Southerner was only doing what any of us would have done in the same situation. And seeing him wriggle like a worm on the end of a hook makes you wonder just for a moment: what if it were me? After all, we have all done things of which we are ashamed, even if it didn’t involve pawing young interns in the Oval Office. If I were asked about my secrets in front of a thousand hungry journalists with snapping cameras and sharpened pencils, I would probably (if I am honest) deny all too. Wouldn’t you?

Contrast the website which is called trueconfessions.com.au, which is just one of a number of ‘confession’ style sites. Give people the veil of anonymity and out it pours: page after page of the awful truth. “I have made my wife’s friend very pregnant,” says one person. Another says, “I cheated in my final exam of school and my university

exams and now I am a qualified doctor.”

Sometimes there’s deep regret in these admissions. But, sadly, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes there’s even a kind of sinister joy that the person is not what they seem.

This is an oddly disturbing window into the human soul, revealing that what we see of people in public is simply not the full story. For most of us, the white heat of the truth is too much for us to bear. It is too hideous a prospect to think that we might have to link ourselves to our secret thoughts and actions.

In these tortured confessions there is a sort of fear—the fear of exposure and shame. For what they know is what Bill Clinton knew: that the court of public

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We perform our lives in public as carefully opinion is an extremely unforgiving edited judge. The prospect of admitting the truth carries with it only shame and huversions miliation, even when the truth in question is not actually a matter of moral of our culpability. A number of the confessions on trueconfessions.com.au are about true having an eating disorder, or feeling fat, or having depression, or being in love selves. with someone. However, when the issue at hand is a matter of real wrong, and the potential for a form of punishment looms, then owning up takes even more courage. As a result, most of us only admit to the things that we can’t deny.

In the end, President Clinton had to confess on national television, but only because it had become impossible for him to deny the truth any longer in the

face of the tangible evidence (that dress) and the testimony of witnesses.

This prompts me to make two observations. The first of these has to do with the judge before whom we feel we have to stand: namely, the public. Now, who ‘the public’ are differs in each case.

For Clinton, it was the whole world.

For you and I, it might simply mean those people who know us or know of us. Whatever the size of ‘the public’ though, it is remarkable how punitive and unforgiving we feel it to be. We do not usually cut other human beings very much slack; indeed, we quickly condemn people not simply for their sins but also for their weaknesses. And we are happy to do so on the flimsiest of evidence: the half-truth, the whisper campaign, the rumour.

The second observation is this: because we hate to confess what we are really like and to admit to what we have done, we live in a kind of inauthentic state. We perform our lives in public as carefully edited versions of our true selves. Partly, this is because at times even we are at a loss to fathom our own actions. We feel that sometimes we are not truly ourselves, so we say, “I was drunk”, or “I was in a fit of rage”, or “I was seduced”, or “I am addicted”. These are all ways in which we separate ourselves, ever so slightly, from our actions.

But who are we, if we are not what we have done?

I recently saw a documentary about internet trolling in which the filmmakers tracked down and confronted a young man whose internet name and IP address had been linked to some absolutely vile comments made on an ‘RIP

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page’ on Facebook (a page set up by grieving relatives of a young person who had been tragically killed). When asked on camera if these comments were his work, the young man said, “No, someone hacked into my account and used my name to make these comments”. Of course, it was untrue. But he was simply unable to own up to the reality of his own story, and needed to dissociate himself from himself.

The Christian church has always practiced confession. In fact, it recognizes in the New Testament that a moment of confession is the very beginning of the Christian life. It is the tax collector who simply prays, “Have mercy on me, a sinner”, who goes home justified, and not the Pharisee, who admits nothing. But we’ve just seen how difficult it is for most people to confess before other human beings. What makes it even thinkable that one would confess before God? The God of the Bible is, of course, the one who judges, and judges perfectly.

Nothing escapes his notice; he is not bluffed nor fooled. You cannot act before him, since he sees behind the mask. That’s the voice of Psalm 96:13: the Lord is the one who delights the creation by coming to judge in righteousness. This was Adam and Eve’s problem. They could not find a place to hide from the judgment of God. They were utterly exposed before him, and pathetic in their attempts to cover up.

On the one hand, that we have to face the just judgment of Almighty God is an utterly terrifying thought. It means that there is no chance of concealing the truth from God, even as much as we might bluff others. There’s no point in being anything but honest with him.

But in fact, there is a comfort in this, for God does not look at us with prejudice. In contrast to the way human beings judge one another, God looks at us as we really are. We can have confi-

dence in his justice, even as we have no confidence in ourselves.

On the other hand, the God of Jesus Christ is the God who, in his righteousness, pours out mercy. Even though we have erred and strayed from his ways like lost sheep, and followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we come before the merciful Father who loves to forgive.

This is the story of the prodigal son, isn’t it? The prodigal son, eating pig food in a far country ‘came to his senses’ or, more literally, ‘came to himself ’. And he wonders aloud: “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” (Luke 15:21) Here’s the thing: it’s true. It’s not a moment of great self-esteem at which the lost son remembers how inherently worthy he is. By rights, he has no rights.

And yet, what does he discover? Well, it is true that he receives no joy from his elder brother. But that is because the Father is irritatingly insistent on showering his tender mercy upon the returning son.

Many Christian churches open their services by inviting the congregation to confess their sins. It might seem as if this is a dour reminder of our inadequacies and failings, and a rather grim thing to be doing on a Sunday when you could be enjoying a late breakfast.

But the Christian can confess with confidence, not simply because he or she will find in God a righteous judge, but because ‘if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’. To confess your sin is to express confidence in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the one in whom God displayed both his justice and his mercy. And it is a gloriously counter-cultural testimony to the ‘admit nothing’ world. @mpjensen

Disability x 2 When Christians disagree it is time to go to the Bible. That is why when I got several letters concerned that there were testimonies in the last Eternity from people with diabilities who asked people not to pray for their healing and to see God had a purpose in them having their disability, I decided to print a piece from Kirk Patson in this edition. It was squeezed out last time, but as a theological lecturer and a father of disabled children, Kirk is a good person to lead us on a journey inves-

tigating what the Bible says about disability. Will this resolve readers’ concerns that we should continually pray for healing?

I doubt it. This is one of those issues where we have to live in tension between two biblical principles that seem to pull in opposite directions.

Am I a better Christian because I have had a disabled child myself? Undoubtably. Am I a better prayer? Yes. Do I understand God’s purposes in this?

Only dimly. But it’s enough.

John Sandeman

Presbyterian Inland Mission

Letters

Cringing I love reading Eternity newspaper and I always look forward to the next issue.

However I was not comfortable with some of the articles. The ‘Don’t pray for my healing…’ was a bit odd but in the context of Stevie’s story it is understandable. God bless her that she finds purpose and contentment in the situation she is in, and by faith she is complete. But I cringed at “Jesus is the reason I have cerebral palsy”. I realise it’s what TJ James believes but it’s wrong (it’s not biblically sound nor is it a good advertisement for Jesus).

It’s like saying that “Jesus is the reason I got run over by a drunken driver”. We can have sicknesses, whether temporary or permanent (on this earth only), in this sinful world because of Adam. So Adam is the reason not Jesus. Jesus is the One who gives us the grace we need in our sicknesses and disabilities. And we can trust Him for healing (on his terms) as we choose to have the right attitude in thanksgiving and worship.

Even if you had to print the line “Jesus is the reason…” for integrity of reporting, it should not have been a headline.

I found it off-putting although I was blessed by TJ’s testimony and pray every blessing on his life, family and ministry.

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What tongues?

In reference to the article ‘Spiritual gifts: tools for building community’, in the May 2013 Eternity, the following comment may seem trivial but as the adage goes—the devil is in the detail.

Lee Burns wrote: ‘…evidence of speaking in unknown tongues became … foundational…’

Nowhere does the New Testament refer to ‘unknown tongues’ (plural) but only to an unknown tongue (singular).

The meaning of spoken ‘tongues’ (as opposed to fiery ones) always refers to known languages, the definition being well-established in the book of Acts. Being able to interpret languages for others to hear God’s word, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14, is profitable.

By contrast, speaking in an unknown tongue is of no value to the church (v4); of no value to anyone unless it becomes known (v13); is unfruitful for our minds (v14). The gift of speaking and interpreting known languages, Paul clearly states, has a place in the Church and especially for the early Church which did not yet have the whole canon of Scripture. Speaking in an unknown tongue, he warns against.

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20

JUNE 2013

The media and the message If you are reading this article on the back page of the Eternity newspaper, don’t assume everyone else is too. In our global media age, the same ‘content’ turns up in many mediums (or should I say, media). The same piece of creative work can be published online—instantly giving it a global potential audience. It will be quoted in tweets and on Facebook, even read out loud by auto-reader apps on smartphones and tablets.

In 1964, Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan told us that “the medium is the message”, and this prescient insight has become even more significant and complex since the internet revolution. The way you receive information has some impact on what it means to you. The simplest way to grasp this is to think of a favourite book that has been turned into a movie (as I write, Baz Luhrmann’s film adapation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, is hitting the screen). Everyone has an opinion on whether the book or the movie is better, whether one was ‘faithful’ to the other, and whether they ‘changed the story’. The two different media—books and films—generate different meanings and experiences,

because they are surrounded by different social conditions (e.g. communal theatres versus alone in the armchair, over two hours or ten hours) and appeal to different senses.

This is very important when we consider Bible engagement. The different Bible media will generate different meanings and experiences of Scripture for the reader. If you read one of Paul’s letters, you are very likely to experience different emphases and understanding than if you hear it read aloud. If you sing a psalm, the experience is quite different to reading it silently to yourself.

This variety is not a bad thing, but it does warrant reflection.

I am often told that people worry that the digital age is turning Bible reading into ‘data gathering’. The very fact that we can click on links to more information while we are reading the Bible on

RICHARD CHIN AL STEWART

h • Director, The Geneva Pus • MTS Apprenticeship at UNSW, 1983-1984

hip

• Director, Australian Fellows of Evangelical Students • MTS Apprenticeship at UNSW, 1988-1989

D ADERS ALL STARTE THES E GOSPEL LE APPRENTICES. OUT AS MINISTRY

JANE TOOHER

• Lecturer at Moore College & Director of the Priscilla & Aquila Centre • MTS Apprenticeship at St Matthias Anglican, Centennial Park & UNSW 1989-1991

JODIE MCNEILL

• Senior Minister, Oak Flats Anglican • Founded Year 13 Youthworks Gap Year • MTS Apprenticeship at St Ives Anglican Church, 1995-1996

... people worry that the digital our smartphones can encourage us to age is treat Bible reading like a scavenger hunt. We zip back and forth checking turning out different references and themes, getting increasingly distracted from the Bible text itself. Others are concerned that receiving messages through a screen reading is less cognitively effective than from into ‘data’ a page, but it’s a little early to pass judgement on that because the social psychologists are still looking into it. gathering.

Many people fear our obsession with the ‘visual’ is overwhelming our capacity for the ‘rational’. This academic concern meets the real world when a youth group leader feels he can’t get the kids interested in Bible study unless there is a funky video involved. Some decades ago, French Catholic sociologist Jacques Ellul wrote that the ‘word’ was being humiliated by the power of the image, and this would lead to idolatry. It’s a

Andres Rodriguez

Greg Clarke

persuasive argument, but there must be a way to harness the image’s power in service of the message; the medium need not overwhelm the message.

Not all language groups have the privilege of receiving the Bible in different media. But those of us who do need to be thoughtful about developing the best media for particular kinds of Bible engagement. For a short devotional focus on a few verses or reading short-form genres such as poetry and proverbs, mobile devices seem to work incredibly well (as witnessed by the success of Bible Society’s ‘Live Light in 25 Words’ campaign).

For deep study of biblical languages, computer-based learning seems to be invaluable. I’m still pondering what the best medium is for receiving apocalyptic literature. With its visual symbolism and episodic events, could it be the graphic novel?

But for treating the Bible as prose— histories, narratives, gospels, letters—I can’t help feeling that the good old printed book has a lot of life left in it.

For the experience of moving from the beginning to the end of a story, for following an unfolding argument, and for not getting distracted but immersing yourself fully in the world of the text for a significant period of time, I think we’ll be grabbing our ‘hard copies’ from the shelf for a while yet.

Greg Clarke is CEO of Bible Society Australia

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