Growth, Sept 2010

Edition 27

Connecting Christadelphian Young People

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The Vine is published quarterly by the Sydney Christadelphian Young People (SCYP) CoordinatorS Katie Thurlby Tim Mogg Editorial Team Katie Thurlby, Tim Mogg, Chrissy Mogg and Samee Lapham LAYOUT/DESIGN Samee Lapham MASTHEAD DESIGN Alisa Thompson Contributors WRITERS (in order of appearance): Paul Morgan, Sam O'Toole, Sam Collins, Tim Mogg, Katie Thurlby, Joel Hillman, Lauren Armes (QLD), Beth Errington (QLD), Nick Morgan, Julia Gaston (UK), Barnaby Nicholls (UK), Nerida O'Neill, Jon & Ros Dawson, Jess Collins, Sally Gould, Lukas Shields, Sharniie Kirkwood PHOTOGRAPHY: Simon Joshua Peel (UK, p3-9, 19, 28, 30), Luke Thurlby (p20) Sam O'Toole (p14-15), Joel Hillman (p1415), Tim Mogg (p14-15), Josh & Sarah Sawell (QLD, p16-17) COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Katie Thurlby The Vine is published to the Glory of our Heavenly Father, through whom all things are made possible.

Opinions expressed in The Vine are the authors’ and are not neccessarily held by the Editorial Team or the SCYP. All Bible quotations are from the New International Version (1978) unless otherwise stated. e: thevine@scyp.net web: www.scyp.net/thevine.php

ere we are again, another fresh edition of The Vine. This time we are thinking about growth, and with pun definitely intended, The Vine could have branched out in many different directions thinking about the theme of Growth. Growth is all around us, and if we let it, also within us. We grow up, grow closer to our friends, grow old, watch the grass grow, as we wait the anticipation grows, we grow tired, grow excited and we worry about ‘financial growth’; you get the idea.

Biblically there are dozens of examples and lessons to be drawn from all things growth. Think of the the Creation in Genesis, the fresh olive branch brought to Noah by a dove, the plant that sheltered Jonah. We remember Jesus’ parables of the wheat and the tares, the parable of the sower (It should really be known as ‘The Parable of the Plants that Grew’) and don’t forget the fruits of the spirit.

When I was younger I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Thinking about it now I’m still not sure. How do you decide what you want to be when you grow up? And how do you know when you have reached the milestone of ‘grown up’?

We put so much thought into growth, yet Jesus said in Matt18:3, 'Unless you are converted and become as little children you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven'. In Hebrews 5:13-14 the ecclesia is exhorted to grow up and not be like babies, but become mature and eat solid food.

Growth is a tricky business. You may be concerned about growth of the garden variety, or it may be physical, personal, material or spiritual growth that gets you thinking. This edition has lots of food for thought.

As spring rolls around again and the world bursts into life I pray that this edition helps you to be firmly planted in God’s word.

God bless, Tim

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veryone grows at different rates for different reasons, based on our own life experiences, and these are unique to each of us.”

Whilst this may be stating the obvious, some may really need to hear it.... ”Everyone IS different”.

So there is no correct timetable or level based on your age, or number of years since your baptism, or whether you are yet to consider baptism. It is important that we grow, as this allows us to have a better understanding of others, their experiences and needs, and to have a more Christ-like attitude.

As we go through our lives and are confronted by different people everywhere we go, we need to learn to accept people as they are and realise that everyone is unique.

What is not different though is the fact that we all need God in our lives because He knows our spiritual needs and will guide us in the ways that feed us.

A definition of 'spiritual growth' is found in the words of 2 Peter 1:3-8. 'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

Spiritual growth is about recognising all the things that God has done and continues to do for us. It is also about recognising Jesus' life and his sacrifice and how that allows us to escape this world.

Finally, spiritual growth is about converting our knowledge into action by responding to God, and following Jesus’ example so that we may be fruitful. In other words, become more like Jesus Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, 'Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.' Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what it truly means to be spiritual.

Learning how to grow spiritually is a life-long journey which occurs as we read and apply God's Word to our lives.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches us, 'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.' In order for spiritual growth to occur, we must be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained by God's Word. Then we will be thoroughly equipped for every situation. This is the key to spiritual growth.

The best example of spiritual growth is Jesus life as he read God’s Word and grew in the community and got involved in the needs of those around him.

Jesus knew God's will as a boy of 12 and grew spiritually as he debated truth in the Temple courts where he stayed behind after the Feast of the Passover to listen to the teachers and ask them questions (Luke 2:41-52). It was totally natural for Jesus to spend his time stretching his understanding and learning to become closer to his Father. We too experience growth as we debate truths in our minds and with others as we seek

real understanding.

At Jesus baptism, when John dipped him in the Jordan as recorded in Matt 3:13-17 God blessed him with His Spirit to be able to carry out the work he had planned for him to do. As part of the family of God, through Jesus, we are blessed with that same spirit. Gal 5:22 lists the effects of this spirit. They are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Many years ago a number of us had weekly prayer meetings to share the burdens and joys we had experienced through prayer, with each other in God's presence. At first everyone was hesitant to speak out loud especially if we were a bit embarrassed by our burdens. As time passed we learned to accept and trust each other because we realised that we all needed help and were all so tiny compared to God and His plan for the world. The more we prayed, the more sensitive we became to each others’ needs, the more we could serve and provide for each other out of loving concern. With the power of God, and by following Jesus example

we can help to make each other’s burdens lighter!

As we grow, we start to “walk in the light” or “walk in the spirit” as Paul reminds us in his letters to the Ecclesias such as Galatians 5:16-18, 24-26, which explains that we keep in step with the Spirit and not become conceited. .Walking in the spirit is allowing Him to fill us (Ephesians 5:18), control us, and guide us. Ephesians 4:1 says, '…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.'

It is a life-long project !

Remember Galatians 5:22-23; 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law.'

If our lives are focused on growing this good fruit we may be certain that spiritual growth is occurring in our life.

Paul Morgan

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Consumerism, Capitalism

ere is a story...

The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.“ But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.

Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' (Luke12:15-20) Why do we have so much stuff? And how do we deal with the feeling of always wanting more?

There are only two real reasons that we buy things. Either we need it, or we want it.

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It’s that simple. The hard part is figuring out the difference between want and need. Looking at my life I have much more than the food, water, clothes and shelter that keeps me living and breathing.

We are very good at convincing ourselves that the things we want are actually things we need. Take a new car for example. I always used to say, “My car is hopeless, I need a new one”, but did I really? It’s pretty easy to find problems with what you have, and use this to justify getting something better. Looking around, it seems pretty normal to want more. Everyone else has more than you. Your cousin got the new iPhone, your mate has a cool bike, and your sister is always buying new clothes. But if you are always looking at others you will never be satisfied with what you have.

On a global scale, the fact that the entire world is being driven to make more money and buy more stuff has led to many problems. It has led to the GFC, oil spills, underpaid and underprivileged workers, wars, famine, pollution and all this is leading to an unsustainable future. The world cannot continue as it is forever. Man thinks that it will solve all of these problems, but they will be solved at some unknown time, in the future.

Until then we just keep digging.

It won’t be long until all of the oil wells are dry, and the mines have hit rock bottom.

I am a mechanic for the mining industry, and sometimes I have felt so sad that it is my job to keep the machines, that are destroying the world, running.

Work is something that you have to do if you want to pay your rent and eat. Some people I work with want more than this. They work massive hours of overtime, not because they have any goals in their life, but because they want more money in their bank accounts.

They get promotions because they want more money; they sacrifice their social lives because they want more money; they spend their whole lives making more money. I see other people at my work who are in the same kind of job and have the same opportunities, but they are much happier and friendly because they are satisfied with what they have.

Seeing these different people has shaped my own decisions about money. I know that money itself is not bad. Money and possessions can be used to do good things. Proverbs 3 is all about how following God’s ways leads to prosperity. All throughout the Old Testament when God was happy with Israel they would be fruitful and prosper. This is not to say that people who aren’t prospering aren’t OK with God; God is saddened to see people suffering.

God sent his Son so that one day poverty, inequality and greed will end.

In the meantime we are still faced with choices.

We live in a consumerist society. But we don’t just consume, we gobble and scoff until there is nothing left. Consumerism has replaced ‘want’ with ‘need’ and this is where it gets messy. We end up with things that we don’t need, and neglect the things that we do.

Imagine being so focused on wants that you forget the things you need. It’s like rushing to the supermarket with $10 meaning to buy toilet paper and milk, but leaving the checkout with a car magazine and a V. It’s exciting for a little while, but when you get home the buzz will wear off, and you will be in deep trouble.

The key to understanding the difference between a want and a need is about recognising motivation. If we ‘need’ something because it will make us look better or appear cooler then it is probably only a pretend need.

If we work hard with a Godly focus then we don’t have to worry about wants or needs.

Jesus explains it better than I can.

Jesus said ... 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his Kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.' Luke 12:22-31 Sam O’Toole

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ove watching plants grow. i find it really exciting and fascinating to plant a seed, watch it sprout and continue to watch it transform into a beautiful, full size plant. i’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by plants almost as long as i can remember. in fact, i am confident that gardening is actually in my blood – my dad’s parents used to own and run a nursery, and my mum's parents used to own a lavender farm. like my grandparents, i have also chosen to jump into the gardening industry. i’ve worked in a retail nursery since i was 14, and i’m now almost a qualified horticulturalist. Yes, i know that word is a bit of a mouthful, and i find that 47% of people generally don’t even know what it is. in simple terms i am a gardener, a trained gardener. i’ve always known and understood that plants are pretty similar to us humans in the way we grow, and the things we require to grow. things such as light, water, food, correct temperature and nutrients are all essential. it wasn’t until recently though that i realised how similar our spiritual growth is compared to the growth of plants. i went to Vanuatu last month, and met a young guy called tom. We met in a park by the water in Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila. it turned out that tom knew his bible really well, and we were enjoying chatting about our favourite verses, while discussing what

we both believe. tom studies art at uni, and as expected, he has a very artistic mind. He loves to draw things to help illustrate what the bible means, and was really excited about sharing a particular illustration with me. as we were flicking through the bible, John 3:30 came up. the new King James version reads ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’ (these are the words of John the baptist speaking of Jesus). i must admit that at first, i didn’t fully understand what this verse was saying, and couldn’t fathom why tom loved it so much. i couldn’t get it – How can we possibly decrease for Jesus to increase?

Wouldn’t we as believers have to increase for Jesus to increase? tom noticed my confusion, and patiently showed me what he thought, by drawing this exact picture (left) tom knew i loved plants, so he knew that i’d be able to relate to this drawing. in this picture, Jesus is the plant that is seen above the ground, and we are the roots. the soil which the roots grow in represent the Word of God. So, in this picture, for Jesus to grow taller and become bigger in our lives, we must decrease by growing deeper and setting our roots further in God’s Word. to an outsider, roots cannot be seen while the plant is growing.

John recognised that Jesus was more important than he was. He knew that for Jesus to increase, his efforts needed to go into things that did not give him glory, but

glorified Jesus. one of the functions of plants' roots are to hold them up and provide them with stability. if we spread our roots deep within God’s Word, we have more chance of holding firm, and not stumbling when temptation arises. as we grow in God’s Word, we can glorify Jesus in our lives a lot more. this is just like any plant – the bigger the root system, the larger the plant. life for us is all about glorifying God and Jesus and being humble in all that we do. looking at tom’s drawing, try and visualise the roots growing upwards in the same direction as the plant. it’s really not possible for the plant to grow with the roots in the air. if a plant's roots start growing towards the sky, the plant will die (it took 3 years of taFE for me to learn that). the roots need to be set firmly in the ground to absorb nutrients, water, and to give the plant stability. our spiritual life is the same. if we don’t set our roots firmly within God’s Word, Jesus can’t increase in our lives. there are a few other metaphors which i’m sure you could paint looking at this picture. i find it amazing how much we can learn and draw out of such a short verse. thanks tom!

Sam Collins

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hy do gardens make us happy?

Why is it that a garden is a nice place to be? Gardens played a big part in the bible story. God walked in the garden in the cool of the evening in Genesis, and Jesus prayed in Gethsemane at the end of his mortal life.

Virtually every major building and public place has a garden. But why do we like them? They’re just a bunch of plants.

You may say that people are drawn to gardens because they are hungry. I can understand this.

With a food garden you put in effort and it pays dividends in the form of fresh delicious fruits and vegetables. There is nothing better than eating ‘home grown’!

A garden can give back. Tomatoes, carrots, beans and herbs are the most popular, but the sky’s the limit to the types of things you can grow.

But what about all the gardens that take up time and effort without any prospect of a tasty tomato, or crunchy apple as a final reward?

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Even if a garden is fruitless it can still be fruitful. Here are just a few reasons why green is good.

1. Nice things are nice.

Compared to the work of man God’s designs, colours and constructions are amazing. No matter how expensive a painting of some lilies in a pond may be, it will never match the beauty of the real thing.

2. A garden allows us to experience change in our environment.

In Winter the trees are bare and before you know it spring has sprung and fresh green buds are shooting up. Imagine if the entire world never changed at all! In a garden, if you are observant enough you can see small changes every day. A new flower opening here, or a nibbled leaf over there.

3. It feels good.

The roughness of a pine tree or the smoothness of a gum tree trunk, or just lying on the grass with the sun on your face. It doesn’t need explanation. It just feels good.

4. Input equals output.

You may spend your ‘nine tilfive’ feeling as though you are not achieving anything, but in the garden even an hour of weeding shows results, and with time you literally reap what you sow.

5. It’s good for your health.

Any activity that involves gentle exercise, and encourages you to eat more vegetables and fruits is just what the doctor ordered.

If you are don’t have access to a garden there is lots of research showing that indoor plants are really good for you too! Indoor plants have been shown to lower blood pressure, improve reaction times, increase attentiveness, improve productivity and lower anxiety. Scientists do not know exactly why plants have these effects, but the effects certainly do exist.

A study by Kansas State University, randomly assigned patients recovering from appendectomies to hospital rooms with or without plants during their postoperative recovery. Patients in the rooms

with plants used less pain medication, had lower blood pressure and reported less anxiety and fatigue than those stuck in a sterile, nature-free environment.

Laughter may be the best medicine, but leafy foliage, it seems, is not far behind.

It may be the visual distraction and novelty of plants, caring for something, perceived control, improved air quality, a combination of these factors, or something totally different.

However the bottom line remains, having plants around is a good thing for your health and productivity. So, if you're feeling stressed or inefficient at work, school or home get a plant. You might just feel better.

Tim Mogg

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1. Clean up your old thoughts. This means old jealousies, angers, hurts, conversations, grudges and ideas. Give them the old heave-ho.

2. D on’t leave your mind empty for those negative thoughts to creep back in. Start practising positive thinking, clean up your attitude and make room for some patience, understanding and compassion.

3. Lighten up. Take things with a grain of salt. You are in charge of your own mind but God has to listen in too! So decide to fill your mind with happy thoughts, thanksgiving, laughter and fun.

4. Re-evaluate your perspective, opinions and beliefs. How have you changed in the last year? What has changed in your life? Has this changed the way you think and feel about various topics?

5. Ever wondered why women need to talk about everything?

Verbalisation of your thoughts can actually help to increase your sense of personal well-being and help you to sort out issues in your mind. If you are feeling stressed or depressed, find someone to talk to about whatever is on your mind. Anyone from a friend to a psychologist depending on the problem.

1. Healthy doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Cooking and eating fresh food rather than packaged foods is the most important thing. Don’t eat what you can’t read; if you eat packaged foods make sure you can read and understand everything that appears on the label. Drink plenty of water and if you crave more taste add a dash of fruit juice, or squeeze of lemon.

2. Exercise. I know, I know you’ve heard it a million times but it really does make a difference. Start by just going for a walk and gradually work up to something more strenuous. Or better yet, start something like yoga which works your body hard but feels relaxing!

3. Look after your skin, this one is for the boys too. Summer is on its way and that means tanning – skin cells in trauma! So remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap and moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

4. Take a few minutes each day to practise deep breathing or alternate nasal breathing. These types of physical meditative techniques are a great time to pray. Studies show that meditational breathing is beneficial for physical, mental and spiritual well-being. After all, breath is life and we are alive thanks to the Breath of Life!

5. Eat slowly and enjoy your food. Why don’t French women get fat?

Because they eat slowly, savouring each bite to allow their food to reach their stomachs and avoid overeating.

1. Get back to reading your Bible. If the Winter season has got you in a rut, get back to reading with just a few verses a day. You can download the Bible for your iPod or iPhone and read or listen to some anytime, anywhere. If you are always struggling to remember, try leaving your Bible open on your desk, you are much more likely to read it than if it is out of sight out of mind.

2. Listen to some Christian music. Music touches our soul in a unique way and can be the catalyst to waking up your sleeping spiritual life.

3. Start a casual Bible study group with friends. Sometimes we go through stages where we aren’t getting much out of listening to talks or reading alone. Having a casual chat with friends about a passage or topic might just kick-start your enthusiasm.

4. Pray through conversation. Prayer doesn’t have to be a formal, lengthy process. We can talk to God and Jesus anytime, anywhere. If you are trying to make a decision, be it small or great, if you are happy or sad, worried or confused just talk to them, they are waiting.

5. T ake a few minutes to see God. At sometime in the day just stop for a second and think of something, someone or somewhere you’ve seen Him alive and working today.

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1. Clean the clutter. Winter means more time indoors which means more time to accumulate clutter and rubbish, get it under control and you’ll have more time and energy to spend on better things.

2. Re-evaluate your possessions. Do you really need all this stuff? Go through it all and sort into four piles; keep, throw away, give away or sell. If you haven’t used it in two years it is not very likely you will ever use it again.

3. Reorganise – it’s all very well and good to get rid of stuff, but how you organise the stuff you keep will determine how quickly the junk piles up again!

4. Make home homely – home is where the heart is so surround yourself with things of the heart.

5. Get back to nature – get gardening, grow some vegetables or herbs or just find a place at home where you can enjoy the sunshine.

1. Stop and smell the roses. Take things a bit slower, close your eyes and enjoy the moments God gives.

2. Go to the ocean or the countryside and breathe in the fresh air!

3. Smile, laugh, cry, sing, and dance – your heart will thank you.

4. Find something you love and do it.

5. Enjoy the person you are, God made you that way and He loves you so don’t insult his creative ability.

1. Make contact with some friends you’ve lost touch with. Find out what they’ve been up to, ask them how they are and spend some quality time.

2. Get out of the house and organise an outing, picnic or dinner party and welcome in the warm weather together.

3. Do something nice for your family and show them what they mean to you.

4. Volunteer to help a charity or outreach project to help foster new relationships.

5. Take some time out with that special someone to just be together and remember what you mean to each other.

Katie Thurlby

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his August Camp was at a fantastic new venue, hidden away in picturesque Ingleside in a little place called Camp Kedron. To be truthful, I’d never heard of Ingleside, so maybe it's not actually that picturesque. This smallish, but very comfortable lodge was enveloped by green mountains and a bubbling stream (which was quite exceptionally cold).

The Friday night was a night of extreme, large games, including super-sized playing cards, and some kind of bouncing tube game, involving a small amount of running and bumping into each other.

We awoke the next morning to the dulcet tones of John ‘The Rat’ Denmeister (et al) on August Camp FM, playing classic Christian music, and the call to a most excellent breakfast – including a ‘vegetarian’ porridge.

Go figure.

The two speakers, Jono and Steve Russell supplemented each other perfectly, talking about leadership, how and why it’s of importance – and how you don’t have to be standing on a stage or calling the shots to be a leader.

After the first two talks there was some serious discussion group-ing going on, with a random, but quite friendly dog named Kevin, who apparently didn’t belong to anyone (“Is that your dog?” asks the owner of the camp).

Saturday night heralded some epic playing of music, some quiet piano pieces, and some seriously cool jamming – accompanied by Leesh and Phil’s delectable coffees, it made for an all round excellent night, with a short meditation to tie it off.

Apparently there was some serious revamping of the venue since SCYP’s last visit, including the transformation of the oubliette-like (exposed bed-rock and all) lowest floor into a billiards-slash-pool-and-just-general-chillout room (with a wall painting that simply defied comprehension), which occupied many an hour of free time (the room and the mind-bending painting).

Sunday morning brought two more excellent talks, and some hail which started in a pretty awesome way at the end of the meeting, bookended by seriously heavy rain – which saw a few people scramble out of the meeting to move their goods out of the icy deluge.

But probably most important of all, we learned that it was indeed, a mime.

Joel Hillman

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f someone gave you a lottery ticket for a million dollars, to be drawn in twelve months time – would it change the way you live your life today? Naturally, you’d be sceptical, and more than likely you’d only believe it if it happened.

You’d probably even doubt the chances of it entirely. That’s the world’s idea of hope.

What if someone gave you a cheque for a million dollars, which you could draw upon in twelve months time? One million bucks, guaranteed. Would you live every moment leading up to that day, like a millionaire?! You bet. That’s God’s idea of hope.

This was just one poignant analogy that Bro. Peter Knowles shared with us at Brisbane August Camp. What was he getting at? Well… as it says in Hebrews 13:8, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever’.

Jesus Christ was a real man, as is our hope in His return, and it’s what helps us to overcome our trials today and in the future. We know there’s something better. We know Jesus is coming back and we can see His Kingdom in our own unique vision.

While we struggle in this life with the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life – Peter gave us three amazing weapons for our defence: faith, hope, love. He also encouraged us to use the word of God like a piercing dagger, to combat sin with one swift movement.

Peter reminded us that Jesus Christ is our life, and that we must serve Him in all aspects of our lives with transparency, and in thankfulness.

‘When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory’ Col 3:4.

Lauren Armes

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rowing up can be a hard thing. Some people mature early, and others don’t ever seem to grow up!

Some can’t wait to grow up and so they try to act older then they are. Do you remember when you were five, dressing up in your mum's old clothes, complete with pearls and high-heels? And it’s not at all rare to see a twelve year old girl dressing like she’s much older, with the make-up and the hair and the latest trendy clothes.

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Others don’t seem to want to grow up. We all know someone who just hasn’t matured yet, even though they should have years ago. It could be that guy in your class who’s always mucking around to get attention, or even your Dad, who just never seems to know when it’s inappropriate to tell a joke. Did you note that both examples were of the male persuasion?

But it eventually happens to everyone. Timing isn’t so much of an issue, but what is important is the direction we grow in. It’s hard to grow in the right direction – God’s direction – without a good, solid foundation.

Living with a family that loves God can be so helpful in our journey to the Kingdom. For example; when you’ve moved out of home, how much easier is it for you to do the readings everyday when that is what you’ve done your whole life?

A baby, in the early stages of their life, needs to feed frequently.

Much more so than an adult.

(Eden seems to eat way more

than her Daddy, and that’s saying something!) We, as Christians still young in our faith, also need to eat regularly. We need to read the Bible, go to all the SCYP activities and immerse ourselves in ecclesial life. It’s these things that will help us to mature and grow to be like Jesus.

Kids always seem to know what they want to be when they grow up. “When I grow up, I want to be a teacher.”; “…I want to be a truck-driver.”; “… fireman.”; “…ballerina.” Jesus knew what he wanted to be when he “grew up”.

He wanted to be like his Father.

Eph 4:15 tells us, 'Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.' And Peter, in his second letter writes, '…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'

(2 Pet 3:18) Remember, growing can be difficult, but as long as we're looking to God and Jesus, we’ll get there in the end!

Beth Errington

'the BIG picture' Sometimes I feel like writing when I’ve nothing to write.

Feel like singing with nothing to sing Feel like feeling with nothing to feel.

They’re the times when I lie awake at night.

I wonder at the day, and the days passing by and try to make sense of life and time and why I lie awake at nights.

I’m staring at a big picture, but I can never take it in.

Like I can’t stand back far enough to see the picture full.

So I move my eyes left and right, trying to begin to piece together pieces of my life’s strange push and pull.

But it’s impossible. Too many colours, too many threads With strangers and friends crowding different scenes.

I’m looking for my story, but instead I see a mess of pasts and futures and other things lying somewhere in between.

I’ll never know my ending. I don’t know where I began.

Ha. I think I’m so blind at times I rarely see the middle!

But still I squint to glimpse the whole frame as if I can.

But the more I look the more I’m lost in my picture’s blurry riddle.

So I’ll go it blind. And you know, I’m totally fine with that.

I’m in a place now where I know exactly were it’s at.

See, there’s a picture on the wall that hangs there next to mine.

It’s not my own, it’s not a painting of me; but strangely that’s just fine.

It’s someone else’s painting; it’s beautiful - divine.

And as I stare, I become aware that this picture has no time.

There’s a boy that sits bottom right, and where others - dressed in clothes pure white are all looking another way, this boy he stares straight out at me; his eyes smile familiarly As if there’s something he wants to say.

And then I finally realise.

Though strangely, it doesn’t come as a surprise but as I look in his bright, clear eyes, I see that the boy is me.

And though that picture’s not my picture, and it’s glory is not my glory, I’m so so glad I’m in that frame, Even though that painting doesn’t bear my name.

I know now without a doubt: I’m in someone else’s story.

Nick Morgan

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YOUTH OVERSEAS

bunch of young Christadelphians in the UK make up the band ‘Fisher’s Tale’. They are the UK’s one and only Christadelphian contemporary Christian Rock band.

Fisher’s Tale have just produced their third album ‘United Song’, reportedly their best so far.

Fisher's Tale is made up of: Abbie – Lead Vocals - Florist, loves designing stuff Jo – Backing Vocals - Physiotherapist, loves teaching Sunday School Adrian – Lead Guitar - Energy Efficiency Advisor, enjoys keeping fish Nat – Rhythm Guitar - Town Planning Officer, likes family history research Darren – Drums - Runs own window cleaning business, funny voices man Sim – Bass - Electrical engineer, loves DIY Pete – Keyboards - Electrical engineer, rides unicycles

What kind of music do you play?

Sim: In the main, soulful, melodic rock. But we have been known to dabble a bit in folk & country too.

How long have you been together?

Pete: The group as it stands now has been together for 9 years. In that time we have produced 3 albums. Before that Fishers Tale has existed in various forms since 1993.

What has kept you going so long?

Darren: We are a group of mutually driven people. We inspire each other musically and spiritually and gel together really well. It’s amazing to be able to combine our passion and skill in this way for God. We love what we do (yes, even the tiring, sometimes frustrating rehearsals).

Who writes your stuff?

Pete: It’s a combined effort, everyone has a go.

Abbie and Nat particularly bring a lot of ideas.

Sometimes someone will bring a melody line, some words or chords and we’ll develop it together. Or sometimes someone will bring a whole song idea and we’ll go from there.

What are your songs about?

Abbie: Living a life following Jesus has its beautiful moments and also its challenging lows and we cover both in our songs but always try to leave people feeling uplifted in God. What was the last gig you did and what was it like?

Darren: The last gig we did was a lunch for our new album ‘United Song’ in Solihull near Birmingham.

Adrian: It was brilliant! We had a huge school hall full of people who we got up and dancing by the end. We played all 12 of our new songs

plus 12 favourites from our previous albums and brought in a group of backing vocalists to fill out the harmonies, plus live trumpet and saxophone. We’re lucky to have friends who could help us out with things like ticketing, filming, sound and lighting so it was really professional.

Who’s your new album aimed at?

Jo & Abbie: Everyone! It will appeal to both Christians and non-Christians. There is a wide variety of musical styles on this album so it will suit many musical preferences. It’s an album you can listen intently to and be moved by but also an easy listening album which you can sing to as you drive along.

What is Fishers Tale main goal? What is your mission?

Sim: To provide a wholesome alternative to modern music Nat: To reach hearts and minds – to connect with people Abbie: To show people the importance of having God in their lives and to choose truth

although at times it can be hard but in the end it’s so beautiful and we will live together with God. Event: BBQ & Fishers Tale UK Album Launch DVD on the big screen Date: 2nd October Time: 6pm – before SCYP Class If you would like a CD please talk to Sally Thompson at SCYP (sallymt@gmail.com) or order via Paypal on the Fisher's Tale website.

Julia Gaston

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CD ReviewS

obyMac has cultivated a reputation as the Christian version of the Gorillaz, in that he is an artist capable of working with a variety of guests, putting together albums featuring a vibrant patchwork of styles that display his musical versatility.

None of his albums typified this approach so much as 2007’s Portable Sounds – theoretically one of the great Christian R&B albums, in truth it displayed musical influences as diverse as reggae, rap, hip-hop, poprock, and soul. Portable Sounds did more than expose Toby McKeehan’s wide range of tastes, however. It firmly established him as a contemporary genius capable of reaching beyond his traditional rap-rock audience to embrace the wider listening public.

How to follow such brilliance?

Tonight probably isn’t the release fans were hoping for, no matter how commercially successful it’s been. Spending seven nonconsecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Christian chart, Tonight is TobyMac’s highest-selling album in the U.S.A. (it sold 79,000 in its first week). Despite that success, Tonight is missing the edge of its predecessor, and it’s a mixed effort. Fan or not, you’ll find plenty to like, love, and loathe here.

The album opens with two pop-rock by-numbers that fill the listener with trepidation. Both try to get some energy across, but they sound tired. TobyMac’s lucky that the third song is catchy enough to stop you ejecting the disc and throwing it across the room – a shame then, that ‘Funky Jesus Music’ doesn’t seem to be about anything more than the

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Christian music scene in general.

There’s more to underwhelm you – ‘Hold On’ is a good enough tune, (although it doesn’t do anything new and features that awful auto-tune we were all sick of years ago) while TobyMac gains marks for audacity and loses marks for poor execution with the use of a Bon Jovi-esque talkbox in the catchy but light pop-rock ‘Hey Devil’.

‘City On Our Knees’ is the first song that combines some decent music with lyrical depth, a slowburning pop tune with some beautiful melodies and a laid-back beat. ‘Showstopper’ continues the drive – unlike the opening two tracks, it’s a simple rap-rock song that expresses and gives energy to the listener. Unfortunately, it’s about nothing more than being “the showstopper/the jaw dropper/the big popper” – with lyrics like that, it’s embarrassing to admit you spent 3 minutes of your life on it, but it surprisingly works because it doesn’t pretend to be about anything more than the energy.

Often, however, the big Mac gets it totally right. ‘Changed Forever’ is a true return to form, and it’s definitely worth a listen – the mix of pop hooks (delivered

by Nirva Ready), rap-rock and a middle eastern-sounding sample show the creativity for which TobyMac is renowned. ‘Wonderin’, featuring Relient K singer Matthew Thiessen, is a chilled-out song that beautifully captures all the doubts a Christian may face about putting faith into practice and staying strong. The brassy latin-influenced ‘Start Somewhere’ is all about getting on the right track, and takes its musical cues from Carlos Santana.

But, alas, the run of good songs does not continue to the very end.

The closer (and unlucky thirteenth track) ‘Break Open the Sky’ is a halfbaked obligatory reggae number about the second coming that makes you wish TobyMac had decided to leave it at 12 tracks and call it a day. Actually, make that 11 tracks – it’s infuriating how he feels the need to bring on his son (known as TruDog – ouch) for a little gangsta-rap called ‘Loud ‘N’ Clear’. TruDog, I appreciate your lyrical flow, but go and do your maths homework. That being said, it’s nice that TobyMac feels able to take his kids to work.

It is a shame that some of the best songs lyrically aren’t served up with the good music they deserve, while some of the most

vibrant musical arrangements here accompany some pretty shallow lyrics (I’m looking at you, ‘Showstopper’ and ‘Funky Jesus Music’). But there’s still much here that is deserving of our time, money, and appreciation. There are a few tracks you wish weren’t there at all, but overall it’s a strong album from one of Contemporary Christian Music’s strongest performers. It’s not amazingly fresh – but when TobyMac gets it right, it really clicks into place.

ercyMe have a reputation as one of the most prolific Contemporary Christian acts, having released six studio albums between 2001 and 2007 – almost one for each year. Their seventh LP, The Generous Mr. Lovewell, follows their previous by a more normal two and a half years. Keeping that in mind, does this show the results of extra care – is it worth the longer wait? The answer is ultimately a not-completelyemphatic yes, with the songs doing enough to retain old fans and get a new audience onboard the MercyMe bandwagon.

The first few songs suggest that the delay was due to a desire to push out in new musical directions. Experimentation begins with opener This Life – a bouncy song that is at first (ironically, given the title) lifeless.

The song really takes off when MercyMe go radical, with an excellent utilisation of a Bon Jovi-esque talkbox, a piece of equipment that manipulates the guitar with the user’s vocal chords.

The title track is lyrically excellent, delivering the album’s key message via a cheesy piece of fiction that encourages all to live in a way that reflects Jesus’ spirit of constant generosity. But the impact is perhaps less than it might otherwise have been, thanks to musical backing that is as light as they could have gone without going acoustic – to compare with the general music scene, its clichéd pop-bop is direct from the songbooks of Take That or Boyzone. That being said, it’s quite fun and incredibly catchy, so personal taste may dictate whether

or not they get away with it.

The experimentation ends with the fast-paced hand-clap stomp of Move (which features muscled guitar riffs and autotune). After the aforementioned, it’s back into classic MercyMe territory. Crazy Enough is the first ballad of the album. Above a gentle drum shuffle and roving bass groove, the lyrics (which are excellent, following the emerging trend – from this point on, assume that each song’s lyrics are first-rate) explore the radical nature of Jesus’ life and what he asks us to do for him – although others may call us crazy. Musically, it doesn’t reach a destination, but the journey is a great laid-back affair that is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon vibe. Back To You is along the same lines, a gentle bass-driven shuffle. These two songs are more musically relaxed than any other to be found here.

Lead single All Of Creation is the first epic. It performs its function well, with a piano-backed verse that’s interesting enough to keep you listening before the stirring guitar-driven chorus kicks in. But the melody is the fuel for All Of Creation’s stratospheric soar. Both the simplest and most powerful melody on the album, it comes across as calculated to effortlessly rouse religious fervour. Only You Remain is of a similar nature, and its execution

is similarly good – but unlike the aforementioned epic, this one can seem to be trying too hard for a blockbuster melody, and some of the vocal lines are beyond the range of front-man Bart Millard.

On a doctrinal note, MercyMe’s beliefs tend towards mainstream Christianity. That’s no big deal here, as (like nearly all good Christian bands) doctrinal issues never dominate and are hinted at only very occasionally. Instead, they sing about emotions and attitudes, with a message that is important for, and relevant to, all believers.

Repeated listens make one thing quite clear – musically, The Generous Mr. Lovewell is generally very good but only rarely achieves greatness, containing several moments of magic that are held back from achieving true perfection (as far as that is possible) by one element. Beautiful is one song that typifies this issue – lyrically it’s great, if a bit standard. Musically, it jogs along nicely until a raw and emotional guitar riff (à la Coldplay’s Fix You) kicks in, elevating the song. But when the other instruments return to the fray, it’s restrained by the drums, which go back to business as usual when they really need some driving power to bring the emotion home. So while Mr. Lovewell fails to deliver on its sky-

high musical potential, it’s worth noting that (a) there’s only one genuine misstep (the ballad ‘Won’t You Be My Love’) and (b) Mr. Lovewell is lyrically excellent and musically very accomplished – still a recipe for a great album.

It’s a shame that the experimentation wasn’t more successful, and that after the first three songs it should be restricted to the occasional synth appearing in the background. That the highlights of the album should come from the largely tried-andtested classic sound is revealing, but it’s a good sign that MercyMe are prepared to incorporate various new styles over the course of this consistently very good album. In the end, it’s up to their fans whether they want to hear new variations of the old MercyMe that they knew and loved. For new listeners, though, this will sound fresh, and serves as a perfect introduction to the uplifting MercyMe sound.

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e would like to share the progress God has blessed us with at the BEC now that we have been open for six months. The Centre has provided another valuable venue for preaching and outreach. There are more regulars coming in for coffee each week despite some original hiccups with the coffee machine! People drop in daily for a chat and a supportive, listening ear. There have been some interesting conversations - many allowing us to talk about our faith and the hope of the Kingdom.

Literature, books and other stock are turning over more frequently. It has been encouraging

to note that some days other brothers and sisters have come in to the BEC to support the Volunteers on duty and have coffee and a chat with them.

On Wednesday nights Moorebank have three regular people attending who have showed consistent interest. Starting with the Learn to Read the Bible Effectively series we continued on to an Overview of the Bible. The Prophecy series is just finishing and seminars on Bible Basics will then take us to the end of the year.

Liverpool Council is running a mosaic class on Mondays making artworks for the Food4Life Garden at Warwick Farm. We provide the venue. Several enthusiastic people from the local community come regularly at 12.30pm creating a busy atmosphere at the BEC and making some great mosaics. They have commented that it is nice to come to a peaceful haven away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

After running two Thursday Kids Craft Mornings in the April and July school holidays we are planning to make them a regular holiday activity through the year. Sis Judy

Trains, cars, blocks and a few dolls are spread out on the floor of the BEC twice a month on Tuesdays for the playgroup. A small group of kids under two enjoy playing with the toys and exploring everything they can reach. Still a bit young for friendships, they play mainly side by side rather than together but the seeds are there for good friendships to develop in the future.

A local mother and son come regularly and it is great to chat to her as we all try to bring up our kids in a Godly way.

Playgroup provides a very low key way of meeting people and introducing the bible to them.

The playgroup is open to all children aged 5 and under and we pray that it will grow in the coming months as word spreads.

Playgroup is on the first and third Tuesdays each month.

Please email Nerida for more information: neridaoneill@aapt.net.au

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Muir is co-coordinating these days and we appreciate her time, effort and resources. The BEC was a hive of activity for children and parents as various craft ideas were worked on – black pen drawings with a colour wash, Noughts and Crosses games, button flowers, maize creations and edible teacups among others. It was exciting to have a local family come in one day in the last holidays.

We hope to have an Art Exhibition as a fundraiser and an activity the local community can get involved in. Anyone happy to help us can either create a picture/artwork and donate it to us to exhibit and sell, or exhibit it and donate 10% of anything that sells to the BEC. Thanks be to God for the opportunity of this project, and thanks to all volunteers for stretching out your love so that it touches those who need it so much. We pray God will bring joy and peace into your lives so that you can pass it on through the BEC. Anyone interested in volunteering or helping in any way can phone Ruth 0488 488 236 or Rosie 0411 292 824 Nerida O'Neill

ext you drop into the liverpool bEC for a chat, or coffee, to support a seminar, or man the shop for a shift; take a peep at the diary. Gradually the diary is building a story of this amazing learning space. the names you read in this diary may one day be found in “the book of life”! Somedays at bEC make you feel as though you are on the “cusp of history” (cliché!) People clutching letters, assignments, x-rays, children, thoughts, sadness, joy, are found paused at the glass, peering at the signs.

“What do you do here?” they say, and with gentle encouragement, if that is your forte, they come inside! What we like about bEC is that it has a specific object: to invite people to the seminars. Most are held out of hours at the bEC or other spaces, but on our day we have three on offer: learn to read the bible Effectively, Conversational English (using the bible as text), and a bible book study, “aCtS” (at the request of the student). at 11am we sit in the shop and do the bible readings, which is a great conversation starter. if visitors have English as their Second language (ESl), they usually jump at the chance to read the bible to us, and from there conversation flows in all directions. We found our being trained for Pastoral Care at Christadelphian Homes a huge help, because anyone who comes through the door is wanting to talk to you! the bEC is a coffee shop! So people who come in do not think you are inconsiderate in asking how their day is going, and then they ask about yours! the “front of house” is a kind of triage station, and we find we get far more than we give from the people who come into the shop. Soon they are invited to look

at the learning space, and we frequently give our invitation to the seminars by a quick run through the PowerPoints, set up ready to go.

People relax, they look at the pictures, they do not feel pressured and they talk about themselves. in the background we play one of the Cds made by our community, and many times we have parents looking for activities for their teenage children, and we are able to tell them that we have world class talent waiting to make their acquaintance. liverpool bEC is a very pleasant place to be. being on the edge of the Cbd it is easy to park for an hour or two outside and come in for a coffee (or tea, or water, or cake!)

John & ros dawson

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BooK Review

ave you ever wondered why Jesus died?

It’s the pivotal event in history, inspiring and awesome. But it’s also hard to understand.

Of course at one level it is easy. By definition a Christian believes that Jesus died for our sins, that he rose again, and that he saves us. Here’s how Paul puts it: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4) And a corresponding statement from Peter; For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Pet 3:18) This is what we might call the doctrine of salvation. It affirms that Jesus is savior – more, that he is my savior – and that his death was key to saving us.

Essentially that is all we need: a childlike acceptance of the provision of God. But we can gain great spiritual benefit in understanding the death of Christ at a much deeper level, in going beyond the basic statement of the doctrine, and in coming to understand how his death brings us to God. Above is an excerpt from the introduction to John Launchburys book, ‘Change us not God’. I ‘borrowed’ this book from my father after he got a copy at Armidale Bible week in 2009, and it has taken me a while to get around to reading it, but I am so glad that I did. I first heard John present these thoughts at the 2005 Brisbane Youth Conference, and as a 17-yearold I found the thoughts challenging, exciting and mind blowing. After the conference my mind was swirling, but I felt that I had a deeper understanding of why Jesus died for me, and what his death means.

Revisiting these thoughts in book form five years later has been just as exciting.

The blurb reads... ”'Change us Not God’ invites you to look behind the metaphors and symbolic language, and consider the underlying perspectives that the Bible itself provides about the death of Christ. It extracts an exciting idea: that the death of Jesus was never about a transaction taking place in heaven with God, but rather that it was intended to have a very real impact on each one of us. It was intended to change us, not God!” ‘Change Us Not God’ is an engaging read and is full

of clear, easy to follow ideas that are supported in-text by hundreds of passages from the NIV. The book is divided into 26 chapters, with themes ranging from ‘Atonement theories’, and ‘Dissecting Substitution’ to ‘Temptations in Life’ and ‘Jesus as Priest’. Each chapter is easily read in 20 minutes and ends with a summary and a few discussion questions, making it a perfect study book for friends to read and study together over a few months. This book is written with so much passion and respect that you cannot help but absorb Launchbury’s enthusiasm for how amazing it is that God gave Jesus to the world.

This book would be a great basis for a regular study with friends on a week night or as a senior Sunday school class. If you have not been to Sunday school lately I strongly suggest you call your friends, grab a copy of this book and leave home an hour earlier on Sundays to discuss this book. As Dr. John Pople of Stanford University is quoted as saying, “It is an enormously important work and will be of great benefit to Christians everywhere.”

Tim Mogg

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Baptism watch

E

ver since the 30th April 2010 I have been insanely, uncontrollably happy. So full of joy and peace. So excited to know that I had really become a child of God and to know that I, Shoshannah Kirkwood am invited to live forever!

Ever since that night a lot of people have asked me a question, What made you do it? What pushed you to finally take that step? There have been a few things, but there was one main reason. Someone had once said to me “Christ may return tomorrow, are you really ready for him?”

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When I got to thinking about it I realised that I wasn't! Sure I knew he was coming back and I had faith in all he did and said, but I hadn’t taken that one step which he had said we all must take.

Hearing this made me realise that I did need to be baptised.

It was a few years ago now that I went on my first big mission trip to Africa. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life; so uplifting and motivating.

I was into the preaching and was super keen to get involved in everything. Ever since then I have gone on many trips to

totally inspiring places. Yet each time I was getting preaching and teaching people about the Good News of the Kingdom of God, I felt hypocritical, because I was telling these people to do something I hadn’t done myself.

So with those things in mind I finally made the best decision of my life, and I was baptised.

One of the most exciting things for me to think about and one of the things I’m looking forward to the most is the feeling of being completely happy. Just to have that eternal happiness inside of me and knowing it will

never fade! I can’t wait to meet my Father and my best friend, to hug both of them and fall at their feet.

To feel the wounds on his hands and feet, the ones that were there to give me the chance to live forever! To sing with angels, with Jesus and others and praise our Father forever. To be able to share my joy with the world and really make a difference in peoples lives.

I can’t wait to live forever with all the people I love. Until that day, God bless you all.

Love Sharniie

BAPTISMS Isaac Pogson (Baringa) BIRTHS Isla Saffron Bowe (Dave & Keturah) WEDDINGS Hui Zheng and Matt Rendell (QLD)

NEW RECIPE BOOK “The Chefs’ Collection”

Come and taste some of the delicious recipes donated by past and present residents.

Only $15

SOUTHHAVEN CAR BOOT SALE When:

Saturday 16th October 9am - 2pm

Where:

Southhaven Nursing Home 11 Queensbury Rd Padstow

Cost:

$35.00 per site

th AUGUST SOON BE QUICK! BOOKINGS CLOSE 15

For bookings and any information please call Bev McGuigan on 97826062 Mob 0435814411 or Katherine Roche Mob 0414260313

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www.scyp.net