Oct 11, Light

Edition 31, October 2011

Connecting Christadelphian Young People

The Vine is published quarterly by the Sydney Christadelphian Young People (SCYP) Coordinator Tim Mogg Editorial Team Tim Mogg, Chrissy Mogg, Samee Lapham, Georgia Muir, Dan Blackwood and Suz O'Toole LAYOUT/DESIGN Samee Lapham Ben Hurn MASTHEAD DESIGN Alisa Thompson Contributors WRITERS (in order of appearance): Ken Camplin, Lizzy Pooley, Ellie Bilton (UK), Lizzy Halliwell, Gordon Gong, Jodie Errington, Nell Saxon, Amanda & Ben Pooley, Barnaby Nicholls (NZ), Tim Mogg, Chrissy Mogg, Chloe Kilgus, Nick Morgan, Katie Norwood, Lauren Armes (QLD) THANKS ALSO TO: Mikki Pogson, Emma Collins, Sally Gould, Suz O'Toole, Jen Hillhouse, Chris Deller, Dan Ryan (SA) PHOTOGRAPHY: Luke Thurlby (p4), Simon Peel (UK, p7, 8, 11), Ell Simons (VIC, p24), Lauren Armes (QLD, p30) ILLUSTRATION: Dani Pogson (opposite), Samee Lapham (p12, 16, 18, 26), Rosie Johansen (QLD, p27, 31) COVER ILLUSTRATION: Rosie Johansen (QLD) 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 To view past editions online visit: scyp.net/thevine/issues & issuu.com/scyp

02

from the editor Welcome to the third edition of The Vine for 2011! Can you believe that three quarters of the year has already passed? We have made it through the cold dark days of winter, and we are now being blessed with beautiful Spring. This edition focuses on light. Inside these covers you will find reflections on stars, vision and sight, music reviews, some creative writing and lots more.

There is much to celebrate; warmer weather, beautiful gardens, new life and daylight saving. Let there be light… especially after you get home from school/work/uni.

God is good.

Tim Mogg

contents

Edition 31 _ Oct 2011 4

Reflections & Representations

6

Awesome Stars

8

Let there be Light

10

Seeing Light

11

Walk in the Light

12

Insight into Vision

16

Any Onlooker

18 Commitment 20

Music Reviews

22

Book Review

23

Outreach Update

25

Ecclesial Profile

26

We Ask You...

27

Personal Profiles

30

Light, Sand and Soul

31 Grapevine

By Ken Camplin

04

T

he Apostle John in his First Letter tells us that natural man is in darkness, and without any source of light in himself. How has light come to us? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:6, 'For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.'

Only insofar as we behold the glorified Christ will we be able to absorb His brightness.

If we are to be translated from darkness into light in this evil world, then our only hope is to be reflectors of the source of true light. Just as the moon has no source of light within itself but reflects the light of the sun, so we can but reflect the light of the Son. Freedom in Christ gives us the privilege and opportunity of reflecting the Glory of the Lord by doing what He says. James exhorts: 'Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.' James 1:22-24.

PERFECT REFLECTIONS

DISTORTIONS

No matter how bright and clean is the mirror, without light there will be no reflection. When one is concerned with reflecting light or heat, the surface of the reflector needs to be clean, bright and free from dust and smears. This is true with regard to mirrors, lamps in lighthouses, microscopes, electric fires and similar objects. The ineffectiveness of a reflector may be due to lack of attention or regular cleaning. Such inattention will result in the reflection being distorted. Valuable spiritual lessons may be drawn from these observations and experiences. We have a responsibility to reflect the Light, and it is our business to be effective reflectors.

Our lives as disciples demand attention to the details of Christian living. Distortions may be indicated by activities and the spoken word, which are unkind, or unprincipled, and mar the representation of the Life of Christ.

Perfect reflections can be very impressive. Consider how people have puzzled over reflections of trees or buildings in still water – which is the right way up? Scenes in movies may deceive us for we may think that we are observing the authentic action. A switch of focus by the cameraman reveals that whilst we thought that we were looking at real actions we were in fact seeing reflections in a mirror.

Once I was marvelling at the reflection of trees and a post and rail fence in the still water of a wee loch. A leaf and stalk glided down from above and landed quite gently really on the quiet water. But that small stalk disturbed the surface and caused slight ripples. The reflection was no longer perfect. Think of how a little puff of steam can spoil the reflection given by a gleaming silver teapot or a stainless steel spoon.

Consider the importance of written and pictorial representations of accounts and teachings in the Scriptures. There are endless numbers of such illustrations around which may influence both children and adults. For example our community has been emphatic in its criticism of pictures of angels with wings, to such an extent that some children have regarded belief in wingless angels as a first principle of Christadelphian teaching! Were there three wise men? Did they each have separate gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh? And consider the various ways in which ‘the manger’ is illustrated. Think of how Samson is often depicted as a muscular giant of a man. Is it not likely that if he was to demonstrate that his feats were not achieved through his own strength, but by the power of God, he could have had an ordinary kind of physique? Some paintings of the parable of the Sower show a field strewn with boulders. However the text indicates that Jesus was thinking of an ordinary looking field that had a layer of rock below the soil but very near to the surface, which would prevent the roots of a plant from developing.

This article is in no way a denial of the value of artistic expression and licence in its various forms, but as a warning of the danger of distorting scriptural teaching.

Emotions are as much a part of ourselves both naturally and spiritually as our intellect and senses. Many parts of the Bible such as the Psalms and the Song of Solomon were originally presented as poetry with a high emotional content.

We have to keep a sense of balance and keep things in perspective. The danger is that some literary and artistic expressions do distort the Truth which the Lord has

revealed. The dangers are probably greatest in films, television and the internet. Some films can be very helpful, but others may be extremely misleading. The motives of the producers and directors are not always dominated by a concern for truth. The essential premise is that artistic expression, whether in prose, poetry, music, art, film or drama, should assist in an understanding and appreciation of the pure teaching of scripture.

A PIANO LESSON In our own lives the truth must not be an academic exercise. It is one thing to have the Truth as a form of words, and quite another to express that acceptance in our behaviour. Some time ago I heard a world famous pianist play a well known piece of music twice. The first time he played it like a novice, yet he touched all the right keys; but it was void of all feeling and emotion. The second performance was totally different, even though his fingers replicated the same notes. The distinction was tremendous. Because, as a great artist of many years experience, he had reflected on what was in the mind of the composer, and so played the piece with great feeling and emotion. In our lives we must seek to absorb the mind of our Lord, and reflect the Light which He has beamed into our hearts. 'And we, who with unveiled faces, all reflect* the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.'

2Corinthians 3:18.

*(According to the marginal note, the word ‘reflect’ here also carries the idea of contemplating on the glory of God)

05

I

n the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day…

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night… …and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.’

(Gen 1:1-19 ESV) Did you notice anything odd about these verses? Re-read them. Did you notice it that time? God made both the sun and moon to be lights, one to lighten the day and one to lighten the night. Oh... and He made the stars to brighten the night too.

Hang on… isn’t night time supposed to be dark?

One of the first things that God made was light, a symbol of hope and life. This was a sign of how he intended us to live. We were never made to be in total darkness. He made the moon and the stars to lighten the night, those times in our life when we feel dark.

Being in the dark is pretty scary; for everyone, not just for little people. You can get lost in the dark. It’s harder to be at home by yourself in the dark. Older people who live by themselves can get very lonely and sad, especially at night-time. There are more car accidents at night. People are more likely to drink too much or play a silly prank on someone that seemed funny at the time but wasn’t so crash hot the next day. Your sins can seem unforgivable in the dark. When you are worried or unhappy about something it is harder to think reasonably. Everyone is asleep but you’re alone, tossing and turning. You might have had a fight with someone and your world is crumbling down in despair. You can’t fix it but…

God made the morning.

Everything looks better in the morning. God didn’t want us to just struggle through the night-time patches in our lives waiting for the morning light to find us battered and broken. Our God is a loving and compassionate father, who doesn’t want anyone to be left in the dark. He doesn’t want anyone to feel alone and He doesn’t want you to be lost in the darkness of sin! He, in His wisdom, made the moon and the stars.

God announced Jesus’ birth to men in a distant land by way

06

of a star. They followed this light, for who knows how long, until they found the light of the world. The ‘light that shines in the darkness' (John 1:5) and the ‘true light that gives light to every man’ (John 1:9). In Revelation Jesus describes himself as the bright Morning Star (22:16). He is the Son of God, who brought an easy yoke and a light burden to the law. He brought fresh eyes and revelation to God’s word when it was being contorted and misshaped. Jesus shone truth, forgiveness and hope to a world in ruin. Jesus is our megastar! So as followers of Jesus what are we?

Jesus sets us on fire and we become his little-itty-bitty superstars.

‘Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour in vain.

(Phil 2:12-16 NIV) We have been made to be shining stars. God is the ultimate light, then Jesus and then it’s us. Not that Jesus can’t do it himself he just wants us to be in on the fun! We were made to be the ray of hope in someone’s life. Ephesians 2:10 says that ‘we are God’s workmanship created in Jesus Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do' (NIV). Ephesians 5:8-9 says ‘For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord’ (NIV).

Sometimes our star-lights may fizzle but God didn’t just make one star. He made bazillions of us and we are all unique and special to Him. Our awesome God wants us to share our light with those who need it. Why else would He give it to us? It is our job as Jesus’ superstars to be his light to the world! So, let off the fireworks and turn up the high beams. It is time for us to shine!

BY LIZZY POO

LE Y

07

8

F

rom day one, God intended the world to be light, bright and full of hope. And what would life be without light? The earth as we know it today would be completely unrecognisable; it would be colourless and lifeless with no vegetation or any living creatures. Light is essential for life itself. So then, when we read in 1 John 1:15 that God IS light, it makes complete and perfect sense because He is the source of all life. It is only because of Him that we can live and thrive and have life in full technicolour.

There's something extraordinary about light. It travels faster than anything else in the world and transcends time as we know it. Although we know that it sustains life and holds a spectrum of brilliant colours, it still largely remains a mystery to us. And isn't this like our God? Although we can grasp aspects of His character, He is ultimately a beautiful mystery, outside of time, that can't be understood fully. We just have trust He is for us.

The amazing thing is, if our Father is 'light' and we have been made in His image, then we really are His 'children of light' (Ephesians 5:3). God has lovingly made us with the potential to shine for Him. Whilst the grey areas of sin can have sometimes have some kind of hold on us, God made us for light rather than darkness, joy and not sadness. He wants us to make wise decisions that lead us to a brighter and better way of life.

2 Corinthians 4:6 tells us that 'God made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ'. He has flooded our hearts and minds with this

knowledge so that it can shape how we live and radiate out of us. But this process can only happen if we allow the life of Jesus, the true light of the world, to fill us on regular basis.

Anyone who's lived through a British winter knows how important this regular exposure to sunlight really is. When the days get shorter and darker it's harder for us poms to rise and shine in the mornings. In the same way, without a good dose of spiritual light every day, the mundane can become more of a slog.

Life circumstances feel heavier and harder. We need God's light to lift and energize us to make the most of the opportunities he gives us daily.

It's life changing to realise that, above all else, God has given us the opportunity 'to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light' (Colossians 1:12). He has called us out our own darkness into His never-ending light. We can look forward to a time when God's radiant glory will outshine the sun and be all in all. The kingdom of light, a place of eternal brightness, will be a place joyful multicolour.

Until then, let's try to remember that if the Kingdom is 'light' in its essence, then like God, it is also something that is outside of time. So today, in some shape or form we might be able to see real glimpses of it in the world around us. And when we gather together with our different coloured perspectives and wavelengths, we can form something that is purer and whiter, like our Lord's light.

09

By LIZZY HALLIWELL

W

aiting, waiting, waiting... sometimes it can be hard when you’re waiting, especially if you’re waiting for something you love. Let me take you back a few years to when I would say, one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had ‘waiting’ occurred. I could also tell you one of my favourite waiting experiences – in a queue where I’ve never seen so many wonderful costumes before...but that’s another story. No, you see this waiting was horrible. I was waiting in a hospital sitting room, just waiting for a relative with which I was extremely close.

Now this type of waiting is not like any other, because waiting for someone to come out of an operating theatre, not knowing if they are going to make it, not knowing if you are ever going to see their smiling face again, not knowing if you will ever feel that comforting hug they give to you upon a meeting....just sitting there, worried, anxious, upset, and simply trying to deal with the fact that at this point in time you can’t do anything but pray, and wait.

So here I was waiting, then after what felt like a life time in itself, the nurse walked up to me and said, ‘You can go down to see him now’. Suddenly, like a flock of birds that had just taken

10

flight, I found myself racing through the corridors of the hospital with a hope in my heart and tears in my eyes, I went down to one of the bottom floors of the hospital, and as I turned the corner, there it was I SAW THE LIGHT – a brief burst of sunlight coming through a window (that didn’t even seem to be there in the first place) shone into my eyes, and then I saw him, the man I was waiting for... he had made it through his operation. He looked up at me, huge smile lighting up his face, body language showing the joy and love of his heart, and the strange mixture of emotions going through me, was indescribable.

I was blessed to be given more time with this relative, and even though going through this was one of the hardest times in my life, I wanted to share it with you, because I want you to think about your family, relatives and people you love and consider that you really shouldn’t take them for granted. Treasure them and love them, all the days of your life.

1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters]. (Amplified Bible)

Walk in the Light

D

By Gordon Gong

id you ever imagine life without light? I did, when I was a child, trying to sleep alone at night without my parents being around It was a terrifying experience for a child who needed light in his room when sleeping, because darkness made me scared. However, God, our creator, knows us full well.

He knows we need both light and darkness, that’s why he created “day” and “night”.

At the very beginning, God said “Let there be light” as he created this incredible universe out of nothing, out of darkness. And life was created after light, because light is crucial to life. Without light, there will be no life; darkness and chaos will consume the world.

But human beings are strange, and they find excitement and fun in darkness, even from when they are a child.

Does anyone still remember the spooky house in a theme park they visited when you were a child? How did you feel in that poorly lit house? Curious, excited, terrified, helpless? But when you came out, did you feel relieved and secure because you finally saw light? I couldn’t help but think if the spooky house is well lit, does it still have the scary effect? Will it still attract so many kids waiting at the entrance to go inside? Probably not. So why would someone want to get inside and experience the darkness? Do they want to test how brave they are or want to get the excitement that lasts only 10 minutes?

When we grow older, do you find ourselves indulge in the temptations similar to the spooky house experience which we seek temporary satisfaction in such activities? We don’t find any substantive achievements but only the absence of the real world.

Most of the time we let ourselves in a situation where we can’t resist the temptation from such darkness but after we come out to the light, we don’t feel good but regretted about what we have just done. We all fully understand there is no substance in the darkness but only absence. So why we continue doing it over and over again?

The world offers only darkness in the culture it provides.

Men seek satisfaction through entertainments provided by new

technology and old pastimes. But true satisfaction can’t be found without the light of Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was born as the light of the world.

John 8:12 says Jesus is the light of the world. 'Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.' But why do some people love darkness instead of light. Because their deeds were evil. Sometimes we may even confess that we prefer darkness to light too. When it’s dark, we think we can get away with being selfish and we will be worried that if the light comes, we’ll be exposed.

But what happened to Jesus, our light of the world? He was wrongly accused and crucified in public. When he died, darkness came over the land for 3 hours during the day. It seems like darkness has overcome light. But three days later some women got up early in the morning while it was at dawn and went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. The tomb stone was rolled away and two angels whose clothes shone like lightning told them 'He is not here; he has risen.' (Luke 24) That has changed everything because light won over darkness.

The light of the world conquered the powers of darkness. The current world is a place full of darkness: temptations, sins, death, but now we have a choice: are we with Jesus the light of the world or are we still in the temporary satisfaction of darkness? How do we know which side we are with?

'But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.' 1 John 1:7.

But what does “walk in the light” mean?

It can’t mean doing the right thing all the time, because it is impossible for us to always do so. In fact, the next verse says if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not with us. Instead, walking in the light means admitting that we have sinned and need forgiveness, and praying for God to help us do the right thing.

So get out of the darkness and step into the light today.

11

BY JODIE ERRINGTON

12

H

ave you ever thought about whether there is a difference between ‘sight’ and ‘vision’?

Although these words are often used interchangeably, (“I have good eyesight” or “I have good vision”) to an optometrist there is a distinct difference between the two.

So what happens to light when it enters your eye to start the process of seeing? Well, light passes through the various elements of the eye which allows it to focus on the retina at the back of the eye (some people need glasses or contact lenses for this to occur). Here, the light excites the receptors which then send an electrical signal along the optic nerve to the brain. This is sight, the sensory acquisition of light, related to the physical structure and integrity of the eye; the eye’s ability to give clarity to what you see.

But what happens to these electrical signals? They first go to an area of the visual cortex (at the back of the brain) called V1 which has cells responsible for processing a 2D image of the world, the appreciation of depth (a 3D image) and the detection of edges. Colour and form perception are further characterised in areas V2 and V4.

These areas communicate with the inferior temporal lobe where face and object recognition takes place. Motion and spatial awareness are made sense of in areas V3, V5 and the parietal lobe. All this input may then be integrated with other parts of the brain, so that we can use our previous experiences to gain meaningful information from what is seen. For example, we recognise the lines and colours that make up a friend’s face from across the room and wave. This is vision; the ability to understand and interpret the visual input from the eye.

This means you can have perfect sight, but still fail to understand what you see.

Can the same be said about our understanding of who God is?

We can read the Bible daily, immerse ourselves in the activities of our church, talk about Jesus with our friends and read Christian books, all actions that introduce us to the light that is God (1 John 1:5).

Even if we understand each individual word that we read or hear, having clarity of the message from God, is this really enough? Isn’t this only the first step?

I believe that, as with sight, where further processing is necessary to convert it to vision and give it meaning, so it is with God. We can’t just let the words of God go in one ear and out the other. We have to allow them to really penetrate and be integrated with all aspects of our lives, as visual input does. We have to consider God in the context of our previous experiences, as well as remember what God has given us, so that we might make meaning of future situations. We have to understand and be confident of how we should act on God’s words, just as vision gives us the knowledge of what to do with what we see.

God’s own purpose is that His words would have an impact on us. 'As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' Isa 55:10-11 James recognised the need for God to be more than just an academic exercise.

'Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the

perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.' James 1:22-25. Paul, too, saw the requirement for something more than tongues, knowledge, faith, generosity and sacrifice when he spoke about love in 1 Corinthians 13. And finally, Jesus spoke in parables, encouraging us to find a deeper meaning in what he said and so be brought closer to him. 'You will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

Matt 13:14-15.

I pray that each of you finds meaning in God, for 'where there is no vision, the people perish.' Prov 29:18 (KJV)

13

14

15

BY NELL SAXON

T

o any onlooker it would seem as if he was frozen in time. His face showed the cold creep of age.

Wrinkles spread from his eyes, laughter lines that now stood dormant, a seemingly distant reminder of his past. Speckled stubble sprouted from his chin and the hairs stood at attention, parading the neglect clearly on his face. He slumped, unmoving, defeated in the kitchen chair. It was as though he was waiting.

But for what? Nobody could tell, those brown eyes gave no indication of emotion or feeling, they just stared unseeing through the closed windows into the snow laden garden beyond.

The kitchen was small, dirty dishes were stacked, jumbled on the stained and torn laminate countertop. Cheery curtains adorned the window, but their cheer was lost in the webs of the small spiders that had ungraciously climbed into the folds of the fabric.

Dust floated freely through the air, slowly circulating and settling, leaving a thin coat on the table. Night had been his friend for some hours now, and the only light that filtered into the room came from the solitary lamppost that burned brightly outside. The man couldn’t feel its warmth though, no, that distant warmth couldn’t reach him.

The rusty gate sounded as someone entered the back garden, and as if by the flick of a switch the man’s eyes lit up, previously emotionless, only just visible beneath the thick facade. He straightened in his chair, resuming the pose of self assuredness; casually draping his right arm over its back, and gazed at the white door that stood in front of him.

Standing just outside the door, as if sensing the probing eyes through the thick wood, stood a teenager.

His face, paled by the biting winds, matched the weather, bleak. His dark, baggy clothes and dishevelled hair hinted at the hours he had spent wandering the winter deep streets. But it was his eyes that told it all, they left a door open to his mind, and let anyone peek in at the sadness and regret etched beyond those rounded glasses. The grey eyes stared intently though the dark, transfixed by the doorhandle, as if it confused him greatly, and he just couldn’t quite understand the workings of it all.

16

The squeak of the chair inside roused the boy’s attention, drawing his mind back to this night and frosting a friendly expression over his features. His shoulders rose and pushed back, and as he grew taller his mouth turned upwards, a sad replica of the smile that once stood. As the rush of breath left his cold hard lips he stepped forwards.

The man’s gaze lingered on the boy as he stepped into the kitchen, eyes floating down the length of him as he made his assessment. And the boy stood, only just inside the room, eyes adjusting slowly to the dim room. His smile was almost completely gone; he stood, self-consciously twiddling the buttons of his jacket.

As the man stared longer, prolonging the silence throughout the room, the boy started to feel nervous.

The nervousness grew until it was panic, only just visible on the outside by the astute look into the grey eyes that revealed all. Unfortunately for the boy, the man was accustomed to interpreting those eyes, and within seconds he knew he had stumbled on a moment where everything fell perfectly into place. And taking that moment he gave birth to an opportunity.

“Cold out?” questioned the man.

The boy tested the words as they flew into the open, sounded the syllables over in his head to determine the real question, and formulate an appropriate answer, one that would politely stop the interrogation and allow him to move on. But the sentence got confused on the way out, the words jumped over each other in the paranoid fluster of release.

“Yes. It’s pretty bad out there. It’s been getting worse ever since Monday...” the boy’s voice had faded from lightning quick to barely a flicker in the darkness, in the space of mere seconds. All power he had clung on to was suddenly depleted at the mention of that day.

The man considered this a victory. But he didn’t end it there. No, the pain still remained. His mind had hardened itself and even the sight of the squirming teenager in front of him didn’t lessen his grief; didn’t lessen the one emotion that swirled repeatedly around in his head, causing all others to be swept away with the flood.

“Mmmm... what a coincidence,” muttered the man, stabbing the dagger further into the boy, rendering him lame in the midst of the man’s attack. The sentence clung to the stale air that pulsated around the room. The man held obvious dominance over the conversation, inspecting and dissecting the every flicker of the boy’s brain in order to calculate his next move. In the middle of the silence burst forth the boy’s voice, uncontrolled and wavering after the onslaught.

“I have school work to...” but the man interrupted,

as if the boy hadn’t spoken at all, and watched with grotesque pleasure as desperation flaunted naked across the boys features.

“Tea?” the man inquired, raising an eyebrow in mock innocence. The boy knew that the hot beverage, the nation’s comforter, was really just another test, another tight corner positioned to analyse the driver’s reflexes. Another test that the boy knew he would fail again, like he had on that crisp Monday night.

But this time the boy didn’t fear the hostility against him, or simmer with silent anger. He tilted his head to the side, and calmly shuffled to the disused kettle, deliberately filled it with water and pushed the lever.

The man was surprised, and in his shock he forgot about his defences. The boy had always retaliated, giving him a punching bag to release his sadness, and numb the pain. But, as if seeing through the shadow fuelled eyes of the man, the boy had sensed the great loss that raged war inside the man, and lay siege over his mind. He had seen these things and felt a new emotion, one that didn’t harbour guilt or remorse, but laid the way for a future, however distant that may be. The boy was ready to help, to heal.

Now sits the man, cradling a cup in his tired old hands, his facade of confidence and coldness stripped away to expose brown eyes that reveal all. Next to him sits another, sipping every once-in-a while from a chipped mug. He looks more comfortable now; his hands lie motionless on the table, grey eyes staring thoughtfully into the distance.

The two men sat noiselessly for an age; the light globe above their heads was just warming up, releasing a warm glow through the window and into the snow-laden garden beyond.

17

By AMANDA & BEN POOLEY

T

he “great Australian dream” has traditionally been to own your own home. Society proposes that this will lead to a better life and is a sign of success and security. Many people in Australia already live in their own home, and it has been an expectation for many years that at a certain age everyone should own and live in a home they can call their own. However rising home prices compared to the average wage is making it increasingly difficult for many, making the “great Australian dream” unachievable, especially for young people and those living in large cities.

Buying a home, whether it is $100, 000 or $900,000 is a long term commitment. It is not something that you can just wake up on Saturday morning and get done before lunchtime. That is unless Uncle Tony leaves you a hefty inheritance! There are contracts and lawyers and banks and brokers and contracts and banks and signings and did I mention the banks? Buying a house requires research and a lot of time and energy. Not only that; it usually requires kissing goodbye future luxury holidays, extended time off work and shopping sprees! If done well and sensibly, it also requires a well thought out budget; that you will actually stick to.

Renting also requires commitment and time, especially with the market the way

18

it is at the moment. Rental properties are in high demand and if you are looking for a place to rent you will find you often have to visit many potential homes and make a few offers before your application is accepted as there are normally so many.

Furthermore, once you have found one, most rental properties will have a minimum 6 month or 12 month lease and there will usually be penalties (monetary) if you were to break this lease. However, if you choose to rent you won’t need a major deposit, just 4 weeks rent to put down as bond money, rather than a deposit which should make up 20% of the value of the property should you wish to buy. There is also the freedom to move on once your lease is up, either to another rental property or to something completely different, travelling the world for instance!

Keep in mind though if you were to buy your home, all of the money you pay in mortgage essentially goes back into your pocket. Property is an investment, though it can be argued that unless you sell your property your home does not increase in value until it is sold. If you choose to rent, all the money you pay each week goes straight to the owner and you won’t see the money again.

Renting is essentially investing your money into someone else’s property.

There are certainly long term financial

advantages to owning your own home, but depending on your circumstances renting may be the best and most viable option.

It is always important to live within your means and set goals for yourself if buying your own home is something you really want to do.

Do you remember the G.F.C. that everyone was talking about last year?

This financial crisis is still going on. The financial crisis came about because too many people were buying properties or businesses and just generally buying things well out of their financial capabilities.

The last decade has been the ‘credit card generation’. People have forgotten that everything costs something and money doesn’t come from nowhere. The banks took advantage of this and gave out ridiculously expensive home loans with no deposit required that the home owner really could not afford to repay, and many people lost their homes because of this.

We know the quote that God is the God of the living; well comparatively banks are only banks for people with money. So don’t get sucked in by the media, cultural expectations and smooth talking bank salespeople (aka good customer service).

At the end of the day you need to work out what is the best path for you, and if you do choose to buy, don’t expect perhaps what your parents have now straight away. It is

like choosing to commit to God and Jesus by being baptized. Commitment is just the first step. Whether you are renting or have bought a property of your own, this is just the first step. The most amount of money we end up spending on a weekly basis are the costs of living and our home takes the lion’s share of this, so it is the greatest financial commitment we make in our life, and these commitments need to be prioritized accordingly. Although the biggest commitment we can make in our life is to God and to follow the example of Jesus, which forms the foundation of our beliefs and values by which we live by. This commitment impacts any other decision we choose to make. There is inherently nothing wrong with saving, making money, buying a home and looking after your family as long as God comes first and we keep Him in the forefront of our mind.

At the end of the day, you need to make a decision that is right for you and your family and centered around what you want to do within your spiritual life and in service to our Father. Though don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice! That’s the beauty of our community; there are so many young (and older) people with a vast array of experience and expertise to help you. And remember, whatever you choose to do, it is not forever. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

19

music ReviewS

BY B ARNABY NICHOLLS

Steven Curtis Chapman Re:Creation (2011)

I

t’s been a difficult last few years for Steven Curtis Chapman – his youngest daughter died, a tragic event which saw Chapman almost give up recording and performing music out of grief. Instead, his grief was channelled into 2009’s Beauty Will Rise, a painful album-length lament.

Re-creation (stylised Re:Creation), Chapman’s 18th studio album, sounds like the bounce back – the realisation that after a long dark night the sun will rise, that God continues to work for good despite the presence of sadness and tragedy.

God’s continual working and re-working of us all is reflected in the album’s method, as well as its title. Re-creation is a collection of songs both new and old – but the songs he has previously released are extensively re-worked here. Everything is fitted to a new style, a new direction – in which Chapman’s emotional bounce back is most apparent: if there is one instrument that dominates, it is the simple hand-clap. On the whole, both the new songs and the old songs have a folk flavour – of the type turned into an all-conquering force by the likes of Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling.

Strings are ever-present throughout – not the clichéd and shamelessly-emotive swelling strings of so many bland pop ballads, but strings of almost every other conceivable type: rhythmic acoustic guitar strumming (challenging the hand-clap for dominance), ukulele, banjo, harp, and there’s even some audacious use of backing harpsichord.

Steven Curtis Chapman has always been one of the better and more interesting songwriters in the Christian music scene, successfully mixing in unconventional musical elements into even his most conventionally-styled songs – so it’s not too much of a surprise that Re-creation is a runaway success.

The re-arranged classics prove that the fundamentals of those songs are so strong they’d probably survive a bebop-jazzrock re-imagining – which is perhaps an

20

experiment worth doing. On Re-creation, the re-arrangements are either a clear improvement on the original or so different they’re not worth comparing.

‘Dive (Deeper)’ is a case of the latter, re-working the original Christian classic with a stripped-back acoustic guitar, strings, and hand-clap accompaniment (it’s so different that Chapman doesn’t tag it with the ‘Re-created’ label the other re-creations have). The verse hits it out of the park at first go, while the chorus isn’t quite so successful initially. By the end, however, its joyfulness is so addictive it’s impossible to not be hooked completely – with light touches of glockenspiel, flute, and thumping yet gentle percussion (the term ‘”drums” in the traditional ‘four-onthe-floor’ rock sense doesn’t apply), ‘Dive (Deeper)’ channels the bouncier moments of Icelandic experimentalists Sigur Rós.

‘The Great Adventure’ is a case of the former – turning a relatively conventional pop song into a joyous call to those who would follow Jesus, to begin their great adventure. ‘Live Out Loud’ is another highlight of the re-created songs – a song wearing a Hawaiian shirt but with the twist of a funk bassline (it bears an uncanny resemblance to Peter Gabriel’s ‘Down to Earth’ from Wall-E). It’s one of many songs on Re-creation that prove how Chapman is the whole package – the music is addictive, the mood inescapable, and (despite the very rare slight reference to Jesus as God) the lyrics are continually excellent and memorable. Take, for example, this line urging putting faith into action “if we have been filled with living hope, we’re gonna overflow/And if God’s love is burning in our hearts, we’re gonna glow/There’s just no way to keep it in”, and the great couplet “every corner of creation is a living declaration/ come join the song we were made to sing”.

Throughout Re-creation, the lyrics are meaningful as well as well-written.

It’s not just the re-creations that have considerable impact – the new songs get

in on the action as well. ‘Do Everything’ is an emphatic opening statement, a joyful beginning to the album, encouraging all (no matter what their walk of life or stage they’re at) to live completely for the glory of God. ‘Do Everything’ is an excellent example of Chapman’s lyrics being relevant to people’s personal experience and simultaneously making more general declarations about God and our relationship with him. It’s a jubilant song of encouragement to us, a song we could all sing to each other to drive us to action.

The opener is followed by ‘Long Way Home’, a much more laid-back affair with some Hawaiian flair. This beach-side strum sounds simple at first, but further listens reveal its ornate construction – with splendid use of a backing male choir that comes to the fore towards the end. ‘Meant To Be’ is the other highlight of the new songs – one of the most conventional here, but the song-writing is strong and it’s hard not to like, with a smooth bassline towards the front of the mix.

Unfortunately, Re-creation loses its momentum towards the end. The pianodriven re-created ‘More To This Life’ doesn’t have much to recommend it apart from the excellent lyrics, although good use of harp ensures it never becomes completely boring. ‘Morning Has Broken’ (this cover of the song made famous by Cat Stevens counts as a ‘new’ song because Chapman has not previously recorded it) contains the lyric giving the album its title, but apart from that little detail it barely fits in this collection of songs, with a procession of tired (and poorly-executed) clichés: a family-member providing vocal support, a hushed choir, sad strings – that a song is Christmas Carol-esque may not be an inherently bad thing, but Chapman should probably have saved this one for family consumption only. While the rest of the album has a fantastic summer vibe, ‘Morning Has Broken’ and ‘Sing Hallelujah’ (the former segues seamlessly into the

latter to close the album) sound made for deepest winter in a way that contrasts with their lyrics.

Front-loading is a plague that afflicts almost every album in every genre – it is a rare release that maintains momentum all the way through. So although these few mis-steps towards the back of the album

restrain it from attaining perfection, there’s no denying that Re-creation is a properly great album. It’s clear that Chapman is in a good headspace right now – it all sounds so happy. Hand-claps are everywhere, but never sound forced, while the percussion chooses joyfulness over heaviness. ‘Joyful’ is the most appropriate adjective one can

use to describe the overall experience of listening to Re-creation (I’ve used a form of the word 6 times in this review) – it’s impossible to avoid getting swept up in the enjoyment Chapman clearly experienced making this record.

Tenth Avenue North The Light Meets The Dark (2010)

T

enth Avenue North’s The Light Meets The Dark (follow-up to the American trio’s 2008 debut release Over and Underneath) is not the sort of album that will make you believe in a genre – it’s no game-changer, it takes virtually no risks musically, and it recycles much of the formula that has seen the contemporary Christian music (CCM) scene reach an ever-growing audience over the last two decades. But the formula has been successful for a reason – it strikes the right balance between energy and contemplation, and has a bit of something for everyone.

There are advantages and disadvantages to being formulaic. We’ll start with the latter. It can get a little bland – particularly if you’ve been oversaturated by the CCM sound over the past decade (similarsounding albums can be found in the catalogues of Leeland, MercyMe, Matt Redman, Chris Rice, and so many more). In music, blandness is a sin – familiarity can be comforting, but too much becomes tedious for the listener. Examples of this can be found in ‘The Truth Is Who You Are’ and ‘Any Other Way’, which feature almost identical structures – the

melodies are different, but it comes to feel like they’ve simply used cut-and-paste within a framework.

Now we move on to the advantages: first of all, recycling is good for the environment.

More importantly, a fairly stable framework can provide focus – instead of fussing over effects and wacky experimentation, the band can get down to writing some good old-fashioned catchy songs. Tenth Avenue North succeed in this latter area a few times – and the results are definitely worth a listen. ‘Healing Begins’, the album’s opening track, lacks any originality in structure and instrumentation, and its lyrics are pretty forgettable – but the song is saved by a stupidly catchy chorus melody and good use of strings. In fact, all three opening tracks are solid – nothing unforgettable, but they get the album off to a sure start. ‘You Are More’, the album’s first ballad, features an excellent gentle guitar riff that counterpoints the sensitive vocal performance delivering the best lyrics to be found on the album (about people overcoming their past through the strength and grace of God): “This is not about what you’ve done / but what’s been done for

you” and “you are more than the choices that you’ve made/ you are more than the sum of your past mistakes / you are more than the problems you create / you’ve been remade”.

‘All The Pretty Things’ is another album highlight, and is about our need for God to save us from temptation (“…all those pretty things that steal my heart away”). The song has a truly haunting beginning, and the guitar finds a new role with a fantastic arpeggiating line – although the chorus is a little bland, the other elements make this one a success. ‘House of Mirrors’ is another success, a catchy, energetic pop-rock song.

The formula changes a little towards the end – but with mixed results. ‘Empty My Hands’ is a gentle string-driven ballad to which they forgot to add a melody, and that’s no exaggeration – there are notes, but they lack any sense of direction. It also wins an award for Least Inspiring Use Of Strings – they hover in the background for the song’s entirety, begging the question of why they even bothered.

‘Oh My Dear’ is a waltz in all but time signature (it’s in 4/4 instead of 3/4), which is a rather significant detail where the

waltz is concerned – all in all it’s a pleasant song, but can’t lay claim to any greater plaudits.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of The Light Meets The Dark will depend on your tastes and your ability to listen to similar music over and over again. On its own merits, The Light Meets The Dark is competent, catchy enough, and enough good moments to make its purchase worthwhile – but albums aren’t released in a vacuum, and this simply doesn’t sound very different to a lot of other CCM releases. At the end of the day, it’s certainly worth a listen – the highlights are genuinely good songs, while the album as a whole is simply too well done to ignore completely.

RECOMMENDED DOWNLOADS Steven Curtis Chapman: Do Everything, Dive (Deeper), Live Out Loud, Magnificent Obsession, Meant To Be, Long Way Home Tenth Avenue North: Healing Begins, You Are More, All The Pretty Things, House of Mirrors If you would like to share some of your favourite music with us, please email us at thevine@scyp.net

21

BOOK Review

Thinky Things Robert Prins (2004)

BY TIM MOGG

I

f you have ever struggled to connect with the daily readings, or you like different perspectives then ‘Thinky Things’ (2004) by Robert Prins is a helpful resource. Robert probably explains the concept best in the introduction to the book.

“Have you ever read a chapter of the Bible, closed the book and then realised you had forgotten everything you had read? That is what had been happening to me. I would read the bible but not take the time to listen to what God was saying to me through it.

Things had to change! So armed with a pagefor-a-day diary and a pen, I began to think about the message God was speaking to me through his word, and to write those thoughts in the diary...”

We are very fortunate to have brothers and sisters who are able to help us walk toward the Kingdom, and give us help and encouragement. Roberts’ book offers help even if you don’t get a copy from your ecclesial library and read some of his thoughts. Using a diary to help you focus on what God is telling you may take effort, but it will definitely get you thinking about things.

May the Lord open your eyes as you read his word.

22

OuTReAcH uPDATes

BY TIM & CHRISSY MOGG

E

very year at the start of Spring the Burwood Festival is held down the road from Shaftesbury Road Ecclesia in the beautiful Burwood Park. Over 50,000 people come through the park to watch singing and dancing on the two different stages, get spun around until they’re dizzy on the rides and browse eagerly through the rows and rows of colourful stalls selling delicious food, funky clothes and other

festivaly merchandise. This year was no exception. The 18th of September was a beautiful Spring morning, and the day was a great success; even Dorothy the Dinosaur and Captain Feather Sword turned up to share in the fun!

Just like snow cones, Pluto pups and the ferris wheel, another tradition at the Burwood Festival is for Shaftesbury Road to put on a puppet show! A biblically-based

puppet show was performed every half hour, to the delight of lots of young families.

The puppet shows introduced everyone to the Christadelphians, and invited them to attend Shaftesbury Road Sunday School to learn more awesome bible stories.

Though arms and knees got very tired, it was also a lot of fun and definitely worthwhile!

And if the puppet show wasn’t enough excitement, more

Shaftesbury volunteers spent the day handing out balloons and show bags to eager young kids (and some ‘kids at heart’).

The Burwood Festival is another great way in which we as a group of believers can reach out to the community, and to spread the hope that we are so fortunate to have!

23

24

Ecclesial Profile: Toronto

T

By Chloe Kilgus

oronto “Church in the Park” started from an eclectic group of people from all different backgrounds who were all motivated by the same purpose.

We wanted to belong to a church where we could be real with God and Jesus and really connect with them in every aspect of our lives. We meet to remember Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s grace in a way that is relevant to today’s culture, enabling us to invite anyone to come and feel comfortable in joining in with our Sunday morning worship.

With its open-minded and laid back style, change and spontaneity thrives at Toronto. We have all our members taking turns to co-ordinate the morning’s events, sharing some encouraging words or

running the music, making each week unique and meaningful. We aim our Sunday mornings to be full of worship and praise with a welcoming atmosphere so that anyone coming in from the park can join with us and do the same.

Toronto has been running for almost two years now and we recently celebrated our anniversary with our Sunday morning presentation and praise led by Ben Grace and musicians from Sydney. We had a hall full of visitors from all over the local area and from Sydney joining us for an amazing day of worship and fellowship.

We love having visitors and new contributors to our Sunday mornings so come along and visit us at 68A Middle Point Road, Bolton Point.

25

we AsK YOu...

26

27

29

A

real community is a place where we can exist as we are, together. It is something that we all desperately need; something we all find in different places and in different forms.

The thing I like about existing in a real community is the need to trust. And it was this trust that really reassured me, during a recent camping trip with the young folk from Kedron Brook. A couple of weekends ago, we spent two days on the beautiful Moreton Island, off the coast of Brisbane.

As I boarded the barge, backpack, pillow and sleeping bag in tow, the thunder rumbling overhead had me more than a little unsettled.

I quickly realised that I was wearing my only jumper and it was starting to rain. A weekend of soggy rice crackers, wet socks, and frizzy hair began to play out in my mind; and of course I would also have contracted the flu by the time we arrived on the island. How would we get through the rain? How would we carry all this stuff down the beach to our campsite? Why does everyone look so happy? These, and other cynical questions began to pervade my thoughts. The bureau of meteorology radar didn’t provide much comfort. Yes, a large storm was upon us and yes it would be following us to the island. So I smiled intrepidly for a photo and made a run for the stairs to shelter. On the way I smashed my ankle on what I later confirmed as a rusty doorstep.

At the top of the stairs, disheveled and unenthused, I had concluded that this was going to be the worst weekend ever.

How awesome is it to have health practitioners for friends? Tash Tutticci… nurse. Zoe Johansen… podiatrist. The worst thing about being a pessimist is that everyone else seems so optimistic. I quickly realized that I was in fact going to be ok. And of course, with this wonderful group of friends, 16 of us in total, it was going to be a great weekend, rain, hail or shine.

Camping plus rain multiplied by friends who care about each other, equals real community. We survived the trek to our campsite, and we saw real starfish along the way! I felt so happy that my head

30

started spinning (which prompted me to ask if anyone knew the symptoms of tetanus). I was with people I trusted. I knew that we would have a great time, because when we’re together, we always have a great time.

To me, our weekend was all about real community. We cooked together, shared together, read the bible together. And camping is a great way to learn about each other. It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 12 where we’re described as the many parts of one body.

We shared some great conversations; sand boarded (check my Facebook for some sweet video footage), chased dolphins along the shoreline (seriously cool), and just relaxed, enjoying each other’s company. But by taking the time to genuinely pursue each other, I feel like we bonded together as real friends, not just fellow believers. When we break each other down and allow ourselves to become vulnerable, we are able to become closer. We say, “I want to walk beside you”. And in the act of pursuing one another, a space is created to be real, open and honest.

Generally I tend to learn most from people who aren’t like me.

But when we learn from each other in any capacity, beautiful things happen. We learn by sharing, and we become better people, because we a part of a community of good people.

Recently, we “rebranded” our youth group. We transitioned from KB Youth to LIGHT. LIGHT stands for Living In God’s House Together.

The thing I love about living in God’s house is that it exists everywhere, which means our community goes wherever we go.

Proverbs 27:17 says, 'as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another'. So often we help each other by just existing within the realm of our community. Just by being there. We see God in each other and feel great comfort.

I realised how grateful I was to have this time. I was thankful and I praised God for the gift of this real community.

BIRTHS Cruz Austen Armes (Dan & Alyce) Amaya Sage Hindmarsh (Mic & Shosh) Meiya Chloe Rendell (Matt & Hui, QLD) Eleanor Miette Creighton (Tim & Prue) Seth Oliver Window (Miriam & Phil) Edward Caleb Shaw (Cam & Jacqui) Archie Lloyd Pryde (Luke & Christine) Carsten Ochre Elfenbein (Roger & Amy) BAPTISMS Jess Powell (Mt Colah) Angus Lawrie (Shaftesbury Rd) Emily Carroll (Blue Mts) Tom Pogson (Baringa) Elly Pogson (Baringa) Ben Rasmussen (Kedron Brook, QLD) Belinda Hicks (Brisbane, QLD) Jess Ketterer (Brisbane, QLD) Tristan Olsson (Ipswich, QLD) ENGAGEMENTS Ashleigh Saxon & Marc Harris Chloe Porter & Scott Maunder WEDDINGS Rosie Lawrie & Martin Russell Sally Gould & John Dennes Emily Hanns & Shem Jamieson

31

scyp.net issuu.com/scyp