Lord of all nations
HELPING SOUTH ASIANS FIND TRUTH IN JESUS
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“We need to really start thinking creatively”:
Judy AdamsonNot long after he returned to Sydney in 2016 following 20 years of ministry in Perth, our now-Archbishop Kanishka Raffel was walking around the city one day and it hit him: “There were so many brown people. Sydney has changed”. How right he is. No matter where you live in the Diocese, significant social and cultural change has occurred – and Sydney in 20 years from now will be just as different again.
Archbishop Raffel made his comments at the beginning of the Satya Conference – a day-long event at St Paul’s, Carlingford that took a deep dive into the culture and background of, and ministry and evangelism
to, the many people from South Asia who have come to live among us.
Formerly known as the “Subbies” (Subcontinental) conference, the name has been changed to Satya as this means “truth” in a number of languages used by South Asian people – a broad term that captures those from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and often also includes Afghanistan and the Maldives.
Conference attendees were told that the predicted number of arrivals from India alone in the next few years is 250,000 people, and they will mainly be coming as skilled workers or students.
SouthernCross September-October 2023
volume 29 number 6
In the 2021 Census, for the first time, the number of permanent migrants from India outstripped those of China –and, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in the 12 months to June 30 last year the top country of birth for migrant arrivals was India (59,700), with fellow South Asian nation Nepal coming in fourth (23,000).
“The conference started to make it obvious to people that even before the big tide of South Asians coming into the country – because of the free trade agreement [with India] and other things – we are already seeing there are more South Asians in more suburbs in Sydney than was first thought,” says the
Publisher: Anglican Media Sydney
Rev Ben George, an assistant minister in the parish of Auburn and Newington.
“It is likely that neither Hindus nor Muslims would walk into a church on their own without a pre-existing relationship, or at least an invite. We need to really start thinking creatively about how to trust our theological convictions, and then think outside the box in terms of how to get alongside people and do discipleship well.”
Mr George is chairman of the Satya committee at Evangelism and New Churches (ENC). This group of predominantly South Asian men and women organised the conference, and are committed to ministry to
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the Rev Ben George talks to attendees at the Satya Conference.
and with people from South Asian countries – and growing our churches and individuals in their capacity to do the same.
After prayer and planning, and deciding that a conference of 50 people would be cause for thankfulness, the committee was delighted when final numbers were close to 240.
Says Mr George: “We wanted to push for 100, and it’s through
the great kindness of God that 200 wasn’t enough”.
There was also rejoicing at Archbishop Raffel’s conference announcement that their committee would become a special advisory group for him on ministry and mission to South Asian peoples.
“The Satya group is very excited that we have backing from the Archbishop to continue
to push hard in this space, because we can’t afford to wait,” Mr George says. “It’s an urgent need and having something that is centralised in the Diocese is very helpful, because we are convinced that the engine room for mission, discipleship and evangelism is at a parish level.”
So, what should ministry to people from the Subcontinent and other parts of South Asia look like? Many of those now coming to Australia are educated professionals who already speak English – and the children of those who came a generation ago don’t need to integrate into Australian society; they need to know Jesus.
Jude Simion, another member of the Satya committee and executive officer for ENC’s Emerge Program – which seeks to engage with Sydney’s migrant communities – says that, in his experience, when churches talk about reaching out to immigrants they think about programs.
“[This] worked well for people who seek help with relief – they seek ESL programs,” he says. “So we built programs within the church. It helped us. But the new wave of immigrants we are looking at, they come into this country as students [or] as affluent, skilled workers. They
are not going to look at a church to step in. So, you have to go out.”
He explains that by developing friendships with people who have come to Australia, we can help them to integrate into society.
“That’s what they look for. They look for genuine support to integrate, and church volunteers and members walking alongside them. Not the minister. They look at a minister as a person coming to convert me. They don’t look at a parishioner as somebody who is coming to convert me, but they see that relationship.”
An example of what this looks like in practice is helping newer arrivals understand how Australia works – assisting with things such as resumés or the concept of selection criteria for a job (which is foreign to many South Asian people).
Mr Simion notes that to drive a car in Australia, or even to catch a possum, you need a licence –“and we come from a culture about no licence! So helping them to walk through those things you genuinely engage with them, and it really helps them to understand Australia and they trust you.”
One way to learn more at a parish level is to bring someone in to help guide the congregation through some of these cultural differences.
The western Sydney parish of
The main speaker at the Satya Conference, Indian philosopher Dr Vishal Mangalwadi, sought to provide a historical, cultural and spiritual context for understanding and ministering to people from South Asia.
He spoke of the spiritual deception that encouraged people to reach for enlightenment by using yoga and meditation techniques to “silence” their minds – to “get rid of all the words, all the thoughts, all the ideas, and when the mind has become completely silent, then you will have the mystical experience of enlightenment... Jesus is saying, no, no, no, don’t empty your mind. Meditate upon my word day and night. This is the word, this is the truth that will set you free”.
Dr Mangalwadi shared stories from the history of mission in his country, and explained that most Christians in India now come from the lower castes, so it is “a despised religion… and asking people to convert and join a church is to ask them to go down the social ladder. “They are coming to Australia to go up a social ladder, and Christianity is not only despised in India but in Australia and in England and in America, where
Toongabbie partners with the Rev Clive Buultjens, a former assistant minister at Merrylands from a Sri Lankan background, who now works for ENC to help people in the Diocese reach out to those from South Asia.
This includes mentoring South Asian evangelists at Toongabbie, working with rector the Rev Mike Hastie in regular outreach training and helping members of the church grow in their understanding of what it means to reach out to people from the region.
And they need to know. Mr Hastie says Hinduism is the highest-represented faith in his suburb, and 94 per cent of children in one of the local public schools have a language background other than English.
He says the key things he took away from the conference were the need to listen, and the value of relationships.
“We ought not to make
the media, the universities, the courts, Hollywood entertainment, ridicules Christianity and Christian faith,” he said. “So why would anyone want to be ridiculed by becoming Christian? Socially, it’s very difficult.”
He said that the huge majority of lowercaste Hindus in India know “they are victims of Hinduism… Their only option
assumptions about what people’s experiences are like, and hearing from different people at the conference certainly gave credence to that – no two second-generation stories are the same,” he says. “It just went back to the simple fact that loving our neighbours must include listening.
“We really need to be aware of what it might be like for someone living between two worlds. There were several stories in the workshop I attended that opened up what it means to live in the freedom of this country but also to try and honour the values of their family and cultural tradition. In the mix of all that is how both they and their family understand what, for example, Hinduism means for them.
“Often people from a South Asian background are more value- and belief-driven than adhering to “doctrine”. I was
is to turn to Christ, or turn to Buddha, or turn to no religion. So, a tremendous political and religious upheaval is coming in India. It will shake up the arrogance of upper caste immigrants [to Australia] and they will be asking questions.
“They will be open, but you have to be able to give them truth.”
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Q&A: Jeri Jones Sparks with Dr Vishal Mangalwadi.
“Whenever there is gospel proclamation there is the need to correct the superstitious and mistaken ideas that already exist about God and the spiritual life,” says Archbishop Raffel. “And we meet this all the time, of course. Some people don’t want to hear anything about the Lord and they tell us so. Others are interested to hear what we have to say, but they already have their own ideas or their religion or their spirituality. And we need to respectfully and gently address those as well.
“In Australia, 39 per cent of people now say they have no religion. But 57 per cent say they believe in God and the afterlife. And 70 per cent say they believe there is a soul. And 30 per cent say they pray every week.
“It was the famous [British theologian] Lesslie Newbigin, who spent 40 years as a missionary in India… who observed that many Hindus had no difficulty making an offering to an image of Jesus at Christmas time. He [Jesus]
prompted to think about how I can share how Jesus is real to me, and we can open up a conversation of shared experiences rather than walk through [a tract-style] faith proposition.”
THE CONVERT
Assumpta Venkatachalam moved from Venezuela to Australia with her South Indian parents when she was seven. As a member of the Brahmin – or highest – Hindu caste, her family was very proud of their heritage and suspicious of Christianity because of its history in India.
When Ms Venkatachalam’s father died suddenly when she was 16, it caused her to question everything. Did life have any meaning? She made a promise to herself to seek the truth and find it, no matter where it led her. And it led her to Jesus.
It took time and a range of different avenues: Scripture classes (which everyone attended at that time) taught by
was simply absorbed into the existing framework of polytheistic devotion.
“In Sri Lanka, as you drive north on the western coast, you leave Colombo in a very Buddhist area and along the road you will see Buddhist shrines with statues of the Buddha and offerings of food and coins and flowers. And as you travel a little further, you get to a Roman Catholic area and you will see the same shrines with food and coins and flowers, only now the statues are of the Blessed Virgin or St Anthony. And you go a little further and you come to a Tamil area, and you’ll see the same shrines with food and coins and flowers, only now the statue is of Ganesh or Krishna.
“The gospel of forgiveness and freedom always has to confront mistaken spiritualities and superstitions. Freedom and forgiveness of sin come through faith in Jesus Christ and in no other way. No religious practice or spiritual discipline can secure what Jesus offers or improve on the
a straight-speaking Christian woman; a series of dreams that revealed heaven and hell to her, with her father in hell; and a good friend who gave her a Bible one day and encouraged her to read the Gospel of Luke.
“I absolutely fell madly in love with Jesus,” she told people at the conference. “All these things kind of came together and I just remember talking to God and saying, ‘Please God, is there any way that I can follow Jesus without being a Christian?’... Because I knew the cost. I knew the cost as a Hindu. And I didn’t want to pay the cost, so I pushed it away.
“But at some point you’re going to have to figure out which path you want to go down. And I couldn’t go back on my promise. And so, 20 years ago, I realised that I had been searching for the truth and that truth could only be found in Christ.”
While Ms Venkatachalam rejoiced in her new faith, it caused a devastating fracture with her family that continues
achievement of the cross and the empty tomb.
“Hinduism sees everything as infused with the divine. The Bible teaches radical differentiation between the Creator and the creation. Nothing that is in the world is God. Do not worship or live in fear of the mountains or the rivers or the fields. Love and war and sex and money and power are not gods. Real estate and music and food and celebrity are not gods. Do not worship them. Do not make sacrifices to them. Do not serve them. Worship God and serve him.”
to this day, because she had spurned the “great spiritual privilege” of being a Brahmin.
“I turned my back on my culture, my family, everything,” she says. “Then, when I started going to church after I became a Christian, I got this massive culture shock. I’m pretty Westernised but I was shocked at how individualistic Western churches are. I came in as a
single woman and found that it was mostly nuclear families... that was the definition of family at church.
“I became really angry at God. I said, ‘I made this promise to you. I did you a favour, God, because I followed you, right? And this is what you give me?’. So, I quit... and I ran away for about 10 years.”
Expecting God to crush her
• more laypeople to be willing to invest the time needed to develop solid friendships of support and discipleship with South Asian people;
• initiatives that have come out of the Satya Conference, including an all-South Asian cast for the Mark Drama, engaging with people from a Hindu background at festivals such as Diwali, further partnership with churches and the possibility of long-term traineeships for cross-cultural evangelism;
• the work of the Satya committee to encourage the raising up of new South Asian leaders in our parishes;
• our churches to be places where different cultures are connected;
• God to bring many more South Asian people into his kingdom.
because of her actions, Ms Venkatachalam was astounded to discover that, when she hit rock bottom, God rescued her from “a situation that I could not rescue myself from. And how else could you respond to that except with absolute gratitude and praise?
I was never the same again”. She encouraged those at the conference to point people to “Jesus the person” to help them
understand the Christian faith, adding that it was important to be patient when ministering to South Asian friends, because “it often costs a lot [for them] to become a Christian”.
“People will suffer as a result of following Jesus,” she said. “And I think we need to be prepared for that and stand by them as they suffer. Because Jesus is worth it.” SC
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Judy Adamson
A partnership between Anglicare, The King’s School, an Aboriginal artist and the University of Sydney has resulted in a “sensory” garden for kids and families at Anglicare Sydney’s foster care and adoption centre in Telopea.
“It’s been under discussion for such a long time that to see it exist is so exciting,” says Lucinda Mackintosh, clinical care team leader with Anglicare’s foster care program.
Her team first discussed the ideas 2½ years ago, hoping to create a positive, nature-focused space for foster children and birth families to get together.
“We usually have supervised visits at our site... and we recognise that these visits can bring up a whole lot of emotions for parents and kids, and there’s a lot of research around the benefits of being in nature for calming our minds and bodies,” she says.
“We thought a sensory garden
would offer a different kind of outdoor space where they could engage together in different activities – but activities that were also calming.”
A sensory garden is a space that helps people connect with nature using all their senses. The Telopea garden contains plants to touch, taste and smell in a range of colours, as well as a music wall, wind chimes, places to play, walk, sit and talk or curl up with a book. It also incorporates a range of indigenous elements for First Nations families involved in the foster care program.
Wiradjuri artist Brett Groves undertook workshops with visual arts students at King’s, who created a mural depicting early life along the Parramatta River, and painted tiles to place along the garden path. The foster care team named the garden Burudyara ngurra, which means “Butterfly place” in the Darug language.
Says Ms Mackintosh: “It was
both the beauty of butterflies and that metaphor of chrysalis and change, which is what we’re trying to prioritise for all the children that we support – prioritising their healthy development and their healing from trauma”.
Students from the University of Sydney’s Masters of Occupational Therapy program were invited to take part in the design, advised by a specialist in therapeutic horticulture.
Senior King’s students undertaking a VET construction subject built the garden furniture and music wall, laboured to clear the ground and put in all the garden beds.
This was done as part of King’s service learning program –which, according to headmaster Tony George, is designed to help the boys “learn how to exercise Christian wisdom in society”.
“It’s providing real-world contexts for our students to be able to explore and understand
what it means to be someone of Christian character and Christian wisdom,” he says. The King’s School began a partnership with Anglicare in Telopea not long before the Burudyara ngurra project got under way, and the construction students put in many extra hours over recent months to ensure it was finished well.
Mr George attended the garden’s official opening, along with some of the students, and says they were “obviously very proud to have seen the fruit of their work. A lot of kids only see the fruit of their labour going into marks and course results... the advantage of this is it’ll be used every day by disadvantaged kids.
“Character formation doesn’t occur in the classroom. That’s where knowledge and skills happen, but you’ve got to get them out of the classroom, into the community and into areas of need.”
King’s students will work on the upkeep of the garden as part of the school’s ongoing partnership with Anglicare. Ms Mackintosh says there have already been “a number of times when children have been out there running around, and it’s just wonderful to see the kids enjoying it.
“I’m really excited about the possibilities and so impressed and grateful for how much of a community effort it’s been. We just couldn’t have created it without all the input from all those who have given of their time and resources.” SC
Imagine serving a multicultural community –where food is a love language – without a kitchen. Imagine the only building you have to run a kids’ ministry gets condemned, which means teaching children in all weathers under temporary gazebos set up outdoors.
Imagine ministering to a community where there are multiple drive-by shootings at apartment blocks near the church, where four out of five households speak a language other than English and there are more than 160 cultures represented.
This is the context that makes the installation of a new demountable so significant for St James’, Berala, and the search for an assistant minister an incredible milestone worthy of celebration.
These things are signs of God’s faithfulness and a testament to the growth of the church after years of steady, faithful perseverance.
Since moving to Berala eight years ago, one question has been on the mind of rector the Rev Mike Doyle: “How do we make and grow followers of Jesus?”
“We were working out how to reach a very multicultural neighbourhood with many people from different places,” he says. “Under God, we have grown in that time.”
When Mr Doyle first started at the church, there were about 40 people gathering. This has now grown to an average of 130 each Sunday.
“There are times in the past we’ve only had two people in our youth group; now we have 15-20 there on a Friday night,” he says. “We had two teens
confirmed [this year] and that’s the first confirmation our church has done in possibly 30 years or more.”
The major hurdles for growth have been facilities and finances. “[Building at] the church was never finished,” Mr Doyle explains. “There was never a proper kitchen. A demountable was put in the yard in the ’80s, and when I arrived it fell off the foundations.
“We only had one space to do ministry but we had children, youth, and we also [run] refugee groups, Bible studies, music groups – we needed more space! [The demountable] is so exciting.
It’s tripled the space we now have for ministry.”
In an area where almost 50 per cent of the community isn’t in the labour force, simply spending money to improve the church building hasn’t really been an option.
“We often have people coming to our church and our groups who can’t put food on the table,” Mr Doyle says.
“I am told in the past we had no money as a church for more than 50 years, and almost nothing was done [on the church building] except through volunteer labour. It wasn’t too
long ago that they used to water down the communion wine to save money.
“The idea that we could put in a demountable classroom is mind boggling for so many… and the idea that we could somehow pay for another staff member… This is the reality of ministry in our area. There’s no magic money tree. There are no people in our church who are very very rich – it’s the working class, immigrants and refugees.”
For a while it looked as though the purchase of new demountables might actually bankrupt St James’. They had been delayed a long while, and during that time the cost of setting them up had increased dramatically.
“The warden looking after it said, ‘There are $63,000 in bills to pay that have not been funded; we can’t not pay them and we don’t have the money’,” Mr Doyle recalls.
After making this “sobering announcement” at church, a widow approached Mr Doyle at the bank. Explaining that her late husband was a big supporter of the demountable project, she shared that they had planned to donate $60,000 from the estate to the project.
“She said, ‘Since you’ve just announced that you’re $63,000 short, I’ll make it $63,000 and
you’ll have a cheque on Sunday’ – and I broke down in tears,” he says. “It was God at work, and an answer to a prayer we literally just prayed.
“There is no doubt God is at work in our church and in our area in all sorts of ways. Whether it’s outreach and seeing people become followers of Jesus or demountables, God is generously providing. Under God, we’re seeing people become followers of Jesus and grow as followers of Jesus.” SC
Pray the parish will keep working hard at God’s mission to make and grow followers of Jesus
Give great thanks for the growth they have seen over the years
Pray for churches and people willing to partner with Berala to fund a new assistant minister
Pray the right person is found for the assistant minister role
Pray the parish can keep learning how to share the news of Jesus with the community.
Praise God for bringing so many different nations and cultures to Berala
“There is no doubt God is at work”: A new demountable is lowered into place at Berala. How God tripled ministry space in this growing southwest church.
What does it take to persevere long-term in ministry? It’s the question that the Rev Neil Scott and the Rev David Morgan attempted to answer at the recent Ministry in Marginalised Areas Conference.
People gathered at St Mark’s, Lalor Park from across the Diocese to hear from those serving in these areas, and to be strengthened for ministry among men and women living on the fringes of society.
The Diocese’s Ministry in Marginalised Areas Committee defines a marginalised area as containing a group of people who have been pushed to the margins of society in some way; people who might be looked down upon by some others because of their economic and/ or cultural background.
Mr Morgan is the senior minister of Sadleir, a suburb near Liverpool where only one in three people have a job.
At Albion Park Rail in the Illawarra, where Mr Scott serves as the senior minister, 40 per cent of the community aren’t in the workforce and one third of families live on less than $800 a week.
In a workshop on perseverance they shared their experiences of ministry in marginalised areas, with advice on how to keep going.
One of the toughest parts of the job, according to Mr Scott, is walking alongside people through their daily struggles and suffering. He has found doing this through the past few years – amid the mess of COVID lockdowns and cost-of-living crises – to be exceptionally challenging.
“I would go out [in lockdown] each day with hampers and be on the street with people, on their doorsteps at a safe distance,” he says.
“I’d be reading them the Bible. I’d be praying with them. I’d be talking to them. They’d just be weeping.
“If you put dysfunctional people in lockdown in houses, domestic violence is going up. We’ve got people attempting suicide. We’ve got people actually committing suicide. My community was on fire…
“[I’m] walking every day with the spiritual armour on, but there were a lot of bruises below the surface.”
Caring for a struggling community is always going to be hard work, but Mr Morgan says it becomes even more difficult when there’s mistrust and misjudgement surrounding your efforts.
“Many years ago, I approached a couple [at a former church I pastored] to share my concern that they’d missed church 10 weeks in a row,” he recalls. “And one of them absolutely shredded me: ‘How dare you judge us? You don’t have the right to call yourself our pastor.’
“What’s really hard is when your motives are misunderstood or misjudged. That happens everywhere, including tough communities, and it’s one of the things I have found most difficult for endurance in ministry.”
The key thing that helps someone continue to serve when it’s really tough is pursuing joy in the Lord and clinging to it.
Both men recommend having a Christian support network
– made up of friends and professionals – who can remind you of this joy when things are difficult.
Friends aren’t the only way to be reminded, though.
Mr Morgan says the number one thing he has found helpful for the pursuit of joy in his ministry is “praying written prayers of believers who have persevered in ministry before us. They remind me of the truth about God and the Scriptures, and they keep my eyes lifted to him”.
Both men emphasise the importance of caring for yourself physically as well, and not neglecting your health and wellbeing for the sake of
while Mr Scott encourages guiltfree days off.
“I go and grab a surf, bicycle and just enjoy all the beautiful creation,” he says.
“Don’t feel guilty because you look at those emails – they’re always going to be there. You need to look after yourself as well.”
Mr Scott, who has a regular fortnightly phone call with a mentor to help him talk through issues, says it’s important not to think of professional support as a negative thing.
“Think of it as a really positive thing that may encourage you and protect you in the ministry to do it long term,” he says. SC
See “How to help others without
Kids with disability integrated across parish programs.
Those who have kids in their family with disabilities know it can be hard to find a church where they’re as welcome as everyone else, and incorporated into the regular children’s and youth programs.
This is something the parish of Canterbury with Hurlstone Park is determined to change, spearheaded by its kids’ and youth minister, Luke Graham.
“It’s been such a beautiful, slightly wild ride for us,” he says. “When I started in 2020, there were about 70 adults and I had about 30 kids from zero to 18. This Sunday we had about 200 adults and across our programs now we have about 90 kids. God has done some incredible things here and he’s drawing people to himself.”
Mr Graham has been leading kids and youth in churches since he was 17. He has a real passion for supporting kids with disability – particularly those with autism, after his first role as a junior leader was to take special care of an autistic boy.
“I remember really wanting him to be a part of things and get to hear the gospel,” he recalls. “It was easy to, I guess, distract him and not make him a part of what was happening… I don’t think that was my church’s plan at all, but I didn’t really have a skill set to know what to do well.”
Mr Graham’s jobs while at university were in the disability sphere, and he wondered what it would look like for those children to be at church and part of a church, and whether churches would have space for them.
So, once at Canterbury, he
prayed, “Lord, there are no kids with autism at my church!”
Naturally, before too long, “God provided us with plenty, and we have needed to build systems around their needs”.
What this means in practice is training for the leaders, consultation with parents about what their kids need, engagement with the kids in positive but simple ways, and providing clarity about programs so everyone knows what’s happening.
“We’ve created a form that we sit down and walk through with parents that asks things like, ‘What does a good day with your kid look like? What does a bad day look like from your experience?’
“We’ve tried to keep it fairly strength oriented: what are they good at, what are they interested in, what are things we can do to help them engage and manage well? It’s just acknowledging that those kids have a different way of processing the world.”
The kids’ team has created a visual timetable so everyone knows what’s coming up. Parents have the roster so they can tell their children that week’s plan, which lowers anxiety, and the team is also keen to help kids with photos of all the leaders.
“[Parents] feel like there’s a place for their kids here, they can talk to other parents about their particular struggles and know that people are on their team,” Mr Graham says. “And when things have gone wrong –violent meltdowns or things like that – there’s been a real attitude
of grace, a willingness to repair relationships and not take things personally.
“I really want that to be the thing our church says to everyone… we really love having you here and we want to make this work as best we can. How can we love you? How can we make you safe so you can grow to be more like Jesus and be loved and known, and where you can serve and contribute?
“We want to do that with all our services. We are trying to be a church for all and really mean that when we say it.” SC
Mr Graham started the Accessible Kids & Youth Ministry group on Facebook last year with Youthworks’ disability advisor Bec Baines. “We had so many [kids’ and youth leaders] who are keen and passionate, so we started the group for them to come and share their stories and struggles,” he says. “Someone in this group says, ‘Oh, my gosh, what do I do with someone who has dyslexia? How do I help them read the Bible?’ And that’s great, because it means that this person is in the church, and a group of people who are more attuned to them are there, and that gives me so much delight.”
“We are trying to be a church for all”: Luke Graham talks to the kids on Sunday morning.In a win-win for the church and disabled community, the parish of Frenchs Forest has begun to build three specialist disability homes on the site of an old Northern Beaches church.
“For a number of years we’ve had a church here,” says the rector, the Rev Dave Lanham, standing on the now-vacant block at Beacon Hill. “Over the last few years Holy Trinity, Beacon Hill struggled in its impact on the local community and so we amalgamated a few years ago and decided to stop gathering here.
“Since then, we have been trying to work through what’s the best use of this land going forward.”
In partnership with the Anglican Church Growth Corporation and the Sustainable Development Group as part of the Urban Renewal Pilot Program, the parish decided to demolish the church and hall to build high-needs disability accommodation, which is in short supply in the middle and inner rings of Greater Sydney.
“We think the Diocese has an important offering in the area of specialist disability accommodation [SDA] , where much of the supply of housing stock has occurred on the metropolitan urban fringes because of the high cost of land,” says Growth Corp CEO Ross Jones.
“We have land right across the Diocese, enabling us to provide SDA in areas relatively close to family support. We have more of these and other social infrastructure projects planned for integration on church land.”
Each of the houses will be home to three younger people, classified by the NDIS as high needs, some of whom are currently cared for in aged care facilities.
“That means people will be living in these who are part of the NDIS,” Mr Lanham says. “We will receive some income, which will help us in the development of the site up at Frenchs Forest.”
The sod-turning ceremony in August was attended by the
Mayor of Northern Beaches Council, Sue Heins, and the local State MP, who are both supportive of the development. The homes are expected to open next year.
Mr Lanham says despite the unfortunate aspect of a church closing, in God’s kindness great good has come from the opportunity that will also facilitate ministry long term.
“It remains something that contributes to the kingdom work because we haven’t sold off the farm, we’ve continued to own it and actually we’ve repurposed it in a way that is really beneficial for us financially as well as contributing to the community wonderfully.” SC
to swindle Sydney Anglicans have put the spotlight on a Christian ministry trying to help expose a network of South East Asian people traffickers.
In August, members of several Sydney Anglican churches received messages requesting assistance.
The senders, who imitated trusted members of the parish, ask for communication via message only, so as not to interrupt “important meetings”.
The messages went to parishioners at several Anglican churches. The rector of Seven Hills, the Rev Mark Williamson, shared the text of a scam message:
“Hello [name], this is Rev Mark Williamson, I’m in a meeting right now, can’t talk on phone but text me back when you get this message, your assistance is crucial and highly appreciated. Blessings.”
“We don’t have any mobile numbers on our website – we just have a generic contact email address,” he says. “It’s not immediately obvious [how they’ve achieved this]. They’ve done research.
“If you get the right person, it would probably have a higher strike rate because you’re mentioning people by name. But these are people I know really well, so to introduce myself as ‘Rev Mark Williamson’ is a tip-off.”
Similar texts have been reported in Melbourne churches. This is a good reminder for us to be wary of fraudulent text messages as scams grow increasingly sophisticated.
A Sydney Anglican minister will never personally ask you for money via text message, and there will never be a financial situation in a church so urgent that it cannot wait to be discussed in person.
ScamWatch offers helpful guidance on screening unusual messages you might receive. A text may be a scam if it asks you to:
• take immediate action
• make a payment or transfer money
• click on a link or call a provided number
• log in to an online account with a username, password or other personal information. There is often a sense of urgency
in these texts, so watch out if they claim:
• you or your accounts have been hacked or involved in fraud
• there’s a problem with payments or deliveries
• a lack of action will lead to a cancelled service or a charge or fine
If you believe you have received a scam text message, do not engage with it. Instead, submit a report to ScamWatch to alert authorities and help prevent others from falling victim.
Christian organisation
International Justice Ministries (IJM) has warned these scams often originate from centres where people are trafficked into forced labour.
“This is an emerging issue on our doorstep,” says Steve Baird, the CEO of IJM Australia.
“Australians know about scamming because it’s happening to us more and more, but actually in South East Asia we’re seeing hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into compounds in countries like Cambodia and Myanmar to actually run these scams.”
IJM says forced scamming
is one of the most complex and fastest-growing forms of modern slavery in the world.
Criminals use social media platforms to falsely advertise lucrative jobs with good salaries and ideal working conditions. Traffickers will frequently arrange whatever accommodation is necessary to make the offer too good to refuse.
When the victims arrive, perpetrators confiscate their passports, identification documents and mobile phones to prevent them from leaving or calling for help.
They are not allowed to leave and are frequently abused and beaten.
According to Mr Baird, while Cambodia initially emerged as a primary hotspot, exploitation has also been reported in Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.
Some experts suggest that the industry may be twice as large in Myanmar as Cambodia, with criminal groups finding cover behind the country’s political and economic instability.
“[People] have been forced to do this against their will and held there,” Mr Baird says.
“As Christians, we have a responsibility to do something about the vulnerable in our region.” SC
Modern slaves: survivors of a forced scamming operation.As God is my judge, Jesus Christ is my redeemer. Partnering with your family and church community in saying thank you. Servicing the southern, western and greater western suburbs.
Sunday church for littlies: kids and parents get involved in the
Tara SingWhat do you do when one of your fastest-growing demographics is under five years old? Start a Sunday service just for them.
Bondi-Waverley parish hosts this service at its Bondi Beach site and it’s advertised as being for kids and their parents – although anyone is welcome –with games, songs, Bible stories, craft and plenty of time to play.
The 9.30am Little Souls service was born out of years of running playgroups and building a community of young families at the Bondi Beach church.
“We decided to take the format kids and families already loved and made it a place for engaging with Jesus as Lord and Saviour together,” says the Rev Blake Hatton, the parish’s assistant minister and the site pastor at Bondi Beach.
“[I had been told] Bondi has lots of fitness space, retail space, even social space, but very little communal space where you see the same people each week and grow in connection and depth. I think we’ve created a very special community space.”
For Annie Smith, Little Souls was a perfect fit for her family. Juggling full-time work and parenting meant she didn’t have the opportunity to take her two young children to many of the midweek playgroups on offer. They’ve now been regularly attending Little Souls for two years and love both the format and the community.
“For all of us, it’s just a fun part of our week,” Mrs Smith says. “It’s structured fun. There’s a good community for people who go regularly and a good format that keeps kids engaged in lots of different activities.
“It’s a good way to start the conversation [about faith] at an early age so they are prepared to make decisions they want to
make about what they want to believe and where life might take them.”
Little Souls began with a trial in the summer of 2021, and there are now 20 to 40 people attending weekly.
Lacking the resources to start a morning congregation with a creche running alongside, and given that the 5pm service was a tricky time for toddlers, the church decided to experiment with a service that incorporated every member of the family.
Most of those who currently attend are “non-church people,” Mr Hatton says. “They have now heard heaps of the Bible through the kids’ readings and lessons.
“We also produce a nice print card for parents called ‘The Bit
• Praise God for the families who have joined the Little Souls community.
Pray that the children and their families will continue to grow together in community and also in faith.
• Pray that the “things for dads”, as well as the future mums’ group and Bible study, will be a great blessing.
for Adults’, where I take 500 words to say what I would like to say to the adults if the kids’ attention spans would allow it.”
Out of Sunday’s gathering, a “thing for dads” has also begun. Mr Hatton explains that, from time to time, “we get dads together to talk about parenting and marriage. We share wisdom, techniques and are also open about our faith and how that feeds us as fathers and powers us for grace and gentleness for our families.”
The hope is to run a mums’ version in time, as well as starting a regular Bible study for parents.
Mr Hatton adds that the idea of taking the popular playgroup format and using it to connect with families on a Sunday morning has proved to be a wonderful blessing to the community.
“We have all of these kids engaging with Jesus as they sing, listen to the Bible and pray, and their parents are watching on, listening and taking it in themselves,” he says.
“It is delightful.” SC
Little Souls service at Bondi Beach.The first session of the 53rd Synod is happening this month. Here’s a brief overview of what a Synod is and why they’re important.
A Synod is an assembly of church leaders and elected members gathering to govern the Diocese. It is similar to a parliament in that it is responsible for the order and good government of the Diocese. People commit to serving on a Synod for three sessions, which happen over three years. This year is the first session of the 53rd Synod.
A session of Synod typically lasts five days. In 2023, Synod meets on September 11-13, and September 18-19.
The Synod is made up of a mix of rectors (senior ministers), and lay people (regular church members) who are elected by their local church to be representatives. Roughly one-third of the Synod are ministers and two-thirds are lay representatives.
In addition to this, the Synod also has a number of extra elected representatives. These include CEOs of diocesan organisations, clergy selected
by the Archbishop, other lay members selected by the Standing Committee, and other diocesan officials.
In 2023, 20 per cent of the Synod are newly elected and will be attending for the first time.
The Synod has the power to shape the policies and procedures of the Sydney Anglican Church through resolutions and ordinances, and elect office bearers within the Diocese.
These policies and procedures influence a range of matters –from how churches operate, to how diocesan money is spent, to the Church’s official theological position on key issues.
Any elected member of the Synod can put forward a motion to be debated and discussed, and any elected member can debate and vote on proposed motions, policies and ordinances.
Here are some of the key terms you may see used in Synod coverage:
Ordinances: the legislative framework of the Diocese, a legally binding set of rules and procedures. These cover issues
from parish administration to constituting our organisations and schools.
Policies: these establish the standard practice of Synod in certain circumstances, but they don’t have the same legal standing as an ordinance.
Elections: the Synod is responsible for electing people to a range of positions and boards across the Diocese. These usually take place in the lead-up to a Synod.
Standing Committee: The elected group responsible for the affairs of the Synod in between sessions. Like Synod, it comprises a mix of rectors, lay members and other representatives from the Diocese.
In addition to debates and decisions, Synod hears a series
of presentations from different ministries and churches within the Diocese, elsewhere in Australia, and overseas.
Synod also celebrates when a parish changes status from a provisional to a full parish. Provisional status flags that it is facing financial challenges or is in a season of change. Synod takes time to give praise and thanks to God when a church becomes a full parish and celebrates kingdom growth.
There is also plenty of prayer, praise, Bible teaching and singing. The Synod session kicks off with a full church service at St Andrew’s Cathedral on day one. Each subsequent day starts with a Bible devotion, prayer and song. SC
To keep up to date with our Synod coverage, you can go to facebook. com/sydneyanglicans and instagram.com/sydneyanglicans as well as sydneyanglicans.net
God our Father, You judge your people with wisdom and rule us with love. Give a spirit of understanding to the Synod of this Diocese, that it might make wise decisions that will give glory to you and be a blessing to your people.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
From An Australian Prayer Book
According to the recent National Church Life Survey, 47 per cent of Sydney Anglicans say they read their Bible every day and 75 per cent of them a few times a week. This is a very encouraging statistic!
During the pandemic, newspapers reported something of a revival in personal “spiritual practices”, including reading “holy texts”, prayer and meditation. No doubt many Christians also found that being forced to stay at home lent itself to reviving personal Bible reading and time with God in a more disciplined way.
The Scriptures emphasise both the importance and also the sheer joy and privilege of meeting God in his word:
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart…
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:7-8, 10
When we say that the Bible is inspired we don’t mean that it is brilliant – although it is brilliant! When we say the Bible is inspired we don’t mean it is inspiring, although it is inspiring! The words of Scripture lift our spirits, calm our fears, fuel our endeavours, embody our hopes and most importantly, convey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom alone is our salvation.
Throughout history, the Bible has not only dramatically changed people’s lives, it has inspired art, music, literature, social reform, empowerment, world mission – and we could go on. But when we say that the Bible is inspired we don’t mean any of those things, true though they may be.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20-21
When we talk about the inspiration of Scripture we mean that it has its origin in God: “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”.
We have to work hard to grasp the biblical shape of this process of Scripture being written by humans as the Spirit of
God carried them along – “no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation”, and “prophecy never had its origin in the human will”. Scripture didn’t come from human contemplation and ideas. It didn’t come from the mind or the will of humans.
But neither did it come down from heaven, delivered by angels, like the Book of Mormon. Nor did it come by God possessing the human authors and taking over their minds and wills, the way the Archangel Gabriel took over the mind and will of Mohammad to scribe the Koran, according to the teaching of Islam.
No, “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”. The phrase “carried along” suggests “blown”, as the wind blows the sails of a boat. The authors of Scripture were directed to their destination by the breath of God, but they did the sailing.
Scripture reflects its humanity. Its writings are by different people, they emphasise different themes, they tell the same story in slightly different ways, drawing attention to the features that serve their purpose. They spoke. Scripture is a human document.
But they spoke from God carried along by his Spirit. They wrote the things that God wanted them to write. They preserved God’s interpretation of God’s acts. They communicated to their hearers and readers the truth that God wanted to impart.
The authors of Scripture were not robots controlled by God; they were not secretaries taking dictation from God. They were humans who spoke from God carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Scripture has a double nature: it is God’s word in the words of humans. Because it is the words of humans we don’t worship it – the Bible isn’t God. Because it is the word of God we do obey it – it isn’t just ancient history. Because Scripture has its origin in God it is true, trustworthy, sovereign and eternal.
Deep, broad and sustained engagement with God’s word is vital for patterns of Christian life and service that are shaped by the Spirit. The same Spirit who breathes out the words of God in Scripture applies them in convicting power to our hearts, producing repentance and faith.
As we hear and respond to God’s word, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, so God conforms us to the likeness of the One who is the subject of the whole Bible, the One who loved us and gave himself for us, the world’s only Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. SC
Kanishka Raffel Archbishop writes.Do you ever feel like the Christian life is a struggle?
Do you feel that it’s hard, day after day, to keep going? Maybe you look at other Christians – at church, online, or in sermon illustrations or books – who seem to have it all together and are able to live victorious Christian lives, happy and essentially free from struggles. And then you look at yourself and ask: “What’s wrong with me? Why is it all such a struggle for me?”
Whether or not any of that is part of your experience, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians has something very important to say: struggling is normal for Christians. In fact, it’s not just normal –Christians should be struggling; if not, there’s something wrong! Struggling is vital for the Christian life, ministry and mission. We need more struggling Christians.
In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul describes the everyday Christian life as a spiritual struggle. The word translated as “struggle” (v12) was originally used to describe close combat. It’s about standing our ground against an opponent who wants to throw us down
and grappling with everything we’ve got to keep our place. It’s a spiritual struggle against spiritual powers.
But this struggle is not primarily about uncanny supernatural events. This spiritual struggle occurs in the daily lives of ordinary Christians. It involves living, speaking and trusting the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it’s a struggle that we all need to participate in.
In this passage, Paul talks about the “full armour of God” (verses 11 and 13). This armour isn’t something new. Paul is talking about things he has already mentioned in his letter to the Ephesians. But now, he describes these things as military equipment for a spiritual struggle. As we look more closely at these items of armour, we can be encouraged and emboldened to keep going in that struggle.
Firstly, Paul says to stand firm in the struggle, “with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” and “with the breastplate of righteousness in place” (v14). Those words, “truth” and
“righteousness”, are a summary of many of the things Paul has already said in his letter to the Ephesians.
As we learn more about Christ, we learn to be like him and so “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:23-24). The truth Paul is talking about is primarily the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ: “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Eph 1:13a). So, Paul is saying, we need to keep reminding each other of this gospel truth and we need to keep seeking to live it out and growing day by day in it.
Yet we can be confident in that struggle because it’s a struggle Christ has already won for us. In fact, righteousness and truth belong first and foremost, not to us, but to Jesus Christ – the words Paul uses here come from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Isaiah describes God’s King, the Messiah, as being equipped by the Spirit of the Lord to bring justice, salvation and judgment to the world (Is 11:1-5). The Messiah has righteousness as his belt and faithfulness (closely related to truth) around his waist (Is 11:5; see also Is 59:17, where God himself wears the armour).
So, when Paul says to “stand firm” in these things, he’s talking about things that belong to Christ already and that he shares with us. The struggle of the Christian life is not a hopeless struggle or a struggle where we don’t know the outcome. Nor is it a struggle where we must use our resources to capture new territory from the enemy. Instead, it’s a struggle to stand our ground in the territory Christ has already won for us, using the resources Christ has already provided for us in the gospel.
This should give us great confidence and hope even as we struggle, day by day, to keep putting on what Christ has already given us.
The struggle of the Christian life also involves struggling to speak the gospel to others. Paul says Christians should stand firm “with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15). Once again, these words remind us about Christ and what he has done.
Paul has already described Christ as the one who “came and preached peace” (Eph 2:17). Since Christ is now in heaven (see Eph 1:20), he continues his missionary work through others, such as the apostle Paul (see Eph 3:8) and God’s holy people equipped by apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (see Eph 4:11-12).
But it’s not just special people who preach the gospel. In Ephesians 6 we see that Christ preaches the gospel through all of us: believers prepared to run with the gospel of peace. Yet again, these words come from the prophet Isaiah, who says:
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation (Is 52:7).
Just as the Christian life is a lifelong struggle, evangelism is a lifelong struggle. Of course, it helps when we have encouragement, training, strategies and support for evangelism. But even if we have all these things, we shouldn’t expect evangelism to suddenly become stress-free.
We shouldn’t stop sharing the gospel with our friends, family members or colleagues just because it’s hard. We should keep struggling to do it. Why? Because ultimately, evangelism is something that Christ does through us. He has prepared us to do it by giving us the gospel and his Holy Spirit.
The struggle is to know that gospel more and more, to live it more and more, and to share it. It’s a real struggle but, as we
struggle, we can be confident that Christ will achieve his purpose to bring people to know and trust him through the message that we proclaim.
Finally, the struggle of the Christian life involves the “shield of faith” (Eph 6:16). The word “faith” means believing in Jesus, who is revealed to us in the gospel: relying and depending on him.
It’s about trusting in the many things Paul has said in his letter about who Christ is and what he has done for us. It’s by faith that God brings us to salvation (see Eph 1:13; 2:8-9), and it’s by faith that we stand firm in that salvation because, through faith, Christ is with us (see Eph 3:12 and 3:17).
By this faith, says Paul, “you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”. He’s talking about the lies that work against the truth of the gospel, the temptations to do wrong instead of living rightly in line with the gospel, and the temptations to give up and feel that knowing and following Jesus isn’t worth it.
It’s not easy to keep going, and it’s a struggle not to give up. But it’s worth it. Paul wants us to see that.
This is, in fact, a large part of what Paul does in his letter to the Ephesians. He seeks to encourage the faith of his readers, to help them lift their eyes and give them resources to fight that battle and help them to stand.
So, in Ephesians 6, Paul reminds us that our struggles as Christians aren’t strange or unexpected.
After all, God’s plans are cosmic and they involve cosmic powers – powers that are themselves caught up in that great plan of God “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Eph 1:10). As Christians, we’re caught up in that struggle.
Sometimes we can forget that living the Christian life is fundamentally a struggle. For example, we can think it’s all about flourishing or advancing or comfort or career.
When that happens, there are two possible results. Either we can despair because our lives aren’t comfortable and we wrongly expected they should be. Or we can become complacent because our lives are comfortable, and we want them to stay that way.
If that happens, it means we’re in great danger. The danger is that we give up the struggle. If we stop struggling, we are no longer living for Christ and his purposes.
That’s because the Christian life is a struggle. It’s a struggle to live for the gospel. It’s a struggle to grow in the gospel. It’s a struggle to share the gospel with others.
Yet it’s a struggle that we have the confidence to engage in because Christ himself has already won. SC
The Rev Dr Lionel Windsor teaches New Testament at Moore Theological College.
We all know ministry involves sacrifice, but some ministries involve much more sacrifice than others. Many reading this know the reality of that.
In his book Zeal Without Burnout, Christopher Ash talks about sustainable sacrifice. How can we devote ourselves fully to serving the Lord without wearing ourselves out so we can keep on in that role?
Whether our ministry and service is paid or unpaid, we are all human and our strength and capabilities have an upper limit. So, here are some points to help us think this through.
Some people get overwhelmed because they jump in and just go with it. Whoever turns up on their doorstep or whatever happens around them, that’s the nature of their ministry. But feeling the need to respond to everything that comes across your plate can make life tricky.
We know Christian love involves care of the whole person. But
if the heart of the pastoral role is the ministry of the word and prayer, and setting an example in godly living, we need to reflect on our responsibilities and where people with complex needs might fit in.
It’s important to have intentionality about our practice of serving the Lord. If you are having to deal with need, particularly complex need, what are you trying to offer people? What’s your responsibility in the situation? How does it fit with the other responsibilities God has entrusted to you?
Being self-reflective about all this is very important.
When we empathise with others, we see what’s happening and feel something of it ourselves. But there can be a cost to this.
How do you feel after interacting with difficult situations and needs? What do you feel in your body? What do you take home with you? What do those at home experience from you? I think sometimes we can normalise what’s going on around us without realising the impact upon ourselves and others.
There are common indicators of increased stress that may be coming from sharing in the pain of others. Take note if:
a it’s hard to get to or stay asleep;
b you’re more anxious, perhaps more irritable or teary;
c you’re hypersensitive to comments from others;
d it’s hard to concentrate and be productive;
e you’re experiencing things like muscle tension, headaches and digestive problems.
If you are physically, emotionally and spiritually worn out by the experiences of caring for people in significant need, pain and distress, this is compassion fatigue. If it isn’t dealt with, it can lead to burnout.
The three traditional symptoms of burnout are:
1 Emotional exhaustion – no energy, nothing left in the tank.
2 Depersonalisation – when a caring, empathic person just can’t be bothered dealing with others. There’s negativity, cynicism and detachment from what’s going on.
3 Lack of accomplishment – becoming ineffective and unproductive in your work.
Recent research has identified two new symptoms:
1 Social withdrawal – not just in the workplace, but at home as well.
2 Cognitive impairment – you can’t think clearly, concentrate or remember things.
Those with certain personality traits are more prone to burnout. Perfectionism, being self-conscious and being more reactive to stress and the judgements of others are significant. Being conscientious, competent, self-disciplined and motivated to achieve also heightens risk.
Recent studies have also found burnout is very high among carers. So, let’s be alert to the signs, in ourselves and in others.
It’s always good to ask, “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” because helping, caring for and loving others is always about the other, not us. Yet sometimes it is more about us, isn’t it? Many of us get significant secondary gain – something that comes back to us –from doing good for another.
If you’re someone who needs to be needed, are you aware of this? And how, perhaps, it is shaping your behaviour? Sometimes what’s really driving you is you, not them. Sometimes our “No” is a loving thing to do as it helps somebody turn back to their own resources, or to turn to the Lord in dependence, rather than to us.
I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking Jesus is the model of the perfect, loving human being. But there were limits to what Jesus could do.
Luke 5:15-16 says, “crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed”, but “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”. Jesus knew he needed time away to be sustained. In Matthew 14:10-13, note Jesus’ reaction after he hears the news of the execution of John the Baptist: “he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place”. It appears that upon receiving this information Jesus needed to tend to his own emotional state.
As human beings our capacities are limited, and I want to encourage you – as I try and encourage myself – to embed this truth in your mind so it shapes your ministry perspective. We cannot do everything. Our love has its limits.
There are some people who, no matter how long you listen to them and no matter what level of care you provide, it’s never enough. We need to be people of grace and compassion, but we have a range of responsibilities so we need boundaries.
This is particularly important when dealing with those who have manipulative relational strategies. Appropriate boundaries means things like being clear about the amount of time you’re prepared to spend with somebody; how often you respond to texts; the fact that you won’t tolerate being yelled at, and you will leave the conversation if this happens.
It is about modelling healthy relationships, because some people need feedback to hopefully learn different strategies in order not to keep sabotaging their relationships. This is an example of how appropriate boundaries are loving.
So, if you’re meeting up with people, do you provide clarity about what’s involved? How long is reasonable to spend with this person? How do you end a meeting in a clear way? You might say something like, “Thanks for sharing what you’ve shared. It sounds really hard. I’ve got another commitment now. Can I pray for you?”
All this requires wisdom, and I love that Scripture encourages us to call upon the Lord and ask him for wisdom (James 1:5).
Many people fall into the trap of thinking they can go it alone. You might not have a team around you, but do you believe in the body of Christ as a meaningful theological concept? Among the people you’re ministering and serving with, who else can you involve? How do you share the load?
With those who might tend towards being manipulative in
A Family Owned Funeral Servicerelationships, where clear boundaries are important, it’s very helpful to have two or more people involved. Having you all maintain the same line is a loving, helpful strategy to assist that person in growing and developing their relational skills.
We all desire to see change in people but none of us can make anyone do anything. The lesson of 1 Corinthians 3:6, that God gives the growth, provides comfort and enables me to dedicate myself to faithfully serving others without being crushed when the outcome is not as I would wish.
Our institute recently ran a trauma seminar with Dr Gladys Mwiti – a clinical psychologist who often spends her days listening to people’s experiences of trauma. She told us that at the end of each day she prays for these people and hands them over to the Lord. And she goes home. And she sleeps. Because she doesn’t carry all of it with her.
Remember that there is only one Saviour in this world and it’s not me, and it’s not you. Christopher Ash says the Lord doesn’t need us to do his work, and the work we do doesn’t define us. Do you believe that? It’s a theological truth that shapes and drives not only our practice, but our emotional state.
In the book Death by Comfort, Paul Taylor says modern Western society is killing people because it’s too comfortable. He says our greatest achievements tend to involve a level of stress and being pushed out of our comfort zone.
Stress is not bad for us, but getting stuck in stress is. Taylor says that we need challenge as long as it is followed by recovery. Are you aware of what your needs are – physically, emotionally, spiritually? Are you aware of how you fill yourself up so you can be present for people in difficult circumstances without being run into the ground? Another critical thing is warm, nurturing relationships – they keep us healthier and happier.
Exercise, sleep and nutrition are profoundly important for our wellbeing. Many people find it helpful at the end of the day to get into water, whether to swim or just have a shower. It’s as if they’re washing off the troubles of the day. Another issue is digital hygiene. It’s not a good sign when the phone is the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you look at before you go to sleep.
A few key questions: do you have an on-off switch for your work? Are you able to turn off? Are you aware of what drains you? Are you aware of what refreshes you?
If you regularly deal with complex situations in difficult contexts, it’s so helpful to have input from others.
Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice”. Do you have friends and colleagues with whom you can consult and chat? Do you have a professional supervisor who can run through things with you?
We also need assistance when the needs of others seem to be overwhelming us. If anything here has raised concerns for you, please go and talk to a health professional.
Christian life and ministry is marked by a pattern: cross before resurrection. We follow Christ in his vulnerability, not just his victory. When serving him is hard, when the life of ministry is wearing me down, this gives me a lot of comfort.
In 2 Corinthians 7:5, Paul speaks of conflicts without and fears within. External pressure, internal pressures – that’s the ministry life. But in the previous verse Paul says, “in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds”. In 2 Corinthians 6:10 he says, “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing”. We can have multiple emotional experiences at the same time.
No matter what external stresses and difficulties we face, we are caught up in a spiritual reality that can’t be taken away from us. It’s just sometimes hard to remember during the hard slog. That’s why I love this quote from the Puritan, John Flavel:
“If we but once thoroughly understood what power there is in God’s hand to defend us, what tenderness in his heart to comfort us, and what faithfulness to all his promises given over to us, oh, how quiet and calm would our hearts be.”
May the Lord direct our hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5). May we grasp more and more how deeply God loves us, his delight and joy in us. May we find comfort in knowing that Christ did the persevering to ensure that, even when we are doing it tough, the victory and the glory are ours in him. SC
This is an edited version of a talk given at the 2023 Ministry in Marginalised Areas Conference.Richard Borgonon is a very senior London businessman who has worked in the City for nearly 50 years. For the past 17, he has produced and promoted The Word One to One Bible reading notes, now used in more than 80 countries. He presented the material at GAFCON this year to great acclaim. He speaks to S imon m anche Ster .
Richard, can you describe what the city of London was like in the ’70s and how different it is today?
London was far more the global centre for so many financial industries, yet there was no 24/7 working as with the electronic connectivity of today!
How did you get involved in the midweek ministry at St Helen’s, Bishopsgate and what was its impact on your life?
I was a Christian when I came to the City and in those days it was socially normal to go to church so, unlike today, it was an easy invite to bring someone to join over 500 people a week hearing Dick Lucas faithfully teach the word. I saw that the Word works – changing lives as nothing else could.
Was the message you heard there very different from what you had heard growing up?
I had received faithful and clear Bible teaching as a teenager, but it was here in the City that the “rubber hit the road”. I saw the contrast between a living faith in my Saviour and man’s selfcentred, greedy and destructive lifestyle.
Now that you are helping many to make disciples, how were you yourself discipled?
Two fine men. Vijay grounded me in the importance of prayer, always started by first turning to Scripture, normally a psalm, so
“The Lord has given us all we need – his word”: Richard Borgonon in April at GAFCON in Kigali.that you are focused on God’s priorities. Derek taught me that God didn’t need my money but was offering me a share in what he was up to – what a privilege and joy.
How did The Word One to One production begin?
It was through watching my friend Professor John Lennox blow the mind of one of Europe’s most senior executives through showing him John 1:1-18. This executive was left dumbstruck, having never been shown the claims of Christ before. I went straight to William Taylor [the rector of St Helen’s, Bishopsgate] and asked him to teach me John’s gospel line by line, because my contacts needed to see what the book said!
How do you invite people to look at John’s gospel via The Word One to One?
Something like, “Haven’t you always thought that one day you would look at the book that has sold more copies than any other? Wouldn’t you expect the Bible has got some great stuff in it? Well! There is one book that starts with an overview and I’m incredibly excited about it – can I buy you a coffee and show you?” All I will say at the end is, “Did you enjoy that? Would you like to see what comes next?”
The take-up has been staggering. Approximately 1 out of 4 [globally] appear willing to look – critically because God appears to have prepared them to say “Yes” – and believers are gaining confidence to share the gospel with contacts the ministry team could not hope to know.
Tell us the simple principle of The Word One to One and why it may be different from other materials?
It’s not a course – it’s a line-by-line conversational walk through John, also Acts, that any Christian can share. It introduces Jesus so that someone may then be ready to come into church circles and often attend a course to fully explore Christianity. Rico Tice at Christianity Explored is so keen as he has watched the Lord bringing people in, in exactly such a way.
Around the world we encounter various courses but, regularly today, biblical ignorance is so great that people don’t know enough to commit their lives in one course cycle. However, if someone has already introduced you to Jesus, week in, week out, and modelled what it means to be a Christian, then often the course may be the icing on the cake.
We often see The Word One to One used as a relational process, walking someone through an entire gospel irrespective of whether the person has yet become a believer.
I know you are buried in global stories – any that have especially struck you?
A widow of 78 who visited a lady in her 90s, read with her, and saw her come to Christ. She told me, “I’ve been employed! I can share this with so many!”. I tell you, she thinks she is the new Billy Graham – so on fire for the Lord!
An executive who never got over “In the beginning was the Word”. He surrendered to Christ and said, “It was nothing you said, Richard (what a relief for us all!) – it was John the Gospel writer who led me to my Saviour”.
What reluctance do you encounter about The Word One to One and how much is legitimate?
Some ministers are wary of having notes alongside verses and
some are more used to being teachers. Yet 1 to 1 is all about being on a level playing field with the person we are trying to reach, and the notes enable ordinary Christians to be Bible sharers alongside their contact while God’s empowered word works.
Richard, I’ve heard you say that people (including yourself) have been quite revolutionised in their journey with Jesus Christ? What do you mean by this?
I see first that the Lord is very active in preparing people to be open to his word. It’s never anything I say. I no longer leave church like an electric car that is going to drain out during the week –instead, because I have the gospel in a format I can share, I go out excited to see what the Lord is going to do. The following Sunday I’m back hungry to be taught more because I have seen the word work!
From around the world we hear the same thing: regularly, as believers, we are exhorted to take the gospel to our friends but the vast majority simply don’t know how. In The Word One to One we have a simple line-by-line conversational journey that any believer can use and actually enjoy doing so. They quickly find that they are not on their own as the Spirit works through the living word being shared, so it’s not the terrifying experience everyone fears. Quite the contrary. It massively grows one’s own faith.
What do you see is the biggest issue in evangelism today?
Two things. First, we have terrified people with how difficult and terrifying “evangelism” is. The tendency is that it’s all about the ability of the individual, which is truly terrifying unless you have been called to be an evangelist! In contrast, we are saying be a Bible sharer, a page turner, and let the word do the work it was intended to do. What you will see is that the Lord has prepared the best discipling course known to man as he works through his word being simply shared.
Second, while there is a place for event evangelism, we are living in an era of such biblical ignorance that we should not be surprised that the best we will get from an event is an agreement to have a cup of coffee and look at something we are excited about. This is why the offer of The Word One to One is such a natural follow-on from events – whether they’re held in church or, increasingly, outside churches in more personal meetings. The “event” is not what it was. The real focus is back on offering to look at the word of God.
How would you encourage a pastor or layperson to get started with The Word One to One and take first steps?
Please go to www.theword121.com, where there is plenty to assist and encourage every Christian. The Lord has given us all we need – his word – now it’s time to take it out to a world that desperately needs saving.
In particular I would say to those in ministry, please stop carrying the burden of outreach on just your overworked shoulders. God has an enormous blessing for his people through taking the word to be shared with those that he has already prepared to be receptive. Send out the army of God, armed with his word in a way that they can very easily share, then watch them take off in their faith. The word works!
Will you be in Sydney again to talk to churches or groups about this ministry?
Yes. I will be back in March and happy to serve. SC
Church leaders, particularly across the African continent, have in the past said to me something like “Why should we get involved in GAFCON? GAFCON is all about Western cultural issues that don’t concern us – issues concerned with human sexuality. These are your problems – we have other problems”.
However, these days I am not hearing these comments as much. This is because faithful Christians across the world are realising that changing attitudes about human sexuality in the Church are a symptom of a much bigger issue – the authority of the Bible in the life of the church.
As Christians increasingly rely on other sources of authority rather than the Bible, churches are moving away from traditional understandings in many areas of doctrine and the Christian life. Anglican Church leaders are now seeing that concern for the authority of the Bible is the issue that is driving GAFCON.
In a recent trip I made to DR Congo (after GAFCON IV in Rwanda), two Congolese bishops asked me to give teaching on this doctrine at their clergy conferences. They explained to me that while their clergy would say they uphold the Scriptures as authoritative, the same clergy do not understand what the doctrine means for average Christians, nor do they understand what it might mean for their ministries.
Put simply, if we believe in the authority of the Bible then we believe that the Bible is the faithful record of our triune God’s true and unchanging word to us and we can trust it totally. It means that we can make decisions on the basis of what God has said and confidently act on them in every area of our lives.
When someone becomes a Christian by putting their faith in Christ, they are declared righteous by God in Christ. However, they also find themselves in a new kingdom where Jesus is King. The one who is now our Lord has the right, and wants to exercise that right, to tell us, his people, what he wants us to know and do: for example, what we should believe, how we should live with him as Lord and what his plans are for the establishment of his kingdom.
How then does the risen Christ rule his people, the Church, in this time before he returns in glory? He tells us quite clearly that he rules us when we listen and obey his commands – his word, through the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14, Jesus brings teaching about his word and about his Spirit together as he tells his disciples what it means to love him and follow him.
Jesus says: “If you love me you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth… If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come
to him and make our home with him” (John 14:15-17a and 23, ESV).
We believe that this same Holy Spirit inspired the whole of Scripture to be written down for our benefit that we might be ruled by Christ and know his will (e.g. 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Some assume that there are only two positions regarding the authority of the Bible: either the so-called “liberal” position – you do not believe the Bible is God’s word and so ignore it or downplay it; or the orthodox position – you believe it is God’s word and so read and obey it.
But of course, there are other options. You can believe that the Bible is God’s word and not read it! You can believe that the Bible is God’s word and not have the necessary skills to understand and apply it. You can believe that the Bible is God’s word and not be part of a book-reading culture. You might believe in the doctrine of the authority of the Bible but you will not know the rule of Christ in your lives if you are not finding out his will by reading his word.
This is the exact problem that the bishops in Congo see in their people and asked me to address at their clergy conferences. The long-term culture of the people in that part of Congo has an understanding of heterosexual human sexuality that is in complete opposition to that of the Bible. As in many parts of the world, the
Bible’s picture of a faithful marriage is not the norm. The teaching of Christ that is found in the Bible seems to have had little impact on Christian people’s sexual behaviour, even that of the clergy.
When challenged about why they don’t obey the teaching of the Bible on this and other issues, some clergy admitted that they rarely read the Bible or apply it to their lives, despite having had the Bible in their language for many years.
It is easy to see faults in other cultures and not to see the areas in our own culture where we do not obey the plain teaching of Scripture (relax, my Congolese friends are happy to point out our many faults!).
The doctrine of the authority of Scripture as it is played out in its various forms is a key issue facing the modern church in every culture. We must fight alongside our Bible-believing friends from across the world in championing our confidence in the Bible. However, if Christians everywhere are to submit to the lordship of Christ, we must not only joyfully uphold the doctrine of the authority of the Bible but also read, mark, learn, inwardly digest and obey it. SC
Iwas recently talking to a man in the South Western Region who told me he had memorised 16 per cent of the Bible. He said, “I don’t know if this is useful, but I reckon memorising the Bible is pretty good. I’ve memorised 16 per cent of it.” He then listed off some of the books of the Bible he had memorised!
I grew up in an era where we memorised verses from the Bible, and I reckon it’s time to bring it back. I haven’t specifically memorised a verse in a couple of decades but I remember at Sunday school and youth group we would do so. Let’s not be afraid to get people to memorise Scripture, or to memorise it ourselves. I think that will do well for us as we go through life.
There was a man I was pastoring who had dementia. As his condition worsened, he was moved into care, and so I used to visit him in the nursing home. By the end, he couldn’t have a full conversation anymore. He would start a sentence, but couldn’t remember how to finish it. He just could not converse. He remembered little.
I decided one day to take a Prayer Book and hymn book along with my Bible. When I visited him, I read out a service and we sang a hymn or two. As I started reading the Prayer Book service, his eyes lit up and he knew it word for word. While he couldn’t say a sentence, he could recite all of the Prayer Book services because
1. • Pick a verse(s)
• Memorise it
• Understand it in context
• Memorise again
• Repeat for a week
• Test in a month
2. Choose one verse a month from the studies you are doing in your Bible study group, youth group, etc. Ask your group to test you each week for that month.
3. Listen to Colin Buchanan songs!
4. Reward yourself with doughnuts or gelato (or both!) when you can remember your memorised verses a month later.
he had gone over them again, and again, and again.
When we sang hymns together, he knew the words to every verse. Some of those hymns have six verses! These hymns had deep lyrics and, of course, the Prayer Book services are theologically rich and Scripture-soaked.
I’m not advocating for Prayer Book services only or sticking to the same three hymns for decades, but I’m fascinated by what it showed. When something is so ingrained, even if at various times it might become mundane, at that end-of-life season for him it was what brought him comfort. As soon as we read from the Prayer Book or sang hymns, tears would roll down his cheeks.
It seemed clear to me that not just the familiarity of the words but the living, lasting truths of Scripture were giving him comfort at that moment.
Of course, I also read Bible verses to him – popular ones such as John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 – but also lesser-known ones. And because he came from an era of Bible memorisation, he could say those as well (albeit from the King James Version) and this, too, would move him to tears.
When I’m old and have dementia, and the young minister from church comes to visit me, I hope he reads the Scriptures to me. And I hope they are so beautifully ingrained in me that I can recite them with him and be comforted by the promises of God, as my friend was.
I know in this day and age we’ve all got the Bible app on our phones, and it’s not often that we’re without access to the words of God. But when you can’t read, when you can’t use a phone, when you’ve only got what’s in your brain, you couldn’t do any better than have it full of God’s word.
I’m no poster boy for memorising Scripture, unlike my 16 per cent friend. I don’t engage in the specific activity of memorisation. But I do remember it as I study it deeply, which forces me to read a passage many, many times over. I find the better I understand the passage, the better I can remember the key verses.
However you might go about it, though, it seems like such a good thing to do intentionally. So let’s bring back Scripture memorisation and encourage others to do the same. SC
The Rev Gavin Rosser has finished up as rector of Lugarno after 11 years. He and his wife Megan are now training at St Andrew’s Hall in Melbourne, and plan to serve with CMS in Jordan from next January.
The Rt Rev Rick Lewers, rector of Shoalhaven Heads, will retire on October 2 after 35 years of ordained ministry in the dioceses of Sydney, Armidale and Canberra-Goulburn –including nine years as Bishop of Armidale.
The senior assistant minister in the parish of Barrenjoey, the Rev Zac Miles , will become rector of Wentworth Falls on October 16.
In Anglicare moves, the Rev Jake De Salis has become the second Anglicare chaplain at the South Coast Correctional Centre in Nowra, thanks to an additional Government subsidy at the facility, while the Rev Dr Chris Conyers is the new chaplain at Goodhew Gardens residential aged care centre in Taren Point.
always gone to church, in his senior high school years he went to Camp Howard and “saw what it actually looked like when people had a genuine relationship with Jesus”.
After school, Mr South received a scholarship to teacher’s college and, upon graduation, began teaching in Villawood.
The Rev Canon Jim South died on July 9, aged 81.
Born James Walter South on September 10, 1941 in Bowral, he grew up in the Southern Highlands, Peakhurst and Shellharbour, and attended high school in Kiama.
His daughter Jennifer Wootton said that while her dad had
List of parishes and provisional parishes, vacant or becoming vacant, as at September 5, 2023:
• Belmore with McCallums Hill and Clemton Park
• Beverly Hills with Kingsgrove
• Castle Hill
Centennial Park
Concord and Burwood
At this time he attended church in Chester Hill, where the minister’s daughter was his future wife Ann, but before they married he fulfilled the ministry calling he had felt ever since Camp Howard days and studied at Moore College.
Mr South was ordained in 1967 and became curate at Manly, followed by Port Kembla, moving in 1971 to the
• Eagle Vale**
• Epping Glebe*
• Liverpool South**
• Lugarno
• Regents Park*
Rosemeadow*
• Shoalhaven Heads
• South Hurstville
* denotes provisional parishes or Archbishop’s appointments ** right of nomination suspended/on hold
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provisional parish of Greenacre as curate-in-charge.
Two years later Mr South became rector of St Paul’s, Emu Plains – in what was then a village surrounded by orchards and dairy farms – and his parish included the farming communities of Castlereagh, Llandilo and Cranebrook. He remained At Emu Plains for the next 33 years and, for the first 14 of those years, was also parttime chaplain at what is now the Emu Plains Correctional Centre. Mr South was made a Canon of St John’s Cathedral, Parramatta in 1985, the same year he became area dean of Penrith Valley, and continued to serve in both roles until he retired from Emu Plains in 2006. He was made Canon Emeritus the following year.
After retirement, Canon South served as Moore College’s parish liaison in the Western Region from 2007-2010. He became an honorary assistant minister in the parish of Cranebrook with Castlereagh in 2008 where, said Mrs Wootton, “he spent much of his retirement mentoring the next generation of leaders within the church.
“There is a verse in the Bible where Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is and he replies, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, and love your neighbour as yourself’,” she added. “This is what my dad
from page 32
did every day... He taught me to trust in the goodness of God, especially in the hard times. It is this faith that has made us strong through this last season.”
The rector of Cranebrook, the Rev Adam Taylor, spoke at the funeral of the assurance in Psalm 121 and Romans 8 that “God is now on the side of those he has chosen as his people”.
“[Jesus] promises unfailing, unending watchfulness and preserving care on the journey to our final home, the true resting place – life in heaven free from sin, pain and death, seated alongside our risen Saviour,” Mr Taylor said. “This was to the very end Jim’s security and assurance.”
After school, Mr Barker began an apprenticeship as an aircraft maintenance engineer, and moved from St Mark’s to St George’s, Hurstville because of his interest in one of the girls there – Barbara Robinson. They went to church and Bible study together, and one night at church Mr Barker truly understood that Jesus was not only the Son of God but his Saviour.
His daughter Lyndal Parker said in her eulogy at Mr Barker’s funeral that, at this moment, her father “suddenly felt a new meaning and purpose to his life”.
So, a few years later, when the minister at St George’s advised him to train for the ministry, he did just that – and he and Barbara were married once his studies were complete.
“They were keen to serve and excited for ministry, and that willingness continued their whole lives,” Mrs Parker said.
After his ordination in early 1959, Mr Barker was curate at Bulli and Riverstone before, in 1964, he and Mrs Barker began service with CMS at Angurugu on Groote Eyelandt.
then spent a decade ministering in Moorebank (1975-85) –during which time Mr Barker spent three years as a canon of St John’s, Parramatta – before five years as rector of Caringbah.
The Barkers returned to Groote Eylandt with CMS in 1990, where Mr Barker became rector of St Barnabas’ in Alyangula, the island’s largest township, making regular visits to other centres.
They needed to return in late 1992 after Mrs Barker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, and the following year Mr Barker took charge of the parish of Kingswood, where they stayed until his retirement in 1998.
Mr Barker undertook honorary ministry in the parishes of Figtree and Dapto after retirement and became his wife’s carer until she died in 2012. He kept up his interest in and prayer for the Northern Territory, and also used his skills in aircraft maintenance with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society.
Born Reginald Stanley Barker on May 3, 1934, he grew up attending St Mark’s, South Hurstville, where he sang in the boys’ choir and was eventually confirmed, although he had not yet understood the claims of Jesus on his life.
Genesis 3 leap to mind and it’s easy to perceive the whole thing as cursed. Bringing Forth Life plays an important role in helping us to understand that the hardships of childbearing don’t detract from its goodness.
McIver writes:
The Bible frequently uses descriptions of birth to help us comprehend what Jesus has done for us. We can now receive a unique understanding of what this is really like. Jesus sacrificed his body and blood for us to become children of God. We are pointed towards this as we walk in his footsteps in sacrificing elements of our own bodies (and blood!) and enduring pain to bring life to our children. As we experience the cost of bringing forth life in our own way, we find strength and opportunity to love like him. While our
They learned Anindilyakwa, the local indigenous language, and ministered to people across the island and beyond – although Mrs Parker’s health meant the family had to return to Sydney four years later.
In 1969, Mr Barker became rector of St John’s, Keiraville, which became a full parish under his leadership. The family
Even though a heart condition meant moving into residential care in 2020, Mr Barker continued to serve in whatever way he was able.
Said Mrs Parker: “A old friend recently said, ‘I met Reg about 40 years ago and he was a man who left an impression. Warm, kind, a leader, hospitable, rich in experience and with a huge faith. He was a spiritual blessing to many’.”
human tendency is normally to avoid pain, birth brings us into a new perspective.
CONTRIBUTING TO AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
There was disbelief when McIver heard her book had been shortlisted for the SparkLit Australian Christian Book of the Year. “It was really exciting to find out,” she says. “There were over 100 entrants so I had no idea it would be in the shortlist. I was on the way to Queensland when I found out, so it was a very nice start to our holiday.”
The shortlisting has helped spread the message of the book and she hopes that, as a result, many women and families who are “expecting” will embrace the theological richness of birth.
The Rev Reg Barker died on July 18.
by Andrew G. Shead
There is a large picture of Jeremiah next to my bed. The original painting is by Rembrandt. The solitary Jeremiah stares downwards, head in hands, as he grieves the loss of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. The king, with his eyes put out, flails in the background, while flames and warfare complete the picture. All is lost. The prophecy was real, the land has gone, and the people are adrift. But he knew all that would happen. Jeremiah that is, and well, of course, God.
I feel shadows of that sorrow when I walk out my front door and into my suburb, or in fact if I take the time to look at my own heart. The city does not follow God’s way and my heart likewise often prefers its own path. We need help, which is why I’m thankful that Andrew Shead has written this giant of a little book. I need help knowing, as Shead writes, how to travel “through lament before it ends in praise”, and to know better the God who walks with us.
I also need help to slow down – I click, click, click at high speed. Shead comments on this as the book begins: “Psalms are poetry, and the first purpose of poetry in any language is to make the reader slow down”. There is an art to reading poetry; the words have been carefully crafted. So, he writes, “let’s ‘go slow’ for a while”.
Shead has wonderfully transformed his talks from CMS’s 2022 Summer School into this book. With real warmth and intellect, he opens up what he calls “Israel’s hymnbook” in a way that helps us both learn and reflect. It entreats us to do the theological thinking, but you’ll find it is also personable and packed with application.
“I think this is a topic that hasn’t been spoken about enough in church contexts,” she says. “It’s not just relevant to women, although it is of particular relevance to women who will have children. As Christians we all need to think about God’s character as a life-giving God, and the goodness of the female body, and how we can support women in our families, churches and society more generally.
“This is a topic that can easily be hidden behind closed doors. It involves intimate body parts, after all. I don’t think that has helped women in the past. We’ve come to a point where women are speaking about these things [more publicly] and so Christians need to as well – especially as birth is a central theme in the Bible. By ignoring the significance we’re doing ourselves a disservice.”
This book was a place for me – tired and overly busy, probably like you, too – to find peace amid structure and patterns and judgement and tenderness and welcome. I truly learnt to feel again the joy – the outrageous claim! – of being a person within the group God calls “my people”.
The psalms, with Shead’s help, can answer our questions. How do we deal with the tension between reality and appearance? How do I avoid being lightweight chaff? How can I know for sure that I’m on the right path? What does that even look like? How can you suggest that my burden “is a gift from God”?? How do lament and praise and even thanksgiving really sit alongside each other?
Psalms teaches us to call out, like the king, “I take refuge! Protect me!” to a God who is the sanctuary of all of humanity, of all times, of all fears and failures and fights. Who leads us out rejoicing in his kingship, his complete supremacy, and in his great and wonderful love for us – “His love endures forever”.
The picture and story of Jeremiah that is so often in my line of sight at home is not, therefore, one of only sorrow and flames. Psalms weaves us through a much larger story of redemption. It’s a tuneful rollercoaster ride, though in fact the way is entirely straight.
We are called to obey the Lord and we are shown how to delight in him, and we learn here how this God chooses to walk with us every step, as we follow behind his son Jesus, to indeed walk his way. SC
Sally Swan is a care advisor with Anglicare.
McIver’s biggest prayer is that her book can help shape the way women see themselves as they go through these experiences, in line with how God sees them. “I pray they see their bodies are good, that God is working even in the hard parts, and that what they’re doing is worthwhile and significant, even if it doesn’t have the outcomes that they hoped for.”
She also prays that the church and community can support women and couples well – not being dismissive of experiences, but honouring the journey that people are on. “[Pray they would] see the significance of womanhood – not limited to this but in this unique role of sharing in God’s life giving, which hasn’t always garnered the honour and respect that it deserves.” SC
Tara Sing
Is there anything more miraculous than the moment a newborn enters the world?
Watching a fragile child emerging from the warmth of the womb and taking their first breath is certainly an extraodinary experience, one that midwife and mum Jodie McIver knows all too well. An experience that is not only miraculous in its own right, but points us to a more miraculous event.
Years of midwifery married with theological study have provided a solid foundation for Mrs McIver to offer a unique look at pregnancy, birth and life with a newborn through the lens of the gospel in her book, Bringing Forth Life: God’s Purposes in Pregnancy and Birth. But it wasn’t until she had children of her own that she began to explore the connection between birth and the Bible.
“It seems bizarre to me now,” she says. “I was working as a midwife while working in ministry and hadn’t thought theologically about pregnancy and birth. I didn’t even know I hadn’t thought about it!
“People weren’t writing books on it. There are a lot [of books] on motherhood more broadly, but the experience of birth can have such a big impact on women. It can be empowering and equip them well for motherhood, but sadly, often in the realities of our health care system, it can be traumatic.”
The book offers a practical guide to pregnancy, birth and postpartum, with spiritual reflections at every stage. Each chapter is filled with useful knowledge, personal stories and biblical truths and finishes with a prayer, written by a fellow mother, that reflects on the content of each section and encourages the reader
to humbly lean on the Lord in every moment.
The message of the book is clear: bringing forth life is a spiritually significant act, one which lifts our eyes to the Lord.
McIver is part of the parish of Blackheath, where her husband serves as senior minister, and admits that despite the joy of bringing so many babies into the world – and even the unique memories of watching her own siblings being born – she wasn’t busting to start her own family.
“I felt quite hesitant about the whole thing,” she says. “I knew what a big deal it would be and how hard it would be to some extent – not the birth but the identity change. I was a bit negative and I was excited as well, but there was realism there.”
Giving birth, and then managing the transition to motherhood, were challenging times for her. “The fears weren’t unfounded. It was a real blur and there were lots of difficult parts. But coming to that realisation you had always known, seeing how God works through hard things – that’s the essence of the gospel. The pain in bringing forth life is not useless. God works through that.
“Personally, there’s so much that is happening in our hearts and minds. That is God transforming us. He’s powerfully at work in us. There’s a good design in how our bodies work.”
It’s no stretch to say that new life is at the centre of the Bible’s story. Often when we reflect on giving birth, we find ourselves drawn to the pain and hardship of the process. Passages such as continued on page 30
Lean on the Lord: Jodie McIver with toddler Elsie and newborn, Claudia.