transpacificism

week 32

2009-07-09T22:39:00.007+12:00

We're in the midst of a busy week. This week is the General Assembly of the Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand (our denomination). For those of you that aren't familiar with presbyterianism that basically means I spent 12 hours today in a long meeting. A good, important meeting, but not a lot of new pictures of the little girl because of it. In the picture with Sophia is Mark Smith, pastor of the GPCNZ church in Dunedin.

so... what do you do?

2009-07-07T00:01:00.004+12:00

I've been meaning to write this post for some time now and am finally getting around to it. Since being in Auckland there's been one question that keeps haunting me, "What do you do?" When people hear our accents it's quite obvious that we're not from around here and one of the first questions they naturally ask is, "Why are you guys here?" or, "What do you do?" This is generally a normal, ordinary, safe question to ask someone. However, when I tell people the truth it's usually a conversation stopper.

"So what do you do?"

"Well, I'm basically a pastor."

"Oh... uh... that's um... interesting."

Now, I actually understand and appreciate people's hesitation when hearing my response. In all honesty I'm usually a bit hesitant myself towards the type of people who eagerly introduce themselves as pastors (which is why I usually don't do it very eagerly). Whether it's a fair stereotype or not the fact is that many people in Western cultures assume that "pastors" are different than normal people. Pastors are stern, pastors are super-spiritual, pastors are hypercritical, pastors tell people what to do, pastors are sappy and unthinking, pastors are judgmental, pastors are do-gooders, pastors are out of touch with reality, pastors are fanatical moral zealots, pastors are just... different. There are tons of different thoughts that people have about pastors that basically lump them into the category of "other" which makes people, particularly non-church people, reluctant to have a normal conversation with them. In all fairness there are a lot of pastors out there who lend credibility to these different stereotypes. Anyway, take these normal hesitations and place them in an extremely post-Christian society that is naturally skeptical (to say the least) towards Evangelicals and the result is that it's been a bit hard to get to know people when their first question to you is, "What do you do?".

I've tried to think of other things to call myself to remove the initial suspicions that people have. Unfortunately, the only other things I've come up with could be seen as misleading or sound even more weird (and cultish) than "pastor." So, part of my mission is simply to live out my faith transparently and authentically before those I meet in hopes that I might be able to break some of the stereotypes and dispel the suspicions that many have about people in my role.

On the flip-side, there have been a few humorous conversations stemming from what Brooke and I have come to call "The Question." There's an Italian cafe owner down the road who asked "The Question" and upon hearing the answer assumed I was a Catholic priest. I assured him I was not. On another day I was talking briefly with a guy who works in the office next to mine and he asked "The Question" but before I could answer he told me that he had "heard a couple different things." When I asked what he heard I did (slightly astonished he'd heard anything) he informed me that someone told him I was a Private Investigator!!! I have no idea wher that came from. Finally, while out for a walk with Brooke and Sophia yesterday we stopped at a local pub to get a coffee before heading home. While there we struck up a conversation with the guy working behind the bar. Inevitably, he asked "The Question" and here's how our conversation went:

"So what do you do?"

"Well, I'm basically a pastor."

"Hunh, really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Oh, well... you look like you're probably one of those cool pastors who smokes weed with the teens."

"Uh... ?"

I assured him I didn't smoke weed with the kids and Brooke chimed in to let him know I stopped smoking weed a long time ago. I'm still trying to figure out if he was complimenting me or not?

week 31

2009-07-02T20:57:00.006+12:00

It seems like I've been a bit of a blog slacker again. I hope to get back to it soon, though I don't know if there's anyone still checking this blog for anything but Sophia updates. :-)

Anyway, I received a complaint a little while back that I hadn't put up any new videos of Sophia in awhile. To make up for it this one has two parts.

Have I mentioned that my daughter is adorable?

(And yes, I realized too late that there's an unnecessary apostrophe in "Grandmas.")

week 30

2009-06-26T23:25:00.003+12:00

Sophia showing off her new curls and her self-inflicted head wound.

And these are a few of her chillin in the Sleepy Hollow chair checkin her email.

week 29

2009-06-19T22:07:00.007+12:00

These are going up a bit late, but here's a few recent pictures of Sophia eating her rice cereal. You wouldn't be able tell from these photos but she's actually getting much better at eating from the spoon. In my personal opinion the one at the bottom is stinkin adorable. Enjoy.

...

2009-06-16T11:30:00.002+12:00

"The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good."

- Ecclesiastes 9:17

week 28

2009-06-12T00:30:00.010+12:00

Here's a few pics of Sophia throwing gang signs and showing her sophisticated palate.

the rise of christianity

2009-06-07T23:38:00.003+12:00

I just finished reading Rodney Stark's, The Rise of Christianity. This book has come to my attention several times over the past couple years as people I've been reading or listening to have referred to it. Because of this I've been wanting to read it for awhile and finally just knocked it out a chapter at a time. If your interested you can read the whole thing in electronic form here.

I found Stark's work to be very stimulating and insightful. His sociological research and assertions were very thought provoking. His hermeneutics however were a bit faulty at times. Overall though the book was worth the time and effort. It's not really for the casual reader but if you are interested in Church history at all I'd recommend it.

week 27

2009-06-05T18:16:00.006+12:00

Sorry these are going up day late, I was a bit under the weather yesterday. Here are a few pics of Sophia hanging in the kitchen, listening to The Avett Bros. while while mom gets dinner ready. Her latest hobby (in additional to letting out a random screech or scream) is constantly kicking and or pulling off her socks.

postmodern advertising at its best

2009-06-02T10:35:00.001+12:00

This commercial cracks me every time I see it. It doesn't actually have anything to do with the product it's selling but it's hilarious nonetheless.

4th living

2009-05-30T12:23:00.005+12:00

A recent quality of life survey of 420 global cities ranked Auckland 4th best in the world (tied with Vancouver). The survey, conducted by Mercer, rated cities based on several different factors. Honolulu was the top US city coming in at 29.

Now I happen to think that Auckland is a pretty good place to live. As far as cities go it's relatively safe, clean, culturally diverse, and on and on and on. I've noticed though that many native Aucklanders frequently bash their city and talk about how awful it is. It's a well known fact that many New Zealanders living south of the Auckland region hold a general disdain for the city. However, in a recent NZ survey ranking the 12 major city centres in the country (comprising 56% of the population), Aucklanders ranked themselves 11th out of the 12. There are a few possible explanations for this:

1. The Mercer survey grossly overestimated the quality of life in Auckland.

2. The Mercer survey was correct but there are 11 better places in NZ to live which should be in a higher position on the survey. (Wellington for example came in 3rd place in the NZ survey but didn't even make the top 10 in the Mercer survey.)

3. Aucklanders greatly under-appreciate the quality of life in their city.

There's certainly other explanations than these 3 but observing and conversing with native Aucklanders leads me to believe that #3 on my list is probably a big part of the issue. Not that Aucklanders are alone in under-appreciating the city they live in. I think it's somewhat normal for people to not appreciate the place they live, especially if they've always lived there. I've heard similar comments by people from St. Louis, MO and Grand Rapids, MI; both of which were places I greatly enjoyed living. I wonder though if there may be some different cultural values in play that cause New Zealanders, Aucklanders included, to verbally tear down the country's only truly metropolitan area? Whatever the case, in response to the survey results some local celebrities and musicians got together and produced the video below which is filled with some classic, good old, self deprecating, Kiwi humour.

week 26

2009-05-28T20:23:00.005+12:00

Just FYI, 26 weeks is 61/2 months. Unbelievable!

(not so) new ink

2009-05-26T23:58:00.006+12:00

So, I meant to put this post up way back in January, at which point it could've been titled just "new ink." I'm only four months late on this but that means the "new ink" is definitely all healed up. Anyway, the descending dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit that goes way back in Christian art. This was the next step in my attempt at gradually finishing off my sleeve. Both Brooke and I are happy with how this turned out. I especially like the symmetry of the descending dove on the opposite side of my arm as the rising phoenix. Many kudos to Nate at Allstar for taking my idea and making it look good.

secure in my manhood...

2009-05-23T23:07:00.003+12:00

If I wasn't would I be willing to put up a picture like this?

I've actually been meaning to do a lot more blogging than I have lately. There are several things I've been planning on posting about and simply haven't. Maybe if I put a list of post titles here it will inspire me to actually get the posts up. So, with that hope, here are a few titles that you will hopefully see more about soon:

New Ink

What Do You Do?

4th Best

City Scenes

There. Now let's see if that actually helps me to get the posts up.

week 25

2009-05-22T13:14:00.002+12:00

I tried to put this video up last night but ran into some technical difficulties. So, here it is just a day late.

week 24

2009-05-15T00:26:00.005+12:00

DISAPPOINTMENT

2009-05-08T23:40:00.005+12:00

week 23

2009-05-07T22:47:00.005+12:00

Brooke put up a ton of pics of Sophia this week so I'll just post a few.

from the shelf

2009-05-01T12:31:00.003+12:00

I'm in the midst of preparing and delivering a six-part series of messages on the nature and role of the Christian church in the city. Here are some thoughts from this weeks prep.

“Flight into the invisible is a denial of the call. A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

“God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad. And when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach ourselves?.... Too often evangelical Christians have interpreted their social responsibility in terms only of helping the casualties of a sick society, and have done nothing to change the structures which cause the casualties.” – John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount

“If the gospel is to challenge the public life of our society… It will only be by movements that begin with the local congregation in which the reality of the new creation is present, known, and experienced, and from which men and women will go into every sector of public life to claim it for Christ, to unmask illusions which have remained hidden and to expose all areas of public life to the illumination of the gospel. But that will only happen as and when local congregations renounce an introverted concern for their own life, and recognize that they exist for the sake of those who are not members, as sign, instrument, and foretaste of God’s redeeming grace for the whole life of society.” – Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

week 22

2009-05-01T00:26:00.004+12:00

Here are a few pics from today with a very serious looking Sophia.

week 21

2009-04-23T22:11:00.002+12:00

I think you'll all enjoy this one.

(Do any of you fellow bloggers know how I can move these videos a bit to the left so that the whole thing is centered properly?)

lewis on the train

2009-04-21T16:41:00.005+12:00

I've spent a significant portion of time this past week riding the train back and forth to South Auckland. The train is definitely not the quickest or most efficient way to get to South Auckland but it provides some interesting views of the city as well as a good chunk of time to sit and read. Riding back and forth yesterday I took God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis with me. I love to read and re-read Lewis' works. I find him to be insightful, profound, practical, and witty; and even when I don't agree with him he always forces me to pause and think. Here are some snippets from yesterday's train reading:

"The hard sayings of the Lord are wholesome to those only who find them hard."

"An egg which came from no bird is no more 'natural' than a bird which had existed from all eternity. And since the egg-bird-egg sequence leads us to no plausible beginning, is it not reasonable to look for the real origin somewhere outside the sequence altogether? You have to go outside the sequence of engines into the world of men, to find the real originator of the Rocket. Is it not equally reasonable to look outside Nature for the real Originator of the natural order?"

"Praying for particular things', said I, 'always seems to me like advising God how to run the world. Wouldn't it be wiser to assume that He knows best?' 'On the same principle,' said he, 'I suppose you can never ask a man next to you to pass the salt, because God knows best whether you ought to have salt or not. And I suppose you never take an umbrella, because God knows best whether you ought to be wet or dry.' 'That's quite different,' I protested. 'I don't see why,' said he. 'The odd thing is that He should let us influence the course of events at all. But since He let's us do it in one way I don't see why He shouldn't let us do it in another.'

week 20

2009-04-17T01:55:00.005+12:00

So, we've got our internet back after a week of no service. My apologies for missing week 19 but hopefully the fact that I'm posting a video this week will appease those of you (grandmothers!) who were disappointed by the lack of new pics last week.

The video is my first attempt with the Handycam and I'm totally breathing into the microphone. Other than that it's a pretty cute (I'm not biased at all) video of Brooke and I waking Sophia up from a nap. She doesn't do any talking in this but if you listen carefully you'll notice that she does indeed make some audible contributions, one that seems to surprise even her.

new theme song

2009-04-15T00:47:00.004+12:00

I know it released sometime around last September, but I've just recently caught wind of Snow Patrol's single "Take Back the City." Besides being a catchy tune I think it might be my new theme song for church planting in central Auckland. I'm not able to embed the video on the blog but you can check it out here or here.

I'm sure the band didn't have my interpretation in mind when they wrote the song but the following lyric snippets get to the heart of urban church planting.

It's a mess, it's a start
It's a flawed work of art
Your city, your call
Every crack, every wall
Pick a side, pick a fight
Get your epitaph right

Tell me you never wanted more than this
And I will stop talking now
One perfect partner, one eternal kiss

For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight

I love this city tonight
I love this city always

telecom = sucky service!

2009-04-11T17:55:00.002+12:00

Our internet has been down since last Tuesday. Telecom will give me no word as to when it will be up. That means we've only got sporadic internet access when we are out at places where we can connect or if we pay for it at an internet cafe. It also means we'll probably be switching web providers very soon. Sorry, no Sophia pics for last week. I'll try to make up for it next week assuming things are up and running again.