The Final Week for Jesus - Monday

The final week - Monday

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. Mark 11:12-14

Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

Let’s be honest, there are some words or actions of Jesus that are a little hard to understand. The story of the fig tree is a story that raises more questions than it answers. Why did Jesus go to the fig tree if it was not the season for figs? And why would Jesus curse a tree for not having fruit? 

The answer to this puzzle won’t be found in just reading these three verses. Like all puzzling statements of the Bible, it is in looking at the whole story of the Bible that you can start to put the clues together.

So, let’s think about the day Jesus comes to the fig tree. It is Monday and he is making his way to the temple. If we read on, we will see that Jesus is not happy with what is happening there. In fact, he’s so unhappy, he turns over the tables and declares “This should be a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.”

And here is a clue to the story of the fig tree. The temple looks like it might bear good fruit, but there is no good fruit to be found. It should be ‘a house of prayer for all nations’, but what Jesus finds is a ‘den of robbers’.

         

Is your life bearing fruit for the gospel of Jesus Christ? It is terrible to think that we might look like a fig tree but have nothing but leaves. What will Jesus find when he looks at you?

The great value of being the middle generation

In recent months, I've come to value being part of a middle generation. I don't mean being middle aged, though that's probably relevant. What I mean is having both adult children and parents.

My parents are still healthy and enjoying life and we live close by. This means that mum and dad are still there for a chat, for some dinner when Anne's away, and I still seek their guidance and advice sometimes.

I have two adult sons, one of whom is married now. So I can have proper, grown-up conversations with the generations either side of me. And there is something deeply comforting in that.

But there has been a change in this landscape. My father-in-law died last weekend, or as we like to say, he was 'promoted to glory'. He has been dealing with the impacts of dementia for some time now and we have seen him change from what he was to what he became. He had a great impact on my life. After all, he let me marry his daughter, and so my life has been greatly improved.

So there is great value in being the middle generation. Enjoy it while you can, if you get the chance.

With my father-in-law in 2017

My parents and siblings etc - Christmas 2019

Review - The Frog and The Fish

I'm always pleased to read books about youth written by an Australian. Chris Parker's book "The Frog and The Fish" is a book that was recommended to be on a book stall at camp by one of the young people of PYV, so I thought I should have a read.

I'm glad I did.

Chris gives hints of his own story through the book. I've learned that he lost his father as a young child, so he understands grief very well. I learned that he was an atheist whose life was changed. Here's how he describes it -

As an adult I came to discover a profound external reference point . . . I turned form the devout atheism of my teenage years, to a belief and trust in the big picture, hope-filled narrative unfolded in the Bible. I found that not only could this story of the world explain and bring meaning to all things - far more than my science-based atheistic storylines could - it also gave me hope, purpose, and a freedom that I didn't have when all I knew was the water in which I swam. (p19)

This is a book about culture. More than that, it is a book about the culture we live in and the way it influences us without us even being aware of it. This is the image of the fish - so immersed in water that to ask a fish to explain water is an impossible question.

There are chapters that help readers to ask questions about themselves, the world they live in, and what can be done to make some changes to that world. Then he raises specific issues - sex, consumerism, truth, happiness, and more. I found these chapters to be the most helpful.

It is a reasonably short book - only 132 pages - and is written in such an engaging manner that I was able to read it easily while still finding some phrases that made me stop and think. 

If you're looking for a book to give to young people who are trying to find their place in the world, or who are feeling quite despondent about the culture they are living in, this could be the very book they need to help them sort out what is important and what is not.

Chris has also provided more than just a book. If you go to www.thefrogandthefish.com you will have access to a bunch of resources like videos and study guides to help you do more with the book. You can also buy an ebook or audio version if your prefer books that way.

Put it on your bookshelf, read it, and share it around.

Review - Saving Eutychus

I'd love to think that I've learned everything I need to learn about preaching. Sometimes, I even think that's true - and then I'm reminded that I really don't.

So it's good to finally open Saving Eutychus and enjoy some encouragement while I'm learning.

Millar and Campbell use the image of poor Eutychus falling asleep and then falling out of a window during a lengthy sermon to remind us of the importance of being interesting. More importantly, they want preachers to be faithful to the Biblical text that is before them. Can a sermon be both interesting and faithful? Their answer would be, "Yes! And it should be!"

What's good about the book?

I appreciate the fact that it's not a long book. I have enough large books keeping the dust off the shelves, so a book of this size is much more attractive. It's 171 pages long and the font is big enough that I could read comfortably, though I still needed my glasses. (Age is catching me)

The chapters are long enough to pack stuff in, but not so long that I lose track of what I'm reading.

I also greatly appreciated the two sermons that are included in the book, and the critiques of each sermon that follows. Critiquing sermons is something that I find really easy to do, but I'm not sure I'd be so keen for people to critique my own sermons. This book provides a model for such a critique to happen.

What did I learn?

There are many good things here. But two things have stood out for me. They might not be the most important things in the book - I already knew about them - but these two should be a great help to me. 

The first comes from Phil Campbell as he describes his sermon preparation. He writes out the passage by hand in a note book. He says that in doing this he begins to see the repeated words and ideas etc. I've often printed out the passage, but hand-writing seems just so last century. Perhaps I need to revisit that.  (p66)

The second is also from Phil (sorry Gary) in his "Top Ten Tips". All of these are worth hearing, but number eight 'Illustrate the Obvious' is the one that sticks in my mind. I can get so tied up trying to illustrate some concepts of faith that I turn the message into a boring lecture. But by illustrating the obvious, I can make the sermon connect much better. This has to be a good thing. Then when I've got people's attention, those more difficult concepts might be a bit easier to work with.

Worth Reading?

At 171 pages, you're not going to lose anything by reading this. If you've read other books on preaching, you'll read some stuff you already know, and some things you've probably forgotten too. Perhaps like me you will come across some nuggets of gold that make you sit back and think a bit more about your preparation and your presentation.

Yes, it's worth reading. 

 

If a thing is worth doing... it is worth doing badly! by Ben Pfahlert

 This was written by Ben Pfahlert of Ministry Training Strategy. I thought it was worth sharing here.

5 February, 2019

G. K. Chesterton once said, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly".

That saying is shocking to our 21st Century ‘perfection infection' ears. What on earth did Chesterton mean by it?

Chesterton was a man who loved the generalist, and resisted the world's infatuation with the specialist. He was of the view that - it is better for an important job to be done in a mediocre way than for the job to not be done at all.

In MTS land, this saying has been very powerful. It has been applied in two ways:

1. Training: Learning takes time. MTS Apprentices will take time to grow in ministry competence e.g. if learning to preach God's Word in front of a congregation is worth doing, then you're probably going to do it badly for the first 10 - 20 attempts. That is OK.

2. Recruitment: Very few Christians are volunteering to be Overseers/Elders/Pastors so - if being a Pastor is a job worth doing, then it is better that it is done by someone who gets a competency score of 6 out of 10 than for it to not be done at all. Chesterton's saying has many, many applications in life.

• - I volunteer to make a salad once a month on my 5pm Church Dinner Roster. Everyone likes Cathrein Douglas' salads a lot more than mine. But if a salad is worth making then it is worth making badly. o I just combine iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumber with Balsamic on the side. Better a plain salad than no salad at all.
• - Edmund volunteered to be a “Buddy" on Camp Jono (a camp for kids with disabilities) despite the fact he had no prior training. A “Buddy" looks after 1 of the campers and takes care of all their needs 24/7. If being a buddy to a disabled kid is worth doing* then it is worth doing badly.
  • * The benefits being:
    • - the child gets to go on an awesome fun camp that caters for their needs 
    • - the child gets to hear about the life saving work of Jesus Christ
    • - the child's parents get 5 days of respite, which is as rare as hens teeth

Our world finds Chesterton's saying anathema. Our world is literally getting sick from perfection infection. (Click on the articles below to see the negative physical and relational effects of perfectionism.)

When we focus on perfectionism we forget a very important fact. We forget that God is sovereign. We forget that God is powerful to work in us and through us by his Holy Spirit.
When Jeremiah was summoned by God, Jeremiah resisted saying: “I do not know how to speak; I am too young." (Jer 1:6)

Jeremiah thought, “If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well". But the Lord rebukes him. Listen in to the Lord's response: 7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. (Jer 1:7-8) 

What makes Jeremiah equipped for the task? The Lord is WITH him. Also, the Lord is able to work in our listeners. So even if we may feel like we're doing a poor job of proclaiming the Scriptures, God can make our words seem like music in the ears of our hearers ... he has the power to do that.

If you are a Christian SRE teacher, a Kids Church Leader, a Pastor, a Youth Group Leader, an AFES Staffworker or an MTS Apprentice preaching in Long Bay Gaol each week … and you feel a bit insecure about your giftedness … remember Jeremiah; that God is with you. And remember G.K. Chesterton, that if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.

Click here to read about the physical effects of perfectionism

Click here to read about the relational effects of perfectionism:

http://www.mts.com.au/blog/n/if-a-thing-is-worth-doing-it-is-worth-doing-badly-by-ben-pfahlert-190205

Thank you Buffy. You've been a beautiful part of our family.

This lovely face.

Today has been a sad day for our family, but it comes after years of joy and delight. Buffy, our beautiful border collie / kelpie cross has died. 

We adopted Buffy and her brother Dash in March 2010 when we lived in Warburton. Together they enjoyed swimming in the river, chasing tennis balls, long walks along the aqueduct trail, and sometimes chasing deer into the forest!

 

Dash and Buffy

Sadly, Dash died as the result of a snake bite in our back yard. He was doing his bit to protect his patch of ground and those who lived there. But it was costly. 

It took Buffy a while to get used to life without her brother, but it wasn't too long before we began to see a different side to her personality. And it has been delightful. 

Catching her breath in younger days

Over the last year, we have seen the walks begin to get slower and shorter. Trouble with her legs meant a visit to the vet, and with some amazing medication she was able to walk freely and enjoy walking with us for a number of months. But some things cannot be stopped entirely. 

We have watched her lose much of her hearing, and then her beautiful brown eyes began to lose their colour and vigour. In the last few weeks, her back legs were starting to fail. 

It was time. 

Life is good at the beach

 Looking back through some photos today, it has been wonderful to remember when she was able to run, chase, and swim. It's good to remember her as a dog who has grown out of a silly puppy stage but is full of life and energy. We remember the day during a holiday in Casterton that Buffy went crazy barking at a statue of a kelpie. Or a beach holiday at Venus Bay and how much fun she had running along the beach. Or a holiday at Nicholls Point and how much she enjoyed chasing a ball and swimming with us in the river. 

And I remember how excited she would be when we would come home from anywhere. 

Buffy, if we were your first owners you would probably have a different name. Regardless of that, we are glad you have been part of our family. Thank you for sharing your love with us and, perhaps without realising it, showing God's good grace. 

Those beautiful eyes

 Finally, a big Thank You to Dr Harry from Thrifty Vet. His care and kindness have been amazing. 

Some final photos. January 6 2019

Road trip to Rawson and Baw Baw

Friday October 19 2018 was a warm and sunny day. And I'm on holiday, so it's a perfect combination to get on the bike and get into the hills.

The view from the balcony at Mt Baw Baw

Travelling the dirt road between Mt Baw Baw and Rawson is something I haven't done before, but a comment on netrider a little while ago has led me to believe I probably could ride it with no real worries. But there was a lot of corners to get around before hitting the dirt.

He's a great cat. But . . .

I had a plan, but as normally happens, the morning didn't go to plan. I was going to put the airhawk on to the bike and get going, but when I picked it up from inside, I realised that our cat had marked his territory. If you have a male cat, you probably know just how unpleasant that stench can be, so it was out with a bucket of soapy water to see what I could do. That is never a quick job. So it was washed and dripping wet. What to do? I decided to take it with me under the cargo net to let it dry as I rode for the first stretch. Byt then the seat will be really uncomfortable, the Airhawk would be dry, and I'd be ready to put it on.

That turned out to be a good plan.

The other thing that didn't quite go to plan was using Rever on an old phone. Rever is an app I'm trying to get used to but have had some frustrations with. Turns out that some of these frustrations are because the old phone can't handle it now. Time was lost, but now I know.

I finally got out of the house just after 8.30am and headed east. Stopped in Launching Place to fill up and abandoned the old phone for my usual phone. Rever worked nicely here and I was able to follow the blue line for the curvy roads. I know these roads reasonably well anyway, but this makes it a good place to test these apps.

Rode through Powelltown and stopped in Noojee for a stretch and to put the Airhawk on the seat. I really like my bike, but the seat can be a killer for a long trip. Now with the Airhawk, it's like sitting on a cloud.

From here I rode toward Tanjil Ben and took the turn off to Moe to ride a road I've not used before. It was gorgeous. A wonderful forest road surrounded by magnificent trees and then at the top of the hill there were views that just seemed to go forever. I'll be back here at some point. Blue Rock Lake looks beautiful and it was worth the effort to stop here even just for a moment. Another spot worth visiting in the future.

 

Then it was up the hill to Rawson. I've been involved in a few camps at Rawson Village, so I know this part of the road reasonably well, and it is a very enjoyable ride. If you haven't enjoyed this road yet, do it when you can. I stopped at Rawson for lunch which was - how shall I put this nicely - disappointing.

I had planned to make some lunch to take with me so I could stop anywhere and enjoy it. But that time was lost this morning, so I needed to buy some food instead. Now I've visited the Rawson general store before, and I knew it wasn't going to be a food experience worthy of the Good Food Guide. But I don't think I've ever had a pie and potato cake as bad as this. But there aren't too many options here, and I needed to eat something before heading to Mt Baw Baw.

It was nice to sit under a tree for a while though.

From there it was the South Face Road to Mt Baw Baw. A few years ago I had come from the other direction and when I realised this was unsealed, I turned back. Today I faced the dirt, and it was fine. Yes, the road bike and road tyres make for a few uncertain moments, and the newly laid and very loose gravel early on was a little more 'exciting' than I had hoped for, but the surface is good and the road is wide. It was good to get to the end and then up to Mt Baw Baw for some more sustenance.

The view from the cafe here is magnificent. I wasn't too keen to sit in the sun and the shady balcony was a much better option.

From here it was down the hill, back to Noojee before a short stop in Powelltown. Always a good place to rest. I did realise that I was just focusing on the road and not enjoying the scenery, so that was a good reminder to slow down and enjoy where I was rather than rushing to get somewhere else.

When I got home my wife was a little reluctant to give me a welcoming kiss, which was a little worrying until she told me that I had bugs all over my face, stuck in my beard and around my mouth. I suppose that shows how much I enjoyed the ride.

About 344 kms and nearly 9 hours. It seems like a slow journey to use that much time. Worth it though.

 

See original map here which was created with Kurviger.