So during the last term, we gt a visit from Roy Woods, a missionary who used to live in Papua New Guinea with the Akyom people there. We heard s much about their culture before and after Jesus was introduced to their tribe. It was amazing the differences Jesus brought in all of their lives.
The thin was before they got Jesus was that they were very fearful all the time. They did not even have a word in their language for happiness. They lived in very tall tree-houses and did not trust their own tribes people a few tree-houses away! There was always pay back to be made, but you never knew when that was going to occur, which can be the biggest fear around.
Now, I have come back to NZ and to the influence of the television media again (I don't watch TV in Australia). I can see the fear mongering influence in the ads. They are all about making you look good, so that you do not age, essentially because aging is not seen as something worthwhile in our western culture. What ever happened to aging gracefully? Can we not deal with looking at our face in the mirror so that we must put makeup on everyday and add colour to our eyes? We should not fear growing old. God made us to grow old. Proverbs 16:31 says "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." So why do we fear it? Why do we cover it up?
We think we are better than the tribes-people who fear each other. But do we not do the same thing, just in a more modern way?
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Monks, Cheerleaders, and Activists
You are now probably expecting a crazy joke about these three types of people right?? Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I do not know any jokes about these three? Do you? Leave them in comments, I'd love to hear them!
Anyways, the reason I am talking about these three things is because I went to the Vetamorphus retreat thingo in the weekend as a part of the BMW course, and getting my Certificate 3 in Christian Ministry (Don't ask me what a Cert 3 is, I honestly don't know, some kind of Australian High School something).
Anyway, the guest speaker was this guy called Steve, and he was very good. And he was the one who originally spoke about Monks, Cheerleaders, and Activists.
You see, we were talking about Church and stuff, and what the minimal things required to make a church was. And then he told a story about talking to a bunch of ladies wondering what it was that he did. He was in fact (a pastor?) over a collection of house churches.
He knew, though, that if he said he was a pastor, or any of that Christianese stuff, that it would turn them off entirely. So he used this illustration:
Church as a collection of Monks, Cheerleaders and Activists.
Monks: In any religion Monks set themselves a part to search for a higher being that they are sure exists. They try to seek out what that being wants from us.
Cheerleaders: In their original sense, cheerleaders exist to cheer on the team for what they are doing. They also encourage one another to keep doing so even when the team is losing.
Activists: Activists realise that all the world is in turmoil. It's a big problem. But they believe that they can be active in putting the world back together by doing a small part that the higher being asks us to do.
I thought that this was such an amazing concept that I had to share it with you. It rings so true with me and with what we do. And gives others an idea about what Church and being a Christian is all about.
Anyways, the reason I am talking about these three things is because I went to the Vetamorphus retreat thingo in the weekend as a part of the BMW course, and getting my Certificate 3 in Christian Ministry (Don't ask me what a Cert 3 is, I honestly don't know, some kind of Australian High School something).
Anyway, the guest speaker was this guy called Steve, and he was very good. And he was the one who originally spoke about Monks, Cheerleaders, and Activists.
You see, we were talking about Church and stuff, and what the minimal things required to make a church was. And then he told a story about talking to a bunch of ladies wondering what it was that he did. He was in fact (a pastor?) over a collection of house churches.
He knew, though, that if he said he was a pastor, or any of that Christianese stuff, that it would turn them off entirely. So he used this illustration:
Church as a collection of Monks, Cheerleaders and Activists.
Monks: In any religion Monks set themselves a part to search for a higher being that they are sure exists. They try to seek out what that being wants from us.
Cheerleaders: In their original sense, cheerleaders exist to cheer on the team for what they are doing. They also encourage one another to keep doing so even when the team is losing.
Activists: Activists realise that all the world is in turmoil. It's a big problem. But they believe that they can be active in putting the world back together by doing a small part that the higher being asks us to do.
I thought that this was such an amazing concept that I had to share it with you. It rings so true with me and with what we do. And gives others an idea about what Church and being a Christian is all about.
Poem Sunday! Harrah!
God, the
Only One,
Dangerous is He.
Going
Outside of His way
Disastrous it may be.
Get
Over yourself
Die to yourself.
Give
Over to Him,
Deliver yourself to the Father.
Guide you, He will
Over and above all else
Death, then, cannot separate you.
copyright, Joanna Wallace 2010
So, I have had a bit of fun with acrostic poems recently. Mainly because we have been looking at Hebrew poetry in Old Testament, and some of the Psalms were written in an acrostic way. For example Psalm 119, each of the sections starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Which is why the Psalm is the longest chapter in the Bible. Epic!
Anyway, that's all for now. Talk to you all later in the week!
Only One,
Dangerous is He.
Going
Outside of His way
Disastrous it may be.
Get
Over yourself
Die to yourself.
Give
Over to Him,
Deliver yourself to the Father.
Guide you, He will
Over and above all else
Death, then, cannot separate you.
copyright, Joanna Wallace 2010
So, I have had a bit of fun with acrostic poems recently. Mainly because we have been looking at Hebrew poetry in Old Testament, and some of the Psalms were written in an acrostic way. For example Psalm 119, each of the sections starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Which is why the Psalm is the longest chapter in the Bible. Epic!
Anyway, that's all for now. Talk to you all later in the week!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Australia Zoo
I have just been at Australia Zoo. And it was mega uber awesome fun!
Though I have discovered something, and I am quite glad to have come to this realisation:
Humans are more important than animals.
I do not deny the fact that animals are important and that we should look after them, however, I have decided within myself that humans are more important.
Now, I am not a people person. But I do know the worth of fellow human beings to my sanity, and to my joy and passion for life and for correcting and solidifying opinions.
I also want them to come to heaven with me. Otherwise heaven would be lonely. And who wants to spend eternity without other humans? God is sufficient, but people add to the wholeness of God. Each person on earth reveals a part of God. And we don't want missing pieces to miss out.
Animals on the other hand do not have spirits like we humans do. I love animals, and indeed we have been called to look after the flora and fauna while on the earth, but spending all of our money on saving animals, seems a bit ridiculous when put in the light of eternity, and other peoples lives!
While I was there, I bought a soft-toy Wombat, because I decided that wombats were one of my favourite Australian mammals. (this after seeing the poor thing get weighed!)
.JPG)
Then I realised that I just spent money on a soft toy that is not useful for well, anything really.
I could have bought a pen, or at least just a plan postcard which may or may not be used, and at least in the long run, be recyclable. But I didn't, because I am fickle, and wanted a really soft wombat toy. Though I am learning slowly that though I like to horde, and love getting souvenirs, it doesn't mean that they have to be useless things to sit on the mantle for eternity!
oh well! So that was my learnings from an amazing day at Australia Zoo. Thanks team, and God Bless you Irwin family for what you are doing for this planet!
Though I have discovered something, and I am quite glad to have come to this realisation:
Humans are more important than animals.
I do not deny the fact that animals are important and that we should look after them, however, I have decided within myself that humans are more important.
Now, I am not a people person. But I do know the worth of fellow human beings to my sanity, and to my joy and passion for life and for correcting and solidifying opinions.
I also want them to come to heaven with me. Otherwise heaven would be lonely. And who wants to spend eternity without other humans? God is sufficient, but people add to the wholeness of God. Each person on earth reveals a part of God. And we don't want missing pieces to miss out.
Animals on the other hand do not have spirits like we humans do. I love animals, and indeed we have been called to look after the flora and fauna while on the earth, but spending all of our money on saving animals, seems a bit ridiculous when put in the light of eternity, and other peoples lives!
While I was there, I bought a soft-toy Wombat, because I decided that wombats were one of my favourite Australian mammals. (this after seeing the poor thing get weighed!)
.JPG)
Then I realised that I just spent money on a soft toy that is not useful for well, anything really.
I could have bought a pen, or at least just a plan postcard which may or may not be used, and at least in the long run, be recyclable. But I didn't, because I am fickle, and wanted a really soft wombat toy. Though I am learning slowly that though I like to horde, and love getting souvenirs, it doesn't mean that they have to be useless things to sit on the mantle for eternity!
oh well! So that was my learnings from an amazing day at Australia Zoo. Thanks team, and God Bless you Irwin family for what you are doing for this planet!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano
So, a big volcano started to erupt in Iceland. What does it have to do with us, on the other side of the world.
EVERYTHING it appears.
It is similar to a world crisis of oil: because the ash from the [crazy named volcano] (and they wonder why Icelandic is the hardest language to learn in the world) has floated across the airspace in Europe, it has stopped the movement of hundreds of thousands of people wishing to get on airplanes. This will interrupt imports, business meetings, and will bring Europe almost to a pre-commercial flight time.
This affects us because, in New Zealand (not sure about Australia) we import a number of goods, and are not fully self sufficient. This also affects our exports (a large amount of our dollars comes from this) and the tourism industry of Europeans to NZ.
How long will this volcano continue to spew ash into the atmosphere? Only God knows that. How long will it take for the ash to subside so that flights will resume? Even longer than that.
What to do in the meantime? Pray for the volcano, pray for the people disrupted, and pray for those whose insurance won't cover their extended stays in other countries.
Lets just hope that it all will blow over soon.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Marsh Flies
are NINJAS
These are the local HORRIBLE flies that bite. Or sting. Or whatever, but they hurt.
Anyway, while sewing up the sumo suits for Easterfest (yes this is one of the awesome jobs for which I have been assigned to do), the sneakey Marsh fly (which flies in a silent manner, similar to the ways in which ninjas sneak up on people) and landed on my ankle. And then it bit me. Through my sock. It was not even a very easy location to get to at the time, but it wanted to get me around the ankle so it flew around the sumo suit sitting on top of me (I like to call him Blue because he has a blue jock strap thingo) and he got me. *sigh* well I survived atleast!
That is all.
These are the local HORRIBLE flies that bite. Or sting. Or whatever, but they hurt.
Anyway, while sewing up the sumo suits for Easterfest (yes this is one of the awesome jobs for which I have been assigned to do), the sneakey Marsh fly (which flies in a silent manner, similar to the ways in which ninjas sneak up on people) and landed on my ankle. And then it bit me. Through my sock. It was not even a very easy location to get to at the time, but it wanted to get me around the ankle so it flew around the sumo suit sitting on top of me (I like to call him Blue because he has a blue jock strap thingo) and he got me. *sigh* well I survived atleast!
That is all.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Early Poem Sunday
Because I can:
THE CRESCENT
The crescent moon flies high,
Through the trees that surround me,
And seem to encompass me in darkness.
I live in light,
Despite the pitch black surrounds.
That moon shines down,
And makes shadows as in the day
When the clouds deny me the light,
I know that it is still there,
By the reflection it makes on those clouds
Which try to conceal the light,
And fail at it.
Copyright 2010 Joanna Wallace
Yeah, so there was a way awesome moon out tonight :)
I heart stars and moon. Also we had a work team come in today and they did lots of work on our new buildings. It was way awesome because it was supposed to rain today (due to a cyclone coming near) but it didn't rain! Thank you God!
THE CRESCENT
The crescent moon flies high,
Through the trees that surround me,
And seem to encompass me in darkness.
I live in light,
Despite the pitch black surrounds.
That moon shines down,
And makes shadows as in the day
When the clouds deny me the light,
I know that it is still there,
By the reflection it makes on those clouds
Which try to conceal the light,
And fail at it.
Copyright 2010 Joanna Wallace
Yeah, so there was a way awesome moon out tonight :)
I heart stars and moon. Also we had a work team come in today and they did lots of work on our new buildings. It was way awesome because it was supposed to rain today (due to a cyclone coming near) but it didn't rain! Thank you God!
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