Where’s Tim?

As is so often the case I’ve been notably absent from the blogosphere. I have been doing a few interesting bits and pieces though.
- Baby business is coming along well. The beautiful Jay is 36 weeks today so the little man (Tuss) is due to arrive any time in the next 4 weeks.
- I’ve started [...]

Cut to the Chase – Lee Jackson, Baz Gascoyne & Friends

When I arrived in Hamilton I saw this book on my friend Bruach’s shelf behind the bar in his bar. It took me a couple of days to churn through it and I have to say it was pretty good. I’m usually pretty harsh on Christian books, mostly I find I’m just reading a lot [...]

Unity in Community

I’ve been reading Jean Vanier’s Community and Growth and came across this interesting quote which I wanted to share.
A community becomes truly and radiantly one when all its members have a sense of urgency. There are too many people in the world who have no hope. There are too many cries in the world which [...]

Our journey with incarnational, cross-cultural mission and Forge

I came into connection with Forge after having a life changing experience on short term mission in the Middle East. Jay and I went to see what God was like in a place where most people didn’t follow him, to see if he was the same God that we knew here in Melbourne. A bit [...]

The Jesus Creed – Part One – a

The Jesus Creed
The Jesus Creed, as Scot McKnight calls it, is the amended version of the Jewish Shema.
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love [...]

Surrender All: A Call to Sub-Merge with Christ. Ash Barker – Action Taken or Intended.

Action Taken or Intended:

I feel that it might take a few years to process the contents of this book. So my plans for action at this point will be preliminary at best.
I need to spend some time reassessing my relationships with God. I’m convinced and convicted that there are areas where this relationship works more [...]

Surrender All: A Call to Sub-Merge with Christ. Ash Barker – Personal Response Part E

Part E – Re-integration: Practical Sub-merging

In this section Ash’s wisdom and insight into the practical implementation of these ideas becomes clear. Using the metaphor of the well to talk about the significance and timing of team health, presence, partnership, discipleship and worship made all these ideas seem somewhat achievable although still very daunting.
Packing a final [...]

Surrender All: A Call to Sub-Merge with Christ. Ash Barker – Personal Response Part D

Part D – Re-creation: Identity and belonging below the surface

Poverty creates unhealthy identities for everyone. The poor see themselves as less than human because of their lack of power and the non-poor see themselves as gods because they have so much power. For God’s reign to come about both these identities need to be reshaped [...]

Surrender All: A Call to Sub-Merge with Christ. Ash Barker – Personal Response Part C

Part C – Re-location: Taking poverty personally as neighbours
There is no other way to get involved in the task of neighbourhood transformation than moving into the neighbourhood. This section is all about incarnation, as Ash says, “To only talk about the gospel of God’s reign domesticates it to another ideology. The reign of God must [...]

Surrender All: A Call to Sub-Merge with Christ. Ash Barker – Personal Response Part B

Part B – Re-orientation: God’s reign as an anchorage
This section is about the kingdom of God and Ash does an inspiring job of sharing the vision of God’s reign. I found the section on shalom very informative and helpful in my understanding of how the kingdom of God would have been understood then and should [...]