Friday 23 December 2011

Mary and the Shepherds

17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 1:17-20)

Writing a Christmas sermon is not easy. Everyone knows the story. They have heard it all before, or at least enough of it to have said, Yep, I know what its all about. It’s a story about a baby, some shepherds and their reindeers, a funny old fellow called Santa Claws, presents and a star. I know its got something to do with chimneys, kissing under the mistletoe, three wise women from the east and a docile donkey, no midwife and only a cows’ feed trough for a bed. It’s about Christmas specials, turkeys and prawns, snow and beach cricket, a big lunch and an afternoon siesta, a boat race to Tasmania and beating the Indians at the MCG. Yep, that’s what Christmas is all about.

Really? You sure?

Christmas is also about boat people looking for a better life, refugees on Christmas Island (appropriately named), people mourning a loved one, no money to feed empty tummies, needless wars in far off lands, too much alcohol, car accidents, politicians and their platitudes, and more.

Really? Is that all?

Well no, that’s not all.

Christmas is about hope, gift, presence, love, mystery in the midst of the ordinariness of life. When, as a child, I asked my father what he wanted for Christmas he would say, “A jam tin with a hole in the bottom.” A funny thing to say. A jam tin with both ends cut out is kind of useless really. You can’t put anything in it, you can’t cover anything up with it, it is useless.

Or was he saying something else about the essence of Christmas – was he saying that it is much more than a tangible item, it is a gift that is too big to grasp and contain, to hold and to keep for yourself. It is more than something you can lock down and put a lid on. The essence of Christmas is beyond definition, beyond theological or philosophical argument, it is the presence of the Spirit in the midst of life.

The shepherds are keeping watch over their flocks – sitting around a campfire as the sheep sat around them, their night - time stillness was disturbed by a mysterious vision of angels announcing the birth of the Messiah. Now that was disturbing, for no one ever told shepherds anything – they were so much the outcasts that people barely spoke to them. Yet it is to them that the birth of the Messiah is announced. And not an announcement about a king born in a fancy palace, but a baby born in the shed put aside for the farm animals at the back of a house of lodgings – called a pub – in a non-descript country village far from the halls of power and authority.

This so intrigued the shepherds that they went down to have a look. Interestingly no-one stayed behind to watch the sheep. Why? Well, because of the racket caused by the angels, I suggest the sheep had scattered far and wide and they would have to go looking the next day to round them up. Can’t do that of a night.

So down they go and find it all as the angels had told them, and they are amazed and rush off back to share their story with anyone and everyone who would listen. They were excited.

Now, the key player in all this, Mary, responds differently. She has just given birth to a healthy baby boy, a boy she has been previously informed is the saviour of the world. I am sure she was happy, happy to have given birth in circumstances that were primitive, even for the time, and survived the ordeal and happy for the special honour this particular birth was. Yet she and Joseph don’t seem to be cracking open the champagne and passing out the cigars. They seem to be quietly watching this extraordinary event unfold around them, the birth, the gathering of the shepherds and their encounter with the angels, the visit from the locals, the strange star overhead, and the back story which preceded this event.

Luke captures their mood when he says:” 19But Mary treasured all these words (and experiences) and pondered them in her heart.”

For Mary and Joseph this event was so mysterious, so indescribable, so awe-inspiring that it was beyond their understanding at that very moment. Neither understood what this all meant, no could they, but they simply didn’t dismiss it all as some sort of myth or hallucination, but pondered, reflected, contemplated it all, allowing the Spirit of God to reveal it, as and when appropriate.

On this, the night before Christmas, let us take into our hearts the story of the birth of Jesus, the coming of the Christ, the Messiah, the one with us in this world and reflect upon it’s innocence, it’s love, it’s depth and it’s call to us, who once were outcasts, to open our lives and share it with all, regardless of who they are. Let us reflect on the gift God gives us and remember that all gifts, given and received this Christmas, are only symbols of the gift of love found in Christ.

Let us reflect on the incarnation or coming amongst of Christ and be mindful of how we are amongst those we share this world with.

Let us reflect on the fragility of that small baby who relied so much on others for life and know how fragile our lives are and how much we rely on others for our daily existence.

The story of Christmas has become a little confused in the modern retelling, or should I say, reselling of it; yet the foundational story has not changed. It is about the gift of life and the power of that gift to unbalance our complacency and cause us to ‘ponder on all these words and experiences within our heart”.

The challenge, as we move to the Eucharist and the festivities of Christmas day, is to celebrate the gift or life and live mindful of that gift everyday. Like my father’s jam tin with the a hole in it, Christmas is a gift we can never contain and it will go on revealing itself to us for the rest of our life, if we ponder on it in our hearts.

Monday 12 December 2011

Sam Macharia

Folks
As you are aware, this last week of school has been a difficult one. The loss of Sam Macharia is a blow to all and has been keenly felt by the school community.

Each one of us who knew Sam will find ourselves struggling with the reality of his loss in our own way, but being a part of the school community will remind us that we are not doing so alone. This week has demonstrated the depth and strength of the Lindisfarne communitry and shown just how we rally to support each other.

Over the next few days it is important to be aware of how our young people are feeling and to be sensitive to their response to the news about Sam. Be open and honest about your feelings and take the opportunitry to speak to them, mindful to allow them time and space to do so when they wish to.

I have been encouraged by how they have dealt with the news, finding ways to express their grief, support one another and the family and to be involved in the process at every stage. Our children have not been afraid to express their emotions and that is a good thing. As we trust them to continue to do so they will grow through this tragic time, becoming stronger and more resilient people in doing so.

On another note, there will be a Christmas service in the chapel on Christmas eve @ 6.30pm. All are welcome and this would also be a positive experience for the school community to gather together and share in worship and prayer. Hope to see you all there.

I wish you all a holy and safe Christmas and look forward to seeing you all soon.
Father Glenn

Friday 25 November 2011

What Are We Waiting For?

Today is the first Sunday in the season of Advent, a season which sees us frantically gift buying, feast preparing, travel planning and house cleaning in preparation for a holiday which, somewhere in the back of our head we know has something to do with religion, but we are not sure.

We have heard a cutesy fairy tale about a baby born in a manager to a unmarried couple surrounded by farm animals and shepherds and highlighted by a bright spotlighting star. We know, we think, that the baby’s name was Jesus, we think his family name was Christ, his father a carpenter, and as he grew up he became a bother to the more respectable members of society and ended up on the wrong side of the law. We know there’s more to the story, but does it really matter, and is this what Advent is all about?

Well, in short, yes and no. Click on the link on the left hand side for more.....

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Facebook underage signups grow thanks to parents

November 2nd, 2011 at 8:28 am - Author
Slyvia
A new study which was part funded by Microsoft shows that children under 13 are signing up for Facebook, which breaches the federal laws in America, to protect children’s online privacy.

According to the report, there are millions of underage kids signing up for Facebook, and many parents are helping their children to lie, getting them online.

The findings show that 7 out of 10 parents said they helped their children set up accounts, violating the companies terms of service rules.

Danah Boyd, the co author of ‘Why Parents Helps Their Children Lie to Facebook about Age’ said “There has been outrage about under-aged children being on Facebook. And as it turns out, many parents are not only okay with it — they are helping their children set up accounts.”


The above comment found on the web and seen in the papers over the last week has fuelled the discussion about what age children should be allowed to be on Facebook. It is obvious that many parents deem their children are capable of handling both the complex Facebook privacy settings and the intricacies of friending and posting unseen as young as 8.

For me the issue is a little more complex than that. In fact, that is not the primary concern we should be discussing. The issue has to do with entitlement – I am entitled to participate in this technology and any rules set to regulate it do not apply to my children or me.

We live in a world where there are rules that govern our behaviour, our interactions with and our responsibilities to others. Without these rules we would have anarchy. Despite the fact that we may not like all of the rules, we are not entitled to believe they do not apply to us.

Travelling down the highway from Brisbane with my cruise control on the speed limit, I wondered if I was in a foreign land where 110 meant 120 as car after car, p-platers and all, sped past. Apparently they are entitled to travel faster than the law allows.

The message we are giving our children when we allow or assist them to break rules or break rules in front of them, is that rules, acceptable limits, do not apply to them. If they want to they will, becomes their mantra, and when the rules are applied, they will be shocked and dismayed that someone dares to say no to them. Unfortunately when that happens, their parents are similarly dismayed and come to their aid blaming all others.

A parent was complaining that their daughter was being bullied and harassed on Facebook. She was 10. She wanted to know what to do. Simple – it’s against the rules for her to be on Facebook. If she weren’t on there she wouldn’t be being bullied. Get her off.

This not a rant against technology, just pointing out that the argument about age is the wrong one. It’s about responsibility and setting the example. It’s about realizing, as both parents and children, that we are in fact entitled to little in this life, and any such entitlement comes with responsibility and respect for the acceptable limits that maintains society as we know it.

When is the right time for children to be on Facebook, I’m not sure, but I know the rules say it’s not 8 or 10 or 12 – you must be 13!

Sunday 6 November 2011

What Do Our Young People Think?

Over this year we have undertaken a survey of students, teachers and parents to find out what they think in relation to Religion and Spirituality. Interesting.

The survey was designed to give us foundational information to develop further programs within a school environment such as The Stillness Project (meditation - more on this later). The survey is now being used by 5 other schools as a tool to help them reflect on their students attitudes and how they may respond in an approrpiate way.

To see the survey click on the link 'Religion and Spirituality Research 2011'.

Loved to hear what you think.

If you are interested in participating please email me.

Monday 24 October 2011

Silence, Solitude and Simplicity

Over the school holidays a number of students and teachers joined me for a 3 day silent retreat. The impact on both them and myself was amazing. I never fail to be surprised by the mystery of silence, solitude and simplicity.

Since then I found myself staying home from an event I had been invited to because of Gaye's (my wife) health. Over that weekend I challenged myself to refocus my life, to embrace the 3S's as a philosophy for daily living.

The first question to be answered was: what is essential, or conversely, what is not? What is the one thing I need to do to day that is essential to my life and my hopes? Doing this every day and staying with that one thing until it is completed has been powerful. Exciting things are happening and I will say more about that in another post.

Last weekend because another plan broke down I decided to take Gaye away for 4 days for her birthday. I booked a room at the Bundaleer Retreat at Broken Head, and discovered a place that was the epitome of silence, solitude and simplicity. It is set in a rainforest space and only has 4 cabins and a maximum of 12 people present. Quiet and secluded it allowed us to enjoy the time, place and each other in a way that was special for us both.

We discovered Lennox Head and the beautiful people there. We turned off the TV, actually, didn't turn it on, read a number of books, went for works, had afternoon naps and ate very well.

As members of a consumer society we fall for the art of distraction - more, bigger, popular, loud is always better. It maybe for the economy, but it rarely is for our souls. Our souls crave silence, solitude and simplicity.

A favorite Zen saying of mine is: "Be still, be very, very still; and above all else, don't wobble!"

Or as the Psalmist says in Psalm 46: "Be still and know that I am God."

Thursday 20 October 2011

Minimalism

The last two weeks in chapel at our school, we have been looking at how we can advocate on behalf of those who have less than us and at the challenge to be a minimalist. The fact that 1 million people pre-ordered the iPhone 4S got me thinking about how we are (I am) addicted to 'things'.

'Advertising treats all products with the reverence and the seriousness due to sacraments.' Thomas Merton
Merton's premise is that advertising elevates every product so that it is able to save us – save us from ourselves, our boredom, our anxiety, our insecurities, our fears.

'Man has become a tool of his tools.' Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau suggests that instead of owning 'things', our things own us, that we have lost control of ourselves and allowed the soulless to own our soul.

What's a minimalist? A minimalist is one who takes the conscious decision to live without things, to take seriously the idea of enough, not more, and to share the excess with those without as much. It is a form of advocacy for the betterment of creation, the poor and our wellbeing.

Some websites: http://www.theminimalists.com/
http://zenhabits.net/on-minimalism/

The challenge to our students and to ourselves is to take seriously the responsibility God gave us in Genesis to care for creation, and Jesus gives us to love our neighbour as ourselves, and live simply.

Worth thinking about!

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Wanted: Leader to Step Into The Breach!

The Exodus story (Exodus 32:1-14) is a cracker – it has everything! A group of people lost in the desert after leaving behind a comfortable existence in Egypt to follow Moses and God because of some old story about a promised land. They brought with them all their worldly goods – jewellery, household goods and gold.

They find themselves at Horeb, a small hill renamed a mountain for the sake of a good yarn, and Moses goes missing, ostensibly up Mount Horeb to meet with God. But no-one knows where he is!

Now Moses was the key man, he was the visionary, the leader, the one with the big ideas. His brother Aarron, however, is a different kettle of fish. There is not the same steel or zeal in Aarron.

Left alone with the pilgrims, he gradually succumbs to the pressure of the popular push and allows the people to create their own gods out of the precious metals they brought with them. When Moses returns there is, literally all hell to play. I suspect they didn’t think he was coming back and had finally got their way. But that was not to be.

Where had Moses been? – arguing with God on their behalf. (Now I would love to have been a fly on the wall listening to THAT conversation!) God was angry and wanted to smite the lot of them but Moses stood in the breach – stood between God and the people - and argued their case.

Imagine how he felt when he returned!

This story poses some interesting challenges for us in relation to the role of the leader, be that leader a parent, a partner, a teacher or a world leader – what is our role? What are we to do?

For Moses that was simple but not easy – he was to be who he was – a leader – he was to look after the interests of those who couldn’t do so themselves; he was to speak on their behalf if and when necessary, even when the one he was challenging was God. He placed himself in their place and stood on their behalf. He didn’t avoid the hard questions for expedience sake, and he never changed his vision of who he was. He didn’t bow to populism but stuck the course for the common good. He was no interactive leader, letting other set the agenda; he knew what the major game was and stuck to it despite the fact those he lead grumbled, complained and plotted against him.

We seek these qualities in our community leaders but they are the qualities asked of us as parents when we hear one, or all of the following: “you’re the worst mother/father ‘, ‘all the other parents/teachers let their children/students do….’, ‘everybody else has one…..’, “all the other kids do…’ –“I hate you”.

We live in a sibling society where parents want to be friends to their children and not parents. You are first and foremost a parent, not a friend – they will have enough of those and they are the ones who get them into trouble – they need consistent boundary setters who do not shirk the task.

Noticed on a morning show last week that children as young as 5 are suffering withdrawals when deprived of mobile phones – the panel discussed it but nobody asked the hard question – what are small children doing with such items – they are adult toys not children’s toys. Trivial perhaps, but symptomatic of how we as a society have moved from Moses to Aaron in terms of leadership.

See, Aaron didn’t want to be not liked, he didn’t want people grumbling – he had his eyes on the Morgan Gallop popularity poll and went with what would make him popular. He caved into the shopping aisle whinging, the constant pestering, the lobby group push – the moaning and groaning won him over. He became their friend, not their leader. He succumbed to populism – to what the masses wanted.

As parents, teachers and leaders of any kind that is always an option – the easy option – be relevant, get them on side, be their friend – I don’t want conflict, so just say yes. For Aaron there was no arguing, debating, holding a line, setting the boundaries, being in charge – he just gave in and let them do what they wanted to do. Not always a good idea.

Moses models:
• Leadership as the big picture – this is about something bigger than instant gratification and momentary fame and popularity – it is about setting the course in the life of a people and holding to that course for their long term good. The challenge for us as parents, and it is not all together an easy thing to do, is to hold the line, to not fix every thing for them, to not succumb to the urge to distract them when life gets tough or boring etc.

• Leadership as the common good – leadership is never about me – parenting is not, ultimately about me, teaching is not ultimately about me – it is about helping to forge individuals and a society that works for all – it is about making a difference in the lives of those you lead so they can, in turn, make a difference in the lives of those they contact. It is about being unpopular now for a better outcome later, it is about delayed gratification (some of us are still waiting!), it is about looking to the horizon and not just to this instant – it is about what’s best for all.

• Leadership as standing in the breach –it’s what we do as parents and teachers. We make decisions, provide information and give direction on behalf of others, as if we were those others. We advocate and act on others behalf when they are unable to do so for themselves because they lack the experience, learning or wisdom to do so themselves.

• Leadership as being true to who you are. Moses was called to lead and remained to true to that calling. He was who he was. Leadership is being you – and those we lead need to hear a consistent feminine and a masculine voice (males and females lead differently and our children need both). As a parent and as a teacher we are called to be leaders true to who we are and should not try and lead like someone else. Moses didn’t, Jesus didn’t, Paul didn’t and neither did any of the great leaders of history such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King or Bishop Tutu.

What is to be our model of leadership? Are we Moses or are we Aaron? Jesus stood in the tradition of Moses who stood in the breach for the common good and used his relationship with God for our benefit, even when we, as a human race, had rebelled and gone astray.

We are called to imitate Christ in all our relationships – the challenge is ours to meet – and in God’s grace and never failing mercy, as Psalm 23 reminds us, we can.

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Everyone Gets an A!

• Ben Zander and Everyone gets an A
Ben Zander: So I give everybody an A in the class. Everybody gets an A.
Ros Zander: Ben and I have a practice called, “Giving everyone an A” It started because Ben has a graduate class at the New England Conservatory and he had a lot of very anxious people in this class. And Ben said, “I don’t know how to get by it. So I said, “The only way to do that is to give them all an A, from the beginning of the year.” So what we developed was that every student got an A and had to write a letter, dated the following May, saying,
“Dear Mr. Zander,
I got my A because…”
So then these beautiful letters emerged. Just saying that, the person that was sort of hidden inside there, the person who the student would be, if there were no barriers, no fears, no little voices in the head, telling them what they couldn’t do.

Giving the A is a completely different paradigm. It is the paradigm of possibility. And we say that the A is a possibility to live into, not a standard to live up to.

• The story – Everyone gets and A. Matthew 20: 1-6
i) What happens in the marketplace?

• The Paradigm of Possibility
i) God is maddeningly generous. He gives everyone the same possibilities and the same the same reward – his unfailing love and mercy.

ii) His justice is mind-boggling. Even late starters can be winners because God's Rule isn't competitive. Everyone who genuinely wants to comes first!

iii) Under God's Rule, it's always Now. Matthew Fox quotes Meister Eckhart as saying, "God is always the newest thing there is".

• In Conclusion
o Ben Zanders idea is not new – it is as old as God’s interaction with his creation – the Biblical story is all about living into the possibility – from Genesis to Revelations that is the distilled message of God. God has always given us an A (original blessing) – it is we who mark ourselves down and then live as if we deserve an F (original sin).

o Go home today and write a letter to God which starts
• Dear God
I got an A because…. And list all the reasons why and what that might look like for you.

o And you may very well begin the journey of living into the possibilities God has for you, now.

Monday 19 September 2011

Staring Down Facebook!

One of the most challenging tasks human beings face is to define their identity – who they are and how they fit into the world. While we adults may be comfortable with who we are, our young people face a more difficult task than the one we faced at their age.

Why?

Social media in all its forms from Facebook to Twitter has changed the game. Growing up in the ‘60’s and finding out whom we were and where we fitted involved defining ourselves in, at the most 2 places, home and school. We may have had one identity at home and one at school but those identities were relatively stable and secure. We were who we were and we had no need to change except if we moved town or school.

Today, our children face a much more difficult task courtesy of social media. Not only do they have to define themselves in the home or in their school but also they are under constant pressure to define and redefine themselves each time they log on. Once they place themselves on platforms such as Facebook, they discover that they have to constantly reinvent themselves in response to the comments they find on their wall. If they are going to stay relevant and have any chance of being apart of the ‘in-crowd’, they need to respond to what people say, be it positive or negative comment.

The result of this constant need to reassess and reinvent themselves is that they become fragmented and disconnected from who they are. The more often they have to do this, the more fragmented their understanding of themselves becomes. In the end they simply do not know who they are which can have a major impact on their lives.

Unfortunately Facebook does not regulate what is posted on its pages. The only people who can assist your young people and protect them are you, their parents. It is important that access to social networking platforms are restricted and monitored, that the use of smart-phones and media players such as iPod are similarly monitored and restricted.

The issues that need to be addressed include:
•Does my child need a smart-phone or would an ordinary phone suffice?
•If a smart-phone is provided, you can restrict access through the various settings on the phone before handing it over.
•Set an administrators code on both phones and computers before handing it over so that you can access data as required.
•Restrict the phone/internet plan attached to that phone.
•Ensure that no child under 13 is on Facebook (you may not be aware but it is illegal for under 13s to be on Facebook).
•Limit use of Facebook by setting time limits and restricting the computers on which it can be accessed.
•Have all computers in a place where they can be visibly monitored.
•Restrict use of computers in bedrooms to homework only or for a limited period but not directly before bedtime.
•Have a space where all electronic tools are deposited in a common area prior to bedtime, i.e. no phones or computers in bedrooms after bedtime and this includes adults as well as children.

The above suggestions are not designed to make you popular but to keep your children safe. My experience in other places, and at school, tells me that our children are at risk despite the ongoing education and information they receive on the dangers of social media. They need us to take a stand on their behalf and the task is not an easy one, but one we need to tackle head on.

If you would like to comment on this or ask further questions, you can do so by going on to Father Glenn’s blog on the schools homepage and posting a comment, in which I will respond. Monty will also be raising the issue on his Facebook page in the coming weeks: www.facebook.com/montythespoodle.

Sunday 11 September 2011

The Gospel of Nice

I often quake when I hear couples say that they have never had a cross word with each other in all the years of marriage and wonder how can that be? Is that the norm or is some one being dishonest – not in saying they have never had a cross word but in allowing such a situation to continue? If two fully independent and actualized individuals live together, surely, at some point, there has to be a point of disagreement – and I would suggest more that one such point. If so and no disagreement ensues than someone is being dishonest – being nice – to avoid conflict – sacrificing themselves so that the status quo is maintained. Some one isn’t saying no, that’s not how I see it and I will disagree and seek resolution.

I have the same feelings when someone recommends a church because ‘everybody there is nice’; or when I see people avoiding putting the hard questions to others in their care because it wouldn’t be nice. Political correctness in all it forms is the gospel of niceness in extremis. Challenging and correcting people may require tact, but it can never be nice.

The Gospel of niceness has taken over in our world. We are often too nice to say no, to question others opinions, to critique others decisions or to point out the obvious. We let people get away with stuff that is blatantly incorrect or wrong headed, immoral or illegal, ill mannered or self-centered – we make excuses by being nice about it.

Christians are susceptible to this Gospel of Niceness. Why:
• Because of cultural pressure. “That’s not vey Christian”.
• Because of misinformation about what it means to be a Christian. “Christians must be nice”.
• Because of a misunderstanding of the concept of love. “Love is doing the nice thing”.

Matthew has Jesus challenges us directly and gives us permission to be honest, open and confronting - to not be nice but to love.

This is the gospel of love, not nice – a gospel that does not avoid the hard questions and is not afraid to confront others (and ourselves) with the reality of our actions, behaviors, thinking and relationships.

Right relationships are built on love not niceness.
• Its about honesty and openness – able to say I see it differently, I trust our relationship enough to be able to say so.
• It’s about challenge and change – change is the normal paradigm for life and challenge is the driver of change.
• Its about the common good, not the individuals lights – it is not about me!

Love is the centre of Jesus’ ethic:

Luke 10:27:
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Paul reminds us of the quality of that love:

1 Corinthians 13:

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends.

In our western interpretation we have taken the hard edge off these two counter-cultural statements – we use 1 Cor 13 at weddings without understanding the harshness of this passage. In the time and place where they were written they were counter-cultural – calling for an entirely different way of living – a challenging ethic for the individual and community. People were being called to live differently and they were to be challenged by others if their lives did not live up to the Christian ethic. They were called to live differently to those in the secular society in which they lived, not to be conformed to the world, as Paul says in Romans 12:2 but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.

Love was the ethic and the measure by which this was to be evidenced and evoked in the lives of the community. It was not about being nice. Niceness allows evil to flourish, bad decisions to be made and genocide to occur. Nice people say nothing; evil people do what they like.

Matthew has Jesus set the boundaries for community and the requirement to admonish, restrict, set boundaries and consequences. This not only sensible to the right conduct of society but also important in parenting, education, mentoring and spiritual direction. Jesus reminds us that life is not a free for all – it is first and foremost about relationships and the common good. It is not about nicely ignoring those things people do or say which impinge on that.

Jesus knew that the nice people would get him and put him on the cross – that what he was saying was not nice – it would upset the ruling powers and authorities and at some point he would be crucified. He had seen the crosses on the roads into town with the bodies of those who opposed those in power as a child – he knew what would happen if he was not nice – sanitized – acceptable and appropriate.

He goes to the cross not because he was nice, but because he loved. Because he said what had to be said and called for people to be counter-cultural – to stand up and to say this is not right.

As we come to the Eucharist today, let us remember the challenge to love, to live in the spirit of love and realize that that will cause us to be crucified alongside Jesus. That’s ok, because as Jesus said to the robber on the cross next time, ‘This day you will be with me’. Amen

Friday 29 July 2011

Limping's OK!

The News of the World phone tapping scandal is filled with irony and arrogance. It is ironic to see the world’s largest media baron being held to account for the behavior of his news outlets just as those very news outlets held others to account for their behavior. If you live by the sword, you may very well die by that self same sword.

For some the arrogance was evident in Rupert Murdoch’s definite statement that he wasn’t responsible for what had occurred, that he had been let down by the behavior of others. As all of us who hold positions of responsibility know, we never give that responsibility away; we only delegate it, and are therefore always responsible for what those we delegate the power to, do. It’s a fact of life.

In Genesis 32:3-31 we find ourselves in the company of a bloke few would want to have in the family. Jacob has fought to be first from the womb, tricked his brother, lied to his father, and ran away like a coward to avoid Esau's wrath. On the night mentioned in the passage, he is waiting it out alone because he has sent all of his loved ones on with bribes for Esau in the hopes that he will be forgiven for all his mischief. And, it is this night that he encounters a stranger that most say was God, or at least some representative of God. Is it any wonder that Jacob held on for dear life asking for a blessing? He had been doing that since before birth.

Jacob was arrogant, it was all about him. He did everything to get his way, to come out on top, to have it all; yet he was also a coward, a chicken, someone who hid behind his wife’s skirt, or in this case his wives and children to avoid being taken to task by his brother. He feared his brother because he believed his brother wanted revenge. He lived in fear of being found out. Found out for what he knew he was – a fraud, a fake, a bully and a coward.

One of the major reasons people suffer stress and depression is the disconnect with the self we present to the world and the self we believe we are. Like Jacob we present an image which allows us to live and do the things we want to do on the surface. Underneath we often feel that we are far less than that self, that the success we achieve, happiness we have, the love we feel is undeserved and is always under threat. We are, like Jacob, waiting for Esau to come and unmask us for all to see.

Both these selfs’ are false. Neither are who we really are. Our true self, as Jacob was to find out, is very different and only discovered in a close encounter with ourselves, when we wrestle with God.

Jacob finds himself in a battle with his conscience – the Dark Night of the Soul – describe here as a lonely night under the stars on the edge of the river. He is waiting for disaster in the form of all his chickens coming home to roost and his forced to encounter the truth about himself.

This encounter is described as a wrestling match and Jacob hangs in there, not wanting to let go of who he sees himself to be, but confronted by the truth wants the truth about himself to be evident to all, he wants to be real.

Somewhere in that night Jacob’s arrogance is replaced by a newfound humility, an awareness that there is much more to be gained by letting down the self built barriers and connivances and to just be Jacob. Jacob with a limp – not perfect, not in control, not expected to win all the time. Jacob who could go back to his family, even his brother, transparent and incomplete – a man with a limp.

I have heard a lot lately on what we must do for the younger generation – our students and our children – how we are to protect, teach, direct, control – somehow be responsible for how they turn out. At a recent seminar the MC he informed us that we must protect our children.

The truth is much simpler – we must limp and live comfortably in front of them as a limping, honest human being. It is our lives which they listen to, not our words, and they want to see ordinary people who respect themselves and others, and who are prepared to face the ordinariness within themselves.

It is in our honesty as limping, less than perfect, humble people that our students and children learn and become comfortable with themselves, able to live with their deficiencies without the fear of being found out. They discover it is ok to just be ok, that it is alright to make mistakes, to not be perfect, to settle for what makes them content not what makes them money, because they see all that and more in us.

This is the simply message of Jacob who is given a new name, Israel which means “"for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Your fears have not been realized, you have been found out but not as you expected. The true limping, broken, humbled self has been found and validated, accepted and given permission to step out into the world with out fear. It is ok to be you and others will accept you just as you are.

We do not have to pretend anymore. Israel was a changed man, not because he was powerful and unbent, but because he was weak and broken. Because he was without pretense – he was because he was just as he was.

If life is a journey and not a destination, one of the way stations on the journey is the dark night at the river where we wrestle with the truth about ourselves and wake up limping but truly at peace with ourselves for the very first time.

Imagine the vision of Israel rejoining his family to discover that Esau did not want to kill him, and for them to recognize that the arrogant self centred Jacob had been transformed into a new man –Israel.

As we travel this journey may we too experience the joy of being broken, the newness of a life without pretense and arrogance, the humble experience of encountering God in the ordinary fears of everyday life. AMEN

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Hanging In There

Living in a world of instant gratification can be challenging for young people, especially when the things they want to happen just don't seem to happen when they should. 'Lord, give me patience and give it to me now!" could very well be theirs, and our, mantra.

Watching the success of Cadel Evans in the Tour de France puts that all in balance. On the podium in Paris he completed a journey that started some 20 years ago, but perhaps in a more focussed sense, after his failure at the Sydney Olympics.

This is no overnight success. It took a long time, it required great commitment and deep self-belief, especially when he came so close a couple of times and suffered injury and disappointment over and over again.

Yet he did not give up. He recognised that life, like grand tour racing is about the journey, not the destination. In this case 21 stages and 3,430.5 kilometres. In his case 20 years of training, training and more training; of falling off and getting back on; of being let down by others and just falling short.

Interesting to note that it was a busted shoulder before the Sydney Olympics which resulted in him turning from mountain biking to road racing. He is now the most complete rider of the modern era having won both the world championships and the most prestigious grand tour.

It is about the journey and about perserverence. Achieving your best will always require hardwork and time. Lfe is indeed a journey, not a destination.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Smartphones, iPads and iPods

For all parents who have provided their children with an iPhone, an iPod or an iPod and are concerned about what they watch on it, well, there is something you can do.

Blue Coat Systems have produce a browser (K9 Web Protection Browser) that allows you to set appropriate age based restrictions. The browser replaces the internet browser that comes with the device, becoming the default browser. As you set it up as the administrator under a password you can check the history of web pages downloaded as you wish. It clears the history every seven days so there is always a trail on the device.

The browser is available for download on the Apple Apps store for free.

It is a good app. I use it on my iPad.

Sunday 26 June 2011

Too Busy To Be Still

2011 is fast passing us by - term 2 is almost over and the mid-year break here. Where has the year gone? I look at this blog and realise that Father Glenn has been a little slack – there seems always to be too much to do. The only comfort I have is that all around me seems to be just as busy.

I have vague memories of the promise of new technology to free us from all the mundane little things which clogged up our lives and it would provide us with so much free time we would not now how to fill in our days. What happened? With all the technological gadgets and the amazing range of options and choices we rarely find a few moments just to stop and reflect.

When do we actually breathe slowly, not frantically as we dash from one event, one chore, one activity to another? When do simply sit without checking our emails, Facebook or the latest app on our iPad? When do we listen with full attention to our children laughing, bickering, talking or crying? When do we give uninterrupted time to our partner instead of watching the clock ready to shoot off to the next deadline?

Yes, our world is full of BIG questions we all need to engage in but the BIGGEST, the watershed question for each of us, I believe, is to be still long enough to listen, hear, reflect and become capable of engaging truthfully and completely in life.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us to “Be still and know that I am God!” Time for reflection, a few moments of meditation, a time to just sit reminds us to let go of our addiction to frantic action and rediscover our place in creation and the one who created us. Slow down, be still and rest is the call, and rest and calmness will return.

Meditation is one the tools we can use for this. A useful site for those wishing to pursue meditation is: www.wccm.org

Try it. It does help.

Sunday 1 May 2011

NEWSFLASH! Monty is on Facebook

Wow, that dog is something!

Got his own Facebook page now so he can talk to all his fans! I wondered what he was doing on the Macbook yesterday, tapping away with his little paws ...

Become a fan of Monty the Spoodle on his personal Facebook page:

Monty the Spoodle Facebook Page

He can be contacted through his Facebook page or his email address (yes, he insisted he be contactable) montythespoodle@gmail.com

Saturday 30 April 2011

Scars and Doubts

The disciple Thomas is either vilified for his lack of faith or applauded for his scepticism. He is, in some sense, a candidate for patron saint of those who do not believe.

We know the story well. The other disciples tell Thomas that Jesus is alive and they have seen him. He has been told the women had seen Jesus as well. The story of Mary Magdalene at the tomb would have begun to take iconic shape amongst the hangers on.

Somehow, in the midst of all this, Thomas has been absent, not present for any of the sightings. Unlike all the other disciples he is not locked away in the upper room. Thomas was a pragmatist, a down to earth practical bloke who dealt with the circumstances as he saw them. Jesus promised much, upset the ruling clique, was crucified and died. That he knew to be the facts, and facts are facts. The rest, all a little fanciful, did not add up to his way of thinking. He went about putting his life back together, and those who wanted to sit locked up in a room waiting for a miracle could do so if they wanted to, but not him.

To read the entire sermon click on the link to Sermons on this page.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Who Rolled Away The Stone?

On Good Friday we prepared a stone to be used in the Easter Sunday Eucharist. It was to represent the stone which was rolled away from Jesus' tomb. We washed and cleaned it and left it by the front door of the chapel.

When we came in Sunday morning it was gone and could not be found anywhere.

Like Mary Magdalene and the disciples, we were left wondering, who rolled away the stone?

Saturday 23 April 2011

ANZAC DAY - LEST WE FORGET

On the morning of the 25th April 1915 Australian soldiers stopped ashore at Gallipoli Cove and into the pages of our national history. Over and over again other soldiers, sailors and airmen and women in other wars, on other shores and at great personal cost, have followed them. Their story and stories have been told and retold at occasions like this ever since.

We gather once again to hear those stories retold, some faded and a little rusty now, others as new as last year some, but the stories all have a familiar ring to them. They are the stories of ordinary young men and women who found or find themselves called upon to survive and overcome in extraordinary conditions.

When I read details of the landing at Gallipoli, the mud and stench of the Western front, the barbarity of Kokoda, the survival at Long Tan, I find my self asking: what was it that kept these soldiers going when giving up would have been so easy? Late last year I walked the Sandakan to Ranau Death March trail. A total of 2,434 men died at Sandakan, on the trail or at one of the various camps along the way. Only six survived.

As I trudged through the ankle deep red mud in extreme humidity, up steep jungle infested hills, I thought about what kept them moving forward when it would have been so easy just to walk over the edge or sit down and be shot? On one climb, which took little over an hour t9 men perished in a climb, which took them 5 hours, most completed it crawling on their knees. Why?

The answer is hope. Not hope that they would win or that it would get better. But the hope perhaps one, just one would survive to tell their story. They worked together to make that hope a reality. Pte Richard Murray and 5 others stole some rice from the cookhouse. They shared it around and hid the bag. Unfortunately their crime was discovered and they were taken away. As they stood while the Japanese officer questioned them, Keith Botterill whispered in Murray’s ear, “Don’t move or say anything, they can’t shoot us all.” Murray, sensing that they could and probably would, stepped forward and admitted to stealing the rice but said his mates had nothing to do with it. He was taken away and executed.

We know this story because one survived – Keith Botterill. Hope keeps us going forward when giving up would be so easy. Hope is doing it for your mates, being prepared to place yourself in danger so others will survive. Hope is not a wishy washy dream, a wish for something better, it is a concrete action building the future for others. We only know the story about Sandakan and the Death March, one of if not the greatest single loss of men in war by our country, because Keith Botterill lived to tell it.

Richie Murray was not a religious man, as far as I can tell, but he compares well on that score with another man who gave up his life for others and whom we remember at this time – Jesus of Nazareth.

On Richie Murrays’ grave at Labuan War Cemetery are the words:
He stepped forward to sacrifice his life for his mates.

The challenge of ANZAC Day to each of us is, could we, would we do the same?

Lest we forget.

Friday 1 April 2011

The Dog Raises The Bar

Remember the dog who races the Harley on my way to work? Well, he has raised the bar.

Over the last few weeks he has rarely participated in our morning ritual choosing instead to sit quietly and watch me as I rode by. But this week it has all changed. He's back and he has a new game plan.

Instead of waiting on the corner for me to turn into Terranora Road to begin the game he has come up with a strategy to win the race to the top of the hill. He doesn't wait for me to take off, he begins moving just as I stop. He doesn't come to the corner but takes off on the diagonal, cutting the corner. On both counts he gets the jump on me and makes me chase him, not the other way around.

I think he cheats. He thinks he wins. You can see the smile on his face as he watches me go by. He seems to be saying; this is my game, and we play it by my rules, not yours.

So it's not the one with the bigger bike that wins, but the one with the best strategy.

Now, what do I do?

Saturday 26 March 2011

The Unlikely Witness

The recent you tube video of the bullied schoolboy retaliating and throwing the aggressor onto the concrete path has created somewhat of a media storm, if not in fact, media bullying. Two rival stations bullying each other to capture ratings success out of the trauma of two teenage boys, one 12 years of age. I am not sure which is worse, the video itself or the exploitation of the boys by others...............

To see the full sermon on this subject, click on the Sermon link.

Monday 21 March 2011

Resources for Parents

This week in the new chapel area (watch this space for new name and logo - coming soon!) a range of resource books for parents is being added to the new bookshelves. These books are recommended reads from the Chaplains personal library and are available to be borrowed and read. The books cover subjects relevant to parents and provide a wide range of information and support. Please feel free to call in and pick-up and booklist, browse the shelves, have a coffee and borrow what you need. (Details of how to borrow will be displayed clearly for you).

A copy of the book list will be added to the blog in the coming days on the new Resources page.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Leadership - Not Something You Talk About, But Something You Do!

Our school is blessed with great leaders, and I am not just talking about the teachers (although they are fantastic too!). I am referring to our year 11 & 12 students who don't just talk about being leaders but lead.

With the new look chapel in place and between 30 and 90 students being in the space every lunchtime, I have had my hands full. When I put the call out for senior students to supervise the new space at lunchtimes, 17 hands went up. 17 young people are willing to give up their lunchtimes to supervise and mentor the younger students who use the new space. That's leadership in action and we need to applaud them.

We are also running a fortnightly activity for years 5 & 6 in the chapel. Again some 10 year 12's volunteered to lead this group, running the activities and promoting the event. 60 year 5 & 6 students came the first day! Again leadership in action.

If we just watched the evening news we could be fooled into thinking ill of the younger generation (gen Y or gen next). We would be wrong. On the whole, they are enthusiastic, keen, responsible and respectful, especially those who attend our school.

Take the time to encourage them, they deserve it.

Sunday 20 February 2011

What's Happening To Our World?

If ever we were sure that the world we live in will always be the same, 2011 has provided some interesting insights to challenge us.

Devestating climatic activities, flood across most of our country, cyclones and fires in WA and similar events across the world pose the question: how do we cope with change?

People power uprisings for political change right across the Arab world including such places as Libya where the thought of such being possible was previously unheard of, poses the same question: how will we cope with a world that will be a very different one than that which we lived up until the end of 2010?

For us in the West the questions strike at our world view, our understanding of what is right and wrong, of where the foundations for our beliefs and practice are found. As the world becomes more multi-cultural through immigration, the arrival of refugees and the ease of travel, new ideas, beliefs and practices will live alongside, and at some tome, in some places, overshadow that which we took for granted.

Things like our religion, our belief system, our values and our way of life will, and if we are honest, have been challenged by these changes. This is inevitable, it is apart of living in an ever changing world. Yet, it is not that it is happening that matters most, as Tom Waits sings, "You can't hold back time", what matters most is how we respond to it.

Do we respond by emphasising our differences and walling up our fortresses to keep the changes out or do we embrace the challenge to be open to diversity, to listen to voices different to ours, to engage in dialogue with others looking for similarities and the space-in-between where we share our humanity?

It begins with us. Thomas Merton suggested that there will be no world peace unless each of us is at peace with ourselves and share that peace with another. It begins with us and fear is our enemy. We over come fear by facing it though engagement and dialogue, firstly within ourselves and the in the world.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

New Beginnings In the Chapel

New beginnings was our theme for the first two weeks of school chapel services. In that time, that is exactly what has occurred in the chapel itself. It has had a new beginning.

A new sound system, a change in the lay out of the chapel itself and the unveiling of a very new look to the old stage are. This space is now a special 'retreat' for students and staff alike, offering quite music, comfortable (red) chairs, coffee tables and mood lighting.

It is hoped to add to this space with plants, board games, jigsaw puzzles and books (donations gratefully received) over the next few weeks to further add to the options available to all students who are looking for alternative things to do at break time.

We are looking for a name for the new stage space and have invited students to make suggestions for which the winning suggestion will win its creator a serious prize.

If you are in the school, make time to pop in. It's worth a look.

Monday 7 February 2011

Let Your Light Shine

14th February is the day for all in love, who wish to be in love or have been in love. Valentine's Day remind us of the importance of those special people in our lives. Red roses, chocolates and champagne accompany romantic dinners for 2.

Yet February 14 is also the beginning of Random Acts of Kindness Week. You know, those little things we do for others and others do for us that we don't have to do but do. Open the car door, smile, say hello, let someone go before you in the queue at the checkout counter, tidy your room and more.

The stuff we take for granted, but shouldn't.

Well, in the week of the 14th we are asked to be mindful of doing Random (Unexpected) Acts of Kindness for others. The challenge is to do so without expecting any one to notice or to applaud you. As a well known brand says, 'Just do it'.

Our school motto from Matthew 5 is 'Let your light shine'. Random Acts of Kindness is that in action.

For more information go here: www.randomactsofkindness.org

Tuesday 1 February 2011

New Beginnings

Back to school is a time of new beginnings. This week in chapel we have been looking at the idea of beginning again in light of the tragic floods which have been experienced across our country. The question is, how do we start again when something completely unimagined breaks in upon our lives? Events such as natural disasters, unexpected illness, relationship breakdowns and more come upon us in ways which leave us a little unbalanced and out of shape.

Yet we have to keep on going, finding ways to rebalance our lives and begin again.

We do so when we understand that we are not alone, that others, God included, share our pain and disruption and that we begin again by concentrating on what needs to be done now. It is about being mindful that all journeys begin with one step following after the other, and that the step we take now is the step that matters.

We can not remake the past nor can we manufacture the future. All we can do is live this moment now to the best of our ability, not worrying about outcomes, just about staying in the game. We will stumble and sometimes fall, but as long as we get up we have hope, develop courage and grow character.

New beginnings? No big deal. It's all about staying in the game called life and if we play it all the way to the end we come out on top.

Sunday 23 January 2011

Welcome to 2011

Well, here we are, back at the beginning of another school year! I hope all had a great break and are ready for whatever this year surprises us with.

I am mindful that we are all aware of the tragedy which has affected much of our country - the floods across Queensland, NSW and Victoria, and the bush fires in WA. Our country is a place of diverse experiences and is always challenging us through the extremes of its climate. Sometimes it is easy to forget the harshness inherent in the place in which we live, but nature finds ways to remind us that life here is fragile and risky.

There are some changes on this blog for 2011. Firstly it will be used to update the school community on happenings in the chapel. A new link has been included called 'What's On In The Chapel'. If you click on it you will see the latest details of events and activities being held weekly in the chapel.

Another new link is being added called "Community Corner" which has information for the wider school community, particularly parents. This will announce events and activities specifically for parents.

This blog will be updated weekly with copies of sermons, topical information and more. You are invited to comment, subscribe, suggest ideas and much more.