Jollymonk Dot Com

This week I am involved in a Moore College Mission, partnering with the great folk at Summer Hill Anglican Church. All sorts of things are planned ranging from the 2 Sunday Services, to School Scripture classes, to a Womans night at the local Cafe, to a Mens Breakfast, to walkup evangelism in the local area.

Mission is always agreat time of the college year, but I am also challeneged in so far as sharing the good news of Jesus is something we should be doing all of the time, in all areas of our life!

Well, more to come as the week progresses.

Well it has been a long time between posts. 3 months break from College, including Christmas, going away on holidays, catching up with friends and family, moving house from the outer suburbs of Sydney into inner city, and now back into the thick of College again. No wonder I am feeling tired and struggling to get into routine. No matter, this will be the first of many posts to come, so I look forward to tossing some ideas around and having a general chit-chat around the water cooler that is Jollymonk. Another piece of exciting news is that Jollymonk is getting a facelift. That’s right, a new design and a whole bunch of new features — more news on this soon. 

David tagged me for this Chistmas meme, so I am tagging Ben, Tubeman, and Scott.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and gift bags — I like to mix it up a bit.

2. Real tree or artificial? Always a real tree - none of this plastic nonsense. Though trudging through mud to choose the “right one” and the many arguments that follow about why the tree you’ve chosen looks “lame” — maybe plastic aint so bad after all?

3. When do you put up your tree? When the kids nagging finally gets to me! Usually the same day we go and get said tree.

4. When do you take the tree down? Before we go on holidays. One year, in our rush to get packed and leave for holidays, we forgot. When we retuned home two weeks later we were greeted at the door by “Eu De Dead Tree” the floor was covered in pine needles. Great stuff.

5. Do you like eggnog? Egg what?

6. Favourite gift received as a child? Train set. Gotta love those trains.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? No, but I have always been tempted to flog one of the camels from the life size nativity set on Carlingford Rd (you know the one) — one of those would look wicked in my backyard!

8. Hardest person to buy for? My Mum & dad.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My wife.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Not sure, nothing comes to mind really.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Well my wife still sends mail Christmas cards, but I tend towards the email variety.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Cant think of the name of it, but you know the one where Arnie Schwarzenegger has to get his kid a certain toy and there is only one left on the shelf. A fight breaks out and there is lots of biffo. Great stuff. The Polar Express is kinda cool as well.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually a week before, although this year we are a little more organised and I can officially say we are done.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I’m not saying anything as it may incriminate me…

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Prawns and any other seafood.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Being a more traditional, understated kind of chap, I prefer clear lights. Having said that, it’s more to do with what works when I pull all the decorations out of the garage…

17. Favorite Christmas song? “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Not the Mariah Carey version, but the one from the movie Love Actually. Great stuff.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home for Christmas, Holidays afterwards.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Everybody knows that Santa no longer uses reindeer! Due to Occupational Health & Safety and environmental concerns, Santa now uses a battery powered, carbon neutral, environmentally friendly sleigh. The reindeers have been put out to pasture!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Normally we are still wrapping them at 2am so I guess you could say we both wrap and open them on Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Shops, crowds, noise and traffic.

23. What is the “corniest” family tradition you do, or miss doing? Leave carrots, milk and cookies out for Santa and his reindeers, though by virtue of point 19, this year we will be leaving out a glass of port and some D size batteries.

24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Those robotic reindeer and Santas.

25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey! Peace out.

26. What does Christmas mean to you? “Kid born in feed trough saves world!”

I was at lunch a few weekends back with family and friends. As we were eating someone said “Matt, this might interest you…” Apparently there is a house in Guildford which has bleeding walls and that has subsequently been turned into an “Orthodox” shrine of some sort. My family friend then recounted his trip to this “shrine” with his wife and explained that he was convinced that it was not a hoax.

Now I must admit, at this point my natural Australian male skepticism raised it’s head. I spoke with my friend about Jesus’ encounter with the demon possessed man amongst the tombs (Mark 5:1-20), and his interaction with the herd of pigs called “legion”. Indeed Jesus was no stranger to the spiritual or supernatural. It struck me that my friend was less interested in Jesus and more interested in discussing the spooky and miraculous nature of this story. Even after talking about how Jesus had calmed a storm, raised a man from the dead, and fed 5000 people from a few Bakers Delight loaves and Fish Cocktails — my friend was not the slightest bit interested in Jesus, but wanted to know what I thought about “dripping walls”…

Naturally the conversation changed topics, reverting to politics, the never ending busyness of Christmas and the like. It was a great lunch and I enjoyed it very much, but I got to thinking how do I best engage with friends and family in speaking about the supernatural? Particularly the miraculous and “freaky” things which I would otherwise dismiss as ‘bumpkin’? 

Related to this, the head of New Testament Studies at Moore Theological College, Peter Bolt, has written a book entitled ”Living with the Underworld”. I have yet to read this book, but maybe this will be a helpful first step in working out how I can speak more helpfully with my friends on this topic.

I am happy that we chatted about supernatural things, but I am certain I need to be sharper about speaking helpfully on this subject. How about you? Have you had similar conversations with your friends or family, and if so, what have you found to be a helpful way in approaching this topic?

Being a Parent is a funny gig! I am always learning things about myself, and constantly being reminded of my own selfishness and at times, hardness of heart. I was reminded of this yet again recently, when I walked into a Service Station to pay for Petrol and groceries. While waiting in line, listening and observing the conversations and interactions going on around me, I noticed a little boy of around four years old waiting in line with his dad. After devouring the counter with his eyes, taking in the heady sight of chocolates and sweets, the little boy looks up at his Dad and says

“Can I have a chocolate Dad”            

“Sure mate, what would you like?”

At this point, it’s no surprise that the little guy went to town! After picking up and then putting down roughly a dozen chocolates and sweets, he finally set his delight on a snickers bar. He carefully picked one from the box, and then proudly plopped it on the counter for his Dad to pay.

I loved watching this Father & Son moment, but at the same time found myself thinking of my own relationship with my kids. Both the ease with which the little boy asked his Father for something he wanted, and the eagerness with which the Father responded, challenged my own parenting. I thought for a moment about the way I would have related to my kids had that been them asking for something as ordinary as sweets. Would they have asked me so easily for something, and would I have responded so eagerly? You see I think I often relate to my kids as “the parent”, eager to keep them on the straight and narrow, being sure to correct them at every opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I am simply too a harsh parent, but I think at times I relate to my kids in a far too monochromatic way.

Reflecting upon this a few days later, it made me think of how I understand and know God as my Father. Far from being monochromatic, our Heavenly Father parents his children in many & varied ways that reflect all aspects of his character and love towards them. For instance, in Hebrews 12:6 we read that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Yet Matthew 6:26 also shows that God graciously provides for his children, who are worth far more than the birds of the air. Romans 8:15 says that God has gifted his children with the Holy Spirit who confirms their adoption into his family, and because his kids are adopted into his family, they are now heirs to the family estate!

As I sit and “chew on” these three verses it is clear that my understanding of God as my Heavenly Father, must translate into how I parent my own kids. These three verses model to me a love seen in many “colors” and ways. My parenting will involve loving discipline, but will also involve generous and gracious giving to my kids. Funny how spending twenty bucks on fuel, can end up challenging my parenting. My hope and prayer is that I can love my kids in the same boundless way my Heavenly Father loves me. Even (and maybe especially) in the little things like walking into a service station and eagerly sharing the joy of chocolate with my kids, rather than being so wrapped up in distant danger of dental bills.

For those of you with kids, what have you been challenged about recently with regards to raising your kids? Any words of advice, pearls of wisdom, or funny observations?

Well after 2 weeks of Stuvac and then 2 weeks of exams, I am finally finished 2nd year of Moore College. I will be posting more about my reflections on 2nd year in the coming weeks, but for now I just wanted to say that I am back in the saddle! Expect lots more posts and also a few site enhancements now that I have a little more time. Now…back to….oh that’s right, I’m on holidays! 

“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” So goes the cry of every frustrated kid sitting cramped in the back of their parents car on the way to holidays. “We’ll be there when we get there!” is the usual retort from parents who are sick of hearing this repetitive plea! I could never understand as a kid how you could be “on holidays” and yet still not be actually at the destination, as if somehow sitting in the back of my parents car was every kids idea of a great time. I must admit at the moment, with exams looming, I feel a bit like a kid in the back seat screaming “are we there yet?” I have studied and read past exams, prepared papers, read some more, but I still haven’t sat the exam. This “now and not yet” reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 5:1-5 where he says

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”     

What awesome words of encouragement, that even our sufferings urge us to hope in God. What’s more, they aren’t worth a scrap compared to the glory that awaits us… 

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)         

What about you? What things remind you that we live in the “now and not yet”?