A voice in the desert?
Posted on April 24, 2008 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Quotes | Leave a Comment
Realise that there’s been a grand total of zero activity here for far too long, but hopefully someone is still keeping track of things here. I’ve recently had a preaching gig at Ranges CC, and Scott has graciously uploaded the sermon, so I’m linking it here for you to have a listen, if you’re interested. Nothing theologically mind-blowing, and the delivery. Is. A. Little. Bit. Stilted. but nevertheless, hopefully you can be encouraged. Please excuse the Wimber joke at the start for anyone who has never sat through a Vineyard sermon before 
Geoff at Ranges CC - "Loving Your Neighbour"
God Songs
Posted on March 25, 2008 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Culture, Emerging Questions | 2 Comments
Fantastic article from Waleed Aly in “The Age” this week. Thought this quote deserved a mention, perhaps as an allegory for the institutional church:
“But religion struggled to be cool, much less inspiring in the popular space. Religious music persisted, but in subcultures. The American Christian country music industry is enormous, but not mainstream. Evangelical churches in particular have produced torrents of Christian music which, ironically, adopts almost every style of popular music. But it is simply incapable of capturing a popular audience because it is so unapologetically alienating to the unconverted. We are trained to think of religion and popular music as opposing universes. If popular music has a faith, it’s the satanism of heavy metal, we suppose.”
So I was struck by that, but there’s more in the article worth pulling out. The article goes on to talk about Nick Cave, Sinead O’Connor and U2 as artists that are striking at a chord that resonates with an “increasingly irreligious” generation.
“Are Cave and O’Connor today’s spiritual teachers, educating a secular generation? O’Connor would recoil at the suggestion. “I’m not calling for anything,” she says. “I just want to make music that I enjoy making.” But it is hard to believe the same could be said of U2, whose religious influences are only slightly less well known than their social activism. The liner notes on their 2000 album All That You Can’t Leave Behind openly call on fans to “remember (Burmese political prisoner) Aung San Suu Kyi” and “take action”. One track, Walk On, is dedicated to her. “
Make sure you have a read of the whole article: “Songs of Redemption - theage.com.au”
Is it the “take it or leave it” nature of this spirituality that appeals to the “now” generation, or is there something in the words and music being put out there by artists like Nick Cave (whose recent album “Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!” is a ripper) that the church is missing out on? Your learned and wise thoughts are sought, but any comment will do 
josh brown on consumption
Posted on February 25, 2008 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Crazy Idealism, Culture | Leave a Comment
You should definitely get yourself over to IAmJoshBrown.com and check out his most recent post on consumption:
I don’t watch television. The only show I watch is LOST. So maybe 2 hours a week. Tops. I tell myself I’m an intellectual and that I’m a better person for reading books rather than watching American Idol or Dancing With The Stars or insert any other reality show here. I am a saint. I tell myself this myth to make me feel better about my self. It’s a shame that we bought a $600 flat screen HD television to watch LOST and play the Wii. And I spent more time on my computer than 10 average people combined. I am a hypocrite. I am my own worst enemy.
I don’t think this post needs you to comment. But have a read of the whole post, and it’s worth taking a really good look in the mirror on this stuff.
suburban christian
Posted on February 11, 2008 by Rebecca Matheson
Filed Under Church, Emerging Questions | 1 Comment
I was having a conversation with a friend recently about her mum’s thoughts on being a Christian in middle class suburbia and how both natural and difficult it is. (Some of these are my extended thoughts).
The Church and Christian events such as conferences are exceptional at preaching the ‘go get out there’. There is nothing acclaimed what-so-ever about living to your fullest from your house in the suburbs in your everyday job. We uphold these ‘Christian’ Heroes as those who have gone long and far and done big things.
I am not saying that there aren’t individuals that should wind up as overseas missionaries - because I grew up in a household where that was precisely the case and it’s something that has deeply influenced who I am now. There is a need for cross cultural mission. And it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.
Likewise, we shout the praise of working in a church, as a pastor, youth pastor, as someone who runs some enormous ministry. And we jump on the assumption that many church ‘attendees’ are just that. Attendees on Sunday. And many of them are.
I would like the encouragement put there for the majority of Christian suburbia. To actually be effective right where they are.
Yes I help lead a youth group. A very strangely small youth group for the size of our church, but it’s not the role that I love. Geoff tells me that I fluctuate a lot in how much I like leading youth. There is usually several times a year I swear not to be involved any more and hate rocking up on Friday nights. But I love, I love the kids I’ve gotten to know. I love seeing their growth and maturity. It’s so much more important.
Just be interested in people. Just love Jesus and what he’s on about. What more is there to being a Christian? The collective claim positives on fame, but individuals don’t give a rats at position really.
And position is so far from the point, church is sometimes a scary place.
Take risks at home.
(This post has is an edited extract from “Suburban Christian” at all said and done)
the example of the cross
Posted on February 8, 2008 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Bible Study, Books | 3 Comments
I’ve been reading the very very good book “A Community Called Atonement” by emerging blogger/theologian Scot McKnight. I was deeply struck by the following passage:
“We are not being fair to the Pauline texts on the cross if we narrow them simply and woodenly to resolution of my sin problem. The cross addresses our sin problem - “our” in the sense of yours and mine and the Western world’s and the Eastern world’s and the northern and southern hemisphere’s problems. It addresses the world’s captivity by evil” (emphasis Scot’s)
This goes into the basket of “I know it is true as soon as I read it, but I don’t think that’s how I live”. Because I don’t think that I have believed that God’s response to the problem of the Holocaust is the cross. It’s easy for me to see forgiveness as a product of the cross, but I’m not sure that it’s anywhere near as simple or as easy to recognise that a huge part of the work of the cross is in the example of the cross.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” 1 John 3:16
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
What does it mean for us to follow the example of the cross? In the christianese cultural bubble, it is so easy to see these passages as wonderful and lovely expressions of how nice God is to us, but that don’t require us to participate at all. But that can’t be what it really means to be crucified with Christ.
So what does that look like for a twenty-something IT Nerd in his comfortable 21st century existence: to die for those who are still sinners? Does this thought both excite and frighten anyone else? Feel free not to assume that I’m being rhetorical.
