The word community has many connotations, some positive, some negative. Community can make us think of a safe togetherness, shared meals, common goals, and joyful celebrations. It also can call forth images of sectarian exclusivity, in-group language, self-satisfied isolation, and romantic naïveté. However, community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own (see Philippians 2:4). The question, therefore, is not “How can we make community?” but “How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?”

The above meditation came from the Henry Nouwen site.

• Father Peter Murnane, Dominican Friar, ‘A time to keep laws and a time to disobey them: civil disobedience and civil resistance in the age of private and government terrorism’
• Dr Chris Marshall, Religious Studies Department, Victoria University, ‘Biblical perspectives on anger and violence’
• Dr Nicola Hoggard-Creegan, Laidlaw College, ‘A theological critique of the Seville, and UNESCO-adopted, Statement on Violence’.

All Saints’ Lounge, 284 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Registration is $20, includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea

Registration: Please register by Monday, 17 November, with Chris Barfoot, email barfoots@xtra.co.nz or tel (09) 575 6142.

Arranged by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship. A printable poster for this event is available http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apf221108.pdf

More information about the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship is at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf

For example:

• How does one fight for others at a political level (Kim Workman, NZ Director of Prison Fellowship),

• How does one fight for indigenous people (Jon Owen, Urban Neighbors of Hope Chapter Leader, Sydney Australia),

• How does one fight for global justice (Justin Duckworth,  a Founder & Leader of Urban Vision, Wellington),

• How does one fight for stigmatized women & children (Ruby Duncan, CEO Iosis, South Auckland),

• How does one fight for the disabled (Evan Clulee, Ministries Director of Christian Ministries with the Disabled),

• How does one fight for peace (Adrian Leeson, who was one of the three arrested over their symbolic protest at the Waihopai spy base),

• How does one fight for the gay community without compromise (Mike Hercock from Sydney who recently got over 100 Pastors to rally for the gay community even though some of them could not condone the practice of homosexuality),

plus Musicians from both NZ  & Australia whose music is a blend of God, us & the other.

The emphasis, as noted, will be on “how to…” rather than challenge. This will be an informative gathering. RLV will be sponsored by Alongsiders (Mick Duncan) and held at Carey Baptist College, Penrose, Auckland Friday 7.30-9.30, Saturday 9.30 – 4.30). There will be a conference fee of $50.00pp.

While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight, I’ll fight to the very end!

So, if you’re keen to be at this gathering then flick me back an email: mick@michaelduncan.org

Mick

Top speakers and essential food for thought coming up to an election.

Christ and Caesar: Christian Perspectives on Politics and Public Policy

Saturday 6 September, VUW Law School

An all day seminar, in which Jim Skillen contrasts different models for Christian involvement in politics, and examines some key policy issues for Election 2008. The seminar features contributions from Chris Marshall, Major Campbell Roberts, and Melanie McKenzie.In election year, with Christians clamouring for a voice in the public arena, these are important issues for us to consider. So come along for an excellent time.

$35 waged, $20 unwaged
Registration: anglican@vuw.ac.nz or 463 54399

See the poster below for more details.

The Bible and Justice

Tuesday 2 September, 8 Kelburn Parade, 5.30pm

Join us at home base as Jim Skillen and Chris Marshall discuss what the Bible has to say about justice. Both have published in this area, Jim with A Covenant to Keep: Meditations on the Biblical Theme of Justice and Chris with The Little Book of Biblical Justice. Come along, debate the issues, think hard.

Jim Skillen is President of a Washington Based thinktank, the Centre for Public Justice (http://www.cpjustice.org/). He has degrees from Duke University, the Free University of Amsterdam, Westminster Theological Seminary, and Wheaton College. He has lectured widely around the globe in theology, politics, and international relations. His most recent book is With or Against the World? America’s Role Among the Nations (Rowman and Littlefield, 2005).

Burning Issues 08 Forum flyer

Let us down? Every person who is caught abusing drugs is a mirror for us to look into. Winning is what it truly is all about – forget the noble spirit of the Olympics stuff – it’s about the medal table so what do we expect? Having defined ‘glory’ as standing on the podium, and treating our sporting stars with more honour (and money) than our social workers and teachers are we surprised the pressure to enhance performance is too much for so many young athletes.

A drugs cheat reflects our cultural priorities. When something truly noble happens, like a competitor sacrificing a win to help a fallen runner up we breath a sigh, shed a tear, consider how nice it would if we were all nice to each other, and offer them our respect. Respect. That’s when we think it is great that some people are like that but we don’t intend to be.

The Olympics is about winning. About us (somehow we are involved through our guys who do the actual work) kicking their track and field. China seems to be less hypocritical about the Olympics than anyone.

If China is giving the bird to the rest of the world they will be rewarded. When this is over and we have stopped selling papers by abusing them we will go right back to buying every piece of under-priced crap flooding our stores and everyone else will pursue the same free trade agreement we have. Shopping question number one – is this product cheaper? Shopping question number two – can you help me put it in the car please?

“Bad Olympic country… can we have some more please?”

If they saw him just as a private pietist, why would they worry?
[If he was] helping people get their lives together,
helping their marriages, making them better parents
and make them go to less Roman orgies and drunken parties,
why would that have been a threat to the ruling powers?
They regarded him as a threat.
I remember I was at Wheaton College once and I asked this class,
“Why was Jesus killed?” and they had no idea.
They just couldn’t comprehend the question.
And then one young student said, “Well, to save us from our sins.”
And I said, “So you think Pontius Pilate was sitting there thinking,
‘How am I going to save these American evangelicals from their sins?
I’m gonna kill this guy and that will do it.’”
Albeit that our theological understanding of the cross and our redemption
– I’m orthodox on all those questions, but he was killed
because he was seen as a threat to the rulers both religious and political.

In the book (The Great Awakening:
Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America)
I talk about how Jesus confronted the major political options of his day,
All four of them were there, they’re always there:
One was a collaborationist, one was a pietist,
one was withdrawn – you know, the kind of counter culture –
and one was political insurrection, or revolutionary violence.
He confronted them all, he rejected them all.
There was a fifth option called the Kingdom of God, and that’s our option.
By Jim Wallis, President and Executive Director, Sojourners