Engage the Bible

Bible on Facebook

2011-05-30T12:50:00.000+10:00

THE BIBLE BEATS MANCHESTER UNITED AND JUSTIN BIEBER ON FACEBOOK CHARTS

Figures reveal that more people are actively engaging with the Bible than any other page on social media site Facebook. With more than 6 million 'fans' it has beaten other hugely popular pages including those of sports teams like Manchester United and celebrities like Justin Bieber. Jane Pleace, who oversees The Bible's Facebook page, expressed her excitement at seeing the Bible's message spreading across this social media platform. "'As churches grapple how to get people to read the Bible, United Bible Societies is helping nearly seven million people read the Bible daily, using the social networking site Facebook," said Jane.

"'The Bible' page has over 6.7 million fans and nearly one million of them get involved each week by writing comments on the page wall and re-posting Bible verses on their personal pages. United Bible Societies has shared Scripture over 239 million times on Facebook in the last month alone! It is wonderful to see people leaving comments saying how they’ve been touched by a particular Bible passage we've posted on our page. The Bible page is helping to reach a new generation with the gospel message. 51% of Bible page fans are under 25 years old. Jane explains. “We love to debate with people who hold different viewpoints,” says Jane,

“Young people come to the Bible page with deeply thoughtful and searching questions about the Christian faith. We have the opportunity to address each question individually. We have been blessed to see some of these young people come to faith.” The page also attracts its fair share of atheists and Muslims. We try to demonstrate God’s love in our responses by showing a genuine interest in everyone. I’m proud of all the volunteers who respond to provoking questions with good-humour and a generous spirit. For some people, this is their only contact with Christians, so it’s important they know we are a loving and accepting community. ”

Source: United Bible Societies

2011-05-17T13:30:00.001+10:00

Rediscovering Storytelling?

2011-05-05T15:53:00.000+10:00

2011-05-01T09:13:00.000+10:00

Blast from the Past

2011-04-18T13:44:00.003+10:00

Had a bit of a trip down memory lane this week when my mother handed me a copy of this old book of Bible reading notes that we had used as a family when I was growing up. It highlighted to me the importance for parents of creating a legacy of Bible literacy among their children. I'm thankful for the Bible reading my parents did with our family, and I'm inspired to press on with efforts to engage my own kids with the Scriptures.

(I couldn't help but noticing that the book was published by Scripture Union...my current employer!)

Saving our Sacred Stories?

2011-04-18T09:32:00.002+10:00

Interesting article from The Age this morning entitled, "An Easter miracle: children who know their Bible stories."

Here's a couple of quotes from it:-

"Young people no longer know their Bible stories - and our culture may be the poorer for it."

"Prime Minister Julia Gillard would agree. An atheist, Ms Gillard believes Australians need to understand the Bible because it 'has formed such an important part of our culture'."

"I think it is a pity that I didn't leave a Bible lying about the house; that my children didn't hear those stories. I ask myself now, have I deprived my children of some richness? Some important way of seeing and understanding the world?"

"Associate Professor David Tacey, of La Trobe University's English department, believes ''sacred stories'' are important in any culture, even a secular one. ''Without what the Greeks called mythos or story, we have no way of orienting ourselves in life, either as a people or as individuals …"

"He says the loss of biblical stories from the culture is a direct failing of the Christian churches, who have a responsibility to ''tell those stories in a way that is engaging today''.

I can't help observing that Australia seems to be entering a period of intense wrestling around the questions of who we are, what we believe, and who/what will set our moral/ethical/spiritual course. And it seems that Christianity and the Bible are right at the centre of the argument!

Intelligibility vs. Accesibility

2011-04-12T12:49:00.003+10:00

Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay notes that recent global research has shown that the driver for much of the Bible dis-engagement crisis in the developed world is not 'accessibility' but 'intelligibility'.

"I have a hunch that this lack of comprehension has less to do with outmoded language than with cultural distance; there is a yawning gap between the world of the Bible and the highly secular environment in which the respondents live. This distance, it seems to me, cannot be bridged by merely doing newer translations. Something beyond translation of the Text is needed – a second translation, if you like, - and that is the very intentional ‘enculturation’ or ‘contextualization’ of what the Bible means as it relates to the whole of life and the issues people face in secularized cultures."

I find this idea of "a second translation" compelling. Recent research into youth Bible engagement in Australia suggests young people are not reading the Bible because they can't see how to apply it to their lives.

Who is role modeling this for them? The Bible relies on "hermeneutical communities" to contextualize the Word so that people can hear and see in order to believe.

Emerging Themes

2011-04-12T10:10:00.002+10:00

We (SU Queensland) recently hosted a forum of key youth ministry practitioners from our state. We (in partnership with Bible Society) presented them with findings from research conducted in Australia that showed that the Bible is "not on the radar" of young Christians in our country. Together we discussed the implications of the research findings.

Several key themes began to emerge:-

1. Young people don't see older Christians living the story of the Bible with authenticity and integrity.
2. Western societies have lost the art of storytelling in the context of relationship and community.
3. Christians need to regain the power of the family/household to engage their children and young people with the Bible.
4. Leaders have failed young people by not educating them about the credibility, plausibility and relevance of the Bible in their lives.
5. We have a crisis of youth leadership.
6. Contemporary church culture is often getting in the way of effective and transformative Bible engagement.

More blog thoughts on this to follow in coming days...

Mark My Words 2011

2011-04-11T14:52:00.003+10:00

Mark My Words 2011 kicking off real soon!

Pancake People & the death of "Deep Reading"

2011-04-05T11:01:00.001+10:00

Interesting essay in The Sydney Morning Herald's 'Spectrum' by Malcolm Knox on Saturday. The article, entitled "Driven By Distraction" was lamenting the loss of the art form know as 'deep reading'. His basic argument is that our immersion in a hyperactive online world is killing our ability to dive deeply into the imaginative world of written ideas. In Knox's opinion, this is re-wiring our brains and making us 'Pancake People' - scattered broadly, but not deep.

In a witty tip of the hat to the very culture he was critiquing, the essay contained a short summary for skim readers, and a one liner for those in a hurry:-

"A version for 'skim' readers ...

- The more we use the web, the more we train our brain to be distracted.

- One expert predicts a generational change from linear reading to non-linear skimming, as our brains adapt to the internet's opening of floodgates of information.

- Studies have found office workers stop work to check their email 30 to 40 times an hour.

- Frequent interruptions scatter our thoughts, weaken our memory and make us tense and anxious.

- People who share a preference for the magical, transformative immersion of reading and writing over flitting about on their computers are lucky and wise.

And in one sentence ...

- We have access to more information than we have ever had, but little knowledge or wisdom as a result because the internet is changing how we think, read and act."

I have heard people argue that this is just the way our times are going and that this is just a change in the way we communicate with no real reason for alarm. But is not the loss of deep thought, imagination and critical thinking something to be alarmed about?

Has The Game Moved On?

2011-03-28T10:47:00.006+11:00

Been reading this great book by Dallas Willard who is a Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. His basic premise is that Christian 'faith' and 'knowledge' are deeply interrelated concepts. Belief is not irrational.

He paints an incredible picture of the current state of intellectual debate in the public sphere. I'm struck by the fact that the whole game has moved on from the concept of faith being a source of credible knowledge and guidance. It is almost like Christianity has lost the argument about its own validity.

Recent research into the Bible reading habits and attitudes of young Australian Christians show some real issues for the perception of the Bible in terms of credibility, plausibility and relevance.

The root causes of youth Bible dis-engagement in the West seem to get deeper and deeper the more I look into it. Young people currently lack understanding of the true nature of the Bible and have few or no worthy role models to guide them in this critical area.

Do we need to go back and win the argument for the Bible again?! The problems in my mind are about leadership and education. Are we clear in our own minds about the ability of the Bible to stand in the face of extensive criticism? Are we sold on the validity of the Bible? If there is even the faintest doubt in our minds (and I've detected a few in myself) we need to go back and do some hard intellectual work.

It's almost embarrassing to admit this, but yesterday I ordered a copy of Larry Stone's, "The Story of the Bible", so that I could get informed again about the details of how this thing the Bible came together. I need to get educated again. How are you doin'?

GodSpeak Advocate

2011-03-22T10:30:00.002+11:00

Interesting new project (Facebook link) from Bible Society. It involves the selection of 12 young advocates to promote the work of Bible translation around the world.

Lent Podcasts from 24/7 Prayer

2011-03-21T14:28:00.001+11:00

Daily Lent podcasts from the 24/7 Prayer team...

Boredom, Irrelevance, Distraction...

2011-03-21T10:28:00.002+11:00

Interesting blog article here about Bible reading trends amongst Filipino youth. It seems to echo much of what we see in the developed Western world. It suggests 3 main responses to the Bible amongst young people - boredom, sense of irrelevance and distraction from other things.

Cutting Edge Technology

2011-03-14T12:46:00.003+11:00

Check out this new cutting edge technology for addressing the challenges of youth Bible disengagement, loss of Christian community, and the desperate need for effective mission strategies.

Japan...

2011-03-14T08:34:00.001+11:00

Prayers for Japan...

JC, Church, Cool & The Bible

2011-03-10T12:43:00.001+11:00

Check out this great article about Christianity and the culture of cool in Australia.

The Book & The Crisis

2011-03-08T09:37:00.002+11:00

The Book & The Crisis...

Biblefresh Photography Competition

2011-03-08T09:13:00.009+11:00

Winners from the Biblefresh Photography Competition...

Sarah Groves: How I'm Challenged By the Bible

2011-03-07T19:12:00.000+11:00

The Death of the Book?

2011-03-07T09:07:00.002+11:00

Here is part of a conversation that my friend Francis and I have been having on Facebook:-

"There are many periods in history across many cultures and societies since Gospel days, when people couldn't read at all. what then? The answer for today may be in the past. The wooden carvings of the journey to the cross I saw at Natredame (sic) a few years ago chilled me to the bone as it would have many a non reading person over a century.

I also think we underestimate how much 'text' we read and create each day through new media. it's no wonder we don't want to pick up a book after all that. I think reading from paper books will soon become an 'odd' practice, an old craft and skill. I read from the bible on my iPad in church today, totally made sense to do so and felt normal even. I could simultaneously write thoughts that I emailed myself for later. iPad 2 will have such a radical impact on paper books. Text books are nearly all dead, ebooks just surpassed sales of hard copy books, the bible is not dead, but paper back versions already look like vintage door stoppers."

Francis...great thoughts! Even though my feelings about the humble 'book' are closer to those outlined above by Hayley (FB reference), I think you are probably right about all this.

Yes, there have been times in the past when people on the whole were unable to read. The mass produced printed book is actually only really a recent development in history. As far as the church goes, there have been times when the Bible was basically unavailable to the common woman/man. Unfortunately these times were also some of the worst in terms of manipulation and control of the masses by leaders.

I think your assertion that the answer may lie in the past is on the money. For the Christian movement, in times of limited reading practices, the stories of the community (the Jesus story) were told in a systematic fashion through a combination of liturgical worship/lifestyle patterns and a wholesale embrace of the arts (NB - both of these things are dead in the contemporary church in my opinion).

My fear is that we don't read an iPad, Kindle or any other web-based platform the way we do a 'book'. I think we are still reading online, but the nature of our reading is different. As you say, we 'read' so much new media during the day that we don't feel like picking up a book after that (I've observed this in myself!). I haven't seen any research on this, but I think we tend to skim read more from our screens than we do from the old school book format.

My love for books is probably more nostalgic than anything, but I do fear that the death of books may lead to a death of well-considered, slow, critical construction of developed ideas and opinions. I wouldn't be so concerned about that if other platforms for story telling were strong in our society. Our embrace and mastery of the arts is nowhere near where it has been in the past, for example.

Perhaps film still holds the most potential for influence, but try getting a truly creative and independent film made in Australia at the moment!

Gotta Wonder...

2011-02-24T10:40:00.005+11:00

A research project conducted by Willow Creek Association in the US has found that connection between church activity and spiritual growth is limited. That's gotta make you wonder what is going on!

Actually while we are on this subject, can anybody suggest one element of contemporary evangelical church Sunday worship practice that correlates with the practices of the early church described in the New Testament documents?

The Millenial Generation

2011-02-21T14:56:00.002+11:00

Highly recommend you listen to this interview with Mark Sayers (it's at the bottom of the page - click on "Interview With Mark Sayers").

In it he discusses the worldview of young people today, highlighting the complete loss of transcendent truth as a tool for shaping values.

The King's Speech

2011-02-21T14:40:00.004+11:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of viewing "The King's Speech" starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. It tells the story of King George VI who had to overcome a terrible stammer to lead his country through the demanding days of World War II. He showed great courage in defeating the debilitating speech impediment that had dogged him since childhood, and his national addresses became a symbol of English resolve during the war.

I was struck by how important it was for monarchs and other national leaders to be able to speak eloquently in those days. So much hung on the effective delivery of a single speech or address. Words and their delivery meant everything. Language was surrounded by dignity, nobility and lofty thought and ambition. Words were the source of inspiration.

Today, words have become disposable tools of a self-promoting, consumerist lifestyle. Words are trash! Bang out a 140 character Tweet and throw it to the wind! Language has lost it's beauty. We no longer approach the written word with reverence and hope. Our humanity suffers as a result.

Come Alive

2011-02-17T16:48:00.000+11:00

2011-02-14T13:40:00.002+11:00

What is Your Script?

2011-02-11T09:35:00.002+11:00

Whether we are conscious of it or not, all of us live by a script. There are millions of different possible scripts to live by, but Walter Bruggemann believes that the "dominant script" of our times is "technological, therapeutic, consumer militarism". It's all about feeling good, having the latest, getting the most of the best that we can, and seeking positions of power.

Bruggemann describes the Bible narrative as the "alternative script". Being a follower of Jesus is about "relinquishing...renouncing...disengaging" from the dominant script and "embracing" the alternative script for our lives.

His major criticism is that, on the whole we are "ambivalent" about this process of relinquishment - our hearts are not really in it. If, as it is reported, we are absorbing 3000 advertising messages a day, watching an average of 22 hours of TV per week, and online for 68 hours a month - which script are we reading from?

If we spend little or no time wrestling with the Bible with our families and friends - which script are we reading from?

2011-02-10T15:53:00.000+11:00

2011-02-10T15:50:00.001+11:00

2011-02-10T15:48:00.000+11:00

2011-02-10T15:44:00.000+11:00

2011-02-10T15:42:00.001+11:00

Building Faith @ Home

2011-02-08T11:55:00.001+11:00

Daddy And Daughter from D6 Conference on Vimeo.

Eradicating Bible poverty and Bible ignorance

2011-01-30T09:18:00.000+11:00

The Lausanne Movement has published the second part of the Cape Town Commitment, 'A Call to Action'. It includes a section on eradicating Bible poverty and Bible ignorance, calling for Bible translation, Bible teaching and Bible literacy:

"C) Aim to eradicate Bible poverty in the world, for the Bible remains indispensable for evangelism. To do this we must:

1. Hasten the translation of the Bible into the languages of peoples who do not yet have any portion of God’s Word in their mother tongue;
2. Make the message of the Bible widely available by oral means...

D) Aim to eradicate Bible ignorance in the Church, for the Bible remains indispensable for discipling believers into the likeness of Christ.

1. We long to see a fresh conviction, gripping all God’s Church, of the central necessity of Bible teaching for the Church’s growth in ministry, unity and maturity...
2. We must promote Bible literacy among the generation that now relates primarily to digital communication rather than books, by encouraging digital methods of studying the scriptures inductively with the depth of inquiry that at present requires paper, pens and pencils."

More on this here...

What Does It Look Like?

2011-01-28T08:48:00.003+11:00

Does a strategy to reverse the current youth Bible engagement crisis look like this?

6 Megathemes

2011-01-24T10:20:00.003+11:00

One of my colleagues (thanks Brad) drew my attention to some interesting research from the Barna Group in the US. The research identifies 6 Megatrends in the Christian church and society:-

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.

2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.

3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.

4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.

5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church.

6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible.

There are some contradictory impulses at work here that I have observed in the Australian church as well. There seems to be a growing awareness among Christians that they are losing touch with the world and polarized responses are emerging. Churches are either retreating to the safety of their own walls, or making renewed attempts to engage with their communities.

While the later of these two responses might be the more desirable (and somewhat encouraging), it seems that behind BOTH responses is an alarming loss of identity in terms of spiritual understanding. It seems that the Christian church has lost any sense of a guiding narrative that informs who it is and what it's place in the world is.

The Bible - A Drama in 6 acts

2011-01-23T08:53:00.001+11:00

Bible drama in 6 acts

View more presentations from Martin Thompson.

The Bible: What is it?

2011-01-23T08:47:00.000+11:00

The Bible: What is it? on Prezi

Crisis & Response

2011-01-23T07:36:00.003+11:00

A soon to be released report (stay tuned here for details) about the Bible reading habits of young people in Australia makes for some interesting reading. The research suggests that essentially the Bible is just "not on the radar" for Australian teens. They are not reading it, not thinking about it, not sure how to use it, not sure what it even is, and are not sure why one would bother checking it out. If there was any doubt about a Bible reading crisis in our country among young people, the issue has been well and truly settled now.

While I was not surprised by these findings, I was a little intrigued by the suggested response that came out of the research report. The report suggests that any response to this crisis should not focus on just trying to get individuals to privately read their Bibles. The report actually suggested that regular private reading of the Bible is at best a well-educated, middle class person's pursuit. With the increasing lack of reading in our society, it seems personal Bible consumption amongst young people is almost a lost cause!

The key finding of the report is that the best efforts in trying to reverse this trend among teenagers will be successful when they are focused on "strengthening communities" of faith that young people are part of. Specifically, this will mean helping families, youth groups and churches read the Bible together in community in ways that promote relationship and engage culture.

Room for Questions and Doubt??

2011-01-21T10:24:00.002+11:00

A research project by Fuller Theological Seminary in the US has found that helping young Christians embrace and work through their doubts is the single most important issue in helping them transition to mature faith in adulthood.

"The more college students felt that they had
the opportunity to express their doubt while they were in high school,
the higher [their] levels of faith maturity and spiritual maturity."

"Students who had the opportunity to struggle
with tough questions and pain during high school seemed to have a
healthier transition into college life."

Closed minds, lack of critical thinking, lack of self examination, rigidity, control and manipulation will never serve young Christians well. Allowing room for honest and searching questions and doubt when it come to exploring the Bible is critical.

"It's the Truth so you better believe it!", is never going to cut it. Exploring faith, does not have to mean anti-intellectualism or lack of rigorous debate and inquiry. Our young people know this...

e100challenge...Day 85...Colossians 1:1-23

2010-06-25T10:46:00.004+10:00

e100challenge...Day 84...Ephesians 4:2-9

2010-06-24T09:33:00.003+10:00

((The e100 Challenge is a 100 day reading programme that takes participants on a grand sweep through the key passages of the Bible. Staff at the organisation I work for are currently working their way through the challenge together, and I have decided to blog my thoughts on the passage for the day. Please feel free to join in the challenge with us and contribute your thoughts and reflections here)

I've missed the last 10 days of e100 because my wife and I have suffered the loss of a family member in recent weeks. This reading in Ephesians is the one I have come back in on, and what a passage to be confronted with!

In this reading, the Apostle Paul entreats the church at Ephesus to "rejoice" at all times; to "not be anxious"; and to experience the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding."

Those of you that chose to read on to the end of the chapter will also have noticed that Paul claims to be "content whatever the circumstances", because of his conviction that he "can do everything through Him who gives us strength".

What does it mean to be content and rejoice in the midst of grief? That is the question that has dogged me these past weeks...and I'm not sure I've come to terms with the answer yet. But I do know this - the only way it is possible is to have confidence in a good God who is much bigger than the biggest of our struggles.

e100challenge...Day 74...Acts 8:26-40

2010-06-10T08:54:00.002+10:00

e100 Challenge...Day 71...Acts 2:1-47

2010-06-07T11:37:00.003+10:00

Japanese Mobile Novel a best seller

2010-06-03T10:59:00.001+10:00

Japanese Mobile Novel a best seller

Thanks to neovet for this link...

e100challenge...Day 69...John 20:1-21:25

2010-06-03T09:17:00.003+10:00

e100challenge...Day 68...John 19:1-42

2010-06-02T09:13:00.002+10:00

e100challenge...Day 65...John 11:1-57

2010-05-28T08:46:00.003+10:00

e100challenge...Day 64...Mark 5:1-20

2010-05-27T08:31:00.003+10:00

Religion in the Classroom?

2010-05-26T16:33:00.002+10:00

Watched a really interesting episode of 'Insight' on SBS last night. It was all about the hot debate that is currently simmering in Australia (NSW in particular) around the issue of Scripture classes in state schools and the move to offer an alternative 'Ethics' curriculum for 'non-Scripture' students. Check it out - it a great debate.

Two things struck me about the discussion. Bishop Glen Davies raised what I think is a crucial question in Australia at the moment. He continually sought to highlight the fact that we as a nation are struggling to find a consistent 'framework' by which to make judgment about ethical issues. The place the Bible once played in providing such a framework is under deep challenge at the moment.

Secondly, it was interesting to listen to what the children in the audience said when asked to compare 'Scripture' classes and 'Ethics' classes. On the whole, they preferred the 'Ethics' classes because they allowed the children to share and discuss their own ideas. Their criticism of the 'Scripture' classes were not so much about content as they were about facilitation style.

e100 Challenge...Day 63...John 9:1-41

2010-05-26T06:33:00.004+10:00

e100challenge...Day 61...Luke 9:1-36

2010-05-23T17:06:00.002+10:00

E100 - Register Now

2010-05-21T08:58:00.001+10:00

You can register your interest in the E100 Challenge project which will be launched in Australia soon.

e100challenge...Day 60...Luke15:1-32

2010-05-21T08:15:00.003+10:00

e100challenge...Day 59...Luke10:25-37

2010-05-19T12:16:00.004+10:00

(The e100 Challenge is a 100 day reading programme that takes participants on a grand sweep through the key passages of the Bible. Staff at the organisation I work for are currently working their way through the challenge together, and I have decided to blog my thoughts on the passage for the day. Please feel free to join in the challenge with us and contribute your thoughts and reflections here)

A colleague of mine dared to ask some pretty daunting questions recently. Questions like...

'If I spend 10 bucks on lunch today knowing that 10 kids will die of hunger somewhere in the world today because they didn't have $1 each for food...is that sin on my part?'

'If I give some money to a Christian youth ministry in Australia that may or may not impact the life of one student...am I sinning by not giving that money to an organisation in another part of the world where dozens of kids might get saved?'

I happen to believe that the answers to these type of questions are not straight forward at all. But what these questions do get ME asking is this - how accountable am I for the information that I receive daily about suffering and inequality around the world?

For example, I recently read an article in the paper about a suicide cluster amongst workers at a factory in China where the iPhone is produced. These deaths can be allegedly linked to the harsh working conditions and pressures at the factory. Now what do I do with that information? Is my decision to buy a cheap iPhone in anyway linked to the system that oppresses these workers? What should I do, now that I know about this issue?

My typical response to these difficult questions is to throw up my hands and say, 'Too hard!' The issues seem too big. And I'm not sure I like the sense of guilt they tend to raise within me. But is this just 'passing by' on the other side of the road like the Levite and the Priest? Those guys in Jesus' classic parable were too caught up in their own world to see the hurt and the suffering one. They just didn't want to get their hands dirty or have their schedule interrupted.

Who is my neighbor? In a ever shrinking global community, those factory workers are my brothers and sisters. My choices are intimately connected to their destinies. Will I stop, alter my direction, reach out to the hurting and tend their wounds? Or will I just carry on my merry way?

e100challenge...Day 56...Matt. 5:1-6:4

2010-05-17T09:25:00.003+10:00

Mark My Words 2010

2010-05-13T16:41:00.001+10:00

e100challenge...Day 55...Matt 3:13-4:17

2010-05-13T15:56:00.004+10:00

(The e100 Challenge is a 100 day reading programme that takes participants on a grand sweep through the key passages of the Bible. Staff at the organisation I work for are currently working their way through the challenge together, and I have decided to blog my thoughts on the passage for the day. Please feel free to join in the challenge with us and contribute your thoughts and reflections here)

The baptism of Jesus is undoubtedly the beginning of the public life and ministry of Jesus. What a way to start! Jesus humbles himself to be baptized by his cousin John in the Jordan and then the mighty voice of God sounds from heaven in affirmation of the Son.

What follows immediately after this Divine pronouncement is telling. Instead of getting straight into his marketing campaign for the Kingship, Jesus heads to the desert for a grueling round of fasting and temptation. The road to the Kingdom would not be one of extravagant politicking. Instead it would be one of loneliness, poverty, self-denial, struggle with the spiritual forces of evil, alienation and rejection.

The nature of the temptations that the Devil brings are also interesting. They cut to the heart of who Jesus was and what he came to do. (The Devil no doubt thought he could derail Jesus right at the outset). The first temptation ('turn these stones to bread') is both physical and spiritual in nature. On one level it is a temptation for Jesus to give in to his physical cravings - to be mastered by desire. But Jesus' answer to the temptation suggests the stakes were even higher - 'who will be your sustenance - God our yourself?' That was the real question posed here.

The second temptation is one of power. The Devil taunts Jesus, inviting him to prove his (and his Father's) credentials by giving a show of force. Could Jesus contain himself enough to carry out the plan of the Father? It was to be a taunt that would be put to Jesus again on the Cross - 'Couldn't he call down a host of angels to save him?' Perhaps it was also a temptation to doubt the goodness of his Father as well - 'Will he really catch you if you fall? Can you really trust what he says (shades of the Serpent in the Garden)?'

The third and final temptation is one of authority and personal ambition. The Devil tempts Jesus with all the earthly power and wealth a man could ever want (not that they were his to give). Who of us mere mortals could have stood firm in the face of that one? The Devil goes straight for the jugular in a do-or-die role of the dice. 'Why not bow down to me?!'

The wilderness temptations are a small glimpse of what Jesus gave up to stay true to the mission he kicked of at his baptism. It is an insight into his wisdom, power and strength. To me it is one of the greatest pictures of the single-minded resolve that Jesus possessed to go all the way to the Cross for the salvation of Mankind.

e100challenge...Day 54...Luke 3:1-20

2010-05-12T19:50:00.002+10:00

e100challenge...Day 53...Luke 2:1-40

2010-05-09T20:16:00.002+10:00

e100challenge...Day 52...Luke 1:1-1:80

2010-05-09T08:04:00.002+10:00

(The e100 Challenge is a 100 day reading programme that takes participants on a grand sweep through the key passages of the Bible. Staff at the organisation I work for are currently working their way through the challenge together, and I have decided to blog my thoughts on the passage for the day. Please feel free to join in the challenge with us and contribute your thoughts and reflections here)

Today we read of the amazing messages from the angel Gabriel to Zechariah (the father-to-be of John the Baptist) and Mary (the mother-to-be of Jesus). He comes with the announcement of the births of the Saviour of the world and his messenger.

It is interesting to note the responses of Zechariah and Mary to these two most incredible pronouncements. Both respond with bewilderment and a question. At first, they seem to be responding in the same way, but a subtle difference in the questions they ask is telling. Zechariah doubts the pronouncement - "How can I be sure of this?", while Mary just can't foresee the mechanics of the outworking of the prophecy - "How will this be?" Mary just can't see how God will do this; Zechariah is not sure He will, and for this Zechariah is reprimanded.

There is world of difference between wondering how God will come through for us in difficult circumstances, and actually beginning to doubt whether he will come through at all. Zechariah was much older than Mary, and I wonder if the differences in their responses to Gabriel's announcements is indicative of a danger that exists for those of use that have been long in the faith. When we start out our journey with Christ, we are often gung-ho and naive in the way we trust God for the impossible. We possess the most beautiful of traits - child-like faith. There is a danger that as we get older in the faith we become a bit more pragmatic and reserved. Our experience may lead us to temper our unbridled belief that God can do the impossible.

Do we need to ask God to keep our deep rooted faith alive? Perhaps we need to look once again at the supernatural promises of God and echo Mary's declaration - "May it be..."

e100challenge...Day 51...John 1:1-1:18

2010-05-08T07:10:00.002+10:00

((The e100 Challenge is a 100 day reading programme that takes participants on a grand sweep through the key passages of the Bible. Staff at the organisation I work for are currently working their way through the challenge together, and I have decided to blog my thoughts on the passage for the day. Please feel free to join in the challenge with us and contribute your thoughts and reflections here)

Of all the things written throughout human history, could this be the greatest? To me, this passage is the high point of literature. The wonder and the truth contained in these 18 verses can never be exhausted.

Verse 1 provides a beautiful bookend to Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning...". This is cosmic commentary. We are on holy ground here. The key that unlocks the mysteries of the Universe is being unveiled.

As God 'spoke' the world into being, so the 'Word' of God speaks the final revelation of God's intention for Creation. God's plan reaches it climax and fulfillment in these opening lines of John's most brilliant and unique 'gospel'.

The central mystery for me is that most incredible and fantastic phrase in v.14 - "The Word became flesh...". At Creation, God spoke and it was. Throughout OT history, God spoke through his mouthpieces the prophets. Many of them wrote down what God had revealed to them, as did the Apostles in later times. People 'heard' God speak through their written words. But in Christ, the Word of God is now a man! Everything that God has ever wanted to say was summed up in this man, Jesus of Nazareth.

The tragedy is this - most people were not listening. Am I listening? Are you listening?

The Hollow Word

2010-05-07T09:47:00.006+10:00

I was recently completing an interesting task in a unit of study that I am currently engaged in. The task was focused on determining what one's values are. The task asked students to list the main activities we had been involved in during the past month. It then asked us to reflect on what we had and had not been doing during that time, and asked us to nominate the things we wished we could have been doing.

The basic premise of the exercise was this - 'We do the the things we value!' True values are seen in our actions, not in what we say is important. We may assent to many things as being our priorities, but what we actually do will be the mark of what we really value.

Interestingly, I read an article by Hugh Mackay on the Sydney Morning Herald website this morning that affirmed this very point. Mackay was arguing that the Rudd government in Australia had let the ETS issue and Global Warming slip from the forefront of people's minds because it just did not put tough action behind it's rhetoric. He says this...

"One explanation can be found in the link that must be forged between attitudes and behaviour, if attitudes are to have any meaning at all. In the case of climate change, that link has not been forged. Attitudes that are not tied to behaviour are notoriously hollow, easy to change, and likely to evaporate unless strongly and persistently reinforced.

If we're not doing something about an attitude we profess to hold, then what we say about it might be mildly interesting as a debating point over a quiet drink, but it carries no freight."

Do you value the Bible? Here's how you answer that question - track back over the past month and note how much or little you have engaged with it. I put myself to the test on this and came up wanting. My words concerning the Word have been hollow in recent days. How about yours?

For those of us wishing to engage children and young people with the Bible, we need to have a long hard look at ourselves first. I am prepared to make the claim that Christians in countries like mine are generally dropping away from serious engagement with the Scriptures. Why? We could get caught up in talking about postmodernism, the rapid rate of technological development and the general shift away from literacy in western society, but I think the answer is that we just don't value the Bible like we once did.

How has this happened? I think we have been listening to other stories about life, of which there are many to choose from in this world. We have been seduced by the stories of wealth, comfort, security, self-actualisation and consumerism.

Personally, I have been convicted that repentance is called for. I need to confess and seek forgiveness from God on this, and make a deep resolution to change my course. I need to affirm that the story of God's new world, as set out in the Bible, is the only story that provides the answers that this world needs, and I need to show that value in my actions.

For me, one change in course has been a decision to personally participate more fully in The e100 Challenge that the staff at my organisation have been working through. I will now be engaging in the reading of the day and blogging my reflections here at EngageTheBible. In some ways this is good timing because my colleagues are transitioning from the OT this week to the NT next week. My first post for Day 50 is right below this post. Love to receive your comments...

e100challenge...Day 50...Malachi 1:1-4:6

2010-05-07T09:15:00.004+10:00

((The e100 Challenge is a 100 day reading programme that takes participants on a grand sweep through the key passages of the Bible. Staff at the organisation I work for are currently working their way through the challenge together, and I have decided to blog my thoughts on the passage for the day. Please feel free to join in the challenge with us and contribute your thoughts and reflections here)

I find this a deeply confronting passage. It concludes the Old Testament and somehow this adds poignancy to the prophecy. It is basically a message of condemnation and judgment from God toward his chosen people. God accuses his people of cheating and robbing him by giving him less than the absolute best. They have done this by offering substandard sacrifices, engaging in useless religious practices, giving pilfered financial gifts, and by adopting a general attitude of complaint against God. "What have we gained from carrying out God's requirements?" they cried.

Their lack of faithfulness manifested itself in sorcery, perjury, adultery, fraud, oppression and denial of justice. 'Enough is enough!' says God.

I feel convicted by this. Is God getting the best of me? Am I guilty of seeing God's way as a burden? Am I doubting God and wondering what is in this for me? Am I going through the motions of ministry without honouring God in my heart?

Mark My Words 2010

2010-05-05T12:20:00.000+10:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Through Another's Eyes

2010-04-16T10:25:00.004+10:00

I've been looking into a project that EMS (a German church mission agency) have been running called "Reading The Bible Through The Eyes Of Each Other". I'm particularly interested in the childrens section of the programme which involves children reading the Bible in groups, sketching the stories they have read, and then swapping their drawings and craft projects with other groups of children from around the world who are also participating in the project.

You can download a teachers manual for the project here. The childrens project uses a series of select activities from a larger publication called "Make Your Own Children's Bible" by Michael Landgraf which you can order in Australia here. The German organisation coordinating the transfer of material between the various groups of children around the globe is called 'Worldwide-Surprise'.

I think there is much to like about this project. It is participatory, visual, relational, global and inter-cultural. Anyone seeking to engage children with the Bible would do well to check it out.

Mark My Words 2010

2010-03-12T10:05:00.002+11:00

SU Queensland will once again be running the 'Mark My Words' project in 2010. This project encourages children and young people within the state of Queensland to READ some or all of the Gospel of Mark, REFLECT on what they have read, and then CREATE works of art in response. These artworks can entered in a state-wide art prize in which students run the chance of winning $500. Details emerging soon here.

Bible Interpretation - A Wild & Woolly Ride

2010-02-26T12:08:00.003+11:00

My home group and I are currently engaged in the E100 Challenge bible reading programme which is taking us through 100 key readings in the Bible. The idea of the challenge is to give participants an introductory exposure to the grand sweep of the biblical narrative and its central themes.

We are doing the programme slowly and taking one or two readings each week for discussion. Last night we read the story of Noah and the Flood. Whew...bizarre stuff! The passage seemed to throw up more conundrums than clarity. EG - 'What does it mean for a man to be 600 years old?', or, 'Was every thought and inclination of the hearts of the people at time completely evil; and are we like that now?', or, 'Was Noah completely blameless, righteous and perfect?', or, 'Did all the animals really all fit in that boat?'

Our group consists of long-time Christians, new Christians, and non-Christians (some seeking, some passive). Our responses ranged from mild discomfort to outright antagonism to the passage. What are we to make of it?! Is this history, narrative, mythology, literary construct, life instruction - what? What relevance does it have to our lives? What does it 'mean'? How should I read it?

I think some good interpretation principles can help us in this, but I can't help coming away from this text humbled and sober in my reflections about my ability to understand all this. The Bible often bucks attempts to systematically break it down. Interpretation of the Bible can be a wild and woolly ride sometimes, and I bring my many prejudices to it. My attempts to control the Scripture can blow up in my face (like last night!).

Biblical interpretation calls for a humble ear that will listen critically but openly to a myriad of voices from history, various cultures, different faith backgrounds and maturity levels.

The Bible & Abstract Art

2010-02-11T14:45:00.006+11:00

For centuries artists have been inspired by the Scriptures. I think art provides a brilliant vehicle to express our response to the written Word.

Today I stumbled across some great abstract digital art by an artist called Mark Lawrence. Check out some of his awesome work!

A lot of people don't 'get' abstract art, but it is a great form of expression that often bypasses the rational mind and connects instinctively with the emotions, soul and spirit. Sometimes it is great to read Scripture with our whole being!

Engaging Emerging Cultures Paper

2010-02-04T11:43:00.003+11:00

Last year I attended the World Wide Scripture Engagement conference in Malaysia which was hosted by the International Forum of Bible Agencies. During that week in Melaka, I participated in a Think Tank that focused on how to engage post-Christian/post-modern societies with the Bible.

Stephen Opie of Bible Society NZ has completed a paper that summarises the findings of the Think Tank. It is well worth a read and you can download a copy of the paper on Stephen's blog here.

Family-based Bible Engagement Revolution?

2010-01-31T20:51:00.003+11:00

Recently I've been spending a fair bit of time reflecting on the practice of reading the Bible in community. So much of the efforts I have seen to get young people into the Bible take a very individualistic and privatized approach with poor results. Some people are beginning to turn to the ancient traditions of reading in community (I'm currently reading an excellent book on this topic - "Free For All: Rediscovering the Bible in Community" by Time Conder & Daniel Rhodes) in order to find a more effective path.

For centuries, the church took a structured, systematic and community model of Bible engagement - Liturgy and Lectionary. The communal focus on the Scriptures directed the traditions, cycles, celebrations, seasons and practices of the faith community. In the evangelical protestant tradition (of which I am a part) this practice has largely disappeared. There is little sense of the Scriptures being explored together and giving direction.

The church, by and large, is failing to assist parents to educate and orientate their children in a rich and responsive Biblical framework from which to understand and engage with their world. Children are not being formed in the Word.

As a parent of young children, I feel the onus is on me to seize the initiative in this regard. I can't wait for the church to do this for me. What if a handful of families within churches made a commitment to gather together in homes and around food to journey through the Bible narrative together over the course of a year. This could include reading, eating, creating, celebrating (Easter, Christmas, Passover, Birthdays etc.), singing, discussing and the sharing of stories about how each family has wrestled with the challenge of living the Scriptures out in their local community. All ages could be encouraged to bring their perspective and contribution to the process.

Perhaps it is time to reject some of the generational-ism that isolates families from each other in contemporary churches and begin a family-based Bible engagement revolution.

Brokenness

2010-01-22T10:42:00.003+11:00

Just got off the phone with my wife who is in Sydney for some personal development seminars with the secondary school which she is the Chaplain of. She briefly told me about some ideas that a Mr. Rod Thompson shared yesterday in a lecture about Scripture use and the issue of 'authority' in a Postmodern culture (I believe this lecture will be podcasted on the Pacific Hills Christian College website soon).

One of the ideas he shared was about how the goal of Bible reading is the 'mortification' and 'revivification' of the reader - IE; death of self and new life in Christ.

What this implies is that the only appropriate attitude in which to approach the Scriptures is one of personal 'brokenness'. Without such an attitude, the Bible seemingly begins to lose relevance to the life of the reader.

I'm looking forward to exploring this idea further because it seems to describe my current struggle with Bible reading. I have been ever so busy 'doing God's work', but I have spent precious little time in the Word and have been finding the Scriptures uninspiring.

Perhaps the Bible is always relevant and alive but my pride,selfishness and narcissistic agendas render it dead and lifeless?!

Bible, Liturgy and Community

2010-01-21T13:29:00.002+11:00

One of the great books on Bible engagement that I have read in recent years is Eugene Peterson's "Eat This Book". I remember reading the opening chapters with wild enthusiasm as he methodically described the crisis of Bible engagement in the Western Church and uncovered it's root causes. I remember holding my breath waiting for his conclusions on how such a crisis should be addressed.

Essentially, his answer was this - a return to a liturgical reading of the Scriptures. Liturgy!? That is SO unsexy! I remember being so let down and, well, disappointed. Where was all the cool talk about postmodernism, technology and emerging models of church?

The further I have gone in my own research, investigations, experiments and wrestling, the more I think that this wise scholar/poet has nailed it again.

Here's some of the things he said:-

"The Bible must be read liturgically."

"By liturgy I don't mean what goes on in the chancel of a high Anglican church; I don't mean order of worship; I don't mean robes and candles and incense and genuflections before the altar...I am after something deeper and higher and wider."

"The task of liturgy is to order the life of the holy community following the text of Holy Scripture."

What he has identified here is the fact that the Christian church in the West (particularly in evangelical circles) has lost the ability to shape its whole community life around the word of God. Instead of allowing the rhythms, seasons and practices of the faith community to be shaped by the big story of God's narrative, the church has privatised, individualised and isolated the reading of Scripture from everyday life.

Transformative engagement with the Bible must be set in the context of the life of the community and interpreted by the everyday details of the lives of the readers.

bibledex

2010-01-20T12:58:00.001+11:00

Check out this site. It aims to offer a short video introduction to all 66 books of the Bible. Nice project...

What's Your Stance?

2009-10-23T14:42:00.002+11:00

“Two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’
They stood still, their faces downcast.” (Luke 24:13-17)

At a recent International Bible Engagement Conference I attended in Malaysia, the Emmaus Road passage (Luke 24:13-35) was the focus of our attention for the whole week. The riches in this passage are untold and they can be very inspirational to us as we seek to engage people with the Bible.

Notice the stance that Jesus (the recently resurrected Son of God!!) takes with these travelers. He pulls in beside them and walks alongside. He asks a question. He listens. He meets them in their confusion, despondency and disappointment. He had a story to tell (and he eventually did) but he held it back in order to hear the story of the travelers.

What is our stance with the people we are seeking to engage?
Have we come alongside?
Are we meeting them in their pain, confusion and hopelessness?
Have we asked them about their life/circumstances?
Are we listening; really listening?

Or are we delivering our pre-packaged content?
Are we preaching at them?
Are we sprouting rehearsed lines?
Are we quick to get to our story first?
Are we corralling them into our nice neat programs?

Are they still beside us?
Or have they turned off down a side road?

Western Bible Crisis - Root Causes?

2009-09-23T09:04:00.002+10:00

In just over a week I will be flying out to an international conference focusing on Bible Engagement issues. As part of the program I have elected to sit in on a Think Tank dedicated to investigating the question of why there is a crisis of Bible Engagement in 'Post-Christian Societies'. There is no simple answer/s to this dilemma and I have been attempting to martial my thoughts in preparation for this discussion. Without any real explanation, I am going to list some of the key contributing factors to Western Bible Dis-engagement as I see them. I would love to hear your feedback on this list - especially if you are planning to be at the conference. If you are not going to the conference, but would still like to share your thoughts, I'll attempt to take your ideas to the discussion table.

Here we go...

1. Misunderstanding amongst Christians in regard to the true nature of the Bible and the appropriate use of it.
2. Misunderstanding amongst Christians in regard to the true nature of the Gospel and discipleship.
3. Dualism in the Christian Church.
4. Postmodern philosophy (relativism, pluralism, deconstruction)
5. Individualism and the loss of community.
6. Affluence, materialism and consumerism.
7. The ongoing consequences of humanism, The Enlightenment and the 'death of God'.
8. The challenge of technology and New Media.

The Difference Between 'Studying' and 'Reading' the Bible

2009-09-18T14:04:00.001+10:00

Some brief thoughts from author of "The Message" on how to approach the Bible.

Shuffling Deckchairs

2009-08-27T09:31:00.002+10:00

There is a phrase used in popular English that describes any futile attempts to make changes to one's destiny in the face of impending and unavoidable doom. "Shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic" is how it goes. Of course it references the great ocean liner that sank on its maiden voyage. When the Titanic hit an iceberg all those years ago, it's demise was guaranteed, and any attempt to change the circumstances (like rearranging the deck chairs for instance) would not have altered its destiny.

I've been working in a role for the last 3 years that has involved working to engage young people effectively with the Bible. During that time I have been involved in numerous efforts, and spoken with many other people engaged in this pursuit to come up with strategies to achieve this goal. These strategies have included things like producing new products, marketing plans, adopting advances in technology, editing approaches to programming and launching competitions. I'm always checking new books/publications, websites, social networking forums, programme outlines, video clips, music recordings, concert events and other well intentioned efforts to find relevant points of connection between today's Australian teenagers and the ancient Scripture texts. Now while I still believe all these things may have their place in a holistic response to the challenge we have before us, I have this sinking (pun intended!) feeling that we are just 'shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic'.

I am currently re-reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic, "The Cost of Discipleship". Seventy years ago, he spoke out against what he believed was the death knell of his beloved Lutheran Church in Germany. It was what he called "cheap grace". By this he meant an understanding of grace that received the forgiveness of Christ through belief, but would not embrace the call of discipleship. He identified cheap grace as "an intellectual assent to the idea" of grace without the subsequent death of self that true grace requires. To accept Christ is to follow Christ! For the Christian who would live by the mantra of cheap grace, let them "rest content with worldliness and with the renunciation of any higher standard than the world". Cheap grace presents faith in Christ as an 'add-on' to a safe, affluent, bourgeois, middle-class lifestyle. This practise justifies the world rather than the sinner! Bonhoeffer predicted that cheap grace would be "utterly merciless to (the) Evangelical Church". It is the secularization of the Church.

I get the feeling we are tinkering with the tools and giving scant attention to the message. What are we actually inviting teenagers to come and join, and by what process are we bidding them come? What are we actually telling them a disciple of Jesus must become? As far as Bible engagement goes, I'm beginning to think our efforts are futile unless our message is cased in the basic notion of completely forsaking all worldly narratives for the one true narrative of the Word of God.

The Cost of Discipleship

2009-08-23T08:09:00.002+10:00

I work for SU Queensland and our organization was treated to some inspiring Bible teaching at our recent Staff Conference held on the Sunshine Coast. Stephen Gaukroger (UK) was our guest speaker and he led us through a challenging series from the first 6 chapters of the book of Daniel. His talks were very much concerned with the question of how God's people can remain true to Him in a secular/pagan world.

During one of his talks, Stephen made the intriguing comment that in our current secular/neo-pagan world (in the West), evangelism of young people is relatively easy ('converts' readily available - especially when attained in the consumerist arena of emotive rock concert experiences) but discipleship of them is virtually impossible. He compared this to the pagan kings of Daniel's time who, when repeatedly confronted with the awesome reality of the living God, acknowledged Yahweh, but would not grant Him exclusivity in their pantheon of other gods.

In order to follow up on some of these thoughts, I have begun re-reading "The Cost of Discipleship" (Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic on Christ's Sermon on the Mount, written in 1937) as Gaukroger suggested. I have been deeply confronted about the exclusive nature of the calling of Christ. Bonhoeffer sums it up brilliantly when he exclaims, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die". Are we calling young people to forsake all for the way of the Cross?

Obviously I have been thinking about the place of the Scriptures in all of this. Discipleship cannot be about getting young people to add on all the paraphernalia of Christianity (read your Bible, pray, go to church, wear WWJD braclet, buy Hillsong United CD). Discipleship must be about assisting young people to reject all narratives that the world offers (there are many!) for the one narrative of the Way of the Cross. If we try to get young people to add the Bible to their life as it stands, I think it will be powerless and disengaging. We must encourage young to make this story (Biblical revelation) their own story exclusively. They must be encouraged to listen to no other voice but the Word of God.

Big ask...but the stakes are high! Maybe I should begin by getting this right myself?!

Less Facebook; More Face-to-Face

2009-07-21T13:18:00.002+10:00

Check out this article from a recent edition of The Australian newspaper.

This article argues that 16-30yr olds are becoming weary with online social networking and are exhibiting signs of a nostalgic longing for simpler times and real contact with their friends.

Personally, I believe that advances in information technology have opened up wonderful new ways for us to connect and relate as humans. As ministers of the Gospel of Christ, I also believe we need to embrace these new avenues of communication/community. However, it is my deep conviction that our humanity is reduced as we reduce the time that we connect with others 'in person'. True community development involves mind, body and spirit.

In terms of Youth Ministry, personal contact must never be superseded by online interactions. Sure, let's use online opportunities - but let's not forget to get out there, share our food, kick a ball, make some music, shake some hands and look some young person in the eye.

In terms of the Christian church - if the future of the church (as some are beginning to suggest) is Virtual - I for one don't want to be a part of it!

Biblical Illiteracy

2009-07-21T10:44:00.000+10:00

Interesting thoughts on Biblical Illiteracy in Australia and the Western world by Cheryl Catford (director of EA) here.

The Devotional Bible Study Method

2009-07-07T15:45:00.002+10:00

I came across this article which outlines a simple 11 question plan for studying any chapter of Scripture. It's pretty straightforward but comprehensive at the same time. The questions are:-

1. What is the principle subject or theme of the chapter?
2. What is the leading lesson of this chapter?
3. Which is the best verse in this chapter?
4. Who are the principle persons in this chapter?
5. What does the chapter teach concerning Christ?
6. Is there, in this chapter, any example for me to follow?
7. Is there any error for me to avoid?
8. Is there any duty (stated) for me to perform?
9. Is there any promise for me to claim? Also, are there any conditions to the
promise?
10. Is there any prayer for me to echo?
11. Are there verses in other Scripture passages (cross-reference) that will help me to understand this chapter better?

The Bible is not the Destination

2009-07-03T12:57:00.002+10:00

Found this interesting quote while reading a blog post by Alan Hirsch.It is from "A Jesus Manifesto for the 21st Century Church" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola.

"Christians don’t follow a book. Christians follow a person, and this library of divinely inspired books we call “The Holy Bible” best help us follow that person. The Written Word is a map that leads us to The Living Word. Or as Jesus himself put it, “All Scripture testifies of me.” The Bible is not the destination; it’s a compass that points to Christ, heaven’s North Star.
The Bible does not offer a plan or a blueprint for living. The “good news” was not a new set of laws, or a new set of ethical injunctions, or a new and better PLAN. The “good news” was the story of a person’s life, as reflected in The Apostle’s Creed. The Mystery of Faith proclaims this narrative: “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.” The meaning of Christianity does not come from allegiance to complex theological doctrines, but a passionate love for a way of living in the world that revolves around following Jesus, who taught that love is what makes life a success . . . not wealth or health or anything else: but love. And God is love."

Reflection/Action Bible Reading

2009-07-03T09:24:00.003+10:00

I've recently been involved in the production of a simple Bible engagement tool for secondary school students called "The Ripple Effect". There are several ideas behind the tool, but the one I want to mention here is the concept of Reflection/Action Bible Reading. Part of this program involves small groups of students gathering weekly to read the Scriptures, using the cyclic model represented in the diagram on the left. It is a model that encourages students to read from the Gospels, wrestle with some questions focused on Jesus and his mission, and then prayerfully form a plan of community action based on what they have read.

There is nothing particularly new or sexy about this approach, but it is built on several key principles that I believe are quite profound:-

1. It encourages students to read large chunks of Scripture (several chapters at a time) rather than snippets (a couple of verses). This way they begin to get the flow of the story of God and its ideas and themes begin to become evident to them.

2. It trusts that students can read the Bible and discover the messages from it for themselves. It helps them own the process.

3. It emphasizes the response of practical action to what they have read. This lifts Bible reading out of the purely abstract and devotional realms and into daily reality.

4. It seeks to link Bible reading with genuine community (in this case - the school) transformation.

The Church and Contemporary Communication

2009-06-24T11:36:00.001+10:00

Thought provoking article here from Mark Brown (Bible Society NZ) on the church and communication. Well worth a read - also, check out the links in the article.

Family Bible Reading - Update

2009-05-28T13:56:00.002+10:00

As I mentioned earlier this year, I have been attempting to read the Bible with my young children. It has been a great journey and my children continue to amaze me with the level of insight/curiosity they have concerning God's word. At times it has all felt a bit hard, but inevitably it is the kids who have kept us disciplined and continuing on our path! The approach that we have been taking has been very heavy on narrative/story, and we have sort of come to the end of our abbreviated voyage through the Bible (ending in the book of Acts).

It seems that we are now ready to try a different approach. I am really keen for my kids to see that these are not just stories that we read for their own sake - they are not just myths, fables or nice stories about the past. I want my kids to see that this grand story calls for response/action. I want them to find their part in the story.

So, this is what we are going to attempt now (I'll let you know how it goes). We are going to spend some months just reading the Gospels. As we read some big chunks of the Jesus story, we will ask ourselves these questions:-
'What is Jesus thinking/saying/doing?'
'What are the implications of this for today?'
'What are we going to do about it?'
We will brainstorm practical responses that we as a family can have to what we have read about Jesus - then we will seek to go and do it! Together we will celebrate our success/failure in this.

Hopefully we all will grow closer to the heart of Jesus through this action/reflection approach to family Bible reading!

Plan Be : be the change you want to see

2009-05-28T10:47:00.002+10:00

Bible Society QLD and Dave Andrews of TEAR Australia have teamed up to produce a great resource entitled 'Plan Be'. Plan Be is a Bible study series that focuses on the Beatitudes and involves group work, personal reflection (journaling) and community action. It encompasses many of the Bible engagement principles that I'm often raving on about and I highly recommend it to you.

The Bible Story Summarised

2009-05-13T15:00:00.001+10:00

Stephen Opie from Bible Society NZ has written a 5 page/part summary of the entire sweep of the Bible story. This is great for someone who is new to the Bible, or struggling to make sense of the whole thing. Read it here...

Free, Downloadable Bible Reading Startup Guide

2009-05-07T10:35:00.003+10:00

Whitney T. Kuniholm is the president of Scripture Union USA and is the author of "The Essential 100" and "The Essential Jesus". These publications are essentially Bible reading programmes that lead the reader through key Biblical texts in order to get the big ideas of the Bible. They are particularly good for people who are new to the Bible.

In addition to these, he has just written The Bible Reading Startup Guide which he is making available for FREE online. This is a great tool that introduces the reader to the Bible and suggests basic approaches to the study of it.

Guest Blogger - Mark Payne

2009-04-30T08:53:00.003+10:00

I've asked a couple of my mates to contribute a guest blog article on their personal journey engaging the Bible. Here is the first one - its from a young guy called Mark Payne. Mark is in his early twenties and is currently studying theology with the Australian College of Ministries.

"Marty has asked me to write up my ideas or thoughts on Bible Engagement. I wont be writing from experience gained as a youth pastor or any other kind of leader. I would more focus on the personal experience that I have had when it comes to engaging with the Gods word.

Throughout my life I can think of a few examples that really connected me with the Bible. I won't focus on the actual situations, but rather on the commonalities of each experience. The common theme was connecting the word of God with action. It’s that simple. The only problem for me is that I can't think of that many experiences in my life that happen regularly where I read the word of God, regardless of the context (whether personally, corporately) and go out and act upon it immediately. There is power in immediate action. There also should be discernment and lots of prayer whacked in there, but how often do we just need to get out and do it after reading the Bible.

The whole idea of reading and action is that simple. I'm sure we all know it. But how often do we practice it as individuals, as families and as faith communities?"

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-08T13:54:00.002+10:00

Missional-Incarnational Impulse

2009-04-08T13:31:00.002+10:00

I am currently re-reading Alan Hirsch's "The Forgotten Ways". I read this book some years ago and was impacted by it, but this time it is blowing me away. Hirsch has made a study of the two great periods of growth in the Christian Church (the Early Church, and the Chinese Underground Church) and taken a series of principles from those times which he calls 'Apostolic Genius' and 'mDNA' (m=missional). He argues that the western Church needs to revisit these principles if it to once again become a growing, spreading and multiplying movement.

I have been particularly challenged by the principle he identifies as the 'missional-incarnational impulse'. All church efforts/projects/groups etc., need to have a missional motivation at their core. 'Ministry' (the building up of the church) only exists to resource 'Mission'. Hirsch argues that once the church reaches a state of equilibrium (stability, security, comfort, status quo) and loses the missional impulse, it is prone to stagnation - like a fish tank left to sit without its water being changed.

I wonder if a loss of the missional impulse has caused our relationship with the Bible to stagnate? Do we read the Bible for missional inspiration, or do we read for ministry purposes. The western church is fat on 'ministry' (which it consumes by the bucket load) and missionaly-incarnationaly anorexic. Is it any wonder that we find the Scriptures boring, unengaging and somehow irrelevant?

TWIST - new resource

2009-03-19T14:42:00.004+11:00

Received this notice today from the guys at Bible Society SA about a new resource, promotion and competition they are soon to launch - looks good!

"You would be aware – and quite possibly have used– twentyfour and BiG.
These youth Bible resources have been produced by the Bible to Youth
Consortium to support you in your passion to see young people
better engage with the Bible.

To date over 4,500 youth across SA have used these resources.

We are currently working on our resource for 2009.

Called ‘Twist. Digging into the parables of Jesus’, this is a 4-session
series on DVD format which is designed to equip youth with the skills
to interpret and better understand Jesus’ parables.

Twist will be set out in a curriculum format, with full running sheets,
including session topics and aims, and all worksheets in printable PDF
format. Each session will also include video clips of a narrator who
introduces the sessions, and draws together key points.

It is designed to be used in a school classroom setting (as a part of
RE/ Christian Living curriculum), as well as in a youth group setting.

Twist will tie in with a competition, where young people can re-tell one
of Jesus’ parables in a digital media format, and submit it via our website.
There is more than $2,000 in prize money up for grabs! The competition
will be open through term 3, with all details on the website over the next
few months.

We will have a sample of Twist on our website by the end of April, as
well as order forms – ready for you to use from the start of term 3.
Twist will cost $100.

….more details to come over the next few months."

www.bty.com.au

Reading in Community

2009-03-13T10:04:00.004+11:00

Several months ago I began a Bible reading plan know as the "Essential 100" (published by Scripture Union). It involved daily readings focusing on the key passages of the Old and New Testaments. A few weeks after I began this personal reading journey, I started a nightly Bible session with my two kids (8 and 5 years old) based on the readings I had done in the "Essential 100" programme.

Interestingly, my personal reading programme has collapsed and been overtaken by the nightly Bible times with my family. I've been unable to sustain the personal discipline to continue on my own (a familiar trend in my life), but my kids won't let me stop our group times!

Now maybe a lot of factors have contributed to this and maybe I'm not that great with private, systematic spiritual disciplines. But I wonder if there is a lesson here? Bible reading just seems more engaging and inspiring when I do it with others. The fellowship and accountability of group reading keeps me moving forward. The original thoughts from my young children challenge, surprise, confound and amuse me.

I'm finding the Bible is most engaging when it is read as a story, systematically, creatively and in the context of inter-generational relationship. Why then do we support Bible reading approaches that are private, individual, selective, predictable and homogeneous?

Post Evangelical Youth Ministry

2009-03-06T11:59:00.002+11:00

Wow, I love this article from iMonk on post-evangelical models of youth ministry. He decries the segregationist approach to youth ministry and calls for a return to family/community based youth ministry. The implications of his arguments are massive! I believe the ministry approach he is calling for would actually be the best environment for effective Bible engagement if a faith community could pull it off.

What is Evangelism?

2009-03-06T09:11:00.006+11:00

Recently I have been engaged in an interesting conversation with friends and colleagues about what the true nature of 'evangelism' is. In the circles I mix in, evangelism is often understood as telling people that they have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect standard, but that they can be saved by believing in Jesus whose substitutionary death on the cross will justify them. Now I happen to believe that is true, but interestingly Jesus and the Apostles NEVER took that approach! You never see them preaching the 'atonement' to non-Christians!

Twice in the Gospels, Christ is asked directly what one must do to receive eternal life. On one occasion he responds by telling the enquirer to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. On the other, he tells the parable of 'The Good Samaritan'. It seems Jesus is always testing people to see whether they will make him Lord through repentance and faith - he doesn't seem to be testing people's knowledge of sacrificial atonement.

In the book of Acts, we get a few glimpses of the Apostles 'evangelistic' messages to non-Christians (EG - Paul in Athens). Their message focuses on the authority of God (Creator, resurrection, judgment, repentance) and an appeal for surrender and submission to Him.

When we present the Gospel to young people as a series of abstract beliefs to be assented to, are we misrepresenting the Biblical story? What about a call to repentance and radical discipleship? In my 15 years of youth ministry, I have seen so many young people give some allegiance to Christ (public confession/'decision', baptism etc.) and just not go on with it. What did they think they were getting in to? Was I upfront with them about the COST?

Maybe the reason I keep presenting an abstract Gospel is that a message of repentance and faith confronts ME too much! Is Jesus really the 'boss' in my life? Evangelist, preach to thyself!

National Youth Ministry Convention 2009

2009-02-20T10:13:00.004+11:00

I'll be speaking at NYMC 2009 in October about engaging young people with the Bible. Love to have you along to my session if you are planning to attend the convention. The convention is being held at Twin Towns Resort in beautiful Tweed Heads NSW which is my home town!

Mission in a Post-literate World??

2009-02-20T09:18:00.004+11:00

A colleague of mine raised an interesting question - 'If we currently live in an ever illiterate world, could we learn from mission in the pre-literate world?'

There have been many phases in history (most?!) where the general populace could not read and had/have little or no personal access to the written Word of God. How did they engage with the Bible? Often the Scriptures were controlled by church clergy (Dark Ages especially) and I doubt many of us would want to see a return to that sort of 'priestly' dissemination of Biblical 'truth'.

Increasingly, western cultures are producing young people that use literacy as only a base for embracing other forms of communication and connection. Traditional literacy is on the slide. What could we import from mission strategies implemented in the pre-literate world?

I think we would do well to note that many indigenous peoples from around the world have a strong tradition of storytelling in community. History has often been passed on orally - parts of the Bible itself have their roots in this very tradition! I think we have forgotten that the Bible is largely a story. We have treated it like a textbook that only the 'experts' can expound.

I would like to see us revive the art of storytelling in community. Young people are becoming increasingly comfortable with relational and intuitive forms of communication while the church seems well and truly stuck in forms of engagement that are didactic, academic, literary and abstract.

Family Bible Reading

2009-02-13T09:16:00.008+11:00

Recently I have be exploring the proposition that the family household is the most effective forum for engaging children and young people with the Bible. The US Centre for Bible Engagament has conducted research into what the most influential predictors are for a young person growing into an adult who reads the Bible on a regular basis. At the top of the list of predictors is whether the Bible was read in the family home in their formative years! I think this has massive implications for Christian ministry and this is not the first time I have blogged about these issues.

Personally, I have been convicted about the way I do (or don't) bring my own children to the Bible in our home. Recently I recommitted myself to taking spiritual leadership responsibility in these matters with my 5 and 8 year olds.

Here is what I am doing:-
I personally am working through the "Essential 100" (pictured above) reading plan published by Scripture Union. This is a great resource that leads you through 100 key readings (50 OT / 50 NT) in 100 days to give a broad exposure to the main themes of the Bible story. I am also using this outline to direct the readings I do with my kids. Before bedtime each night, we read a passage from the Bible, then we log on to The Brick Testament (Lego Bible ) website and view the story again in visual form. My kids love the Lego stories and are usually begging for more when we finish. Sometimes we mix it up a bit and do a bit of role playing of the Bible stories - this usually has us all in stitches of laughter. After this we leave the Bible behind and spend some time reading other stories like the Wizard of Oz and the Narnia Chronicles. It's early days, but so far so good.

I'd love to hear stories of what you are trying with your family...

Ears to Hear?

2009-02-11T15:47:00.002+11:00

Check out this great interview with Eugene Peterson about listening to the Bible. I particularly like what he says about the need for pastors/leaders to set the tone for effective Bible engagement by personally slowing down and listening to God through his Word.