Kristian’s background as television editor (given up after diagnosis), became a gift for the world when his birthday video for his wife’s birthday became news. Kristian was able to include cameo appearances from New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (in honour of Rachel’s NZ origins), and Australian actor Hugh Jackman. Music is “Marry Me”, by Train’s 2009 album Save Me, San Francisco.

Kristian started work on his blog on October 16, 2009, just a few days after his diagnosis. There are a few back entries chronicling the first few days. Kristian reflects honestly on the processes, feelings and faith connections associated with his illness and treatment, even down to the last entry in which reflects on his imminent death. The blog’s title comes from a Leonard Cohen song, Anthem.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in

Helpful Features

• Physical address – preferably with a Google Maps embedded feature, and instructions on getting to events.
• Name of the location – spelling out the name of the region, city, state, and even the country. Visitors may come from anywhere in the world. It helps with Google searches as well.
• Videos – connecting with a real person or group. Real life stories help people get a feel for what the church, leadership and members are about.
• A place for newcomers with a user-friendly introduction, and quick links to basic information.
• Name the Christian connection. We’re assuming that not all readers understand what “church” stands for. What does it mean for this community to put the gospel of Christ into action?
• Links to other sites – better to be connecting people to others than to be a dead end.
• Naming values, vision – using memorable and repeatable phrases, along with extended sections where the thinking is spelled out more.
• Photographs of real people and events. Keep them current, and big enough to see faces.
• Personal stories and reflections – including how faith is lived out.
• Easy access to leadership and their written, audio and video material.

What’s Not So Helpful

• Static, uncared for feel, out of date. Redirect old sites automatically to updated ones where necessary.
• Sole-Ego-driven focus for the site – puts most Australians off.
• Too much information on one page
• Too little information
• Disjointed stories – photos with little information
• Lists of events and people that miss words and images that inspire and motivate.
• Reliance on stock photography
• Over focus on history, buildings and past clergy

New Zealand Labour Party (Labour Party) and National Party each have 20 minutes for opening and 16 minutes for closing, along with $1,150,000 to produce their campaign. The Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand (Green Party) has 8 minutes for opening and 7 minutes for closing, with $300,000. ACT New Zealand (ACT Party) and Māori Party each have 5 minutes for opening, 4 minutes for closing, and $160,000. New Zealand First (NZ First) and United Future New Zealand (United Future) each have 3 minutes for opening and 2.5 minutes for closing, with $100,000. The Alliance (Alliance), Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), Conservative Party of New Zealand (Conservative Party) (formerly Coalition of New Zealanders), The Kiwi Party (Kiwi Party), Libertarianz, each have 1 minute for opening, 1 minute for closing, and $20,000 for closing.

Labour’s 2011 Opening TV address features members of the Labour shadow cabinet, including Labour leader Phil Goff, talking about the impact of their family of origin stories on their sense of social justice. We’re shown footage of the origins of the Labour Party in the coal mines of West Coast of the South Island and the struggle to recover from the Great Depression. Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN5DZC4MimQ

The National Party address shows Prime Minister and National Party Leader John Key in a town hall setting answering questions from the audience about policy and encouraging viewers to vote for the National Party in the General Election. Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m46wbNdc0R0

The Green Party’s Opening Broadcast for the 2011 Election, has a range of talking heads filmed on locations across Tamaki-Makaurau, Auckland. Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=csuQcYa4nxo

The primary attraction this week has been Messy Church, an all-age approach fine tuned in the UK and fast spreading around the world. Lucy Moore, guest keynote presenter this week, started Messy Church in Portsmouth in 2004, out of a local Anglican church. She’s now working with BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship) to inspire, network and resource similar ventures around the world.

Messy Church starts with the concept of doing church in the context of all age activity and food. Instead of getting people who like craft to turn up to traditional church as well, Messy Church helps form a community of faith where people are already gathered. Most people gather monthly, as there’s a fair bit of effort involved in setting up crafts and hosting meals.

I’ve enjoyed the approach modelled by Lucy this week: interactive storytelling, opportunities for discussion around tables, encouraging flexibility and creativity, and no evidence of possessiveness about the brand or concept. People can use the logo and the materials without paying association fees, but are invited to register for the sake of networking and publicity. Risky, I guess, but certainly in keeping with the “Messy” concept.

Messy Church, as just craft and food, is possibly not for everyone. Pacific Parks Uniting on the Gold Coast ran a weekly Thursday night activity in its early days which included an all-age craft table, alongside an all-age discussion group, all-age prayer group, all-age kicking-the-ball-around-the-paddock group, and an all-age music jam group. I wonder how it might go with an all-age mechanics or DIY session.

The conference has also included a stream on Godly Play. Godly Play is a Montessori method of telling Bible stories, developed by Jerome Berryman, using parables, sacred stories and liturgical lessons about religious traditions using simple materials. Check out the Godly Play Foundation and Godly Play Australia site.

My two keynote sessions have focused on mission in context, and on the gospel lived out in community. The first was a reflective walk through 2000 years of Christian mission, starting in John 21 in a lecture room with the blinds closed and the door locked, walking past the chapel (in use by a group of Koreans) and outside to reflect on the establishment of the church and its many institutions (a reflection on the Burnside history), and then back to our auditorium to reflect around tables on the more fluid nature of today’s context in Australia. The exercise was designed to free people up to explore creative engagement with the community, outside the safety of rigid boundaries or privileged positions. See my notes on the exercises at the Vision for Mission site, written up back in 2008. The second session focused on the challenge of living out faith in community, rather than approaching faith as a product to be acquired as an individual. We explored some deeply moving stories and questions around being a forgiven and forgiven community together, before breaking up into groups to explore other lenses for Christian gospel, with questions to explore for each.

There’s the makings for a book, DVD and study series here. Maybe 2013 we can start work on the Gospel Stories series. See my earlier notes on this topic, with references to sources.

Gospel of Forgiveness: New beginnings
Forgiven and Forgiving Community

Gospel of Welcome, Belonging, Adoption, New Family
Welcomed and Welcoming Community

Gospel of Calling and Service: building, sowing, sewing, washing…
Served and Serving in Community

Gospel of Servant Leadership: socially responsible, proactive, future-focused
Led and Leading Community

Gospel of Reconciliation: removing walls of prejudice, fear and enmity
Reconciled and Reconciling Community

Gospel of Solidarity in Suffering
Supported and supporting those who suffer in Community

Gospel of Healing: wholeness for body, soul, mind, community
Healed and Healing Community

Gospel of Courage: Capacity to stand for justice, against injustice
Empowered, encouraged and empowering Community

Gospel of Liberation: Freedom and release
Liberated and liberating Community

Gospel of Transformation: Change in priorities for people, communities, societies, systems
Transformed and Transforming Community

Gospel of Creation: God’s pleasure in God’s handiwork
Created and Creating/Nurturing Community

Gospel of Insight: knowledge, wisdom, truth that guides and opens
Learning and wisdom-sharing Community

Click on the image below to play the White Part In Me video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vCtEqyYkfk

Click on the image below to play The Rich Part In Me video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7gD9U-iXg0

Click on the image below to play the The Christian Part In Me video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d-Hg5h3rMo

As members of the Christian Muslim Forum we are deeply committed to our own faiths (Christianity and Islam) and wish to bear faithful witness to them. As Christians and Muslims we are committed to working together for the common good. We recognise that both communities actively invite others to share their faith and acknowledge that all faiths have the same right to share their faith with others.
There are diverse attitudes and approaches amongst us which can be controversial and raise questions. This paper is not a theology of Christian evangelism or mission or Da’wah (invitation to Islam), rather it offers guidelines for good practice.

The Christian Muslim Forum offers the following suggestions that, we hope, will equip Christians and Muslims (and others) to share their faith with integrity and compassion for those they meet.

1. We bear witness to, and proclaim our faith not only through words but through our attitudes, actions and lifestyles.
2. We cannot convert people, only God can do that. In our language and methods we should recognise that people’s choice of faith is primarily a matter between themselves and God.
3. Sharing our faith should never be coercive; this is especially important when working with children, young people and vulnerable adults. Everyone should have the choice to accept or reject the message we proclaim and we will accept people’s choices without resentment.
4. Whilst we might care for people in need or who are facing personal crises, we should never manipulate these situations in order to gain a convert.
5. An invitation to convert should never be linked with financial, material or other inducements. It should be a decision of the heart and mind alone.
6. We will speak of our faith without demeaning or ridiculing the faiths of others.
7. We will speak clearly and honestly about our faith, even when that is uncomfortable or controversial.
8. We will be honest about our motivations for activities and we will inform people when events will include the sharing of faith.
9. Whilst recognising that either community will naturally rejoice with and support those who have chosen to join them, we will be sensitive to the loss that others may feel.
10. Whilst we may feel hurt when someone we know and love chooses to leave our faith, we will respect their decision and will not force them to stay or harass them afterwards.

Eleven Similar Statements

1. Striving Together in Dialogue, WCC, Muslims and Christians, The Netherlands, 2000.
2. Joint declaration on the freedom of religion and the right to conversion’, Islamic Council of Norway/Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations, 2007
3. Being a citizen of Europe and a person of faith, Committee for Relations with Muslims in Europe/Conference of European Churches and Muslim representatives, 2008
4. Building Good Relations with People of Other Faiths and Beliefs, Inter Faith Network, 1993.
5. ‘A code of good practice for relations with people of all faiths and none’, UK Hindu Christian Forum, 2005
6. Report from inter-religious consultation on “Conversion – assessing the reality”, WCC, 2006
7. A call to adopt responsible relationships in mission and to renounce proselytism, WCC, 1997.
8. Ecumenical considerations for dialogue and relations with people of other religions, WCC, 2004.
9. Generous Love: the truth of the Gospel and the call to dialogue, an Anglican theology of inter faith relations, 2008
10. Gracious Christian Responses to Muslims in Britain Today, 2008. A set of Christian principles to help inform our relationships with Muslims. Global Connections, Birmingham

Muslim

11. A Common Word, 138 worldwide Muslim scholars of many traditions, 2007.

1. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery.
2. Australia has a History of Slavery – not all that dissimilar to Human Trafficking.
3. Human trafficking does not have to involve the movement of a person across borders.
4. Human trafficking is happening in your backyard.
5. You are complicit in modern-day slavery.
6. People smuggling is not human trafficking.
7. The victims of human trafficking are not just “foreigners” – it is happening to people like you and me.
8. The traffickers are people who look like you.
9. You have a role to play in the movement to end human slavery.
10. We can end human trafficking in our lifetime.

Read the full arguments behind these 10 theses at The Transit Lounge. See more on the Australian Not For Sale campaign.

Two of my colleagues, Jason Bray and Michael Crowhurst, are gettting ready to head off to The Philippines to film “Street Dreams“, a documentary on human trafficking there. They’re raising financial support for filming and editing, online at Facebook.

The image above, “Two Times Jailed“, is a photograph by Stefano Mortellaro, taken in Palermo, Sicily. The man, who has been released from prison through a pardon, now faces long term unemployment.

Peter Cheyne, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, was in Christchurch recently, catching up on key leaders there, and has written about it on his “Mod Blog“. He writes, “The theme of the day seemed to be “Who knows?” There is so much uncertainty; so much that is unknown. In many cases, our ministers don’t know what the future of their churches is; don’t know where some of their people are; don’t know if those people will return to Christchurch; don’t know what the future shape of their community will be nor what the shape of their church will be.” It’s too early to make decisions about rebuilding, as the future shape and location of the CBD and outlying suburbs has not been finalised.

One of the interesting notes in Peter’s blog post is the request he received for decent resources that would help unpack the impact of Moon Man Ken Ring and his warnings of further disaster between March 18 and 20. Ken, a colourful figure in NZ, has been popular among some farmers for his approach to weather forecasting, based on the cycles of the moon. He’s suggesting that the point at which the moon is closest to the earth, and lined up with other planets etc, would be the time when New Zealand’s seismic faults would be under most stress. There’s a suggestion on his site that the alpine fault, running up the South Island from Milford to near Nelson, could be the next to experience a quake.

Ken’s theories on the connection between the lunar cycle, weather and seismic activity have neither been proved nor disproved, as far as I can see. However, if I was living anywhere in New Zealand, I’d have the earthquake kit stocked every day of the month with water, gas cooker (gas bottled filled), medical supplies, water purifying tablets, cash, transistor radio, torch and spare batteries. And maybe a commode as well.

Engo sought to spend her last weeks and days in her own home in Invercargill, and was able to do so with the live-in support of three of my sisters, who happen to be nurses by trade, supported by the local District Nursing Service. Engo asked me to take her funeral which meant being on standby over the summer. Being in another country, with a demanding schedule of work, moving house and starting again in a new job and city, made it hard for me to judge when to visit. Finally, however, I sensed that it was time to drop everything (pass on responsibility!) and get over there. We flew over to Queenstown on Saturday Feb 26, and drove down to Invercargill, arriving just in time to spend some precious moments in face to face conversation and just “being there” over the next two days. Engo died peacefully in her room on Tuesday morning, surrounded by three nieces and two nephews. The funeral was on the Friday and I flew back to Canberra on the Saturday via Christchurch, Auckland and Sydney.

One of the resources Engo accessed was “Dying – A New Zealand Guide for the Journey”, by Sue Wood and Peter Fox, with Karen McMillan, originally published in South African and then adapted for the NZ context. The book is designed to help people with terminal illness, along with their families and carers, to work through the practical realities of the last months, weeks and days, with ideas for meeting the arising physical, emotional and spiritual needs. It was good for the family to be able to talk about these things with Engo, and to prepare in advance for what needed to be organised.

Legally anyone can lead a funeral service. There’s no requirement for church or government accreditation. However there are a few skills that make leading a funeral a better experience for people. Drawing together the perspectives of different people, respectfully celebrating the life of a loved one, call on skills of listening and diplomacy as well as story telling. Having a supportive funeral director makes things much easier for the family and the celebrant, easing some of the stress of organisation.

The funeral was at Windsor Community Church, which when I was a youth worker there in 1984 and 1985, was called North Presbyterian. The graveside service was at Eastern Cemetery, beside the plot where my grandmother and grandfather were buried. Windsor had been home for our auntie for a long time. North was the church where she’d served as an elder and pastoral carer. Invercargill was a place I’d sojourned in, for two years, on the way to further experiences a long way from family connections. Ennis and I were married at North. A place of beginnings and now endings.

Engo chose her two hymns, “To God Be The Glory” and “Blessed Assurance”, two 19th century hymns by Fanny Crosby, alternatives to the usual favourites The 23rd Psalm, Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. She wanted a service that celebrated God’s goodness, with a warm feel of celebration, and was concerned that the old standards could become mournful. As a family we chose music to play before the service, “In The Garden”, by C. Austin Miles, and as we left, “Power of Your Love” by Geoff Bullock. We chose Vivaldi’s playful Autumn movement from his Four Seasons violin concerto to be played during a video presentation using photos from Engo’s life. Amazing Grace did get in there at the graveside, piped by her great nephew. And, at Engo’s request, I played a couple of pieces on the flute at the graveside, something I’ve not played much since the days of my youth.

Scripture readings are sometimes a mystery to families who are not sure what to choose. But Engo had a favourite passage that had given her comfort and courage over the years. Isaiah 54:1-5 talks about the woman who has not borne children of her own and yet whose descendants will go on to make a difference in the world. Engo never married or had children yet she was continually providing hospitality and nurture for adults and children, fostering creativity and giving courage. I chose Philippians 4:4-9, Paul’s final words to his readers in Philippi, as a kind of blessing and encouragement from Engo to those at the funeral.

Leading a funeral for your own family is not always easy. I took my father’s funeral, at his request, but not my daughter’s (I was in no fit state!) or my mother’s. You miss out on being able to process the grief played out in that time, with an expectation of providing a calm and composed presence up front. I made sure that I had times by myself to reflect on what was happening, and during the services in the church and at the graveside I mentally noted parts that were significant for me. Afterwards I deliberately chose to drive with members of my family rather than with the funeral director, and sought to be a conversation partner once again rather than a facilitator. And upon my return to Australia I’ve appreciated the opportunity to process some of this experience with colleagues (and readers of this post!).

Here’s a note written by Engo in 1968, designed to encourage creativity in students.

These children have painted the things that interest them in the places where they live. It has helped them to know better how they feel about these things. By looking at their painting, you can share their feelings.

Perhaps you would like to make a painting.
Where do you live?
When you go outside and look up, what are the biggest things you see?
What can you feel under your feet?
Are there sounds and silences around you?
At what time of day is it most silent, most shadowy?
What is the most brilliant colour you see?
What moves swiftly by you, and what stands forever still?
Can you watch your father at work?
Think of the things that you do with mother and father, your brothers and sisters, your friends, your pets, or just by yourself. How does this make you feel?
Shut your eyes and come very close to the things around you that you like, that you are a little afraid of, that excite you, that make you feel dreamy, and then make a painting, letting the paint and the brush help you to paint thickly, thinly, swiftly, slowly, to show how you feel about the special things in the place where you live.

Engo Diack, Painting Our Environment, Art and Craft Branch, Department of Education, Wellington, New Zealand, 1968