New Times - September 2012

September 2012

Men and masculinity Issue 31, No 8 September 2012

Have our expectations changed?

The Salt of kindness One man’s legacy of faith pp.10–11

A seductive struggle Porn and pastors p.14

Contents FEATURES Dismay at Asylum Seeker legislation

7

The Salt of kindness

10–11

Aggressive leaders = men of faith?

12–13

Where is God today?

24

REGULAR PAGES Moderator’s Comment

4

Placements

6

Diary

18

Letters to the Editor

21

Reviews

22–23

Editor Caryn Rogers p. 8236 4230 e. crogers@sa.uca.org.au Advertising Loan Leane p. 7007 9020 m. 0404 089 762 e. advertising.newtimes@sa.uca.org.au

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Theodicy

Where is God when it hurts? Is there purpose in suffering? Why do the righteous fall while the wicked prosper? The theology of suffering – theodicy – is a difficult, but necessary discussion point for Christians.

Many men of faith have spoken “on behalf of” God/god/gods over the course of history. While many have done this with fortitude, forethought and faith, many others have done it with foolishness, false motives and flash.

Faith has scored itself a chequered reputation because of its famous and infamous male examples. (Women are not exempt either, mind you).

Men of Christian faith have included some great names like St Francis of Assisi, William Wilberforce, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and on the list goes. But there have also been men who have damaged and darkened the name of their faith – abusive ministers, hate-filled protesters and mass murderers like Anders Behring Breivik and Adolf Hitler.

Men of temperance

To many, the sign of the cross or the approach of a man in ecclesiastical dress is reassuring.

To others, it’s terrifying. For Christians, it is easy to view the phrase “men of faith” with buoyant triumphalism and miss what an “outsider” might think when faced with a man of faith.

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Author and atheist, Christopher Hitchens, was once posed this hypothetical question: If he were alone in an unfamiliar city at night, and a group of strangers began to approach him, would he feel safer, or less safe, knowing that these men had just come from a prayer meeting?

“Just to stay within the letter 'B',” he commented, “I have actually had that experience in Belfast, Beirut, Bombay, Belgrade, Bethlehem and Baghdad. In each case... I would feel immediately threatened if I thought that the group of men approaching me in the dusk were coming from a religious observance.”

He went on to describe each of these cities and the social and political situations in which he encountered them – all had been in violent disarray, which Hitchens largely attributed to furores of religious fervor.

Whether you like or loathe Hitchens, he makes a valid point. Men of faith are not always recognised as admirable, loving or kind.

Particularly in our current religious climate, it is vital that men of faith are more than simply “of faith”. They must also be recognised as men of decency, men of honesty, men of kindness – all of which are evidences that Christian teaching would attribute to aspects of a living faith.

There is a future of faith still to be written - one that learns from past positives and negatives.

The story isn’t over. But we must move from patriarchy to the beyond.

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Many men of faith Rev Rob WIlliams “Thank God we are loved so much by our Creator that we are individually made. The world would be a boring place if everyone was like me.”

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These words from a sermon I heard as an older teenager have stayed with me my entire life. I can remember looking around the congregation at the men who were there.

Some were quite old; some were certainly very old, at least through my youthful eyes. As I surveyed the males in our church, I realised there were many I didn’t really know but there were a few that I had no difficulty in recognising as men of faith.

The younger ones were leaders in children’s or youth related ministries. One involved on the congregational council was well known for a wisdom beyond his years.

Several of the older men, who also served on the same council, stood out for the whole congregation because of their deep spirituality or their compassionate, wise and generally helpful natures.

One Sunday night as he preached, one of these older men was used by God to bring me to a deeper, renewed faith.

But this man, like the others, didn’t just preach his faith in Christ – he lived it out in his daily life. I guess some he encountered thought of him as “weak” or “a softy”. He worked in his spare time with homeless kids, not exactly the most sought-out area of community involvement, building a network of people who shared his concern for young people.

Immigration was a big issue for many Australians at that time. Some in our neighbourhood didn’t have

much time for those trying to reconstruct their lives in our land of promise, far away from what was left of the warravaged countries of Europe.

But two men of faith from my congregation spent all their free time welcoming migrants and helping them and their families to settle in to their new environment.

One other man I really admired was a judge.

He often featured in The Advertiser for his work in the community amongst juvenile male offenders. He was both criticised and praised for the work he did. Those of us who knew him, understood that his motivation came from the life and teaching of Jesus.

Each of these men of faith modelled their life on Jesus.

Their Christian faith was worked out in different ways in service to Christ within and outside of the church.

They didn’t preach it (except for one), they didn’t force Jesus’ teachings on those they served; they just got on with living out what they believed.

I doubt they would have felt at ease if asked to describe why they did what they did. They were simply individual men of faith whose faith demanded loving action.

Who are the “men of faith” in your congregation?

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Starvation threatens North Korea Starvation once again threatens the people of North Korea after heavy flooding this month which left tens of thousands of people homeless.

A United Nations Team visiting the area has reported 88 people killed and are assessing the damage with a view to developing an aid plan.

North Korea remains one of the world’s most closed societies. Its 24 million people are unable to access free media, express political opposition or enjoy religious freedoms.

North Koreans are suffering greatly after heavy flooding in August; starvation is a particular concern.

UnitingWorld’s Reverend John Barr, just back from a visit where he met with the Uniting Church in Australia’s partner in North Korea, the Byul Bit Foundation, says the situation in many parts of North Korea is grim.

“We heard reports of children scouring the countryside, looking for anything green that can be boiled up and eaten”, he said. “The threat of starvation is so great that people resort to eating grass.”

Last year the UN estimated almost six million people required urgent assistance with food to avoid famine, and that almost a third of children under five showed significant signs of malnutrition. In their weakened state, people are highly susceptible to tuberculosis, which is fatal when left untreated. North Korea has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis infection in the world.

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The Uniting Church in Australia, in partnership with local organisations and at the request of the North Korean government, is working to provide health care, accommodation for orphaned children, nursing training and food relief. To find out how to support this project through UnitingWorld, visit unitingworld.org.au/nevertoofar.

Celebrating the past and looking to the future UnitingCare Adelaide East has a proud history of service to the community dating back to 1879. At this time the members of Kent Town Wesleyan Church established a Sunday School in a rented cottage in the suburb of Hackney.

Soon they became aware of a greater need and another three-roomed cottage was obtained. In addition to a Sunday School, the property was opened during the week and in the evening so local people could gather. Dominoes, checkers, draughts and newspapers and magazines were provided. In many ways this was what we now refer to as the local ‘Community Centre’.

In 1905 it was agreed to consolidate the work when a Committee from Kent

Town purchased a block in Park Street, now Richmond Street, and in 1906 a Mission Hall was erected at a cost of £350.

After more than 100 years service, the property in Hackney became unsuitable and it was agreed to colocate to Clayton Wesley complex in Beulah Park. In 2002 the Hall in Richmond Street was sold and the name of the organisation was changed to “UnitingCare Adelaide East Inc”.

In the years following, the services expanded to provide counselling and emergency relief. In 2008 Financial Counselling and in 2011 NILS (interest free loans) were added to the services provided. In 2009, in partnership with Campbelltown City Council, a property

on Montacute Road, Rostrevor was set up to provide a centre for counselling.

One of the unique parts of the mission is the strong relationships established with churches, community, service clubs and individuals over the years since 1905.

During 2011, the Board responded to an approach from UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide with a view to merge the two organisations. Such a merger was an opportunity for two long standing welfare organisations to grow and enhance services in the eastern suburbs and across South Australia. UnitingCare Adelaide East will bring into the merger our unique gifts and community connections.

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Thank you for your help Gwenda Kerley After many months of planning, organising and moments of panic and stress, the 13th Triennial Assembly, held at the Grand Chancellor July 15-21, is now truly over – and it is time to thank the many involved in this event.

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It was a busy week of meeting people at the airport, settling them in at their hotel accommodation, directing them to the right place at the right time and answering many questions. It was also a week of renewed friendships, meeting new friends, and discussing and debating many issues relevant to our Uniting Church and our place and voice in the community.

It was a time for worship, a time to hear from our Overseas Partner Churches, a time to hear what our various National agencies are doing, a time to be challenged about the future life of our church and a time to be reassured and encouraged by the presence of God in our Church and life today.

As the Administrator, I was very aware of the many people who worked and gave of their time to make this a very successful Assembly. We have received many expressions of “thanks”, “well done” and “good work”.

Thank you to all who helped in any way – at the airport, the Entertainment Centre for the President’s Installation, the Grand Chancellor Hotel, at Westbourne Park Uniting Church and beyond. I personally want to thank you all – I appreciated your support and most of all want to acknowledge that we did well, together as a Synod.

Well done everyone.

Placements news Placements finalised since the July edition of New Times: Dr Rosemary Dewerse (Candidate for MOP) to Director in Missiology (0.5) and Post Graduate Supervision (0.5) from 1 July 2012 Rev Dr Phil Marshall to Plains Community Church (0.5) from 1 October 2012 Rev Rod Dyson to Adelaide West (Priority) from 1 January 2013

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Dismay at Asylum Seeker legislation Rev Prof Andrew Dutney The passage of the asylum seeker legislation which passed through the Federal Parliament on 16 August is a dismaying and distressing occurrence in our national life.

Jesus taught his followers to welcome strangers in need.

More than welcome them, to recognise himself in those people.

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." MATT 25:35-36

Asylum seekers are just such people.

The Christian faith is not alone among religious traditions in placing at the core of its moral teachings the principles of welcoming the stranger, caring for the neighbour in need and treating others as we ourselves would want to be treated.

These policies punish rather than welcome the stranger in need.

They are a grave moral failure, unworthy of us all as human beings, and especially unworthy of those of us who would follow Jesus.

Moving for missiology

Dr Rosemary Dewerse, the new Director of Missiology and Post-Graduate Studies, first applied for the job because she “liked what the College was on about.”

For Rosemary, the draw of a college that was investing its energies in training their students to be imaginative and missional leaders was enough incentive for her to make the move from Auckland, New Zealand to here in Adelaide.

“In my experience,” Rosemary reflected, “Colleges aren’t thinking that way.”

Rosemary has spent quite a bit of time in colleges, having first studied to be a High School Music and English teacher before going onto theological college where she undertook a Masters in Biblical Interpretation.

“The Masters was good for me. It gave me an incredibly good foundation.

We often just look at the surface stuff, but what’s going on underneath - that is important.”

A native Kiwi, Rosemary grew up all over New Zealand as the daughter of a

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Dr Rosemary Dewerse is the new Director of Missiology and Post-Graduate Studies at the Uniting College for Leadership & Theology.

Presbyterian Minister, and has since made her home wherever her or her husband, Roelant, needed to be for work.

The pair have been married for 15 years and have two young children: a seven year old daughter, Mereen, and a four year old son, Jean-Luc. The children’s names reflect the couple’s background together – Mereen, is an Asian name, reflecting the family’s time living in Central Asia, where Rosemary trained Seminary leaders; Jean-Luc is a nod to Roelant’s Belgian heritage.

Arriving in South Australia almost two months ago, Rosemary has jumped straight into her new role which will involve teaching duties, participating in formation panels and journeying with post-graduate students, as well as building connections in the wider church and academic spheres.

“I wanted to apply here because of the words in the position description about integration.

“My theological call was about doing academic work with integration; engaging thinking with meaningful practice.”

“On one side, for me personally, it’s great to have the opportunity to shape how people do what they do and why they do it. I like to help shape things.”

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It's time to talk The number of people dying by suicide is close to double that of those losing their lives on our roads. Although neither tragedy is acceptable, responsible discussion about suicide by the media, and in our own communities, is often muted.

In August last year, Uniting Church SA Moderator, Rev Rob Williams, and Justice and Advocacy Officer, Rev Sarah Williamson, launched the ‘Suicide: it’s no secret’ campaign. Through this campaign last year they generated public discussion around suicide and provided people with an opportunity to talk more freely about their experiences.

Building on the success of last year’s launch, this year’s ‘Suicide: it’s no secret’ campaign revolves around the theme 'It's time to talk'. As part of this, the planning team have organised activities on World Suicide Prevention Day on Monday 10

September and during Mental Health Week, 7-13 October.

This year the campaign will have a particular focus on the aboriginal community and country areas. There is an inaugural aboriginal forum organised for Friday 5 October at Pilgrim Uniting Church and in Ceduna on Wednesday 10 October ‘Mental Health in the Bush’ will take place.

Other activities will occur throughout September and October and everyone is encouraged to get involved.

Materials are available to help promote conversation within your community including stickers, drink coasters and t-shirts.

For more information head online to nosecret.org.au or contact: Sarah Williamson swilliamson@sa.uca.org.au.

The website has printable flyers available for those hoping to help people take the time to talk within their communities.

Other dates to add to your diaries: September 9: Suicide: it’s No Secret and Lifeline will be holding a stall at Henley Square from 10am for World Suicide Prevention Day. September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day. Join us for the ‘Out of the Shadows’ walk with Lifeline at 12 noon from Victoria Square to the steps of Parliament House where MP John Hill will be speaking as well as other invited guests.

Later that day, at 5pm, a candle lighting service of memory, love and hope will take place at Scots Church Adelaide (UCA).

October 17: Seminar ‘Beating the blues: Dealing with Depression’at Walkerville Uniting Church, 7pm.

Church on mainstreet Dean Eland “Humans are social animals: relationships are critical to our wellbeing. A lack of social connection leads to loneliness and isolation, experiences far more harmful than previously realised,” notes a recent report by the Grattan Institute, which highlights some significant trends in the Australian urban environment. (Social Cities, March 2012) A two-day conference-workshop on 25-26 September, titled ‘Church on Mainstreet’, will assist Uniting Church congregations to explore the implication of social trends, particularly for congregations with a high profile presence in their community.

An initiative of the Urban Mission Network, the conference is based on one of its missional objectives, “to give witness to the love of God in Christ as word and deed in environments which are primarily urban, secular and culturally diverse.”

The program will be based on work groups of congregation leaders, ministry teams and activists who will reflect on the nature of their witness and the way this is expressed in public ministry. This emphasis involves a growing recognition that Uniting Church SA congregations are often at the forefront in providing safe places and opportunities for social support in an increasingly diverse society.

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The program aims to generate a flow of conversation by sharing what we are learning from the many weekday and practical hands on ministries that are co-located with many Sunday worshipping congregations.

The conference will explore how congregations with buildings in highly visible locations in the community might contribute to a “sense of place”.

Conference details Location: St Andrews Uniting Church, 92 Jetty Rd Glenelg Date: 25-26 September For more info: p. 8212 3295 w. urbannetwork.org.au

A copy of the March 2012 report, Social Cities, by the Grattan Institute can be downloaded from their web site, grattan.edu.au

men of faith After covering women of faith in May last year, we now turn our attention to men. Men come in all shapes and sizes, but often their faith is expected to be one-size-fits-all. So what does masculine faith look like in some of its forms?

Waste not, want not The Belair Uniting Bike Shed turns broken bikes into benefits for new Australians and their local community, Louise Heinrich reports.

In a generation of throwaway consumption, a group of men are turning unwanted trash into transport treasures.

Nestled in the foothills of Adelaide, hidden behind a church with stained glass windows, sits a little green shed.

Stocked to the brim with spare parts, rusting metal and an assortment of tools, the Bike Shed is a meeting place for retired men who like to fix things.

My entrance interrupts a very serious discussion about which size of tyre to fasten onto a yellow mountain bike.

Frank Smith, one of the only original members remaining from the group’s humble beginnings in 2004, washes his hands free of grease before welcoming me warmly. He invites me into the church hall for a cuppa and homemade biscuits with the rest of the blokes to hear the story of the Bike Shed.

“Bob Britton was a trainee minister,” says Frank, “And he noticed that most of the church’s Community Programs were centred on women.”

A new program was created for men, to encourage social interaction and to serve the community. Broken, old

and unwanted bikes come in and get repaired by the team before being sent to someone in need.

“We have a coffee, we have a chat, and if there’s any time left we do some work.”

Frank, a former construction manager, talks about the range of skills each volunteer brings.

“Everyone is different and complementary. We’ve got an exengineer, a wheelchair mechanic, an ex-banker – we’re all handymen of some sort! We’ve had no females in yet – but if they do come, we’ll put them to work.”

Over eight years the group has fixed 800 bikes, combining actions of generosity with an onus on craftsmanship and a sense of purpose for retired gentlemen.

When the program began, bikes were sent to newly-arrived refugees via the local Circle of Friends, an initiative of the Australian Refugee Association which coordinates geographical groups who are committed to actively supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Since then, the inventory of recipients has become quite diverse.

“We used to give them to a group in Port Adelaide who would pay to ship container-loads of donations to Africa.

Now, there’s a waiting list for quite a few families here and of course, around Christmas time, grandparents come in for bikes for their grandkids.”

The lucky beneficiaries are required to give a small donation, in order to cover the cost of parts.

“You’ve got to have some commitment from people,” adds Ron Cole, who has been volunteering for several years. He looks up from washing the cups from morning tea. “Even if they pay a token $10 or $20, they feel ownership over it, and take better care of their bikes.

“There’s so many bikes that people are throwing away – I’ve got a list of 18-20 bikes to pick up now,” says Frank with a weary sigh. “We can’t knock back donations. If something is too rusty to use, we cut it up and use it for scrap metal, which gives us a bit of coin.”

In a world gone mad on buying, these guys patiently apply their know-how, handyman skills and a little bit of elbow grease to make the world a better place.

Pictured: (L-R) Mark Hartridge, Frank Smith, Kevin McCaffrey, Ron Cole, Rob Faulkner.

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men of faith

When the Reverend James Jeffries (also Jeferis) relinquished his preaching post at Saltaire Congregational church near Bradford in northern England in December 1858, he took with him a piece of its historical jigsaw.

Jeffries had been advised by doctors in London that the Yorkshire damp was not conducive to his tuberculosisaffected lungs and that he needed to seek a shift to a warmer climate. So he came to a ‘missionary’ post in the new colony of South Australia, where he became the founding Minister of Brougham Place Congregational (now Uniting) church.

In his post here, Jeffries passed on a bequest from Moonta copper money to fund a trust for the establishment of the University of Adelaide and, in the political development of the nation, he became the ‘Prophet of Federation’ as Walter Phillips’ biography details.

One of Jeffries' successors as Minister at Brougham Place, Rev Phil Hoffmann [1999 – 2004], recently made a personal pilgrimage to the site of Jeffries' original UK church. The church there bears testimony to the faith and generosity of Titus Salt, Esq (later 'Sir'), made hugely prosperous by riding the wave of industrial

success in construction of woollen mills.

During the 1850s, Salt's Christian conscience was troubled by the life expectancy of only 19 years for his slum-dwelling workers while those in the more genteel, pastoral counties to the south of England anticipated 55 years of living. It is likely that these lives cut short particularly affected him, given the fate of three of his own children who had died young from preventable disease.

Salt's benefaction to his village included the provision of cottage row homes (with bathrooms and toilets brought inside), playing fields, a school for workers’ families, civic buildings and an imposing Italianate building as a place of worship.

Today the model Victorian town of Saltaire has its own United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation listing as a model of early town planning. Phil describes it as a picturesque stone village, sitting idly beside the flowing River Aire, down the hill from bustling and untidy Bradford. Its cobbled streets are fronted by cafes and galleries and the former ‘Salt’ administrative buildings now provide a lovely study environment for the students of Shipley College. Images of the bearded Salt adorn street corners, alongside street names after his seven children.

The towering presence of Saltaire United Reform Church is a testament to the faith which undergirded the practices of one man, Sir Titus Salt.

It is evident to the visitor that Salt's generosity, borne of Christian compassion, shaped a 19th century alternative to England’s then ‘dark, satanic mills’. Since 1972, the tower of Salt's legacy to the practice of his faith, Saltaire United Reform Church, has dominanted that historic landscape.

It cannot be doubted that when Jeffries left Saltaire in 1858 and, assisted by Titus Salt’s sponsorship, boarded a boat to South Australia, he carried with him, if not the plans of the Saltaire Church, then certainly its inspiration.

When Phil visited in May he was conducted on a personal tour of Saltaire United Reform Church

by Mr Len Morris, an elder and restoration work fundraiser of the prominent building. The pair were able to exchange histories and personalities; Len learned of Jeffries' career and contribution in South Australia, previously unknown to him, and Phil learned more of the kindly benefaction of Sir Titus Salt.

This encounter, Phil says, took place in, “a remarkably familiar place of worship, on the other side of the globe. The dimensions and beauty of the Saltaire building had exactly the same feel as Brougham Place back here in Adelaide.”

It was, he says, “easy to feel spiritually and emotionally ‘at home’, united in the practice of faith, having a shared yet previously unknown history, and enjoying the sights and sense of the one man’s kindness.”

Rev Phil Hoffman (left), former minister of Brougham Place, which was modelled on Saltaire’s elegant structure, recently spent time in Saltaire and was personally guided through the United Reform Church by Mr Len Morris (right).

men of faith

At North Adelaide, Jeffries was instrumental in the design of the church’s grand Greco-Italian style building, in consultation with colonial architects E.A. Hamilton and Edmund Wright. Following the Saltaire model, the North Adelaide Congregational Church was of similar dimension, drawing upon simple elegance, with basement rooms for Sunday School and other congregational meetings, but with adaptations suitable to the Australian climate, most notably a flat roof. Opened in 1861, the Brougham

Place Church was the largest in the colony at the time.

In an edition about ‘Men of Faith’, the idea that feminism has something to offer the discussion may jar a little with some readers. Louise Heinrich and Caryn Rogers investigate two popular Church models of modern masculinity and the need for a little neofeminism to counter them.

“Patriarchy is not men. Patriarchy is a system in which both women and men participate,” wrote actor Ashley Judd in the Daily Beast earlier this year.

Many people think statements like this should have died in the eighties, after the Women’s Lib movement had truly had its time in the spotlight. But feminism lives on – and we should be thankful for that.

men of faith

Feminism gave both men and women choices. The same cannot be said of patriarchy – even in its newest forms and especially within the Church. Although we are no longer in the fifties, culturally accepted values still detrimentally influence gender expectations – even, and often especially, in the Church.

Church culture often maintains stylised gender roles to which people are expected to conform. Two of these expected masculine roles in today’s Church are the aggressor and the leader.

In what seems to be a backlash against the demand for church males to become ‘nice guys’, Western church-going men have been grappling for an image of masculinity that is founded on aggression, power, and violence.

Mark Driscoll, founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, is arguably the poster boy of this movement. He is quoted regularly for his descriptions of a big-

bicep-flexing Jesus as an ‘Ultimate Fighting Champion’ while frequently airing his disgust with effeminate worship leaders and the image of Christ as a “limp-wristed, dresswearing hippie.”

Similarly, Machine Gun Preacher, a film released last year starring a well-muscled Gerard Butler, echoes this aggressive masculinity, adding another level of violence to it.

Based on Sam Childers' autobiographical book Another Man’s War, the story follows an ex-gang member who becomes a Christian and feels called to work in Sudan, creating orphanages and rescuing child victims from the violence of the civil war.

“I’ve had to pick up a gun a lot of times,” Childers said in an interview with ABC Local’s Sunday Nights program in June. While unwilling to open up completely on this matter, Childers vaguely admits to rescuing children by using violence. The movie is far less shy on the matter, and emphasises Childers’ unapologetic recognition of his forceful heroism: “God doesn’t want sheep – he wants wolves.”

While Childers' gun-toting aggression and Driscoll’s alpha-male model represent extreme examples, these celebrated cases translate into certain cultural expectations of masculinity: men must be hard,

Are Christian men expected to be more macho than masculine?

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tough, and prepared for violence.

While the aggressor model has obvious issues which many churches are uncomfortable with on some level, the Church is still quite comfortable with another imbalance – the skewed number of men in leadership.

Statistics from the Reibey Institute tell us that men make up roughly 90% of board members in Australian companies and organisations; hundreds of boards do not have a single female member.

A lack of females in leadership and the celebration of aggression may not appear to have much to do with the modern man, but these factors certainly highlight the need to continue

to address and re-address the issues of gender and equality.

While the Uniting Church has carefully sought to promote and support the role of women in leadership, the work is not finished yet. This rebalancing and sharing of leadership roles is an important step forward for the Church, and for modern culture as a whole.

“Feminism is no longer just about women,” explains blogger Chloe Angyal. “It’s about gender... it’s about men, too.”

Perhaps it's time, again, to reexamine the idea of masculinity, what we expect boys to grow up into and what we hope little girls could share in with them.

men of faith

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is an American organisation that seeks to explore gender issues biblically. Associated with John Piper and his teaching, the Council subscribes to the complementarian view that, “In the church, while men and women share equally in the blessings of salvation, some governing and teaching roles are restricted to men.”

While we may wish to dismiss these limitations as outdated by listing off all the female ministers that the Uniting Church has ordained and celebrated, if we examine situations closely, it is evident that the traditional expectations behind complementarianism continue to influence our lives – old and young.

A seductive struggle

men of faith

Porn and pastors – the two aren’t mutually exclusive. At the request of the Pastoral Relations Committee last year, Rev Ashley Davis investigated the extent of pornography use in Australian society, its effects on users and the implications for the Church.

“Porn is pervasive in nature, which is supported and purported by its industrial desire for economic gains,” says Ashley.

A significant worldwide industry, porn is taking in revenue greater than the combined returns of the top technology companies: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink.

“Though we’d like to believe Christians are immune to the prevalence of pornography, it has inveigled its way into most of our culture – including our churches.”

Pastors agree. In March 2005, Christianity Today published the results of a study called ‘Christians and Sex’ in their Leadership

Journal. Out of 680 pastors surveyed, 57% said addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue in their congregation.

One local expert has even stated that more marriages are concluded because of the use of pornography than adultery, often because viewing porn can be done, mostly, in secret.

The effects of massproduced porn on our culture are only just beginning to emerge. The Internet generation—those who have grown up with online media in the home—are now entering adulthood. Today, consuming Internet pornography is a weekly, or even daily, affair for many young men and women, many of whom saw pornography for the first time

when they were very young. As pre-teen children are exposed more regularly to porn, the trend of frequent, normative use appears to be increasing, says Ashley.

“The extensive and early use of pornography has skewed people’s understanding to the point that many today argue that porn is entirely normal and has no deleterious affects on anyone,” Ashley continues. “In-depth research, over many years, continues to demonstrate that this is not the case.”

Such research has concluded that watching porn has the following affects on its viewers: decrease of sexual satisfaction, disconnect from real relationships, lowered view of women, desensitivity to cruelty and an increase in the desire for more porn. This last finding is what is being expressed as porn-addiction and is said to lead to the increasing desire to discover other forms of sexual deviance.

And it’s not just for those beyond church walls. Ashley is concerned about how congregations and clergy are being trapped in the silent seductions of porn - and he isn’t alone. In their article in the Alban Weekly in August 2011, ‘The pastor and pornography’, Mark Sundby and Susan Nienaber note: “While most clergy and congregational staff never suffer the humiliation of getting caught, the psychological toll of conflicted feelings, self-doubt,

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and shame remains. These conflicted feelings are often compounded by a looming sense of hypocrisy about being the chief moral leader in their community of faith. At such points, many people in ministry will attempt to ‘go cold turkey,’ believing that if they only steel themselves then they will make better choices next time. But the psychology underlying such behavior suggests that the odds may be stacked against them.

It’s simply not by chance that the porn industry is the number one business on the web.”

To educate and resource the Uniting Church SA on this concerning issue, the Pastoral Relations Committee is running a seminar called “Stop Porn”. The seminar will feature Rev Dr Peter Powell, who is arguably the Uniting Church’s foremost speaker on this issue. This seminar is designed to equip ministry leaders and practitioners to address this issue within their congregations and communities – and perhaps even to confront their own struggles.

Stop Porn Seminar: At a glance Speaker: Rev Dr Peter Powell Date: 14-15 September Location: Adelaide West Uniting Church Cost: $100 For more information, contact Ashley Davis on: p. (08) 8236 4274 e. adavis@sa.uca.org.au

Andrew Copland best hospitality. And, if the roles were reversed, it is exactly what he would want someone to say to him.

Similarly, football is about a lot more than football. It is about community and tribalism and physical expression. I get that. While I don’t really understand the whole ‘ball sports’ thing, I do spend a considerable amount of my recreation time training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) at one of Adelaide’s best BJJ clubs. In my club, I believe in my team and my team mates. I train with them, I sweat with them and occasionally, when things go wrong, I even bleed with them. (It’s ok, you get used to it).

When it comes to being a man, I’m lucky to have so many great role models in my dads, my grandfathers and the rest of my family. But when it comes to being a man of faith, I have an even greater role model – Jesus.

I don’t imagine that Jesus ever offered anyone a beer, but as we read the gospels

we can easily imagine a Jesus who was into hospitality, who loved to hang out with people and who placed a high importance on opening our lives to each other through shared experiences.

I don’t believe that Jesus cares very much about the outcome of the Crows or Port games for this weekend (an opinion that is almost heretical in this state, I know), but Jesus did understand the importance of relationships and community.

He invested a great deal of his time into building and valuing those relationships, and ultimately he gave his blood, sweat and tears for those relationships and beyond.

For me, my faith is very much part of what makes me a man. Somewhere between learning from Jesus and from my family, I'm making my own discoveries and mistakes of how to be manly – even if I am better with a crock pot than a hammer.

Andrew Copland is the Associate Pastor at Athelstone Uniting Church and blogs regularly about what he thinks makes a man.

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men of faith

Growing up, I was spoilt for choice when it came to male role models. I had a dad, a stepdad, two amazing grandpas, an older brother and a whole host of uncles and male cousins.

And all of them were “manly” men.

My dad worked managing bars and clubs (think “Cheers” without the canned laughter). My stepdad was a carpenter.

Both of my grandfathers were from a time when being a man meant you never threw anything away when it broke – you just took it into the shed and fixed it. And I remember driving my uncle’s bulldozer at his work one day during my school holidays. Like I said, manly – hardworking, brow-sweating, trade-skilled, men!

They all drank beer, cooked barbeques, watched football and knew how to use a hammer.

And then there’s me.

I don’t drink. I barely understand the rules of any football code. And while I might own a hammer, I can’t really claim any proficiency in using it.

Is it those things that make a man a man? Beer and sports and the ability to use tools? Controversially, I’m going to say yes.

While I might not do any of those things very well, I believe they are evidences of manliness. Not necessarily the actions themselves, but the underlying motivation for them.

For my dad, if you come to his house he will offer you a beer. It’s as simple as that. I’m currently 33 and have not drunk alcohol for more than ten years.

But every time I’m at home, one of the first things my dad will ask me is, “Like a beer, son?

He’s not saying it to be mean, to belittle my choices or to make a point.

He’s asking because, for my dad, offering me a beer is a natural expression of his

Bloke-space beyond the

backyard shed

men of faith

Bindy Taylor reflects on the Aussie institution of the shed, and its renaissance as a hub for modern male camaraderie.

For many men in regional areas there can seem to be a lack of things to do. Not so in Port Pirie, thanks to the thriving Men’s Shed, an initiative run in conjunction with UnitingCare Wesley Country SA Inc (UCWCSA).

The shed, somewhat of a second home, where men like to retreat to watch sport, fix old household goods, grease machine parts or tinker with cars, often also doubles as a storage facility for the memories of surfing heydays from 27 years ago – the surfboard which “will certainly be used again” along with the wetsuit which “almost fits”.

Beyond the backyard variety though, communal sheds are enjoying a rising popularity amongst males of all abilities and agilities – and communities are catching on in a pretty big way.

Anthea Pavy, CEO of UCWCSA, warmly depicts the shed’s role in the Port Pirie locality.

“The shed is a place males can come to share their skills and knowledge, resulting in different social enterprises happening throughout the region,” she reflects. “Ages range from school kids right through to men in their later years.”

The current program is bursting with activities for all ages – from school children through to the elderly – which engage males from across the community in practical learning encounters.

For primary school age children, ‘Being Dad’ is an activity-based program designed for learning beyond the classroom. Similarly, for disengaged high school students, the Shed runs a flexible learning program called ‘Shed Links’.

Two days a week, the Men’s Shed operates a successful yard keeping and landscaping service as well as a car cleaning service as part of the ‘work for the dole’ scheme.

It also provides horticulture lessons to a group of indigenous men in Port Augusta with an academic component which means that, after completing 20 weeks of practical and theory work, these men attain a Certificate II in Horticulture.

There is also a program for educating the elderly in computers and the internet, aptly titled 'Broad Band.'

Beyond its many programs, the Port Pirie Men’s Shed acts as a drop-in centre for members of the community. It

The Men’s Shed in Port Pirie is a great place to make friends, to fix busted items and to learn new skills. Pictured here are Gary Winders fixing a lawn mower, and Wayne Lucas (left) and Vincent Walsh (right) from the garden maintenance program.

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currently has a friendly and very helpful group of volunteers that frequent the shed on a regular basis for a chat, a laugh and practical support with projects.

“It’s a place where people support one another – it’s a comfortable place to be,” Anthea comments.

It’s no wonder that the Shed has even bigger plans afoot, undergirded by a government grant to expand the facilities. The giant man-haven will house a variety of activities and programs for males across the Port Pirie community.

A new 35m x 15m shed, currently under construction, is due for completion at the end of January 2013. It will incorporate a community kitchen and training rooms to support the (still) growing offering of activities.

The Shed is open 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday and new volunteers or visitors are always welcome to stop in for a cup of coffee and a chat. For more information contact Lyn Petagna from Uniting Care Wesley Country SA: Lyn.Petagna@ucwcsa.org.au

Crafting community Pam Jones Planning for the Display and Sale has enabled us to look back and celebrate what we have made and given to those in need over the years: the beautiful quilts and knitted items for an Orphanage and Child Guidance Centre in Hyderabad, India; colourful knitted blankets and toiletry bags which have found their way to women’s shelters; quilts, scarves and beanies that have been made with love and a prayer for people in need of warmth and shelter.

The Creative Craft weekend, 10am4pm on 12-13 October, will be a great time with lots to see and buy – Uniting Communities Family Counselling Services will benefit from the funds raised. The cost of the event is $3 entry and there will be many goodies to buy.

As well as the crafts, there will be a Car Boot Sale held on the Saturday on the Rosefield Church tennis courts, 10am–2pm. This will also assist local community projects.

For more information contact Pamela Jones on 8271 9528.

Andree Prime is a master of fine lace work, just one of a number of women who will be displaying and selling goods for the benefit of Uniting Communities at the upcoming Creative Crafts – Display and Sale event at Rosefield Uniting.

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“Let’s have a display of our handicrafts – let’s showcase a variety of the talents of women in the Rosefield Community,” enthused Bev Butler, Rosefield Uniting Church and Wednesday Creative Craft Group member, earlier this year.

And so, we chose Friday 12-Saturday 13 October for an event and started to plan for ‘Creative Crafts – Display and Sale’.

Since the decision to exhibit and sell our wares, the excitement has grown and the activity has increased at our weekly gatherings.

The group of women attending each week make new friends, laugh and share together as they knit, sew, crochet, or make lace. Learning new skills is part of the process, but we also watch with awe at the immense skill of Andree Prime (pictured) who does bobbin lace and makes the most beautifully fine lace items.

The Wednesday Creative Craft Group boasts a vast array of handcrafting skills including quilting, jewellery, embroidery, bobbin lace, woodcarving, knitting, crochet, smocking, paper craft, floral art, pottery and more.

Changing our online face The Uniting Church Synod of SA has launched the first phase of its new website which features updates to both the look and layout of the site.

The first section went live in late July, representing the realisation of the months of planning and development that has gone into making the activities of the Synod – and Uniting Churches in South Australia – simpler and more appealing to engage with online.

“The organisation of our sites needed a huge rethink

in order to make information more easily accessible. It had become clear that our existing structure based around departments of the Uniting Church Synod Office wasn’t working,” said Josh Curtis, Communications Webmaster, the brain and brawn behind the website refresh.

“The redevelopment of our site has allowed us to rethink the layout of information on the site, as well as launch a fresh visual design which integrates our ‘Uniting Church. Uniting People.’ brand.

“It has also allowed us to update key technologies that underpin the day to day workings of the site, making it more efficient to update and maintain.”

While the first areas are online, active development still has several months to go as content is refreshed and moved across from existing sites.

“The Uniting Church has such a large amount of information online that switching it all over at once just wasn’t practical,” Josh explains. “We’ve started with

the front pages and over the next few months will continue to update and move information across. During this time, all information will continue to be accessible via the links on the new site.”

If you have comments or feedback on the update, Josh would love to hear from you.

You can either fill out the online form which appears on the new site or email webmaster@sa.uca.org.au.

The Uniting Church SA website is still hosted in the same location: sa.uca.org.au

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THE AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN MEDITATION Community SA is holding a Silent Retreat Day on Saturday 15 September from 11am-4pm at St. Ignatius Church Hall, Queen Street, Norwood.

Retreat Leader: Dianne Bradley. Theme for the Day: The Desert Ammas and Abbas: The Love of God embodied in daily life. BYO lunch. Donation $10. Contact person: Bev 0407 392 809.

ILLUMINA SA INC presents ‘In A Reflective Mood’ Sunday 16 September, 2pm at Brougham Place Uniting Church. It will be an afternoon of inspiring music as this accomplished Choir performs a challenging mixture of sacred, gospel, modern and traditional folk songs. A cappella, solo and ensemble singing and the popular Choir Chimes will be included in the afternoon. During interval there will be an opportunity to view a display of different crafts undertaken by some of the choir members. Tickets $15 available at the door or phone Sylvia 8263 0229. For further information ring Rosemary Nairn 0419 832 187 CREATIVE CRAFTS by the women of the Rosefield community.

Friday 12 - Saturday 13 October 2012, 10am – 4pm, Rosefield Uniting Church, 2 Carlton St Highgate. Display and sale of goods including: Quilting, jewellery, embroidery, bobbin lace, woodcarving, knitting, crochet, smocking, paper craft, floral art, pottery and more! $3 entry, $3 Devonshire teas, Lucky Dip craft bags $5.

Proceeds to Uniting Communities Family Counselling Services.

For more information contact Heather 8271 6137 or Pam 0417 877 408.

diary

CAR BOOT SALE on the Tennis Courts of the Rosefield Uniting Church. Saturday 13 October 10am – 2pm. To register your car ($20) please contact meredith@rosefield.org.au, 8271 9528.

CELEBRATION CONCERT PARTY (CCP) – mentioned on page five of August New Times - is inviting Christian musicians, vocalists or storytellers who would like to entertain and interact with Golden Oldies to join their group. Please contact CCP Director, Trevor Fletcher via email tandlfletcher@bigpond.com, or post 12 Starlight Crescent Flagstaff Hill 5159. Please provide your experience, your style of repertoire, reasons for wanting to be involved and of course, your contact details.

Australian Church Women's JUBILEE 150 TRUST is seeking nominations from Church groups or leaders on behalf of a woman, who through lack of funds, is unable to take advantage of Courses, training or purchasing equipment. Applications close 30th September and presentation in November. Further information from Coralie Wright, Convenor, phone 08 8258 3580, email: wrightcoralie795@gmail.com CORRECTION: In the special Assembly section of the August New Times there was an error printed on page 5 in the ‘Dinka 226 fundraising dinner’ article. In the final paragraph it incorrectly noted that Rev Amel Manyon welcomed people to the Northern Suburbs Dinka-speaking Faith Community at St Andrews Church.

The community is hosted by St Stephens, not St Andrews. We apologise for this error and for any inconvenience it may have caused.

PORT GERMAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH 131st Church anniversary will be held on Sunday 23 Sept at 10.30am.

Rev Doug Hosking will preach, followed by a pooled luncheon.

All welcome. For further details, contact Marjorie Johns 8634 5371.

To have your upcoming event or message published here, email diary@sa.uca.org.au with ‘Diary’ in the subject line.

8261 8211 All hours

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AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

Geoff Lewis General Manager

New faith in a new faith community Ian Dempster that he would be conducting baptisms in a makeshift portable swimming pool on the Saturday morning.

At 7.30am on Saturday 28 April, the local CFS fire truck rumbled down the street, the first of two trips to fill the portable swimming pool. At 10am worship commenced with singing to let the community know that worship had begun. This was followed by a children’s talk from Auntie Denise in which the children followed an elder – Raymond Finn – searching out and identifying tracks in the sand. They were then encouraged to make tracks after their baptism by following Jesus.

The words of Jesus, “Let the children come to me”, never seemed more

Sophie Bailes was one of 29 people baptised in Oodnadatta by Julia Lennon and Rev Alistair Macrae in late April. appropriate than on this day as 29 children, young people and adults were baptised.

Local leader, Julia Lennon, was very moved saying, “This is the place to which Aboriginal children were taken away. Now it is the place where children and young people are coming home to follow Jesus.”

Al Macrae farewelled the people of Oodnadatta by thanking them for their hospitality saying, “I have been in many wonderful church buildings and cathedrals around the world, but nothing is as magnificent as worshipping God under a thousand stars at Oodnadatta.”

Small, but growing

Georgina Heddle was baptised into Minnipa Uniting by Rev Ashley Davis, who was attending as part of his role as Pastoral Relations Officer – Rural, a role designed to support congregations beyond metropolitan boundaries.

On Sunday 12 August 2012, Minnipa Uniting Congregation membership grew by 25% when Ben Forrest and Georgina Heddle were welcomed as the newest members through an Affirmation of their Baptismal vows.

Minnipa is a small wheatbelt town, located 295 km from Port Augusta on the Eyre Highway.

Like many country Uniting churches, the Minnipa Uniting Congregation is actively ecumenical. The Congregation is a combined Anglican Uniting fellowship which has been served, for the past five years, by Lutheran Minister, Pastor Ross Shultz, as part of the Wudinna Parish.

The church was full for this celebratory service, with some of Ben and Georgina’s family members travelling from Adelaide for the occasion. It was a happy challenge to find more chairs as the community gathered to support the guests of honour and their families.

Ross Shultz will retire from his post this month; this special service was his last with the congregation. The communities of the Wudinna Uniting Parish and the Lutheran Churches are thankful for the ministry Ross and his wife, Gwen, have shared with them.

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Oodnadatta is a famous outback town, 200 kilometres northeast of Coober Pedy. For the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (Congress) it is a special place - the home of the newest Congress Faith Community in South Australia.

In April 2012, just after Anzac Day, Oodnadatta was privileged to host a visit from the Rev Al Macrae, then President of the Uniting Church in Australia, and Denise Champion, Congress SA Chair and Covenanting Coordinator for the SA Synod.

Little did Al know, that not only would he be speaking to the Aboriginal community in the open air on the church ground (there is no church building on the former Colebrook Home site), but

A uestion of identity On the October long weekend (29 September - 1 October), teenagers will find themselves confronted with the question, “Who am I?” at the South Australian Youth Camp Out (SAYCO).

In July this year, seven volunteers from South Australia travelled to Mwandi, Zambia with a determination to help the United Church of Zambia School.

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The joy of water Robin Dixon-Thompson

In July this year, seven volunteers from South Australia travelled to Mwandi, Zambia with a determination to help the United Church of Zambia School.

Our challenge was to install a Reticulated Water System for a school of 2000 students. Previously, the school had only been equipped with one hand pump, which was completely inadequate for a school of that size.

I cannot describe the joy on the faces of these children as they watched the water start to run through the taps, especially the girls as water collection is one of their daily tasks.

While we were there we also set up a pumping system for the fish farm which is part of the local Agriculture Project. We had to dig 2000 metres of trenching, lay pipe and back fill, manufacture six Tank Stands and install and equip a bore – within 3 weeks. It was a huge task, which had us working from 6am to 6pm, six days a week. On the seventh days of our visit, we took part in the services of outlying churches.

Two years prior, volunteers from Eyre Peninsula had installed running water to the 60-bed Mwandi Hospital, equipped another small school with water and drilled bores for the village. We have made it a policy that we will not start a project unless we can work together with the local Lozi people. We train them so they can maintain the project when we leave, which builds a sense of ownership.

We believe we are bringing the village into the 21st century with the assistance of modern technology. We are not funded through the United Nations. We go through the grace of God and the Uniting Church and with help from locals in our communities, mostly retired farmers and tradespeople.

We know where our money goes, but it is not easy. Aid is a huge problem, but we, with faith, will continue work in Mwandi.

The seven volunteers were: Tony Breden from Coffin Bay, Anthony North from Port Pirie, John Foster and myself (Robin Dixon-Thompson) from Port Lincoln, Malcolm Hancock from Lock and Kevin Pratt and Allan Childs of Kangaroo Island.

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The program of this event, which is brought to you by the Events Office of Mission Resourcing SA, will be structured under the theme of “True Identity” by looking through the lens of Acts 17:28’s “For in Him we live and move and have our being”.

SAYCO is a 48 hour camp for 12-17 year olds which is open to teenagers from across the state.

Similar to Kids Camp Out, SAYCO involves high input from church groups to support the event through providing and organising tents, catering and leaders for their own group, while the SAYCO team organise a high-energy program designed to help teens address questions around life, faith and God within a full weekend of community time, games, music and more.

Helping campers to discover their own faith will be keynote speaker, Scott Hawkins from Melbourne. Scott brings with him over 20 years experience in ministry in a variety of forms through oversight of school chaplaincy programs, directing Youth Alive SA, pastoring and mission work with not-for-profit agency, Compassion.

When Scott puts the theme of “True Identity” on the table for SAYCO-ers, they are likely to feel a great sense of challenge to truly find out who they are, amidst the assurance of knowing that their identity is already of importance to God. Registering is easy. Simply get a group together, fill in the online form, and then start planning your tents, catering and everything else you’ll need for a fun weekend away.

If your church isn’t sending a group, now might be the time to make friends with your neighbouring Uniting Church. To help you get connected, or for further information, contact Events Officer, Jo Lohmeyer: p. (08) 8236 4246 e. sayco@sa.uca.org.au

Event details at a glance Dates: 29 September – 1 October Location: Woodcroft College Event info: sayco.sa.uca.org.au Facebook: facebook.com/SAYouthCampOut

PART OF SOMETHING GREAT

SUPPORT FOR PRESBYTERIES

I was part of the Uniting Church National Assembly in July.

While many great things happened over the course of the week that are worth celebrating, I find myself reflecting most on our gathering on the steps of Parliament House to lament of the passing of the Stronger Futures legislation.

I am writing to add my support for the letter from G. Hacquoil of Mt Barker (July, New Times).

I’m thrilled to be associated with an organisation that so willingly lays aside time to make statements on justice issues, especially those that express solidarity with our Indigenous brothers and sisters. I was encouraged by the sense at Assembly that we, as a church, couldn’t let this legislation pass without expressing our discontent at the harm it will continue to do.

I’ve since noticed the gathering being reported in various media and increasingly feel like we are ‘being watched’ and are becoming a visible leader in this area. While these battles are far from over, I love our church for taking action to further reconciliation.

I grew up in the Methodist Church and welcomed with great anticipation the formation of the Uniting Church. Sadly, I believe, we have lost something along the way and the sacrificing of Presbyteries for Networks is one example of what we have lost.

In the past our Church has greatly benefited from the informed faith and richness that comes from the challenge of working together with other Christian men and women who have a point of view that differs from ours.

This was the Church I grew up in. There were men and women of all perspectives in the faith but together we were a Church full of meaning and tolerance.

It was a privilege to be a part of that community.

T. Lloyd, McLaren Vale

J. Curtis, Parafield Gardens

Be topical, be brief, be timely.

Letters over 150 words will be edited; responses to previous letters / articles will be considered within two months of the original item’s publication only.

All letters are published at the editorial team’s discretion.

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letters to ed

Send your letters to: newtimes@sa.uca.org.au or PO Box 2145, Adelaide 5001.

Praying for a miracle

reviews

Louise Heinrich Does God still heal? Some like to relegate the miraculous to Jesus’ days. But Brian Jefferies begs to differ – his new book Field of Miracles tells tale after tale of unbelievable recovery from crippling illness and emotional wounds.

“A lady said she had asthma and I prayed for her and she was healed. And that was the beginning. Every time I prayed and someone was healed, I grew in confidence.”

Brian Jefferies talks with the rational assurance of someone who encounters the supernatural daily. After believing for years in the Holy Spirit’s power to heal people, God began working through

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him in the 1980s.

Spending his working life in the Department of Agriculture as a Sheep and Wool officer, Brian was involved in introducing several new species in Australia.

An ongoing relationship with Argentina and Chile throughout his career has enabled Brian to travel widely in his work as a sheep breeding consultant.

“My fees for consulting paid for my airfares to be where the Lord wanted me to be – with hurting people.”

A lay preacher for more than sixty years, Brian tells his story with exuberance.

“When I took early retirement in ‘86, my ministry kind of began,” Brian says eagerly. After being asked to speak at different gatherings and camps, opportunities to pray for people grew.

Brian has countless anecdotes of emotional and physical healing. An 83-year old man’s knees returning to function. A young woman, abused by a family member, becomes ready to forgive.

Cataracts disappear, cancers

Brian Jefferies (right) has led a very interesting life with his 60 plus years as a lay preacher, his global travels thanks to the Australian sheep and wool industry and his unwavering belief in the practice and prayers of healing. heal, scoliosis goes; from Gawler to Algeria, South Africa and China – Brian has seen miracles all over the place.

But often, the hurting people Brian encounters are not healed in the way we expect.

“I do pray for my wife (who is ill) but nothing happens,” Brian says matter-of-factly. “I have prayed for a woman who was healed; years later I had the same condition but had to have an operation to fix mine.

“I have prayed many times without results. But I never, never tell them, ‘You don’t have enough faith.’

“Jesus didn’t pray for people, he commanded the sickness to leave. We are to say to this mountain, “Be moved,” even if it is spadeful by spadeful. It may be over some time.”

But Brian stipulates that we must have great faith to achieve great things through God. “As Andrew Wommack says in A Better Way to Pray, ‘As man thinketh, so we will be.’ We must pray in faith, not doubt and fear.”

For more of Brian’s extraordinary stories, you can purchase Field of Miracles from green-hill-publishing.com

Love speaks every language Divine Love

People raised in the Methodist tradition know how powerfully the hymn “Love Divine” expresses the heart of faith. This is beautifully described in this book, as a love that is “broad enough to encompass all mankind, long enough to last for eternity, deep enough to reach the most degraded person, and high enough to raise humankind to glory.”

But do other living faiths really endorse such a view of God, and the importance of love?

Authors: Edited by Jeff Levin and Stephen Post

Levin and Post’s collection encompasses a number of religious traditions from around the globe. For example, traditional African proverbs, prayers, and the names used for God exhibit the belief that, “If God did not love me, then God would not have made me.”

Hinduism sings a hymn to Kama which says, “You, O Love”.

Recommended for: anyone wanting to explore the notion that many of the World’s major faith traditions have a common core divine love.

Buddha was motivated by loving kindness beyond measure and great compassion for all beings, while one of the names for God in Islam (which are said to provide an insight into God’s nature), are, “the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful”. The formula’s two names of mercy emphasise that every quality of existence serves the benevolent purposes of a wise and loving Creator.

In short: Eight eminent religious scholars share their perspectives on the what, how, and why of love in religious thought.

This book certainly stimulates one’s thinking, and expands one’s vision of how love can transform life by applying the methods of social science to the study of experiences of godly love. It explores new dimensions of this important issue in a way which is both informative and inspiring!

Available from: Fishpond.com.au RRP: $57.95

- Rodger Bassham

Book: Reading Biblical Poetry: An Introductory Guide Author: J P Fokkelman Recommended for: students of Biblical poetry In short: A guide to engaging with Biblical poetry for the serious poet or scholar.

Available from: MediaCom RRP: $40.75

This book details diverse aspects of Biblical poetry, such as parallelism and the use of rhythm, and the author gives much attention to the way lines are broken and presented in English, which can misrepresent the intent of the Hebrew.

instance, Fokkelman uses ‘strophe’ from the first page, though does not explain what a strophe is until chapter five.

Fokkelman summarises each chapter with questions to ask of Biblical poetry, providing a helpful methodology for a student working with such texts.

More didactic and proscriptive than invitational, I would recommend this book to theological students, or to, serious poets, readers or literary scholars, who are interested in the finer details of Biblical poetry.

Luckily, Fokkelman assumes no prerequisite knowledge of Biblical Hebrew language. The book includes a glossary, but not all terms unfamiliar to the uninitiated are included – for

reviews

For the Contemplative Heart

Biblical poetry under the magnifying glass

The jargon is very technical, and will be hard going for anyone not familiar with the technical language of poetics or literary criticism.

- Sarah Agnew

Book: Daily Feast: Meditations from Feasting on the Word Author: Edited by Kathleen Bostrom and Elizabeth Caldwell Recommended for: deep, personal devotions In short: A daily devotion based on the lectionary readings.

Available from: MediaCom RRP: $33.75

For those who are well-centred and seeking a starting point for deeper thoughts and meditation, this devotional is perfect. Each day comprises a reflection based on the lectionary readings. This might be a quote, thought or theological idea. A response is suggested which connects the reading with our own experience, and then finally a prayer is offered.

The lectionary base for this devotional makes it a wonderful companion to congregational worship as the connections between daily life and worship deepen. Worship from one Sunday echoes throughout our personal meditation; likewise

the personal meditation also speaks into our experience on Sunday morning.

The reflections are beautifully selected and have a degree of maturity often missing from some devotionals. The reflections are brief and demand one to already be centred when coming to them, rather than leading one into prayerfulness.

This devotional is not for those hurried and harried from a busy day but rather for the contemplative heart, seeking a deeper expression of faith.

- Jennifer Hughes

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Where is God today?

The 'God is Where?!'conference, held at the Centre for Ministry July 1-6, was hosted by the Uniting Church's national diaconal network and United Theological College. Clive Pearson shares a little of the explorations of the “movement of God in the ordinary and unexpected” that the conference discussed.

What a busy, powerful, energetic conference this was! The focus was diaconal ministry with participants, including deacons from around the country, coming together to recognise the 20th anniversary of the renewal of the diaconate in the Uniting Church.

It was an extraordinarily varied program, with a mix of thinking, doing and being.

The title of this conference – 'God is Where?!' – was unusual.

It is much more normal to think of who God is and what kind of God we believe in. That shift to “where” is a little peculiar. It suggests a different kind of agenda.

The who and what questions are much more tied to the internal life of the Church and how mission is sometimes (not without problems) tied to the Church. It is, after all, the mission of God rather than the mission of this all too human institution in which we participate.

The who and what questions invite us to pay more attention to the inner life of discipleship and membership; the where question is of a different order altogether.

This business of “where” is in keeping with the emerging discipline of a public theology/ministry.

What this designation means is that a public theology is now regarded as a significant new development around the globe in helping Christians understand their faith and what is being asked of them for Christ’s sake.

This year the Uniting Church is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the renewal of the diaconate. A conference focused on diaconal ministry titled ‘God is Where?!’ gathered participants from across the country for an exploration of the nature and purpose of a public theology. The Ministry of Deacon (those ministers ordained into the diaconate) are ordained with a particular vocation to be ministers in service of the world.

The aim of the conference was to explore the nature and purpose of a public theology.

At one level this way of thinking is a thoughtful protest against the common tendency to confine faith to the world of private belief (me and my Jesus, so said Dorothee Sölle) or to the Church’s struggle to survive.

These things have their place but they are only part of the picture. The intention of a public theology is to work for the common good, the public good, and the construction of a civil society.

It was recognised that part of the public role of Christian faith is to secure a voice in the marketplace of ideas within society. That is not necessarily easy when there is so much suspicion with regards to the Christian faith; in this setting the contemporary follower of Christ cannot rely upon a privileged space.

There have been too many negative headlines; there has been too much

trauma associated with the effect of the Church on the lives of so many people.

This discipline is one which works with “strangers”; it is interdisciplinary and it relies upon the extension of thin trust.

Those present seemed to find it helpful to be given a theological frame of reference in which to situate their work and praxis. They were given words to name what they do and how that fits into the bigger picture of the Christian hope for the world.

They were being invited to be bilingual: to be well-grounded and able to talk within the life of the Church as well as beyond in the public domain where God is also to be found.

Clive Pearson is Principal of United Theological College, Lecturer in Theology and Ethics, and Head of School, School of Theology, Charles Sturt University.

This article was originally published in Insights, the Magazine of the NSW/ACT Synod.