The Garage '07

Next year, two of my mates - Matt Waters and Jono Croxford - and I are running a small group. It's called The Garage, because we're taking over the garage underneath the church office. None of these silly names like 'KidZone'. It's going to be for the boys in Grade 5 to Year 8. The reason for this is, the boys a bit old for singing childish songs about Jesus and doing silly actions, but maybe not ready for the intensity of something like Vetamorphus or a VCE small group. When I was that age, I pretty much thought I was 'too cool' for church or any of that stuff, mainly because I had nothing to explore in or ask my own questions. It wasn't until this year and Vetamorphus that I've had that, and now that I do, I see how good it would be for the boys to have it too.

After a meeting today with Jono and Matt, we came up with this working vision statement of our six reasons for doing The Garage:

• To help the boys realise their potential as young leaders in church and the wider community
• To present other options in ways of life and support them as they grow into young men
• To create a space to build courage and strength in their ability to help, assist, change, question, answer and be.
• To create a comfortable environment to explore questions of faith.
• To create an environment of trust and support between boys and leaders.
• To be their friends.

I'm really excited about doing this, because I feel I'm finally giving like I should be, rather than just a bit. I hope it'll be good, we'll see. Starting date is Feb 4th, I'll write more about it after then.

And so this is Christmas...

It has been a while since my last post. I've been to Phillip Island for the Young Adults Retreat, I've been to Mt. Martha for my final Vetamorphus Retreat, exam results have come out, I went back to Phillip Island for a week with friends, and now it is Christmas.

The Young Adults Retreat was cool, it was only two days, but a good time anyway. Mostly relaxing, with a little bit of reflection. Kinda weird to be considered an adult now, I still feel pretty childish.

A few days later, I was off to Mt. Martha. The final Vetamorphus Retreat. As always, there were parts, and people, on the weekend that made me angry and frustrated. One particular session, on Christian relationships, as in boyfriend/girlfriend and pre-marital sex, made me especially angry, for reasons I won't put here. If you'd like to know, ask me. Anyway, the best part of the weekend was this: On the final day, in the final session, we did positive affirmations. Everyone sat around in a circle, and as we went around the circle, everyone was given the opportunity to say something affirming about the person whose turn it was. Now, when Vetamorphus started, there were some very big personalities, and, at times, I felt like hitting them over the head with a fish. I found, and still find, it so very easy to pick up all the faults in people. However, these people who I wanted to take out my frustrations on with marine animals, were the ones who found it easiest to see the best in people. They were the ones who were first to affirm others, and the ones to affirm the most. It made me realise that maybe I was the one who needed an attitude change.

Exams results went well. I got 90s, but well over what I was hoping for. So that was nice.

On Friday, I came back from a week at the Jolly Retreat in Phillip Island. There were about 15 people in the house at any given time, and it was just a great week away. As always, there was a little drama, but nothing too damaging. I even found space for quiet time and meditation on the beach. However, the highlight was definitely the Kris Kringle on the last night. It was the best one ever, simply because the presents had effort and care put into them, rather than any care about a money limit. In fact, most of the presents were costfree anyway. The fact that someone had put in a personal effort meant much more than any $10 token present.

Finally, today is Christmas. My brothers aren't home, so it's just me and mum and dad. We don't even have a Christmas tree up. But it doesn't matter, it's been a great Christmas. Reflective midnight service Christmas Eve, big Christmas service this morning, lunch with family friends, dinner with girlfriend, now watching old-school movies.

And now, as I sit here watching the Grumpy Old Men movies, I can safely say it's been a great holiday so far, and quite possibly the best year of my life. All the reasons, I'll write about later, but it's been awesome. So merry Christmas everyone, let's hope next year is even better.

Crocs - Like or Hate?

Crocs shoes... don't own them. Don't like them. Irritate me with their weird look. Plus people who I've met while they were wearing them... "Ooo look at me, I'm different because my shoes are like clogs but plastic or foam or whatever they're made out of." Haha that's my rant today. Like them, or not like them? Comment.


Anyways, off to Phillip Island for Donny Young Adults Retreat. Shall post about it when I come back.

Vetamorphus Homework: New Age Christianity

Scrolling through Mr. Learning Exercise #8, I came upon this:

"When Bono of U2 said, 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for', many evangelicals despaired, thinking that he had lost his way spiritually, but he was quite clear: 'You broke the bonds, you loosed the chains, you carried the cross and my shame. You know I believe it... but I still haven't found what I'm looking for.' This is not a statement of confusion, or spiritual ambivalence: quite the reverse, it is a positive recognition of the frailty of human experience and human comprehension. We all know only in part, we experience only in part, and in a postmodern world it is crucial that we are honest about this limitation."

What does it mean? Well the article talks about today's postmodern society, in which spiritual conversations aren't that hard to come by, and are engaged much more openly than previous generations. It suggests that everyone today has their own journey spiritually, and it's not a matter of one straight path and you at a certain point on it, but a series of encounters and experiences that appear through one's life. Christians believe that God will have been evidently present and at work, and this may be even if the person does not acknowledge a God in their life.

I like this, it's something I put into most of my seminars for Vetamorphus, into my talks at school chapel, into my 'sermon' I did this year. We've all got our own journey, built upon our maturity, understanding, belief, experiences, etc. As a Christian, I've never believed in 'saving' people, or forcing them to believe for fear of being stabbed by devils with tridents... only in sharing and going that journey with them. Yes I believe, but I, too, still haven't what I'm looking for.