From the Soapbox (Test Match Debut)

For regular visitors, From the Soapbox would seem something of a random thing to stick in a blog...and you would probably be correct. But anywho, From the Soapbox is me coming across a question or an issue, and sticking it up as a post for all to see and discuss. As much as I could write my thoughts on pressing issues (as I often do), I want you guys and gals to share your thoughts with me on Cyberspace, if you wish to do so.

For my first ever From the Soapbox, this is an issue that pulls a lot of heart strings for me. How would you respond to the following quote from Paul Little? Contextual note: The quote is in response to the question of "Wouldn't it be better if God did away with all evil immediately?"

"If God were to stamp out evil today, he would do a complete job. His action would have to include our lies and personal impurities, our lack of love, and our failure to do good. Suppose God were to decree that at midnight tonight all evil would be removed from the universe - who of us would still be here after midnight?"

In Honour of September 11

Six years ago, the face of the world changed;
Six years ago, the world would never be the same.
Six years ago, and it is still firmly lodged in our minds;
Six years ago, and yet it feels like yesterday.

Despite the war on terror that ensued;
Despite the threats of extremism ever looming;
Despite the exchange of words of those in the political realms;
Despite whatever we may make of this horrific tragedy...

Let us never forget
The unity that such a tragedy as this
Brought to humankind.

Even for one day...

Life After College

As I march ever closer toward the completion of my studies, I cannot help but ponder a number of questions. It has been nearly a full three years since I embarked on an academic journey that I never thought I would ever undertake in my life. Nevertheless, here I am, nearly three years on, there is one thing I need to think about, and that is my life after College.

My current plan is this. After the end of November, I plan to return to my current work on a full-time basis. During the time I am at work, I will be using this time to think, reflect, pray, and seek guidance as to the "Where to from here?" question; namely, now that I have this degree, where do I wish to apply myself, ecclesiastically speaking? What Church do I see myself working within? What Church would God have me working within?

At the moment, I feel I need to take a backward step as it were, and examine what changes have occured once I graduate. For at one time, I had no qualification; now I will have slogged three years of my life to attain a Ministry degree, and I feel I need to examine what has changed in my life. I need to seek what new opportunities previously did not exist prior to my studies, and seek prayerful guidance as to what to do with said opportunities. Added to this is the fact that I am getting married in March 2008, so a lot is going to be different in my life, and thus another factor I need to consider.

Much meditation and reflection needed, methinks.

"Good Enough Stand"

What an interesting morning it has been today for ol' me.

Today I had a lecture (on Friday of all days...) for Theology C, but put myself down as an 'explained absentee', due to my paid working commitments at Window Treatments. Unfortunately, neither of these two happened for me - whatever flu bug has been going round Christchurch *finally* found its way to me. And so here I am, at home, blocked, sore, and generally not feeling at all motivated.

So today, stuck at home, I took the chance to finish the upgrades I did to my computer. I bought a new 320GB hard drive to replace my two existing HDDs (totalling a mere 110GB), which meant that I had to reinstall everything. All my Windows XP updates, my antivirus software...everything! Thankfully though, I kept a backup of my 'irreplaceables', especially my BCNZ study stuff. Can't afford to lose those!

In trying to install Norton AntiVirus 2005, I found that I could not activate the software, because I had reached the maximum installations on my antivirus' product key. So I went to their website and entered a live chat session with an 'analyst'; a "Mr. Fix-it" fella, who got me back up and running again.

What I didn't bank on, was the fact that the analyst, whose name is Peter, is a Christian. After going through the processes of activating my software via his instructions, knowing that I have a head cold, he said that I was in his prayers. Touching =)
As a gesture of thanks to his valuable Norton assistance, and because I wanted to, I asked him if there was anything I could pray for. This was his reply, word for word. It's worth thinking about...

"To be good enough stand before when the lord comes in final day."

Such was this reply that I wrote it down on a notepad. And it got me thinking, as I hope it has you thinking also. When was the last time we pondered how we stood before the Lord? Do we even know where we stand? Do we even care where we stand?
I would hope that we do care about our standing before the Lord we serve.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

- Matthew 7:21-23 TNIV

The J Man Returneth

My goodness! Where DOES the time go aye? A huge APOLOGY to all those who are (or have been, given the fact that I've either been absent, gone on vacation, or died) frequent visitors to my humble patch of Cyberspace. A lot has been happening in my life; some good, some not so good, and some that are downright depressing. But in any case...here I am, at last, writing again on my little blog spot.

Some good things that have happened in my life, although most people already know them through other means. I've managed to complete semester one of my third and final year more than satisfactorally (to my mind anyhow), and am but three months away from the end of my academic career as a Bachelor's Degree student. Wow, where DOES the time go?

I've also been planning a wedding during this time - yes, that's right, for those who somehow haven't heard, I am engaged =) I have been active in sorting out all the lovely details, both great and small, of what goes into a wedding, and so far there hasn't been very many problems. I sure hope it stays that way; intuition tells me otherwise. Oh well, still all good though.

Some not so good things have been that I've been battling with a sort of "mild depression" over these last three months. Some fellow students may have noticed my absense at college when I should be there for certain lectures. This is due to this mild depression taking my motivation and energy levels to near-zero, and thus leaving me in a sort of paralyzed state. These mild depression moments have come and gone, and seemed to operate on a fortnightly/monthly cycle, lasting for a few days at a time. This depression has made it difficult to live life to the full, especially since I have never in my life had such depression states before. As I write, I write as someone who feels a lot more emotionally stable, as opposed to a month ago, and have been for the last couple of weeks. I hope I can repeat this confident sentence in another couple of months, free from these depression swings.

Other than that, I've been doing the usual college-type stuff: meeting new people, making new friends (hopefully), trying to stay on top of my assessment list, and seeing my degree through to even the bitter end! Roll on graduation; it will be well earned, and I hope I can say that on behalf of everyone I have journeyed with at college.

40 Hour Famine

Phew, it's been awhile since I last posted here. However, before I give an update on how things have been...

This year, I finally get round to doing something that I longed to do for ages...the 40 hour famine! Feel free to catch up with me sometime (if you can) if you'd like to sponser my efforts next weekend, or check out my online famine book at http://www.famine.org.nz/Pastor_J.

In other news, not too much has been happening as of late. I had my birthday on Feb 23, reaching the epoch-making milestone of...24! After a workwide shout of Coupland's savouries, and taking on a suicide level curry at Two Fat Indians (photos of which can be viewed at my Facebook), I could rest assured knowing I had seen 24 in, in style. Anyone who wishes to go to Two Fat Indians, I highly recommend it! And if you're at the Manchester Street one, check out the chalkboard - my name will be up there somewhere =D

My studies have kicked off as of three weeks ago, and the "honeymoon period" is over. In other words, it's head-down, bum-up time! Now that I've scraped into my final year of my degree, I've got every incentive to finish it. As much as I intend on graduating next year, I know it's going to be an uphill battle. But one which I intend to win...

It's Not Worth It

Recently, a couple of cool things happened to me. I thought I’d share one of them. There’s probably a lesson in here for each of us, as there definitely was with me. For those of you who think God doesn’t speak when you’re on the job, think again…

I was at work a couple of weeks ago, and was asked to shift a whole lot of boxes and cardboard tubes around on shelves, each containing roller fabric. I had to dispose of the empty boxes and arrange the full boxes/tubes. Now, had I known I would end up shifting 1.5 tonnes  of roller fabric, I probably would have asked for help. But I managed to get it all done – yay me.
Not long after I had started, one of the office staff came down and asked me to arrange the boxes in order of fabric types, to make it easier for her to search and find them. I wasn’t in the mood for orderly arrangement; I was asked to shift these boxes – 30kg a piece – to a new location to make way for incoming product. In fact, I was wild enough to stop what I was doing, and look for the supervisor that asked me to shift the boxes in the first place, so that he could veto the office worker’s “decision”. I got roughly ¼ of the way, when a voice said to me, “It’s not worth it.”
I stopped walking.
“It’s not worth it.”
I turned around, went back to my lovely, heavy roller fabric, and went about my task, arranging the fabric as well. All I could say in reply was, “You’re right, Lord.”

When I look back on that incident, I can see that I did the right thing in the end. To be honest, when I was told to move the fabric in order, I did get wild (within myself). I was asked to do a job by someone, and then somebody else from the outside thought they could ‘change the rules’, as it were. It is no wonder why I stormed away from the boxes and sought out my supervisor. It is no wonder the Lord stepped in and quelled my anger. You see, I wanted out of anger, possibly out of a revenge motive  for this decision to be vetoed. But I was told, “It’s not worth it”. And it’s not. I could very easily have asked my supervisor to overturn the office worker’s decision, and thus I could have continued with my task unphased. But I probably would have lost the trust of a fellow worker.
The Lord was right. It is not worth it. I’m glad I turned back and went about my business. For all I know, it probably saved a lot of hardship later on.

Finally...!

That's right folks! After years of putting it off, for numerous reasons, I finally took the plunge and as of Thursday 28 December, 2006, I entered the Drivers License Community. I passed my Learner's 33/35 (which is a pass for any class license of your choice, but I only went for the Class 1).
Look out roads...!

The Ultimate Road Trip

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...is to drive to Greymouth to get some Fish 'n' Chips!
Sounds crazy? That's exactly what me and a dedicated team from Opawa did. And below are some photos of THE ultimate road trip!

The Christchurch weather.
The fearless driver!
The Tavern (probably the most prominent building in this 'town').
The place...
The final destination...
The reason we went to Greymouth!
Mission accomplished.

Coolest picture ever...!

Inner Reflection

I think it’s time to be honest with myself for a change.

It has been awhile since my last real  post on my blog, and there are some reasons for this. The first is that I have, more or less, lost my motivation when it comes to blogging. The second is that I am going through a rough patch at the moment (in which I know I am not alone in), which is contributing to my loss of motivation. This ‘patch’ is study-related; I am going through what can only be described as a phase in my life where I have wanted to basically walk out. I have wanted to chuck in the towel, as it were, and walk out of my studies. I have found this semester to be a difficult one. It feels like I am caught in some sort of ‘limbo’ in my study life, where there seems to be a high workload yielding low rewards. By walking out, I can leave all this crapness behind me, start afresh and find motivation again. Maybe I will return, maybe not.

But that, of course, is not the answer…

I know that to have come this far in my studies, to walk out on it would tell me that everything I had to sacrifice in order to get into college would be for nothing. Walking out isn’t going to achieve the end goal. Walking out isn’t going to allow me to graduate, much less get me the degree. Despite my feelings of utter despair, despite this storm of life, I must press on. I hope I am not alone in this. If I am, then consider this post a whinge that has allowed me to express my inner feelings. If I am not alone, then at least I am not the only one going through this.

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 75% Neo orthodox 64% Emergent/Postmodern 64% Charismatic/Pentecostal 54% Reformed Evangelical 50% Classical Liberal 46% Roman Catholic 43% Fundamentalist 32% Modern Liberal 32% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

R.I.P. Dick Smith ADSL Router

My apologies to all, but I had a bit of an issue. My DSL Router at home (which is my only gateway to the Internet) decided to crap itself royally - leaving me without online capabilities. So basically...

- I couldn't access any money
- I couldn't send or receive any emails
- I couldn't check out my standing on TVNZ Virtual World Cup
- I couldn't do any blogging

So I've had a fun time outside of Cyberspace, but I'm back. Bought myself a new Router so, errrmm...welcome back, I guess...
P.S. Stupid technology...!

Apostate Christianity Survey

I read this in a newsletter I stumbled upon purely by chance. Inside this newsletter was a survey taken among Evangelicals in North America, which is what this post is.
Here’s what will happen: I’ll leave this post up for a week, letting you guys read through it and post your responses as comments (I’d love to know what you all think about this). After the week, I’ll post up my own response.
Enjoy…

----------

Survey: Two-Thirds of Evangelicals doubt Jesus’ words regarding Salvation through Him alone.
There's a new poll out which points to a growing rejection among Evangelicals that Jesus is the only way of salvation. For years, most evangelical Christians have been taught and accepted the words of Jesus in John 14:6, where He states, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but my Me." But now a new Newsweek/Beliefnet poll is showing a shocking number of people who call themselves evangelical and born-again have come to reject those words. The question in the poll read: "Can a good person who isn't of your religious faith go to heaven or attain salvation, or not?" According to the poll results of more than 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older, 68 percent of evangelical Christians believe "good" people of other faiths can also go to heaven. Nationally, 79 percent of those surveyed said the same thing, with an "astounding" 91 percent agreement among Catholics, notes Beliefnet. Beliefnet spokesman Steven Waldman calls the results "pretty amazing."

Moral Laxity

As much as it is not the nicest title to give to any post, through observation over time, I believe something needs to be addressed on this issue. I open this post with two recent examples:

Example 1
For three days out of my average week, I attend four (nee five) lectures at Bible College, plus whatever extra time I decide to spend in the Library studying. I’ve made a ton of awesome friends during my time there, and dare I venture to suggest, I’ve got a family there. But there are issues within the family. A couple of weeks ago, one of my peers left their desk for a short moment. When they came back, they found that their iPod and wristwatch were stolen. At the time of writing this post, they have not yet been recovered.

Example 2
After a three week absence, I returned to the Laser Strike arena, a game that I consider a sport, probably because I’ve never really taken up a proper sport and kept at it (I’ve stuck with L.S. for the past three, nearly four years). It’s great fitness and I’ve carved up a nice group there as well. In one game our lot played, we were joined by a bunch of nine teenagers, whom I recognized as youth from my home Church. We played the game, as you do, but it was not until we finished the game that I heard some interesting things from both camps. From my group, complaints of contact (the definition of contact within a L.S. context is broad, but I can state here that the contact was very light). But apparently, I had been told of threats from the youth side to specific member(s) of the group I was a part of. In addition, during the game it’s funny to see how people transform into green-streaked, competitive fighters, where the use of language is disregarded and the fact that they are Christians doesn’t seem to be factored into the equation. I think I’ve made my point.

In other words, to tie in these two examples, what the heck is going on with the Christian community?  How can one justify the theft of any  item within a Bible college? And this is a question shared by many at the college; it doesn’t seem to make sense. What kind of Christian witness is out there in the world, be it within college walls, laser strike arenas, mate’s houses, events…you get the idea.
In short, I believe there is a severe moral laxity among Christians in today’s world. And the Church, it seems, is making no inroads in dealing with these issues. It’s as if we are left to fend for ourselves, with the Church waving at us, saying “It’s OK – Jesus loves you anyway.” How do we expect to make a difference in society, proclaiming a message of hope and love, when Christians cannot even demonstrate that themselves?

I’m sorry if this sounds all too much like a whing and a whine – but someone’s got to voice their concerns…

Genealogy Update

I promised updates as they came to hand, so here’s the first in what I hope to be a frequent list of updates.
I was in Central Library on Thursday for a good part of the afternoon, with a mission to find out more of my family line. Prior to this, my lineage became ‘cold’ at my Grandfather (on Dad’s side, the line I am fervently tracing). My aim was to discover who my Great-Grandparents were. After four hours of searching, I came away with what can only be described as a ‘baby-step’ – but it’s still a step nevertheless.
Going through early Electoral rolls, I have found a list of three possibilities of who could be my GG. Although (after some careful out-of-library research) I may have – by process of elimination – discovered who of the three it could be, I can’t help but sit in the chair of “Un-Confirmation”. I would like to confirm beyond all doubt that my Granddad’s Dad is so-and-so, and thus continue my trace of the Sumner family line. And maybe get out  of New Zealand and plow through my ancestor’s homeland.

Watch this space…

Today is a special day for Christianity. Actually, this entire week ("Holy Week" for the more traditional Churches) is special for Christianity. Last Sunday we celebrated with Palm Sunday. This weekend we celebrate what is known as Easter: the atoning death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But today also holds significance; it is the day that the Lord shared The Last Supper with His disciples. Today (or tonight more to the point) I encourage each of you to celebrate this meal with Him. Invite your home group, invite your friends, invite whoever you want. Get some bread and some wine (or whatever you use in its place) and set up this magnificent table. May we 'break the bread' and 'drink of the cup' as we eat this meal in remembrance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Μισώ τις δοκιμές

Tomorrow I have not one, but two  tests! The first is a short Greek test, where I get to see if I not only learnt the Greek alphabet (in addition to twenty words), but if I also learnt the Greek grammar (order of words and the like). The second is a bit trickier; my Theological Method  90-minute exam.
I think there are two things on my list of things to do: Study (which I have done, and will do again), and Pray (which I will continuously do). And I’m ready to bet that I’m not the only one in this camp.
Oh well, in any case, I’ve got my hot Chicken soup in hand, and numerous books out in front of me. The fun never ends for a student of the Λόγος.

Peace out!

A Step Forward For Genealogy

Ever since the first few opening weeks of my Spirituality for Ministry class (latter half of last year), I've developed something of a taste for Genealogy. I have conducted numerous internet searches for my forebearers and turned up nothing. The best I can do is get an exhaustive list of migrants to America, which of course doesn't help me. After countless efforts (and failures!) to establish something of a link, last Thursday marked a significant step forward, one in which I aim to build upon.
The image at the top is my Coat of Arms. I got that image after - by accident - stumbling upon a stall at Northlands offering the historical origins of a myriad of last names. Me, being curious and incredibly interested, checked it out, and walked away with an A3-sized 'history of my name', framed. Having gotten a hold of where (and when) my surname originated from, I have at least something to trace back to. I've also been informed by my sister that my Dad holds a wealth of family records, so no doubt I'm going to touch-base with Dad something in the very near future.
After nearly half a year of failures, things are starting to look a tad brighter. Hopefully I can check back with some more info after visiting Dad. But for now, I at least know of my Coat of Arms, as well as its history (and what a history it is as well).

March 31

March 31: The end of the Financial Year.
March 31: The date for the major stocktake of Window Treatments.
March 31: The bane of my existence here on earth.

Yesterday was the day that I loathe the most. There’s something unappealing to going to work and counting virtually everything in stock. And yet myself – and a handful of the W.T. veterans – arrived that morning ready to arm ourselves with stock sheets and pens, ready to do such meticulous counting. Gaaahh! The only part that was enjoyable? The five savouries and two cake pieces I ate during break (generously shouted by the boss, a long-standing tradition on ‘Stocktake Day’).
After completing that task, I returned home to resume another arduous task: my essay for Sermon on the Mount. I’ve made awesome progression (and discovery) through my research phases, and this afternoon I set out to continue turning my many pages of notes into structured essay. And with Tuesday morning as the time I hand it in, I’ve certainly got my work cut out! The real problem is in how to word my rough notes into the essay. Should be interesting…
In other news, the Crusaders took on the Hurricanes last night, and me and a mate overseas had a drink riding on the game (Coke v Lift Plus). When he gets back in a month’s time, I will have to tell him the “good” news that the Hurricane’s got done! He’s a Wellingtonian, you see, and loyal as anything. Almost as much as I am to Canterbury. Oh well, a Coke for me!
As I’ve always said: C’mon you Crusaders!!!