MONDAY, EH?

Back to work, can always be seen as either a chore or a chance. I think most Christians divide their lives in the Sunday ‘stuff’/small group stuff’ (the sacred) and ‘the rest of my life’, including work (the secular). 

God never intended us to live like that. That’s why we are uniquely gifted and passionately pursuing different interests and vocations. I know, that there are exceptions - not everyone gets to do what they really like. But I hope that it’s only a season, a matter of time before you get the opportunity to use your gifts and personality for blessing humanity and honoring God therefore.

I remember Irinaeus, the Early Church Father saying that: “The Glory of God is a human being who is fully alive.”

Here is something worth investing that can make your work-place and you presence there something noticeable: humility.

Since some parts of the Church celebrate the Lord’s Baptism (Boboteaza, RO) today, I was reflecting on Jesus’ baptism by John. If I had to sum up the whole passage in one word it would be ‘humility’. Read again Matthew’s account:

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

John’s reaction is so unexpected. He would struggle to fit in a 21st century leadership model, even a Christian one. Instead of basking in the glory that the Messiah was coming to visit him – he tries to dissuade Jesus from getting baptized. He could have used the event as shameless self-promotion publicity stunt. Instead, John remains consistent in his humility displayed even before the event. That shows character. He remains true to his conviction when temptation was handed to him on a plate.

But as much as I admire John, it is Jesus Himself that shows incredible humility. He goes to John. He goes through a shameful public act that was meant to display repentance and regret. Just like the crucifixion on Golgotha, he goes through with the Father’s plan – as difficult as that was. And the Father is so appreciative of it. He shows off in his recognition of the Son’s obedience. In a way, just like the other people who were baptized by John, for Jesus it was a new beginning.

Today is a a day to remember the two examples of authentic humility. Humility, in the face of many temptations to show pride. A great encouragement to us to remain humble. If God has called you – obey with a faithful heart. If you lead, lead with humility – letting Him get the glory! And I can guarantee that even if you look like a ‘loser’ in the deceived eyes of the world – in His eyes you will be a son and a daughter that He is well pleased with.

‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.’   (1 Peter 5:6)

• TRUTHFULNESS: we must have the courage to tell the truth about how we feel and what we think. It might even be just a matter of perception but it still is right to voice it.
• HUMILITY: there is always helpful to voice things with a level of self-doubt (‘maybe it’s just me’) always leaving room for the fact that you could have got the ‘wrong end of the stick’
• TRANSPARENCY: learning to open up and not be afraid to let people see you even either hurt, angry or very sad. Body language often conveys feelings much better than words
• COMMUNICATION: learning to voice-up our questions, worries, desires and concerns. Avoiding gossiping or having ‘meetings after the meeting’.
• COURAGE: it is almost always easier to avoid confrontation but taking cheap, selfish, safe shortcuts (gossip, whine). Courageous people express publicly their thought – with humility.
• PRAYER: it was great to hear not just apologies to one another but asking forgiveness from God and a desire to ‘move on’ in His strength (true repentance).
• BIBLE: one of the girls brought a fab passage from Ephesians talking about unity, service and love.

Much more could be added, I am sure, but that is good as a starter.

http://cristimurgu.com/

An extremely interesting article that reveals one of the classic traps Hollywood directors tend to fall into – MESSIAH COMPLES by David White on February 8

Every age produces its own sort of fables, and our age seems to have produced The White Messiah fable.

This is the oft-repeated story about a manly young adventurer who goes into the wilderness in search of thrills and profit. But, once there, he meets the native people and finds that they are noble and spiritual and pure. And so he emerges as their Messiah, leading them on a righteous crusade against his own rotten civilization.

Avid moviegoers will remember “A Man Called Horse,” which began to establish the pattern, and “At Play in the Fields of the Lord.” More people will have seen “Dances With Wolves” or “The Last Samurai.”

Kids have been given their own pure versions of the fable, like “Pocahontas” and “FernGully.”

It’s a pretty serviceable formula. Once a director selects the White Messiah fable, he or she doesn’t have to waste time explaining the plot because everybody knows roughly what’s going to happen.

The formula also gives movies a little socially conscious allure. Audiences like it because it is so environmentally sensitive. Academy Award voters like it because it is so multiculturally aware. Critics like it because the formula inevitably involves the loincloth-clad good guys sticking it to the military-industrial complex.

Yet of all the directors who have used versions of the White Messiah formula over the years, no one has done so with as much exuberance as James Cameron in “Avatar.”

“Avatar” is a racial fantasy par excellence. The hero is a white former Marine who is adrift in his civilization. He ends up working with a giant corporation and flies through space to help plunder the environment of a pristine planet and displace its peace-loving natives.

The peace-loving natives — compiled from a mélange of Native American, African, Vietnamese, Iraqi and other cultural fragments — are like the peace-loving natives you’ve seen in a hundred other movies. They’re tall, muscular and admirably slender. They walk around nearly naked. They are phenomenal athletes and pretty good singers and dancers.

The white guy notices that the peace-loving natives are much cooler than the greedy corporate tools and the bloodthirsty U.S. military types he came over with. He goes to live with the natives, and, in short order, he’s the most awesome member of their tribe. He has sex with their hottest babe. He learns to jump through the jungle and ride horses. It turns out that he’s even got more guts and athletic prowess than they do. He flies the big red bird that no one in generations has been able to master.

Along the way, he has his consciousness raised. The peace-loving natives are at one with nature, and even have a fiber-optic cable sticking out of their bodies that they can plug into horses and trees, which is like Horse Whispering without the wireless technology. Because they are not corrupted by things like literacy, cellphones and blockbuster movies, they have deep and tranquil souls.

The natives help the white guy discover that he, too, has a deep and tranquil soul.

The natives have hot bodies and perfect ecological sensibilities, but they are natural creatures, not history-making ones. When the military-industrial complex comes in to strip mine their homes, they need a White Messiah to lead and inspire the defense.

Our hero leaps in, with the help of a pack of dinosaurs summoned by Mother Earth. As he and his fellow freedom fighters kill wave after wave of Marines or former Marines or whatever they are, he achieves the ultimate prize: He is accepted by the natives and can spend the rest of his life in their excellent culture.

Cameron’s handling of the White Messiah fable is not the reason “Avatar” is such a huge global hit. As John Podhoretz wrote in The Weekly Standard, “Cameron has simply used these familiar bromides as shorthand to give his special-effects spectacular some resonance.” The plotline gives global audiences a chance to see American troops get killed. It offers useful hooks on which McDonald’s and other corporations can hang their tie-in campaigns.

Still, would it be totally annoying to point out that the whole White Messiah fable, especially as Cameron applies it, is kind of offensive?

It rests on the stereotype that white people are rationalist and technocratic while colonial victims are spiritual and athletic. It rests on the assumption that nonwhites need the White Messiah to lead their crusades. It rests on the assumption that illiteracy is the path to grace. It also creates a sort of two-edged cultural imperialism. Natives can either have their history shaped by cruel imperialists or benevolent ones, but either way, they are going to be supporting actors in our journey to self-admiration.

It’s just escapism, obviously, but benevolent romanticism can be just as condescending as the malevolent kind — even when you surround it with pop-up ferns and floating mountains.

Just seen ‘Avatar’ – after plenty of time of waiting and listening to personal reviews from my friends. I was thrilled for the first 30 minutes and increasingly bored afterwards. Here are some of my thoughts on it:

Positives:

• Visually it looks fabulous – though the 3D worked only in part. I agree with Dr. Kermode that it would probably be fine without the glasses. But to be fair, how many times would you watch a movie because it is fabulous visually? Think The English Patient….
• It uses a pretty linear story line that is easy to follow – a fairy-tale, if a common one at that.

Negatives:

• The message is confused: pro-environmentalism while portraying an over-blown cruel battle scene?
• Far too long
• Very ‘new age’ without any clever underlying philosophy – a real ‘mish mash’.

Star Wars or LoR it isn’t! I would have loved Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam to have a go at the subject – which seems fascinating.

PS – a few theological reflections, if I may:

• the idea of the Avatar – new identity in a parallel world – a foretaste of Heaven – no disabilities
• the idea of death in order to be reborn as an Na’vi – new birth – spritually

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radical-Reformission-Reaching-Without-Selling/dp/0310256593/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265762160&sr=8-6

• Confession of a Reformission Pastor – M. Driscoll – 3£

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Reformission-Rev-Leadership-Innovation/dp/0310270162/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

• Worship Evangelism: Inviting Unbelievers into the Presence of God by Sally Morgenthaller – 3£

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Worship-Evangelism-Inviting-Unbelievers-Presence/dp/031022649X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1265762537&sr=1-1-spell

• Lucado 3 in 1: In the Grip of Grace/When God Whispers Your Name/Applause of Heaven (Hardcover)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucado-Grace-Whispers-Applause-Heaven/dp/084991664X/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265764782&sr=1-14

Videos that teach – 1-4 Youth Specialties – 10£ for all 4

Charles Swindoll – The Grace Awakening (HB) – 3£

More to follow….

I have been preaching a mini series on Sunday nights – ‘Flashforward’ – triggered by the new TV series. I have already posted something about it: http://murgsy.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/flashforward/

As I started to read what Jesus taught the disciples about His return in Matthew 24-25, one of the things that strikes me is a sense of surprise: some that wear the badge, just won’t be acknowledged as authentic Christ-followers. Therefore Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (on Romans, vol 2, page 98) has a stern warning for all those of us who are in ministry:

“. . . There is nothing, surely, which is more dangerous to the soul than what we may call a glib believism. And you see how this affects all our ideas of evangelism.  If we are so anxious to get people ‘through’, as we say, instead of leaving the Holy Spirit to do His own work, we tend to say, ‘But look here, it is simple – – here, you see, the Scripture says if you believe you are saved.  Do you believe?  Yes.  Very well, you are saved, it is all right’.  But it may be all wrong!  It may be terribly all wrong!  And it can be an exceedingly dangerous thing to say that to a soul, and to give people the impression that because they have said they believe and accept, all is well.  There is a sense in which we have got to say that to them, but we must not stop at that.  We must go on – – we must say, ‘All your good living and all your works can never save you.  You have got to see that, and you have got to admit that to yourself and to God.  You have got to see that you can only be saved by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will act upon you.  He will bring into birth a new man within you; He will implant a new principle of life in you, and that will begin to manifest itself’.  In other words, we must never stop at just believing – – we must always emphasize regeneration – – the re-birth – the new man.  Otherwise it seems to me we are leaving souls in a very dangerous position.

Absolutely wonderful description of  Jesus:

“In Jesus Christ . . . meet infinite highness and infinite condescension; infinite justice and infinite grace; infinite glory and lowest humility; infinite majesty and transcendent meekness; deepest reverence for God and equality with God; worthiness of good and the greatest patience under the suffering of evil; a great spirit of obedience and supreme dominion over heaven and earth; absolute sovereignty and perfect resignation; self sufficiency and an entire trust and reliance on God.”    John Piper