Moving

I know its like way early in my bloging life, but I'm moving my Blog to Wordpress.

Update the things you need to folks - here is the new address that you will be able to see all the old as well as the new!
http://thisjarofclay.wordpress.com

Edited: Disgusted by public support

As many people may be aware, there has been a lot of talk in the media in regards to Matthew Johns and his group sex capers in 2002 in Christchurch, promopted by the ABC's 4 Corners program.

Public Support however for Johns is still running high, complete with a Facebook group, people saying "what's the big deal, it wasn't illegal", and one leage players saying:

"You're not supposed to say it publicly, but everyone knows that if you're polite afterwards and pay her cab fare home you usually don't have any problems."

Johns has been stood down by Channel 9 with David Gallop of the NRL also stating that the incident was totally unacceptable behaviour, a move which I strongly support. Yeah, i know it wasn't illegal, but this is a guy that a lot of young people look up to and admire as a 'sporting hero'.

Whilst it wasn't Illegeal, i still feel it's wrong because of 2 basic issues:

1. its just down outright degrading to women; even if your not a Christian, you should be appalled by the culture that says this sort of thing is 'OK'.
2. Even as society slides deeper into moral depravity, most people still somehow hold onto the sanctity of marriage - just look at the number of non-Christians who commit to it; Matthew Johns committed adultry.

If people still think its ok, I wonder how would these same people react if it was their sister, their wife/girlfriend or their daughter that was involved?

Click Here to read a more indepth article written by Phillip Jensen on the whole situation of League Hypocrisy.

This is my friend, my friend indeed

I've had a tune going round in my head on constant replay since chapel this morning. I know I'm not the only one either as I've heard others around college humming and whistling the same tune.

If you werent there, i'll let you in on what it was you missed out on - a beautiful hymn that focuses our attention on Christ, our Lord, who was put to death, so that we may be forgiven our sins and live in friendship with him.

My song is love unknown, my Savior's love to me

Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be

Oh, who am I that for my sake,

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

He came from heaven's throne salvation to bestow

But they refused and none the longed-for Christ would know

This is my friend, my friend indeed,

Who at my need, His life did spend.

Sometimes they crowd His way and His sweet praises sing

Resounding all the day, hosannas to their King

Then, "Crucify!" is all their breath,

And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what has my Lord done to cause this rage and spite

He made the lame to run, and gave the blind their sight

What injuries, yet these are why,

The Lord Most High so cruelly dies.

With angry shouts they have my dear Lord done away

A murderer they save, the Prince of Life they slay

Yet willingly, He bears the shame,

That through His name all might be free.

Here might I stay and sing of Him my soul adores

Never was love, dear King, never was grief like Yours

This is my friend in whose sweet praise,

I, all my days would gladly spend.

Samuel Crossman

We also had a great encouraging sermon that fitted in well - calling us to remain faithful to God no matter what the trials and testings we are experienceing. This was based on Gen 22 when Abraham is instructed by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.

God's Growth

If you know anything about me, you would know that I enjoy gardening.

It struck me the other day that I haven't had to water my veggie garden in quite a number of weeks - since I planted new plants about 4 weeks ago in fact. The obvious reason is that we have been getting regular rainfall in the last few weeks.

On a deeper level however, this is a great demonstration of the way that God works, one that the apostle Paul picks up in 1 Corinthians

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 1Cor 3:7

In our lives as Christians, there are people who have influenced our faith, but they are not the reason why we believe. No - we believe because God has enabled us to believe and continues to enable us to grow in our faith!

How has God been helping you to grow lately?

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Based on the novel by John Boyne, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is a wrenching Holocaust story about a young German boy and his forbidden friendship with a Jewish child.

Bruno is living a charmed life in Berlin as the son of a high-ranking Nazi soldier, when his father is suddenly transferred to a job out in the country. Bruno, as well as his sister Gretel and mother must all join him at his new post. Bruno is lonely and confused by his new surroundings, and he doesn't understand why he can't wander the grounds or play at a nearby farm.

The "farm," of course, is a concentration camp, though Bruno doesn't know this. He soon sneaks away to explore, and meets Shmuel a prisoner of the camp and befriends him. After witnessing brutal violence perpetrated against some very kind people, he has begun to question these Nazi beliefs as Bruno is no longer sure what to make of his soldier father, whom he once believed to be a hero.

I watched this with Jess on Saturday night and we both agree that it’s a movie well worth seeing, but probably not on a first date!

As I watched it, it struck me at they way that even the most educated people can swallow lies and deceit if it is well packaged - even to the extent that they will co-operate in the attempted extermination of an entire race of people.

I'm still in the process of thinking things through on this movie. If you've seen it & want to discuss, feel free to share here. If you haven't, go and see it - it is worth it!

Standards of Society

The other day I was talking to my mother-in-law when Home and Away came on the TV. She made the statement that she didn’t like the show any more after having followed it for many years. When I asked her why this was, she said it was because of the introduction of a homosexual relationship involving a female cop and that this program was ‘prime time’ viewing. I want to make this quite clear, I'm not having a go at my Mother-in -Law at all, she is ia an awesome woman who is devoted to God, is community minded and i really admier her for having raised such an awesome daughter who is my wife!




That said, I found her reaction to the issue to be quite surprising considering many of the other social issues and values that Home and Away has touched on in recent years including sexual relationships between heterosexual couples outside of marriage, sexual relations between minors, unfaithfulness in relations, abuse of trust in relationships, overt use of drugs, underage drinking and abuse of alcohol. The actions of the producers and script writers of the show are only embracing issues that are relevant for society today, many of which are against Christian values, yet they reflect society in general.



My question to you is this: Is it right to have such a reaction based on one topic when there are so many other issues that are objectionable, or is it hypocritical in objecting to one thing but not others? Your thoughts?

We Will Remember Them

We Will Remember Them

Lest We Forget

My Great Grandfather, Harry Preston, was an original ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on 28th April 1915. He survived and later went on to the Western Front before returning to Australia.

For the Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,

There is music in the midst of desolation

And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain.

By Laurence Binyon