GOD.VERSION 1.0

I don't believe in a God up in the sky
who sits in heaven and never hears me cry. I don't believe in a God who's far away —
I believe in Jesus living here with us today.

I don't believe in a watchmaker above,
set this world going but now is not involved, who from a distance is watching as we fall — I believe in Jesus' God who suffers with us all.

I don't believe in a God who keeps a shop,
who checks each item and puts a price on top, who wants a dividend on each investment made — God is always giving and refuses to be paid.

I don't believe in a tyrant on a throne
who wants to punish us for every wrong we've done, who keeps a tally of each mistake and crime —
God wants to have mercy on us
each and every time.

I don't believe in a patriarchal chief,
a judge who never had mercy on a thief,
the Lord and Master who must be waited on — God is mother-sister just as much as father-son.

God is beside us, God has no other home,
no other family, we are God's flesh and bone; He-She is with us and with all humankind — loving his creation always occupies her mind.

This song was sparked by a book called "Redemptive Intimacy" by Dick Westley. It's a journey into faith, or from one kind of faith to another. For me, it was a book full of resonance - "Yes, that's right. That's how I feel!" etc. I was pleased recently to see the book quoted by another American Catholic writer, Brennan Manning, in "The Relentless Love of Jesus". It's in the first chapter, 'Healing our image of God and ourselves'. I'm writing this the week after our city was visited by a major American evangelist. I wish that people could have heard Brennan's message instead. There certainly seems to be plenty of scope for healing. My understanding of God continues to change and develop, but I'm surprised again and again to find myself back at the place where I first started. "Version 1.0" I had thought was a bit jokey, but maybe it was more serious at the same time. [“...we do not believe in God, that mythical being who sits on a throne in a far-off perfect land. Nor do we believe in the Monster-God, who lies in wait to punish us for mistakes and crimes.” Westley, p.85 'Redemptive Intimacy’]

 

ALWS 5/10/23

To say I've been inactive on my website is a serious understatement! I've written nothing here since early 2021. 

So, does this mean the world has stopped for us, that nothing is happening?
A major event for us in 2022 was moving house in October. We had been in Modbury Heights since July 1993.Now we're back in Klemzig.

In May we travelled to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, seeing work supported by Australian Lutheran World Service. Dorothy and I are Ambassadors for the ALWS programme, Lives You Touch. We are encouraging people to leave money in their will for the work of ALWS. We committed to leave a third of our will many years ago and hope many others can touch lives in this way.
Since then we have visited Box Hill & Loxton with Jonathan & Julie Krause as part of the Asante presentations, promoting the cause of ALWS. Still to come this year are Asante events in Toowoomba & Rochedale (Nov 26 & 27) and Perth (Dec 10)

Looking forward to seeing many people on these occasions.