COMPLAINT

Father, my dear Father, Daddy, my dear Father, tell me true: Do you really love me like you say you do?

1. I know you've done some splendid rearranging so anyone can get to heaven's gate,
but I have got some questions of a personal kind I'd appreciate if you could answer straight.
You see, this acne on my face is so embarrassing,
my legs are bowed a little at the knees.
My dentures keep on slippingand my hair is fallingout - Daddy, do you really care for me?

2. And what about the way you made me clumsy? What about the way you made me sweat?
God, I've had to cope with being me so far; still, you've got some time to change me yet. My legs are too short, my feet are too long,
my bum is bigger than it ought to be.
My left eye wanders and my right eye squints - God, it isn't fair, don't you agree?
2a. Well, I never got a special revelation,
he didn't send a vision from the clouds. Maybe it was my imagination,
but I think I got his message clear and loud.

3. (He said) I gave you everything you've got (take it or leave it) and you're the only one of your kind.
You think it's hard to love yourself - well, tough,
put yourself in my shoes sometime.
Yes, you ought to try and see how hard I find you. And I put you together, I designed you.
I know you much better than you know yourself, soifIcanloveyou theway Ido,socanyou!

I cry aloud to God... in times of trouble I pray to the Lord... Will the Lord always reject us?... Has he stopped loving us?...
I will remember your great deeds... the wonders you did in the past. Psalm 77
 

1980. A tradition has developed in the church that you can't be honest - with each other, or with God-andreallyleteverythinghangout. NotonlyisthisaninsulttoGod,whoistotallyhonest and open with us, but it's emotionally repressive, and damaging to us humans. The Old Testament, especially the Psalms, includes a lot of whingeing, and I like to be faithful to the Bible. Songs that are humorous are usually fun to sing (except when nobody laughs), and this song has the added advantage of having the word 'bum' in it - always a hit with kids.

 

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.