tasmission

I’m just back at work after a couple of  weeks holidays.  A small part of my holiday was spent on and around the golf course. I’m a strictly amateur hacker, but very much enjoyed the chance to chase that little white ball around.

My first golfing experience during the break took place at the incomparable Barnbougle Dunes, on Tasmania’s north-east coastline.  Barnbougle is set into the coastal dunes overlooking bass straight. It’s a stunning golf course, rated #3 in Australia, and #35 in the world’s rankings of best golf courses.  For golfers, even hacks like me, it’s a special place, and one that I have been looking forward to for a long time.

One of the features that makes Barnbougle so special, is the way it fits perfectly into its environment.  This is not a resort style golf course, with artificial waterways, perfectly manicured bunkers, and lush iridescent green grass.

Instead, the course winds its way through the dune system behind the beach, using native grasses, local sand and the natural obstacles present in this beautiful wilderness environment.

Certainly the course designers have done some earthworks, brought in top soil, and carefully crafted greens and fairways, but the overwhelming impression is that they have done so within the context of the original environment.

Context matters.  The local environment matters. The result is a golf course that fits perfectly, and appears as though it has always been there.  Barnbougle would be a strange place if they parachuted in a resort course like Sanctuary Cove.  Context matters.

The same is true when we in the church start thinking about new initiatives.  Parachuting in some brilliant community service initiative, or some wonderful contemporary (or traditional) approach to church, community or worship just doesn’t cut it.  What matters is looking closely at the community, its needs, its habits, its environment.  Context matters, and if the response isn’t contextual, then it’s in danger of doing more harm than good.

When you start thinking about new initiatives, look closely at your host community. How can what you do fit maximise the dunes, curves and existing environment?  How can you ensure that you’re not just dropping in an ideas from somewhere else that simply won’t connect with your community?  Context matters.

One specifically for the tassie readers….

With a state election coming up (as an aside, someone is going to have to explain the tasmanian electoral system to me, I have no idea!) here’s a unique opportunity to interact with the key political leaders.

Monday 15th February @ 7.30pm

Hosted in Hobart but webcast across the state.

Book for Make It Count – Tasmania :: Australia Votes.

Having been on holidays for a couple of weeks, I’ve been trying to limit my web time as well (with mixed success). Here’s a couple of things I’ve found interesting:

Tying the Clouds Together: Interesting interview with Rob Bell online over at Leadership Journal in which Rob talks candidly about the ways in which he sees the world, and draws together messages and sermons.  Good read particularly for story-tellers.

“In the New Testament, there are 43 “one another” passages, and during a Sunday morning service you might be able to practice three or four of them. And as the service gets large, you can probably do fewer. A massive group setting is also dangerous. You can come, sit, listen, and go home and think, I’ve been to church, even if you haven’t practiced any “one anothers.” (Rob Bell on the dangers of video based teaching)

The Cherry Shed: My favourite place for my new favourite summer food (sorry bowen mangos, you’re now #2).

How to Hide an Airplane Factory: Most amazing piece of camouflage ever. (h/t postkiwi)

Speaking the Language:

(asbo Jesus)

A few links and stories I’ve found interesting this week:

The Edge – World Question 2010: How is the internet changing the way you think?

Prodigal Kiwi – comments on Mark Sayers on the interplay between creativity and creeds.  Full original Sayers piece at Next Wave

10 Types of Emerging Church that will no longer upset your grandfather – Tall Skinny Kiwi

When Aspiring writers become actual writers – some inspiration for the hidden writer in all of us – Storytellers Unplugged

Over the weekend I was chatting with a mate about the two stories we’ve both been taking a particular interest in this week.

The first is the emerging disaster that is the confrontation between conservation organisation Sea Shepherd and the Japanese ICR whaling fleet.  The situation is well known, and I don’t need to go over the detail here again.  But in some quarters, and in my conversation, the question was raised “what do Sea Shepherd think they are doing, putting themselves in harms way so far from civilisation?”. The truth is, rescuing a stricken vessel in the far flung waters off Antarctica would not be easy. It was fortunate that on this occasion, conditions were relatively calm, and a second Sea Shepherd vessel was close by to assist.

The second story I’m following, and which is a much more “positive” story, is that of solo round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson.  Watson, the 16 year old attempting to become the youngest ever to achieve the feat, is currently a couple of hundred miles away from rounding the famed Cape Horn, off south America.  Despite a rocky start involving her and an oil tanker, Watson’s journey has proceeded smoothly, and she is well on track with the expectations of her support team.  The same question arose though as we chatted. “What is she doing putting herself in harms way like this?  Why is a 16 year old all alone in the middle of the southern ocean – perhaps the roughest stretch of water on the planet?  What if the worst happens?” Read the rest of this entry »

The first in a regular series for 2010 pointing you to some interesting stuff I’ve encountered this week.  For your clicking action:

• Church Virtually: Reflection on lessons learned from ‘internet church campuses’. From leadershipjournal.net h/t Rosalind.

• Christmas for Introverts: A little late, but Duncan Macleod introduces Christmas for Introverts, and Adam McHugh’s new book Introverts in the Church: Finding our Place in Extroverted Culture.  It’s on my reading list for 2010.

• Alan Hirsch on holiness. Here on facebook, or reproduced at backyardmissionary.com

• Closing on the Cape: Jessica Watson continues her epic round-the-world solo sailing journey, presently nearing Cape Horn, South America.  Follow Jess’s regular updates here

And this week’s Youtube video of the week:

What would a virtual church gathering look like if it were in real life?  h/t matt stone

Like many, I’ve been appalled at yesterday’s turn of events in the southern ocean, in which the Sea Shepherd vessell Ady Gil, and Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru 2 collided.

The result of the violent collision is the probably destruction and loss of the Ady Gil, with salvage efforts problematic in the wild waters so remote from civilisation.  Fortunately the crew of both vessels escaped serious injury.

Predictably, each organisation has blamed the other.  Sea Shepherd claims that their boat was stationary, and was deliberately rammed by the Shonan Maru, while the whaling organisation insists the more agile Ady Gil moved in front of its ship far too late for anything to be done.

With eye-witnesses to the incident all heavily invested in one side or the other of the conflict, the question for the rest of us becomes “how do we tell who to believe?”.  It can’t be as simple as siding with Sea Shepherd if you’re a good Australian who thinks whales are cute, and believing the Shonan Maru crew if you’re Japanese or like seafood. Read the rest of this entry »

I came across this a while ago, if you haven’t seen it, take the few minutes to watch.  It’s brilliant.

I have a confession to make.

And in this day and age it’s a big one.

I don’t drink wine.  There….I said it. Admitted it.  Publicly.

Thanks for listening, I feel better already.

Everybody drinks wine these days, especially red.  It’s the thing to do.

I don’t.  It’s not a moral objection, its simply a taste thing.  To me, every different wine I’ve ever tried tastes the same.  I can’t pick the different flavours, or grapes. I don’t get the slightly nutty palate with the long twisted lemon finish.  I can’t tell if it’s been aged in a barrel of oak, or a used plastic milk bottle.  To me, all wine tastes like cough medicine.  And I don’t particularly enjoy drinking cough medicine with my dinner, so I opt for water instead. Read the rest of this entry »

One quick reflection on 2009…..the top ten posts on tasmission during 2009 based on reader stats are:

1. plastic bags
2. best of tassie
3. “I am a teacher”
4. stu larsen hits hobart
5. christmas…..must change
6. God Twitters Creation
7. through the lense
8. christian rock? how dare they!
9. looking back
10. hidden in plain sight

Got a favourite? One post or story that got you thinking? (or swearing…either is fine!). Share below if you’re interested…