Blah

Blah... It's been a week. Sorry about that. I've been a bit sick.

Thanks to Miriam and the team for doing Sunday night for me. Sorry for dumping you in it at the last moment Miriam! heard you did a good job so thanks!

On a better note, I got Foxtel Digital installed, with IQ. Damn IQ is good! It's really pretty cool. Wasn't sure it'd be that big a deal really, but it's quite useful. Oh, and Matt and Steve, you guys were right. Sports Center rocks.

So Brad's got an interesting post going on if you are a Salvo over at his blog. He's dug up one of those never-ending issues again that is debated within the Salvos. Always fun to see who says what, see the sparks and the passion fly. It's good. Nice to see people think things are worth discussing. Nice to see some life in these issues as to me it proves the movement is alive and well. Questions are good. They make us think. Agreeing with things blindly is not Christianity, it's cult worship. And being part of any Christian movement, again in my opinion, should encourage members to soul-search. To question. To challenge things. This isn't about being a rebel or a traitor. It's about understanding what is truly important to a movement, and what isn't.

The Salvos is a young movement. Things will change. I know there are some marked differences, but in nearly 1500 years or however old it is, the catholic church has altered it's doctrines many times. Now, I know some of those changes were not made on spiritual grounds at all, and I'm not suggesting we follow suit, but I'd be surprised if all of our doctrines remain ENTIRELY as is now if we are still around in a few hundred more years... What matters to me is that we are still true to what God has called us to be.

A lot of William and Catherine Booths decisions were made because of the situation they found themselves in at the time. We need to remember that. The sacraments were a hot topic then and William wanted to be different to prove a point. This was warranted. But it does cause some interesting discussion now - over 100 years on. Why? Because it's a society based decision, not really biblical (I'm not saying it's ANTI-biblical, or contradictory in any way) just that it's not necessarily as easy to support as a position. It seemed more of a political/social decision. So to me it stands to reason that things like this, drinking, baptism and other things will be continually brought up, questioned, challenged, and in some instances changed. Indeed, the sacraments are widely practiced in Salvo churches now, so it's a case in point. That decisions I don't believe has in any way harmed the movement at all.

I once read a draft of an interview with a very prominent Salvationist. The draft was for a Salvation Army publication. At one point this person said that they thought that not drinking should be pushed as a very positive life choice, particularly because our body was God's temple, but that it shouldn't be a requirement for membership anymore. That it wasn't necessarily relevant any more to a great many Salvationists. Needless to say, the senior leaders got hold of the draft of the interview, did NOT approve it and that section was replaced with other parts of the interview that were less controversial and towed the party line better. It was interesting censorship.

I don't know if they were afraid of what this person said, or that it might look like they supported that view themselves by publishing it, or whether they just didn't want to deal with the potential backlash.

The bottom line to me is this. Don't be offended when people question the movement - when they question the choices of the movement. It DOESN'T make us rebels. It doesn't mean we don't care deeply about it. People on the outside question it. Maybe we need to question it ourselves to really work out what our own position is so we can have REAL answers... God gave us brains and sometimes we exercise them. Frankly, I'm glad Brad has exercised his. All I can say is don't shut your brain down just because a question challenges what you've always thought on an issue. You might find the question actually helps you get STRONGER on your position. Just ensure you seek God out in it and trust him to guide you through.

Jesus questioned God when he didn't like something (think garden of Gethsemene - he wanted to get God to find another way). But in questioning the decision, it actually solidified to Jesus why he had to do it. It made him stronger, not weaker.

About 6 months ago I asked a friend of mine who is also a very prominent Salvo from overseas whether they ever just questioned whether God may just not exist. Whether maybe we'd die and find we had it wrong all along... I was worried I was the only one, and that maybe it somehow meant I had no faith. He said of course he questions it. He, like I, believe it's a pretty natural process. He's one of the most amazing Chritians I've ever met. It's comforting to know he doesn't switch his brain off at the door, but rather thinks through what he believes.

Big win and bye bye

Well, it was a great weekend. Started it off on the right note with a THUMPING 115 point drubbing of the Tigers. Ahhh the sweetness of it all. And while I'm happy that he's back, it was great to see Nathan Brown under perform and Terry Wallace say it was his worst defeat as a coach... As a true doggies supporter, I'm not exactly excited when those two perform well. Ah bitterness in sport, it's a great thing isn't it? :P

Speaking of bitterness in sport. What's with Jana and Tamsyn? Just when we all thought it was over and they'd learnt to shut their mouths and get on with the business of racing we get this again. Girls girls girls! Shut it! We don't care. You are taking up valuable news space.

Brad's left home (bye Brad). So now Huey, Duey and Annie are living in Blackburn. It's a nice place, so if you haven't been there yet go and invite yourself around - everyone else does! :P

On the weekend we had out self-denial Sunday. I hope we reach the $75,000 target. It's ambitious, but it's so important to help all the work the Salvation Army is doing around the world. If you haven't given yet and are linked to the Salvos please do so - money is such an integral part of development work. There is never enough to go around.

Short and sweet today. Much work I have to do. The anger, grows within you it does... Sorry - damn I love Yoda. Speaking of Star Wars, whilst I'm no diehard fan, I stumbled across a brilliant PC Wallpaper site for Star Wars. This stuff is great, and there is lots of it! Find it here http://simonz.co.hu/wallp_eng.html