mountain masala

the silence

apologies for the silence. have been gearing up for synod - 2 displays, presentation, workshop - and now sitting through it. end of year is the mad bit at college when you have to get the next year up and running as well.

expect blogs soon....

that incarnation thing

my song "God Today Has a Human Face" has just been published and recorded as part of the Seasons of the Spirit curriculum for Advent. They called the lyrics 'profound' and it is used as part of the advent candle lighting for the 4 weeks. i just wish it was easier to sing, but since it's my first public attempt at lyrics AND melody together I'll live with it.

other Aussies David MacGregor and Trish Watts are also in the book and on the CD.

you can supposedly buy the songs online but I don't know where as yet.....

i suppose its funny (NOT) but the recording messes up one line....

the first verse says

"heaven's child in earth's embrace
blanket wrapping grubby grace"

but the singer sings

"blanket wrapping grub by grace"

the original lyric was meant to be about grace being found in this 'dirty' birthplace
instead jesus is called a caterpillar or something i don't quite understand

what were they thinking i meant?????

sigh, such is fame.......

the big year out is back!

i'm pleased to announce that the Big Year Out, our 'gap year' for young adults, will be back in 2010

thebigyearout.com

we're looking for a new Co-ordinator for the community & discipleship day, one day a week. if you know anyone in Adelaide with educational and theological ability that would be appropriate for leading young adults in a discipleship program, let me know!

do we still need christian education? - part one

apologies for the quiet blog... i seem to be going backwards at the moment...

i've just had three days in melbourne at the annual meeting of the uniting church's national christian education reference committee, something that i joined a couple of years ago. great to catch up with people from across the country and meet some new folk (including paul, who is a 'research fellow in multi-modal learning'.  damn! how I want that on my business card!) 

one visitor asked whether 'christian education' was a modernist term that we didnt need in a postmodern word. i'm glad he asked it (although we didnt get enough time to explore why he did). so, is CE a thing of the past, or what?

now this is a good idea.....

I could use one of these occasionally.....

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/VIDU2DVIA/

this is our story

when i preached at "the corner" UC the other sunday, the music leader mentioned that their congregation sang "this is our story", a song that tim beale and i wrote for ncyc 1999. i think its the first church that i've heard of that actually sings the song! anyway, i told them that the ncyc songbook had some words missing. so for posterity's sake, here are all of the lyrics. btw the ncyc theme was "it all depends". thank you U2 for the bridge...

this is our story

this is our story, this is our song
this is the dream that we depend up
written on pages, carved in stone
rebel people become God's own
freed from oppression, captured by grace
shake off your boots, it's a holy place!
now living in exile, alien land
got a strange way, strange hope, strange plan

gather us into your history
gather us into your song
take us along on your journey
Yahweh, with you we belong

you are our story, you are our song
you are the one we depend upon
God of the cosmos, walking the earth
Jesus you came, giving hope new birth
woman and children, beggars they came
those on the edge, you called their names
voice of forgiveness, healing, release
crying for mercy, singing for peace

gather us into your story
gather us into your song
take us along on your journey
Jesus, with you we belong

(bridge)
red moon, red blood, red sky
joshua tree standing oh so high
poured out Spirit, cyclone fire
sons and daughters, prophesy!

we are your story, we are your song
we are the ones you depend upon
breaking the claim of the gods of our age
money and power, fashion and fame
dangerous message, whispering word
reckless compassion washing your world
called to walk in a costly way
welcome God's future into today

gather us into your future
gather us into your song
take us along on your journey
Spirit, to you we belong

gather us in, take us along
gather us in
your story, your song
gather us in, take us along
gather us in
with you we belong
gather us in

lyrics by craig mitchell, music by tim beale
(c) 1989.May be copied for non-commercial church use.

i might post the sheet music tomorrow. mind you, i thought at the time that the word/melody combination needed a bit more work due to the changing metre of the verses (my fault, not tim's!).

a celebration

last night we were at martini ristorante in norwood celebrating a significant birthday for yvonne with family members from interstate.

its an excellent italian restaurant with former masterchef contestant andre now among the kitchen staff. really excellent food.  here's a pic of my dessert - balsamic vinegar gelati with strawberries in syrup. 

and we got a brief chat and a pic with andre at the end. a great night was has by all.

tord bootnje

thanks to maddy for the link to the website of dutch artist tord boontje, currently living in france. wonderful installation stuff!

bono phone home

bono's great grandfather calls his manager about the next gig, and is not impressed that it's another salvation army youth group social with no dancing allowed.

this is proof that my wife must have some irish ancestry. this is a random guy in the old family photo shoebox.

"in the name of love...."

a moroccan kind of evening

had some friends over for dinner last night. for the mains we made naaan bread,
a tomato and eggplant tagine with onion, coriander, cumin, chilli and mint
couscous with apricots, dates, almonds, pistachios, raisins, pomegranate seeds and cinnamon
with harissa and mango chutney yoghurt on the side

and a fish recipe that I made up:

baked rainbow trout. a bit of oil in baking dish. slivered ginger and garlic cloves in and around the fish,
french shallots, cherry tomatoes, lemon slices, honey drizzled on top, fresh coriander, black pepper
it went pretty well i thought

some Adelaide Hills and Barossa white wine and steve brought a nice NZ pinot

thanks for the good company folks. travel well steve!