Places I've been...

For once, I'm NOT short of blogging inspiration, and this is at least partly because of lots of inspirational reading I've been doing, on and off the net  (well, mostly on, if I'm honest!).  Before I wax lyrical on my own, I thought it would be worth sharing a few of the gems I've been inspired by in the past week or so:

Probably the post that touched me the most, was this amazing poem by Joy Wilson.  I've just discovered her blog, and will keep following it.  She's also written a book, called "Uncensored Prayer", which I have ordered from Amazon.  More on that when it arrives!  Her poetry is raw and real and, in the words of one reviewer, "not for the faint hearted" but as I read this one poem it could have been MY story.  It threw my morning off balance in the most incredible of ways - I just wanted to cry, and talk to Jesus.  It brought me closer to God than I've felt in quite a while!  Find it here.



This punchy and insightful guest post by Alise Wright, on Jamie, the very worst Missionary (one of my fave blogs) really hit the mark!  Alise is a Jesus-follower married to an atheist and I think probably straddles the divide between "Christian culture" and the rest of the waking world, in a unique way!  

Derek Flood has been an ongoing source of insight and encouragement.  I've already recommended his four part article (kind of like a mini-book, but REALLY worth the time it takes to read it) Penal Substitution vs. Christus Victor.  This week, though, I delved into his (much shorter) article on relational theology.  He has a way of taking the ideas I've been groping at, and laying them out clearly!
(Derek is also a professional animator, and the image on the right is his artwork.  You can buy prints via his webpage)




And finally, a bit of a thought-provoking discussion with Michael Camp, of Deep Thought Pub, on homosexuality in the Bible.  Something I've been wrestling with for a while, as I have dear friends and family members with same-sex partners.  I don't believe God's love excludes anyone because of lifestyle or sin, but it's sometimes hard to reconcile this with some passages in the Bible.  Michael and I both agree that the law is NOT part of following Jesus, but the discussion was eye-opening, nonetheless!

(nb. I think one of the reasons I'm enjoying engaging with Michael, is that we both have boozy sounding blog names!!)

I AM

This beautiful image sourced from:  http://love1008.deviantart.com/art/Light-Symphonia-13-104283312

As a writer, I find that my words are most powerful when they are most "from the heart".  When I'm no longer just telling a story, or talking "about" something, but expressing who I truly am on the inside.  I love it when meaning glows, and the craft of writing fades invisibly behind it!

Words, ideas, concepts, philosophies; all fascinate me.  I studied a bit of linguistics at uni, and loved it! Examining the way sound waves, phoneme concepts, language conventions are all somehow used to convey meaning from one person to another was endlessly intriguing.  Communication is incredibly complex!!   No matter what the message or how it is conveyed, the concepts and ideas in the mind of the sender are NEVER quite the same as those in the mind of the receiver.  Sometimes

Nundu

This is Nundu.  

He's the newest addition to the Whalen family.  We think he's about 10 weeks old (though his size is more like 6).  He was rescued from the local dump, and ended up coming to live with us.  Specifically, he was adopted by my 12 year old daughter, Hannah.  "Nundu" is a Harry Potter name (Hannah is a mad-keen Harry Potter nut!! Apparently a Nundu is some kind of scary, leopard-like magical creature with very bad breath!).  The name is a kind of Hannah irony.  She doesn't see him that way at all!

When we first met Nundu, he was pitifully thin, had runny eyes, worms, and fleas.  Oh, and there was poo stuck in his fur.  We took him for a vet check (a bit worried that the eyes might be infectious as we have another older kitten at home) and the vet thought he was suffering from the tail-end of

Retelling the Story 4

If you're just jumping into this, I've been slowly retelling the story of the Bible.  Why?  Well, because I think we have twisted it, and used it to say (in many ways) the absolute opposite of what it actually shows.  You may not agree...  but see how it strikes you!

See the beginning of the story here.
Some more thoughts on the message of the Old Testament story and the law here in Part 2
The beginning of the Jesus bit, here in Part 3

And we take up our story, now that Jesus has made the religious authorities angry enough to murder him, Here:
                                _______________________________________________

In a move that exposed the motives of the religious elite for what they truly were, the Jewish religious leaders conspired with the oppressive Roman rulers, to have God executed.  Money changed hands. Jesus was handed over, and the public was manipulated so that a notorious murderer was freed and Jesus, who had stood in every way for life and freedom, was condemned to die a murderer's death.

Jesus lived his death in exactly the same way he had lived his life.  No force.  No retaliation.  To

Retelling the Story... Part 3

This is part three of a series I've been working on for some time.  Use the links if you want to track back to Part 1, and Part 2

Well, it has been a while coming, but time to continue the story of us and God...  Where were we??
Oh yes - the law, then the prophets...  God crying for justice and relationship and then...

Nothing. 

For something like 400 years God was pretty much silent - at least, officially.  The Jewish nation hung onto the things that had been said;  that they were God's chosen, that He would bring a great King from the descendents of David, who would set things right.  And of course, they continued to follow the law.  In fact, they'd made quite an art form out of it.  Because Moses had said to keep God's laws in your hand and head, devout Jews literally wore Scriptures sewn into their clothing andheadgear.  Because there was a limit on how far you could walk from your front gate on the

Law and Divorce... a different perspective.

Thanks to Craig Bennet, who responded to my previous post about divorce, by sending me the following link, to a VERY interesting theological article, by David Instone-Brewer, in Christianity Today, about the Biblical teaching on divorce.  Like so many things, it's not the teaching I grew up with!!  It confirms the gut feeling I and many others have had, that a God of justice and compassion could not possibly require people to stay in entrenched, hopeless, lifeless situations of any kind!

Anyway, for those who are interested:  What God has Joined Together

I could say more... but right now I'm just ready to go and weep a few tears of relief!

Thanks, Craig - God sent your words at just the right time!!

Love and... Divorce

 I'm still planning to continue the "retelling the story" series...  wrestling with part 3.  However in the meantime, I jumped into a discussion on The Pangea Blog about divorce.  I've had some thoughts re divorce (funny that!!) & was mulling whether to share them here.  I ended up articulating them in response to a comment on Pangea, so am sharing my "comment" as a post here too.

Samuel Warren made the comment "Christianity is about love...divorce is not love, and quite frankly the bible does say that God hates it."  I gotta say, that's pretty much the comment I would have made myself, up to a year or so ago.  Here's my response: 


I'm a Christian, and have made the decision to divorce after 18 years of marriage.  ... my husband suffers with Aspergers syndrome - a kind of high functioning Autism.

Retelling the Story 2 - thoughts and mullings on the "law years"

Before we move on to the end of the years of "Law", I want to "zoom in" on some aspects. Those of you who are scholars and thinkers might like to correct or add to my thoughts, and I would love your input!!  Here are some things that stand out to me.

After relationships are broken, and paradise is lost, God continues to walk amongst humanity and relate to individuals. He chooses a man, Abraham, who is willing to trust and relate to him. Abraham's family is crazy and dysfunctional - but God gives them the opportunity to walk with and

Retelling the Story... Part 1

This is actually something I began months... and MONTHS... ago!
I'm still exploring these ideas. I'm not quite sure where it's all going. I'm putting this up, raw and unfinished as it is, because I think the answers to the questions I'm asking are crucial. And if I stick it up here - I will be obligated to finish the study!! Love to hear the thoughts of others on this stuff...

Just found another blog post that tells a little part of the blog story I've been trying to form in my mind for... ages!  Maybe it will help me actually get it into words. Al Lindskoog's post titled Amazing Grace, over at Communitas Collective points right at the spot I've been trying to direct my words towards.  Actually, quite a lot of Al's writings do (his blog is here, if you would like to wander through them) The bottom line is that the rules don't matter.  It's all about Grace. 

Don't misunderstand me - there is definitely such a thing as right and wrong.  Sin is real.  But living on that dividing line will kill you! It is the way of Grace that gives life.

Let me try and re-tell a familiar story...albeit very much simplified (after all, it is quite a challenge to fit 66 books into a few short paragraphs) but I wonder if you will see in it what I see!

Just because...

I haven't been doing much writing of any kind for a while, but today the muse struck... kind of a random blog entry, but since I enjoyed the place, and the writing of the poem, I thought I'd share :)



Grahamstown

Dark and ragged,
Skeletons of drowned trees
Implore manmade banks
Rimmed with highway
And bitumen bike track.

The municipal pumping station
Juts practically
Beside serviceway and infrastructure.

Unappraised of civil engineering
Swans dive
And grebes cluster.
An exultant skim of birds
Mirrors perfectly
In a bowl of liquid sky.

Kerry Miller

Getting it off my chest!

I have a feeling this post is going to be less of a theological /cultural comment, than it is just personal rant.  Sorry in advance for this - but there's some stuff I just need to get off my chest.

I'm going through a divorce (yes, it's definite).  It's necessary.  It's a relief.  But the process sucks.  Big time.  There are times when it feels like surviving a death.  What makes it worse, is that I am a CHRISTIAN going through divorce.   OH. MY.

Can you tell that I'm feeling angry?  I've long been an outspoken critic of "Christian culture".  We have created religious shackles for ourselves and others that Jesus never intended.  In fact, I firmly believe that if he were walking around in sandals today, he'd be doing a lot more table-tipping than

Family stuff...

Well, the blog has been very inactive for a very long time, and to be honest, I'm not sure how much I will be updating it in the future - although I do have some thoughts brewing that I think ought to be shared... more on that later!

For those of you who pray, we are facing some very significant challenges at the moment, as a family.  Basically, after long and protracted difficulties (& those who know us personally would be aware of these) Ian and I are now living under the same roof, but separated.  The decision has been made prayerfully, and the separation is not necessarily final.  We have to work out how best to move forward as a family, and that may be together as husband and wife - or not.

So far, this new chapter has been a testament to God being in control, and the perfectness of His timing.  We are finding that our home is peaceful, and we able to communicate honestly with one other.  I think we are both growing as people as a result.  Whatever the outcome, I believe with all my heart (and there has certainly been plenty of evidence to back it up) that we are moving forward into something much better.

Thank you for your prayers.

Kerry.

Politics, Again!

Seems I'm suffering a bit of a dry spell in terms of blog inspiration - however I just read a post by Winn Collier (whose writing I always enjoy) that clearly expresses some of my own very vague mullings, to do with Christians and politics.  So... since I have had so little to say for so long, I shall go where angels fear to tread in the hope of at least stirring up some controversy!!

Find Winn's excellent post on politics and fear here

For me, Winn's post really highlights the true agenda behind a lot of the "Christian" politicking that goes on;  fear that "our place at the centre of the table" may be threatened and that we will lose "(perceived) control" of the political or social agenda.   

Interestingly, the ruckus about changes to "Scripture in Schools" has come up in the news afresh

Religion and Politics

Australian Politics has become rather fascinating of late.  Here we are, stuck without a real government, because nobody can agree on which direction is best - or who can best take us there!  Like almost everyone I talked to, I had difficulty working out who to vote for.  I wasn't really happy with any of the choices, and didn't actually decide until the morning of the election.  Seems I was anything but alone in that!

I also couldn't resist jumping into a facebook conversation this morning, about politics and the different agendas that might be propelling us God-knows-where, now that a handful of independents have the balance of power.  One of my very good friends was defending one of the independents who she knows personally (& she feels is an honest and trustworthy person - which is reassuring) however she did add as an aside "and he's a Christian".  I'm glad to say I know my friend well enough to know that she would not vote for anyone simply based on their profession of religion - but it did rankle one of my pet "bugbears".  I get a bit riled at many the so-called "Christian" political agendas that are pushed forward.  So often they seem to be focused on protecting their own position of privilege, and oblivious, at best, to issues of justice.  Thankfully it isn't always the case - but there is more than enough of it to make me hopping mad!!

Anyway, in the light of all that very un-inspiring reality, just before the election I came across something that I thought was quite inspiring.  I found it in a (surprisingly balanced) Christian publication.  It is attributed to an American faith community called the Sojourners  (about whom I know absolutely nothing) and I thought it was well worth reflecting on.  For me it is also really encouraging that this has come out of America, when American politics can often seem (to many of us Aussies, self included) so very blinkered.   

Anyway, here goes.  Its a series of statements which were released prior to a recent US election, entitled "God is not a Republican.  Or a Democrat".  I don't have a link, so will just copy them here (& for those reading who don't identify themselves as Christians, I think you could substitute "people of faith", or even just "people" for the word Christian, and just "ethical" instead of "religious".  The principles are still worth pondering):

* We believe that sincere Christians can choose to vote for any party for reasons deeply rooted in their faith.

*We believe that poverty - caring for the poor and vulnerable - is a religious issue.  Do the parties' budget and tax policies reward the rich or show compassion for poor families?  Do their foreign policies include fair trade and debt cancellation for the poorest countries? (Matt 25:35-40, Isaiah 10:1-2)

*We believe that the environment - caring for God's earth - is a religious issue.  Do the parties' policies protect the creation or serve corporate interests that damage it? (Genesis 2:15, Psalm 24:1)

*We believe that war - and our call to be peacemakers - is a religious issue.  Do the parties' policies pursue 'wars of choice' or respect international law and cooperation in responding to real global threats (Matt 56:9)

* We believe that truth-telling is a religious issue.  Do the parties tell the truth in foreign and domestic policies? (John 8:32)

*We believe that human rights - respecting the image of God in every person - is a religious issue.  In our case, do the parties have a compassionate approach to asylum seekers (Genesis 1:27)

*We believe that our response to terrorism is a religious issue.  Do the parties see evil only in our enemies but never in our own policies? (Matt 6:33, Proverbs 8:12-13)

*We believe that a consistent ethic of human life is a religious issue.  Do the parties' positions on abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, weapons of mass destruction, HIV/AIDS - and other pandemics - and genocide around the world - obey the biblical injunction to choose life? (Deut 30:19)


Food for thought.  Shalom.

House update

After the last post, I thought I should probably add the end of the house-buying saga, just so everyone doesn't wonder whether or not we are currently homeless!

Yes.  The vendors did finally work out their legal tangle and settle - two weeks late.  Ian had taken two weeks off work to do some renovating work and get ready to move in - the settlement happened

Opportunities for Grace

We've had a few things NOT go smoothly lately.

For those who don't know us, we are in the process of buying a house.

It is THE house. The GOD house that we know that we know that we know He found for us. We are dreaming of wonderful times with family and friends, not to mention chooks, vegie gardens and fruit trees. We love the little village community in which it is located. Seriously - this is THE house!!

Along the way there have been some remarkable ways in which things have fallen together unexpectedly super-smoothly. For example,there was a tenant with a loooong lease (& we really

Mud and Mothers Day

Well I haven't had much to say for a while, but I was given the opportunity to share some of what I've been thinking and writing about in our weekly gathering, on Mother's Day. It was posted on the web - & so I thought I'd share it here... in spite of the fact that it shows up my very stumbly mumbly public speaking skills!! (well it was kind of "off the cuff", too)

I thought it was worth sharing here because it expands and also gives a bit of a practical example of some of the thoughts in my "mud" post (how it applied to me on Mothers day - a tough day in the Whalen house - if nothing else!!)

There were actually 3 of us sharing, the first 15 mins is me - Then Ros, then Carolyn - if you listen to all 3 it takes about 35 mins total.

http://www.christiancentre.com.au/thegirls.mp3

Death before life.

I'm so stuck on this "death before life" thing. It is just burning in me, lately! It seems everywhere I look, and every thoughtful conversation I have, points me to death and resurrection! I still don't think I've really said it clearly (maybe I'm still working it out) so I'm going to have another crack at it.

I think it's the absolute centre of this "following Jesus" thing. (Duh! I hear all the Christians say... Jesus died for our sins etc. etc. .... ) Well... yes. But I'm not talking theology or doctrine here - I'm talking about stepping into the real - & when Jesus died and rose again, He was showing us the way there.

Christians have symbols like baptism (you get pushed under the water, to symbolise death - & when you come up again it symbolises a new life), use terms like "born again" which is supposed to imply the start of a completely new life. The language of death and resurrection permeates all the Christian traditions I know. But somehow it often seems to get watered down to mean more like "a

Mud.

I often have the most awesome thoughts first thing in the morning, when I am half awake. Maybe things have been sorting themselves out in my sleep. Maybe it's because I'm relaxed enough to be listening? Anyway, since the "dying" post, I have been thinking more about how God seems to do things. Using death to bring life is, in so many ways, how "God stuff" happens. He has a way of taking stuff that stinks - & turning it into something beautiful. He doesn't throw away our mistakes - He transforms them.

This isn't "Plan B" because we humans messed it up. It's the way God is! Look at the very beginning of the Bible narrative - God took dust, breathed on it, and made man. I'm no Hebrew scholar, but someone once told me that the Hebrew word we translate as "dust" can also be translated as "rubbish". So, according to the Bible (which also affirms us as incredibly, sacrificially valued and

Dying.

Woke up with a revelatory thought, the other morning - a real "WOW" moment!!

But to explain it, I think I need to give some background.

There have been some points in my life, where I have "given up" something, feeling it was a difficult sacrifice - only to find that as I let go of whatever it was, I found myself in an amazing new place, wondering why I had never let go before. The most recent of these was a bit of a turning point in my