Southland Christian Ministry Training
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By Ian, on July 25th, 2011%
Why do we do what we do? What drives us in our search for meaning and purpose in life? The diversity of books in my personal library would suggest that as Australians we share the same basic needs and aspirations as the rest of the western culture, but I am not sure that is the case. The average Aussie is in some sense unique – because of our nation’s interesting and rich mix of racial and cultural backgrounds, and on that basis Hugh Mackay has written this book to tease out some of that “uniqueness”. As Australia’s leading social researcher who has been at the game for 30 or more years, he brings an educated, well researched base for his conclusions. These are his top 10 desires that make us tick as Australians:
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- The desire to be taken seriously.
- The desire to belong.
- The desire for my place.
- The desire for something to believe in.
- The desire to connect.
- The desire to be useful.
- The desire for more.
- The desire for control.
- The desire for soemthing to happen.
- The desire for love.
Mackay does not rank these desires, but recognises that individuals and subgroups within our society will show differing foci, his extensive surveys and interviews consistently showed these 10 as the front runners.
 My personal work as a Minister of Religion and now as a Chaplain in the Defence Force would confirm those results as well. The only one which initially caught me by surprise was the “desire for something to happen”. However, maybe that is just due to the type of people I have most contact with. The military mindset put’s the emphasis on, not just hoping that something might happen, but taking responsibility for making things happen!
The aspect that encouraged me the most was the “desire for something to believe in”. In this post-christian era my own experience is that the average young Australian has no faith in traditional religious structures (the Church) but at the same time has a healthy desire for some sort of spiritual awareness.
This is particularly critical in a war zone when confronted by the coffin of a colleague – the secular humanists do not offer much hope. My role is to provide the basis of the Christian meta narrative, side-stepping formal religion and focussing on building a personal relationship with God. At such times, they don’t just desire something to believe in, they need it!
Much of this book, What Makes Us Tick, was predictable (for me as an Aussie), yet in his usual style with the graphic stories, it was very readable. If you don’t know any Aussies and you want to understand us better, this is an excellent book to read!
By Ian, on February 11th, 2011%
For all those who, like me are not all that romantic, I have to remind you that it is nearly Valentine’s Day! Time is running out, but before you just believe the media hype that tells you it will cost a packet, I have a word of warning, it is not what you give but how it is interpreted that counts! Just because the local florist wants you to send flowers, or the jewelery store encourages you to buy a ring doesn’t mean that is the best way to express your love for that special person in your life.
One of the helpful books on my bookshelf is called “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. His basic thesis is that we all need to feel loved, and we often try to express that love to our partners but we are speaking a different language, and the message they receive is opposite to what was intended. Chapman recognises that early in a relationship we have the ability to be multi-lingual, and anything that our partner says or does proves their love, but the longer you stay in that relationship the more you revert to your primary love language. He lists five love languages:
- Words of affirmation
- Quality time
- Receiving gifts
- Acts of service
- Physical touch.
Note that only one of these is linked to gifts which is the usual focus on Valentine’s Day! Your partner might prefer to just get a hand written letter which tells them how much you appreciate them. There are many spouses who would rather have you home and more involved in family life than to get a bunch of roses. Others would measure your love and commitment in terms of how prepared you are to help with the dishes or do the laundry as much more meaningful than the words of a mass produced card. Maybe all that your significant other wants is an unhurried kiss and cuddle which would be much better for them than a box of chocolates.
This Valentine’s Day don’t just do what somebody else tells you is the right thing to do, think about it, look back on your past history as a couple and make a decision on the basis of fact. If you don’t know what your partner’s primary love language is, find out, because it will make a big difference to your love life!
Chaplain Ian S Whitley
By Ian, on January 2nd, 2011%
Most of the time I am an optimist, but my work continually brings me into contact with pessimistic people who are struggling with life. My role is to be a positive influence, to help them get out of their downwards spiral. The trouble is just telling them what to do does not work! Non directive counseling just letting them tell their story may work but it takes a lot of time! So what can I do? I can give them some practical, helpful hints, but what they really need is to discover some answers for themselves!
Over the last 20 years I have read many books that have been helpful to me as I have assisted others in this process. However, few of these books on their own cannot help people in their journey out of dark pessimism into the light – they are just too heavy! How to be Positively Optimistic – Your Personal Guide to Positive Thinking and Dynamic Growth This book is different, in that it is the sort of book that will enable people to find their own solutions.
The content is fairly predictable, but the genius is in the format, the illustrations and the hints on application. We all know that optimistic people have more fun, and that self talk stories set us up to go either up or down, but how do we turn helplessness and pessimism into hope and optimism?
McLean gives us a 5 step plan to do just that, which he summarises under the following headings:
- A=Action – helping us to be honest about our negative self-talk
- B=Belief – Are we ready to challenge our irrational beliefs?
- C=Consequences – are we prepared to consider what will happen if we continue to do what we always do?
- D= Dispute that norm – what would happen if I introduced new self talk stories?
- E=Energise – How to take action down this new pathway.
 The Village of The Rock That may not do justice to the content, but it should give you an idea of where he is going. I found his use of mind maps, focus boxes, quotes and stories all helpful, but it was that mouse that turned up on every page that kept me moving forward! In contrast to so many authors McLean overcame the desire to fill every page with words, which resulted in a short (150 pages), uncluttered, dynamic book, that even depressed people who don’t usually read much, can get through. I believe that many of them will in the process find their own answers with out the need for extended, professional therapy.
The climb to the top of the rock (at The Rock,near Wagga Wagga) is challenging but worth the effort…just like the circumstances you might be facing, so don’t give up yet.
A great book that I am happy to recommend, especially when it comes from an author who understands the Australian psyche! We are different and though we share many similarities with our US and Canadian cousins, it is a welcome change to see some home grown material.
Chaplain Ian Whitley
By Ian, on October 20th, 2010%
BACKGROUND
I have known Mike Frost for about twenty years. We met at Morling Theological College and completed our B.Th. together, and even then he was a high flier. He is a qualified teacher, an expert communicator, a gifted artist and an effective leader with a keen mind which has only improved over time. He has authored several books, is a sought after speaker in Australia, NZ, USA, Canada and the UK, and for all his criticism of the established western church, has chosen to stay in it as Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Morling Baptist Theological College in Sydney.
OUTLINE
The book is neatly divided into four parts namely:
1. Dangerous Memories, of who we are and the fact that:
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- God will rescue his exiles,
- Jesus was a radical exile, and
- Jesus is our example!
2. Dangerous Promises, covering the ability to
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- Be authentic,
- Serve a cause greater than ourselves,
- Create community,
- Be generous and practice hospitality, and
- Work for righteousness.
3. Dangerous Criticism, because we have an obligation to critique the host nation in terms of:
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- Injustice,
- The environment, and
- Oppression.
4. Dangerous Songs covering:
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- Worship at the altar, and
- Revolution – Jesus Ain’t My Boyfriend!
REFLECTION
I read this book while on exile in the Middle East Area of Operations, as a member of the Australian Military, surrounded by an Islamic host nation, and cooperating with might and force of the US military machine. Obviously, my context may have influenced my receptiveness to this message, but I firmly believe that the western church needs to be rocked out of its complacency to see the implications of being part of a Post-Christian world as Mike Frost paints it. He describes his purpose in these words:
“This book is for the many people who wish to be faithful followers of the radical Jesus but no longer find themselves able to fit into the bland, limp, unsavoury straitjacket of a church that seems to be yearning to return to the days when ‘everyone’ used to attend church and ‘Christian family values’ reigned”.
That is me! Maybe that is why I am a military chaplain and not the pastor of a church! The culture of the Australian Defence Force is unmistakedly “Post-Christian” and in this book Frost gives some very helpful tools to work with in that environment. His foundation is solidly Biblical yet he is not limited to the traditional interpretations of scripture that have encouraged the church to align itself with power and authority.
Mike’s style of writing is easy to read, thought provoking, and dare I say entertaining! He uses stories from a wide range of sources from “Watership Downs” to “the Simpsons” and is as comfortable discussing the merits of Renaissance art as ecological issues of the 21st century! There is deep theological interaction with past and present authorities yet without losing touch with the practical implications of how we do theology in a Post-Christian world. We are exiles here but we have an ongoing role to play, which does not involve hiding in a Christian ghetto and praying for the end to come!
So what should we be doing? In Mike’s words “Hold on to the dangerous memories of God. Keep making those dangerous promises. Keep practicing that dangerous critique of the host empire. Keep singing those dangerous songs. Our day will come.”
If you are prepared to have your cage rattled – read this book. It is a mere 327 pages of hard hitting challenge to the status quo. It is a breath of fresh air for those of us who minister outside the established church (though ordained and recognised by it) who continually grapple with exilic issues that our colleagues ministering inside the church can’t even see! This book has given me some helpful tools to help me survive and flourish in exile, while reminding me the pitfalls of getting too comfortable here.
Chaplain Ian Whitley
By Ian, on October 3rd, 2010%
I have read a lot of self help books and this one is arguably one of the best. In short it is practical, easy to read and generally related to where I am in life! Stever Robbins has tackled a topic that most of us have struggled with, how to work less, yet at the same time do more, or at least more of the right things. The quick and dirty summary of the nine steps are as follows:
1. Live on purpose
2. Stop procrastinating
3. Conquer Technology
4. Beat distractions to cultivate focus
5. Stay organised
6. Stop wasting time
7. Optimise
8. Build stronger relationships
9. Leverage.
What makes it easy to read is that there is a logical progression between steps and the author’s unique sense of humour, which adds interest to the journey, though I’m not sure how zombies fit in. In seeking to assess how this book has affected me, I suppose the biggest impact is simply in terms of more tools for my tool bag, which I can use myself or make available for those I support and counsel. Knowing who we are what we want to achieve in life is crucial to all that follows, and sadly so many that I talk to have never sorted this out.
I resonated with many of the concepts shared but the most challenging was the third step on conquering technology. It was great to be reminded that I am not the only person who wastes an inordinate amount of time trying to get technology to work for me and not me work for it! Like many others I swallowed the lie that said computers, voicemail and mobile phones would give me more freedom and help me to work less but all too often I find they make me work more. Robbins’ approach to this, when coupled with his suggestions of how to stay focused and organised will hopefully revolutionise my office practices, if I can just get round to starting them! OK maybe I need to re-read the chapter on procrastinating…
Finally, the section on relationships and how to intentionally develop them was excellent, as were the suggestions for resolving conflict. The fact is relationships are central to everything, especially if they can help you work less and do more.
Great book, now all I have to do is apply it and “get it done’!
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