Creativity

Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know... Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.
- George Kneller -

Searching...

A neighbour found Nasruddin on his hands and knees.
“What are you searching for, friend?”
“My key.”
Both men got on their knees to search.
After a while, the neighbour asked,
“Where did you lose them?”
“At home.”
“Good Lord! Why are you searching here?”
“Because it’s brighter here.”
Search for God where you lost Him.

from Anthony de Mello,
The Song of the Bird

Just one

I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything let me not refuse to do the something that I can do
- Edward Everett Hale -

Give up and go

I want you to give up what you think you know and open to what you do not yet know. I want you to recognise and live in your spirit. I want you to burn up your past and live for what life may yet bring you - for the revelations it will bring you, if you dare to live for them.

- Andrew Harvey -

Evening Prayer

Now that dusk is near -
with parrots in the gum trees
lessening their chatter,
with the distant roar of cars
fading to a mere murmur -
may I hear
the voice of the One
who walks in the garden
in the cool of the evening
and, in hearing that voice,
find a little of the Eden-peace
which some day will be perfected.
This I pray
in the name of Him
who was once mistaken for a gardener

- Bruce Prewer, "God of the evening"

Spiritual Disciplines at Work?!

A nun joined a convent which had a rule of silence; she was permitted to say only two words a year. The first year she came to Mother Superior and said "Bed hard". Mother Superior thanked her and promised to get her a softer mattress. The second year the nun came to the Mother Superior and said, "Food cold". Again Mother Superior thanked her and said she would look into the matter. The third year the nun came to the Mother Superior and said "I'm leaving". Mother Superior said, "I'm not surprised. All you've done since you've arrived is complain, complain, complain."

Saints

Once someone approached a disciple of the Muslim mystic Bahaudin Naqshband and said, “Tell me why your Master conceals his miracles. I have personally collected data that shows beyond doubt that he has been present in more than one place at a time; that he healed people by the power of his prayers but tells them it was the work of nature; that he helped people in their troubles and then attributes it to their good luck. Why does he do this?”
“I know exactly what you are talking about,” said the disciple, “for I have observed these things myself. And I think I can give you the answer to your question. First, the Master recoils from being the centre of attention. And secondly, he is convinced that once people develop an interest in the miraculous, they have no desire to learn anything of true spiritual value.”

from Anthony de Mello, Prayer of the Frog

Communication Australian style

There is something about us Australians that prefers to communicate in silences rather than words. Perhaps we are defeated by it all, tongue-tied in the presence of ultimate things. Perhaps we feel safer with the great things left unsaid, meaning them only in the silence: we, the inarticulate, offering our homage to the ineffable. Ultimate truths are not to be captured in any expression. They are not the exclusive possession of anyone; nor are they merely to be taken on anyone's authority. For someone to really know these things is to keep a decent reserve, to hold what is sacred in silence.

- Tony Kelly, A New Imagining

Dreams

"When will I be enlightened?"
"When you see," the Master said
"See what?"
"Trees and Flowers and moon and stars."
"But I see these every day"
"No. What you see is paper trees, paper flowers, paper moons and paper stars. For you live, not in reality, but in your words and thoughts."
"And for good measure", he added gently, "you life a paper life, alas, and will die a paper death"

from Anthony de Mello,
One Minute Wisdom.

Times Change

In the 1960s people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

Feed the Wolf

An old Cherokee chief is teaching his grandson about life: "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.
"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

The Wars We Make

The following poem was written by Nicholas Peters just after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Peters, who lived for some years at Grande Pointe, Manitoba, Canada, had emigrated from Russia in 1925 as a boy of 10 and had seen firsthand the horrors of revolution and war in his native country. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and trained as a flying officer. He died on the night of March 7-8, 1945, after his aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The poem is from a collection of Peters' work titled "Another Morn."

THE WARS WE MAKE
I gaze into the world with sorrowing eyes
And see the wide-abounding fruits of hate.
We fight, we say, for peace, and find
The wars we make
To be a spring of hate and source of future wars.

Is there no peace for man?
No hope that this accursed flow
Of blood may cease?
Is this our destiny: to kill and maim
For peace?
Or is this 'peace' we strive to gain
A thin unholy masquerade
Which, when our pride, our greed, our gain is
touched too far,
Is shed, and stands uncovered what we are?

Show me your light, O God
That I may fight for peace with peace
And not with war;
To prove my love with love,
And hate no more!

At The Movies

A man lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh theater. When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the man, "Sorry, sir, but you're only allowed one seat." The man groaned but didn't budge. The usher became impatient. "Sir, if you don't get up from there I'm going to have to call the manager."
Again, the man just groaned, which infuriated the usher who turned and marched briskly back up the aisle in search of his manager. In a few moments, both the usher and the manager returned and stood over the man. Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move him, but with no success. Finally, they summoned the police. The cop surveyed the situation briefly then asked, "All right buddy, what's your name?"
"Sam." The man moaned. "Where ya from, Sam?"
With pain in his voice, Sam replied, "The balcony."

The Difference

I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn't have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me,
And heavier came each task;
I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask."
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on grey and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me.
But He said, "You didn't seek".
I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys in the lock.
God gently chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."
I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
Author Unknown.

Look and See

All of us are watchers - of television, of time clocks, of traffic on the freeway - but few are observers. Everyone is looking, not many are seeing.
- Peter M. Leschak -

How Life has Changed!

The year is 1902, just over one hundred years ago - here are some U.S. statistics for that year:
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was forty-seven (47).
Only 14% of the homes in the US had a bathtub; Only 8% of the homes had a telephone.
A three minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
The average wage in the US was 22 cents an hour. The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year - a dentist $2,500 per year - a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year - and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95% of all births in the US took place at home.
Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost 4 cents a pound; eggs were 14 cents a dozen; coffee cost 15 cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
The American flag had 45 stars: Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30.
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.
There was no Mother's Day (or Father's Day).
One in ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores. According to one pharmacist, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and the bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."
Eighteen percent of households in the US had at least one full-time servant or domestic.
There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire US.
What a difference a century makes!

Abraham Lincoln's Road to the Whitehouse

Failed in business in 1831.
Defeated for Legislature in 1832.
Second failure in business in 1833.
Suffered nervous breakdown in 1836.
Defeated for speaker in 1838.
Defeated for Elector in 1840.
Defeated for Congress in 1843.
Defeated for Congress in 1848.
Defeated for Senate in 1855.
Defeated for Vice President in 1856.
Defeated for Senate in 1858.
Elected President in 1860.

LESSON: Never Give Up!

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the fragrance that a violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
- Mark Twain -

Crucifixion

The true God does not say, "Crucify the enemy."
He says, "Crucify your heart so I can create in you a new one."

Good Friday

Jesus was crucified not in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves.
- George F MacLeod -

Coasting

When you are coasting, you are either losing speed, or going downhill.

True Spirituality

The Master was asked, "What is true spirituality?"
He said, "Spirituality is that which succeeds in bringing one to inner transformation."
"But if I apply the traditional methods handed down by the Masters, is that not spirituality?"
"It is not spirituality if it does not perform its function for you. A blanket is no longer a blanket if it does not keep you warm."
"So spirituality does change?"
"People change and needs change. So what was spirituality once is spirituality no more. What generally goes under the name of spirituality is merely the record of past methods."
Don't cut the person to fit the coat.

from Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird

A Growing Exchange

If you have a penny and I have a penny and we exchange pennies, you still have one cent and I still have one cent. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange ideas, we both now have two ideas.

- Mary Anne Phelps -

Good Public Relations

* Smile. It takes 72 muscles to frown and only 14 to smile.
* Speak to people and call them by name. The sweetest music to anyone's ears is the sound of his or her own name.
* Be friendly and helpful. If you would have friends, be friendly. You can like everybody if you try.
* You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar! Be generous with praise, cautious with criticism.
* Be thoughtful and considerate of the opinions and feelings of others. There are always three sides to a controversy - yours, the other person's and the right one.
* Do a good deed for others. He is not the greatest who has the greatest number of servants, but he who serves the greatest number.

Strange but True

The Prince of Wales' chef, one Henri Carpentier, had a minor kitchen catastrophe one day when he accidentally set fire to a dish he was preparing. It tasted delicious, so he named the crepe after the only person who had seen him make the error, a young girl named Suzette.

Dumb Advice?!

(PLEASE DO NOT TRY THESE OUT!)

1. Fool other drivers into thinking you have an expensive car phone by holding an old TV or video remote control up to your ear and occasionally swerving across the road.
2. If a person is choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a jug of boiling water down their throat and presto! The blockage is almost instantly removed.
3. Save on alcohol by drinking cold tea instead of whiskey. The following morning you can create the effects of hangover by drinking a thimble full of dish washing liquid and banging your head repeatedly on the wall.

Sleeping Through Life?

How much of the day are you awake? You think, I gotta get the dry cleaning, I gotta get going, and this and this. All of a sudden it's dinnertime. And then there is a moment of connection with your spouse or your friends. Then you read and go to bed. Wake up, and it's the same all over. You're not awake, you're not living, you're not experiencing. We start early medicating ourselves. We start kids early on TV and video games and so on. It's daunting how many possibilities there are in life for every one of us. But rather than face that I may be a failure or a success - I think both of them are terrifying - people find diversions. - Tim Allen

Just Too Smart?! (2)

A patient limped into his doctor's office complaining about his sore foot. The doctor handed him a large pill. Just then, the nurse called the doctor out of the room to ask him a question. While the doctor was gone, the patient hobbled over to the sink, ran some water in a paper cup and swallowed the pill. Just then the doctor returned with a bucket and said, "Now, drop the pill into the bucket and we'll soak your foot."

Ignatius of Loyola

The sixteenth century mystic, Ignatius of Loyola, said that at the time of his conversion he had no one to turn to for guidance, so the Lord himself taught him the way a schoolmaster teaches a child. He once declared that even if all the scriptures were destroyed, he would hold on to what they revealed because of what the Lord had taught him personally.
Christian:
I have, unfortunately, had a surfeit of people to guide me. They badgered me with their persistent teachings till I could barely hear you through the din. I never thought I could have you for my teacher, for they said, "We are all the teachers you have; he who listens to us, listens to Him."
But I am wrong to blame them or deplore their presence in my life. It is I who am to blame. For I lacked the firmness to silence them; the courage to find out for myself; the patience to wait for your appointed time; and the trust that someday. somewhere, you would break your silence and reveal yourself to me.

from Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird, pp 196-197

Just Too Smart?! (1)

A passenger was at the airport, checking in at the gate, when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" The puzzled passenger said, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" The employee smiled and nodded knowingly, "That's why we ask."

Organisations

Someone once said that organisation membership is made up of four bones:
There are WISHBONES who spend all the time wishing that someone else would do the work.
There are JAWBONES who do all the talking, but little else.
There are the KNUCKLEBONES who knock back everything that anyone else tries to do.
Finally, there are BACKBONES who get under the load and do all the work.

Just for today, Lord...

I will live through the next 12 hours and not try to tackle all of life's problems at once. I will improve my mind. I will learn something useful. I will learn something that requires effort, thought, and concentration. I will be agreeable. I will look my best, speak in a well-modulated voice, be courteous and considerate. I will not find fault with friend, relative or colleague. I will not try to change or improve anyone but myself. I will have a program. I might not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will save myself from two enemies - hurry and indecision. I will do a good turn and keep it a secret. If anyone finds out, it won't count. I will do two things I don't want to do, just for the exercise. I will believe in myself. I will give my best to the world and feel confident the world will give its best to me.

- Author Unknown

A Bird’s-eye View

Said the robin to the sparrow,
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so..."

Said the sparrow to the robin,
"I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me."

by Elizabeth Cheney

The Drums of War

Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind.... And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded with patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."

- William Shakespeare -

A Prayer at Midday

The day has been breathless, Lord. Now I stop for a few moments and I wonder: Is the signature of the holy over the rush of the day? Or have I bolted ahead, anxiously trying to solve problems that do not belong to me?
Holy Spirit of God, please show me:
How to work relaxed,
How to make each task an offering of faith,
How to view interruptions as doors to service,
How to see each person as my teacher in things eternal.
In the name of him who always worked unhurried. Amen

Richard Foster, Prayers from the Heart

Times Have Changed

If Jesus were to do his same ministry on Earth today
He would be wanted by...
...the FDA for turning water into wine without a license,
...the EPA for killing fig trees,
...the AMA for practicing medicine without a licence,
...the Dept. of Health for asking people to open graves, for raising the dead and for feeding 5,000 people in the wilderness,
...the Education Department for teaching without a certificate,
...Occupational health and Safety for walking on water without a life-jacket and for flying without an airplane,
...the RSPCA for driving hogs into the sea,
...the National Board of Psychiatrists for giving advice on how to live a guilt-free life,
...and by the ZONING DEPT for building mansions without a permit.

Transition

There is a time to hold the gavel and a time to pass it on. More important than plaques on your wall or monuments bearing your name are the hearts which have been touched because you chose to lead with love.

- Neil Eskelin -

The Universe

There is a theory that states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory that states that this has already happened.

A Daily Prayer

Teach us, good Lord,
To serve you as you deserve:
To give, and not to count the cost;
To fight, and not to heed the wounds;
To toil, and not to see for rest;
To labour, and not ask for any reward,
Except that of knowing that we do your holy will;

Ignatius Loyola

An Irish Toast

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

Wisdom

But as I look back at my life, it is easy to see that the times when my wisdom and understanding grew to new levels; those times when I approached becoming the person I long to be; it was always the times that followed negative circumstances.

- Vic Johnson -

Cairns for a journey

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart…
Try to love the questions themselves…
Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given because you would not be able to live them…
Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers

Jim Cotter, Prayer at Night

Safety Advice

Do NOT ride in automobiles: they cause 20% of all fatal accidents.
Do NOT stay home: 17% of all accidents do occur in the home.
Do NOT walk on the streets or sidewalks: 14% of all accidents happen to pedestrians.
Do NOT travel by air, rail, or water: 16% of all accidents happen on these.
Only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are related to previous physical disorders. Hence, the safest place for you to be at any time is church. [Bible study is safe, too. The percentage there is even less.]
Go to church! IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Resisting Violence

Faith becomes the one wholly inflexible ground for resistance to violence, precisely because it teaches us how to face death—not in excited expectation of reward, but in the sober letting-go of our fantasies in the sure hope that a faithful God holds us firmly in life and death alike. This is the hope that allows us to recognise power for what it is and isn't: As what is given us for the setting-free of each other, not as the satisfying of our passion for control.

- Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury -

Survivors (for those born before 1940…)

You are Survivors
You were born before television, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, video and the pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ballpoint pens, before dishwashers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes… and before man walked on the moon.
You got married first and then lived together (how quaint can you be?). You thought ‘fast food’ was what you ate at Lent, a ‘Big Mac’ was an oversized raincoat and ‘crumpet’ we had for tea. You existed before house husbands, computer dating, and ‘sheltered accommodation’ was where you waited for a bus.
You were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. You never heard of FM radio, tape decks, artificial hearts, word processors, or young men wearing earrings. For you ‘time sharing’ meant togetherness, a ‘chip’ was a piece of wood or fried potato, ‘hardware’ meant nuts and bolts, and ‘software’ wasn’t a word.
Before 1940s ‘made in Japan’ meant junk, the term ‘making out’ referred to how you did in your exams, ‘stud’ was something that fastened a collar to a shirt, and ‘going all the way’ meant staying on a double-decker bus to the terminus. In your day, cigarette smoking was ‘fashionable’, ‘grass’ was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in a coalhouse, a ‘joint’ was a piece of meat you ate on Sundays, and ‘pot’ was something you cooked in. ‘Rock music’ was a fond mother’s lullaby, ‘Eldorado’ was an ice-cream, a ‘gay person’ was the life and soul of the party, while ‘aids’ just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.
You who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the way in which the world has changed and the adjustments you have had to make. No wonder there is a generation gap today… BUT by the grace of God you have survived!

Understanding Death

We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love.

- Madame De Stael (1766-1817) -

The Power of Anger

I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.

- Mahatma Gandhi -

Organising Peace

Have you ever attempted to organise something like peace? The moment you do, you have power conflicts and group wars within the organisation. The only way to have peace is to let it grow wild.

Anthony de Mello, The Prayer of the Frog

On Religion

According to one story, when God created the world and glorified in its goodness, Satan shared his rapture, in his own way, of course, for as he contemplated marvel after marvel, he kept exclaiming, “How good it is! Let’s organise it!”
“And take all the fun out of it!”

Get the Message Right

A local priest and a pastor stood by the side of the road with signs that said, "The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!" They waved the signs at the driver of a car as it approached.
"Leave us alone, you religious nuts!" yelled the driver as he sped by.
From around the curve they heard a big splash.
"It might be better," said ones clergy to the other, "If we just used a sign that says 'bridge out'!"

Excellence

Excellence can be attained if you...
* Care more than others think is wise.
* Risk more than others think is safe.
* Dream more than others think is practical.
* Expect more than others think is possible.

- Jim Gentil

A Formation Prayer

O Lord, my God.
Form me more fully into your likeness. Use the circumstances and interactions of this day to form your will in me.
From the frustrations of this day form peace.
From the joys of this day form strength.
From the struggles of this day form courage.
From the beauties of this day form love.
In the name of Jesus Christ, who is all peace and strength and courage and love.
Amen.

Richard Foster, Prayers from the Heart

Makes Sense!

An white American (WASP) and a Chinese man were in the cemetery. The American put a bouquet of flowers on his friend's grave and the Chinese man put a bowl of rice on his friend's grave. The American man asked, "When will your friend come up to eat the rice?" The Chinese man answered, "The same time your friend comes up to smell the flowers."

The Changing Face of Church

In 1900 10% of all Christians lived in the Third World. Now 75% of all Christians live outside 'Northern Christendom', and they provide 50% of the world's Christian missionaries.
So the centre of gravity for Christianity is moving from North to South, From West to East.
It took 1000 years for Christendom to reach the 30 million mark. Africa reached it in just 15 years.
The are more Anglicans worshipping in Nigeria, than in the U.K., U.S.A., and Australia combined - even though they're not the largest denomination there.
There are more worshipping Christians in China than in Western Europe.
The largest (Protestant) missionary 'sending' country is still the U.S. (60,000). The next? India (40,000) followed by countries like Korea (10,000), and Brazil.
Only twenty of the 700 Baptist pastors in Uganda have had any kind of training for pastoral work at all.

Misunderstood Faith

A lady who called a radio pastor, a wise, grandfatherly gentleman who has that calm reassuring voice that can melt all fear. The lady, who was obviously crying, said, "Pastor, I was born blind, and I've been blind all my life. I don't mind being blind but I have some well-meaning friends who tell me that if I had more faith I could be healed." The pastor asked her, "Tell me, do you carry one of those white-tipped canes?"
"Yes I do," she replied. "Then the next time someone says that to you," He said "just hit them over the head with the cane. Then tell them 'If you had more faith, that wouldn't hurt!'"

Personnel Evaluation

Memorandum
To: Jesus, Son of Joseph, Carpenter's Shop, Nazareth
From: Jordan Management Consultants, Jerusalem
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organisation. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; we have not only run the results through the computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
It is our opinion that most of your nominees are lacking the background, educational and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel it our duty to tell you that Matthew has been black listed by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus have radical leanings, and both registered high on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, has a keen business mind and possesses contacts in high places. He is highly motivated and ambitious. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sorry Day Prayer

Today the Australian Government makes an apology to the Stolen Generations. This prayer was written for Sorry Day, reflecting concern for the plight of Indigenous Australians.

Almighty and loving God, you who created ALL people in your image,
Lead us to seek your compassion as we listen to the stories of our past.
You gave your only Son, Jesus, who died and rose again so that sins will be forgiven.
We place before you the pain and anguish of dispossession of land, language, lore, culture and family kinship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced.
We live in faith that all people will rise from the depths of despair and hopelessness.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families have endured the pain and loss of loved ones, through the separation of children from their families.
We are sorry and ask God's forgiveness.
Touch the hearts of the broken, homeless and inflicted and heal their spirits.
In your mercy and compassion walk with us as we continue our journey of healing to create a future that is just and equitable.
Lord, you are our hope.
Amen.

Truth

In order to be truthful
We must do more than speak the truth.
We must also hear the truth.
We must also receive truth.
We must also act upon truth.
We must also search for truth.
The difficult truth.
Within us and around us.
We must devote ourselves to truth.
Otherwise we are dishonest
And our lives are mistaken.
God grant us the strength and the courage
To be truthful.
Amen.

From The Prayer Tree
by Michael Leunig

Worship

To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.
- William Temple -

What's for Sale?

One night in a dream, a man noticed a new shop in the High Street. He went in and saw an angel behind the counter. Nervously, he asked what the shop sold. “Everything your heart desires,” the angel said. “Then I want peace on earth,” cried the man. “An end to sorrow, famine and disease.”
“Just one moment,” said the angel, “You haven’t quite understood. We don’t sell fruit here... only seeds.”

If only...

Martin Luther once said,
“There are some of us who think to ourselves, ‘If I had only been there, how quick I would have been to help the baby — I would have washed his linen’. Yes, we would — we say that because we know how great Christ is, but if we had been there at that time, we would have done no better than the people of Bethlehem. The question is, why don’t we do it now? We have Christ in our neighbour.”

Garden and the Gardener

In First Things First, A. Roger Merrill tells of a business consultant who decided to landscape his grounds. He hired a woman with a doctorate in horticulture who was extremely knowledgeable.
Because the business consultant was very busy and traveled a lot, he kept emphasising to her the need to create his a garden in a way that would require little or no maintenance on his part. He insisted on automatic sprinklers and other labour-saving devices.
Finally she stopped and said, “There’s one thing you need to deal with before we go any further. If there’s no gardener, there’s no garden!”
There are no labour saving devices for growing a garden of spiritual value. Becoming a person of spiritual fruitfulness requires time, attention and care.

From Leadership Magazine

Reading Bible Improves Outlook

Tyndale House Publishers found evidence that reading the Bible promotes a positive outlook. According to a study they commissioned with the Barna Research Group:
82 percent of regular Bible readers described themselves as "at peace" compared to 58 percent of those who said they never read the Bible. 78 percent of regular Bible readers said they felt "happy" all or most of the time compared to 67 percent of nonreaders.
68 percent of regular Bible readers said they were "full of joy" compared to 44 percent who said they never read the Bible. From The Southeast Outlook (11-22-01); researchers interviewed 1,004 adults chosen to reflect the U.S.'s regional and ethnic makeup, with a sampling error of +/- 3 percent

Work History

My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned... couldn't concentrate.
Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe.
After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it ... mainly because it was a so-so job.

Difference

In matters of style swim with the current; in matters of principle stand like a rock.
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) -

Being Appreciated

If you roll out the red carpet for a billionaire, they won't even notice it. If you roll out the red carpet for a millionaire, they expect it. If you roll out the red carpet for a thousandaire, they appreciate it. If you roll out the red carpet for a hundredaire, they tell everybody they know.

- Patricia Fripp -

Following in His Steps

Lee Strobel tells about a mother from Costa Mesa, California who told about the day her three-year old son was on her heels wherever she went. She was having trouble doing her routine chores.
"Whenever I stopped to do something and turned back around I would trip over him," she said. "Several times I suggested fun activities to keep him occupied, but he would just smile and say, 'That's alright Mummy I'd rather be in here with you.' He continued to follow me and after the fifth trip, my patience wore thin and I asked him why he was following me constantly."
He said, "My Sunday school teacher told me to walk in Jesus' footsteps but I can't see him so I'm walking in yours."
The greatest way we can teach and show anyone the love of Jesus is through the example of how we live, and how we model his love in our everyday life.
As another has said, "We raise not the children we want but the children that we the parents are."
"Dear God, please help me to so live that all people will see Jesus in me and will want to follow in my footsteps and have Jesus in their life too. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

The place of Prayer

Prayer is for the religious life what original research is for science - by it we get direct contact with reality... We pray because we are made for prayer, and God draws us out by breathing Himself in.

- P.T. Forsyth -

Art of Progress

The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
Life refuses to be embalmed alive.

- Alfred North Whitehead -

The Truth Shop

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the name of the shop: THE TRUTH SHOP.
The salesgirl was very polite: What type of truth did I wish to purchase, partial or whole? The whole truth, of course. No deceptions for me, no defences, no rationalisations. I wanted my truth plain and unadulterated. She waved me on to another side of the store.
The salesman there pointed to the price tag. "The price is very high, sir," he said. "What is it?" I asked, determined to get the whole truth, no matter what it cost. "Your security, sir," he answered.
I came away with a heavy heart. I still need the safety of my unquestioned beliefs.

from Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird

They said it...

“The Americans have need of a telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” - Sir William Preece, in 1876; Chief Engineer of the British Post Office

“I think there is a world market for about five computers” - Thomas J Watson, Head of IBM forecasting confidentially in 1958

“Man won’t fly for a thousand years.” - Wilbur Wright to his brother Orville after a disappointing flying experiment in 1901

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” - Harry M Warner, in 1927 Head of Warner Brothers Silent Pictures

What will God “never do” in your life...???!!!

A Small Beginning

The journey to discovery of your strength and your beauty begins as a tiny seed nurtured through the droughts and the harsh winters struggling towards the light to form a single bud which slowly opens its petals to reveal its beauty for the world to gaze in wonder.

Another Way of Being

Dear God, we pray for another way of being: another way of knowing.
Across the difficult terrain of our existence we have attempted to build a highway and in so doing have lost our footpath. God lead us to our footpath: Lead us there where in simplicity we may move at the speed of natural creatures and feel the earth's love beneath our feet. Lead us there where step-by-step we may feel the movement of creation in our hearts. And lead us there where side-by-side we may feel the embrace of the common soul. Nothing can be loved at speed. God lead us to the slow path; to the joyous insights of the pilgrim; another way of knowing: another way of being. Amen.

from Leunig, The Prayer Tree

A Hasidic Tale

Late one evening a poor farmer on his way back from the market found himself without his prayer book. The wheel of his cart had come off right in the middle of the woods and it distressed him that this day should pass without his having said his prayers.
So this is the prayer he made: “I have done something very foolish, Lord. I came away from home this morning without my prayer book and my memory is such that I cannot recite a single prayer without it. So this is what I am going to do: I shall recite the alphabet five times very slowly and you, to whom are all prayers are known, can put the letters together to form the prayers I can't remember.”
And the Lord said to his angels, “Of all the prayers I have heard today, this one was undoubtedly the best because it came from a heart that was simple and sincere.”

Anthony de Mello, Prayer of the Frog

Recognising Value

This little gem has been in my possession for a few years. It was a letter from a minister to his congregation.

Dear Friends,

It has been said that if you can't get what you want, you should want what you get. The wisdom of this idea is aptly illustrated by a story told to me by a friend during our recent holiday.
Many years ago it was the custom to hold annual "Hiring Fairs". At these fairs, farm workers offered themselves and their abilities to farmers for a mutually agreed price.

One such fair was held in Totnes in Devonshire. A certain farmer unavoidably arrived late at the fair and found that those who had arrived before him had selected the workers of their choice. There were only three workers remaining who had not been offered employment. Each of them had a particular disability. One had a wooden leg, one had a hump-back, and the other a "drag-foot". The farmer was delighted, promptly agreed a price with them and took them into his employment.

He had recently ploughed a large field in which to plant potatoes. His hired men were a god-send, for he had been quick to see the advantages of their relative disabilities. The man with the wooden leg was to walk up and down the rows in the field. Everywhere he went he would leave a hole in the soil. He was followed by the man with the hump-back, who would plant each potato in the holes made by the man with the wooden leg. Finally the man with the drag-foot was to follow them and cover the potatoes which had been planted. In this way, the entire field was planted to the farmer's satisfaction. He learned that a person's disability is his own special talent.

Blessed is the church that discovers how to use each member's disabilities as talents!

Generations

Do not confine your children to your own learning,
for they were born in another time.
- Hebrew proverb -

Who am I?

People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea , at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.

- Saint Augustine -

Lessons from the Ark

All I really need to know I learned from Noah’s Ark:
1. Don’t miss the boat
2. Don't forget that we're all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.
5. Don't listen to critics -- do what has to be done.
6. Build on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.
9. If you can't fight or flee -- float!
10. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.
11. Remember that the woodpeckers INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.
12. No matter how bleak it looks, if God is with you, there's always a rainbow on the other side.

Food waste

Research suggests Australians are wasting at least $700 million a year on ditched fresh fruit and vegetables. Most households claimed to throw out more than $100 worth of spoiled produce a year. Busy families that buy then throw out fruit and vegetables because they have no time to cook are big culprits, but working couples with no children are the waste generation ringleaders. Older people on tight budgets were least likely to let food go bad. Food Science Australia experts said correct refrigeration temperature and proper storage kept food in good condition, warded off poisonous bacteria, and cut waste.

Herald Sun February 1, 2002

Freedom

When I want to be free at all costs, I am already beginning to bind myself.
When I pursue my own wishes, I throw myself in chains.
I do what I don’t want to do; I am at my own mercy.
And when I finally consider myself free, Freedom becomes a burden
Because I must make decisions Which I am unable to make
And my freedom turns into a new prison. I can only find freedom
In the ropes that bind me To you.

- Ulrich Schaffer -

Waiting to Live

There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down - until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living.

- George Sheehan -

Strange...

This is pretty strange or odd how it worked out this way.
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalm 117
What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalm 119
Which chapter is in the centre of the Bible? Answer - Psalm 118
(There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and there are 594 chapters after Psalm 118)
The verse at the centre of the Bible – in the middle of Psalm 118 is Psalm 118:8. What does this verse say about God's perfect will for our lives?
The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the centre of His will, just send them to the centre of His Word! Psalms 118:8 (NKJV) "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."

However, in the interests of accuracy, consider this.

Stem Cells and Ethics

There has been much discussion over the future of embryonic stem cell research over recent days. The following was relayed to me recently:
Theologian Stanley Hauerwas (Notre Dame) confronted a medical researcher who was defending experiments on foetal tissue. He posed the following question: 'What if it were discovered that foetal tissue were a delicacy; could you eat it?' He happened to believe that no amount of benefit to medicine could justify experimenting on foetal tissue: either it is human and deserves respect, or the door is open to all kinds of uses. (The medical researcher was forced to admit that, given the researcher's own logic, there is no reason to forbid Hauerwas's ghastly suggestion).

Sound Familiar?

An auto mechanic received a repair order that read: "Check for clunking sound when going around corners." Taking the car out for a test drive, he made a right turn, and a moment later he heard a 'clunk.' He then made a left turn and again heard a 'clunk.' Back at the shop he opened the car's trunk, and soon discovered the problem. Promptly he returned the repair order to the service manager with the notation, "Removed bowling ball from trunk".

The Local Church

When did the idea of the congregation degenerate into the idea of a local club? It was a perfectly natural development. The majority of people didn’t believe in Christianity at all. They commonly thought of it as a device for safeguarding their private prejudices… their private prejudices were public enough to enable them to form a club for their common protection against the gospel.

- Geddes MacGregor -

Solitude

Solitude, though it may be silent as light, is like light, the mightiest of agencies; for solitude is essential to man. All men come into this world alone; all leave it alone

- Thomas De Quincey, writer (1785-1859) -

Successful Ageing

The Study of Adult Development has tracked more than 800 American men and women for 60-80 years. The study concludes that:
* interaction with good people facilitates an enjoyable old age
* alcohol abuse consistently predicts unsuccessful old age
* learning to play and create after retirement and learning to gain younger friends are important
* a sense of humour, learning from your children and letting people are common elements in a happy old age.

(Melbourne Age Mar 18 2002)

The World Village

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this:
There would be:

• 57 Asians 21 Europeans 8 Africans
• 14 from the Western Hemisphere (north and south)
• 70 would be non-white, 30 white
• 70 would be non-Christian, 30 would be Christian
• 59% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of only six people and all six of them would be citizens of the United States.
• 52 would be female and 48 would be male
• One would be near death, one would be near birth
• 50 would suffer from malnutrition
• 80 would live in substandard housing
• 70 would be unable to read
• Just 1 would have a college education
• Just 1 would own a computer.

Wisdom and Wonder

Every now and again take a good look at something not made with hands - a mountain, a star, the turn of a stream. There will come to you wisdom and patience and solace and, above all, the assurance that you are not alone in the world.

- Sidney Lovett -

Saved at Last

After years of scrimping and saving, a husband told his wife the good news: "Honey, we've finally saved enough money to buy what we started saving for in 1979."
"You mean a brand-new Cadillac?" she asked eagerly.
"No," said the husband, "a 1979 Cadillac."

Unlock your potential

Michaelangelo worked on forty-four statues and completed fourteen of them. The unfinished ones are in a museum in Italy - the unfulfilled potential of a great genius. What's sadder to see are people who could become masterpieces - if only they were developed. You say, "How do I discover and develop my gifts?" First , look up. Find somebody who's a little bigger and a little better than you are, then spend time with them. That's what Joshua did with Moses and Timothy did with Paul. It's still God's way.

Next, give up. You've got to be willing to give up what you are, in order to be what you can become - Abraham gave up his home to seek a better country. Moses gave up the riches of Egypt to identify with the people of God. Paul gave up the comfort of being a Pharisee to pay the price of being an apostle. Every achiever has a 'give up' story - nothing comes free!

Finally, show up. If you want to win the game, you must face your opponent! Jephthah said, " . . . I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot go back." (Judg 11:35) In spite of his terrible family background and his personal problems, he became Israel's youngest judge and finished up with the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. God can do it for you too - if you'll let Him!

God Uses

God uses
what you have
to fill a need,
which you could never have filled.

God uses
where you are
to take you where
you never could have gone.

God uses
what you can do
to accomplish what
you never could have done.

God uses
who you are
to let you become
who you never could have been.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act of worship

- Romans 12:1-2 -

Change

When Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, he didn't start by trying to improve the candle. He decided that he wanted better light and went from there.
- Wendy Kopp, Founder and president, Teach for America –

Time With Dad Worth More Than Money

A number of years ago, Dr. Robert Schuller was on a whirlwind book promotion tour, visiting eight cities in four days. It was an exhausting schedule in addition to the normal duties Dr. Schuller had on his shoulders as pastor of a large church. As he was going over his schedule with his secretary for his return home, she reminded him that he was scheduled to have lunch with the winner of a charity raffle. Schuller was suddenly sobered when he found out the winner of the raffle, for he happened to know that the $500 the person bid to have lunch with him represented that person's entire life savings. How did he know that? The person was his own teenage daughter.

Subject: Pastoral Search Committee

In our search for a suitable pastor, the following scratch sheet was developed for your perusal. Of the candidates investigated by the committee, only one was found to have the necessary qualities. The list contains the names of the candidates and comments on each, should you be interested in investigating them further for future pastoral placements.
Noah: He has 120 years of preaching experience, but no converts.
Moses: He stutters; and his former congregation says he loses his temper over trivial things.
Abraham: He took off to Egypt during hard times. We heard that he got into trouble with the authorities and then tried to lie his way out.
David: He is an unacceptable moral character. He might have been considered for minister of music had he not 'fallen.'
Solomon: He has a reputation for wisdom but fails to practice what he preaches.
Elijah: He proved to be inconsistent, and is known to fold under pressure.
Hosea: His family life is in a shambles. Divorced, and remarried to a prostitute.
Jeremiah: He is too emotional, alarmist; some say a real 'pain in the neck.'
Amos: Comes from a farming background. Better off picking figs.
John: He says he is a Baptist but lacks tact and dresses like a hippie. Would not feel comfortable at a church potluck supper.
Peter: Has a bad temper, and was heard to have even denied Christ publicly.
Paul: We found him to lack tact. He is too harsh, His appearance is contemptible, and he preaches far too long.
Timothy: He has potential, but is much too young for the position.
Jesus: He tends to offend church members with his preaching, especially Bible scholars. He is also too controversial. He even offended the search committee with his pointed questions.
Judas: He seemed to be very practical, co-operative, good with money, cares for the poor, and dresses well. We all agreed that he is just the man we are looking for to fill the vacancy as our Senior Pastor.
Thank you for all you have done in assisting us with our pastoral search.
Sincerely,
The Pastoral Search Committee

The Perfect Pastor

After hundreds of years the perfect pastor has been found!!! He is a church leader that will please everyone! He preaches exactly 20 minutes and then sits down. He condemns sin but never steps on anybody's toes. He works from 8 in the morning til ten at night doing everything from preaching sermons to sweeping. He makes $500 a week and gives $100 of that to the church. He drives a late model car, buys lots of books, wears fine clothes and has a very nice family. He's 36 yrs. old and has been preaching for 40 yrs. He's tall on the short side and heavyset in a thin sort of way. His eyes are either blue or brown, to fit the occasion. And he wears his hair parted in the middle - left side dark and straight, right side brown and wavy. He has a burning desire to work with the youth and spends all of his time with the senior citizens. He smiles all the time while keeping a straight face because he has a keen sense of humour which finds him keeping seriously dedicated. He makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all of his time evangelising non-members and is always found in his office studying when he's needed. Unfortunately he burned himself out and died at the age of 32!

22 Thought-Provoking Questions

These are 22 questions the members of John Wesley's Holy Club asked themselves each day in their private devotions over 200 years ago.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what I am doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

Looking forward

It is a mistake to be always turning back to recover the past. The law for Christian living is not backward, but forward; not for experiences that lie behind, but for doing the will of God, which is always ahead and beckoning us to follow. Leave the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are before, for on each new height to which we attain, there are the appropriate joys that befit the new experience. Don't fret because life's joys are fled. There are more in front. Look up, press forward, the best is yet to be!

F. B. Meyer in Our Daily Walk

Dreams

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.
- Dr. Dale Turner -

New Year’s Thoughts

"...If we believe that God has come then of necessity we will believe that God will come (forever comes!). This belief should radically change the way we live our lives. We will not say 'it does not matter', for, because Christ comes, everything matters.
* Because Christ comes, we will not leave until tomorrow that which we should do today.
* Because Christ comes, we will be careful over what we do, preparation is worthwhile.
* Because Christ comes, we will leave space for surprises, we will allow our lives to be filled with awe and wonder.
* Because Christ comes, we will believe in a future for the young, that they might believe in one too.
* Because Christ comes, we will look at each other with anticipation and respect, for fear that he may come disguised as our own familiar friend.
"Living with hope is arguably the greatest gift that the Christian community can bring to the world. We all know that hopelessness is the great 'dis-ease' of our time. As we prepare ..., may it be our personal resolve to live a life of hope..."
- George Browning, Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn