Meaningless?

It's been kind of a tough time recently.  Largely self-inflicted, really... not thinking in helpful ways about things, and not holding tightly enough to the Promises that I so dearly need to cling to (and for which this blog is named!).

Anyway.  So, you might think from this, that starting a series on Ecclesiastes (with its catch-cry of "everything is vanity/meaningless") an odd choice.  But on the weekend, I did just that, and started listening to Matt Chandler's series on this book.  Fantastic.  I'm a bit of a fan of Matt's.  He typically gives solid, Biblical teaching, and is passionate and engaging.  He spoke about how Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, explored all avenues for pleasure and fulfilment... and had spectacular resources for doing so - greater riches, wisdom and opportunity than any of us will ever have!  He explored seeking satisfaction in parties, women, riches, investing in home and garden (except his "garden" was basically a forest. Why bother with a vegie patch when you can have a forest?!)... et cetera.  But when he got to the end of it all, found that it was all meaningless, or a "vapour".  Temporary and unable to provide lasting joy.

Here's a little of what Matt said:

Ten years ago, you had in your mind this picture of what you wanted life to look like ten years from now, and you thought if you could obtain it, or get to it, you would be happy and satisfied.  The last ten years, you have put all your energy – and whether you did this consciously or subconsciously, you did this.  Most of you thought: “if I could get out of school, if I could get a good job, if I could find my husband or wife, if I could have children, if I could make enough money to go on vacation, if I could get a car that actually ran half the time… if I could get this, if I could do this…"  And you begin to work that ten-year plan.  Now, the reality is, if you’ve met those goals, you probably don’t even know it, because you’ve already replaced that ten-year plan with the new ten-year plan, because what you thought would satisfy you, has not.  So what happens is you work the next ten-year plan, and then you work the next ten-year plan, and then you work the next ten-year plan, and then you will die, and get painted up like a clown and put in the ground.  That’s it.  And almost all of us, whether we’ll admit it or not, have bought into the philosophy that what we need to finally make us happy is more of what we already possess. 

 Wow.  There's some real, painful truth in there.  And if this is where you stop, it could actually be pretty depressing!  Chasing things that - although they may be good things; great things, even - don't give us lasting joy and life.  And (as we were reminded tonight at church in looking at Hebrews 3 and 4), not a single one of us can cheat death.  Dying is inevitable for all of us, and we'll have to leave behind all we sought and worked for in this life.  

But there is hope.  It's Jesus, and what he did on the cross to conquer death and sin, and give us eternal life.  And he's the only one who gives meaning to all our toil and the things of earth.  They are a vapour, but they point to one who is permanent and forever.

Our challenge is to not be fooled by the busyness of life, and our explicit or subconscious Ten Year Plans...  to not be so caught up on the treadmill of life that we forget that we're not actually going anywhere with all our toil and our seeking... but that only Jesus takes us where we need to go.

That sound, it’s hypnotic.  If I put on my headphones, I can almost pretend I’m not on the treadmill at all.  It can maybe, just for a few minutes, make me forget that even though I’m running, I’m not going anywhere.  Here’s the bottom line.  You can take that step or you can let the treadmill continue to hypnotise you into thinking that your life is forward-progress.  But in the end, there is nothing under the sun that brings lasting fulfilment.  You have to look beyond the sun.  The groove cannot be filled with the temporal.  It has to be eternal.  And the invitation from Jesus continues to echo through eternity.  Come and thirst no more.

Turns out a reflection on the "meaninglessness", or rather the temporariness, of the things of this life (even the good things), and the eternal hope and pleasure and joy that is found in Jesus, was just what this momentarily-despairing young woman needed!  And ultimately, what we all need.

God is good.

Music Monday #3

This is Passenger. A now one-man band, comprised of singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg. My brother (who has varied and very cool taste in music!) introduced me to Passenger, and I haven't been able to turn him off since. He writes beautiful, simple, soul-searching songs.

It's a funny thing, falling in love with the music of a secular artist like this. As a Christian, there isn't a single part of life that is outside of the glorious truth of Jesus; and outside of his loving rule. Not a single thought, anxiety or desire that floats around in my mind is outside the ocean that is his grace. (At least, this is the reality, and by his grace, I'm becoming oh-so-slowly more aware of it in the messiness of each day!) And in our universal quest for meaning, love and significance, only in Jesus do we find that which we seek.

I think it's this that makes Passenger's music simultaneously so engaging, joyful and sad.

Engaging, because he handles the precious medium of music with such sincerity and love. And, even more than that, he explores the questions, sorrows and thoughts of the human heart. He sings about life, love and the things we all seek and ponder as part of our human lives. We can't help but relate, at least at certain points. Some sentiments in this song (and others of his) make me smile, ache and cry with the depth to which they resonate with my heart.

Joyful. There's truth in many of his thoughts and observations. Amongst others:

A sense of value in selflessness...

Give what you're given.

Pondering misplaced values and what we consider important...

We all had new iPhones, but no one had no one to call.

And joyful because the incredible combination of music, words, the human heart and mind, and the ability to question and search and love... it's all from God. This man was made in God's image and given unique gifts. God even created the spectacular backdrop for this performance, with the field stretching into the distance, the sun, shadows, sky, clouds and gentle breeze. God has made humankind, music and our world just beautiful, and there's so much to celebrate.

Yet there's sadness. There's so much that's searching for something more, something beyond this life... to align his journey with someone going the right direction. I'll stick out my thumb and trudge down the highway - someday, someone must be going my way home. For all the human thoughts and longings he explores, he never arrives at the Answer his heart is seeking. He never celebrates and sings of the One who gave him his gifts; who created and sustains him.

Don't cry for the lost, smile for the living.

 I wonder who the "lost" are, according to this song? Maybe it's those who are constantly chasing material things or success, those tied down by mortgages and loans, those who don't take the time to "explore themselves", maybe travel, fall in love, to really "live" and experience life, love, the world and all it's pleasures. I wonder...

But what I do know is Jesus, and how he has actually provided the definition for these terms. Through his death and resurrection, he has given all who trust in him new life, and life eternal. By his grace alone, they are the living. And those who pursue life their own way, pursue life apart from him, are the lost. And this saddens God, and it should sadden us. I think we can cry for the lost... and let this spur us on to speak about Jesus - the only one in whom we can find hope, love and salvation.

Just some thoughts. If you haven't heard this beautiful song before, I hope you like it!

Who do you like to listen to?

Resolved to Blog Better (for the 374th time.)

There's been a lot of talk about blogging happening lately!  And secretly (or not so secretly), I've loved every minute and every comment of it.  Dave has returned to his blog with a vengeance, after a 2-year hiatus, and has been seeking helpful hints from blog-writing and -reading friends as to what makes a good blog.  There have been some great suggestions from lots of people, including Nathan and his blog, Julie and a few others.

Anyway.  Having all these fantastic people around me blogging, and talking about it, means that I definitely feel newly inspired, and a little better equipped, to retry this thing.  I seem to spend so much of life resolving to do so many things better and more faithfully that I seem to fail at the vast majority of it...  Sigh.  But let's put that unhelpful attitude aside and power on!!

Out of all the good advice, here's just a few of the points I'm going to focus on (and if you're a struggling blogger, maybe helpful for you too?)

1.  Post often.  Since I'm guessing "often" is more than once every 2 months, I should be able to improve in this area without too much effort.

2.  Be concise.  Hmm.  Check out my last post, if you dare.  Loved writing it and reflecting on YNET (such a good weekend!)... but I possibly have scope for improvement in this area.  Noted.

3.  Feel free to write about silly things.  I think this one is pretty freeing.  It's a great thing to want to put significant stuff out there, and to contribute something thought-provoking and edifying to the blog-world.  But it can actually start to feel crippling...  there can be a genuine fear in posting anything, in case it's just not worthwhile or thought-provoking enough to be blogged about, let alone maybe read by others.   

OK.  I'll stop at three.  That's enough to work on.  (And I'm working on number 2 already.  Yessss.)

One of my favourite comments over all this blogscussion was from one of my favourite bloggers.  "Write often and your voice will become stronger and truer. Plus, words breed words. The more we discuss, the more we find there IS to discuss."  I just love this, and the truth in it.

Happy blogging everyone!  I'm excited!! 

leunig.com.au

P.S.  Oh, and yes.  I have just learnt how to link to other blogs and pages.  
Too much of a good thing? ;)

YNET 2012

Oh, long weekends, how I love thee!  That extra day just feels so precious.  However you choose to spend it!  But the past four days have been especially memorable and, I'm praying, life- and ministry-impacting.  Along with the youth leadership team at church, I've been at stunning Mount Tamborine for YNET - an annual weekend conference for those involved in youth and children's ministry leadership.  

It's always with eager anticipation that I look forward to YNET...  So now, having returned home a few hours ago, it's exciting to reflect on the past four days which not only met my high expectations, but seemed to soar straight past them, taking the team from my church, and multiple other churches from Qld and beyond, along for the ride.

Admittedly, a huge part of these things is just being there.  Spending those few days together - beautifully diverse, yet so deeply united.  Living together, sharing bedrooms and toilet/shower facilities, eating the same food, shivering in the same evening briskness, basking in the same golden afternoon sunlight...

Singing the same songs.

Soaking in and absorbing the same eternal, life-filled truths.

Worshipping the same God.

So.  Anything I attempt to share on here will naturally be a pale comparison with the real deal!  Yet I think it's still worth sharing.  Here are some glimpses into YNET 2012 as captured by my eyes, ears, mind and emotions (would love it if others shared what little snapshots you captured also...  Let's collage it up!)

One.  The conference was based around The Psalms: Praying the Prayers of Jesus.  Our brilliant speaker encouraged and challenged us, as together we thought and felt our way through Psalms 16, 18, 34, 109 and 20.  It was a wonderful rollercoaster of head and heart...  and most of all, they made me, and us, want more - to know not only more about God, but to really know God more deeply and intimately than ever.  To read and know the psalms, to sing along with the psalmist, and to sing and pray along with Jesus Himself.

We were challenged in looking at some of the harder passages and sentiments in the psalms... such as the prayer for vengeance of Psalm 109 and the uncomfortable "gap" that exists between the words of unwavering dedication to God and our own less-than-perfect experience in some psalms (eg Ps 16).  One overarching gem of wisdom from our speaker was exploring how Jesus took the words of the psalms Himself... He interpreted His own ministry from the psalms, and used the words of the psalms as His own prayers.  (Some examples:  Mark 12:10 and Psalm 118:22-23; John 13:18 and Psalm 41:9; Mark 15:34 and Psalm 22:1; Luke 24:44-47).  We see how the psalms "hang loosely" on our own experience, and even the psalmists' experience... yet they are fulfilled and completely "filled-out" in Jesus.  And through His total faithfulness, the prayers of the psalms can be ours.

It was wonderful to explore the psalms and to realise the emotion and the experience of God in them.  We can come to God with overflowing joy, thankfulness, disappointment, anger, neediness, and anything else.  We can come to God with total honesty in prayer - that's abundantly clear from the psalms!  

Our memory verse for the weekend was, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who goes to him for safety".  Psalm 34:8.  "Head knowledge" about God - treating God as an academic exercise - just isn't enough.  We need to taste and see... to know and experience Jesus, and His love and faithfulness, even in the messiness and confusion of life.  And ultimately, growing in this intimacy and honesty before God equips us to better love and minister to others - particularly the youth and kids that God has given us.  To pass these truths on to them, particularly as these teenagers deal with the emotions, life experiences, excitements and struggles of life and growing up.  And through all this, to see the gospel story become their story by God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Two.  Music.  Firstly, our team had the massive blessing of being involved in the music side of the conference.  Personally, I just loved playing and singing with such a great, humble group of musos and to bask in the gifts God has given them for His and our enjoyment!  And then singing in worship of Jesus together with brothers and sisters from far and wide, their joyful hearts and enthusiastic adoption of new songs... awesome. 

Secondly, the unexpected but soul-satisfyingly wonderful times of spontaneous singing and music...  A guitar, a bunch of voices and unhurried time stretching out before us into the night.  Singing praises and learning psalms by heart thanks to the musical creativity of others; amongst the sharing of stories, life lessons and tears.  

I especially loved learning Psalm 134...

Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD;

Who stand by night in the house of the LORD

Lift up your hands in the holy place

and bless the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion;

Maker of the heavens and the earth.

(If you'd like to hear/learn the tune we were taught, ask me or one of the other YNET attendees!  Funky and memorable.)

Three. I was blessed with very cool, relevant electives.  I learnt a lot about how to partner with parents of the youth and kids entrusted to us, was challenged to think about evangelism in community and the effect of worldviews and philosophies, and how to be more perceptive in working within that to share with people.  I also had a super-interesting and challenging elective on Life Online...  thinking through things like social networking and the benefits and dangers associated with our internet connectedness... how it affects us, and the way we relate and think.  I'm determined to continue to think about and work through this for myself, as well as for the youth and those who are and will struggle with the same things in this increasingly digital world.

Four.  Getting to know some gorgeous people from other churches, ages, experiences...  The value of community was so clear this weekend.  Had some times of deep and precious sharing deeply with new and old friends, as well as some real laughter and fun.  Humanity is such a glorious kaleidoscope!  Some little highlights:

One sunshiny friend, amongst other things, brought her own pretty teacup and Earl Grey and Lavendar tea, and continued to wear her hair in creative, beautiful ways...  

Definition:  "glamping" (Glamorous Camping).

Sharing chai lattes/coffees/hot choccies with new friends in the cosy booth of a funky coffee place.

A morning run with the couple of the other guys from our group - enjoying the beautiful mountain morning, the way the fellas cheered on the other runners and cyclists out and about, and mud-skiing down the damper-than-expected bushwalking paths we explored on the way (You just don't look like a real runner without muddy legs.)

 

So, so many other things to share, but I've probably said enough already!  It was a weekend full of learning and blessing.  God is faithful in the big and small things, and YNET was packed with evidence of both of these, and everything in between.

For those who went to YNET: what were your highlights?  What did you learn?  What made you laugh?  What has God placed on your heart?

For those who didn't:  how was your long weekend?  What did you do, learn, laugh about?

~ A little disclaimer ~

This has been long enough already, but I feel the need to add something.

All of the above is totally true, and I'm so excited and thankful for the weekend, and what is now to come!  But I'm also aware of the tendency we have to filter what we share through social networking, blogging... our online appearance to others.  So I guess I just wanted to also give lip service to the times of tiredness; of saying things I wished I hadn't; of not saying things I wish I had; of insecurity and not always quite knowing who to sit with at a mealtime; of frustration in the recognition of sins and struggles that I don't feel should still be here with me.  These are my struggles, but I guess the experience of ups and downs is familiar to all!  But ultimately, this only makes the unfailing grace of God more incredible, wonderful and real.

Bushwalks and Brothers

I loved Easter this year.  For so many reasons!  But honestly, the main reason is that I don't think I've ever been so excited about the Truth that we celebrate at Easter... a beautiful story of suffering, forgiveness, love and new life.  It just gets more precious every year, and every day.  We learnt a new song at church on Easter Sunday - Matt Maher's "Christ Is Risen"...  Great song, and it was so thrilling to hear and see it's lyrics (via Facebook!) remain on everyone's lips and hearts for days afterwards.  "O death, where is your sting?  O hell, where is your victory?  O church, come stand in the light... Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's ALIVE!"

Then there was the public holiday.  Monday is such a lovely day for a holiday!  This one was particularly cool, because my family decided to go for a bushwalk, and I was able to join them.  But not just any bushwalk... Here's a little of the back-story...

A couple of years ago, my favourite brother (weeell, only brother.) James, and one of his mates, decided to go for a bushwalk up at Mount Glorious.  They were trying out a new spot for a bushwalk, upon advice from a friend.  In an area which was beautiful, unpopulated, and off-the-beaten-track.  They were keen!  James let Mum and Dad know they were going for a walk, and off they wandered into the wintery bushland.  Fast forward to a few hours later...  no sign of James or his mate returning home.  The sun had set.  Mum and Dad had heard nothing, and he wasn't answering his phone.  Escalating panic, and the police were notified. They headed up to Mount Glorious, and found James' phone in his car... without any sign of the boys.  A search was commenced, and after some time, James and his mate were found - lost, in the pitch-black bushland, about 3km from the car.  The police brought them home safely, at around 11pm, to our massive relief.  Once the panic started to pass for everyone, I started to seriously enjoy some of the recounted elements of the story...  Going too far and not realising how fast the sun would set; cuddling together on the ground for warmth;  James drinking water out of his saturated jumper and socks (with a little inspiration from Bear Grylls).  Pretty intense.  But makes for a good story now!

SO.  On Monday, James took Mum, Dad and me to have a walk through that same bushland.  At sunny 1pm!  And it was great fun.  It was SERIOUS bushland though!  No wonder they were lost.  Wasn't so much "bushwalking" as climbing over trees and logs, leaping streams, dodging snakes (James nearly got bitten!), sliding down waterfalls...  Loved it!  Such a blessing to explore such a beautiful part of God's creation, and to spend time with people I love.

James, Dad and Mum heading down beside the waterfall.

Brother-sister moment...

 Watching his massive rock "sailboat" roll down the stream.

An especially nice day, since in just over a week's time James is moving to Sydney for at least a year.  I'm genuinely sad to think about my beautiful "little" brother moving away.  There's something really special about James, and I love having him around.  

But you know, it's also really exciting.  I know he'll have a gorgeous time down south, and hopefully have some good work opportunities down there.  And I love watching God's plan unfold in people's lives, and I'm looking forward to seeing where He takes my brother. 

So, how was your Easter??

Music Monday #2

I hadn't quite realised how long it had been since my last blog post!  Sorry, February. A lot has happened - I've left beautiful Nepal and have spent a lot of time settling back into Australia and all the things that 2012 holds.  It's been a funny month.  Some of it is probably very worthy of a post or two.  Sometime soon, maybe...

But for now, I'm extremely thankful that tonight, the night I decided to re-commence this little blog adventure, is a Monday!  Which gives me the easy, fun and beautiful topic of Music to ponder and share!  Excellent.

It always feels tricky to just share one song... I'm a real album girl.  If I really like a song, I'll pretty much always go out and buy the artist's whole album.  For me, the whole collection of songs and thoughts, and the order in which they've been woven into an album, is a very real part of the art.  So, with that in mind, I recommend to you the whole self-titled album of Echoing Angels.  It's fantastic.  The lyrics are worth hearing, it's musically exciting and extremely cool, and the lead singer, Trey, has a phenomenal voice.  I highly recommend the whole album.

But, just to give you a taste of these fellas and their God-given gifts, I can't go past "Say What You Believe".  This is the first song on the album, and honestly, it took me a long time to take this one song off "repeat" and actually start listening to the rest of the album. So good!!  I do so love this genre of music!

Enjoy! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1hhiA0VQm0

What have you been listening to lately?