God Spot

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God Spot
This Christian Resource Blog has been created by a group of friends from around the world. Our purpose is to provide links to useful resources, some commentary on topical or doctrinal issues, a place where anyone can come with questions and a means whereby we can share our faith. And above all, to grow and encourage each other. As Christians, we believe we bear God's image in this world, and seek to glorify God's name in this endeavour. Any Christian who wants to join with us is very welcome!

Monday, October 31, 2005

Oh, terrible

Michele is the easiest person to correct: madame you have no eye for art, full stop, that's it.

The pastors who were convicted for religious villication got what they deserved, we should go very carefully regarding other people's religions and religious view unless they are heretical. There pastors said something terrible things then a few minutes later said we should love Moslems or something like that, hardly Christian kindness and sensitivity, and making up for the ratbag stuff before.

Islam as acquaintence Buktir (Bob) lives it, is hardly radical. Well he is a middle class Australian married to a non-believer in anything but some strange whole health healing. Bob does architectual drawings for a living. My question is: does poverty breed radicalism and racism, while wealth reasonableness?

Doing the races the last two Saturdays has been a good education. Drunk females who have vomited and gone unconscious are not a pretty sight. I could tell of worse actually. Son Nigel said "Good experience for real nursing or doing a range of things with St. Johns". I'm doing one more week of horse races then motocross on the 12th, I think, then a rowing event.

Keeping out of the pub, and brothels (get to a few of each in the taxi) Gary

# posted by Anonymous @ 6:49 pm

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Saturday, October 29, 2005

Churches in the community

I agree on both issues.

1. That it is the churches responsibility to go out to the community and care for the needy.
2. It is the governments responsiblility to care for the needy.

1. The Church. I think that alot depends on the church itself. The size of the church, the ablility of the people, the finance. I know of churches that have a freezer set aside to be filled with food for the needy. We, for some time, had a roster to take a Casserole to a lady who had MS. BUT I believe our priority is to the people within our congregation. As the congregation grows, so does our responsibility. If we know of people who need finance, help, food, even gardening etc within our congregation, then we should be willing to help wherever needed. I'm not saying that we ignore people 'outside' the church. Ultimately we need to spread the Gospel.
If we do not have the resources then we need to be able to point them in the right direction. The Salvation Army Church is excellent in their outreach to the needy.
2. The Government - I think it is very important for the government to care for those in need. Afterall - isn't it our taxes that are being used? I get upset when I see our taxes getting used for rubbish. As you come along the freeways towards our place you are confronted with great slabs of concrete poking out of the ground. It is meant to be 'art' - "Windows of the West" - or some such thing. Apparently it cost a couple of hundred thousand bucks to put them there. Don't you think the money could have been used more wisely in caring for those in need? Sometimes I despair!

# posted by shellymac @ 1:52 pm

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Friday, October 28, 2005

Churches and nursing

More or less agree with you Gary on the role of churches, also to provide the opportunity for fellowship and worship. And best wishes re the nursing course, your dedication is admirable. If you need a reference... "a truly great guy"!

# posted by geoff @ 10:58 am

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Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Correction, Shawn, and nursing news

Read what I wrote, the first role of the church is to spread the good news. Secondly its to care for people in many ways; the churches may have beaten governments to open schools and hospitals, but today they are for governments to do. Here we have a number of joint ventures churches with governments, expecially in aged care facilities.

I have done the testing and applications for two nursing courses. There are pitifully few places and hundreds who will miss out. At Box Hill College 440 applied for 25 places, while the country and the world needs more nurses. Its disgraceful. At Croydon there are 72 places and about the same number of applicants. I will not know for 3 or 4 weeks if I have a place.

Gary

# posted by Anonymous @ 6:08 pm

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Sunday, October 23, 2005

The Churches roles

I will suggest there are many but the main two are to spread the good news and to look after the people that they have with encouragement, care and good teaching. In showing Christian love there should be a large caring for the needy role, (Shawn), but the church is not a social welfre organisation. The 'salvos' grapple with this.

Yesterday I did first aid at the big race meeting and saw people at their 'best and worst'. I our society its the norm to be at occasions drinking alcohol, even at 9 am and some did it steadily all day. Some were dressed nicely and approriately, some guys in slacks and a shirt, (and it was going to rain mid afternoon) and some ladies in a dress that was more than a nightie. If I was a manufacturer of womens' clothing I wouldn't bother with underwear, there is obviously no sales to be had. I think I'm back at the races next week and the week after, waiting to hear from St. Johns headquarters.

The world needs the good news, and so many need a right balance.

gary

# posted by Anonymous @ 5:27 am

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Thursday, October 13, 2005

Re: Kids Stuff (3)

Like Michele and Wilfred, we did a lot of talking to our children and limited televison. I bet you two were excellent parents, having learnt from your own.

I do think its not all the fault of television, lifestyle and expectations come into it. The man who lives next to us is an accountant in the city and leaves home at 7 am each morning. He is rarely home at night before 7 sometimes half an hour later. During the week then he spends little time with his family, he tells me that he brings work home sometimes, and there is the occasional interstate business trip. They sleep in and 'pad' around Saturday until late morning when he takes daughter to swimming lessons. For the huge salary the family somewhat 'miss out' and hjis wife has loneliness written all over her. Many working people have tiredness so clearly as part of their lives.

Do we need the plasma tv. An expert on the radio said yesterday that a CRT tv has just as good a picture at one-fifth the price.

# posted by Anonymous @ 6:33 pm

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Re: Kids Stuff

Hank - It seems that families do not sit down together at the table for their meals very much now-a-days. As our children were growing up we would always sit together at the table. When they had friends come over, we would include them at the table, and some didn't know what to do as they had never sat together for a meal.
Many children now have their own T.V. in their bedrooms.

Sadly, it seems that the family unit is getting pushed out of the picture. People are too busy with working or being involved in sports or other activities.

I remember that there were times when we would take the T.V. away from the lounge so that we could have time together with the kids and play different games with them.

Our Sunday lunches are always together at the dining room table, often with different people from the church that we have invited in at the last moment. Many, many people have dined with us over the years, and continue to do so, and we have pleasant memories of table laughter, talking over each other,discussion, noise, heaps of dishes to wash, endless cups of tea, and often a game around the table to finish off.

# posted by shellymac @ 7:50 pm

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Really Geoff what cinicism

I am shocked, at your thoughts about John Howard, Geoffery, shocked. You will have noticed that he will never talk about his faith, nor will that non-enitity women in his party who goes to Hillsong. If you can re-write history then you can re-write the scripture and tell us that the light should be hidden under a bushel!

Yes I'm impressed with Steve Fielding, and Barnaby Joyce. I could even vote for Family First one day. When I go to vote I ask:
"Who is going to do more for the poor, the needy, the aged and the health system",
Is there something wrong with that.

I think I need a church with some life, (and maybe a 30,000 watts sound system). Holy Trinity, is getting by on good teaching, to geriatrics mostly asleep.

I think that my next lot of first aid 'work' is at Moonee Valley and Flemington, big race meetings. I'll look out for you there Geoff and Katrina, David and Trish, Michele and Wilfred, go on have a day out and an experience, definitely an experience. I've put in for the 3 Saturdays after this coming one, (Caufield Cup Day).

Gary

# posted by Anonymous @ 6:33 pm

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Monday, October 10, 2005

Voting Conservative

So Gary, you've got a clean record and never voted conservative! Good on you. Seems the new "Family First" senator Steve Fielding, who was expected to be right-wing like the US Christian right, is having second thoughts (at least, according to an article at the weekend in The Age Good Weekend magazine - which I can't find a link to sadly, only the following summary:

He squeaked into the Senate thanks to other parties' preferences, but Family First's Steve Fielding isn't quite the aw-shucks political innocent he seems to be. Jane Cadzow meets the born-again MP, his go-getter wife, and the amazing family he sprang from.

There's a picture of Steve and his "go-getter" wife Sue, swinging to the music at their charismatic City Life church. But seems he's against the US/Oz invasion of Iraq, and a few other fundamental tenets of conservative politics downunder, so no doubt Howard and co regard him as a heretic (albeit behind his back, because who knows when they will need his vote??).

# posted by geoff @ 1:11 pm

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Thursday, October 06, 2005

materialism, hank

Sure, we in Australia have taken to all the innovations but for pay tv. Children have music systems, phones, tvs, cd players etc. A big trend here is fashion clothing for children usually 8 to 12 year-old girls.

So many adults seem to be caught up in two incomes and rush rush rush to do the necessary other things -- shopping, ironing, cleaning, washing and gardening. The cost structure here is that many families need one and a half incomes, we do quite ok with my wife Shirley working part-time, whereas it would be a terrible life-style if she worked full-time.

I'm in the month of information nights and testing for courses for next year, hoping to get into nursing at a College, a lower level course is likely. It was Box Hill tonight where there are over 500 applicants for 25 places, I'll have to do very well at the testing.

# posted by Anonymous @ 8:02 pm

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Saturday, October 01, 2005

Depression and Footy and Materialism

Many years ago I nursed at Yooralla in Balywn looking after handicapped children. It was the most favourite job that I ever had. I remember a particular child who had to be sedated after his team lost. Footy was his whole life. He was badly deformed and would go infront of the mirror, sitting in his motorised wheelchair and spit at himself.
Donkey's years later I saw him in Bourke Street Mall and went up to him and spoke to him. I was always called Macca by the kids and he said that he remembered me- but I think that he was just being polite!
Those kids had a way of worming their way into your heart and taught us to look at life differently. They didn't want material things like we do. One boy said all he wanted was just to be able to stand for 10 minutes and kick a football and that if he could have that, then he would never ask for anything more.
Kind of makes you think doesn't it?.....

# posted by shellymac @ 8:23 pm

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I hope there's hope

Yes Geoff, Philip Aspinal, has made the news and may, perhaps, may, possibly shake up a few Anglicans and Christians. Alas I think that in the church and in politics people hear what they want to hear and that is what suits them.

Us in Australia, may have heard the Labor Party this week raising that it should be more compassionate in policies and thats how our society should be, (Julia Gillard and Mark Latham before her). I suspect that washed over most people. We have had an election where John Howard went on about interest rates, physical and economic safety, and the Christians (generally wealthy) voted for it, (all surveys show that Christians vote for conservatives around the world, in my view they votes for their own interests).

To me the two outstanding quotes of Australia politics are:
".... self interest is always the winner, in fact, its the only horse in the race" Paul Keating,
and
"We will have a Liberal government while the greedy outnumber the needy" Bob Menzies

I have never voted for conservatives.
Gary

# posted by Anonymous @ 6:02 am

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