Periphery

On Sunday night we visited ShireLive, which was great. Their opening video sequence reminded me (again) of something which has really helped shape some of my thought process recently.

For the last few years at Hillsong Conference, there has been a very effective video shown before each major session which has made a lasting impression on me. The visuals have changed each year, but the soundtrack has remained the same - and I often think about how successfully I and my church are living up to this statement:


"The church is not peripheral to the world, the world is peripheral to the church"


A statement of fact, but how well does my life line up with that? Or my church? Or my denomination? Can I say that my life reflects the reality that I am "the head and not the tail".

To be honest, while I know it's fact - sometimes I don't think I'm anywhere near close enough given the amount of influence I have in my church, work and social life. And that's more than a little bit scary. I'm not consumed by it - I think it's a healthy fear :-)


How about you? What does this statement mean for you ?

Summer

I love all seasons, but obviously for very different reasons.  One thing I love about summer is the proliferation of outdoor cinemas that open across the parks and other outdoor spaces in Sydney.

Some show new releases, serve champagne, and are set up with their own low-chairs...and basically cost as much as going to a regular cinema in Gold Class.

Others, like the one at Sydney Olympic Park, are free family events, attracting many thousands of people to see movies from the past year or so.  For us, it has the added attraction of being very very close to home and we can take our picnic blanket and wander over to enjoy a good film on a huge screen with a big crowd.  It's totally cool, and I particularly enjoyed the walk home last night with my wonderful wife.

And since the film last night was WALL-E, that was even more brilliant.

This photo is more modern art than photography, but it's a picture of WALL-E as he was collecting rubbish near the start of the film.  No really, it is.

Now, how to get as many people / families to come to an outdoor church service?...hmmmmm