It was great to get away for 3 days with about 180 Baptist Pastors from all over Western Australia.
Good times meeting and speaking with them all.
It was especially encouraging to see all the young people coming into leadership. So many bright and passionate young people taking on leadership roles in our Baptist Churches.

The Baptist denomination in Western Australia is strong, with a number of church plants occuring, along with many of our churches growing significantly. It is a great time to be a Baptist.

The worship times were led very well by a young team, with some experience thrown in for good measure. We also had some great times hearing stories of some of the ‘heroes of the faith’, former pastors and present pastors.

Those of us who heard about the Easter Monday special presentation on the ABC much loved and much despised question and answer show, Qanda, were at least interested in what was to be shown. Representing Christianity on one side was well known Sydney Cardinal George Bell. Known for being well spoken and intelligent representation of the Catholic Faith.
In the other corner is well known and outspoken atheist…or agnostic…depending on the time of day, Richard Dawkins.

You know what you will get with Dawkins. Acid tongue, personal attacks, appeal to the populist. Dawkins loves the crowd.

As a Baptist Pastor my cards are pretty well on the table. What I expected was a vigorous debate featuring a Christian who at least would represent the orthodox nature of my faith. It started well. Pell nailed it when he described the ridiculousness of believing that there was nothing, then it exploded. Whatever your view on evolution and the world, there is a design aspect behind what we can observe, and it will not matter to me how much you argue your point…I see the beauty and order in the universe…and it did not just happen….nor did it come from nothing. You may not like my conclusion of that pointing to a God, but you won’t convince me it is more rational or logical to think that it ‘just is’. That is to come to the same problematic conclusion that I have come to…’He is’. So then I look to faith.

What did disappoint me was how the discussion deteriorated from there. Pell disregarded the Biblical text and narrative account of Genesis, particularly the story of Adam and Eve. Why? Presumably because it seemed preposterous to him. But hardly as preposterous as believing in the Roman Catholic theology of transubstantiation. (the belief that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ during the Eucharist) Don’t hear me criticizing that, what concerns me is the inconsistency.
If you don’t want to believe in the miraculous nature of the scriptures, that is your choice. But you can’t have a bet each way. You can’t pick and choose. Dawkins was quite right to point out the inconsistency of his position when it came to the issue of original sin.

While there is plenty about the biblical account that confuses me and that I don’t have answers for, there is plenty I am sure about. I don’t see that as a problem anymore than science has many questions it cannot, and will not, answer. It comes down to who is your God.

For me, believing as I do in a supernatural, interventionist God, there is no issue logically with miracles. If God created the universe, He can do what He likes. He can intersect into the laws of nature as He desires. Those same laws then kick back into effect when He has finished.

It is a shame that Qanda goes for the popular representative of Christianity, rather than finding someone that represents a more orthodox and intelligent approach to our faith.

Just as a postscript I wrote on my facebook wall… ‘Just answer the question Pell. Stand up for something. Follow your Master and be crucified if necessary”.

John 3:7-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You[a] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

Truth is…does not matter who you barrack for, you would want him on your side. If you are stupid enough to fall for his tricks and he gets a free off you, who is the mug?

The supernatural occurs amongst some very ordinary circumstances.

God is not bound by the rules of nature. But after He has intersected with them, they return.

God can do anything He wants, but He does not force His will upon us. It is our choice whether we believe, follow and obey Him.

The past weekend I spent in the dustbowl of a paddock in Cuballing, Wheatbelt territory of Western Australia. I helped organise the Mighty Mens Conference. Around 380 blokes from all over Australia turned up.

My role was publicity, audio-visual, some work with registrations and general leadership.

What a great weekend. The key leader of the event really felt God was wanting to deal with a ‘religious spirit’ which has infected our Churches. The idea that Christianity is organised…or sterilised…leaving out the need for or reliance on the Spirit of God to renew and change us.

Each speaker brought something fresh and challenging. Real blokes…each one…with real stories of God’s intervention in their lives, enabling them to be sensitive husbands, ‘present’ fathers and strong leaders in the home, church and society.

For many of the men the highlight was the ‘down times’ when instead of talking about footy, cars and work….we spent time praying for, counseling, encouraging and speaking prophetic words into men’s lives. This is not to say we did not have time speaking about cars, kicking footies and even having rides in a helicopter! But just that as well as the normal blokey stuff, we found ourselves engaging with other men on a spiritual level, something which is rare in churches.

I wonder what will happen as the blokes go back to their own churches? Will they continue to pray, encourage and exhort each other? I truly believe…and hope so.

On a purely personal note, having my own son with me was a joy. We camped, ate bad food (sorry mum) and worked on the AV stuff together, with Mr 11 operating a video camera for much of the weekend. He also got to have a ride in a helicopter…and on Sunday afternoon when most blokes had left, drive dad’s Zook (manual gearbox and all) around the paddock.

Today I was reading an article posted by my friend John Finkelde, a Church Consultant here in Perth. The crux of it was what would you do if you spotted a Baptist Professor drinking with someone. My first response would be to join him, and hope it was his shout!

But seriously….we need to get over this alcohol problem we have. The problem being our puritan roots, not the alcohol. I have a good friend who suffers from alcoholism. In many ways it has hurt his life, and destroyed relationships. Now he leads Alcoholics Anonymous. He said to me that if he spotted me drinking he would be offended if I tried to hide it from him. It is his problem, not mine, was his response. A mature response from a mature Christian man. Not all Christians are so mature.

Some try to twist scripture, as an old professor did with me. When Jesus turned the water into wine…it was fruit juice he proclaimed. That was the ‘best wine’. Yeah sure. The best wine is wine that has fermented properly.

Some do struggle with alcohol, some have a problem with Christians drinking it, and I don’t want to be a stumbling block to them. So I would abstain when in  their presence. That is the path of love.

But for myself….if you know me, you will know I enjoy a social drink of alcohol. I don’t have a problem with enjoying the good things God has provided. I love this quote from Benjamin Franklin, ‎”Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy”.

It is pretty clear what the line is, don’t get drunk, but rather be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5.18) I interpret this to mean that if drinking is a problem for you, if you find you want to drink enough to get you out of control, if alcohol is controlling you…then that is a problem. But enjoying a drink…..something to enjoy.

Article

John Finkelde