Opawa Baptist Church :: a resting place

Paul writes:

It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks for the international economy, and it is very unsettling to watch. All of a sudden, the emperor has no clothes: the global economy, built on inflation of the money supply by credit, has suddenly stopped working, if it ever really has. Iceland has almost gone completely bankrupt, and has nationalised some of its banks. The paragon of the free market, the United States, has nationalised a trillion NZ dollars in debt. It all seems rather unreal.
It is a time where the love and compassion of Jesus is especially needed, and a time where we need to help each other more than ever. Here is some wise pastoral advice from Allelon's Andrew Menzies:

Repent.  Tell of your financial misdeeds, take responsibility for them and change. 

Get out of debt.  Cut up the credit card.  Pay off the personal loan.  Use cash.  Chip away at the mortgage.  Do all you can to get away from anything that requires you to be in debt to someone else.

Live within your means.  Here’s an idea… only spend what you’ve got!  Don’t try to keep up with others who have more or who are going into debt to live beyond their means.  Learn to be content and live within your means.

Remember others.  Others have been living in worse conditions right through the debt-fuelled binge of the West.  Some of them have probably been living quite close to you.  Don’t blame them, help them. 
 
Think globally.  The way we live does impact others.  I’m in Melbourne feeling the effects of a housing bubble that popped in Florida!  It is easy for us to think that we can’t help it, but that Role of the West does impact others.  Make the next wave of effect positive rather then negative. 

Paul writes:

This week I have been thinking about prayer a bit. Prayer can sometimes seem boring, like a one way monologue that we do to be religious. Many of us can feel like God isn't listening, and that there is little point in talking to an omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing) being - we might as well talk to someone who finishes our sentences for us!

God is not merely the best at doing things and knowing things, like Michael Phelps is the best at swimming and Daniel Carter is the best at rugby. God cannot be fully measured, known or comprehended in that way. God is not merely the best at loving, God is love. God is not merely the most just judge, God is justice. And so on.

So, when we love we are not merely doing a good work that God is pleased with, and neither is it only God working through us; it is both/and. When we love (and do justice) we are abiding in God (1 John 2): we are acting for God, with God, by God and in God, and God is acting in us, on us, for us, through us and by us.

So, when we pray we are not merely petitioning God and uttering words to a spiritual being, we are in fact communing (bonding) with God and seeking to abide (have our home) in him: to be part of what God is doing on earth, to have him breathe life into what we are doing - to live in the presence of his Kingdom.

Thank you to all those pray-ers out there who sustain us all at OBC in our ministries and missions, who lovingly set aside time from their days to seek the will of our loving Father in Heaven and abide in him. Please continue to pray for us.

Paul writes:

Momentum is building for the Spring Clean, and it's only three weeks away. We've managed to source vegetable seedlings from Clovelly Gardens in Waltham, sausages from Barrington Fresh Meats and biscuits from Couplands. It's all beginning to come together, even if it is a bit stressful! Thanks to all those who have already offered their services and responded to requests.

Regular events, such as the Spring Clean, show the community that the Church does not exist for itself; it exists for the good of the world and the glory of the God who loves the world - it is stable (although dynamic), present and gracious. We don't just use our resources for our own benefit, we don't just enrich ourselves, we enlarge the effect of the blessings we have.

In leaflets we'll be dropping we'll be inviting community people to help us with all the things we have to do during the Spring Clean. I hope and pray that we are inundated with calls and offers to help from within and outside Opawa Baptist.

Please note that Steve Taylor is on study leave.

Craig writes

This week I finished a paper on Acts 8:26-40--the story of Philip encountering the Ethiopian eunuch on the road to Gaza, and after having the scriptures interpreted to him beginning with Jesus, the eunuch is converted. This is the first of three personal conversion stories in a row in Acts which follow on from the mass conversions in the first six chapters of the book and is Luke lifting the lid on the individual's response to the hearing of the Gospel.

For me, the stand-out teaching of this passage is the way Luke cleverly shows that Christ includes the eunuch as a full member of his kingdom, which is in complete contrast to the treatment that he had received from Judaism. In Christ the eunuch was able to be a human in all fullness, and thus his rejoicing (v39), was a response both to the eternal promises which were to come to him in the future, as well as knowing that he could live in the present as a person fully acceptable to God.

This is a promise which we can all share in today. Christ accepts us, warts and all, no matter what our gender, our race, our ethnicity.

May God bless you this morning.

Craig writes

Saturday was my daughter Samantha’s 8th birthday. This year would have to have been her most anticipated and talked about birthday so far. As the months have ticked by and the other family members have had their birthdays the excitement and expectation has grown. Hopefully the celebrations yesterday with her friends and family have met her expectations for she surely was buzzing all day.

Birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other milestones are significant events in our lives and their build up should rightly be filled with excitement and anticipation. In preparing for a party, conversations are generated, relationships are evaluated and often people are brought together in ways which would not have happened otherwise. The overflow from a party can last a lot longer than the event itself. Festivals and parties play a huge role within Scripture with the Israelite calendar being built around them.

The question for us today as Sean Pawson introduces our new series on Jacob’s family is: What role do celebrations play in your household? Have you created your own traditions and patterns?

In the lead-up to Christmas, we would love to be able to share in your ideas. So please, if you have great recipes, games or traditions please email the office and we will compile a list. Also, if you have significant milestones / birthdays happening in your family that you would like others to know about, again email the office and we will gladly publish them in the newsletter.

Note: Steve Taylor is on study leave.

Paul writes:

This week has been a busy week for me. On Tuesday I went to Wellington to be part of a conversation about biblical justice; Wednesday I was here at church; Thursday at Stepping Stone and Friday back at church with a numb mouth from the anesthetic I got with two fillings; and then to Stepping Stone again on Saturday.

We are in the process of organising the Spring Clean for this year, which will be held on Saturday 18th October with a chance for almost everyone at Opawa to contribute. As part of it we will be walking the streets and picking up rubbish from the roadside, the footpath, playgrounds, parks and the river. 

  At the Waltham Cottage on Wednesday, I sat and ate my lunch while children ran around and their parents enjoyed each other's company. One lady from the community had been told about our scheduled Spring Clean and wanted to help; she was especially keen to bring her children to clean up our stretch of the Heathcote. Isn't that exciting?!

  The Spring Clean is also an opportunity for us to give the church a good once-over, and to help Dave Smith with some things he wouldn't be able to do without our help. It will be a chance for us to evangelise with our actions as a body of believers, to be the hands and feet of the living God in the streets of our community. It is an opportunity to simply love this unique community God has placed us in by simply doing a few things that need to be done.

  I look forward to seeing you there :)

Craig writes

Welcome to our services of worship today. It is always a privilege to have you come and spend time with the Lord in worship with us.

This past week I returned to Christchurch after four weeks in Auckland where I have been attending lectures for two block courses relating to my Master of Theology degree through Laidlaw-Carey Graduate School. The courses I am currently undertaking are: “Themes and trends in Acts, then and now” as well as an in-depth study of “Pneumatology (Holy Spirit)”. These weeks have left my head fill of new insight and information which I will gradually piece together as I complete my assignments during the next couple of months.

So I am back on deck in the office on Tues / Wed, these being my two paid Opawa days of work each week and once again I am fully immersed in my various roles of husband, father, pastor and student.

This morning is our last service with Judy More as she departs for Puerto Rico on Friday. As we commission her today we are sending her out with our blessing and acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in preparing her to be willing and have the courage to follow this pathway.

Note: Our Senior Pastor, Rev Dr Steve Taylor is on study leave

Steve writes:

I write this on Wednesday, my last Opawa day before commencing ten weeks of study leave.

One of the advantages of the staff team becomes obvious when the Senior Pastor is to be away for an extended time. Thus we have assigned weeks for Craig, Paul and Ken to be "pastor-on-deck". This includes co-ordinating the 10.30am services. They are also your first port of call if you have queries during the week.

Some of you might appreciate knowing how this is rostered out:
Week ending August 24 Paul
Week ending August 31 Craig
Week ending September 7 Paul
Week ending September 14 Ken
Week ending September 21 Craig
Week ending September 28 Paul
Week ending October 5 Ken
Week ending October 12 Craig
Week ending October 19 Ken
Week ending October 26 Craig
Week ending November 2 Paul

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Steve writes:

The Taylor family leave this Friday (August 22) for a period of study leave in Adelaide. We will be guests of Parkin Wesley College and the Uniting Church (mix of Presbyterian and Methodist), who are providing housing, car, plus allowances. I return on 1 November, while the Taylor girls return October 14.
Study leave is a block of time to equip for more effective ministry. I work three days per week for Opawa and my study leave goals for Opawa are to:

*invest in good family time
*do some creative writing projects
*walk and reflect and process and pray.

Opawa is a very different church now, compared to the church I came to in 2004. I am seeking clarity for our next season. edit some of my sermons into internet resources for a US publishing company

I work two days per week for BCNZ (now Laidlaw College) for which my study leave goals are:

*to teach a course on Missional Church leadership
*to turn that course into a book for a US publishing company

The kids will not being going to school, instead working on a range of learning projects and having lots of fun. Lynne will be working on some parts of our AngelWings business and having lots of fun!

In order to pay for the family's flights, and for the fun activities, I am also doing a one day leadership seminar with the Churches of Christ denomination, two Bible studies at the Uniting Church Synod, plus teaching a five day block course at Tabor College.

All fun. I leave the church in very good hands - God’s and yours, confident that God who has begun a good work will carry it on to completion.