A few things which stand out as the great man retires.
He retires to help the club, they would have had to pay him out, and it would have affected our salary cap.
He retires with his head held high....having never caused the club any reason to be ashamed of his on or off field behaviour.

I have met him once, at the Cervantes Tavern. Good bloke, spoke to him about 'that mark'. In fact if you look at the video below, you can see me....I am the blond guy jumping up and down. One of the best, most ecstatic footy moments of my life. It is a great great shame that he has been struck down by knee problems, but he leaves with no regrets, because he gave it all. Well done Justin Longmuir, we Freo fans will never forget this moment, when in a piece of time, you gave 38, 000 people reason to scream, cheer and hug people they do not know.

Here is a video I have done up for pre service at church, kicking off our monthly theme on "Friends".

Where would we be in life without friends?

In Theological College we were taught that having close friends with people in our church was unhelpful. I can understand that. There are times when being close friends with people in your church can be problematic. There are times when you need to lead, and when they dont like the direction of your leadership....it is difficult. Your friends, close friends, cant just up and leave your church because they are upset with you, although they might.

But the alternative is far worse. We should be travelling with, journeying with, those who are our friends. Church is meant to be an adventure, a battle, a march towards the holy grail...and you have to do it together.

The verse from Galatians is good, "bear with one another'. Part of journeying together means putting up with each others faults and follies, even when the other cannot see how their selfishness or bias or blindness....is hurting the friendship and the community of believers. But that is part of the 'bearing'.

I am fortunate...I have some really good friends as part of my church, and I would never want to change that...my lecturer was wrong. They may cause me pain, and I might cause them pain...but ultimately, I hope we can bear with one another and learn what Christ meant when He said to forgive and be patient.

I am fortunate...I have some really good friends who are not part of my church, or any church for that matter. They keep me grounded, they reassure me (not with words but action) that my whole identity is not in being a pastor, and they would be my friends if I was still selling exhaust components....some of them have no idea what a pastor is, some of them know...and generally speaking cant stand 'pastors'.

Either way, having friends is a risk...but the alternative is far worse. I know a lot of pastors...and I look with despair as they approach the end of their ministry, and realise that their whole identity and all their social standing and significance is tied up with their identity of being a pastor. That is sad.

It is also sad to see a 55 year old male come to the realisation he has no friends, and the opportunity to make some seems to have gone....it hasn't, but it is going to take a transformation of character, attitudes and beliefs about themself to change that.

Will the Wee Girls supporters boo him? He might get a double boo..... :)

FREMANTLE coach Mark Harvey has left the door ajar for Ben Cousins to make a comeback, refusing to rule out the possibility of drafting the disgraced star.

On day one of the Dockers' pre-season campaign, Harvey was asked whether Cousins might feature on the club's radar if he was to nominate for the pre-season draft.

And while distancing the Dockers from any possible move for the former Eagles star, Harvey was also careful not to rule it out completely - saying the AFL's decision whether they would allow Cousins to play would have to come first.

Both Andrew Embley and Daniel Kerr have been involved in an incident outside the Niche Bar Nightclub in Leedervile. The two Eagles midfielders were outside the club at 3.30 am on Sunday, and police were called due to a disturbance involving the two players.

Eagles spokesperson Gary Stocks has spoken to the press and said that Kerr and Embley have been spoken to by the club. The Eagles say that no further action is required. However with the AFL meeting shortly to discuss possible sanctions over the most recent Cousins incident, this story could not have come at a worse time.

Police are continuing their enquiries but have not laid any charges yet. Apparently both players were involved in a fight,but it is not clear yet who with.



Woosha must be tearing his hair out....

The AFL fixtures have been released with a mixed result for our two local teams. The much anticipated 'grudge' match when former West Coast Captain Chris Judd meets his old team will occur in round seven when Calton travel to Subiaco. It is widely anticipated that the home crowd 'boo' their former champion in typical West Coast fan style.
Fremantle finally get a chance to hold a proper ANZAC day clash with the 'Len Hall' game set for a national audience on Friday night, at Subiaco against travelling side Geelong.
Fremantle will travel interstate 10 times, six times to Victoria, including one to Kardinya Park, twice to Adelaide, and once to Brisbane and Sydney. In contrast, Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon will only leave Victoria four times each.
West Coast will play the majority of their games on Saturdays, enjoying at least a six day break most weeks. They are expected to lose both derby's again, as they did in 2006, when they play Fremantle in rounds 3 and 18.

Fixtures

The fires in Orange County have come perilously close to Saddleback Church....within about 500 metres apparently.

"Trisha Wuich, 32, creative arts coordinator at nearby Saddleback Church, had spent the day watching the fire from her office window. Her curiosity got the best of her, however, and now she stood within feet of the conflagration, taking cell-phone videos to send to her husband.

"I probably shouldn't do this," she said as ash darkened the late-afternoon sky. "But it's natural curiosity. I called my husband and said, 'If I'm dead it's because of curiosity.' We were watching flames from a distance, and all of a sudden separate patches jumped together. It came out of nowhere; your eyes started to water and your chest started to tighten."

Suddenly an Orange County sheriff's deputy appeared and ordered the gawkers to leave. "Adios, sayonara, bye bye everybody," he said.

As the throng departed reluctantly toward the Ralphs grocery store on nearby Portola Parkway, a fire engine arrived with its lights flashing to knock the flames down.

story

Oh yeh........
great movie...

You could do worse than at least have a look at this post.

http://flowofreality.blogspot.com/2007/10/watermelon-party.html

I dont know how Pastors survive without a peer group. My bunch of mates are great...if ever I was in real trouble in ministry, I know these guys would help. Its pretty organic. Some months someone brings something to discuss. Its good, causal, prayerful and honest.
This is what we looked at today.

The title of this article is a little deceptive....just read it before judging it.

Bring Back Personality Driven Churches
By Dave Gilpin
Learn how to master the art of Culture Creation for growth in your church. After almost 20 years in full time ministry, Dave Gilpin gets angry at the colour that dominates the Christian sky-line...'beige'.
After almost 20 years in full time ministry, Dave Gilpin gets angry at the colour that dominates the Christian sky-line...'beige'.
There is a divine spark inside each of us! Don't quote me on this - it's a quote from 'Bruce Almighty'. Bruce had just spent a disastrous time of his life trying to be what he wasn't. Bruce (played by Jim Carey) was 'called' to be the 'light entertainment' correspondent of the nightly newscast, yet in his insecurity, wanted to be seen in a more serious light.
His quest for anchorman led to horrible consequences for the entire world! God (played by Morgan Freeman) had a heart to heart with Bruce and revealed to him that deep within him lay a divine spark. Bruce's was to bring laughter and happiness to the world. He 'saw the light' and set about to be himself - content, funny and furious!
If Abba reunited, they'd make trillions, yet Bjorn Again, the Aussie Abba tribute band, sing better, play better and look younger . yet only make thousands. Why is that? It's the power of originality.
It's the same for you and your church. Why would the devil spend time undermining your incredible God given gift of personality? Why do we admonish a 'cell driven' church, a 'purpose driven' church, a 'passionately driven' church, yet vilify a 'personality driven' church? Why is a church allowed to be led by strong leadership but not strong charisma? Who made charisma so superficial and so 'American'? Is there a power at work to weaken the power that's generated where originality abounds? (Please switch on the Jaws theme tune now!)
The funny thing about ministers is that they often change personalities upon entering the pulpit. It's a strange morphing that I've been guilty of many times over. What results is a pale imitation of someone else's divine spark.
So much of our life owes its power to the power of originality. Take faith for example. Faith comes by an original word from God. You can't just repeat a verse from the Bible and then try to believe it. Either you believe it or you don't believe it. You can't make it up. When God speaks, faith is ignited. It's not borrowed faith nor humanly generated. It doesn't come through the laying on of hands. It comes via the power of originality ignited. It's not borrowed faith nor humanly generated. It doesn't come through the laying on of hands. It comes via the power of originality.
The gifts of the Spirit also operate on the strength of originality. They express themselves with unique words for a unique season and plan. And they do it through personality. It's also a funny thing to see what happens when many people prophesy. Their voice changes, their manner changes and for whatever intents and purposes, they become a 'different' person. Who devalued and disfigured the vessel through which the gifts would operate?

More

Beautiful day.....

Some pleasant suprises at church with two folk joining Eliot for worship....and they were great...both of them....cant say much more...but really encouraging....

There was a real sense of the presence of God this morning during church, and another good crowd in this week as well......which is always encouraging.

I spoke on fasting, which was good, got a friend to do a testimony about his own experiences, and it fitted in really well....in fact the whole service 'flowed' in that mysterious way that says to me that God has something to say...and we are just the passengers. It was good to be there.

This afternoon I took the kids down to City Beach to walk the dog, have some overpriced fish and chips, and let my son ride his bank down the steep grass walls of the oval there, going way to fast on his bike....he is such a boy.

Tommorow I have peer group, and I will be picking up my wife late at night.

Wife away...what to do....Ruby provided the answers....lets go swimming dad!!!
Great idea daughter of mine....

Off to Mc Donalds for a great start to the day...well for the kids anyway, I had a Mc Cappucino which was passable....

Then to Fremantle Aquatic Centre....or whatever it is called....Son of mine taking to the water like the fish he is, daughter being her normal fun loving stuff...but approaching the slides with a little bit more timidity that son.....

Then to the Freo Markets, Freo icecream store and then to the Freo Bakehouse for some excellent Italian bread......

Great day, great suggestion....beautiful coffee at home....

My wife has gone to Singapore for a few days....shopping and fun holiday with her sisters.

The reality of life without her has just hit me....sleeping alone....that sucks.....
Getting the kids ready...no problem....

Saturday without her....that sucks.........

Talking about fasting this week, coupling it with some thoughts on our rampant consumerism....
Here is some interesting facts....
56% of Australians believe they spend almost all their income on basic necessities.
• Expenditure on imported consumer goods rose by 60% between 2000 and 2004.
• Australians spend about $10.5 billion on goods they do not use: food and drink; appliances; exercise equipment; memberships (in 2004, Australians spent about $500m on gym memberships that were never or hardly used).
• Spending on mobile phones rose by 183% between 1999 and 2004.
• Personal debt doubled between 2001 and 2004, and quadrupled between 1996 and 2004.
• The average floor area of a new house increased from 170m2 to 221m2 between 1985 and 2000. In 1955, house population was 3.6 people, in 2000 it was 2.6.
• An average child in the USA, Australia and UK sees between 20-40,000 commercials a year.
• 60% of children spend more time watching television than in school.
• Children as young as 3 recognise brand logos.
• In 2003-04, households spent, on average, just under half (49%) of their total weekly expenditure on food, housing and transport.
• In 2003-04, Australian households spent $893 per week on average on goods and services, an increase from $362 in 1984. While household expenditure increased in absolute dollar terms, spending patterns did not change greatly between 1984 and 2003-04.
• The overall increase in average weekly household expenditure on goods and services between 1998-99 and 2003-04 was $184 or 26.4%. Over the same period, the price of goods and services, as measured by the CPI, rose by 18%.
• A typical supermarket now carries about 20,000 products. Fifteen years ago it would have been about half that.
• Between 20-40% of purchases of food, movies, games, etc, would not have occurred unless a child had nagged their parent/s (Initiative Media study, USA).
• As we spend more and borrow more, so we are forced to work longer hours in order to pay off our debts and afford our purchases. The cost of housing, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, has seen housing debt (mortgages) reach record levels. This is made worse by the fact that the size of our houses is growing, despite the size of our families shrinking. Our houses have doubled in size over the past 50 years.
• The number of Australians working long hours has increased significantly. 31% of our full-time workforce now works in excess of 48 hours a week, something that would be unlawful in Europe. Two million Australians work on average more than 50 hours a week.

Source

The last thing I ever want to be, or my church to be, is mediocre.
At times we are, and I certainly am.....but we don't want to be, that's for sure.
I see a God who is creative, energetic, powerful, generous......
I want to be follow my Saviour's example, and I want my church to as well.

I am not talking about the idea of 'excellence' that used to be prevalent, and still is in some quarters, but I am talking about not being mediocre.
I am talking about being creative, generous, unique, purposeful......

This is an excellent article...and I think the applications to Church are many, so I have reprinted it here.


I got a ton of email this week about the Radiohead rollout. The short version: Radiohead (a million-selling rock band) launched their new album as a pay-what-you-want MP3 combined with an expensive boxed set. This is the sort thing I've been talking about for seven years and many unknown bands have been doing for at least that long.

A lot of pundits have jumped in and talked about how this is the next big thing. That the music industry is finally waking up and realizing that they can't change the world... that the world is changing them.

But that's not the really useful insight here. The question is: why did it take so long, and why did we see it from Prince (CD in the newspaper), Madonna ($120 mm to leave her label and go to a concert promoter) and Radiohead?

Most industries innovate from both ends:

The outsiders go first because they have nothing to lose.
The winners go next because they can afford to and they want to stay winners.
It's the mediocre middle that sits and waits and watches.
The mediocre record companies, mediocre A&R guys and the mediocre acts are struggling to stay in place. They're nervous that it all might fall apart. So they wait. They wait for 'proof' that this new idea is going to work, or at least won't prove fatal. (It's the impulse to wait that made them mediocre in the first place, of course).

So, in every industry, the middle waits. And watches. And then, once they realize they can survive the switch (or once they're persuaded that their current model is truly fading away), they jump in.

The irony, of course, is that by jumping in last, they're condemning themselves to more mediocrity.

Seth Godin

Missional - Two Sundays ago we had a guy nursing a hangover, a couple that had given up on church years ago and a Muslim attend Compass Point...after we had befriended them through community outreach.

Attractional - This past Sunday they all came back because they liked it the week before.

It's a stupid argument...you need both!!!


Christians hang out at Starbucks...disconnected people hang out in bars.


Chris blog

and if you want your club to pick him up.......forget it...as he is very likely to be delisted from the AFL, meaning he cant play for any other club.....

as well....SGIO is reviewing its sponsorship of the club...as they should....I've had enough of those "not anymore' ads for a start....and that dork wearing a eagles jumper as well.

The weagles had to do this....otherwise the AFL would definetly take draft picks off them.

Hope Woosha is able to enjoy his holiday in Broome, but somehow I doubt it.


with Cousins and Chick gone, there is only one known drug user left at the Weegirls...he had better be careful.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard has weighed into the Cousins scandal, warning that the AFL must take a tough line on drugs.

He also described the latest strife to hit the Eagle as a tragedy for a great athlete.

"But I hope that the AFL is as tough as needs be in relation to the culture and attitude within the sport that brought it about," he said this afternoon.

The Government has been critical of the AFL's controversial three strikes illicit drugs policy – endorsing a zero tolerance approach to illegal drugs in all sports.

Mr Howard said he felt sorry for the star footballer's family and he hoped the player was able to get a grip on his problem.

"I think it is a personal tragedy for a very talented young man," Mr Howard said.

story

I actually have a lot of sympathy for Ben Cousins, and I hope that at some point in the future he is able to relax, and think that life is okay, and that the demon hand of drugs has left him. I hope he does no more self harm to himself, and lives a long and good life.

However, he cannot possibly be allowed to play football anymore. The West Coast should do something strong, which they have failed to do thus far, and they must sack him. If they dont, they will have no reputation left at all, if indeed they have any credibility.

SGIO, an insurance company, a solid citizen of the corporate world, must also withdraw their sponsorship of the club. The corporate world should not support a club which takes no moral responsibility for the behaviour of its players.
West Coast must act now, but the fact they have failed to act sooner, has in no small way, led to the events of yesterday.

The fans must also take responsibility. How sycophantic and ridiculous does the standing ovation Ben recieved feel now? Will the sign writer who wrote, "we admire what you have overcome" burn their sign? The undulating support on 6peagle last night was sickening, 'get of his back', 'its the medias fault'....sheesh.

Apparently Ben smiled through his arrest last night, and asked the police to wait so the "West Australian" could get a decent photo of him. Maybe this is a cry for help. Maybe he has had enough of himself. He needs some tough love.

One of the many issues for the West Coast is the line from their song which talks about 'the men from the east'. It embodies something about their culture which is a 'them and us' mentality. WA is a state of pioneers, and rumours of secession. We have not trusted those from the East. Unfortunately the WC Eagles are seen as being part of the 'us' and thus immune from scrutiny.

Those of us who dont support them, are constantly suprised by the depth of denial that emmenates from the WC management, the media and their fans. They are the worst behaved sporting club in Australia...bar none.

The lack of media and fans scrutiny of the club have led in some small way to Ben's demise, and again, I wish him all the best.

Car searched in Northbridge, taken shirtless to local police station.

West Coast have a severe culture problem at their club.....severe...and need to do something drastic. Glad my kids dont support them.

Just in....Cousins is very likely arrested, and Daniel Chick is being questioned.

During the trade period Freo wanted to pick up Keppler Bradley from Essendon. They offered a 3rd round draft pick....Essendon said no, he is worth at least a second round draft, stale mate...Harvey did not blink.

Now we get the news that Essendon have delisted him!! story

Unbelievable....now we pick him up for nothing......

The trade week is designed so players can move clubs....and its a good idea....because good players dont want to be forced to play for the Weegirls.

Great service this morning...had a big crowd in, heaps of visitors....

David and Shirley Deane shared of their work in China. They teach English, and have some incredible stories to tell of their missionary endevours....amazing and encouraging stories...David and Shirley are really giving themselves to these people, they have them over, they share lives with them, and have seem fruit for their endevours...

This afternoon our church had a picnic down by the river, what a beautiful day.

Then this arvo went out with the BIL as we get some much needed bloke time in as our wives prepare to head overseas for a few days....
We played some pool, and then went and say "The Kingdom"......what an incredible, riveting, challenging, thought provoking action packed political movie. If you can handle the graphic and realistic violence....I consider this a must see movie.
Jamie Fox is a incredible actor, and backed up by an impressive cast. But the kudos must go to the scriptwriter who has written one of the most intelligent movies I have seen...Go see it....

This from Markedly in 2006....

"May he (Chris Judd) have his worst year ever this year and get traded to Collingwood in 2007"

all good things come to those who wait....Chris Judd had his most injury plagued year to date, and got traded to Carlton.

Archive

So lets get this straight Nisbett (WC CEO).....

You lost the derby....and its Josh Carr's fault for playing hard football....mmmmm

You lose a captain when he runs away from a booze bus, possibly because he was taking drugs.....and its the media's fault....

You lose the best player in the competition, and your captain, and its Carlton's fault because they tried to lose all their games so they could pick him up......


Grow up Nisbett...if its possible to give your club a worse name than it already has....you are giving it a go......

Here is a video I have put together to play pre-worship. Let me know if you want a copy.

John Howard has made some pretty big statements this last week about the indigenous debate in Australia.

The cynic, or maybe realist, would state that Howard has chosen a very strategic time to announce what appears to be a backflip in policy.

I have grown into the belief that a statement of regret needs to be made to the original inhabitants of this land. There was never a treaty, not even a preposterously unfair one such as the one drafted by the American settlers.

Does this mean the Australian government will be sued? Maybe, maybe not. But there is a basic human right to be respected, noticed and valued as a person made in the image of God. The original inhabitants of this land were at times treated as something less than human.

Maybe the gracious person might suppose that Howard has grown, and wants to leave a legacy. Maybe the public perception has caused him to rethink and reevaluate his previous value. Either way, it appears something will be done in this area, which is a good thing.

I also applaud the leadership being taken in remote indigenous communities. The childrens lives, their safety, their innocence, needs to be protected. Of course this is not only a issue in indigenous society, it is everywhere, and something which makes me very angry. It drives me to do what I do, in the place God has put me.

Hi all....
anyone update their church data projector lately....and tips, thoughts, suggestions..

Carlton are now the only side in the AFL with two pratts.......

Cervantes has got to be one of my favourite places on earth...
Even during school holidays it is quiet....

Managed to catch some fish, cooking them up tonight....

Good friends came up with us, and it was great to share it with them. One of them brought up his father in laws Landcruiser...and it went alright in the sand...not as good as the Vitara though :)

more blogging soon.
In the meantime, Hamos blog on the Global Leadership Summit is thoughtful and fair and worth checking out.

Good service this morning....
Laid back, contemplative service as we looked at the Eucharist, our first element in the series...'Remember', as we look at some ancient traditions which inform contemporay practices. We did the new Hillsongs son..'Saviour King' E and K did a great job of it as an item. Also continuing to enjoy some great coffee after the service! I involved the kids, asking them to repeat the phrase Jesus said, "do this to remember me"

This afternoon this great news came in...

"The term 'spiritual captain' has been over used in the last couple of seasons, but one player who certainly does fit the title is the Dockers former captain, Peter Bell. In a sign of confidence in the direction of the club from the port, Bell has confirmed that he will play on in 2008.

Rookie Dockers coach Mark Harvey is believed to have worked very hard to convince Bell to continue his stellar career, capped off with what many pundits believe to be his most productive season in 2007. He was used very effectively as a pinch hitting forward pocket player, supplementing the superb work of Jeff Farmer.

The news will come as a surprise to popular football commentator Tim Gossage, who on Friday stated that Bell would definitely not play on in 2008." (Perth Norg)

Off to Cervantes tommorow with some friends....cant wait...fishing, beer, pancakes and sleeping in.....need the break...back mid week.

I am using this one on Sunday, to kick off our Remember Series.

Recently I heard the leader of the secular party of Australia declare that there is no historical writer who attests to the person of Jesus....mmm...

"Jesus, Wise Man and Teacher: Antiquities 18.3.3 "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, (if it be lawful to call him a man,) for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. (He was the Christ;) and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, (for he appeared to them alive again the third day,) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day."

article

and....

Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman historian who lived circa 56-120 AD. He is believed to have been born in France or Gaul into a provincial aristocratic family. He became a senator, a consul, and eventually governor of Asia. Tacitus wrote at least four historic treatises. Around 115 AD, he published Annals in which he explicitly states that Nero prosecuted the Christians in order to draw attention away from himself for Rome's devastating fire of 64 AD. In that context, he mentions Christus who was put to death by Pontius Pilate. Christus: Annals 15.44.2-8 "Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome..."

source

Craig Groeschel made the point that 'today's contemporary is tomorrow's traditional'

This dad does not, and he is not the first one.

"THE father of a top young Victorian footballer has expressed concern that his son could be drafted to West Coast.
Peter Cotchin, father of star midfielder Trent, told the Herald Sun he was concerned his 17-year-old boy could land in a dangerous environment.
"It's just the culture of the footy club . . . in the back of your mind you do worry about those things," Mr Cotchin said. "

Herald Sun

The City of Bayswater gives its residents 3 rubbish skips a year to take away big rubbish.
So Melinda ordered one this week, I wondered what we were going to fill it up with.
This afternoon when I got back from the office I found out!

We unpacked and repacked our little garden shed. Did I say little? That thing was like the tardis. We filled up the skip, no problem. Very satisfied with the shed though. Hit on the brilliant idea of hanging a lot of tools and things from the sides. Left a lot of floor space. Feels nice to have the shed back in operational mode. Took the time out to organise my tools and things, feels nice to know where everthing is.

After all that work we bought ourselves some 'magic pizza'. These are good pizzas. Old Italian guy on Beaufort st. Proper cheese, ham, etc. Dont eat Dominoes unless you have too. Buy good pizza.

Here is a video countdown I did up for Sunday

Sad news this morning with Chris Mainwaring passing away. A East Freo boy originally, who became a champion with the West Coast Eagles.
Sad that he leaves behind two children.

News reports being very respectful and not reporting the whole story of his passing. Police were called to his residence with a noise complaint, and 94.5 are reporting it was a drug overdose.
Very sad news, RIP Chris Mainwaring.