Postkiwi Duncan Macleod

Auld Lang Syne

I grew up in Southland - the heartland of Scottish New Zealand. At country dances we’d finish by singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’. But I still don’t know many of the words to that song. So, in preparation for tonight’s New Year’s Eve party, I’ve researched the lyrics.

It appears as though Robbie Burns recorded what was already a Scots folk song sung in Scottish country taverns. At functions where I grew up we stood around in a circle singing Auld Lang Syne, linking hands on the last verse. Apparently the custom of linking left hand with person on the right and right hand with the person on the left comes from the Masonic Lodge - symbolising fraternal. equality. It’s a great practice, no matter where it comes from. I’ve been in functions where we all formed a ’snake’ and moved around the hall in increasingly small circles. Once we were all wound up together the circle unwound itself. All the while singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

Lyrics for Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak’ a cup o’kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stoup
And surely I’ll be mine;
And we’ll tak’ a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roared’,
Sin’ auld lang syne,

Chorus

And there’s a hand,
my trusty frier!
And gie’s a hand o’thine!
And we’ll tak’ a right guide-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus

Posted in Worth Reading | 1 Comment »

Christmas Checklist

Here’s a few checks for the differences between Christmas traditions and what is actually written in the gospels about Jesus’ birth.

1. The date of December 25. ‘Christmas Day’ was attached to the Saturnalian festival held on December 25 - a way of connecting Christian faith with the local culture.

2. How did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem? The Christmas cards usually show Joseph walking and Mary riding on the donkey. In fact there’s no mention of a donkey in Matthew and Luke, the two gospels that cover the birth of Jesus.

3. Did the innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph there was no room in the inn? Actually there’s no mention of an innkeeper, though we can assume that someone told Joseph and Mary they could use the hay. The stable isn’t mentioned anywhere - it’s just assumed that because Jesus was put down to sleep in a feeding trough that it was in a stable.

4. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus’ birth? Cows, sheep, goats, donkeys? There’s actually no mention of any animals.

5. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? Just one.

6. What’s a heavenly host? A host is an army. So we’re not talking about the angel choir, we’re talking about an army of angels.

7. There is no mention of how many ‘wise men’ there were - just that there were ‘magi’ from the East who had consulted the stars - in other words astrologers.

8. The magi found Jesus in a house with Mary. We assume the house was in Bethlehem.

Matthew 1:18-25 (Contemporary English Version)
This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David’s family. But before they were married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God’s Holy Spirit. Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding. While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
After Joseph woke up, he and Mary were soon married, just as the Lord’s angel had told him to do. But they did not sleep together before her baby was born. Then Joseph named him Jesus.

Luke 2:1-7 (Contemporary English Version)
About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.
Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Hens At Home

On the first day of Christmas my son presented his mother with two hens a laying. Well - one of them is laying. The property we live on has a lot of back yard and includes a hen house and an aviary, unused by us until now. It’s a pleasure to see free range hens making the most of the insects under the mulch. It takes me back to my childhood days when I would walk down the road to feed the chooks, collect the eggs and fight the rats.

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »

Mary and Angel Gabriel

An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus

One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant.
Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not married!”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God’s power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. Nothing is impossible for God!”
Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38 (Contemporary English Version)

Reading this passage fresh reminds me of the assumptions I and my peers have been built up around the language here.

“Angel” literally means “messenger”. Somehow we’ve managed to build a stereotype of shining man dressed in white with wings. There’s nothing about shining or wings here. As I read this today I’m reminded of Lamb’s song, “Gabriel” - a sensuous jazz/ambient track used in the soundtrack for CSI Miami.

“Virgin” is the English translation of the Greek word, “parthenon” which literally means “virgin” or “unmarried girl”. The Parthenon in Athens was named after Athena the Virgin, the city’s patron goddess. I grew up in a church environment in which people fiercely debated the need to believe in the ‘virgin birth’. People knew you were a true Evangelical if you said yes. And of course you were a true Catholic if you believed that Mary remained a virgin!

So how am I reading this Scripture today? With no need to supernaturalise. I’m quite relaxed about a scene without halos, glows and spooky voices. But I’m also open to God’s capacity to do something out of the ordinary here. Nothing is impossible. Or as the Adidas advertising campaign says, “Nothing is impossible”.

As Sarah Dylan Breuer notes at Sarahlaughed.net, Mary would have been thinking about the odds of surviving an ‘illegitimate pregnancy’. Honour killings were known in Mary’s culture and in fact were called for in the traditional laws. Being pregnant with a future ruler also would have been a dangerous state. The child would be a threat to many who now claimed power. Maybe she’s not yet fully aware of the danger as she says ‘yes’ to ‘Mission Impossible’. At the heart of her response is a willingness to take on the future knowing that she’s serving a God who can work things out.

So what’s the good news here?

The future may be unclear. It may be dangerous. I may face fragile and strained relationships because of my decisions to follow God’s leading. But ‘impossible is nothing’ with God.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Madonna of the Rocks

Over at the Da Vinci Code Online, I’ve recently posted on Da Vinci’s paintings, “Madonna of the Rocks” and “Virgin of the Rocks”, hung in the Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery in London respectively. Da Vinci was commissioned to paint an altarpiece in honour of the immaculate conception of Mary. The painting was to include Mary, Jesus, two prophets and two angels. Da Vinci painted Mary and Jesus in caves, with John the Baptist as an infant along with an angel, Uriel. His commissioners were not happy and ended up with a second modified copy - the one now hung in London.

Earlier posts at Da Vinci Code Online cover:

The Louvre Museum
The Ritz Hotel, Paris
American University of Paris
Boston Magazine
Chartres Cathedral
Direction Central Police Judiciaire
Louvre Pyramide
Opus Dei Center
Church of Saint Sulpice
Virtruvian Man
Paris Rose Line
Mona Lisa

[eminimall products="Madonna of the Rocks"]

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »

Ten Recent TV Campaigns

Over at Duncan’s TV Adland I’ve made the most of holidays to add ten new television advertising campaigns.

Carlton Midstrength Shed
I’ve featured one of the four TV ads promoting Carlton Midstrength beer of choice for Australian men in their sheds. The series revolves around a group of neighbours who invent excuses to head out to their sheds. Once inside the collude to transform their connected buildings into a men’s club.

Bud Light Sleigh Ride
A Christmas offering from this time last year. A couple sit in their one-horse open sleigh, lapping up the romantic atmosphere. The guy gives his girl friend a candle while he reaches for the Bud Light. Unfortunately the horse farts, turning the candle into a fireball.

Nine MSN Mad World
A review of the year’s world events to the tune of the Tears for Fears song, “Mad World”, sung by a children’s choir. The photography is simple but profound.

What is that sound?
Hear and Say Centre, a Queensland-based programme for deaf children and their parents, is promoted in this ad with seven children listening to British jazz/ambient duo Lamb on their headphones.

Britney Spears Fantasy
Britney Spears promotes her new Elizabeth Arden perfume with the enactment of her fantasy, a tryst in the forest with a hunter, played by her husband of course. There’s also a reference to the earlier commercial for the first perfume, Curiosity.

King Kong Ford Ranger
A Thai advertisement for a Ford truck featuring Son of Kong.

BMF Christmas Greeting
Sam Kekovich returns to cajole advertising clients into putting more into their campaign budgets in 2006.

Ebay It
Three TV spots using the word ‘it’ to convey the universality of Ebay’s service. Whatever it is, you can find it on Ebay.

Mazda Virals
Brats, Moustache, Women Driver’s Smooth Parking, Parking Warden Flytrap, Golf Driving Grazes, TV Boxes, Little Squirt, Megawash, Mannequins and Car Wars - all advertisements released virally by Mazda UK.

King Kong VW Touareg
A glimpse into the marketing partnership between King Kong and Volkswagen.

I’ve also added the V Bugs ad (rolling in a can) to an earlier post on V energy drink commercials.

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »

Martin Robinson at Sydney Conference

Martin Robinson, British writer and speaker, will be speaking at a “Faith of the Unbeliever” Conference in Sydney, February 2006. The conference is being sponsored by Gospel Outreach Ministries, St Paul’s Anglican Church Chatswood and Stuart Robinson, the National Mission Facilitator - Anglican General Synod.

In this one day conference the Rev Dr Martin Robinson from the UK will help participants:

1. Explore some of the key issues for doing mission in 21st century western society.
2. Understand the faith/worldview of the average unbeliever
3. Look at how small churches can be effective in reaching their communities with the Gospel.
4. Explore sustainable church planting.
5. Examine the emerging church movement and the creative ways that different Christians are doing church in order to connect with those they are seeking to reach.

Martin is the National Director of Together in Mission an interdenominational organization that works with UK denominations and churches in the areas of church planting, misssion, leadership development and the emerging church. He has a Doctorate in Theology (Mission) from Birmingham University. He has pastored and planted churches in the UK, was National Secretary for the Fellowship of Churches of Christ UK and has served as Director of Mission and Theology for the British and Foreign Bible Society UK.

Martin has written ten books on mission including, Planting Tomorrow’s Churches Today, Celebrating the Small Church, The Faith of Unbeliever, Sacred Places Pilgrim Paths, Rediscovering the Celts and Invading Secular Space.

I’ve read ‘Faith of the Unbeliever’ and highly recommend getting a copy and turning up for the conference. See my earlier post (December 5) on Martin Robinson’s lecture on the myth of revival. I imagine there will be other opportunities to meet up with Martin while he’s here in Australia.

Conference Details

Date and Venue
Wednesday 8th February 2006
St Pauls Anglican Church Chatswood
Cnr Fullers Rd & View St, Chatswood, Sydney
(Walking distance from Chatswood Station)

Programme
9:00 Registration & Refreshments
9:30 Welcome & Bible Reading
9:45 Martin Robinson - Reaching the Secular Mind
11:00 Morning Tea
11:15 Martin Robinson - Effective Small Churches
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Martin Robinson - Sustainable Church Planting
2:30 Afternoon Tea
2:45 Martin Robinson - The Emerging Church
3:50 Feedback and Wrap Up
4:00 Finish

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »

Time Magazine Christmas Profile on Art of Joseph

Time Magazine, as usual, has a religious feature in the week before Christmas. This year it’s an article by David Van Biema on Joseph.

Van Biema starts with the personal story behind the publication of “The Forgotten Man of Christmas” by Howard Edington, Senior Pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

The article moves on to Jerry Jenkins‘ book, “Holding Heaven“, published in September this year. And Anne Rice’s book, “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt“, published in November.

Van Biema provides a fascinating review of literature, art and theology through the centuries, spanning apocraphyal writings of the second century BCE, and medieval connections with the nuclear family and hard work. He draws from the work of Louise Bourassa Perrotta in her book, “Saint Joseph: His Life and His Role in the Church Today“.

The article is online at Time Canada. On the main Time web site there’s an associated online photo essay featuring:

‘The Virgin Mary’s Walk across the Mountains’, by Joseph von Fuelrich.
‘Marriage of the Virgin Mary’, Pietro Perugino.
‘The Holy Family with a Small Bird’, by Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo.
‘The Childhood of Christ’, by Gerrit van Honthorst.
‘Rest on the Flight to Egypt’, by Simone Cantarini.
‘St Joseph and the Christ Child’, unknown artist, Cuzco, Peru.
‘St Joseph and the Christ Child Enthroned with Four Angels’, School of Cuzco.
‘Death of St Joseph’, Piazzetta Giambattista.
‘The Childhood of Christ’, Gerrit van Honthorst.
‘Marriage of the Virgin Mary’, Pietro Perugino.

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »

Five People You Meet in Heaven

I’ve just read Mitch Albom’s novel, “The Five People You Meet In Heaven“. It’s the story of an eighty three year old veteran of World War II who dies while trying to save a girl in an amusement park. The story takes us through Eddie’s life through encounters in heaven with five people whose lives intersected with his in significant ways.

I’ve seen the book in Borders and in airport bookshops and almost bought it several times. Finally I succumbed, finishing it on a plane flight from Mackay to Brisbane.

Well I must say I was impressed, moved and intellectually stimulated. This is the guy who wrote “Tuesdays with Morrie”, the non-fiction account of his conversations with his college mentor, sociologist Morrie Schwartz who was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Mitch is in touch with matters of life and death. He touches on the experiences of post traumatic stress disorder, the impact of resentment and forgiveness, and the transformative effects of deep and faithful love.

Mitch is also a nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist for the Detroit Free Press, nationally-syndicated radio host for his flagship station WJR-AM in Detroit, and television commentator. He has an excellent web site - www.mitchalbom.com - featuring tapes from Tuesdays with Morrie and interviews from his radio shows. He’s clearly at home on the internet - with well designed sites www.albom.com and www.albomfivepeople.com.

“Five People” was made into a television movie, starring Jon Voight, Ellen Burstyn, Jeff Daniels and Michael Imperioli. Likewise Tuesdays with Morriewas dramatized for television, starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. Morrie wrote his own book, “Morrie: In His Own Words” and was interviewed on ABC’s Nightline by Ted Koppel. Those interviews are now available on DVD as “ABC News presents Morrie Schwartz - Lessons on Living“.

What amazes me though is the spin offs on the Five People novel. There’s “Effective Habits of the Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Steve Kellmeyer - a Christian interpretation of Albom’s work. And then there’s Wisdom from the Five People You Meet in Heaven by Brandon Gilvin and Heather Godsey. Not to mention the spoof, “The Five People You Meet in Hell: An Unauthorized Parodyby Rich Pablum and “The Five People You Meet in Hell: Surviving Katrina” published last month by Robert Smallwood.

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »

We have met the enemy

An article I wrote for Journey in 2003…

As I walked into Ignite, the regional youth event held at Redcliffe Uniting last month, I was recruited as a professional soldier. I was handed a Berserker sub machine gun, given a combat outfit to wear, and introduced to two fellow soldiers. Our task was to engage in guerrilla warfare with teams of three young people at a time, taking out our opponents by shooting just above the eyes.

These weren’t real guns or real bullets. We were playing Laser Skirmish, firing infra red rays like those emitted from television remote controls. On the backs of our orange t-shirts someone had plastered the words hatred, apathy and greed. Young people were being challenged to fight against injustice rather than against people.

So what do you think? Was this a great way to get young people talking about the issues behind war? Or was it just another way of feeding and exposing the blood thirst in all of us?
I must admit I enjoyed myself. I coped fine with the adrenaline rush of keeping myself alive by taking out members of my youth group and their peers. I nearly lost my voice as I rooted out resistance in the trenches with my battle cries.

But afterwards I got to thinking. These young adversaries may have taken on the cause of defeating all kinds of evil. But too readily it was us against them. The people in the orange shirts wore the labels and so had to be eliminated.

Labels are tags we give people from what we see of them, from where we stand. Some people use labels to fit others into a box. Some people use labels to explain quickly what they believe.
Labels hardly ever describe accurately who we are. People are human and don’t fit into boxes without being squashed and reduced to a caricature. Likewise God is divine and does not fit neatly into any box we might dream up.

The very act of pinning the weight of evil on a character, be it Saddam Hussein or the molester in the news, prevents us from dealing with our own shadow - our own capacity to distort God’s gift of life.

In the time of McCarthyism in the 1950s, the enemy was communism. Individuals and groups were singled out for harsh treatment and rejection - because of their perceived lack of loyalty. I’ve seen the same dynamic at work in churches sick with mutual suspicion and fault-finding.

“Yes, son, we have met the enemy and he is us”. Famous words from Pogo, a cartoon character possum created by Walt Kelly in the middle of last century. Pogo sighs out those words not in the battlefield but at the edge of a junk-filled swamp. Walt Kelly’s words below remind us to dedicate our resources to the battle raging within each of us.

“There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.”

Posted in Worth Reading | No Comments »