Bono appeared in an interview with Andrew Denton on ‘Enough Rope’ last night, giving us a glimpse into the agony behind the postponement of the Australia/NZ leg of the Vertigo Tour. He gave us an indication that the band is likely to return in November. An announcement is due from Michael Coppel today.
In the meantime Michael Coppel has an announcement on deals with airlines in the wake of the concert cancellations. Yesterday was the deadline for waived cancellation fees with Qantas and Virgin Blue.
The transcript from the Andrew Denton interview is available here. TVNZ has a 2 minute clip of the interview here.
Encounter, the ABC Radio National program, this week explores the paradoxes of postmodernism in a post-September 11 world. Are irony and relativism sapping the moral strength of the West - with potentially dangerous consequences? Or is uncertainty fundamental to ethics, and to religious faith?
David Rutledge talks with guests James Franklin, associate professor, School of Mathematics, University of NSW, Jo Ellen Green Kaiser, senior editor of Tikkun magazine, Carl Raschke, professor of Religious Studies, University of Denver, Colorado, and Mark Taylor, Cluett Professor of Humanities, Williams College, Massachussetts. Also featured are the voices of postgraduate students Gail Hastings, Pol McCann, Demelza Marlin, Chris Mayes, Annette Pierdziwol and Shane Waugh.
The program aired on Sunday 12 March at 7 am but will be repeated on Wednesday March 15, 7.10 pm and Thursday March 16 at 4 am. If you miss those, the program can be listened to online in Real Audio format. The full transcript is online at ABC Radio National.
Jonathan McKee is president of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of the new book “Do They Run When They See You Coming? Reaching Out to Unchurched Teenagers.” He sends out a regular email on trends in youth ministry. The most recent emails included references to his article on ‘MySpace’, one of the most popular web spaces in the world.
Some Christian broadcasters are urging their listeners to boycott MySpace because of the immorality that can be found there. Jonathan signed up as a MySpace user to research what’s actually going on behind the scenes. What he produces as a result is a helpful balanced couple of articles.
Inevitably the responses from readers range from teenagers indignant that adults might think of censoring their internet access, to parents who believe that a youth group WebSpace presence is holding the gate open to sin.
My sister, living in Waimate in the South Island, New Zealand, took this photograph of a tornado passing by. It’s taken through Heather’s dining room window.
Wesley Mission Brisbane and Powerchange are working together to develop an alternative experience of worship for young adults. It’s called ‘Experiments of Life’ - seeking to live the way of Jesus in the 21st Century. It’s a chance to share in a time of worship and prayer, connect with other young adults seeking to live the way of Jesus in their local neighbourhoods, and hear the experience of a local Brisbane film maker who went to Zambia to document the story of AIDS and what this means for following Jesus in the 21st century in Brisbane.
5.30 pm - 7 pm, Saturday 18th March, Lions Den Cafe (next to Albert St Uniting Church, cnr Ann & Albert St, Brisbane. For more information (to register for your share of food and decent coffee) contact Mark Cornford 0403 839 601.
We just love taking people out into the remotest deserts. After the Desert/Spirit Journeys in and around the Simpson Desert last year, we were told we must simply not stop! Participants of all ages had significant journeys, so we are pleased to announce that places on the Spirit Journeys for 2006 are now open.
All the practical information of dates, costs, leaders and places, which are all different from last year, are on the new website, which can be found at:
This also contains information about past journeys, including many wonderful reflections and photos from some of you!
If you are interested in participating in any of the 2006 journeys, please let us know of your interest as soon as possible. We have strictly limited numbers, and want to make them available to past journeyers and enquirers where we can.
The best way to do this is either via E mail, or using the registration form found on the website.
Can we also ask you to think carefully about anyone else you might like to pass this information to? Your local minister? Friends? Other people you think might benefit from it?
We depend on word of mouth and emails for letting people know about what we are doing. So passing this information to others is a significant help and contribution to our vision of growing a family of people who are growing reflectively in who they are, and in their sense of spirit and place.
Also a reminder if you wish to contribute money to sponsor somebody to be part of the journey. Any donations would be gratefully received.
Likewise if you would like to contribute to our fund to support the development of posters of the Mungathirri ‘map’ of the Simpson desert please let us know.
Best wishes and God bless
Peter Kaldor, Ian Robinson, Margaret Robinson, Tony Davies, Sue Kaldor and Carolyn Robertson.
Darrell Guder will be speaking in Melbourne in July, as a guest of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania School of Ministry at Campion Retreat Centre. He’ll be talking on the challenge and calling of the church in mission from 17 to 19 July. For more information contact Otira Ministries.
Dr. Darrell Guder is the Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has also been on the faculty of Louisville and Columbia Theological Seminaries.
Dr. Guder has served the colleges of Karlsh?he in Southern Germany and Whitworth in Spokane, Washington. He has served in various pastoral positions in congregations in Southern Germany, and Hollywood, California.
Darrell has written extensively in theology and world mission. His books include Be My Witnesses: The Church’s Mission, Message and Messengers (1983); The Continuing Conversation of the Church (2000); The Incarnation and the Church’s Witness(2000).
Aiden Enns found himself saying, “Geez” so often he started a magazine to fit it all in. Aiden Enns was managing editor at Adbusters from 2001 to 2003 and founded the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign. “Geez” was his response to Christians believing war in Iraq was part of God’s will, the Bible being packaged as a fashion magazine, and Christians carrying placards saying that gays would burn in hell.
Will Braun, a journalist based in Winnipeg, Vancouver, is the editor.
The first issue of the quarterly, 96-page publication came out at the end of last year. It features articles about the dynamics of conversion - “from getting saved to saving the Earth” - as well as taking a “jab at the right” and offering a lighter look at asceticism. The lead article, ‘Alter Call”, deliberately misspelt I assume, looks at what evangelistic appeals have in common with sales techniques, and look at stories of conversion to alternative ways of living,” he says.
Had an email this week from Paul Vieira, author of an ‘about-to-be-published’ book, “God Has Left The Building”. Paul was a successful youth pastor who ended up disillusioned and outside the established church. In his book he chronicles some of his journey, engaging with Scriptures again and revisioning what it means to be the church. He’s laying it on the table at his web site/blog, Jesus Has Left the Building, including a chapter summary, the prologue and chapter one.
Now Paul is the director of Harvest Stone and of a discipleship school called the Joppa Experience, located near his home in Canada. He has also made the entire course, which is focused on knowing God and finding Christ throughout all of scripture, available online at www.joppaonline.com.
Anyone know Paul? What do you think of what he’s got to say? Check out the book at Amazon.com (August 2006)
Duncan Macleod posts on life, faith and culture in Australia, drawing from his involvement in the creative industry, the Uniting Church, the blogosphere, generational research, the emerging church and life on the Gold Coast.
Dr. Darrell Guder is the Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has also been on the faculty of Louisville and Columbia Theological Seminaries.
Aiden Enns found himself saying, “Geez” so often he started a magazine to fit it all in. Aiden Enns was managing editor at 
Had an email this week from Paul Vieira, author of an ‘about-to-be-published’ book, “God Has Left The Building”. Paul was a successful youth pastor who ended up disillusioned and outside the established church. In his book he chronicles some of his journey, engaging with Scriptures again and revisioning what it means to be the church. He’s laying it on the table at his web site/blog, 
