News

Tim Bulkeley writes...

We were looking at Luke 15 in Understanding and Interpreting the Bible last week. The idea was to notice how gospel writers carefully placed the stories they tell, so that together as an ordered package they paint a picture of Jesus. I've written elsewhere about how the name we give to the third parable in the chapter (Luke 15:11ff.) impacts on how we understand it. Where I grew up everyone called it the “Prodigal Son”, and the way it follows parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin make it certain this one is about a lost son. At first sight Jesus clinches the “Prodigal Son” interpretation by ending with the punchline: “this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

That's a nice safe reading for people at a Bible college. God loves the lost and wants to save them. The only danger or discomfort for us in that message is that perhaps sometimes God might want us to help!

But the story is not just about the lost son. There are two brothers in the story, and actually almost all of the last third focuses on the older, good and faithful, brother. Then, there's the way the chapter started: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

The grumbling Pharisees metaphorically fail to share the joy of the shepherd who rescues the lost sheep, fail to join the party when the woman finds her coin. The older brother too fails to join the party when the young rascal returns home.

The first two stories are simple, lost sheep – found, lost coin – found. But at the end of the third, one lost son has been found, but the other son is lost. Despite all his faithfulness, and dutiful service, he fails to join the party, and excludes himself from the family.

You see, once we read this parable in its setting, and do not extract the diamonds from the drill bit to look at them under a magnifying glass, their fearsome hardness is revealed, as well as their beauty. And this parable is hard as well as beautiful. The father's love for the prodigal son is beautiful, but the self exclusion of the elder brother at the end is terribly hard. The story ends with a lost son. How sad when we become that son!

TUESDAY 6th

Community Worship 11:15am-12pm

Gospel Then and Now

Romans 3:21-31

Charles Hewlett

Facilitated by the Youth Pastor students

After Dinner Mints @ lunch

Duane Major: Duane is the youth pastor at the Spreydon Baptist Church and network co-ordinator for 24/7 Youthwork. Duane became a volunteer youth worker 18 years ago, and says he was drawn to youth work because of its energy and the opportunities it created. He is involved a range of community boards associated with youth work.

WEDNESDAY 7th

Carey Prayer in the Chapel

12:40-1:00pm

Praying for the college, community, country and people. All welcome.

PACIFIC TSUNAMI and INDONESIAN QUAKES

This last week has been a hard one as we’ve watched on our screens the devastation caused by the severe earthquakes and tsunami in the Pacific rim. With the strength of the Pacific Island community in NZ, is seems everyone knows someone who knows someone that has been affected. Carey is in that category with at least one of our students having lost a number of extended family members.

Please continue to pray for those involved in the clean up and care for people in Indonesia and the Islands and for those grieving.

SAUSAGE SIZZLES

Andrew and Roanna Baldwin (2nd yr PL) are heading to Thailand for 3 months to be associate pastors at the international church in Chiang Mai. This is their summer PL placement. They are needing to raise some funds to help them get there and will be doing sausage sizzle on Monday

Monday 5th October

...over by the dining room from 12:30pm.

CALLING ALL WOMEN...

Time for an end-of-year brunch for Carey women! Just a relaxed catch-up with great company and good food!

Saturday 17 October;

9:15am; Cost: your own

Kings Plant Barn Café (not Palmers!)

236 Orakei Rd, Remuera

Please let Rachel know by 14 October if you can join us!

ANZAC DAY—WHERE TO FROM HERE?

REMEMBERING WAR BUT WORKING FOR PEACE.

Public seminar WITH:

Dr Chris Marshall: Religion, Violence and the Christian Theology of Reconciliation;

Dr Allan Davidson: Memorialising war and remembering those who opposed war; Dr George Davis: Turkish and New Zealand perspectives on Anzac Day.

Arranged by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship

Saturday October 10th

9.00 am to 4.30 pm

Wesley Hall, St John’s College, 210 St John’s Rd, Meadowbank.

Register by 7^th October Ph. 575-6142 or barfoots@xtra.co.nz

Charge $20 ($10 students) includes lunch.

MOVIE NIGHT

Relive the 80s!

Come along to see the new remade version of the classic ‘Fame’ movie.

22 October at 8pm

Hoyts Sylvia Park

Cost $20

Come dressed in your favourite 80s clothing for a chance to win a spot prize.

Money raised will go to help Andrew (2nd year PL) and his family (Roanna, Noah and Miles) go to Thailand for their second year placement. Andrew is going to be working at the Chiang Mai International Church there (CMCC) for three months - getting lots of experience pastorally but also cross-culturally.will be a great night!

TIMETABLE AND ENROLMENT 2010

Timetable 2010

This is now in hard copy at reception with costs etc included. Please note there may still be some minor changes over coming weeks.

It is also on the Carey website.

Enrolment forms

Now available to download from the website, in hard copy at reception or contact Neroli (registrar@carey.ac.nz) to be sent one.

NB: Enrolment deadline for returning students is Tuesday 15 December 2009.

After this date, a late fee of $50 per course will apply.

STAFFING IN 2010

Some changes are on the horizon for staff next year. We welcome and farewell two people and two current staff will pick up different positions.

Principal

The Board and staff are pleased that Charles Hewlett’s name is being taken before Baptist Assembly in early November to be voted on as the next Carey Principal. Charles would take over this role in mid November but also hold his current position until February.

Director of Ministry Training (DMT)

With Charles potentially moving out of the DMT role, this has created an opening. John Tucker has recently been appointed as Director of Ministry Training starting on 1 February 2010 (subject to final approval of the Principal position in November). John is a current Carey Board member, a graduate of the PL programme in 2000, was senior pastor at Milford Baptist for five years and is close to completing his PhD through the University of Otago. His thesis is on the history of Baptist engagement in public issues in New Zealand.

Coach—Youth Pastor track

Sarah Beisly moves on at the end of this year and with her husband Paul are planning towards work with tranzsend in South Asia.

Brian Krum will pick up responsibility for this track. He will continue as usual with teaching with two courses each semester.

CONGRATULATIONS

To Patricia Martin (3rd year student) on her engagement to Fred Brunell (pastor at Mt Roskill Baptist Church.

BOOK SALE CONTINUES AT THE LIBRARY!!

Paperbacks 0.50 cents

Hardbacks $1

...or otherwise marked.