Remember when you were three years old. Your only job was to look cute, take a nap, and use the toilet instead of your pants. Not a long list.
Remember when you were 15 years old? Your job now was to try and not look so goofy, cover that zit, and talk to at least one person that day of the other sex. Not a long list – but now a lot more stress.
Welcome to the world of insecurity and self-doubt. Here we learn to take what we think is gross, and cover them up with what we think the world will find more acceptable. Whatever society thinks is cool and acceptable - we get in on that.
And think about how we do that…
What do you tend to buy? Mac or PC? BMW or Toyota? BurgerFuel or McDonalds? Pac N Save or Farro? What kind of person are you presenting yourself to be?
How do you use social media? What do you put on Facebook? How careful are you on your photo selection? How clever are you on your status updates? What kind of person are you positioning yourself to be?
What media message are you adopting as your own? Pretty is better than ugly? Rich is better than poor? Young is better than old? Large is more successful than small? What kind of person are you propelling yourself to be?
Sometimes I find myself wanting what others are telling me I should have. But I’m getting older, uglier, and with two kids…poorer. So do I fantasize about what I wish I could be, or do I embrace what I am? Not great options, really!
So how do I navigate the tensions that arise when I am faced with what the world tells me I should be, and what the mirror tells me I am? In a world that celebrates success, popularity and growth…I have failed, been ignored and pastor a very small church.
So why keep at it?
John 13:2-5 reminds me what life is really about…
It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
Culture tells me I have the right and deserve to be served by others…if and when I am a winner. God tells me that to be a “winner” in his kingdom, I am to serve others…even the “losers.” Culture tells me to elevate myself. Following Christ is about elevating others.
Jesus reverses cultural norms. God’s Spirit empowers us to do and be something else. We can’t join God’s mission already at work in the world without this.
So while you study here at Carey, please don’t learn how to simply use theology so you can have insights that allow you to SEE the effect of culture on society and the church. Deconstructing society and the church is easy. Becoming like society is even easier. Instead, use your time and studies here at Carey to radically BE and DO "something else."
TUESDAY 23rd
Community Worship 11:15am-12noon
Facilitated by Sherman Huang and Simon Alexander
Philippians 4:1-3
Speaker: Laurie Guy
After Dinner Mints @ lunch
George Wieland is moving into a new role at Carey. We are going to find out more about this and also to find out what the Carey Day is all about!
WEDNESDAY 24th
Principal's Call to Prayer
12:40-1:00pm
Charles keenly invites you to join with him and other staff members to pray in regard to the appointment of two new Biblical Study Academics @ Carey. This is an exciting time for us as a college and we must seek God’s leading.
UPCOMING EVENTS
25 October Kiwi Made Preaching
Library Hours
Attention all students. The library is open during normal hours during the inter-semester break.
Monday-Thursday 8.30-6.30
Friday 9-5
Saturday 10-2.30
If you would be willing to add your name to a list of those who able to provide occasional peer study support for other students, can you please contact either Julie Osborn (julie.osborn@hotmail.com) or Peter Hart (peter.hart@carey.ac.nz)? This would only be occasional, and shouldn't involve a lot of time – but might, for example, involve helping with understanding an assignment question, or how to structure an essay, or some proof reading. Thanks!
ADVANCE WARNING FOR 2012!
The academic regulations relating to the late submission of assessment items will change next year. From the start of semester 1 2012:
1. all assessment work submitted after the due date, and up to one week late, will incur an academic penalty of a 10% reduction in marks (normally this will be equivalent to two grade steps – eg an A reducing to a B+, or a B+ reducing to a B- etc) ;
2. all assessment work submitted more than one week after the due date will be marked, but will not be graded, and will receive only a “Pass” or “Fail” result
Except that for final course assessments the latest date for submission will be the last day of each semester (no longer one week after the end of semester). Consequently no assessment work will be marked if it is submitted after this date, unless the student has previously been granted an extension.
Any questions? Please contact Peter Hart, Dean of Studies
CAREY PRAYER CHAIN
We’re keen to offer faithful, daily prayer for students, lecturers and friends/family – please email your requests to carey.prayer@gmail.com or anonymously in Nigel Irwin’s pigeon hole if you wish. And if you’d like to join the prayer-chain, let me (Nigel) know. James 5:16, Phil 4:6