Kia ora e te whanau
Today marks a significant moment in the Doubleday household. Last night our final mortgage payment was processed. The house belongs to us – no longer shared with the bank!
While I feel a deep sense of both gratitude and privilege, it also brings with it a measure cognitive dissonance. I have long eschewed ‘prosperity teaching’, believing it, and its excesses, to be a serious misrepresentation of the Christian gospel. 10 years ago I imagined that we might end our days in a Council flat. This is still a possibility and not necessarily a bad thing, as many people do – particularly in Christchurch where the City Council has been a huge provider of social housing. Yet the prospect was not particularly appealing. As I would offer my concern in prayer, I invariably was met with a ‘trust me’. And as I sit looking out my study window (formerly a sleep-out at the back of the property) I find myself pinching myself, and asking “How did this happen?”.
Perhaps it’s ‘excesses’ that is germane. After all, does not God want us to be well housed? Was not Jesus mission statement that he had ‘come to give us life, life in its fullness’? Or, is this a cop-out?
When I see the human suffering beamed onto my screen from so many parts of the planet, and recognise that God loves each of these people every bit as much as me, I left unsure where to go with it.
When I see the wanton destruction of Gaza and the dislocation, dispossession, and destruction of its population, and then hear Gazans being consistently blamed for the situation, I feel rage rise within me.
And then I look out my window, and the disconnect remains.
A COUPLE OF REMINDERS
New Website address
UCANZ is currently developing a new website, which is still a work in progress but can already be accessed at ucanz.online. Please update your bookmarks. We encourage you to visit and explore as it continues to be updated and refined. In the meantime, the existing email contact office@ucanz.org.nz remains fully functional, and we welcome your enquiries through that address.
Gathering of the Scoundrels
On the first night of Assembly, Monday 20th October, there will be a gathering for all those involved in Cooperating Ventures, along with friends and supporters, following dinner at the Presbyterian General Assembly. We will meet from 7:30pm–9:00pm at Scoundrels, 375 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central City — just a short three-minute walk from the Assembly venue. Snacks and nibbles will be provided, and even if you are not attending the General Assembly, you are warmly invited to join us. The gathering will be hosted by Hana Popea (Co-Chair of the Standing Committee), Andrew Howley (Executive Officer), and Andrew Doubleday (Ministry Facilitator), who will all be in attendance.
UCANZ Executive Officer’s Phone number
It has been brought to my attention that a few weeks ago I posted the wrong phone number for Andrew Howley. If you wish to speak with him his number is: 027 559 9042
Leadership Resources
7 Counterintuitive Negotiation Strategies That Win Every Time
I spent the first 13 years of my working life as a Quantity Surveyor. While there was a comprehensive syllabus for the technical aspects in the 6-7 years of training, nowhere was there any education in negotiation skills, which was a significant part of the role. This always struck me as quite odd – it was something that we just learnt as we went along. Even in Church leadership negotiation skills are useful – unless, of course, we imagine that we’re always right and everyone else has to simply get with the program. There are some useful tips in this article: https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/counterintuitive-negotiation-strategies-that-win-every-time/91243612
How to go from Quiet to Commanding
As I said last week, I’m of Dutch stock. A couple from my last parish appointment spent 15 years working with prostitutes and street people in Amsterdam. One of their reflections was “You need to understand this about the Dutch – by the time they’re five years old, they’re expected to be able to hold their own in an argument”. While there may be some hyperbole in this comment, it has enough truth to it to be recognisable. So, it has always been a mystery for me that people don’t speak up – just say it! This article is for those who are reluctant, but would like to push back against the noisy one’s like me: https://www.fastcompany.com/91372716/how-to-go-from-quiet-to-commanding
Stop Trying to ‘Feel Confident’
This article sits alongside the previous ones. It offers some specific strategies where we can be more effective in our communications and presentation skills. It suggests that rather than trying to acquire the right ‘feelings’ to be confident, that we work to acquire the necessary presentations skills (it tells ‘what’ and ‘how’) – and assures us the feelings will follow. The article can be accessed here: https://www.fastcompany.com/91350435/stop-trying-to-feel-confident
Irritable Male Syndrome (IMS) Is An Actual Condition — And It Could Explain A Lot
Now, the human-interest bit. Given that our partner churches have a predominance of aging male leaders, this article may give some explanation for the way we are (or are becoming): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/irritable-male-syndrome-ims-is-an-actual-condition-and-it-could-explain-a-lot-goog_l_68d553eae4b01e99f72ddfee
Homilies and Preaching Resources
My response to the lectionary for the 5th of October is titled ‘It’s Not What You Think – Context is Everything’ and focusses on the Gospel reading of Luke 17 vs 7-10. Jesus appears to be addressing the issues of the nature of faith, and our duty to do our best. Yet when we consider it in its context, it’s something else that emerges. It can be engaged with here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWjlVlONYhE
Trevor Hoggard is continuing with the 2nd set of Lectionary readings – this week Nehemiah 5 vs 1- 13, Psalm 142, and John 9 vs 1-16. Trevor dips into economics and considers the transactional way the world runs, which we in turn project onto God – One whom we imagine is determined to get what he is due, rather than responding to us in generous grace. Trevor’s sermon can be engaged with here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzcW8L-hPZY
Gospel Conversations – out of the Dunedin Anglican Diocese. They host a conversation of 4 Theologians / Practitioners around the Gospel lectionary text for the coming Sunday. The site with all its options can be accessed here: https://www.calledsouth.org.nz/gospel-conversations/ . The conversation for this coming Sunday of the 5th of October is focussed on the Gospel text of Luke 17 vs 5-10, and can be engaged with here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnkU4CL-LOo
Again, it will help broaden all our reach if you ‘subscribe’ and ‘like’.
Once again, use the videos as you will.
Ngā manaakitanga
Andrew Doubleday
UCANZ Ministry Facilitator