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Psalm 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

How long, O LORD?
Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

[NIV]

iTunes store Link to a tops version of this psalm.

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Last Sunday I began my wanderings from church to church on a Sunday to find ... well I have no idea - mostly it is to try and find people doing more than just taking some songs, some announcements and a sermon and rearranging them and calling it !NEW!

Now, no laughing is allowed, but I went and visited Hillsong last week.

I know it is 100% opposite to what I said in the first paragraph but I also did not feel like anything difficult or new or in fact having to talk to people. Hillsong was perfect.

I got there a bit late and so finding a seat was a challenge but eventually I got bundled into a place to see what's doing. I caught a couple of songs - I think. They both sounded the same just the words were changed. Well the words changed but the meaning, such as there was, didn't.

I am glad I visited Hillsong it was nice to be anonymous and just sit and observe.

As I sat there and rolled over a bit of the thinking I have been thinking the last couple of years I thought - well, if the smaller connect groups are just small house churches with good accountability and a focus on a life that was being lived missionally then I rekon this once a week big gathering is not such a bad thing and you will always get randoms who just want the surface and nothing of any substance [which was exactly what I was doing] but if the gospel is sound and the small groups are missional then this big gathering meets another need that people have.

I still have a problem with the fact that so many resources go into the "main gathering". And I am not talking about absolutes here - I am sure that Hillsong as a % invests just as many resources into a Sunday gathering as any other church does - just their pie is bigger.

Maybe I should just admit that the fundamental problem is me and that the actual church in all it's forms and varieties all have their good and bad and just dive back into Tooney and do what I want to do with the people I am already journeying with.

In other news I am looking forward to playing bass for an event our church is putting on in a few weeks time. I already miss playing each fortnight and I haven't even missed a week yet!

This Sunday I am gathering with the other faithful followers at Parramatta Stadium and doing church with all the passion and excitement and expectation that my normal church just doesn't seem to excite. Come On Sydney!!

;)

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This is a post about the iPad [oh my what a name choice]

The iPad does not have everything in it.

why?

I presume it is cos Apple is well aware that coming between a MacBook and an iPhone then it will not be easy to find people to buy it - so I guess they have removed things to differentiate it from the other two - it's that difference that will help people decide to buy it.

Plus - remember that it was not until iPhone 3.0 that cut/copy/paste was implemented, compass and many other things. And yet people bought iPhones like crazy along the way and they just sold more as they added features.

I did make a list myself and multitasking was the one I am most surprised at - still am.

Other than that I rekon those list makers who frame their lists as this is why Apple will fail with the iPad need to shutup and make the product themselves if they are so smart and still sell the cheapest version at under $499 - oh wait, they probably can't.

I'm guessing it will do ok for itself - probably not as good as the iPhone but it will do alright and probably take off with the version 2 of the hardware - if at that stage I am rich enough to afford to get a device I don't really need but would like cos it is cool then I will get one then.

Oh yeah, and as for Flash - I am glad that it's not on the iPhone and now neither the iPad and the sooner Safari doesn't support it at all and it dies dies dies [or maybe Adobe improve it] the better.

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Apple announced it today - it's called the iPad and it is literally a bigger faster iPhone.

The Apple web pages are here.
video | gallery page | Tech Specs page |

Uses 1Ghz Apple designed A4 chip.
WiFi and 3G [3G comes later, unlocked microSIM - DATA ONLY - which I guess explains why they let the VOIP apps become available during last year]
Looks like an iPhone from the front.
Is unibody or at least has the unibody look to the back of it.
The display is 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi).
Price: USD$499 for the 16GB model without 3G.
More details on Tech Specs page and there is a video.
About 140,000 iPhone apps will work on it as is, plus they have updated the SDK to work with the iPad, will have it's own part of the App store.
Apple is now including a Book reader and selling books from 4 of the biggest publishers. [see update 5]

On to the missing bits:
No camera - at all.
No multitasking - still!!??? [update 6]
No SMS - not demo'd and there is no Messages app visible in screen shots or the gallery page.
No separate graphics chip and so far I can't seem to find what they are equating it to. But they played some games on it so I presume it is whatever is needed to do iPhone level gaming at up to 1024x768, and play videos.
No flash - but that isn't news.

Once they use one of those see through screens demo'd at CES this year and put the chips in the area around the screen another part of the future will have arrived - mind you, I am no so sure I want a see through monitor.

Update:
1. Rollo beat me to it :)
2. The keyboard is just a bigger version of the iPhone keyboard no half moons in the corner.
3. when I say "same as iPhone" I know that it is not 100% the same, that they have made some tweaks but at heart it is same as the iPhone.
4. FakeSteveJobs says "now, yes, I did say that there was no point in doing a new device unless it could do things better than a smartphone and a macbook. and yes, um, there’s no way anyone will ever believe that a tablet is a better device for doing a spreadsheet or word processor. or any desktop app. but as long as we just keep saying that this is the case, maybe people will believe us." [FakeSteve live blog of the event
5. McGraw-Hill who announced yesterday their deal with Apple was NOT amongst the four book publishers mentioned.
6. no multitasking - according to hands on users it is still no multitasking other than for builtin apps. Crikey!! However the same reports say that it is lighting fast so maybe that will mean you don't notice it as much. People certainly will have to remember that this is not a small full OS device but a large phone device.
7. engadget hands on inlcuding a video and list of comments.
8. Apple Australia has now got an iPad page - international pricing to be announced at a later date.

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Tomorrow at about 5AM Sydney time Apple will unveil "their latest creation" - everyone is pretty sure that it is the rumoured Apple Tablet/Slate/Pad that will be announced along with a bunch of iPhone, Mac and MacBook updates.

My thought about the slate/pad/tablet has been how do you type on it??
If it is basically a 10.1 inch screen about as thick as an iPhone how do you type?

My thought - two semi circles on the bottom left and right of the screen which contain half a keyboard each so that you can type with your thumbs while gripping the computer - you will be able to adjust the size of the keys to suit thumb size/reach.

Either that of there will be a stylus [yuck] and Steve Jobs will explain why it is the perfect way to do data entry and we will all nod and say as one "yes oh Mighty Steve"

We shall know soon.

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You probably haven't noticed but there are some people 'protesting' about the planned internet filter - I think it is a fine idea to mandatorily block Refused Classification material from off the net [if that is all they do, essentially extended physical bans into the digital realm] - and it will work fine cos the NSW DET block many more sites than that on a daily basis for hundreds of thousands of students and teachers right across NSW.

And while that is just a possibility ...

There is some actual censorship going on. [actually it is copyright protection - see below]

google.com.au have changed their logo to reflect Australia Day. It was designed by Jessie Du from New South Wales. Isn't it cute? [sourced: 11am Jan 26th 2010]


Wait a minute! It isn't all that cute, there is something missing ....

This was the winning entry ...


hmmm notice the difference?

Nice one Google. Australia Day does mark the beginning of a cycle of increasingly destructive white relationship towards the original inhabitants, so removing the Aboriginal flag does nicely represent that. But I doubt that was what they were trying to show.

It's a bit sad really.
Is this what they rekon Do No Evil is all about?

Shame. Google.Com.Au. Shame.

As an interesting Post Script - Arthur Phillip [leader of the First Fleet] was given instructions regarding the establishment of the Colony. "The Instructions advised Phillip about managing the convicts, granting and cultivating the land, and exploring the country. The Aborigines' lives and livelihoods were to be protected and friendly relations with them encouraged, but the Instructions make no mention of protecting or even recognising their lands. It was assumed that Australia was terra nullius, that is, land belonging to no one. This assumption shaped land law and occupation for more than 200 years." [more from the National Archive of Australia, includes a transcript of the Draft instructions (the actual instructions are lost)].

Update: I knew as I posted this I was doing a Today Tonight and not bothering to get the whole story before taking a stand and had a bad feeling I would get caught out. And I did. The flag is copyright protected and due to a disagreement over the right to show it, which Google did not obtain, they had no choice but to ask for the flag to be removed. The copyright holder claims Google was disrespectful to approach him asking for the free use of the image in the l logo. What is funny about this whole thing is that by denying permission there are now people posting the image with breaches copyright anyway, and not only that he removes the indigenous reference and reminder on a day when that reminder is so important - so in trying to protect his work he has actually undermined it. I wonder how much he was offered - surely for something like this a token amount shows you protected your copyright [which will be important in future situations] but also allows the spirit of the Google Logo thing to still happen. Or maybe the right holder just doesn't get that money isn't everything that western culture and corporations are about - sometimes it *is* about interacting with people and community and the size of the offer was not disrespectful but rather demanding a licence fee is.

And next time I will be less Today Tonight and more careful.

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At the time when Pat Robertson linked the Haiti earth quake to a deal that rebel slaves made with the devil as a part of the fight they fought to gain independence I had a very long post written. In it, I definitely thought that it is possible that it is true - but more than that I noted that God is a God of Grace - and that I rekon there were probably more than the Abrahamic 10 righteous people in that city on the day of the earth quake.

I don't know why the earthquake happened and nor does Pat Robertson.

I know that from the way he presented the link as an idea, as a speculation as a "I'm just putting this out there as a context" - in other words he certainly did not assign prophetic power to the statement.

It was just cold and thoughtless.

And it makes for strange cause and effect - the USA bans prayer in school, executes criminals, fights pre-emptive wars, destroys countries, exports fear, USES weapons of mass destruction, promotes greed and self reliance. Their sins as a country run on and on and on and on. And yet the USA continues to seem to thrive ...

Maybe Pat - and all of us - should show more humility and remember that God's ways are far above our ways and that God sends rain to both the good and the evil.

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The title quote comes from this tragic story which must have everything a journalist could ask for murder & twitter.

Apparently the alleged murderer and their victim had been communicating threats via twitter. So really twitter had nothing to do with the case - though I guess it will be the first time that twitter is used as evidence in court. [though I wonder if it is admissible - isn't it a bit like hearsay - anyway I guess it will be contested, I'm not sure sure how easy it is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt who sends a tweet.]

It's my title quote that gets be blogging, heres the quote with a bit of context:
Mr Dancy's mother, Madeline Smith, told The Sun she was stunned to learn that tweets between the friends could have led to murder.

"That's not a reason to shoot somebody," she said.

"That's crazy. I don't know what's going on with that Twitter thing."

What is going on is that people are being people and that comment is just as silly as saying that it's crazy to say a few words and then kill someone - and you know, it is. But of course the tweets - which are just like words spoken - are not the cause of the death it's the person who went and killed someone - it may be something someone has done to another person, sometimes I am sure it is just a few words spoken - in the end though it is the sin within a person's heart that does it, not the tweets, not anything else.

I've been reading 1001 inventions that changed the world - and I rekon the 21st Century was mostly invented in the 18th and 19th Century - I'm only up to 1861 and yet so many of the things we use to today had already been invented in some form - obviously the actual technology used is different but the devices are so very recognisable in the function that they carry out.

And as for Murder? It's been there since the beginning.

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Thanks to last.fm here are the artists I listened to most often during 2009 [the number [in] is how often I played something by that artist, they only count songs I completely listen to without pausing or skipping in any other way]:

1 Jars of Clay [121]
2 Matt Alcorn [116]
3 The Beatles [88]
4 The Cat Empire [81]
5 Hillsong [77]
6 Mark Seymour [68]
7 Brooke Fraser [57]
8 The Whitlams [51]
9 R.E.M. [45]
10 The Basics [43]
11 Moby [40]
12 Kisschasy [39]
12 Area 7 [39]
14 Abc Tv [35]
15 Playjerise [33]

I was surprised that Jars was the the top - other than that no surprises for me.
Matt Alcorn is a mate of mine and if he had his stuff on iTunes I'd link to it.
One day he will.

and here are the top tracks of 2009 ...

1 Matt Alcorn – Mist [23]
1 Matt Alcorn – Going [23]
3 Matt Alcorn – Can't Find the Words [22]
4 Matt Alcorn – You Brightened My Life [20]
5 Brenton Brown – Hosanna (Praise Is Rising) [11]
6 High Desert Church – Blessed Be Your Name [10]
6 Matt Alcorn – Getting There [10]
6 Chris Tomlin – Indescribable [10]
9 Paul Baloche – Open The Eyes Of My Heart [8]
9 Hillsong – You Are My Strength [8]
11 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C (Bennett, Ellis) [7]
11 Chris Tomlin – Everlasting God [7]
11 Walter Chalmers Smith And Bob Kauflin – Your Great Name We Praise - Immortal Invisible (SD#40) [7]
11 igniterTracks – Jesus Paid It All - FULL [7]
11 Matt Alcorn – You Brightened My Life (B's Mix) [7]
11 Relient K – Getting Into You [7]
11 Relient K – For the Moments I Feel Faint [7]
11 Mark Seymour – Ready to Go [7]

The worship songs are new songs we have done or were going to do at Tooney Baps in 2009.

If you visit my charts at last.fm then you can check out other more details stats of my listening hobbies.

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If you just want to start reading the bible in a year then get to it - there are questions and thoughts for each day as well. To learn more about it ... read on ...

I love to encourage people to read the bible - it also serves as a good way to encourage myself :)

So this year I will commit to reading the whole bible across the course of this year - in 2009 I read the whole bible in about 85 days so taking a whole year will be much more leisurely.

The Bible in 90 days was done in order from Genesis to Revelation whereas this bible in a year takes you through a different part of the bible each day:

Day One - The Law
Day Two - History
Day Three - Psalms
Day Four - Poetry
Day Five - Prophecy
Day Six - Gospels
Day Seven - Epistles

If you use the web page there are notes for each day as well as a link to a pdf version of just the bible readings for each day. At the moment day one is a Monday but you can start any day and any time and it just has 52 weeks of readings set out, the plan doesn't include 'days off' - but that is the beauty of it cos it is not dated you can just pause and resume as you want.

I will tidy up the navigation system and do some other tweaks cos I know that as the year goes on it gets a bit messy.

I will also tweet each evening the reference and the link to the web page - I am a night person and read then so I will tweet at the start of my reading.

May it encourage you to get into the word.

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Goodbye 2009, soon to be a memory, and that too shall soon fade.

Unless you happen to have done something for God, that echoes into eternity.

Often we don't see the fruit of our efforts for Him, often we will not see 'success' but those things are not within our sphere of responsibility - obedience, faithfulness, saying 'yes' to the Holy Spirit as He guides us to be more like Jesus - those things are our responsibility, what God does with them are up to Him - sometimes it will look like 'success', sometimes not, sometimes you will see 'fruit' other times it will come further down the track and someone else may get to enjoy its sweet sweet taste - just as sometimes we get to taste the fruit of another's labours.

May 2010 be a year in which you grow closer to God.
May you be aware of your need for Him.
May you be aware of His love for you.
May we all life lives be marked by more and more faithful obedience to Him.
May we stop thinking that God is only found in our busyness and remember that He is our rest.

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I'm house sitting, in exotic Toongabbie. Not a bad holiday break. I packed the car and drove 5 minutes to be here. The location has a tops view, a very comfy couch and a big TV. Nice.

So far I have watched Battlestar Galactica Season One and I plan on getting seasons two and three knocked over before I leave. At the current rate it may even happen by the end of the week.

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Rather than blog about the year that has been, the movies, moments, machinations or music that has been important, best, worst, or fun, I want to look into 2010 and think about what it brings.

Next year I will serve the music team through to the end of January and then step out of it. I won't be a regular at Toongabbie Sunday Services I won't be preaching there [though I may take on some other opportunities if they come up].

First term will then be used to go on a bit of a journey - a pilgrimage - wandering from one church to another - seeking out strange new lifeforms, new civilisations and boldly go where others are already going *cough* sorry for that nerdly diversion.

I am going to try and hunt down people doing church in a different way - find people who aren't taking 5 songs, announcements and a sermon and then merely rearranging them.

There are already 4 places I have in mind to visit and they will no doubt yield a few more and maybe people will give me some suggestions from this post. I am also going to visit some friends and church with them - hello Thornleigh, maybe Riverstone, maybe Parramatta Baps [where many Tooney people go when they leave Tooney].

The plan is just to do that for a term - but maybe it will be longer - I don't know exactly what I am seeking - maybe just to be free for a bit - but I want to travel about Sydney [and beyond] and church with different people, especially those doing church differently to what I am used to.

To keep me grounded and sustained I will commit 100% to the Mens bible study at Toongabbie and examine my idea that it is within the SmallChurch [which IS what a bible study/home group/connect group is all about] that real lasting life change growth comes from and is sustained.

What is your 2010 looking like from here?

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The worst thing about the GFC is companies are saving money by not making new adverts as much as they used to - either flogging the one they made this year that we were already over 6 months ago or digging up something from last year or even the year before.

There are so many ads I just can not watch anymore - and yes I know the solution and I am often to be found hitting that channel change button.

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I preached today - same sermon at both AM and PM service.
My 8th for the year.
Which I am surprised by as I didn't think I preached that often this year.

I am pretty worn out by it - which is normal.

The passages was Matthew 5 - I was told to just pick a bit, but being me I looked at the whole of Matthew 5 - of course I skimmed it. But I hit the highlights and managed to, I think, get the point across and encourage us all to be more like Jesus - to show the family resemblance [be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect] more and more.

This year would not go down as the one where I have been closest to God - nor would it be the one where I have been furthest either - but I certainly haven't been firing on all cylinders spiritually.

Matthew 5 was a tops chapter to get me back on my feet - sure the importance of preaching had something to do with it - but it was also the content that I had to deliver.

I think I also liked that I got to say a few things I have often wanted to say - for instance that Jesus' teaching is HARD - and anyone who says that Jesus was a wise teacher or a good teacher probably hasn't really read what Jesus has said, cos if you do I don't think good or wise are the words that come to mind.

Jesus sets a very high bar - be perfect like your Heavenly father is perfect - and love your enemies and pray for those who hate you - these are not merely wise or good - they are extraordinary, they are tough, they are full on pull no punches. Plus it was great to be free to talk about being part of the kingdom of heaven.

What really hit me was that the first 16 verses of Matthew 5 are just so incredibly encouraging in the light of vv17-48 - they remind us of what blessing we will receive - they remind us we live more and more like Jesus then we are making a difference in this world and drawing people closer to God. Which I rekon is the most awesome thing to be able to be a part of.

A great challenge in vv17-48 and great encouragement in vv1-16. And I enjoyed working through the parts that make us feel broken and inadequate before springing the beatitudes upon people and reminding them of Grace and the power of the Holy Spirit - which basically meant sharing my own journey with people cos that is pretty much how the passage impacted me during the week.

The morning featured two baptisms so that was extremely cool and the night service was very cosy and I certainly had a very, erm, comedic, introduction to break the ice and help us all relax and be receptive - possibly a bit too comedic and I am sure I will be paying for my words said in jest for a little while to come. But when you start a sermon by managing to flick the wireless bodypack out your pocket and onto the floor which then causes the headset to fall on the floor with a big bang through the sound system - the only response is to laugh and the only way to go is up!

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I guess this one is a bit nerdy too - but hey, at least I'm posting .....

As I had my breakfast and read yet another story on the net about a NASA launch that was delayed due to an issue with the rocket that was going to lift some satellite into orbit it suddenly made me wonder about all those rockets that are/were sitting in silos across the USA waiting for 'The Button' to be pressed to carry out the so called 'successful First Strike'.

You see, from time to time I also read about how such and such NASA rocket was based upon, or is the same design as, the rocket used to launch ICBMs that the military need to keep the balance of power and prosecute the MAD doctrine.

And then I think how thankful I am that they never had to launch those rockets back in the 70's and 80's - cos from the sound of it many many many of them will have failed and the USA would have had all these failed rockets blowing up in Silos or in the air and raining debris and radioactive bits all over the USA. Which, whilst being better than the actual detonation of the bombs, would not be an ideal outcome. And since the USSR was a huge mess no doubt the failure rate would have been even larger.

I presume that in the case of a Nuclear war the devastation that was going to be caused by the [mutually] assured destruction meant that any dangers or failures were within the safety margin that the end of human life on earth naturally allows.

This is why I don't talk much at Breakfast time.

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WARNING!!! Nerd post!!!

On Tuesday night I collected my laptop back from the Apple store in Sydney. I go there cos they are Apple and so get their gear quicker than others and they have great service - and it gives me an excuse to go and visit without being tempted to buy anything - it's so shiney and so Apple and the AirCon is amazing.

But I digress.

I had to put it in to get fixed - it just wasn't starting up - which meant it needed a new logic board - which is the guts of the machine - we used to call them mother boards but for some reason they are now called logic boards - at least in Laptops - maybe so as to avoid gender specfic language??

Anyway, the point is that it seems like my Mac keeps some of my secrets on that logic board - I knew about the serial number [which has been reset so my laptop still has a serial number and is the same as before], but it seems like screen saver settings, ARD rego, iTunes Authorisation must use something on that board to ID this computer - all those things have had to be changed since I got it back.

It's a weird and eclectic set of things that seem to be related to my logic board but not my serial number - especially the screen saver settings, what is that about???? Are my screen saver settings so secret/machine specific that a logic board change means they are lost???

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Today was my birthday and amongst all the nice messages I also received a new computer at work and got news that the repairs on my normal laptop have been completed and so I can pick it up tomorrow :)

nice one!

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One of my Bollege Buddies, Dezza, married another Bollege Buddy, Juli, yesterday [Saturday]. The event was held in Kiama and it was a fun day there and back again and while we were there. I went down with Matt and Nomes Burns and returned with the same with the added bonus of Miss Be [all of whom are also Bollege Buddies].

T'was a fun day - Dezza gave one of the best Husband speeches I have ever heard [and I have been to a few weddings] and I loved the pace - everything just kept on moving and you never had a moment to get bored. Yes, at some weddings I have been bored, but not at this one.

Had a great time.

It was excellent seeing Dezza getting married, Dezza and I have had some long discussions about relationships, church and life in general so it was a special day to see the finish of the first part of God's working to bring those two together. I am praying and looking forward to seeing the next part of what God has in store for these two people as they love and serve God, each other and the people around them through this new relationship being called Mr & Mrs Hooper.

:)

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I still don't know what I am doing next year.
Probably not the NT - but who knows - but probably not.
Probably not organised ministry at Tooney baps.
But again, maybe I will.

I never really got to investigate other churches and would still like to find some people who are not just doing 5 songs, announcements and a sermon [change the order however you like it's still the same thing] so maybe I will step right out of organised ministry at tooney and be free to visit some other places just to see what's doing - I might not leave tooney but it would be interesting to seriously visit some other places to talk with them about what they are doing.

One thing I have really been getting a strong feeling about over the last 3 years has been that ministry is so much more than what we do within the organised institutional church. Just as worship is a wholelife pursuit, so too ministry is all that we do for God as we play our part as examples of Jesus helping to bring in the Kingdom of God, it's what we do as we go about helping show that God is at work in the world (and doing His work), and it may not just be done in the walls of a church building. And we need to truely value and encourage that - otherwise we end up with people who only serve the organised church and miss out on serving God's Church in it's wider and fuller sense.

But again these are still ideas in progress and what they mean in practice and the impact of those practices is something still to be worked out.

I do know one thing - it's very hard to let go of the idea that "Church" and "Ministry" is only real, it only counts, when it happens inside and within the boundary [physical and geographical and accountability wise] of a Organised traditional Church building and structure.

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