What will we do about Kevin?

Christian legal academic Neil Foster writing for Eternity News in an article: “The prayer puzzle: will 'conversion therapy' laws ban Christian teaching?” opened the door to consideration of a possible bind that the Sydney Anglicans have waltzed into.

To consider that bind we need to understand the case study that Foster published and then consider the possible Sydney Anglican response to such a case study.

Case study

Foster’s excellent article considers whether Christian teaching and practice will fall foul of proposed legislation. Foster introduces a case study as a way of testing draft legislation. Fundamental to the study is a person approaching the church willingly and knowingly:

“Suppose there is a devout Christian person who accepts the Bible’s teaching that same-sex sexual activity is not God’s will, and yet experiences same-sex attraction. They approach their pastor or their small group leader and ask for help to overcome what they see as a sinful attraction, by reading the Bible with them, counselling and regular meetings for prayer. Is that going to be caught by legislation?”

For convenience let’s put a name to the person of the case study. His name is Kevin. What will we do about Kevin?

 

Caption: a stock photo of a man from pexels.com which is used free and unattributable.
There is no interest, nor intent, to associate anything in this post with the particular man in the image.
The man is unknown to me.

Kevin you’ll note does not split hairs as to homosexuality. Kevin does not differ same-sex attraction from homosexuality. To Kevin, same-sex attraction is “same-sex sexual activity” or homosexuality. This stems from Kevin's excellent comprehension of the Bible (with perhaps particular focus on Matthew 5:27-28).

Kevin doesn’t split-hairs when it comes to sin. Kevin is pursuing holiness, he knows his stuff about sanctification and he knows that Jesus can make him whole. Kevin does not recognise with “brokenness”, but sin.

For avoidance of doubt we at this point leave Foster’s fine article. Only the case study is relevant here.

Possible Sydney Anglican response

I have documented elsewhere that Sydney Anglicans placed visiting British minister Ed Shaw at the lectern to share his message of inclusion. That message is perhaps summarised by the title of Shaw’s Sydney youth event: "Jesus is great news for a rainbow world". By extension of how Shaw has made a ministry of same-sex attraction, as one who admits to experiencing same-sex attraction, one concludes that Shaw does not see same-sex attraction as sinful.

To which you need to understand some of the colourful mental gymnastics. Same-sex attraction is cleaved from same-sex orientation. Same-sex attraction is not said to be sin per se but the result of sin. The reformed tradition of recognising both the desire and physical action are both from the heart is dismissed. Lots is said, with much spinning of wheels, to not recognise same-sex orientation or same-sex attraction as homosexuality. The church is playing games.

For convenience, and to illuminate the bind that the Sydney Anglicans have waltzed into, let’s name the Sydney Anglicans who so warmly welcomed Shaw, and willingly put themselves under his teaching, as Shaw-ites.

The bind

So, Kevin approaches a Shaw-ite – a minister in a Sydney Anglican church. Here is how the conversation possibly runs:

Kevin: “I am as a devout Christian person who accepts the Bible’s teaching that same-sex sexual activity is not God’s will, and yet I experience same-sex attraction. Could you please assist me to overcome what I see as a sinful attraction? I would appreciate your help in reading the Bible with me, arranging counselling and meeting regularly for prayer.”

Shaw-ite: “Ha ha ha, my dear boy, you are so confused. You are not sinning. I welcomed that lovely Ed Shaw chap the other day and while he was same-sex attracted, I recognised that he was merely experiencing brokenness.”

Kevin: “So I will not be blotted out of the book of life that I cannot keep my eyes off your adult son?”

Shaw-ite: “Ha ha ha, my dear boy, in respect to the concept of sin, it is one thing to be attracted to another person, and altogether another thing to act upon that attraction. Although, please do direct your lustful eyes to someone other than a member of my household.

By-the-way Kevin please consider taking up the late-teens youth group leadership opportunity I offered you the other day (Note 1) – those boys are often very confused as to their sexuality”.

Do you get the drift here?

Are you willing to tell Kevin that he is not in sin (where there is much pastoral satisfaction that Kevin has first self-identified his sin – Luke 15:21)?

To which there is the matching question: Are you willing to place Kevin so that he is set into his sin?

So, we have a problem with Kevin. 

But is not really a problem with Kevin is it? It is a problem that has its base in not calling out sin.

Shalom,

Ozhamada

[813 words] #fallacy #ignorance #inclusion #humansexuality #sin #SSM #homosexual #Sydney #livingout 

 #samesexattraction #chastity #bible

Note 1: the notion of Kevin leading a youth group comes from the seventh statement of the Living Out audit tool (as linked).

Note 2: This wonderful article continues the theme of the troubles of brokenness theology.

Review of non-fiction book: The Fish Rots From the Head: Developing Effective Board Directors

Hot away from finding eight errors in a crime novel, I found three errors in a non-fiction book. And, the first of them is a doozy!

"First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it." Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Books change from edition to edition; new material is added, corrections are made. The errors have possibly been corrected in later releases. I read “The Fish Rots From the Head: Developing Effective Board Directors”, paperback, Third edition, 2010, Profile Books Limited, 332 pages.

The first error is a doozy due to the absent “not”:

Error 1, page 30, opposite meaning of that intended

The author seeks board to adhere to a set of principles including:

"Principle 2: make sure that they are complicit in human rights abuses"

Error 2, page 38, a table that addresses four types of board is referred identifying a fifth type

A table identifies: “The unitary board”, “The passive board”, “The professional board” and “The country club board” and then a reference to the table within the text that follows refers to an un-identified “representative board”.

Error 3, page 49, a group of animals; monkeys, are personified

Where anyone here implies the discussion pertains to humans rather than beasts:

"Similarly, when the second and later the third monkey was replaced the others tried to stop the new one reaching the bananas. However, none of them now knew why they should restrain anyone reaching for the bananas."



With these errors I offered one star on Goodreads.

Shalom,

Ozhamada

Note: this page links from www.goodreads.com


[324 words] #book #reading #read

New cafe in Lane Cove North, Mindarie Park

Lane Covians are tribal when it comes to coffee. It is hard to move them from their fave coffee haunt yet sometimes they are attracted to another cafe by news of the quality of the coffee.

Having been alerted by In The Cove of a new cafe (see: this Facebook link) we were off to check out the goods. The cafe is at Mindarie Park in Lane Cove North - a park that I attended the opening of (see: this link).

Best still the opening day included a special of two-for-one offering.

Pick me up Cafe is currently operating from a temporary structure. There are plans for a permanent presence in the mid-term.  BYO cups are encouraged.

Opening day was met with light rain. Given the bushfires and dry gardens there is no-one that can complain of the rain. A covered shelter near the electric BBQ area provided shelter for us to enjoy our coffees.

Pick- me up Cafe has its own Facebook page (see this Facebook link). They are also listed on Google Maps (see this Google Maps link). Opening hours are likely to change as they gain in popularity so follow through to one of those links to be assured of a coffee on arrival at the park.

Shalom,
Ozhamada

#Coffee #CoffeeReview #CoffeeLover #CoffeeTime #CoffeeBreak #lanecove #inthecove

Bee hive formed by a wild swarm

One great pleasure this past Christmas was the discovery of, and quick removal of, a bee hive. The hive formed on a tree in our frontyard. 

The hive formed of a wild swarm of bees. It was first noticed by a household member at a time when the hive was aged to three weeks. The hive was settled onto a single tree branch two metres from the ground. The tree is a New South Wales Christmas bush. The bush was in flower at the time. We were wise to the presence of a local bee swarm in that we had earlier identified an extensive number of bees drinking water from the backyard pond.

Three distinct combs attached to a single tree branch.

We reported the bee hive using an easy-to-complete online form on a website called SwarmPatrol. The form matches those who report bee swarms to beekeepers. We were matched to a local beekeeper - another Lane Covian. Indeed, we were delighted for two local beekeepers to contact us (including the founder of the SwarmPatrol website who lives in Lane Cove).  

The beekeeper attended within 24 hours. He wore protective clothing. He came with a wooden box that would contain the bees. On taking care to tie the branch that it would not fall when cut, the branch was severed from the trree with the hive fully intact. The hive neatly fitted to the box with all but a few bees contained for transport. 

The beekeeper's services were free - as a bonus we received a jam jar size sample of his honey.

We learnt that SwarmPatrol brings a huge benefit to the environment. Homeowners on identifying a swarm are possibly going to respond by calling in an exterminator. An exterminator would use a posion to kill the bees. However, a beekeeper has an interest in colonising the bess. So, SwarmPatrol is a win for the homeowner and a win for beekeepers.

Since removal of the hive I have been to the beekeepers home within Lane Cove. While at his home I purchased a 3L tub of honey. I was welcomed into the backyard to sight the active hives and to observe the bees taken from my home.


Shalom,
Ozhamada

#Bees #beegarden #garden #winwin  #lanecove #inthecove #australianflora

Review of a novel: The Last 10 Seconds

To cap off a busy year of reading I reached for a page-turner. A fast crime novel suited summer-reading. I read the first edition of the novel, a paperback, and note that at least three editions, and an electronic edition, followed.

Source of image: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/108/1083543/the-last-10-seconds/9780552158817.html

The novel was a huge disappointment. It suffered from too many crimes against the English language. I counted eight errors after first letting some errors slip through. I hope the author addressed these errors in later editions. 

The eight error is my favourite.

Error 1, page 230, too much detail

"I was back up in an instant, racing across the empty room in the direction of a newish-looking double-glazed window with a handle-opening system, praying it wasn't locked, because there was no sign of a key"

To which I sacarstically respond: but what colour was the window frame? How high was the window sill? What shape was the handle? And, how does a rushing character notice so much and also have time to pray?

Error 2, page 231, inappropriate use of "us"

"We took a step back together in a tight, vicous dance, which was when there was a loud crack beneath our feet and, without warning, the floor gave way, sending us flailing through the air."

"Kent and I" should be used here instead of "us" in that Kent and the protaganist are not in any relationship that would make the reader consider them a "us".

Error 3, page 231, sentence is incomplete as to subject

"More important was the fact that Kent was no longer holding the gun.

[New paragraph] I clambered to my feet and looked round desperately for it in the darkness" 

Where "it" is a gun and by necessity of starting a new paragraph, the first sentence of that paragraph needs to be complete as to subject.

Error 4, page 231, incorrect word choice

"More important was the fact that Kent was no longer holding the gun.
[New paragraph] I clambered to my feet and looked round desperately for it in the darkness" 

Where "around" should have been used instead of "round".

Error 5, page 284, poor editing

"Gore might have been trying to paint himself as as much of an innocent as he could...."

Where the second "as" should have been eliminated in the editing process.

Error 6, page 325, poor editing

"...being treated as one of the Night Creeper's."

Where the apostrophe is unnecessary as the word falls at the end of the sentence.

Error 7, page 340, poor continuity

"Not even the neighbours would hear [the report of a gunshot from a gun with a silencer and with the shot to be fired through a pillow] through the paper-thin walls."

Where the struggle, and screaming beforehand, was apparently unhearable through the paper-thin walls.

Error 8, page 341, too much put onto a whisper

"'I'm not going to ask again,' he whispered, a renewed determination in his voice"

Where a whisper is doing much work to convey "a renewed determination".



With these errors I offered one star on Goodreads.

Shalom,
Ozhamada

Note: this page links from www.goodreads.com


[634 words] #book #reading #read #crime
edited following feedback.