60 minutes

An incredible life ended in a brutal crucifixion. What happened next shook the world, and still does. Tonight we go behind the scenes and talk to Jesus.

Page turner: "Thank you Jesus for making yourself available to come and be interviewed. You must be very busy these days. My apologies about the makeup guys, we couldn't do a great deal about the scars and piercings. Tell us Jesus, what actually happened in that tomb".

Jesus: "Well its privileged information, only Daddy, Spirit and a few billion angels know the details, but I can tell you this, I was not alone. It was only for that brief moment that Daddy turned his face from me that I for the first time felt abandonment. It was nice to get together with the old gang again. They looked after me and we caught up. It was like a chick being cuddled under the wings of a mother hen and I really needed that time".

Page Turner:"Ok, so you can't share too much detail, but tell us what it was like in the first few days".

Jesus: "Well, it was kind of strange. Happy and sad. I would come up to my old friends, people who I had spent years with and they didn't recognise me. I had to tell them it was me. They were scared and frightened. It was interesting that the ladies got it before the guys. I think their hearts were more open to mystery, they weren't so boxed in. But generally everyone was just so overwhelmed with grief and sadness that they were just not able to see me properly. I had told them that I would rise again, but they didn't get it".

Page Turner: "We still don't, do we"?

Jesus: "You got it! Also my body had changed quite a bit. It was covered in scars, nail holes, thorn marks, scratches, cuts etc… No part of my body was left untouched, so physically I was quite different. I was wearing a beautiful cloak that Daddy had given me, but it was kind of sad that they didn't embrace me like an old friend".

Page Turner: "I can see a few tears. Tell me about where the tears come from"?

Jesus: "Oh, it just brings up how much I love you people and how you just continue to not fully embrace me. It's ok, we will sort it out completely one day".

(Page Turner hands Jesus some tissues)

Page Turner: "So what happened next"?

Jesus: "Well I hung around for a while with my friends, ate with them, fished, chatted, freaked out a few of the real religious types. It was fun. I just wanted to make sure that my friends knew fully that I hadn't left them alone. That I was still there for them. I still am, but it's even better now because my Spirit is able to live inside of you, but that's another story for another day".

Page Turner: "What would you like us in the 21^st Century to know? What's one observation you have made about us that you would like to change"?

(Jesus thinks for a while then turns to look at the camera directly. Cameraman freaks out a little at this, but the show must go on.)

Jesus: "Ok, what I see is that you really haven't changed that much since I was here last. You think you are better, but you aren't. You still like to try and box me in and the Family in. You are not comfortable with mystery. You want certainty on your terms. You have your theories, doctrines, dogmas, laws, formulas, strategies, plans etc… All trying to give you certainty on your terms, avoiding vulnerability and the need for surrendered faith and trust in us. We laugh at some of your formulas and theologies, but then we cry. We love you too much to leave you the way you are".

"You see to really understand us you need to become like little children. They are the ones who recognised me back then, they don't have hardened hearts filled with foolish strategies to make life work for them on their terms. They are still soft and malleable to me. That's the type of dance I want with all of you. (At this point the eyes glisten with tears)".

"Please don't put me in a box. They tried to back then and I burst out of every one of them. The Resurrection is just a little example of how you can't keep me entombed in your constraints. I will not be boxed in! I am with you but you're just not recognising me. Become vulnerable, open your eyes, ask Spirit to show you how I am working today".

Page Turner: "Well thank you Jesus, it's been great having you on the show. We must have you back again some time".

"If you would like to email us about any comments, please feel free to fill out the comments form below. Until next time, have a resurrected life".

Image: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Celebrate, it’s a Good Friday

I was in Church yesterday participating in a shared communion of Subway and Starbucks when my two friends told me that they had a funeral to attend tomorrow. It's the same every year. This person's death is remembered time and time again. It's not just your normal type of funeral where the person's life is celebrated. Rather focus is given on the last moments of this person's life, a tortuous execution designed to induce shame and fear. The pain experienced was such that the one who loved him the most couldn't look any more. The victim's father was in the crowd and was watching. His love didn't change but the pain was so great that his tender embracing heart could bear it no longer.

I wonder if the Family of the 'loved one, dearly departed' actually like us focusing on the way Jesus died, as if a deeper and more realistic understanding of the trauma will make him more real to us. I wonder if it might actually cause them pain and sadness as they watch our remembrances. In your family do have mournful ceremonies that focus on the way a loved one has died? I have often gone away from Good Friday services with a sense of deadness, gloom and pain. Is this what Jesus died for? I think Good Friday needs to be GOOD! Maybe in small groups where we praise, worship and celebrate Jesus life and sacrifice. A time of joy, and not for sorrow. A pouring of encouragement and hope into each other.

Good Friday, a day to remember God's self giving love. Then, now, forever! CELEBRATE!

image: bela_kiefer / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We Learn by What we Ask

Once upon a time, yes its one of those stories, the Ear, the Eye and the Tongue got together for a chat.

The Eye was telling the other two about how it had observed something the day before. It had watched an event intently and saw all that could be seen, even picking out the finest of details. It had made its conclusions and was singularly focused in its view.

The Eye felt it was right, even righteous, in its view.

The Ear had heard something different. It too was present when the Eye had cast its gaze on the topic in hand. The Ear had listened to all the sounds, the voices, the subtle little things being said, but it had drawn quite a different interpretation to what had gone on.


The two of them got together and compared notes. Each going through what they had heard and seen. 

The picture changed for both of them as the jigsaw puzzle of the event fell into place. 

It was quite 2 dimensional though, no depth, no real understanding.

The Tongue was champing at the bit to say something. It was often like this, and so it stepped forward, and took a quiet pose. 

'I wonder what we would have learnt had I been allowed to speak and ask some questions. Just some simple little questions to clarify our understanding. To explore the depth of the event, and add colour rather than develop a Black and White picture about it all.'

They both fell silent and realised that it was true that "When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me." (Oscar Wilde).

When we ask clarifying questions, that have both depth and gentle curiosity, there is an engagement of Ear, Eye and Heart.

We learn by what we ask. 

When you have felt truly listened to, how were gentle questions involved?

Barry Pearman

Photo Credit: Monkey Magic via Compfight cc

Tick on a dog

A friend and I were talking the other day about Ticks. 
Not the nicest of topics but apparently in Australia they have ticks that can cause paralysis to a dog, and then eventually death. 

Reflecting on this I remembered what Dr. Larry Crabb wrote.

‘What is a tick there for, to bless the dog? Or is a tick experiencing its own emptiness and looking for a nourishing host to sink its, whatever it has, into the host's flesh and suck out of the host what would bring fullness to the tick’? Larry Crabb

I love the Australian T.V. show ‘Kath and Kim’. It’s such a funny show, but there is one line that crops up in every show. It’s when Kath says ‘Look at moiye, look at moiye, Look at moiye’.

Consciously or unconsciously we all say in various ways ‘Look at me’. 

Blaise Pascal wrote

“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus” 

Contrast our self centered focus of ‘It’s all about me’ to that of Daddy, Jesus and Spirit where there is an open flowing dance of love for each other. 

Each one pouring all they have into the other and vice versa, all the time. A mischievous interplay of self giving and self receiving love. Hmm, can’t wait to be fully part of it!

But back to our present reality. What do you think would be the risks and rewards of living a lifestyle like the Family? Giving ourselves freely to our family, friends, and even our enemies. 
What did Jesus do with ticks?

Barry Pearman

Photo Credit: azarius via Compfight cc

Compelling Vision

This week has been a very interesting week with lots of standout moments. On Saturday I graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Theology. It was great having friends and family celebrating with me 10 years of chipping away at the vision of having a Theology degree. Then on Thursday I finished up 13 years of ministry as the Community Chaplain of Windsor Park Baptist. I had started out with a very clear vision of creating a community where people that struggle with Major Mental Illnesses could come, grow, participate, and recover. On Tuesday night we had a thank you dinner and about 100 people came. Stories were retold with laughter and tears.

The power of a Compelling Vision has been swirling through my thinking a lot over the last week. I was asked during the week by a Mental Health professional about my philosophy of Mental Health support. I suppose at the base of it is to have a Compelling Vision of who this person, with all their problems, could be if they allowed the Family (Daddy, Spirit, Jesus) full access in their lives. If they chose to dance completely in rhythm with them and allowed the addictions, the self hate, the fears etc to drop off in favour of embracing Gods love.

I have heard many stories this week, but the one that really sticks in my mind was by someone that said that I don’t judge and that I accept any one. When I reflected on this I immediately went to the idea of a compelling vision. I knew this person, I knew a lot of what they had been through, their struggles and pains but my eyes don’t fixate on these, as bad as they are. I look past them to the heart where the Family has walked across the room and kindly asks ‘Would you like to dance with us’? This person’s heart has accepted the invite, and is dancing now, sometimes stumbling, but the dance vision is over flowingly cram packed with laughter filled, forgiving grace.

If you would like to read more about developing a Compelling Vision go to this link.

Barry

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_cc19g8kOIJYmYzZjMyMjUtZWUzYy00OTE3LWE1NzAtMGRhMmI3Mzg4NGZi&hl=en