backyardmissionary

I’m a little curious as to who else reads this from the Brighton community. I know there are several of you out there apart from Grendel, but maybe you’re shy…
I’d be interested to hear your reflections on some of the observations I have made about life in this little suburb we find ourselves in.
If you […]

As much as I have worked in Leederville for the last 4 years, I would still describe it as something of a coffee wasteland - which is somewhat ironic given its location and the huge number of cafes.
Recently Sayers cafe opened and as well as doing very fancy food they can knock up a pretty […]

After hearing about it a few months back, I finally got to see this movie today, quite an intriguing case study of a person’s life.
The synopis says:
“Into the Wild” is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher […]

I confess that I like preaching.
I think I’m pretty gifted at it and can do a decent job. I enjoy the experience of communicating with a crowd and seeing people get inspired. In fact its quite an adrenalin rush when its really going well.
But I wonder if it is a help or a hindrance to […]

Ok, so I’m continuing my reflections here…
Chapter one is somewhat of an analysis of the current urban/suburban setting with 3 possible scenarios considered:
Community Lost - the basic idea is that the impact of urban environment on relationships is negative (when compared to rural community life). The causes are a more segmented life with fewer opportunities […]

Last Friday night I went to my first ever concert…
No kidding.
At 43 years old I went to hear The Waifs, John Butler Trio and someone else I didn’t get the name of and got there too late to hear anyway.
Why your first concert so late in life?… you may ask.
Well, as much as I enjoy […]

I dare you to ring Hillsong and ask for Alan Hirsch…
Perhaps its just my wacked sense of humour, but I think it’d be funny if hundreds of people did this…

This was an intro for Hirschy at a recent conference.
Maybe the Chasers will pick it up!

I was preaching today at a local church - a really good bunch of people and a crew who I always enjoy being with. But after my thoughts yesterday, I couldn’t help noticing how many songs were crying out to God to ‘revive us’ or to ‘revive’ the people around us. It is a very […]

Its pretty easy to take pot shots at pollies and people in positions of influence and I have done my fair share of it over the years. Sometimes you forget they are real people too with kids and families who hurt and cry like the rest of us.
This week Neale Fong resigned from his role […]

Update: My good friend Grendel was a late starter on this ’synchroblog’ but you can check his post here. Its a beauty.
I’d like to start this post by saying that most of my life I have been an optimist - and have always believed - often for no good reason - that ‘things’ will get […]

Ok so the ramble continues…
From Innaloo I got married and moved to Glendalough for a couple of years early in our marriage. We lived in a 2 bed flat and then a 3 bed townhouse. Not quite inner city, but definitely high density living! As I look back it is surprising how close we can […]

I guess he has puzzled me for a while.
Maybe that’s an understatement. As I mentioned previously I have started again reading thru the Bible and thankfully Leviticus is over… but now I’m into the book of Numbers.
If I have noticed one thing repeatedly this time thru it is the harsh way God seems to […]

This is one of the primary and most inspiring themes of the book.
That God does not value missionaries or pastors any higher than those who work in non-clergy jobs and live ‘normal’ lives. No really… The myth we have lived with for so long, has served to greatly devalue the lives of so many people […]

For more info go here…

As I mentioned a few posts back I have been re-reading God Next Door by Simon Holt and I have to say that for those of us in neighbourhood mission this is one of the best books I have come across. Simply brilliant and brilliantly simple!
I intend to offer a series of reflections from the […]

Has anyone got an old short board they aren’t using that I could turn into a skurfboard for behind the boat?
We had some great fun in Busso with the 8′ 8″ mal behind the boat, but I reckon if we could bore some holes and attach a couple of foot-straps to a short board and […]

Ok - no judgement intended on anyone as I write this.
I tend to think that the consumer icon of our time is the plasma TV.
It seems to be the one item everyone ‘must have’. Sooner or later we will all laugh at those old boxes that used to take up so much space in our […]

We’re in Busselton at the moment thru to Tuesday.
Its our annual camp for local families down at the SUWA campsite. We have the 3 families from our team there as well as 7 or 8 families from the local community.
Lots of relaxing, fishing, diving, drinking and conversing…
We set off to dive on the Swan […]

Please ignore the draft post that was up for a short while!
It is part of a synchroblog Matt Stone is co-ordinating on Christianity in Oz for Australian Day
I have some thoughts to put out there, but (as you would know if you read the draft) they aren’t ready for public consumption yet! Not by a […]

This book by Simon Holt was one of my top reads of 2007, but the commentary on it has sat in my draft tray until now.
Actually I just this minute picked it up and was about to re-read it, when I thought I ought to give it a mention here.
Mid last year I went […]