Been Caught Stealing

Quit Stealing our Letters
Originally uploaded by steviebreech

She said it loudly and unashamedly to her girlfriend: "Have a look at this dress I just stole".

I got on the train at Fremantle to come back to Shenton Park yesterday afternoon. It was fairly crowded being the school rush hour. Some teenage girls got on who looked old enough to leave school, but young enough that they shouldn't have.

One girl turned to her friend on the seat behind, opened her bag up and said "have a look at this dress I just stole". She brought out a red dress still with the tag on it. "It's cute" the friend said. "Yeah, when I saw it I though I just had to have it so I took it to the change room" - took it to the change room not to try on, but to put in her bag!
She then ripped off the price tag in front of us, and threw on the seat next to her.

First off, you have to love the real world of public transport.
Second, I was a little taken back by the mundane nature of the discussion. It clearly wasn't the first time.
Third, being in the middle of a series on the 10 commandments I have been thinking about all the subtle ways we might break the command 'do not steal'. There was not subtlety here!
Fourthly, it is so easy to be self-righteous: 'what an idiot, doesn't she understand what would happen if we all did that?' Easy to be self-righteous until I remembered once doing the same kind of thing in primary school (in a less brazen and far less competent way however).

In fact in our sinful selves we have all stolen from God - in more ways than we probably understand.

Jesus said:
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners".

HMS Compromise, Slowly Leaving the Shore

Sometimes people just get up one day and ditch Jesus.

But as a Christian, it is more likely that the little compromises we make along the way bit by bit will be the things that finally undo us - like the compass that is slightly off course, when left uncorrected moves the boat a long way from it destination.

In Genesis chapter 13 Lot decides to leave the land of Canaan promised to Abraham (Gen 12) and go the prosperous land of the plain, toward Sodom.

But notice the progression:

Lot pitched his tents ‘near Sodom (13:12);

Lot was living ‘in Sodom’ (14:12);

Lot was ‘sitting in the gateway of the city’ (19:1), a position of influence in the city (like the Mayor - if any of us knew who the mayor is).

The drift is slow, but obvious for Lot. What began as the hunt for prosperity finished with total compromise.

When it comes to sin and compromise, we sometimes think: How close can I get to the hook without being caught? We're probably best not finding out.

The Tension of Intentionality

Peace Love Happiness Friends 63/365
Originally uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography

Someone recently talked to me about the tension they feel in wanting their friends to know Jesus. On the one hand, friends are friends and nobody wants to feel like a project. On the other hand, as someone who has had their life transformed by the good news about Jesus, it's not something you want to hold in.

Another way of saying it is that in life as a Christian we want knowing Jesus to shape all that we are and do. So we want to approach all our relationships with a mindset that is shaped by the gospel. We could say we want to have 'gospel intentionality'. Without this kind of gospel intentionality, our friendships will become purely secular (ie solely of 'this world', and interested only in the things of this world).

So how does 'gospel intentionality' lead to real friendships and not just projects?

Going back to basics it might be easiest to say that as a Christian we know how much God has loved us. And it should be only natural to want others to know and experience that same love. While this way of thinking doesn't do away with the tension all together, it is a good starting place for our relationships.

There are also some practical things that can help reduce the tensions. But enough from me. Any suggestions?

Our City

Steve McAlpine is a good friend of mine and used to be on staff at St Matt's, and who has recently returned to living in Perth. This post of his was too good not to share:

"And while we are on the topic, since Perth is so easy to live in, I have noticed a few things about this fair city:

First it makes people incredibly receptive to the gospel. There are so many opportunities to get into conversations with people about God. At the beach people flock to me asking how they can ever repay their creator for this amazing natural and completely free scenery and leisure centre of sand, sun and surf. People washing their four by fours in front of their McMansions keep stopping me in the (litter-free) streets and saying “Yes Steve, it’s all great stuff, buts it’s not enough, what must we do to be saved?” [more]