Generation I

We were sat around the dinner table. "I was thinking," said Ruben (10), "what does 'Generation X' mean?" We talked about Douglas Coupland and about the generation that does not believe in absolutes, longs for meaning, seeks significance and laughs it all off as ridiculous. "What letter has my generation been given?" We talked about how each generation has not been given a letter by the Great Letter Giver, but that it was an idea to describe how culture moves and changes.

"Well what will define my generation?" We spoke about the unparalleled ease of access to information through the internet, the ubiquitous nature of personalised techonology (ipod, mobile phone, pda, etc, etc) and of the individualistic nature of things. "maybe, we're Generation I" he said.

"Generation I" - I thought, I must put that on the blog - great thought: great phrase, very apt. The Generation that has grown up assuming internet and mass media, the generation that can get information on what's playing in cinema's in every major capital city as easy as finding out what's playing at the local, the children of the information revolution.

Generation I - the generation who believe that public transport is for the poor, who watch movies and are disappointed when you can tell that the alien is just a CGI figure, for whom communication is instant N ritn in txt so u cn c wht they R sayin str8 away (except in the states - where text is only just catching on) and who believe that the future is both terribly bleak and amazingly glittering with technological possibilities.

Gen X are essentially shallow cynics. Gen I essentially believe the world is there for them. The move from X - Y - I is not that shocking; its a natural outworking of the values of the previous generations. Neither is the thought of Generation I original - at least one other person has given it some thought and come up with the same idea (albeit for marketing reasons).

The issue is that this is the generation who are now occupying the universities and colleges of New Zealand (and elsewhere around the world). How do we proclaim the gospel to a generation who genuinely believe that the world is there for their benefit? They think the information about Jesus is just more information to be filed in 'world religion'; they believe that technology is the way to deal with poverty, ecology and the human capacity for wickedness (e.g. enough survellence will stop terrorism) and they think primarily in the "I" (everything from music, clothes and food all the way through to religion, morality and truth depends on how I like it - the i-pod is an icon of the age as well as a piece of technology).

There is nothing new under the sun - but there is a challenge to be taken up afresh.

My hunch - confront them with the One who does not lack information of any kind and who understands the human heart from the inside out and is not impressed with technology on any thing or anyone; proclaim the One who deals with the human heart and judges between conscious thought and hidden motivation and finds all lacking in moral fibre and call them to turn away from their radical and self-confident self-centredness and to come to the one who declares "I AM THAT I AM" (Ex 3.14) and who has made Himself known in Jesus who declares that "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the Father except through me" (John 14.6)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written,

“The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1.16-17

Dig Deeper

Ines and I are reading and working our way through "Dig Deeper", which is written by two men I have a great deal of respect for. I've known both Nigel and Andrew for a number of years. I even got a sneaky peek at this book before it was published. It is an excellent resource in every way: well written and the content is pure gold.

The book, as the title suggests, invites people to dig deeper into the Bible - to get past boring Bible studies which stop short at 'what do you think the passage means?' or 'what does this verse say to you?'. By digging deeper we get to the gold, uncovering the treasure, or (for those for whom culinary metaphors are of greater attraction) we uncover the exquisite truffles of God's truth: feeding the soul and delighting the heart.

As we worked our way through the book Nigel and Andrew took us (and everyone else who reads it) to Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (ESV)

The opportunity to look at these verses again was so encouraging.

Andrew and Nigel want us to LOOK at (really see and think and note) the connecting 'For' - because it is the gospel of grace which brings salvation and makes sanctification possible Titus is to teach it patiently to all in the church: its as applicable to young and old, men and women, slave and free.

The gospel, taught well, changes our horizon and the focus of our lives: we live for the day of Jesus' return and live in the here and now rejecting the lawlessness at work in the world in which we live and which far too often looks so 'cool' to our own hearts.

It made me repent afresh of my heart - there have been days that I think that NZ needs more than the gospel. How amazingly sinful and stupid! NZ needs the gospel more faithfully preached than it is in large sections of the church here. The old have not taught the young the gospel and we need Paul's injunction to Titus to ring in the ears of pastors up and down the nation. The gospel is all this nation needs - it needs men and women who will teach it well and hold to it faithfully.

Pray for me, for the TSCF staff team, the MInterns and the students in the groups - ask God to make us men and women who will embody Titus 2:15

Declare these things;

exhort and rebuke with all authority.

Let no one disregard you

Snapshots of Grace

Yesterday, coming out of Auckland museum, we bumped into friends from St Andrew's Uni days. They were out of place (well, not in any place we expected to see them) and I was completely freaked out. Andy and Lee will hopefully be coming around for a coffee or a meal whilst they are in Auckland (just till Tuesday). I'm still freaked out - lots to think about, lots to talk about, lots to catch up on. I think the last time I saw them was at a friend's wedding a decade ago. They have two kids, we have three; they are in NZ for a year, we're here for considerably longer. In the five minutes we chatted there was much said, "you've not changed" - my hope was I have; my waistline says I have! I hope the change is more than in girth.

.

The last 10 days have been full of contrasts and opportunity to stop, think, look back, look forward and pray with thankfulness. Here are some brief glimpses at what's been going on and what changes and growth are afoot.

Electronic Encouragements
There have been several emails and text messages in the last week which have really encouraged me: news from 'back home' in Europe, as well as here in NZ. Stories of growth, struggle, sadness, joy and great faithfulness to God's glory have all come my way. Its been people saying thank you to me for the ways in which God has used me in their lives - but I don't think people understand how much of an encouragement they are to me. I'm thankful, not just for their thankfulness but for the fact that I can give thanks for all that's going on in their lives. That's a lot of thanksgiving I guess.

Student Leaders

The student group at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) is something that has just started this term. I've got the privilege of working with them. We meet on Tuesdays 10-12 and then 12-2. The reason for this is that without a common lunchtime there is no one time on campus to get everyone together. So Elliot and Nancy decided to run to groups back to back. Their commitment is a real challenge to me. We're studying our way through John's gospel - and are seeing afresh the wonder of knowing Jesus and the joy of Him being the one true God who came to rescue sinful men and women. Last Tue we were looking at John 4, the story of the Samaritan woman and (not sticking to the questions in the study) got into a big discussion about the futility of religion and the uniqueness of Jesus.

.

Last Thurs, as part of his course, Elliot took the risk of doing a presentation for his course (communications) on Jesus as God's self-disclosure. Self-disclosure was one of the first concepts introduced and discussed on their course: a 'basic' building block of communications. We'd met to talk and pray it through the night before. His text message afterwards showed an answer to our prayers: "it was sweet as mate. God is good :) self-disclosure, who'd have thought we cd use that to describe the entire bible and a fundamental of our faith?"

.

Thursday itself saw me at Waikato Uni, Hamilton (a 2hr drive south of Auckland) to meet with Maria. Waikato is not currently covered by a TSCF member of staff, so I'm trying to go there once a month to provide some input and encouragement. It is hard for the group, made up of graduate and post-graduate international students. Maria is the only Kiwi involved and there is one other undergraduate in the group too. Maria is clear that she wants to see the group growing in numbers and in its vision and passion to reach the campus. There is an important meeting of the committee on April 29th - when I'll be taking the trip south and joining them for the day as we talk through, plan for and pray about the future of the group.

.

Friday I visited the group at Unitec - a speaker had pulled out at the last minute and so I was slotted in. Unitec is on the west side of Auckland (opposite end from us) and serves a very diverse student population. The group there has been pioneered over the last couple of years by Janice Teo and there is a small and vibrant group there; reflecting the diverse nature of the campus. 3 Samoans, 1 Tongan, 1 Philippino and 1 mainland Chinese students gathered together. We sang joyfully with the room door wide open onto the main cafeteria area just outside the room. Many people looked in, no one else joined us. We studied the story of Jesus raising Jairus' daughter and healing the woman with the issue of blood, as we looked at 'amazing faith'. I felt the students had a lot more to teach me about amazing faith than I had to teach them.

.

Team Mates

Thursday night was a gathering of the Auckland team at our house. We shared hopes of how the team might grow in closer cooperation and team work, we prayed for each other's work (some are hard pressed in time and finances) and for a growth in the numbers of students coming to Christ and the growth of the gospel on campus. I'm grateful for Christina, Janice, Jeff and Adrian and I'm praying that the team will grow: both in our love for God and one another, and in our effectiveness in the work God has entrusted to us.

.

Distant Thoughts

Thursday was also the thanksgiving service for Nigel Lee and friends texted, emailed and phoned to chat about the service. I would loved to have been there, to hear the stories, to share the laughter and tears and to talk to old friends about the hope of a life lived for the gospel. As I drove to Hamilton a short story played on NZ national radio - it spoke of a funeral, in the usual depressing way those who do not know the hope of the gospel speak. I cried a torrent of tears - thankful for Nigel, sad for his loss, praying for Tricia his wife and their kids as well as crying out to God to use my life to his glory so at the end there will be much praise to Him and not so much of me.

.

Contrasting Perspectives

I've also been struck by the sin in my life. At church we've been going through '40 Days of Community' and to be honest I've not really enjoyed it, struggling with Rick Warren's approach to Scripture and his emphasis on doing church because its 'good for me'. What has been great though is the warmth of the approach and it's challenge to be committed to community - I am so self-centered, prone to competitive thinking, easily drawn to thinking of myself more highly than I ought and thinking of Jesus much less than I should. I'm a sinner. The small group I've been attending have challenged me by how they've lived and who they are. I'm too concerned with the outward view rather than the inward reality. I need to change my perspective more consistently and consciously. I need to look to Jesus. Hebrews again springs to mind:

.

"Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart."

[Heb 1.1-3 & 12.1-3]