Audience Of One My favourite song of Bruce’s whole album and the 2nd single to be released is Long Lost Friend. It’s a song of hope & loss. The clip above is just pleasurable. I’m listening to this track and most of the CD on repeat with single malt and crying a lot.
My friend Simon Moore was laying tracks (guitars) for this long awaited album over Easter weekend 2006. It was the first Easter Si wasn’t at for a number of years. We had written the Sola series in the week prior and Si was emailing updated scripts for me to shoot at camp from the studio. Later, we were to name our company after that weekend’s pivotal output (Sola Fida – the first of Luther’s creeds).
It seems that this weekend, as the news is starting to penetrate amongst friends, colleagues and my family of easter crew… this song takes me back to beginnings and ends and is so appropriate.
This week I accepted the news that I will no longer be working on Eastercamp. It’s a hard goodbye, too fast and too soon. But God is present in it. In the weeks to come I’m going to endeavour to chronicle the time as a way of saying goodbye and honouring all that God has done and that I’ve been privileged to be part of.
In the meantime – if you have a special Eastercamp story – I’d love you to send them to me, even with a photo or two. I’m going to collect as many stories from 1999 – 2008 as I can to remember this season that’s been so important and beautiful in my life. Feel free to pass this around as many people as you know who have been part of or impacted by Eastercamp in some way during my involvement.. I’d appreciate the help. Email to tash at solafida dot co dot nz.
Song Of The Moment : Long Lost Friend by Bruce Conlon
goodbye my long lost friend i’m glad to see there’s no bitter end cos it’s a long time we spent in our lives and now it’s time to go
i won’t see you tonight cos now it’s time we must say goodbye cos it’s a long long time til we can say i’ll see you again someday
no need to make amends i’m glad we parted the best of friends cos it’s a long time we spent in our lives and now it’s time to go
i won’t see you tonight cos now it’s time we must say goodbye cos it’s a long long time til we can say i’ll see you again someday
stay with me tonight and all these memories inside you stay with me i want you to stay with me
cos i won’t see you tonight cos now it’s time we must say goodbye cos it’s a long long time til we can say I’ll see you again someday
love is more thicker than forget more thinner than recall more seldom than a wave is wet more frequent than to fail it is most mad and moonly and less it shall unbe than all the sea which only is deeper than the sea love is less always than to win less never than alive less bigger than the least begin less littler than forgive it is most sane and sunly and more it cannot die than all the sky which only is higher than the sky
It Has Been Too Long Since We Were Together This has been a week of long nights, early mornings, rushed words, hasty dreams, dark clouds, pinot noir, the absence of cigar smoke, longing for some things, craving others, wallowing in sensory pleasure and the grasping pain of it. It’s not even been a week, after all, today is Wednesday and things only started on Sunday.
But it’s too long since we’ve been together, my heart and I.. so we have snatched tender moments in the days and nights.. 1. Sunset on Monday in golden light, breaking bread and drinking wine for the sake of art, film, magic, storytelling and Hope. 2. An friend of many days and a corner store wine bar, laughing and telling stories of surprising mirth, sorrow and Hope. 3. A long day of fine-tuning, waiting, talking, discussing, listening, praying and Hoping.
Tonight the love affair with my soul continues.
It’s wednesday night and usually that would mean that I’m at youth group. At least it used to, in this community that I live in. Nowadays it means I usually work late, looking for something that will occupy the space and give it meaning. Some of my best work comes from Wednesday Weight Of The Absence.
So – I’m writing for the kids – my kids. Cos without being too petty.. even tho I don’t got kids of my own anymore, in eight days time, I’ll have 3500 of them at least. And for four days, I do youth ministry. Only four days to change the world. Anyone want to come with me?
Oh, For The Hell Of It Earlier I posted here about our mainstream show at eastercamp this year. Sure enough, we’ve booked Elemenop, Streetwise Scarlet, Midnight Youth, Arms Reach and crowd favourites Mumsdollar to play this year.
The feedback has been heavy, expected and equally disappointing.
…Only what is Righteous and Holy should be presented before God. If you were standing before God would you have a clear conscience that the bands chosen glorify him on the weekend that he was crucified?
… we gather together to Glorify Christ for what he has done for us, not listen to a bunch of non Christian bands, we gather together to encourage each other and worship Christ. This is where we feel we cannot affirm the current decisions made here for Easter camp as a church family.
.. I really wanted to get clarification where you guys were headed as I am extremely uncomfortable where the camp is heading spiritually and we are starting to take steps to protect our teens in our youth groups.
.. As a pastor you can understand where I’m coming from I hope, we only want the best we can for our church family. And ultimately we are responsible for the teens we send there as leadership in our church, and before God.
.. I will not apologize for the Gospel, and if it is not going to be preached, I will pull you up on it. This is my duty as a fellow Christian. Iron sharpens iron, You need to know, we’re not into social justice, were into the Word of God and Christ Crucified. That’s the real gospel, teens need to hear that message.
This is exactly the kind of feedback that we expected from some groups, but it gives me great delight to hold on fast once again to the values that we do hold precisely so dear. When we gather together each Easter, we absolutely preach the Gospel, steady and true. We use scripture, story, image, you name it. More than that even, we present a Gospel that is very living, very real and very much in the trenches, exactly where Christ ground it out.
I love the story of the Wesley brothers, who vowed at one time to only ever use the basest, most vile and common language that was to be understood by the people, so that there would be no hindrance to their hearing of the Gospel of Grace and Truth. It’s in our ministry, care and concern for the last, the least and the lost that we find ourselves on the precipice of dangerously vile ground.
I like living here. This is a space that will change the face of the church in NZ in fifteen years, because as I’m sure so many will agree, a Gospel without true justice isn’t any Gospel at all. Grace and Justice and inexplicably connected in this faith. I’m even prepared for camp to get smaller, so that the Truth can get bigger. As if everything single thing we do at camp isn’t buried at the foot of Christ first.
Imagine.. a Gospel without a love for the lost. That’s exactly what I hear in these words. John Macarthur would be loving this guy, but I end up feeling just sad at the misled unfortunate shadow that’s being cast here. If you’re so concerned with the preciseness of truth, how does one account for half, if not all the apostles of the first church? Bring it on, I say.
As if our God is scared for one second of a cutesy pop lyric that doesn’t use the word Hallelujah. As my friend Rob Harley is quick to point out on the phone the other night… Simon and Garfunkel hit the nail on the head when in the 60’s they said “the words of a prophets are written on the subway walls” when the church was still busy blessing the Lamb and singing Glory.
See, the world is calling out for Truth, crying out over injustice, burdened with sorrows. And her modern day prophets sing the songs that make the earth groan… who couldn’t hear that and respond.
There is a moment of the cross that sticks so wholeheartedly in my soul that I often return to it. Actually there are several, and this year, a long time in the waiting – we are visiting these moments of the cross several times at Eastercamp.
Tonight, feeling battered and bruised, I’m retreating home and creeping online momentarily to stop writing programme and ideas, and just to write ME for a little bit. I drank and dined with one of the Top Five tonight, like a smooth balm to the soul but a mix of mirth and myrrh.
“You’re so angry,” he said. I have nothing else to say to that. I do feel frustrated and angry about so many things that are small and trivial right now. I have so many dreams outside of my life. If only I had another 40 hours in the week to simply let thoughts unfold. Space for my brain is what’s required. There are too many things in my brain getting cramped.
So, lil’angry me is piling in on top of weary, soul hungry, touch-desperate me. And I’m going back to one of my favourite moments, when Christ looked into the eyes of a criminal, and offered him the solace that the Son of Man couldn’t take for himself.
I think that’s what I feel right now – the pain of giving what I do not have; peace, love and joy.
Around the world we cluster ourselves into various operating strata of community – small, medium and large. It’s one of the guiding principles of what makes Eastercamp work so well for youth communities of any size.
It’s a principle called Family : Village : Tribe based on the premise that civilisation (or insert suitable adjective) naturally organised itself into groups of 5-6 units, that are part of a slightly larger group of 20 – 25 units, which is part of a much larger collective of 150 units.
Example : Many cultures around the world organise their armies in formations as so.
Squad : 5 – 6 troops : Family : Small group or homegroup : Band Platoon : 20 – 25 troops is the ultimate : Village : Youth group : Labelmates Company : 150 troops : Tribe : Youth Community : Genre
Interesting reflections for business models, in regards to how we connect with other compatible businesses within the creative industry (film companies, printers, wed designers, artists, copywriters), and then within the broader context of our specialised sector.
Interesting reflections for youthworkers.
Who’s your family? The 5 – 6 youth leaders on your team. You work together, you rely on each other. You connect relationally, emotionally, spiritually to the same centre hearth, the same values and beliefs. You’re regularly together through stronger bonds than friendship. There’s trust, security, accountability, support, respect and reliance with one another. or The 5 – 6 local youth workers that you connect with on a regular basis, supporting one another and working together. There’s a sense of trust, security, accountability, support, respect and reliance with one another. You’re connecting with the same kids, the same places on a regular basis. You rely on one another. You bicker and squabble but always make up.
Do you regularly sit around the dining table with your family? This is a great practice to get into. How do you welcome new members of the family? Are there family rituals that you initiate? Family culture of how it is in your neighbourhood?
Who’s your village? The 20 – 25 youth workers in your town, the school counsellors, teachers and support staff. A range of denominations and values, different priorities and skills. Still, there’s a dependance on each other for connection and awareness. Things that are difficult with 5 – 6 are much more achievable with 20 – 25.
Do you recognise your village as a co-operative that must work together in order to survive? What do you have to offer your village, what does it have to offer you? Are there compatible and contrasting ministries that require ‘trade’ and communal benefit? Do you know what to do when someone new moves into the neighbourhood?
Who’s your tribe? The 150 or so youth workers that make up your regional or national “team”. The collective that is shaping the future leadership and direction of your denomination. The big picture thinkers that are devising strategy for the overall movement/goals. What does it mean to you to be part of your tribe? What are your defining characteristics?
Bigger Questions What role do you and/or your ministry play in your family, your village and your tribe?
What is your unique contribution in each of those places? Are you connected strongly in each of those areas? Which area needs work? What aspect of your full community life is functioning best – big picture or up close? Does up close need to change in order to reflect the dream of big picture or vice versa?
We are about to be leaping into bright horizons and future growth stuff. Exciting, terrifying times. Eastercamp is into full swing, Parachute is next week. I’ve still got 13 kilos to lose in 9 weeks. I’ve been on diet holiday for a few weeks but all that is over now, it’s time to finish this Esther year.
Tonight driving home, all of a sudden I came across a line of road cones blocking the road. Someone’s idea of a funny joke, which was entertaining.
Tonight prior to driving home, I was at music practice. There is a sense to which I love and hate being a volunteer. I’m glad that I have a lot of life left, so that maybe one day, I will have enough hours to do all the things I feel like I want to.
It’s hard work playing for the morning team, because they all work like individuals. There’s no team, no making of music together, just a collection of parts. It’s not really music, just a sound generator.
Tash McGill is a broadcaster, writer and strategist who works with people and organisations to solve problems and create transformation. She believes people are the most important thing and that stories are powerful ways of changing the world. You can find out more at tashmcgill.com or by visiting her LinkedIn profile.
