by tashmcgill | Aug 19, 2005 | Uncategorized

Song Of The Moment : Overkill
Colin Hay

I can’t get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away

Youth Team Mini-Golf
Compulsory fun teambuilding afternoon. We went for lunch, and played minigolf.

by tashmcgill | Aug 18, 2005 | Uncategorized

Election Time
So it’s election time at the moment, and I was reflecting in coversation with a friend the other day, how politics used to so crank my handle. I’m a real Isaiah 58 kinda girl.. justice, restoration and all that. I used to spend hours talking on the phone to my friends at night about social policy, health policy, education. I was about 14 or so, and boys weren’t really on the radar, it was just about politics. When I was about 7.. must have been just before Mum & Dad divorced, I wrote a letter to David Lange, the then Prime Minister, about how concerned I was for my future education if the teachers from my primary school continued to strike because of insufficient funding and low pay. He wrote back, which I always thought was cool.

Right now, two terms into a Labour-led coalition Government, I still am not convinced that MMP has produced a more effective means of governing a country. I’m constantly amazed by the number of people who still vote based on personality and popular opinion and were caught by surprise with the push through on the Prostitution Reform Bill and the Civil Unions Bill.

I shouldn’t be amazed. We live in a ridiculously media-controlled state. I mean, we de-regulated radio in the 60’s and 70’s, only to now live in a country where every major radio network takes it’s news feed from the one company. Where is independant media in this country? Those who read the NZ Herald as if it’s not ridiculously biased, are woefully unaware. At least the Sunday Star-Times offers a glimpse of independant editorial. It encourages me when opinion pieces in the same publication differ, after all, it suggests an editorial subjectiveness that the population ought to be pursuing and seeking out. Is it the same with our broadcast media? Well.. hard to say. I don’t pay enough attention to TV journalism, and I never worked in 100% talk format radio. But casual observation suggests the same, with the exception of student radio, that prides itself on the alternative streak, and doesn’t necessarily hold that much sway with popular opinion.. after all.. we listen to student radio to be entertained, not to have our minds expanded. Someone told me that once and I’m not sure if I disagree.

This time last year I was building up to going to the States, and I was there for the build-up to their election. US media is equally corrupt in terms of where they sit on a political spectrum, but at least that’s broadly known. Each network has a political alliance, quite often related to the family money trail, but after all, politics is a rich man’s game in the Senate. But, like I said, at least you know who’s sitting where and who’s influencing who, and pushing what bandwagon.

It feels like NZ’ers are so laidback that they genuinely don’t care if they’re being taken for a ride, and so consequently.. we wait with baited breath for National’s center-right tax cuts to be announced, to be usurped by Labour’s center-left tax cuts and all of a sudden, I’ve forgotten who the socialists and who the capitalists are. When an election campaign turns from self-promotion of well-grounded, thought out policies to electioneering on behalf of your preferred coalition partner.. ergh.

Why don’t we think? Why are so many people so nonchalant in regards to the future economic, social and long-term welfare of the nation? And Christians seem to be the worst .. after all. Our independant but blatantly pigeonholed as Christian thinktank and policy lobbyists are doing exactly the same thing as the political parties are… the message is clear “Don’t think that, think this”. Why not just teach people to think? So Christians rise stumbling to their feet in regards to moral or conscience issues.. but an election which will always be based around tax-cuts, health and education spending barely gets a rise out your average Joe Bloggs church-goer.

Church and State are independant after all, but are irrevocably intertwined, and there ought to be a responsibility to follow through with the weight of what democracy means. Maxim have put together an independant website called NZVotes. It’s worth a look, because it does have a broad spectrum view of the policies of each party, as well as snippets from each candidate on how they are likely to vote on conscience issues. So well done, Maxim, in that regard at least.

Anyway.. all that came from this link.. to a moderate little snippet from today’s paper. This opinion piece from the NZ Herald makes some good commentary on the plight of singles and childless couples who have worked hard to pay off student loans, in the face of all the current politicking around tax and student loans.

Ahh. Yay for voting time.

Unplug, Damn It.
Marko’s blog has become one of my favourite reads, I appreciate his insights, commentary and humour. His camping trips complete with big screen Xbox sound like a fabulous time. However, currently there is some blog-dust flying over what I thought was pretty harmless. It’s just reminded me that sometimes people can take all this stuff way too seriously, and it all seems to become a bit personal. So.. I’m going to unplug at some point today and just take a big deep breath.

by tashmcgill | Aug 18, 2005 | Uncategorized

Second Baptism
Up and down the country now, there are people laughing at my unfortunate mishap. And fair enough too, but only on the provision of sympathy for the head cold that is now pounding a beat on the inside of my temples. Nasal congestion is never fun. So tonight I will be sending myself to bed with a whiskey-cure. Flowers, sympathetic cards and company will be gratefully accepted.

Pool Safety Tips
These came by anonymous email yesterday; and I certainly appreciate the comedy.

1. Walk, don’t run. Running produces momentum that will send you further into the pool, ensuring it takes that much longer to get out, shivering and blue.

2. Remember to wear the appropriate clothing. Garments should be water-absorbant, heavy and difficult to remove. This ensures the most bone-chilling hypothermia.

3. Where possible, remain under competent supervision. This ensures that everybody will benefit from your tomfoolery; and your humiliation will spread rapidly.

Onto Other Things
I’m going to be heinously behind the times here, linking to this post by Dan Kimball. My brief time of observing and listening to Dan, left me with a warm and pleasant sensation in my belly. Here’s a man who’s growing, changing, shaping, listening and responding to God and the community around him. I was absolutely impressed by his humility, warmth, shyness and good nature. After all, sitting down with a group of Kiwi church tourists, isn’t always the kind of thing an introverted thinker likes to put on the calendar. Since returning home, I’ve enjoyed the reflections and reading of the books, (both of them).

Anyway.. a perusal is well worth the ten minutes you’ll spend there. I’m looking forward to returning to Vintage Faith sometime next year. Also.. I love the name of their Creative ThinkTank… the Palette team. Lots of yumminess in there.

Upcoming
Farewells to Sarah-Anne and the Radfords
Dracula : the Ballet on Saturday night
National Youth Consultation in Papamoa Aug 23-26
Speaking at Manukau Central Baptist youth camp in Hunua Aug 26-29
Worship at Te Atatu Union Aug 29
Jeremy Selfe’s 21st & Heather’s 40th Sep 3
Old Skool camp (music & hanging out) Sep 9-11
youth band camp = undecided
Carmel’s 21st = Oct 8th (?)
Foo Fighters = Nove 26th (for my birthday, somebody, please?)

On Scheduling Priority One
Some family time
Girls Weekend Away with Frances
Music Weekend.. songwriting must be given space

by tashmcgill | Aug 16, 2005 | Uncategorized

Creative Bylines

by post yesterday: Out of Bounds Church? by Steve Taylor
I’m looking forward to reading it, but seeing as I had bought my copy from Steve direct, and had made a passing comment about him signing it, I opened the first few pages to see if he had scrawled something inside it. It wasn’t a test, it was just curiosity. Last year in the States, we were with Vintage Faith visiting with Dan Kimball, and he gave us all a copy of Emerging Worship, the 2nd Kimball book. Anyways.. Nige thought it would be a great joke to get Dan to sign Heather’s copy. Afterwards she was so embarrassed that we made her out to be an Emerging Groupie. Heh heh.

by post today: NZ Youth : Portraits

I need a new word for creativity.

Creativity is such a complex word. It’s not big enough for the scope of influence it has, and it has a lot of baggage as well.

On Sunday we had a “creative service”. I actually can’t think of a more inappropriate way of describing it, other than maybe “alternative worship service” as it was pegged in the bulletin. Our basic service outline was like this..

intro, welcome, notices
explanation of the night
stories from al, heather and brian
worship set (songs)
– invitation to enter the South Lounge
Nooma DVD on noise
– invitation to enter the South Lounge
discussion on silence in auditorium

Installations
In the South Lounge, there were 2 installations as well as a journalling space, prayer space and communion just outside.

There were 2 labyrinths, that arrived at the same centerpoint, and journeyed back out. One was called ‘noise’ and the other ‘truth’. It was an adapted labyrinth, deisgned to be well-structured so as to provide security for those experimenting. But even that as a concept is difficult. It wasn’t alternative worship they were experimenting with, that would only perpetuate the myth that worship is about entertainment. It was experimental connecting that was going on.

The idea initially was that one space was quiet, and one was noisier for those uncomfortable with silence, but the proximity of the venues meant that mostly all you heard in the quiet space, was the overflow of noise from the loud space.. a discussion on why it is hard to be silent.

It was a good service. But I don’t like the word creativity, because it feels bland, over-used and non-specific, and non-generalist enough to satisfy a description of what I am trying to create or aim towards in our evening community liturgy.

Afterwards
We gathered for pizza, which is becoming a loose kind of ritual, and one that I enjoy. It’s usually Luke & Katie, Jeremy and myself, with others occasionally in the mix. On Sunday Ben, one of the part-timers at Windsor and a fellow Carey-ite was there. The discussion became relatively impassioned and infuriating.. talking about the value and acknowledgement of contribution to community.

The comparisons and contrasts between those of us who see our ministry as being intentional with our relationships, and those of us who serve in more formal ways, and the seeming gaping chasm between the validity of both.

Personally I view that intentionality in relationships is a Biblical given for every follower on the path, and that contributing to any community we belong to is also a fairly evident biblical principle. But how do you do that in the real world, where service is about gifts and talents, rather than doing what needs to be done? Where there is so much esteem and pressure surrounding the measurement of our service and contribution to the community we live in.

I strongly disagreed with a number of points or comments being made, and yet my compassion was stretched because of the deeply personal impact of the examples used.

A lot of conversation felt like self-perpetuating mythology. The story of the monkeys in a cage, with a bunch of bananas at the top of the stairs. Every time a monkey went to grab the bananas, they were beaten with sticks until it became intuitively programmed that they weren’t to climb the stairs regardless. They began to replace the monkeys one by one, and each time the new monkey was held back from the bananas by the original monkeys, until there were only new monkeys left in the cage. Still, they would not climb the stairs. The belief was firmly in place.

One of the other very evident pieces of information from the night was again, that leadership is not a role or a position you can simply attain, but a deeper outworking of personality, talent, charisma and skill.

Leadership Ideas
These are ideas on transformational leadership that I’ve picked up off Todd Hunter. He bylines it.. Transformational Leadership : Creating Places of Realized Potential. He’s influenced by Max Depree.

Leadership is an art to be learned over time, not simply by reading books. Leadership is more a weaving of relationships than an amassing of information…and thus hard to pin down in every detail.~Max DePree

Leadership has to do with our Philosophy and our Worldview. DePree challenges us to thinking within these lines:

Open universe
Reality
Concept of persons and the sacred nature of relationships
A scriptural basis
The glory of work
Leadership is a stewardship
Moral purpose of organizations

What are places of realized potential?
The art of leadership is liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible. Thus the leader is the “servant” of his followers in that he removes the obstacles that prevent them from doing their job. In short, the true leader enables his or her followers to realize their full potential.
The driving force in our organizations ought not to be goal achievement or asset management or quantifiable growth, important as these are. Rather, our society badly needs organizations and people that move relentlessly toward reaching their potential.

Places of realized potential:

Are inclusive
Are open to change, contrary opinion, the mystery of potential, involvement, unsettling ideas and risk-taking
Offer people opportunity to grow
Offer the gift of challenging work
Shed obsolete baggage
Help people decide what needs to be measured
Heal people with trust, caring and “forgetfulness”
Leaders who create places of realized potential listen well and “see” what is really going on (pain, heartbreak, achievement)
Leaders of places of realized potential specialize in trust

Acoustic Lounge
Last night we did jukebox worship at REAL, an intermittent young adult gathering. We set up in a semi-circle with acoustic guitars, keys, bluesy electric, djembe drums, bass and vox. We opened with one, and then the gathering called out the numbers of the songs they wanted as we went along. It was a cool, relaxed, worn-in kinda groove. Harmonies were subtle but warm, vox were at times soft, and at other times rustling. It was cool. If only we could do tha

t 3 times a week somewhere.

New Addition
The Covers Project is going on the sidebar, because that’s a wicked idea.

by tashmcgill | Aug 16, 2005 | Uncategorized

My House © Danielle

The Story
You’re viewing a little picture of my house right there. You’ll notice that there isn’t a huge about of room between the house and the pool.. about 2 feet in the narrowest point. But I’ve been living here for nearly two years without a problem.
I’ve walked up that path in the pitchblack night, texting, reading mail, carrying bags and boxes that have obstructed my view.

However, on Saturday night, with no reason or obstruction to cause my downfall, I simply walked straight into the pool, fully clothed, handbag over one shoulder.

Seeing as I’ve already mentioned the story a couple of times, and word is spreading fast, I thought I would tell the tale here, so that at least while you’re laughing at my expense, I can enjoy the view.

It really is very very funny.

by tashmcgill | Aug 12, 2005 | Uncategorized

Dust On My Hands

Oh I need Your breath of Life
to give this dust a spark
oh I need Your breath to set alight this heart
please spark to life, in me
Oh Holy King, breathe in me

Hide me in the desert place til I know Your grace
and hold me in the fire Lord, til I learn Your Love,
Keep me in the river til I wash pure and clean
Oh Gracious one, redeem & restore me

I’ve been creating and making today. I’ve made lovely square boxes with round edges, for Jeremy. I’ve been making pink things for Women@Windsor. And I’ve been belt-sanding some rough sawn timber for our communion cross on sunday. I have dust on my hands, and my arms are shaky from the powertools. But it feels good to be making.