Conviction to do

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Over-conferenced? It’s like trying to drink from a fire-hydrant, isn’t it! Everywhere I look there’s another one advertised: Transform, Surrender, Re-imagine, Sentralize, Renew, Forge, Focus, an endless stream of freakin’ excellent teaching!

a). After a while, I realize,I can’t go to them all! I can’t do what they’re saying because my diary is too full of hearing it being said! When all is said and done, is more said than done? Sure, I know we have to learn stuff that we don’t know and that’s humble and right, but eventually there’s a point when you start hearing the same themes repeating, when you know enough to get started, and the rest is on a need to know basis. Failing to act then cos you might miss something… may be just paranoid.

I have to choose. I have to do. What is it that I am going to do – at the expense of other options/conferences (good and right as they may be)? I choose to embrace the consequences of doubts like, what if I’m wrong, what if there’s something better later! Let those chips fall where they may! What am I convinced of the truth about, enough that I will do it – regardless of the “successfulness” of it, but rather I do it because it’s right/true/good? What does God require of me? Not you, others, them. Me. Us. You?

That’s why we developed Cheers, and why we continue to love these people, regardless of plateau or troughs.

Apologies to all those conferences out there that I can’t attend – many of you are my mates. But it’s not just the distance from Perth that’s the problem. I hope you understand.

b). So where does that leave me as a presenter at such conferences?

1. I’ll continue to speak and share my practical theology, to help others learn until they can DO their calling too. If people can’t attend cos they’re too busy DOING their convictions, then I’m happy!

2. Give me more meetings like last Monday, when I was asked to represent Christianity at an “alternative spiritualities” meeting: real live, actual faith-sharing times (not just talking about how to do it – though I’ll do that too.) If you have an outreach setting in mind and are afraid of it, throw me the ball. I like the Question and Answer format. It happens a few times every year, it energizes me, and seems to help the questioners, too, from what they say.

“That was a totally awesome evening Geoff. You so clearly presented the reality of the historical Jesus that I could almost feel the scene playing out in that room. I was totally amazed by the questions people were asking and thinking through. I felt like God had pulled these people aside for a moment in time and all heaven held their breathe as you so clearly presented the reality of our Savior and Lord Jesus. They will never be able to say they never heard. I loved the matter of a fact presenting of the historical Jesus which disarmed any thought of Christianity being an emotive plea to a faith without substance… Thanks again for your dedicate , loving attitude towards the lost and clear motivative presentation.”

Put me on the coalface. That’s where I really want to be.

Spiritual Guidance

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At Glen Echo 2012, a camper asks, “how do you know if you have God’s Spirit in you.” I start replying, then Emma Kelly shows up at the tent door, dropping in on camp for the morning. We pause to welcome her…

…then as I resume answering the question, something from Emma’s ordeal comes to mind, which she confirms:

Hurt, part-blinded, and lost in Argentinian bushland, Emma had been trying to make her way down to safety, following streams downhill… a good, Bear-Grylls-ish idea!
But as prayer for her safety increased, Emma received a counter-intuitive, but pressing inspiration to “head up.” Obeying this inner prompting, she soon came to a track where she was found by a hiker and spotted by choppers, and brought to safety.

Bear Gryll’s (in his book, Mud and Guts) says, “always listen to the Voice.” He too knows what God’s guidance is.

And in this bit of film you are watching me being guided, too!

Emma Kelly OK

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My phone is ringing off the hook with journalists! I can’t get any work done, so I’m writing here what I would say individually to journo’s, and then I’ll just direct them here for my comment.

With all the journo’s calling, I called Emma’s family to ask what to say, and they simply wish to not be distracted while they focus on Emma so far away at this time. They ask,

“in Emma’s best interest, please tell [media] to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”

I am an Outreach Specialist with OAC Ministries WA, and one of the many things I do is weddings. As such I am the celebrant for Emma’s twin brother’s wedding coming up in February, and I know him through his fiance, Mel. Hence I really know the bride more than the Kellys.

I did work with Mel and Emma on a Christian youth camp earlier this year, so I can say that Emma is a bright, energetic, sensitive, thoughtful young person, in her early 20′s, and a faithful attender at her church.

On Wednesday morning (Perth time) I received a prayer request from Mel: Emma had gone missing in Argentina, walking on a mountain trail. She failed to get to her checkpoints.  At that point she had been missing for over 20 hours.

A local church in Argentina was helping police and helicopter rescue efforts. We spread the word amongst other prayer-networks. My prayer-list is about 100 strong, and 21 replied to say they were praying. This was just one of many prayer networks. Word spread by facebook, text, emails… The size and scale of what must be thousands of praying people, is testament to the way Emma is loved, and the quality of people in her support networks. Pray, worry, pray, worry, pray…

Late Thursday night (Perth time) we received word that Emma was found. Scratched, bruised, but walking and safe, and was being transported to the nearest hospital.

One prayer-partner who lives in South America said he would pray in his “own feeble way.” When she was found, he noted that he “was amazed that the girl who went missing in Argentina, had been found.” God does amazing, even when we’re feeble. Just another adventure in Prayer-town.

Remember, Emma’s family do ask, “in Emmas best interest, please tell media to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”

And now, I have other work to do, too.

Urgent prayer for safety

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Update: Emma has been found – about 12 hours ago. She’s OK. Scratches, bruises, etc. but expecting to be discharged from hospital today sometime. The Kellys have spoken to her on the phone.

Hallelujah!

————–

Emma Kelly (the twin sister of the groom I am celebrant for this Feb) has gone missing in Argentina.

She was walking on a trail in the mountains and didn’t get to the other side to be picked up by a friend. She as been missing for 26 hours now. She didn’t check into any checkpoints on the trail.

She started with food and water. SES helicopters, police, and a local church have been looking for 20 hours now (11am WST, 28 Dec 2011).

Please pray for her safe return.

Cheers,
Geoff

Geoff Westlake
0411 324 245

 

2012 End of the World?

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2012 the end of the world?

Some people live in fear of that question, some plain ignore it. Neither work for me. I admit to mixed emotions when I think about 2012.

1) Bemused: The Mayans simply ran out of room on their calendar stone! Hollywood is great  at making block-buster, global events over stories based on the flimsiest of pretexts (Hello, Dan Brown.) If you’ve lived more than a decade, you’ve seen lots of these end-of-the-world predictions come and go. We know it’s just another fear-driven marketing tool!
2) Serious: I do take seriously that one day there will be an end to time-as-we-know-it. And it may even be within our life-time, because of the exponential way global limits are coming to a head, like over-population, economics, energy supply, environmental limits, and gospel communications. But not in 2012.
3) Steadfast, excited, scared, trusting: Things are coming to a head, but haven’t yet. I can’t tell the future, but I can tell you the end of the world won’t be in 2012, because Jesus says no-one knows the time of the end-of-the-world: it will take us all by surprise, like a thief in the night.

We know Who holds the future

So in 2013 I’ll be saying, “I told you so, no-one knows”… And then maybe, Bam! the end might come.

Whenever it comes, I’ll face it like I face death: with a mixture of grief, sadness, loss, fear-of-the-unknown, yes, but also excitement-about-the-Known, faith, love, relief, maybe even a sense of adventure. And I can only say those positive things because:
1. I’m convinced of the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection, and
2. the living dynamic of the Holy Spirit within me as the first deposit of that spiritual Life to come.

So then, you must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him. (Matthew 24 & 25)

Live as if He is already here – because He is!
Then the last day will have continuity with the New Day.

Easy on the differences

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I had to describe myself for a group that prides itself on open-mindedness, and which wanted to hear from a representative of mainstream Christianity… A strange thing emerged as I did:

Geoff Westlake works for OAC Ministries, a non-denominational outreach organisation educating people about the basics of Christianity. He’s a Baptist reverend, married to an Anglican-Uniting girl, sends his kids to Catholic schools, yet doesn’t regularly attend a normal church. Instead he voluntarily runs Cheers Neighbors’ Network in Banksia Grove under the auspices of Scripture Union WA. He is in good standing with the Nyoongar-Whadjuk people, and assists Together for Humanity when they are in town.

Having important differences doesn’t mean we can’t work together!

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