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For the last 15 years or so Greg has been a vital cog in the leadership wheel to an innovative Salvo church expression in Brisbane called Gods Sport Arena. Greg's family originates from India and from an early age Greg developed a strong work ethic. He did not speak English when he arrived in Australia and his success story is inspiring and insightful. He has worked for many years in management roles and in retirement still loves to be alongside people in helpful and encouraging ways.
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When we join organisations we often find support and encouragement emerging in surprising ways. I was in Norway recently and saw a Salvo shield on a building and went in to say g'day. The lady who worked there was very friendly and made a really nice connection. Community life can be challenging, but the strength of a team cannot be underestimated.
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Manglende episoder?
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Narelle is a third generation Salvo and grew up in PNG with her Missionary parents. Her life story is a consistent development of what it means to serve, to be real and to be authentically engaged in community. Narelle loves adventure and doing new things and I suspect she always will.
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Leadership is a mixed bag. Often rewarding, like the time I got this great poster at my farewell from Villawood Salvos in Sydney, but also devastating like the time a rehab I was running in Adelaide got closed unexpectedly. It's important to count the cost and to get the support you need to compensate for your weaknesses, but not much happens if people are too scared to lead.
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Carmen is one of the nicest people you could meet and the lovely Sue and I have valued her friendship for many years. But being nice comes at a cost and the journey to a more authentic place for Carmen involves having a baby and becoming a Jazzercise instructor. We have an honest and important chat in this episode and it will do you good to tune in and have a listen.
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Its a fine line sometimes between being selfless and sacrificial to demonstrate our love or our commitment to a cause and being sensible stewards of our body, mind and spirit.
Rory McIlroys parents Gerry and Rosie saw Rorys potential as a golfer and took on extra jobs to support his career as they were not wealthy. Their sacrifices have paid off big time, but for most of us selflessness does not result in lifelong riches or amazing achievements. It's often the little things like getting a cup of tea for the lovely Sue when we are both comfortable on the couch, that demonstrates a life devoted to others. -
Dominique Rizzo is one of Queenslands most successful female chefs. She is dynamic and soulful and has featured on ready steady cook and runs cooking tours throughout Europe. She helped the Salvos cater for a massive Christmas lunch a few years ago and won our hearts with her generosity and kindness. Her motto is "Through the sharing of food we share life and one is never lonely or hungry" Her story is beautiful.
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I once fell asleep at the Salvos in a church service and dreamed I was dodging a football - everyone noticed. In todays reading in Acts Ch 20 another young guy dozed off during a boring sermon, fell out of a window and died. His name was Eutychus which in Greek means lucky!
The lovely Sue and I watched Adolescence recently. It was very confronting. Engaging effectively with young boys is really important and we do well to find ways to be with them without harsh judgement and simplistic solutions.
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Brenton is my nephew and we often have great chats about life. He is 32 years old and has a lot of experience and insight into the journey of faith and on this podcast episode we have a truthful conversation about his journey. Brenton has a theology degree and has been a drummer in many of the big Hillsong productions and conferences. His wrestle and eventual conclusions about faith display great thought and wisdom and we do well to be brave enough to hear what he has to say.
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Some ideas and practices are like Sacred Cows. Too much is at stake to challenge them, so we just pretend we are OK with it when really we are not; we just couldn't be bothered with the fight. The people of Ephesus were hugely invested in the Temple of Artemus (It was after all one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world) and when Paul challenged them they went berserk and rioted. The hundreds of years of tradition, economic value and entrenched religious thinking made any new thinking impossible. Lets try to stay open minded no matter how long we have been invested in our own particular point of view.
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Cath and her husband Mark have been friends with the lovely Sue and I for over 20 years. Our kids have had holidays together and we are like one big family when we get together. Cath was born - surprisingly and unexpectedly as a twin in the UK and immigrated to Australia with her family when she was just 10 years old. Cath is an educator and has just recently determined to barrack for Collingwood. She even has a scarf and beanie, so of course we are besties.
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Woody Allen is quoted as saying "80% of success is just showing up" But for many of us, we would prefer not to bother with the mundane boring aspects of living well and go straight to the good bits. Holidays, parties and getting pats on the back from our colleagues.
To pretend to be authentic often results in humiliation so we do well to find ways to celebrate and enjoy the ordinary. I came home with flowers for the lovely Sue the other day and she was so grateful, even lovy dovy, but this is because I usually come home with boring stuff, like almost everything she asked me to get from the shops. -
Marcus has been a part of my life for over 20 years. His journey from Addiction to sobriety has had plenty of bumps along the way and his most recent slip has been dreadful. The loss of his parents recently was like an anchor coming adrift in his soul and he has since suffered serious physical injury, despair and isolation. Today he is back on track and building a solid recovery - which is remarkable.
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Having significant conversations is really important. The church has often done this well with regular gatherings like bible study groups and opportunities to listen to challenging speakers. But it is not the only place this happens. Often important conversations happen in universities or cafes or even on bush walks. In todays reading in Acts 19, Paul leaves the Synagogue and goes to the lecture halll of Tyrannus, where people of all persuasions chatted about deep things.
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Sandy McLean is a wife to Andrew, a Mum, a granny, a friend to many, a Salvo officer and an avid dancer. Her friendship and influence on many lives is remarkable. Stories of Hope podcast would probably not exist without her encouragement and belief, as she was my boss during the early years. Sandy is lots of fun and genuinely wonderful; hearing her story will do you the world of good!.
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The Bible often talks about baptism. Being fully immersed into a new way of being. This practice was normal in the ancient world to symbolise decisions or commitments to a new lifestyle or to belong to a new group. Many of us take on new ideas, but if we are not wholehearted, we will soon drift away. To be wholehearted about grace and being kind to ourselves, even when we make mistakes, is the foundation to a life of, boldness, love and authenticity.
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I have known Eunice for as long as I've been with the lovely Sue, as her daughter Gill is one of Sue's best friends. Eunice is a straight shooting scot and a no nonsense sort of lady who I've always enjoyed. She is like 100 years old and used slate and chalk to learn at school. She is expert in dance, fitness, social work and was even a volleyball ref. A down to earth Salvo who cares deeply about people and will fight for what she believes is right. She is a cracker!!
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For a long time, maybe 5 days, it seemed possible that all the talk about Cyclone Alfred hitting Brisbane with force was - excuse the pun - a load of hot air. The build up was constant and the lovely Sue and I hunkered down in our home waiting for it to arrive. Nothing happened - until it did. Our suburb copped torrential rain for days and was badly flooded.
People talk about the impact Jesus has had on their lives too, and for most people who hear this, their attitude is - I'll believe it when I see it! -
Matt is a wonderful entrepreneurial Salvo leader. He is married to Jac and has 2 children. Like a lot of creative and dynamic sorts of leaders, his schooling did not accomodate well for his learning style or gifting and for many years he struggled to believe in himself and flourish. Today he is one of the shining lights in Salvo leadership and heads up a creative and effective work in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He and Jac are some of our closest friends and I loved hearing his story on the podcast.
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There are plenty of things to worry about and we can't fix everything. We need a healthy balance of concern and relinquishment of concern. What is within our control and what is not? In todays reading Paul shakes his clothes to symbolise his decision to stop trying to influence the Jews in Corinth. He had done all he could do and they were not his problem any more. Sometimes we need to do this too and just leave what is not within our circle of control.
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