Tim Tams, Steel and Aquaponics

Enjoying a weekend in the Sydney area. 

– NZ time in my body so I am up early.

– Troy Bronsink is streaming his “Songs to Pray By” all weekend long. Good stuff. Sounds a bit like Mumford and Sons.

– Vatican Leaks: Apparently THE BUTLER did it!

– Looking at Wild Goose Festival opening on the West Coast this summer. That would be worth attending for family and friends in the Portland area.

– My family are at a Urban Vision retreat in NZ led by Bob and Gracie Ekblad who, when I was there on Friday, shared some good reflection on sustainable ministry to the poor and then led a charasmatic-style prayer session.Interesting couple with an unusual mix of experiences – including liberation theology, Toronto blessing, faith healing, monastic living and Old Testament Bible teaching. 

– I ate my first Rum and Raisin Tim Tam. YUM! Pretty good biscuits. Not sure if NZ can match that.

– This weekend we are discussing ministry in a steel production city where the steel industry is going down the toilet and unemployment is increasing. Add to that some “severely unaffordable” housing and its a real challenge for these Baptist churches that I am speaking to this weekend. 

– Speaking of urban experiments, I was thinking about The Urban Farming Guys, a team of families that was sent out of a church in Kansas City, MO [where my wife was born] into the poorest area of their city. Their urban agricultural experiments are INSPIRING others, like my mate Tony Arcus the NZ hard-drive repair guru, to set up aquaponic systems on this side of the planet. Watch TUFG “Farmin’ in the HOOD’ and then check out their weekly updates.