Dancing a PhD

     About 3 years ago, Rob Jacobs posted an interesting video clip on his blog Education Innovation showing how a scientist uses a dancing team to present his PhD. Apparently, scientists are more and more using the dance medium to express complex ideas in their presentations and to make them more memorable. I, with Rob, wonder how we could use the dance medium to make our messages and presentations in our church gatherings more interesting. Take time to watch it and enjoy!

I remember

I Remember

In a ground
that offered little
to console the eye
a wattle tree
erupted into life:
great lave spills
of sulphur-coloured flowers
washed down its slopes
on every side.

With daring,
deafening sound
it broke its winter
mood of gloom
and gave us all
that early spring
a feast of wattle bloom.

Bruce Smith


I remember when the poet who wrote this poem, Bruce Smith, lectured me at Bible College on systematic theology in 1996. He taught me a lot about creation, the trinity, the life, death and ministry of Jesus Christ. He had an acute theological mind.
I remember Bruce as a sort of 'cultural ambassador', taking groups of students to concerts at the Sydney Opera House. He also hosted film nights at his home in Newtown.
I remember Bruce as a spiritual father, at a time when I was suffering a bout of depression and needed one, just as Paul was to the Corinthians 1 Cor 4:15.

Bruce with his students hosting a film night

Fire gutters my old school

     

    Imagine my shock and horror when I first read in the local newspaper that a High School I used to teach at some 13 years ago had been gutted by fire. It brought back memories of my teaching days there at St Clair High. Because the fire happened during the school holidays and at night, no-one was hurt fortunately.
    It brought to mind the transience of things in this world and the Bible verse in 2 Peter 3 which says that  the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire.

In Memoriam Joy Parry

         I use to play for a mixed voice choir known as the Sunrise Choir. When I first started playing for the choir, it was directed by a wonderful Christian conductor: Joy Parry. Joy was originally from New Zealand and had formed a great relationship with the Maori community over there. In fact, she became an honorary Maori and became a personal friend to the Maori Queen. When she moved to Sydney in the eighties, she became involved with the Shell Folkloric Festival at the Opera House.
         Joy was born with only one hand, but that didn't stop her conducting the choir, or playing the organ in church, or serving in the Dutch community. She could have easily been an honorary Dutchy for all the work she has done for the Sunrise Choir and the Rembrandt Club.

         It took about 12 months from the time she was diagnosed with cancer till she passed away, the day after Boxing Day 2002. Joy battled with this disease for 12 months in a way that only demands admiration. Her husband Dennis had been in a nursing home for about 3 years and Joy was having chemotherapy through the year and in November 2002 she found out that it was all to no avail. Then in the same month her husband died. When Sunrise sang at Dennis' funeral she insisted that she wanted to conduct her choir. What courage and determination! But that has been the story of Joy all along.
         Her signature song was a Maori song  Tama Ngakau Marie . Take time to listen to it.