This weekend my plan is to watch the Red Bull Rampage…

“What’s that?” you ask… The event is sponsored by the energy drink Red Bull. So, already you should know to be scared, be VERY scared! The event is held in the desert canyons of Utah in the USA and is essentially crazy mountain bikers hurling themselves down insane cliffs and drops-offs. Each year the event gets more and more daring. It pushes its competitors to extreme acts. Watching some of the footage on a screen is completely nuts, seeing it in person would be just about too much to bear. But where will these extreme adrenalin attempts stop?

It seems there are no limits – the desire to excel and go beyond is insatiable. The pursuit of greatness
is too alluring, too captivating, too attractive. But, it’s deadly.

It’s deadly because the event pushes competitors to take unbelievable risks. It’s also deadly because once
you taste the victory you want more and more (and more!). Its appeal is like a desert mirage – it looks so captivating, so appealing, so idealistic, but it leaves you thirsty. Barren. Dry. Parched.

This is why the way of Jesus is so incredibly extreme. As we return to John’s gospel this weekend we meet Jesus full of power – the master, the supreme one, the powerful one – the insanely gifted Lord of all. The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

But his ability doesn’t press him into popularity contests, or to try to dominate his opposition, or gloat about his unbelievable abilities. In John 13 on Sunday we find he musters all his power to serve.

What a world we would live in if our insanely gifted friends and family used their power to serve. Yet, it is an upside-down pursuit isn’t it? HOWEVER, if we can cultivate this life within the life of SCPC’s leaders today and tomorrow we have a real opportunity to show our city a pathway for life. A life that isn’t a mirage. Rather, it would be an oasis. Others using their power, gifts and abilities not to gloat about who is the GOAT, but rather seeking to serve and not be served.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:3-5

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Celebration Sunday is sooooo close!!!

Don’t let this opportunity pass to invite people who are close to you, for Celebration Sunday is such a helpful moment – it is a tearing back of the veil, making us stop and reflect on how the kingdom of God is establishing itself in our ordinary lives. Do you get what I mean? Celebration Sunday is a time we stop and reflect on the stories that fill our lives that reveal God is at work. In the ‘cut and thrust’ of life often we are so busy and distracted we can’t even picture or sense our extraordinary God at work. This Sunday we get the rare opportunity to do this reflective moment on the last 25 years. Imagine the encouragement we are set to receive!

A big thanks to Ritchie who spearheaded this anniversary. He was the one who saw the date arriving and championed the great opportunity to make something of it. I wasn’t sure we would have time to pull it off, yet here is it.

Our staff team has worked hard drawing on you all to make this weekend a success. So, let’s not miss this opportunity. As I said at SCG on Sunday – invite your neighbour, invite your physio, invite your mechanic!

This is our story of 25 years. This is His story.

8  The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9  for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10  and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

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CLICK HERE to head to the Celebration Sunday event page.

What a joy it was to spend a weekend with the Young Adults from SCPC recently at the Young Adults Weekend Away! All the ‘secret herbs and spices’ were in place – excellent Bible teaching from Jon Brown (from Charlestown Presbyterian), beautiful location at Brooms Head and finally a great, godly bunch of
young people from our church family.

This weekend away was the brainchild of our former senior pastor Pete Thompson – he knew how precious these young adults are and he wanted them resourced to be able to grow deep, healthy gospel- centred lives that bore fruit for the kingdom of God. This intensive weekend dislocated us from the many distractions that can engulf us and provides scope for God’s word to impact. Personally, I loved having time to be with our young adults without having to watch the clock to move to my next appointment. I am thankful they were willing to engage me and invite me into their movements (even if my approach to ‘social’ volleyball mirrored ‘Maverick and Goose’ from the first Top Gun movie from 1986)! They even put up with my alter ego ‘Magnus Du Plessis’ and my two recipes on how to ‘spice up’ Gospel Community life!

At Southern Cross, I’m desperate for us (like Pete before me) to invest in this crucial demography. I love the reflection of one of our Vision Coordinators who said “Southern Cross weekend ministries just about fell in a heap when our Young Adults were away!” so key are they to our kids and youth ministries over the weekend. What a precious jewel we have in our young adults! Have a listen to the speaker Jon reflect on his time with our Young Adults at Brooms Head:

“Although I only had the weekend to get to know the young adults at SCPC, I was very impressed. Putting aside their taste in country music, the word I’d use to describe them is ‘real’. Real faith in the Lord Jesus and a hunger for His word. A real sense of community and care for one another. And real potential when it comes to future leaders of the church. I left the camp encouraged that God is raising up a new generation of disciples to serve Him in Lismore City and beyond!“

Part of my role make up from 2023 is to provide oversight to our ministry of young adults. Something I am eager to continue to be creatively [1] involved with. However, in 2024 James and Amelia are considering a part-time MTS ministry apprenticeship. [2] If it goes ahead, part of their possible role could be to lead our Young Adults Leadership Group, under my supervision. What a privilege it is to be part of a church family that has mature, warm, gospel-centred young adults and also a church that has had a culture of raising of ministry apprentices from among their number. [3]

Would you join me in thanking our Father God for these beautiful young people in our lives? Why not invite a young adult from your Gospel Community around for dinner, feed them well, encourage them and let them inspire you from the book of Ruth and her journey from empty to full.

May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take
refuge. Ruth 2:12

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[1] Due to my role as chairperson of Leadership Team, Committee of Management, and staff I find I cannot perform many hands-on roles.
[2] James/Amelia and Steve T are drafting applications for MTS Australia. Applications close October 2023.
[3] Over the last 25 years around 25% of the MTS apprentices in the Presbyterian Church of NSW have come from SCPC! Please continue to pray we would continue to have a harvest (Matthew 9:35-38)!