Out of the Valley

This Friday and Saturday I will be speaking at the Out of the Valley Conference in Adelaide. It should be a great time! If you are in South Australia here are the details. OOTV

From Christianity to Atheism and Back Again

I read a lot of history and thus have gained a good eye for a great historical writer. One such writer is A.N Wilson, I have greatly enjoyed his history but hated his forays into Christianity in particular his scathing biographies of Jesus and Paul, which both illustrated A.N Wilson’s atheistic bias. Wilson has been one of Atheism’s most ablest apologists, and has had a huge influence in terms of advocating against Christianity.

So you can imagine my shock when I read that Wilson had not only renounced his atheism but had returned to the Christian faith of his youth. I have linked below two articles about Wilson’s return to faith, the second one is shorter, but the first one is well worth the time as Wilson’s explains in his own language why he chose faith again, and how his doubting nature lead him to question atheism and to return to faith.

New Statesman Article: Why I believe again

Chuck Colson on Wilson’s return to faith

“Hey Chk Chk Boom girl. Are you talking to me?”

Most of you will have caught up with the tale of Clare Werbeloff aka The Chk Chk Boom girl, who appeared on a news camera claiming to have witnessed a shooting in Sydney. The problem (at least in most peoples minds) was that Claire did not see anything. Rather Claire, who has been described by those who know her as someone desperate for fame, simply decided to lie in order to get her mug on TV. Claire has stated while she is sorry for taking attention away from the victim of the shooting, she was only having fun and that she is ‘definetly not camera shy’. For all the details click here

In his book Celebrity, Chris Rojek notes that there are a number of forms of celebrity. There is the type of celebrity that you can simply be born with such as royalty, or being the child of celebrities eg Suri Cruise. Another type of celebrity is the fame that comes from achievements such as winning a gold medal, or being known because of your acting ability. A third kind of celebrity was possible that was notoriety, that was being known by a large amount of people for doing something wrong or criminal. Most people who became notorious did not desire to become known, but normally had fame thrust upon them by being caught out in a very public way.

In the past the cultural concept of shame ensured that most people did everything they could to avoid becoming famous due to notoriety. However today in the age of the horizontal self, in which fame is equated with a kind of social nirvana, people such as Claire will do anything in order to become famous. Even if it means becoming a public pariah. Whilst thousands have joined online groups on Facebook denouncing Claire, sadly the machinery of the fame industry has already swung into operation. She has already appeared in major TV interviews, has a P.R. agent, has been offered modelling work and the obligatory bikini photo shoot by a men’s mag. Despite how much we may dislike Claire methods, she has achieved her goal, she has become famous.

Martin Scorsese explored the concept of fame by notoriety in his classic 1976 film Taxi Driver. The film is the study of Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro) a Vietnam Vet and disturbed loner who seems to be unravelling mentally and socially as the movie progresses. Throughout the movie Travis seems to be heading to a horribly violent end.The movie reaches a crescendo of violence as Travis now having descended into madness, commits a horribly bloody vigilante style killing.

Yet this is where the twist comes in,  due to the media coverage of his seemingly heroic actions Travis is now a kind of celebrity. This violent sociopath, has been moved by the culture of fame back into the mainstream. In the final scene of the movie, Travis gets the girl Betsy, an intelligent, attractive political strategist (played by Cybil Shepard), who up to this point did not want a bar of the socially awkward and marginalized loner. The final moments of the film show Travis driving off into the night with Betsy the back of his taxi. Yet just seconds before the film ends, Travis catches a glimpse of his own reflection in the rear view mirror and he recalls away in horror. He has achieved fame and celebrity, yet he cannot face the reality of his still present inner demons. Travis has become a media star, but he is a million miles away from redemption.

And so this is how it is in our superflat world. Our culture chooses to focus on Claire Weberloff”s obvious physical beauty, yet ignores her total lack of morality, her shallowness of character and the staggering ugliness of her actions.

Is it Easier to Plant Churches in the USA compared to Western Europe and Australiasia?

Whilst I was in the US recently I had a number of conversations with Europeans and Australians about the differences between doing mission in the US and in other Western countries. As most of you will know, the US has a high church attendance when compared to other similar Western developed countries. To sum it up in the bluntest of terms, everyone who I spoke to all agreed that it is a lot harder to plant churches and to do mission in Western Europe and Australasia than it is to in the United States.

I have been thinking about this a lot. One of the conclusions that I have come to is that Americans tend to be a lot more excited and passionate as a people when compared to other Westerners. Just look at how Americans do politics, look at the rallies, the crowds, the passion, the excitement. Even those in the United States who resist the Church and/or Christianity do so with a fervour and zeal that seems religious. This is not to say there are large segments of the US population who display a cultural sense of boredom, but in comparison Western Europeans and Australasians seem far more cynical and or apathetic about politics and public discourse.

Perhaps part of this phenomenon comes from the fact that the United States was created as a kind of Utopia. The pilgrims fleeing religious persecution, wanted to start over again, and create a kind of kingdom of God on earth. The founding fathers wanted to create a kind of Utopian, egalitarian state which would mirror the values of the enlightenment. These influences create in the cultural DNA of the United States a kind of inherent enthusiasm and ‘can do attitude’.

In contrast those doing mission in the non – US West face a massive challenge, namely apathy and indifference. People simply don’t seem to care. It is not that they are simply bored by religion, but bored by politics, and public life. Strangely the only place you will seem to see people from Western Europe and Australasia get really passionate publicly about is sport. In comparison to the US, Western Europe and Australasia seems marked by a kind of cultural ennui.

This raises a really important missional question then for those doing mission to the non – US West. What does the good news mean for the bored, the indifferent, the cynical and the weary?

Secular..Schmecular! Life and Faith in the Post-Covenantal Culture

More and more I am coming to agree with the idea that we are not living a secular culture in which the majority of people are without belief or faith. Rather I am increasingly using the term Post- Coventantal to describe our culture. I believe our culture is not turning its back on religion or spiritual beliefs, rather it favours a contractual approach to life, in which the individuals rights are paramount in contrast to a covenantal framework in which community and commitment are valued over the individuals rights. In the Trouble With Paris I write,

“The cell phone contract worldview tells us, “Don’t get stuck in a relationship. Even though the person you are with is attractive, someone better could be just around the corner. Somewhere there are better friends, better sex, a better experience, and a better product, so don’t get tied down. Relationships and commitment limit your options.” As sociologist Zygmunt Bauman shows us, our hyperconsumer culture constantly tells us, “Don’t let yourself be caught. Avoid embraces that are too tight. Remember, the deeper and denser your attachments, commitments, engagements, the greater your risk.”

 We run from those promises and covenants that humans have made to each other for thousands of years because they frighten us to death. Many today fear such commitment-based social institutions because self now takes precedence over commitment. As the worldview of hyperconsumerism has taken hold of our imaginations, everything has become shopping. We must not become entangled in commitments, because they could limit our options on finding something better.”

 The Post-Contractual age is not just a challenge for the Church, just ask any marketer trying to sell health insurance, anyone trying to run a volunteer organisation, or anyone working in any field in which people are asked to show commitment and loyalty. Interestingly if you think about it, most of the current controversies about sexuality in the Church are more about the shift from a covenantal framework to a contractual one.

Thus it is not that we as the church face a crisis of belief, rather the church faces a crisis of commitment. This raises many questions about how we do mission but also perhaps more importantly how we do discipleship. Personally I believe that as our culture shifts more and more towards a contractual framework, the more that the covenantal soaked reality of biblical faith will be a key in the Church’s future mission in the first world.

I Heart Me & Swine Flu

Well I have now been back in Oz for ten days which means I have served my “Swine Flu” observation period. No longer must I declare a runny nose or cough to the Australian government after I signed the new virus declaration forms after returning from the States. I decided to celebrate by hanging around girls accessory stores looking for semi-ironic references to the possible title of my forthcoming book with a strange smug look on my face.

Mp3 of Last nights discussion on Youth & Church on the ABC

Had a fun time last night discussing the whole idea of Youth culture and the church on ABC radio. If you missed it you can download the Mp3 here

‘Generation Sex’ as norms shift

More evidence of how the ethical framework of hyper-consumerism now shapes every facet of modern Western life especially teen sexuality. read full article here

This Sunday on Radio National

For those in Australia this Sunday night I will be part of a panel discussion on the topic of youth culture and the church on the Sunday Nights Program on ABC Radio National at 10pm (aest) For those of you who want to listen via the net go to here. If you want to get the podcast go here.

The Winner is In!

Thanks for all of your help and feedback regarding the search for a new title for my book. I thought that I might get about 15 people voting, but was staggered as well over a hundred of you submitted your feedback.

As per the feedback “I Heart Me” was the winner but from the comments there seemed to be a consensus that the subtitle need a bit of tweaking. I have sent your feedback to the publishers who have already told me that they have found it super helpful. Will be interesting to see what title and subtitles evolves and what we end up with.

Will keep you all in the loop as things progress!

Help me find a title for my new book

My new book is scheduled to be coming out in early feb 2010. At the moment the publishers and myself are trying to figure out a title and subtitle. So I am playing around with some options. If you would like to help please read the following options and vote for your favourite.

Things to consider. Which title appeals to you the most and which title & subtitle would pique your interest if you were browsing in a bookstore? Also for those of you who have heard me teach on the horizontal self, which title captures the essence of the message? I will leave comments on for this one so feel free to leave additional thoughts. Thanks! (Yes there is a typo on answer three it is meant to read how biblical faith can help us)

Reflections on the Church in the USA: Video Blog

Communicate!

One of the keys of leadership is communication. I tend to speak a lot, yet I am always looking for tips to improve my communication skills and public speaking. No one is born a great communicator, rather public speaking is borne of practice, practice and more practice. The other day I picked up Timothy Koegels book the Exceptional Presenter, which is a great overall guide to improving your presentation skills. Well worth the investment.

Cosmo magazine

 

 

In this june’s Cosmopolitan Mag Australian Edition. I am interviewed in an article entitled
“Can a disney girl live happily ever after?” Check it out.

My American Self Promotion Condundrum

Well I have almost come to the end of my trip here in the United States, I have had a fantastic time, God has done some great things, and I have met some wonderful people. However this trip has raised a slight conundrum or moral question for me.

Obvious to both you is that fact that I blog. I try to use the gifts that I have been given to help others learn about the things that I am being taught, so for me this blog is about me teaching and informing you the reader about issue of culture and faith.

But on this trip I have not had a whole lot of time to do writing. What I have been doing is meeting lots of great people, many of them authors, many of them well known authors. So as someone who had a blog the obvious thing seemed to blog about these meetings, maybe put up a picture of me with some of the great new people who I have met who just happened to be well known. To put in my status update “Mark is hanging in some cool locale in California with well known author __________________” To name drop in order to elevate my social staus.  Why would I do this? Because it is what everyone does today in our self promoting society, it has become the norm.

So I was just about to belt out a blog post last night which would include an impressive list of the well known leaders and authors that I have been hanging out with and a little voice in my head said to me “why?”. “Why do you need to tell the world who you have been hanging out with?” “What can your readers benefit from such an announcement?” All that I would be doing is upping my social status by showing off and broadcasting to the world. Who God has lead me to meet with is between God, me and those people.

I am constantly reminded how vigilant that I, someone who regularly talks and teaches about this stuff  must be.  Because all of us are constantly tempted to slip into the self promotional mode of the 21st century which seems a million miles away from Jesus’ example of humility.

Beneath the Surface of “Sexy”. The Cautionary Tale of Brigitte Bardot

For those of you in Australia there is a documentary worth catching tonight on SBS about the French Film Star Brigitte Bardot. My wife loves old film stars and is a fan of Bardot, so for years we had a picture of her in our kitchen. However it was not until I was doing some research for my second book that I discovered what a fascinatingly symbolic character Bardot was. Her life is somewhat of a cautionary tale that our culture needs to hear. Many of you who will have heard me teach on the concept of Public selves and Pop Sexuality will have heard me refer to Bardot as the woman who shaped the contemporary disposable identity of “sexy’ that influences so many young women and men today.

Sexiness carries strong connotations of power. For many men sexiness accompanies their cultural power, but increasingly for women sexiness has become a culturally acceptable means of exercising social power. This power can be exercised to gain power over men but it can also be exercised by women against other women. Brigitte Bardot pioneered the media mask of sexiness that we see everywhere today. Bardot was a new kind of woman, in contrast to the classical female beauties of her time with their tightly curled and coiffured hair styles, her long, lush and almost messy hair was described as bedroom hair, one commentator at the time writing that her hair made her look like she had just gotten out of bed after making love.

Whilst older film stars such as Jayne Mansfield, Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth, were obviously groomed by their movie houses to appeal to male audiences with a carefully rehearsed performance, Bardot seemed to be sexy because she wanted to be. On screen her public face of sexy seemed to be a message to the world rather than just a ploy to men, it was a challenge to women, just as much as it was an appeal to men as movie historian Sean French writes in his biography of Bardot,

“She embodied – all too visibly – a youthful sexual arrogance, an arrogance that was all the more shocking for being justified. If anything, her affronting self-assertion was addressed more to women than to men: I can have any man I want, she seemed to say, and any other qualities, all your qualities – intelligence, charm, humour, ties of affection or duty – are useless”

 Bardot became symbolic of a new kind of female public self, her whole life seemed to be defined by her sexiness, it was a new way of life. She was often photographed at the exclusive French seaside of St Tropez in a shocking new swimming costume known as the bikini. She became also symbolic of the sixties sexual revolution, open about her appetite for sun, sex and pleasure. When she first appeared Bardot caused a sensation with her public self of sexiness, however the public self she pioneered is now ubiquitous amongst young and not so young women. A public self which used sexiness as power, a way of gaining social status and meaning in the age of the horizontal self.

Many young women grew up with the advent of the post-feminist phenomenon of girl power as exemplified by groups such as the Spice Girls. Instead of being passive sexual objects, girls were encouraged to use their sexuality and femininity to their advantage. Just listen to the popular music today that is marketed towards young women, song after song reaffirms the message that young women’s sexuality is a pathway to their social success. The female who has a mastered the social sexy self carries tremendous social power in our culture today. Sociologists have termed this phenomenon Performative Sexuality, noting that often this very public display of sexual power is often completely disconnected from one’s personal sex life. What is important is not what is going on in someone’s real life but the show they are putting on for the audience of their peers. 

However this is where we can learn from Bardot. As I initially commented Bardot’s life is a cautionary tale, as she aged her looks deteriorated, she became a recluse, and she was forced to face the reality of her existence minus the social power her display of performative sexuality afforded her. Bardot’s aging and loss of her beauty pulls down the mirage of hyperreality, and the shallowness of the contemporary obsession with sexiness and reminds us of the words of the Psalmist who when contemplating human mortality wrote

“They are like a breath. Their days are like a fleeting shadow”

We are as believers are called to look beneath the surface, to look beyond looks, to not conform to our hyperconsumerist culture’s agenda of turning young women into simply products and objects for sexual gratification. But before we go off on a holy rampage to destroy the concept of physical beauty, we must continue to read the same psalm (144), the writer goes onto extol youth and beauty,

“that our sons in their youth will be like well nutured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.”

In one Psalm the writer manages to put Bardot’s life into perspective, yes sexiness and beauty are nothing to build a life upon, that eventually we all get old, youth passes, we all must face our mortality. And yet who upon seeing Bardot in her youth cannot but be struck by her beauty? Thus we must hold the tension, we must learn to appreciate physical beauty as the handiwork of the creator. Beauty cannot be worshipped in of itself, rather it points us back to the source of all beauty. The holy person manages to appreciate those who are beautiful and also managed to remember the beauty is fleeting and only skin deep. Lets leave the last word to Brigitte (my wife will love this video as it combines many of her favourite things Retro French Style, Sixties Kitch and Brigitte Bardot)