Mals Meanderings

If you're wondering how this blog came to be called Mal's Meanderings, then the following will provide the answer. It is the first issue of a spot I am writing in our church newsletter. I quote:

Arthur has suggested that I begin to write a section in The Messenger as a note from the Pastor. The first topic was to have been my thoughts on our weekend at the Ears to Hear conference at Marysville. This is a good suggestion, but unfortunately it came a little late for me to do it justice this month. Let me say, however, that the weekend away together was a pivotal one in the life of this church, and I will share more about it later.

Instead, for this month I would like to talk about the very idea itself of this pastor's section in the paper. Why have I called it Mal's Meanderings? The inspiration for this came from Michael Leunig, the famous satirical cartoonist. Some months ago I spent the morning at a Rev-Up with Michael. He was to speak on the relationship between humour and theology, which he did, brilliantly, but not in the way we expected.

Michael began his talk by describing how he begins a new cartoon. He sits and stares, pencil in hand, at an empty piece of paper, often for some considerable time, with his mind also empty (metaphorically speaking), waiting for something to happen. This sounds just like many of us at the start of a school examination. And this is exactly how he began his lecture. He came completely unprepared, and quite unapologetic about it, and invited us to take a meander through his mind to see what would happen! Well, lots happened. The talk was hilariously funny, deeply moving, and richly inspiring. I came home knowing that something very special had happened between Michael and we who had been listening. We were all left with something of Michael himself in our hearts. Interestingly enough, although I now remember little detail of what he said, I still laugh when I think about being there!

The idea of being able to communicate one's very being in this way has captured me, which is one reason I have started a blog (weblog, for those of us who don't yet keep mice on our desks) on the church's website, called Mal's Meanderings. It's address is www.bethtephillah.com/weblog/blog.html It's simply me thinking aloud in public. So, I thought it would be appropriate for this monthly spot to be a small serving of the same cake.

Of course, nothing in the workings of God is disconnected completely from everything else. Tonight we begin our investigation of hearing God's voice through journalling, and I think you will find that this is an example of exactly what I have just been writing about. David did it in the Psalms, Isaiah did it in his prophetic book, John did it in Revelation,…. I'm sure we can do it too!

Love Mal

Well, there it is.