Mark Conner Current Issues, Personal Development

The Genius of ‘Low Power Mode’

Whoever thought of ‘Low Power Mode’ is a genius. When this option pops up on my phone, I always hit ‘Continue’, never ‘Cancel’. It’s super helpful.

Phone battery life is a precious resource. If you don’t manage it carefully, you might find yourself unable to make calls or take photos … just when you really need to. And once your phone battery has died, your phone is useless … until you can find a charging point.

To extend your phone’s battery capacity, many phones have a special battery-saving mode that helps your smartphone last a little longer. It’s often referred to as ‘Low Power Mode’ and it reduces the amount of power that your phone uses when the battery gets low. When Low Power Mode is ON, your phone will last longer before you need to charge it, but some features might take longer to update or complete. Low Power Mode reduces screen brightness (a big battery drain!) and shortens the time your phone waits before going to sleep. It also does less regular checks and refreshes of background tasks like checking for incoming emails or updated news stories, for example.

I was in a training event this last week via ZOOM and one of the participants mentioned ‘Low Power Mode’ as a good metaphor for this time of pandemic lockdown. How helpful is that. I knew I had to give this concept some more thought and reflection.

These are stressful times and it’s easy to find ourselves running on empty or depleted in our energy. Our capacity has taken a hit and we find ourselves unable to keep going at the pace we have become accustomed to or produce the outcomes we have always expected of ourselves.

Choosing to only focus on the most important aspects of our lives and putting everything else on hold until our energy reserves have been built up again sure makes a lot of sense. After all, conserving our energy a little bit now is a much better short-term strategy than having to shut down completely.

Here are a few questions to reflect on about entering ‘Low Power Mode’:

  1. Who are the important people in my world who need to know that I am low on energy at the moment? This takes courage but it helps people adjust their expectations and provide support to you.
  2. How could I choose more realistic expectations of myself?
  3. Do I need to affirm the belief that it’s ‘okay’ to be in Low Power Mode? After all, it is NOT a sign of weakness, failure, or inadequacy.
  4. Are there ways I can slow down the pace of my day, maybe by scheduling fewer appointments and allowing adequate gaps of time between egnagements?
  5. Could I postpone any tasks or projects that are not critical right now?
  6. Could I re-negotiate any agreements or commitments that would reduce any pressure I currently feel?
  7. What are the few things that are vital for my energy use right now?
  8. Who are some ‘safe people’ I could have a meaningful conversation about how I am feeling right now?
  9. What fun activities do I enjoy that I could do more of this week? All work and no play take their toll.

Low Power Mode is a temporary setting but it is far better than going completely ‘off the grid’ indefinitely. Use it to your advantage. Choose the genius of Low Power Mode.

Mark Conner Church, Current Issues

COVID-19 and the Church

As of Sunday, 22nd March this year, churches in Australia could no longer meet in physical buildings due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. The majority of churches had to immediately move to some kind of online platform – ready or not. For some, this was a relatively easy step, especially for churches who had already been engaged in the digital space through live-streaming, Facebook, You Tube, or video podcasting. For others, this has been a huge and somewhat stressful learning curve.

I was speaking at a church in Perth in mid-March this year. I spoke at 3 church services on the Sunday, each with a smaller congregation of people in the auditorium than usual, but live-streamed to the rest of the congregation. Late Sunday evening, I recorded part 2 of my series of messages to be aired the following Sunday as all church services moved online (and I was unable to fly back to Perth due to interstate travel restrictions). Since that time, due to being unable to travel or speak at public church services, seminars or training events, I have been preparing ‘video sermons’ for a variety of churches, participating in a number of webinars, and doing a lot of video coaching. This truly is an unprecedented time for all of us, including for churches and church leaders.

Here are some of the current realities 3 months on (sources listed below):

  • There was an initial upsurge in online engagement for many churches, even higher than their previous regular weekend attendance numbers. People from other states and even overseas were able to engage over the internet. Many churches have had dozens or even 100s of more people joining their online services. At the upper end, I have been told that Gateway Church in Dallas had 250,000 people watch its Easter church services online, while Christ Fellowship in Florida had 1 million viewers.
  • Since Easter, there seems to have been a drop off of the numbers of people engaging with online church services. This is especially true of young people and young adults who find greater value in relational connection than in merely streaming more ‘content’.
  • Personal connection and engagement are very different matters than people merely watching a church service online (which can tend towards consumerism). Digital connect cards have been helpful for some churches while ‘Facebook LIVE’ after church services or ‘ZOOM morning teas’ are working well for others.
  • A lot of churches are engaged in practical local mission such as delivering meals and shopping for shut ins. There has also been a large uptake in ALPHA online, as well as Christianity Explained courses.
  • Communication from church leaders seems to have been good, especially from pastors to staff and congregations. However, connection with volunteer leaders, especially small group leaders, could be improved in some situations.
  • There are concerns about the financial impact of COVID-19 on churches, because of the inability to meet together (where many churches still receive physical offerings) and the loss of jobs by congregation members. According to one survey of Australian churches, 75% have experienced an income drop by at least 10%, 18% have decreased by more than 50%, while 8% of churches had an increase in income. Income reduction affects not only the church budget but also morale of the pastor. Interestingly, it appears that not much about the financial impact of COVID-19 on churches is being communicated with church members.
  • A lot of church leaders are exhausted, especially with all of the changes to the move online. Others are tired but excited about the new opportunities. Church leadership is becoming more and more difficult in our time. There is a lot of pressure. Emotional depletion and burnout is common. Many pastors are scrambling … while some are in despair.
  • Pastors and church leaders are benefiting from coaching with someone outside their context, for encouragement, support and mentoring. If you are a church leader, see what your denomination may provide in terms of coaching or contact an inter-denominational coach. For instance, Partners in Ministry here in Australia has a growing team of experienced coaches. The team, including myself, is currently offering 2-3 free coaching sessions (‘no need for you to pay’). Use the contact emails to make an enquiry if you are interested.

Here are some of the key questions currently being grappled with:

  • When will churches be able to meet again and what will this be like? How will churches re-open?
  • Could there be a second wave of the virus and what will the impact be?
  • What programs or ministries of the church would benefit by staying online?
  • Will churches go back to physical only gatherings or continue to engage in the digital space? Some are speaking about the future being more of a ‘hybrid’ model of church – both physical and digital. American church consultant Carey Nieuwhof recently noted that in many ways the church is currently a “physical organisation with an online presence” while the church of the future will be more of an “online organisation with a physical presence.” What do you think about this?
  • What is an appropriate ‘ecclesiology’, or theology of church, for this time? Is church online an appropriate regular expression of the church Jesus had in mind?
  • What needs to be different for churches as life gets back to ‘normal’? What do you think needs to be stopped? Started? Less of? More of? The same? Different?

No doubt COVID-19 is a time of disorientation for everyone, filling our lives with all kinds of uncertainty. We need to acknowledge and feel this fully. Fear, anxiety and grief are normal. Thankfully, we can draw courage, faith and wisdom from God. There is life on the other side of this and hope for the future.

Finally, here are some helpful resources:

Mark Conner Current Affairs, Current Issues, General Interest

Waking Up to My Own ‘Blind Privilege’

I am white, I am male, I am tall, I am middle class, I am educated, I am straight, and I grew up in a Christian home. All of these things were given to me by birth, not by choice. I did not earn them or do anything to acquire them – other than live out the life I was handed because of my family upbringing and contextual circumstances beyond my control.

I represent the dominant culture.

I have no idea what it would like to be black. To have a taxi driver slow down, notice the colour of my skin then keep driving. I have absolutely no idea what it would be like to be a woman. To work my butt off then be paid less and then be overlooked for promotions simply because of my gender. I have no idea what it would like to be short. At 197 cm (6′ 5″), I see the world from a different perspective than most – from above looking down not below looking up.

I have no idea what it would be like to be poor, homeless and wondering where my next meal is coming from. I haven’t a clue what it would like to not be able to learn whatever I want … because I am illiterate. I haven’t a clue what it would be like to ostracised by my faith community because I am gay or have a different sexual orientation. I also have no idea what it would like to be from another religion. To be in the minority … like Muslims, Hindus or Jews living in Australia today.

Only recently have I learnt about ‘blind privilege’ which simply means to be totally unaware of (‘blind’ to) one’s own privilege. We become so accustomed to our own state of affairs, and life experiences, that we fail to realise or acknowledge our own inherent biased perspective, judgements and evaluations.

When I walk down the street or through a crowd, everyone moves out of my way. In fact, my family often walk behind me, because I make somewhat of a ‘wake’ in which it is easy for them to walk! This ‘privilege’ of walking so freely has happened through most of my adult life and I have never thought much about it because this is what life is like for me. I have never thought that it could be otherwise. In contrast, my wife, who is shorter than me, regularly has to dodge people who are about to walk right through her or step aside for others, mainly men, who don’t have the courtesy to make room for her … because they have blind privilege just like me.

If you are having trouble understanding the current “Black Lives Matter” marches around the globe, it could be because you, like me, have never been the target of racial discrimination. Recently, this movement has accelerated because of the death of George Floyd, an African American man living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, whose neck was held under the knee of a policeman for almost 9 minutes , resulting in his death. Why all the extreme outrage? Because the ‘knee on the neck’ has 400 years of history attached to it. It’s called ‘white privilege‘ and this kind of racism is systemic in our society (please read Peggy McIntosh’s confronting article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack). As an Australian, I was confronted afresh by this last year when I watched the Adam Goodes’ documentary The Final Quarter.

“… ‘Black Lives Matter’ simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed. It’s not meant to suggest that other lives don’t matter. It’s to suggest that other folks aren’t experiencing this particular vulnerability.”

Barack Obama

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.”

Angela Davis

Back in the first century, Jewish men would often begin the day by praying, “Thank you God that you have not made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Racism, elitism, and patriarchy in full bloom. The apostle Paul would have prayed this prayer many times himself as a religious leader. Yet, because of his encounter with Jesus (one who radically included everyone in his new community, especially those on the margins), he radically confronted this blind privileged thinking. In fact, he turned it upside down. In his letter to some churches in Galatia, he wrote this:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28. NLT

For Paul, God was building a new family with NO divisions. It’s meant to be ONE family in Christ. Racial, socio-economic, and gender distinctions still exist but NOT as a basis for discrimination, oppression or exclusion. Each human being is to be treated with great value, as someone made in the very image of God.

Most importantly, those with privilege (in Paul’s case, the Jews, the well-off, and the men), have the bigger responsibility to treat with love, respect and honour those without inborn privilege (in Paul’s case, the Gentiles, the poor, and the women).

What have you inherited by birth that is a privilege? Are you aware of it? Or blind to it? Have you considered what it would be like to NOT have that privilege? To be someone different? To be born somewhere else? To grow up in a different family? Take time to listen to the stories of those who are not like you. Put yourself in their shoes. See the world through their eyes. Then think about how you would want to be treated if you were them … then grab the initiative and treat people that same way (Matthew 7:12).

May we all work for restorative justice, compassion, and peace in our world, starting right where we live.

“We must have courage — determination — to go on with the task of becoming free — not only for ourselves, but for the nation and the world — cooperate with each other. Have faith in God and ourselves.”

Rosa Parks
Mark Conner Current Issues, Personal Development, Spirituality

Threshold Times

Good morning from Melbourne! It’s getting a little cooler here as Autumn kicks in (or is it Winter already!?). I love this season, especially the beautiful autumn leaves everywhere. Walking each morning and evening in the nearby Edinburg Gardens with my lovely wife and our quirky pugalier is a highlight of my day.

Today begins another week in lockdown for us – our 6th week, I believe. There is talk of easing the restrictions … but who knows how long we will have to continue to bunker down. Other than missing connecting personally with family and friends, I have really enjoyed the gift of time that this coronavirus pandemic has forced on us. Time to be at home – less rushed, less travel, more cooking, and more time to read and reflect.

All sorts of questions emerge for me:

  1. I wonder what life will be like on the other side of this?
  2. Will we all simply go back to ‘normal’?
  3. OR will life be different? Interestingly, according to a recent survey, only 9% of Britons want to return to life as it was!
  4. What do I want to be different?
  5. What did we learn from this crisis?
  6. What new opportunities have emerged that need embracing from these turbulent times?
  7. What values do I desire to more firmly live out going forward?
  8. How will my relationships be different?
  9. How will my work (or study) life change, if at all?
  10. What new habits will I seek to reinforce?

In many ways, major life and societal interruptions (or disruptions!) like this can be times of significant transition. Could this even become a major threshold – for you, for me, and for all humanity? I sure hope so.

Four years ago today, I read about the concept of ‘threshold’ from Irish poet and author John O’Donohue. I copied his thoughts into my journal at the time and they became very significant for me. I was on the precipice of stepping out into an entirely new world (refer to my poem The Great Unknown and One Year On). As I read his words again this morning, I noted how true they are … and even more so for me today.

I share these thoughts with you below and I hope they may be insightful for you at this time. Is it time to walk through the wardrobe into a very different tomorrow? Is it time for you to cross the threshold?

To Cross The Thresholds Worthily: When A Great Moment Knocks On The Door Of Your Heart

It remains the dream of every life to realize itself, to reach out and lift oneself up to greater heights. A life that continues to remain on the safe side of its own habits and repetitions, that never engages with the risk of its own possibility, remains an unlived life. There is within each heart a hidden voice that calls out for freedom and creativity. We often linger for years in spaces that are too small and shabby for the grandeur of our spirit. Yet experience always remains faithful to us. If lived truthfully and generously, it will always guide us toward the real pastures.

Looking back along a life’s journey, you come to see how each of the central phases of your life began at a decisive threshold where you left one way of being and entered another. A threshold is not simply an accidental line that happens to separate one region from another. It is an intense frontier that divides a world of feeling from another. Often a threshold becomes clearly visible only once you have crossed it. Crossing can often mean the total loss of all you enjoyed while on the other side; it becomes a dividing line between the past and the future. More often than not the reason you cannot return to where you were is that you have changed; you are no longer the one who crossed over. It is interesting that when Jesus cured the blind man, he instructed him not to go back into the village. Having crossed the threshold into vision, his life was no longer to be lived in the constricted mode of blindness; new vision meant new pastures.

Today many people describe themselves as “being in transition.” In a culture governed by speed, this is to be expected, for the exterior rate of change is relentless. This “transition” can refer to relationships, work, and location; or more significantly, to the inner life and way of viewing the world. Yet the word transition seems to pale, functional, almost inadequate and impersonal, and does not have the same intensity or psychic weight as perhaps the word threshold evokes. The word threshold was related to the word thresh, which was the separation of the grain from the husk or straw when oats were flailed. It also includes the notions of entrance, crossing, border, and beginning. To cross a threshold is to leave behind the husk and arrive at the grain.

John O’Donohue

(To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings)

Mark Conner Current Issues

Living in Turbulent Times (Part 5)

Draw from God’s STRENGTH

Turbulent times can be very discouraging and very draining. The very atmosphere of perpetual negativity can wear us out. Yet, Habakkuk reached out to declare God as his strength, the one who would enable him not just to survive but to even thrive in these difficult times. He declared God as his strength, the one who would enable him to go on the heights.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

Habakkuk 3:19. NLT

Eugene Peterson translates this statement like this in the Message Bible:

“Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain!”

In the end, Habakkuk learns to rest in God’s appointments and await his working in a spirit of worship. He responds with a strong confession of faith (3:1-19).

Today, let’s look beyond ourselves to God as our source and the one who is able to give us supernatural strength and ability to meet the challenges of our daily lives. We can get through this. We can conquer this mountain and rise above every form of adversity. How? Through God who strengthens us and makes us equal to the task at hand.

My prayer for you today is that you will not be overwhelmed during these turbulent times. May you find clarity in the uncertainty. May you look for opportunity in the adversity. May you hold on to your joy and draw on God’s strength which is available to you right now. Take care and stay safe my friend.

These 5 BLOG posts are a summary of a 20 minute video sermon I shared with Bayside Church a few weeks back. You can watch the message online now.

Mark Conner Current Issues

Living in Turbulent Times (Part 4)

Hold on to Your JOY

Habakkuk did not receive the answer he was looking for. Things were not going to turn for the better right away. Yet he chose to rise above this and hold on to his joy.

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”

Habakkuk 3:17-18. NLT

This strong expression of faith is in the context of great uncertainty. He lists all of the sources of food and agricultural commerce of the ancient world (a bit like us saying today that there is no toilet paper, hand sanitiser or face masks in the shops!). There were many difficult questions that he still had unanswered. Habakkuk has every reason NOT to rejoice. But he does so anyway because of his faith in God and his hope for the future.

‘Happiness’ is based on circumstances. IF things happen to be going well, we are happy. If not, we are unhappy. In contrast, true JOY is not dependent on external circumstances. It comes from within and for people of faith, is based on their relationship with God. God’s joy can become our strength. When you’re going through a difficult time, ask whether it’s worth losing your joy over.

Make a choice to rejoice in God no matter what the circumstances are – even under terrible conditions. Here is what the apostle Paul once wrote during an extended, unplanned time in prison …

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4. NLT

Joy is a gift from God – not something we need to work up or earn. Simply receive it. A deep, inner sense that everything will be alright. Think of Jesus – everything stripped away from him as he went to the cross … yet he had a deep inner JOY for what he could see ahead, on the other side. This is especially relevant for us at this EASTER time. Death does not have the last word. JOY does!

Who could you spread some joy to today? Who could you encourage? What or who are you thankful for? Show some kindness to people you interact with, even at the shop or on the street. As you practice social distancing, don’t become relationally distant.

Part 5 …

Mark Conner Current Issues

Living in Turbulent Times (Part 3)

Look for OPPORTUNITY

Despite the crisis and the turbulence of his time, Habakkuk learned to realise that God was at work and that each day was an opportunity to see God’s purposes realised in his time. The central verse of his book is this …

“For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.”

Habakkuk 2:14. NLT

As a person of faith, he came to realise that each day was an opportunity to see more of God’s work in the world – an increase of love, courage, justice, and mercy … He had hope that God would be at work in his own turbulent times …

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

Habakkuk 3:2. NIV

I’m told that in the Chinese language the word for “crisis” (wei ji) means both danger and opportunity. Pessimists tend to focus on the danger while optimists naturally focus on the opportunity. The reality is that life is a paradox of both/and – danger and opportunity. We are wise to not ignore either aspects. However, even adversity can turn for our advantage. It all depends how we manage during uncertain times.

In the last week or so, I have had all of my speaking engagements cancelled or postponed. Interestingly, this has provided an opportunity to create some ‘video sermons’ for churches to use for their online church services. This lockdown time has also given me an opportunity to do more online coaching and to write more.

Don’t see yourself as a victim – resulting in a sense of helplessness, paranoia, and blame-shifting. Don’t be merely a survivor either. Don’t be paralysed into fear or inaction, sitting around to see what will happen or waiting for someone else to take the lead. Be a navigator. See change as an opportunity. Like a skilful sea captain of old, understand that while you can’t control the wind or the waves, you can adjust your sails to steer clear of the rocky shores. We can all be navigators – even when the winds of change howl as a fierce gale. This is our time! This will pass! We’ll get through this! There is life on the other side of coronavirus. We can walk in faith, and wisdom, as well as love and courage.

What new opportunities and new thinking could emerge for you during this time? What are some creative ways we can think and live differently at this time?

Part 4 …

Mark Conner Current Issues

Living in Turbulent Times (Part 2)

Find Clarity in the Uncertainty

“I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.”

Habakkuk 2:1. NIV

Habakkuk pulls aside from the normal routines of life to reflect and waits to hear from God. During turbulent times, we need to slow down. We need to pause. We can’t just keep ploughing ahead, ignoring the issues. It is time to reflect. We need to ask ourselves some important questions:

  • What is going on?
  • How should we respond?
  • What do we need to do differently?
  • What is important now?
  • What could God be up to?

Maybe it is a call back to the basics or to strengthen foundations. Maybe it’s a call to refocus or to make some changes in how we do what we do. Not just “business as usual”. Maybe there are some adjustments and shifts we need to make. Be open.

Although God does not answer all of Habakkuk’s questions nor give him firm hope that everything will be resolved as he desires, he does give him enough information to know what God is up to. He then calls him to not only hear about God’s purposes but to make them clear for others. Notice the wording

“Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer (the revelation) plainly (clear or big block letters) on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision (revelation) is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.'”

Habakkuk 2:2-3. NLT

God’s responds and tells Habakkuk to write down the revelation or vision. Record it so it is clear, it can be passed on and followed through without being forgotten. For Habakkuk, the message or the vision is not a good one – the Babylonians are going to destroy Jerusalem and take God’s people into captivity. Yet he is to call them to live by faith, not to despair – even in incredibly turbulent times.

One of things you’ll discover in life is that you can’t always be certain but you can be clear. Uncertainty is a permanent part of our lives. It never goes away. We all have to at times make decisions with limited information. So our goal should not be to eliminate uncertainty. Instead, it should be to ensure we develop the art of clarity.

  • In business, can you be certain of the economic environment over the next year? Of course not, but you can be clear about the service or product you have to offer and who your market is.
  • On a sports team, can you be certain of the outcome of the game? Of course not, but you can be clear about what you are trying to achieve.
  • In a church, can you be certain what we will look like in 3 months? Of course not, but we can be clear about the kind of church we want to be.
  • In life, can you be certain about your future? Of course not, but you can be clear –about who you are, what is important to you, and what you are going to give your life to pursue.
  • With this coronavirus pandemic, can we be certain how long we will be locked down or what life will be like when it’s all over? Of course not. But we can be clear about what is within our control – what we can and can’t do, as well as how we can all work together to minimise further infections.

Let’s stop fighting the uncertainty and focus on being clear about what is vitally important. Do you need to take some time aside to pause and find further clarity for your own life?

Part 3 …

Mark Conner Current Issues

Living in Turbulent Times (Part 1)

What a crazy time it is!

We have a rapidly spreading virus, plunging stock markets, entire countries locking down, people hoarding toilet paper, arguments in shopping aisles, businesses closing down, people being laid off … and no live sport, God forbid! Who would have thought our world would shut down like this. It’s like an apocalpyse ‘end of the world’ movie. It feels worse than 9/11, the GFC, and the Asian tsunami all in one. And it only seems to be getting worse by the hour. Many people here in Australia are still recovering from the terrible bushfires. People are freaking out. There is a LOT of fear and anxiety … and understandably so.

In one of the climactic scenes of The Lord of the Rings, the young hobbit, Frodo, laments the world he sees around him with all the tragedy and darkness that has befallen him. Looking at the difficulty in continuing on the path laid out before him, Frodo mourns, “I wish it need not have happened in my time.” Gandalf the Grey, ever his wise mentor, consoles him with these words: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

Right now, we will need to learn to live with the times given to us – turbulent times. They’re very different. It is more complex, more chaotic, and more demanding.

Let’s glean a few lessons from a minor prophet who was a person of great faith during turbulent times in his generation. Who is it? It is Habakkuk, an ancient Israelite prophet.

Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah and a person of strong faith. He lived in Judah near the end of Josiah’s reign (640-609 BC) around the time of the Babylonian invasion. He lived in a time of violent political upheaval, at a national and international level. King Josiah had brought hope with his reform but then his sudden death and the reign of his wicked son had quickly squashed any emerging hope. His book (found by turning left at the Gospel of Matthew and going 5 books back into the Old Testament) is unique in that is contains no oracle or prophetic message to the nation of Israel. Instead, it is a dialogue or conversation (an “oracle” = burden) between the prophet and God that then becomes a public encouragement to people.

The dilemma was Habakukk’s struggle to deal with unanswered prayer and prolonged suffering. Violence and injustice were all around and it seemed like God was doing nothing about it (1:1-4). God answers and the underlying message is that God is in full control. What is taking place happening is not by accident or chance. He rules in the affairs of the world. Habakkuk learns to see God at work in all that is happening (1:5-11). Habakkuk wants to know WHY his world is in such a terrible place (1:3, 13). God informs Habakkuk that the “just shall live by faith” (2:1-6a) during times such as these. This powerful declaration is repeated three times in the New Testament.

Habakkuk believed that God is a good God. No, that doesn’t mean we won’t experience times of suffering and pain. No, that doesn’t mean life will always be easy. Things may get worse before they get better. He often works in large brush strokes throughout history and there are often times of delay. But, yes we can trust God. He has a much bigger perspective from which he is working. He is sovereign. He is in control, working all things together according to his plan and our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). During turbulent times, we need to strengthen our trust and our faith in God. We must not allow ourselves to be ruled by fear or worry. We are called to be strong in faith. That doesn’t mean we won’t face or feel worry or fear. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear but the conquering of fear.

Part 2 …

Mark Conner Current Issues, Relationships

Improving Our Relationships

What a crazy time it is! The spread of the coronavirus is unleashing a pandemic of fear and uncertainty right across our world. This is impacting every one of us – mentally, emotionally, financially, and relationally. Who knows where, when and how this will all end. No doubt, it will pass, but at what cost and what kind of world will we return to? It will definitely be different.

At times like this, our relationships become more important than ever. Although we need to be ‘socially distant’ for a while, it is not a time to be isolated or relationally aloof. We need each other more than ever.

Recently, I shared a message at Bayside Church on Improving Our Relationships. You can listen to the message on my podcast (visit my Podbean site or download it from your favourite podcast APP). For a summary of the message, why not re-visit these blog posts which cover the main three insights for improving our relationships:

  1. Be a Good Listener.
  2. Think Before Speaking.
  3. Control Your Anger.

Stay safe and take advantage of this time to strengthen your own relationships.

Mark Conner Current Issues, News, Spirituality

Kobe Bryant Among Those Killed in a Recent Helicopter Crash

This time last Monday morning, I checked the news headlines on my phone. I read the top news release: “Kobe Bryant and his daughter killed in a helicopter crash.” What a shock! I have been an avid basketball fan since I lived in the USA back in the 1970s. I have followed the National Basketball Association (NBA) ever since. Growing up, my favourite player was Michael Jordan, probably the greatest player ever to play the game. I played basketball for many years including with my two sons. To this day, we love to watch the NBA together and see the latest teams and players compete.

Kobe Bryant was the Michael Jordan of this generation, having won many NBA titles and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. I watched him play on TV many times and admired his amazing skill, intense passion, and relentless drive to win (referred to as ‘the Mamba Mentality’).

Kobe was only 41 years of age and his daughter, Gianna, was 13 years old. Seven others were also killed in the tragic crash. At times like this, there is grief, sadness and loss. It is so hard to know what to say. Tributes flow in from everywhere – friends, associates and family. But the shock is there. Lives cut short. Death. It is so final. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of all those killed in this fatal accident.

Having lost my own father and step-mother in the last 18 months, death and funerals have been a part of our lives of late. Late last year, I participated in a radio interview on the topic of “What happens when I die?’ [My wife saw the humour in the social media advertisement that read, “What happens when I die with Mark Conner?”] Look out for the interview airing soon on radio as part of ‘Bigger Questions‘ with Robert Martin. Also, if you didn’t get a chance, you may be interested in my BLOG post on “What happens after death?” which I wrote after my step-mother’s funeral.

At the very least, sudden death is a reminder to all of us to make every day count and to be fully present each moment. And be sure to express your love and appreciation for the special people in your world. Love them while you can.

Mark Conner Contemporary Culture, Current Issues, General Interest, Personal Development, Religion, Spirituality, Theology

A Map of Life’s Journey

In a few months time I will be 58 years of age. As I grow older, I find myself reflecting more on my life. Where I’ve come from, where I’ve been, where and who I am now, and where I am going. I also observe other people in their own journey as they seek to make sense of this amazing gift called ‘life’.

I read a few intriguing personal news items these last few weeks (see more below). After doing so, I sketched out the following stages as a sample map of life’s journey. Here is what I observe.

1. Construction

We all grow up in a context – a family, a country, a village or tribe, a set of values, and for many, a religious belief system. This is the ‘construction’ we emerge within. There are shapes, lines, borders, and boundaries that we learn to live and move within. Other people created this construct for us. Often they are the influential people in our life or our environment. It’s what we inherit we when start out on our journey.

2. Conversion

At some point, as we grow up, we start to find ourselves. We determine what we believe and what is true for us. For many people, there is a sense of conversion, where we embrace our world because it works for us. This conversion may be dramatic and at a specific point of time. Or it may be less spectacular and more gradual in its emergence. This is where we identify with who we are, based on the construct we have grown up within.

3. Questions and Doubts

[NOTE: There are people who stop after the first two stages mentioned above and they are content with those experiences … for the rest of their lives. They never doubt or question. Life and faith works for them. They can also tend to view people at the following stages as ‘backslidden’, ‘apostate’, or never ‘saved’. After all, where you stand determines what you see.]

For many other people, questions and doubts emerge. They start to critique the construct they have grown up within and even their conversion experience(s). This often occurs as a result of meeting other people who live outside of their construct and from hearing stories of other worlds and other world-views (belief systems).

For those who have grown up within a Christian environment or construct, the questions frequently centre around perplexities such as the existence of hell, why there is suffering in the world, the exclusivity of the Christian faith, the reliability of the Bible, the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, and the marginalisation of LGBTQIA+ people.

4. De-Construction

As a result of the questioning and doubts, many people start to de-construct the world that other people handed them. They begin pulling out some of the Jenga blocks other people gave them. Even those passed on from parents, teachers, and authority figures. After a while, the construction starts to sway and some of the blocks topple … and for some, the whole construct comes tumbling down to the ground … with an almighty crash!

5. De-Conversion

Some people move into de-conversion after a time of de-construction. They don’t believe what they used to believe. What was once true for them isn’t true anymore. They would be hypocritical to continue to declare allegiance to the construction that no longer feels like home to them. They have changed. They have moved. Reason has triumphed over past faith.

Recent examples of people who have arrived at this stage of de-conversion include Joshua Harris, a best-selling Christian author, and Marty Sampson, a well-known worship leader from Hillsong. They are not alone … or new. Consider the intriguing de-conversion stories of people such as Charlie Templeton (peer to Billy Graham), Dan Barker and John Loftus … if you dare.

Other people skip this step altogether and move from de-construction straight into re-construction.

6. Re-Construction

Now, a time of re-construction begins. It’s time to build a new world with what truly has meaning, value, and truth to us. We begin to think for ourselves. We choose to be authentic about what we believe, apart from what others have told us we should believe. This new construction may include some aspects, beliefs and values from our past. These are now seen from a new perspective. It also includes new things that weren’t part of our past at all. This can be quite scary … and liberating.

Summary

I am still learning and researching this. I am listening to other people’s stories and reflecting on my own life journey. This is not a linear process. Life is far more circular, unpredictable, and random. Nor is it everyone’s story. Not everyone goes through each stage on this map. Nor do they identify and understand each stage. But someone does.

A few final reflection questions:

  1. What stages of this map of life’s journey do you identify with? Where have you been?
  2. Where are you now?
  3. Have you ever had questions and doubts about your inherited construct? How have you processed these? Were you given permission to lean into them or were you shamed for experiencing them?
  4. Where do you see the other important people in your life right now?
  5. How do you handle or cope with people at different places than you?
  6. How can we better truly listen to and understand other people’s stories more deeply … without judging or trying to ‘fix’ them?
  7. What emotions does this discussion about a map of life’s journey evoke for you? It is resonance, dissonance, fear, anxiety, annoyance, anger or excitement and hope?

I’d love to hear from you. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you can’t see the Comments section, click on the title of this BLOG post then scroll down to the bottom off the page.

Mark Conner Bible, Contemporary Culture, Current Issues

ORIGINS: Genesis Re-Visited

The book of Genesis is a narrative of the origins of the world, but in particular the family of Abraham. Three major world religions trace their roots back to Abraham – Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The first 11 chapters cover what is often referred to as ‘pre-history’: from the beginnings of the universe through just after Noah and the flood. The rest of the book tells the story of Abraham and the eventual birth of the nation of Israel.

Back in 2013, I helped to lead a series of messages called ORIGINS, drawing themes from these early Genesis stories. You can read a summary of three of these messages, including a link to a podcast of the messages as follows:

  • ORIGINS: Genesis. In this message, I share an introduction to the book of Genesis, helping us understand and apply this ancient text to our lives today. 
  • ORIGINS: Creation. Science and faith, dinosaurs and the big bang. These just a few of the kinds of questions people come to book of Genesis for, hoping to find some answers. In this message, I takes an in-depth look at the story of creation, which clearly shows us who created the world and why. 
  • ORIGINS: Noah and the Ark. In this message, I look at the classic Sunday School story – Noah and the Ark. Humans fail to be faithful covenant partners in God’s world resulting in chaos and destruction but in God’s mercy he promises that “never again” will there be a flood that destroys the earth. 

Sometimes it helps to look backward before you move forward, so you live your life from a much bigger perspective. I love the idea of an ‘ancient future’ faith. By going back to the beginning, we can glean some amazing insights about God’s original purpose for this world, all of which are incredibly relevant for our lives today in the 21st century. History really is HIS-story and you and I are called to play a significant part in the unfolding redemptive narrative. As you explore some of the early stories in Genesis, I hope that the gift of hindsight creates in you a fresh vision (foresight) of who you truly are. 

Mark Conner Current Issues, Personal Development

Freedom from Depression

Depression has been called “the common cold of the emotions”. Depression simply means “low mood”. Every one has time when they feel down or experience low mood but sometimes those feelings can linger for days, weeks, even months at a time. This can be quite debilitating, especially when others around you don’t fully understand what is going on.

The biblical stories include people’s experiences with the full range of human emotions, including depression. Famous people such as Moses, Job, David and Jeremiah went through bouts of depression, even cursing the day they were born. One of the more well known experiences of depression is the great prophet Elijah. He was so down that he had even become suicidal.

God shows us some excellent counselling skills as he walks Elijah through this dark valley of depressing emotions. I unpack these more fully in a BLOG series I did in 2017 called “Dealing with Depression“. Take some time to read through those posts, especially if you are facing depressing feelings currently. It will also help you to be a better support to people around you who may be experiencing low mood at the moment.

To listen to a message on “Freedom from Depression”, which was part of a teaching series at CityLife Church back in 2007 called “Prison Break”, visit the Mark Conner’s new podcast.

The full content of this message on freedom from depression, as well as teaching on freedom from other common challenges such as anger, worry, fear, rejection, addictions and spiritual bondages, purchase a copy of Mark’s best-selling book Prison Break – Finding Personal Freedom from WORD in Australia or Amazon internationally.

Mark Conner Current Issues, Theology

What Happens After Death?

Life is a gift – to be enjoyed and lived to the full. Yet life is uncertain and death is inevitable. In many ways, life is like a room with two doors. We enter through the door of birth and we leave through the door of death. There is a “time to be born and a time to die”. None of us knows the distance between those two doors.

Let’s face it, death is not something we like to talk about. Sometimes we live as if we’ll never die. No wonder, we are often unprepared for it (see my recent poem called Gone). The truth is, all of us have an appointment with death. No one escapes it. The last time I checked, the death rate was running at about 100%.

Some of the common questions people ask today are, “What happens after death?” and “Is there an afterlife?”

There has been some intriguing research done on near-death experiences. Of people who have been close to death, about 40 percent report a similar pattern: an experience of journeying through a tunnel, a burst of light, a feeling of being in the presence of a loving reality, quite often accompanied by a sense of being out of one’s body.

The last component sometimes includes a sense of being able to see one’s body from a vantage point beyond the body. A significant number of reports include details about what was going on that the person could not have witnessed from within his or her body.

This is very interesting, because if our consciousness and perception can even momentarily be separate from our bodies, then the modern linkage between the brain and human consciousness is called into question, and we have no idea what is possible beyond death. Just because a body stops breathing or a brain shuts down, doesn’t mean the person ceases to exist.

There are a wide variety of ways people have thought about this through history, including Christians and those of other religions. So, what happens after death – is it heaven, hell, purgatory, reincarnation, soul sleep, or nothing?

If heaven, are we the same person – or different? Will there be family reunions in heaven? Most funeral sermons suggest so. If so, is this good news or bad news? If you liked your family, this may be good news but if you didn’t, maybe not! Eternity with these people!?

The truth is that none of us knows for sure what happens after death. Of course, our beliefs are important but simply believing something doesn’t make it a reality.

Continue reading “What Happens After Death?” →