Dear Inner Circle,
Some of our nation’s brightest minds gathered last week to hear various CEOs talk about “Leadership through Crisis and Chaos”. It was an honour to attend the seminar and hear from some incredibly talented people, but I couldn’t help but think that I witness outstanding leadership at Wayside all the time. It comes from people who will never claim to be experts, make a name for themselves or earn a pot of money from what they do.
Walking towards our building yesterday morning, I saw a young woman who had overdosed. A few people had gathered around and in a display of undiluted compassion, they were begging the woman to stay awake and fight for life, until an ambulance could arrive. To make this scene even more dramatic, the woman’s boyfriend, who’d also had a shot and was beginning to panic about living in a world without his girlfriend, produced a needle and proclaimed that he was about to take a second shot so that they might leave this earth together. Some of our Wayside angels demonstrated more leadership and skill than I’ve ever contemplated in any think tank. A couple of staff quietly walked with the man into a near-by alley and without taking any control away from the man, helped him imagine a better day than this one. I’ve never been to a seminar that taught how to harness the imagination of someone whose imagination has all but died. It was one of those powerful moments, more easily overlooked than recognised, when the man saw something in the faces of our people, dropped his second needle, and became responsive to the loving faces around him.
How easy on the surface to judge people in such a moment. Yet who of us really sees what we’re looking at? This young man was taught from 10 years old, how to conceal and sell drugs by people who “rewarded” him without ever loving him or even seeing him as anything more than a means to their selfish ends. Our Wayside staff walked alongside this man yesterday because they believe that where there is a pulse, there is hope. Our vision of ‘Love Over Hate’, asserts a better future even when ALL the evidence seems contrary. We know full well that ours is a stand of faith, even when a more rational response for others might be to stare, shrug shoulders, and walk away.
What our Wayside workers know is that it’s not hard for a person to fall into a hole so deep, that they can feel like nothing from within remains. Sometimes hope has to be caught rather than conjured. Our workers leap into deep holes and without fairy-stories or false promises, they’ll hold a hand and gently walk with someone to a new day – one tiny step at a time.
Anyway, you’ll think I’m talking about an exceptional day but it was just yesterday and like most days, I’m learning about leadership through crisis and chaos from within our walls and on our streets.
Thanks for being part of our Inner Circle,
Jon
PS – Long Walk Home starts next Monday 26 October! For those who have signed up, THANK YOU! We have been absolutely blown away by the support, and love seeing all your photos in your fluro shirts. For those who haven’t, there’s still time. Donate to our visitor Josh, or join the movement yourself; and walk 28km over 7 days between Monday and Sunday next week. Your support will send a message to people experiencing homelessness that they are not alone and not forgotten. Sign up here.
Jon Owen
Pastor & CEO
Wayside Chapel
Long Walk Home 2020
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Blog Archive
Thursday, October 22, 2020
More from the Wayside Chapel Kings Cross
Friday, October 16, 2020
Passing of Kevin Lewis , West Torrens Cricketer
I am posting this as a tribute to the late Kevin Lewis who died suddenly on 3/10/20.
Kevin was a highly successful cricketer with West Torrens Cricket Club in Adelaide District Cricket.
Here is a notice from the Adelaide Advertiser and some pics I have in my archives featuring Kevin.
"The West Torrens Cricket Club is deeply saddened by the passing of Club great Kevin Lewis. Lew played State Cricket, took 476 A Grade Wickets, was Curator, Coach and instrumental in the Club’s move to Henley.
Our thoughts and best wishes are with his family.
Publication: The Advertiser
Adelaide"
The 100 not out group at the West Torrens Centenary dinner. Kevin is front left
Star players of the Cricket Club at the Centenary including Kevin.
Thursday, October 15, 2020
More from Oswald Chambers
The Key to the Missionary’s Message
By Oswald Chambers
He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. —1 John 2:2
The key to the missionary’s message is the propitiation of Christ Jesus— His sacrifice for us that completely satisfied the wrath of God. Look at any other aspect of Christ’s work, whether it is healing, saving, or sanctifying, and you will see that there is nothing limitless about those. But— “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”— that is limitless (John 1:29). The missionary’s message is the limitless importance of Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, and a missionary is someone who is immersed in the truth of that revelation.
The real key to the missionary’s message is the “remissionary” aspect of Christ’s life, not His kindness, His goodness, or even His revealing of the fatherhood of God to us. “…repentance and remission of sins should be preached…to all nations…” (Luke 24:47). The greatest message of limitless importance is that “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins….” The missionary’s message is not nationalistic, favoring nations or individuals; it is “for the whole world.” When the Holy Spirit comes into me, He does not consider my partialities or preferences; He simply brings me into oneness with the Lord Jesus.
A missionary is someone who is bound by marriage to the stated mission and purpose of his Lord and Master. He is not to proclaim his own point of view, but is only to proclaim “the Lamb of God.” It is easier to belong to a faction that simply tells what Jesus Christ has done for me, and easier to become a devotee of divine healing, or of a special type of sanctification, or of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But Paul did not say, “Woe is me if I do not preach what Christ has done for me,” but, “…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). And this is the gospel— “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” So Send I You, 1325 R
Friday, October 9, 2020
Rolling on the River(Murray) Our Proud Mary Cruise
We recently completed a 2 nights ,3 day cruise on the Proud Mary passenger boat on the Murray River in South Australia.
We had our own individual cabin and our good friends Anne and Dave did the trip with us.
The staff were excellent as was the food and service.
You can do 2 day and 5 day cruises.
Here is a link to the Proud Mary website.
https://www.proudmary.com.au/
I will be doing a youtube video on this trip soon.
Here are some pics.
Konica Auto Reflex TC and 2 Lenses.
I was recently staying in South Australia's Riverland for a few days and we called in at our favourite Collectables store in Paringa.
It's called "Cammies".
We love it as there is a fantastic collection of things to look through but we always buy some of the brilliant home made jams and chutneys that are on sale.
I always look at their used cameras but I don't recall ever buying one there.
Well this time I found a treasure.
The Konica Autorflex TC 35mm film camera.
There was also a Konica Hexanon 40mm F1.8 "pancake" lens and a 200mm Tokina F3.5 telephoto lens.
I could not pass on the price and the fact it was all in good working order.
I am in the process of shooting some colour film through the camera and when I have the results I will do a review on my youtube channel and also post it here.
This is the camera with 200mm lens attached. Camera on car roof at Paringa Paddock
My friend Greg and Camera. I took some shots today with the 40mm lens shown here.