Record for 2005
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12 Cover 21/3/05 6:09 PM Page 1 RECORDApril 2, 2005 In this issue Bomb damages Iraqi church ADRA thanks tsunami volunteers The adventure of faith TRY-athlon participant Lachlan White with Australian Olympic swimmer Daniel Kawolski at the Melbourne TRY-athlon event where a record-breaking 3100 children registered to race. Weet-Bix TRY-athlon sets records MELBOURNE, VICTORIA he 2005 Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids Crouch and Ryan Quade presented the TRY-athlon has continued to be a children who participated with medal- success with more than 10,000 chil- lions. The day’s activities were filmed by T dren participating in events around Channel 10’s kids program “Totally wild,” Australia, making it the largest children’s and were aired on March 7 and 8. event series to be held in the country. Melbourne was the next city to host the Students and teachers have experienced event and attracted a record 3100 chil- the TRY-athlon through school visits, and dren, which made it the biggest kids Cycling a many more children have been involved triathlon in Australia. Channel 7 covered through volunteer-run events that have Daniel Kowalski at the event as he swam been organised in most capital cities. beside heart-patient Lachlan White. The Sydney Olympic Park hosted the Lachlan’s mother, Sue White, says, “Circle of first event of the series on February 13, “Lachlan had a wonderful time. Daniel which attracted more than 1600 children. was just delightful and Lachlan thinks World champion triathlete Chris he’s a great guy. ” courage” McCormack and Sydney Swans Jared (Continued on page 5) ISSN 0819-5633 12 Editorial 21/3/05 6:08 PM Page 2 editorial As Christians, we are representing the idea of true forgiveness to the world. How do we forgive? aturally, as a Christian, I freely that far from being “just a Christian obli- And who could forget that we are told to forgive people. Naturally. I’d gation,” forgiveness can help to heal vic- forgive those who wrong us 70 times like to take a sharp stone and tims, both emotionally and physically.* seven? Not that we should keep a note- N scratch ‘I forgive you’ on the bon- When we don’t forgive others, there can book with the number of times we’ve said nets of their cars.” be physical problems because we are living “I forgive you” to people tallied up in it. When I first read that statement from in a state of stress. This can cause physical, There is meant to be no limit to the number Christian writer and humorist, Adrian mental or emotional burnout. Adrenaline of times we forgive people, in the same way Plass, I knew exactly what he meant. increases, and maintained high levels of this there is no limit to the number of times Of course I’d forgiven the person who have a serious effect on the heart and nerv- God forgives us for the mistakes we make had hurt me, but it would be so nice to have ous and immune systems. that hurt Him. something like that happen to him. Perhaps It can be difficult to let go of the hurt, However, we cannot expect that God God could arrange to have him stampeded and harder still to replace it with forgive- will allow us to be unforgiving of others by emus the following week, too . ness of those who caused it in the first place. while we are forgiven. The parable Jesus But wait a minute. But it’s better than cultivating a grudge, told of the unforgiving servant in Matthew That’s not forgiveness. which is what some people actually seem to 18 is an example of this. In Luke 6:37, He In his statement about “forgiveness,” I enjoy doing (presumably so they can hand says, “Do not judge, and you will not be think Plass expressed something we all it down to the next generation along with judged. Do not condemn, and you will not occasionally feel when someone hurts us the Royal Doulton hand-painted periwin- be condemned. Forgive, and you will be and we realise we have to forgive them, kle tea set). forgiven” (NIV). even though we don’t really want to. This can mean that the lack of forgive- As Christians, we are representing the David Stoop speaks about this in his ness lives on way past its use-by date, and idea of true forgiveness to the world. It’s not book Real Solutions for Forgiving the get to the point where people no longer something we can keep to ourselves, either, Unforgivable when he says, “When horrible remember why they don’t speak to certain but a gift we should be sharing with others. things happen to us, there is typically a other people. Although not every person will accept it, period of time when we fantasise about all For some reason, I suspect this isn’t the you can still offer it to them and be a kinds of retributive punishment. However, way God wants us to live. Jesus made peacemaker on behalf of God. staying with vengeful thoughts is like play- things clear about His expectations of for- As Dietrich Bonhoeffer noted, we are ing an endless and painful video in our giveness when He was on earth, and He set destroyed by sin and healed with forgive- minds over and over again.” the example of how we should be in our ness. We will make it into heaven because Constantly dwelling on these things is dealings with others. we have given ourselves over to God’s likely to make us bitter and twisted, rather Jesus asked God to forgive the people grace and forgiveness, not because we have than better people who are loving and who executed Him, even as He was on the done something to earn it. demonstrate Christ’s love to others. cross, which is amazing. He also told us to And by maintaining an attitude of hos- love one another as He has loved us, and if *Gary Thomas,“The forgiveness factor,”<www.ctlibrary. tility and hurt, we can be doing ourselves that wasn’t enough of a command, to love com/ct/2000/jan10/1.38.html>. more damage than we realise. our enemies and pray for those who aren’t Social science researchers are finding all that nice to us. Adele Nash OFFICIAL PAPER of the South Editor Nathan Brown Mail: Signs Publishing Company Pacific Division Seventh-day Senior assistant editor Lee Dunstan 3485 Warburton Highway Adventist Church Editorial assistant Adele Nash Warburton,Vic 3799,Australia ACN 000 003 930 Editorial assistant Scott Wegener Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 www.adventist.org.au Copyeditor Graeme Brown Email Letters: [email protected] Editorial secretary Meryl McDonald-Gough Email Newsfront: [email protected] Vol 110 No 12 Layout Nathan Chee Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Cover: Sanitarium Public Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Subscriptions: South Pacific Division mailed within Australia Relations and to New Zealand,$A43.80 $NZ73.00.Other prices on www.record.net.au application.Printed weekly. 2 April 2, 2005 12 News 21/3/05 6:04 PM Page 3 news ADRA thanks tsunami volunteers weeks following the disaster WAHROONGA, NSW and received hundreds of calls DRA-Australia wishes to thank from people wanting to the hundreds of volunteers who donate or make inquiries. have helped out during the recent Many ADRA supporters A tsunami disaster. have also helped at fundrais- “The support has been amazing,” says ing events. For example, Volunteers answering the phones at the ADRA call centre, David Jack, CEO of ADRA-Australia. South Brisbane church mem- where 50 volunteers worked more than 140 hours. “We are thrilled to see that there are so bers Suraj and Gill Shrestha many people willing to donate their time organised a fundraising dinner at the thank everyone who volunteered.” and resources to helping other people.” Karma Indian Restaurant on January 22, Volunteers have also helped ADRA by The ADRA call centre, based at the 2005, which raised almost $A5000 for contacting local media. Articles about ADRA-Australia office in Wahroonga, tsunami relief. fundraisers and ADRA’s involvement with NSW, was manned by about 50 volunteers In Western Sydney, NSW, more than the relief effort have appeared in newspa- who spent more than 140 hours answering 100 ADRA supporters volunteered for a pers around Australia. “We are very appre- phones and providing support to ADRA concert held to raise money for tsunami vic- ciative of the effort people have gone to to staff. The call centre was open for three tims on Sun-day, February 20, 2005. help ADRA in this way,” says Mr Jack. The concert was organ- “We would like to encourage supporters to ised by AFD Enterprises continue to share ADRA’s story with their and held at Marconi communities.” Stadium. As recipient of the ADRA-Australia also received more proceeds, ADRA provided than 100 calls from people offering to vol- volunteers to assist on the unteer in affected regions. Offers came day. “The turnout of volun- from people with skills ranging from trades teers was fantastic,” says to teaching to medical. John Tompson, Sydney Overwhelmed by the response, ADRA director of ADRA Services. no longer requires offers to volunteer over- “The support from so many seas but would like to thank people for such Some of the people who attended the fundraising dinner at the Karma Indian Restaurant in January. was just great, and we generosity.—Candice Jaques achievement,but I encourage you ister their interest on the web Brisbane Adventist College (Qld) to serve our good Lord always and site,” says Leighton Cantrill, created a golden trail of coins in I wish you God’s blessing as you recruitment promotions officer for aid of the schoolchildren in the begin your ministry,”Ms Hamura’s the South Pacific Division.