Author Archives: Pieter Stok

About Pieter Stok

I am passionate about faith, marriage and family. My interests include reading, video editing, travel and Lego. Also, I find the older I get, the more reflective I become. Whereas once I had answers for everything and everyone, now I have more questions.

The Budget Betrayal and Christians

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Pieter Stok

Whom do we follow?

Some time has passed since the Federal budget. In that time I have been reflecting on the responses by fellow Christians and non – Christians alike. Why has there been such an outcry? Politicians have lied to us in the past. There is nothing new about that. Why are people so affronted now?

I think I have one reason. After the confusion and lies of the previous Labor government, Australians were looking for something new and fresh, something different from the turmoil and back flipping that had been going on. They were tired of it. Tony Abbott, astutely, played to that confusion and promised certainty and no more lies. We all knew that the “lie” bit was a lie but we hoped anyway. This desire of the people to have politics played differently was strong. We have seen that in the move to independent members of parliament and minor parties.

So when the budget came out and promise after promise was broken at a scale never before seen in Australian politics, many people felt betrayed and, I believe, justifiably so. Even worse, the most vulnerable were targeted with the budget decisions – here and overseas. If promises had to be broken why wasn’t the Paid Parental Leave scheme, delayed? Is it too cynical to suggest that most of these people who would benefit would vote Liberal? Why wasn’t the abolition of the Mining Rent Tax shelved – just as money was starting to come in? Is it that the miners are too powerful? There are many more uncomfortable questions like this. Do I believe that we have to live within our means? Certainly, but there are different ways to go about it. Starting from the weak up is not it.

But personally, I feel betrayed at a different level as well. As a child of the King, and many in the Government claim to be His, I cringe when I see fellow children of the King, in politics, obfuscate, justify and support policies that would make the King weep. Christ directed his followers to support the needy, weak and vulnerable. He modelled it for us. He, in fact, has given power to these brothers and sisters in politics and claims their first allegiance – before all else and that includes the Party.

So what is my job now? Matt 18 reminds me that when a brother or sister sins or sins against me I need to go them and speak to them. And yes, undermining the safety net we have for the vulnerable, I believe, falls into that category. That will have to be my first step. A step I need to take in grace – even when I feel angry and betrayed.

Categories: Ethics, Obedience, Uncategorized | Tags: Christian, Christianity, Federal budget, forgiveness, Politics | 11 Comments

When they see among them their children …

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Pieter Stok

²²Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: ‘No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. ²³When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. ²⁴Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.’

Isaiah 29 22-24

These verses come in the midst of God’s frightening judgement upon Jerusalem before Judah’s exile in Babylon. In contrast to the prophecy of the horrors to come, the passage quoted looks beyond this time of exile to a future when there will be joy and genuine awe in the worship of God.

Many commentators when considering this passage jump on the word “children” and translate that as “future generations”. There is no problem with that, except we lose the critical idea of being a child and the uniqueness of childhood. Too often commentators suggest that we are dealing with a generation of adults in the future. This, in my view, waters down the intent of the passage.

But why does Isaiah/God use the word “children”?

Which parent has not on occasions sat back and quietly mused on the joy of their children – their exploits, wonder, faith and accomplishments. Our hearts are warmed in the knowledge that they are products of our union! I know there are moments when the opposite occurs but let us stay with the positive for the moment. Children are a symbol of amazing potential and promise. In this passage they are reminders and metaphors for naïve and innocent wonder at the character and actions of God.

Children can remind jaded adults of the joy of the discovery of faith and the wonders of God and His creation and most important, the relief and exhilaration of salvation. They are God’s “sacrament” (symbol or image if you prefer) of new faith, new hope and new future – a crucial idea in the passage above.

In the Isaiah passage children are prophecies of awe filled worshippers (in the fullest sense), of God.

I believe this passage is pointing to Christ but also to his second coming when we will see, completely, how all things will be made new. In the meantime, while we wait for the return of the King. Our children are still heralds of faith and future. We jaded, cynical and worldly-wise adults need to make sure that we do not squash that vision in our children – or our own hearts.

Categories: Bible, Child Theology, Children, christian, Christianity, Church, Uncategorized | Tags: children, Christian, Christianity, Faith, family | Leave a comment

40 Years Today

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Pieter Stok

The two of us in front of the autumn vine (mentioned in the poem the other day) May 11 1974

In the last two posts my wife and I have reflected, in poetry, on our 40 years together. I wondered at how quickly the time had passed but she thought more about the significant events enclosed by our marriage.

It made me ponder more deeply. In this time I have seen friends divorce and others tragically lose a partner. So I must praise God for keeping these two unique and stubborn individuals together and safe throughout those 40 years. Then I dug a little deeper and thought about the person that I was 40 years ago. To be painfully honest Pieter Stok, 40 years ago, was a naive, self centred and arrogant person. I can hear some of my friends say, “What’s changed?”

Signing our lives away.

I believe that I have mellowed and grown over those 40 years and this has all been due to a mystical combination of God using His Word, my wife, children, wider family and friends to grow me more like the person He wants me to be … and there is still a long, long way to go.

Now I know I wont get another 40 years of marriage this side of heaven but I am looking forward to what God still has in store for us. The journey to this point with its highs and lows, pains and joys has been amazing. I cannot imagine having gotten to this point with anyone else and I cannot express enough how thankful I am for the life partner He has given me.

So today we celebrate 40 years and anticipate a future.

Praise God!

With parents …

and siblings

Categories: Family, Reflections, Uncategorized | Tags: family | 4 Comments

… I’m 18

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Pieter Stok

My wife responded with her own poem after reading my effort yesterday. It connects our children and events in our lives with places we have lived in.

Hip dude with chick and groovy chain circa 1972/3

When I see my husband, I’m 18
And his hands touch young flesh.
Collendina

When I look at Neti, our creative firstborn, I’m 20
And we’re playing “zoom, zoom” in the park.
When I think of our Kiki, I’m 22
And I am watching her sturdy little legs carry her along the track.
Kingston Beach

When I see Jac’s smile, I’m 27
And her friends are at the school gate, screaming:
“Hi, Jacqui’s Mum!”
Goodna

When I gaze at Alex’s face, so serene, I’m 29
And she is anything but peaceful, shouting the words of her reader at me.
When I see Caroline, I feel Caroline. I’m 29
And I’m holding my breath until I feel her move, the touch of her feet dancing.
Mt. Gravatt

When I look at Rosey, I’m 33
And we’re having a race to complete jigsaw puzzles.
Leongatha

There’s kindness in Paul’s eyes, I’m older now.
And we’re laughing in church at a Lego joke.
Geelong

There are hundreds of photos,
A thousand memories,
Countless stories.
They add up to forty years.

Yet when I see my Pieter
I’m 18……

Categories: Family, Poem, poetry | Tags: family, Poem on Sunday, poems, poetry | 2 Comments

40 Years

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Pieter Stok

Where have they gone,
those forty years?
Yesterday we were so young
and naïve.

I can hardly remember
the blur that was
our wedding day when
nerves froze my memory
that afternoon
all those speedy years ago.

The multi coloured autumn vines
behind the church
are the backdrop to my
photo black and white memories.

My hair was darker then
and yours longer and curlier.
But because the years have gone so fast
we can’t be as old as the years
crossed off the calendar.

Let us continue in our
mature youth
and live each day with fresh visions
so next year again we can ask,
“Where have they gone,
those forty one years?”

Categories: Family, Poem, poetry, Reflections, Uncategorized | Tags: family, Poem, poems, poetry | 4 Comments

A Dream for the Spiritual Health of Our Children

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Pieter Stok

“We dream of a local church that is willing to radically rethink what it means to worship God together in ways that are meaningful across generations. This wouldn’t mean simply tweaking our current elements of worship to make them more child friendly, and it wouldn’t involve the juvenilization of the church. Instead it would mean turning committed disciples of all ages to worship God together. As the contemporary world brings new ways of thinking about and doing church togther, we hope this is part of the agenda.

In her book Welcoming Children, Joyce Mercer asks, “what would happen if, instead of removing children for not conforming to the styles of worship comfortable to adults, we changed some of those styles to invite the fuller participation of children?” We imagine Jesus would answer this question by taking a child into his arms and saying,”The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Will we follow our teacher?”

Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus, David M. Csinos and Ivy Beckwith, IVP Praxis 2013, p 125

Categories: Child Theology, Children, Church, Faith, Family, Uncategorized | Tags: children, Christian, Faith, family, local church | Leave a comment

The Voice of Inspired Youth

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Pieter Stok

A few weeks ago I went to an evening church service where two of my students were going to preach for about 20 minutes each. These likable lads are not always mature or wise in their decisions and behaviour – but they are great young people.

To be honest, even though they are talented young men I didn’t expect too much from them in their first sermon. I was wrong! These lads spoke/preached and delivered the word of God with a passion, zeal, maturity and sophistication. They wove Scripture upon Scripture to declare God’s word to the congregation. Like any good preacher should – they spoke for God.

I reflected later that I heard more of God’s word in these 40 minutes than I had in many so-called sermons in other churches in recent years. They did not delve into pop psychology, glib jokes and puerile anecdotes. Their aim was not to tickle ears but to speak a word that was on their hearts to the heart of the congregation.

I went home humbled. God spoke to me that evening though two of my students. God reminded me that young people have a place, purpose and word to speak in the lives of our congregations. He has gifted all of us, not just the “mature”.

Categories: Child Theology, Children, christian, Christianity, Church, Faith | Tags: Christian, Christianity, Church, Faith | 1 Comment

The Injustice System

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Pieter Stok

A little under a week ago an official conference was arranged between my daughters and one of the young men who burned their house down 14 months ago. My wife and I went along to support them. There was a representative from the police, the young man and his mother, his counsellor, their lawyer and a Victims of Crime support worker for my family. Ironically, the support worker was there because she believed the girls needed support. However, technically, as there was no direct impact on my daughters (i.e. they were not in the house at the time) they were not seen, in a legal sense, as victims of crime, despite the fact that they lost most of their belongings and were rocked by the event.

Let me say from the outset I think these conferences are a great idea. They do allow perpetrators to hear of the damage that they have caused. The charges and outcomes were all read out and the questions with regard to motivation and reasons were put to the young man. I also applaud the fact that the system is trying to prevent these young people from committing further crimes. It was pointed out that a 6 months age difference (if technically he had been an adult) could have meant 5-10 years in gaol.

My daughters were amazing. I was so proud of them. They were gracious, forgave and reflected Christ in a wonderful way and were a witness to the gospel. The lawyer even said at one stage that he had never been at such a meeting with so strong a sense of forgiveness.

However, some aspects of this process still sat uneasily with me.

One of the subtle aspects of this process was that the perpetrator becomes the “victim” in need of help. I agree that he needs help but he is also the person who created this situation. Yet the process seems to turn the tables somewhat. My daughters who were the victims, received no assistance, were largely left out of the information loop, were offered no counselling for the trauma suffered and, largely, became bystanders. All the attention was on the young man.

Maybe I am biased because I am the dad, but the “system” as well meaning as some its motives may be, is not a “just” system. There were all these people involved but the real victims were sidelined. That bothers me – not just for my daughters but for the many others in this situation. My daughters have a strong network of family, friends and church. Not everybody has that. What constitutes a “Victim of Crime” needs serious reconsideration.

For us as a family, however, at the end of the day, even if the legal system had been a disillusionment, we could celebrate the grace of God. We went to their new home, had a meal together and thanked God for His care over the last 14 months.

Categories: Ethics, Family | Tags: Faith, family, injustice, justice | 1 Comment

Helping Our Children Grow in Faith – a review

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Pieter Stok

Over the years I have become reticent about recommending books as I have discovered that books often resonate with a person because of the time and place they are in individually. However, I will overcome my reluctance and challenge Christian parents, teachers and Children’s ministry workers to read “Helping Our Children Grow in Faith” by Robert J. Keeley (Baker Books 2008).

Essentially Keeley unpacks 6 principles that he believes (and I concur) are important in nurturing faith in children.

Children need to be nurtured in their faith by the whole community of faith, not just parents.
Children need to be part of the whole life of the church.
Children need to know that God is mysterious.
Bible stories are the key to helping children know a God who is mysterious and who knows them for who they are.
Faith and moral development are both important but they are not the same thing.
Children should be part of congregational worship and they should have opportunities to experience developmentally appropriate worship.

Not only are these 6 points beautifully unwrapped but a lot of the incidental teaching along the way is very valuable too. For example, when discussing the power of story, he touches on the danger of simply attaching morals to Bible stories. He suggests that if we simply connect a story to a moral (“Dare to be a Daniel or David” – my examples) we prevent children pondering what God may be teaching them.

He also reflects on a passion of mine: children in worship. He says, “For children to have the kind of faith we want them to have, they need to be part of the worship experience.” Here I would like to have seen, at least, a mention of the impact that children have on the faith of adults as they can inspire us with their naïve simplicity.

Overall, an excellent book that is worth reading, re-reading and discussing with family, colleagues and congregation so that we can all assist in the nurturing of that all import faith in the most vulnerable in our families, schools and churches.

Categories: Book Review, Child Theology, Children, christian, christian education, Christianity, Church | Tags: Christian, Christian Education, Christianity, Church | 1 Comment

A Late Start to a New Year

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Pieter Stok

I know that the New Year started on January the 1st but I have been slow getting back into the blogging saddle. Over our Summer break here in Australia, apart from cooking though an incredible heart wave, I have been camping for a few nights, reading, pottering around the house and video editing.

Two books with which I have been incredibly impressed are Brennan Manning’s “The Furious Longing of God” and Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmat’s “Colossians Remixed”. Reviews will come.

Two short video clips I have put together are linked below. The first is about our trip to the Arctic Circle two years ago and and the second is a bit of family history.

The Arctic Circle

De Hezenberg

I look forward to another productive year reading your blogs and writing a few of my own.

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment