The price and gains of having a trainee

You never take a fast nor efficient walk with a toddler.

It’s slow.

It meanders.

It’s punctuated with questions.

But, anything you do with a newbie takes longer.

Anyone who has had a trainee knows this intimately.

As you sit with someone with less experience, everything takes longer.

As you plan with someone just learning the ropes, everything must be more deliberate.

As you walk someone new through the steps of a task, you must take time to explain what you’re doing and why.

Everything takes more time. 

It’s the cost of training someone.

It’s the cost of someone learning.

But, it’s also contains a reward.

For, as you teach, you learn.

You refine your routines.

You intentionally think about what you do.

You develop patience.

You remember what it was like to be a newbie.

Hopefully, you also catch the advantages, of a learner.

You catch enthusiasm.

You catch discovery.

You catch progress.

As you watch.

As you give feedback.

As you witness advances in proficiency.

For, teaching someone is a partnership of cost and benefit.

Ideally, the price of slowness is far outweighed by the benefit of mentorship.

What affect does the AI-ification of church and education have?

You never need to not know.

This is the reality of the modern world.

All answers are now at our fingertips.

In an instant.

In AI-generated dot-point form.

Is this a good thing?

Is it good for the church?

Is it good for the classroom?

More importantly, is it good for the students?

Is it good for the congregants?

Equally, what is the cost for belief and education?

With the rise of AI, we now have access to the complete depository of human knowledge in a simplistic manner never matched previously.

But, of course, this information must be weighed wisely.

Unfortunately, with the simplicity of access, we’ve lost the ability to research. To question. To debate two points. To be able to delve deeply into a topic.

This hurts the classroom.

This hurts the church.

But, there’s a deeper loss with the emergence of AI.

The loss of patience.

The loss of wonder.

The loss of discovery.

We don’t have time to sit without knowing.

We don’t have the ability to comfortably sit with unknowing.

We don’t have the willingness to let an answer unfold periodically.

This is why we binge our entertainment.

This is why we instantly Google every question which pops into our mind.

This is why students are tempted to use ChatGPT to write their assignments.

But is it the dissipation of wonder which will haunt us the most.

Without the willingness to wrestle with a question, we get robbed of the wonder of unknowing.

Without the willingness of sit without a solution, we get robbed of the work needed to search for an answer.

Without the willingness to be in the middle of a tension, we get robbed of the ability to weigh up both sides of a contentious issue.

In many ways it’s similar to the modern raft of biblical commentaries, dictionaries and concordances and my amazement of those who could write effectively before these were readily available.

The Fathers of Church history wrote about concepts and topics, backed up with cross-references, that I couldn't imagine matching.

They knew their bibles.

They knew their history.

Without AI.

Just a desire to wrestle with the question.

Just a desire to share deep truths.

Driven by a wonder I doubt we could match today…

Breaking down the bible reading plans

Last month I made a promise here about expanding on the various types of bible reading plans I’m going to be using across the course of my extended reading agenda.

As I mentioned earlier, I plan to read the majority of the bible systematically in 2029, 2031, 2033, 2037, 2041, 2044 & 2048.

After I conclude the seven-year biblical odyssey I’m currently in - which picks a book or section at a time and studies that exclusively - I launch into my new plan at the start of 2028.

For the next 16 months I’ll look at various male characters of the scriptures, studying each over either a week or two.

Then I’ll dive into a simple reading plan for the rest of 2029. 4 chapters and a Psalm per day. 260 days.

Then in 2031 I’ll space out a 100 day bible overview across the year.

In 2033 I’ll do this 83 day plan covering the New Testament.

In 2037 I’ll do this bible genres across the week plan.

In 2041 I’ll do a six-month female characters of the bible overview.

In 2044 I’ll read 3 chapters and a Psalm a day (which is all you need to do in order to complete the entire bible in a year).

In 2047 - despite my objects here to reading the gospels in this manner - I’ll read the Chronological Bible (doing around 4 chapters per day).

While I’m sure there’s many more ways you can break up the scriptures, this is what I’ve pencilled in until the middle of the century.

The murky past and unclear present of the census question about religion

I mentioned in my post yesterday that the question on the Australian census about religion has a murky past.

I’m sure that the vast majority of people filling out their census form last night wouldn’t be aware of the history of the simple query “What is the person’s religion?”

For, the question us undergone multiple makeovers over the decades.

Since the first census in 1911, every questionnaire has asked about belief in Australia, albeit as the only optional question to respond to. 

But not every question or options for responses has been identical.

At the start, from 1911 until 1966, the question was open. Write in your response. No prompting. No options. 

From 1971, the question came alongside a prompt “If no religion, write ‘None’”

With this tweak, the allowance for none resulted in this non-belief response surging by over 600%.

By 1991, the open response was replaced with a number of options to tick, with No Religion placed at the bottom of the list.

Finally, the question resembled its modern form by 2016, with No Religion now being the top option to select.

Consequently, the uptake of this option now sits at just below 40%.

The thing to ponder is, has the rise in secularism and non-belief reflected Australian society or the manner of question the populous are posed?

As a believer, perhaps surprisingly, I like how the question has morphed over the decades.

I like that the question has allowed people to be more honest.

I like that the question has given people permission to honestly weigh up where they sit with this topic.

But, the question could - nay should - be clarified further.

For, what does the question - What is a person’s religion? - actually mean?

Is it what you identify with?

What you have an affinity towards?

Where you used to attend?

Where you only go at Christmas or Easter?

Where you sometimes, sporadically, attend?

Where you attend passively?

Where you’re a member of?

What kind of school you attended?

What you’ve been baptised into?

In short, what exactly is religious?

Perhaps that should be cleared up.

Just as there could be some clarity about non-religion.

Does it mean a staunch atheist?

A non-committal agnostic?

Something in the middle?

Perhaps some clarity about what exactly non-religious is would be beneficial.

For, if we want to get an accurate idea of religion in Australia, surely clarity surrounding the question would be beneficial.

What if the question asked about specific attendance?

Could there be any way to gauge genuine belief?

Could there be any way to gauge genuine non-belief?

What if the census question, ironically, removed all options and went back to a write-in response?

Would an open response, in a climate where putting non-religion is far more accepted and less judged, result in a superior outcome?

Why the census matters if you’re a Christian

Tonight is the NIGHT OF THE YEAR!

Census night.

An event, held every five years, where the populous is threatened with a fine if they don’t provide the government with their data.

Of course, as a Studies of Religion teacher, I have to have a special fondness for census data.

I teach on it extensively.

I prepare my students to answer questions based upon it.

I produce a think handout of census graphs and charts annually.

But, census night is important beyond being fuel for SoR multiple choice questions.

The census is an important snapshot of the country.

The census is a vital source of information for determining where resources are allocated.

And, as a person o faith, the census is of greater importance.

For, it’s an opportunity…

To - literally - be counted.

To have your voice herd.

To bring attention to the number of religious people in the country.

To see the trends across the nation.

To accurately reflect the amount of unpaid contributions that Christian’s provide to their community.

To assist the government wisely discern where religious schools, aged care facilities, chaplains and critics should be located, resourced and funded.

The census provided unite opportunity for the religious voice to be numbered, considered no reflected in the outlook of Australia.

This, if nothing else, should make every religious person take the census seriously.

But, as I’ll explain tomorrow, the pesky question about religion as a colourful past and a murky present.

Tiny Bible Bit: Theories of Atonement

Romans 3:25-26 - God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

What do you think of when I mention the word theology?

Does it make you nervous?

Does it make you cringe?

Does it make you excited?

As a theology nerd, who has a theology degree, I’m definitely in the latter category.

What do you think of when you hear the word atonement?

Do your eyes glaze over?

Are you puzzled?

Do you sit up in anticipation?

Are you preparing for a confrontation?

Currently, I’m reading about the various theories of atonement - the restoration of a relationship, in the Christian context, through the actions of Christ.

Across church history and various church traditions, the understanding and explanation of how Jesus restored the division between Creator and humanity has undergone a variety of explanations.

The most common are…

The Moral Influence Theory: that Jesus lived and died to be a catalyst for human and societal reform as believers follow the example of Christ.

The Ransom Theory: that, with the fall of humanity into sin, we are now owned by Satan. The death of Jesus has paid a ransom to the devil to redeem humanity.

The Christus Victor Theory: that the death and resurrection of Christ is a victory (like in battle) over the forces of sin, death and the Enemy.

The Satisfaction Theory: that, as a just and holy God, He had to punish sin and the cost had to be bloodshed. Jesus’ death was an appropriate balancing payment worthy to meet the scales of justice God had weighed against sinful humanity. In short, what our injustice/sin stole from the justice of God, Christ could paid back and balance the scales.

The Penal Substitution Theory: this follows closely to the Satisfaction Theory, but with a stronger legal framework. Here, Christ’s death satisfied a legal requirement that God had against humanity’s sin. In this case, the classic analogy is that God is the judge, we are the guilty criminal and Jesus pays the fine the court issues against us.

The Governmental Theory: while Christ takes a punishment for sin upon the cross, it is not to pay a precise debt that humanity owes, but instead shows the degree of seriousness that God takes of sin. 

The Scapegoat Theory: mirroring the Jewish Day of Atonement from Leviticus 17, Jesus has our sin placed upon Himself and it is dealt with on the cross. Here, Christ is as much the victim of the cross as He is the willing sacrifice.

All of the theories above (and there are a few more), to some degree, are drawn from the scriptures. 

Chances are you’ve heard these theories - or elements of them - preached in your church.

I suspect, you’ll gravitate towards one as your preferred understanding of what Christ did and what His death achieved.

No matter, we must always keep in mind that the person and results of Jesus are more important than any squabbles we may have over the precise explanation of what happened at Easter.

Undoubtedly, theological debates about the atonement will simmer away until Jesus returns.

Nonetheless, no matter how we put the consequences into words, we should always be thankful that the division between us and God has been dealt with completely by Jesus.

This all believers can agree on.

The bible passages I want to memorise

I mentioned in my last post that my plan going forward would be to periodically read the entire/majority of the Bible (which is currently scheduled for 2029, 2031, 2033, 2037, 2041, 2044 and 2048).

While I’ll be ploughing my way through various methods of bible reading (which I’ll blog about next), alongside this, I’ll also seek to memorise a whole heap of bible verses.

Currently, I’ve got a list of 356 verses/passages.

Which is… a lot. Approximately 2% of the entire Bible.

It’s… ambitious that I’ll memorise them all.

But, as long as I intentionally continue to bump up against these foundational texts, then I’ll have a change to commit them to familiarity (if not actively memorise them) but also be far better equipped to understand and defend my faith.

So, what currently is on the biblical-memorisation menu?

121 passages from the Old Testament.

235 from the New Testament.

Genesis - 1:1-2, 1:26-31, 2:7, 2:15-25: 3:1-24, 12:1-3, 15:17, 39:12, 50:20

Exodus - 3:5-6, 20:1-17

Leviticus - 17:11

Numbers - 6:24-26, 23:19

Deuteronomy - 6:1-9, 8:1-20, 10:12, 29:29, 30:11-18

Joshua - 1:9, 21:44-45, 24:15

Judges - 2:19, 21:25

Ruth - 1:16-17

1 Samuel - 16:7

2 Samuel - 7:14-15, 12:7, 12:13

1 Kings - 3:9, 11:4, 18:21, 19:12

2 Kings - 6:16-17, 17:15, 23:25

1 Chronicles - 4:10, 29:14

2 Chronicles - 7:14, 16:9, 20:12-15

Ezra - 8:22, 9:6

Nehemiah - 1:11, 4:9

Esther - 4:14-16

Job - 1:21, 2:10, 31:1, 40:1-14

Psalms - 8, 14:1, 23, 37:4, 46:1, 46:10, 91:4, 100:4, 103:12, 119:105, 121:1-2, 127:1, 139:14, 150:6

Proverbs - 1:7, 3:5-6, 4:23, 5:15, 15:1, 17:17, 18:21, 22:6, 27:17

Ecclesiastes - 1:2, 3:1-11, 4:9-10, 4:12, 5:10, 12

Song of Songs - 2:7, 8:6-7

Isaiah - 6:8, 7:14, 9:6, 40:31, 43:1, 43:19, 53:4-7, 61:1-2

Jeremiah - 1:5, 17:9, 29:10-14, 31:31-34

Lamentations - 3:22-23

Ezekiel - 11:19, 36:26-27, 37:4-5

Daniel - 2:21, 3:17-18, 4:35, 9:18

Hosea - 4:6, 11:1-4

Joel - 2:13, 2:28

Amos - 5:21-24

Obadiah - 1:15

Jonah - 4:2

Micah - 4:3, 6:8, 7:18-19

Nahum - 1:2-3

Habakkuk - 2:14, 3:17-19

Zephaniah - 3:17-20

Haggai - 1:5-9

Zechariah - 7:9-10, 9:9

Malachi - 4:2

Matthew - 5:1-12, 5:16-19, 5:45, 6:33, 7:12-14, 7:28-29, 11:28-30, 16:16-18, 18:20, 22:36-40, 25:13, 28:18-20

Mark - 1:1, 1:15, 2:5-7, 2:17, 10:45, 12:30-31

Luke - 2:10-12, 4:16-21, 4:43, 6:46, 7:18-23, 10:36-37, 11:9, 11:28, 15:7, 15:31-32, 15:39, 16:10, 16:13, 19:10, 24:39, 24:44-48

John - 1:1-4, 1:14, 1:18, 1:29, 3:16-18, 3:36, 4:6, 5:17-18, 6:35, 8:12, 8:58, 10:9-11, 10:30-33, 11:25, 11:33-38, 13:34-35, 14:1-3, 14:6, 14:16, 14:26-27, 15:1-2, 15:12-13, 15:17, 15:26, 16:33, 17:20-23, 19:28, 20:28, 20:31

Acts - 1:8, 2:36, 4:12, 4:32-35, 5:29, 10:15, 10:34-35, 11:26, 17:11, 17:22-31, 20:24

Romans - 1:1-4, 1:16, 1:18-20, 2:14-15, 3:22-25, 5:1, 5:8-10, 5:12, 6:1-2, 6:23, 8:1, 8:11, 8:26, 8:28, 8:38-39, 10:9-13, 10:30, 12:1-2, 12:16-18, 13:1, 13:7

1 Corinthians - 1:10, 1:18, 3:10-15, 3:16, 6:19-20, 10:13, 10:31, 11:1, 12:4-6, 13:4-8, 13:13, 14:40, 15:3-8, 15:12-19, 15:51-57

2 Corinthians - 1:20-22, 2:14-16, 3:18, 4:5-7, 4:16-17, 5:7, 5:10, 5:17, 5:20-21, 6:14, 9:6-7, 10:4-5, 12:8-9, 13:13-14

Galatians - 2:20, 3:28, 4:4-5, 5:1, 5:22-25, 6:2, 6:7-9

Ephesians - 1:7, 1:13-14, 2:8-10, 2:19-20, 3:20-21, 4:1-6, 4:29, 5:1-3, 5:8, 5:15, 5:18-19, 6:1-3, 6:10-18

Philippians - 1:21, 2:5-13, 3:20, 4:4-8, 4:11-13, 4:19

Colossians - 1:15-20, 2:9, 3:1-2, 3:11, 3:16-17, 3:23, 4:5-6

1 Thessalonians - 4:13-14, 5:16-22

2 Thessalonians - 2:1-3, 3:13

1 Timothy - 1:15, 2:5, 3:16, 4:12, 4:16, 6:10

2 Timothy - 2:15, 3:16-17, 4:2-7

Titus - 1:7-8, 2:11-12, 3:5

Philemon - 1:15-16

Hebrews - 1:1-3, 2:17-18, 4:12, 4:14-16, 9:27-28, 10:24-25, 11:1-2, 11:6, 12:1–2, 13:8, 13:17

James - 1:2-3, 1:12, 1:22, 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:5, 4:7, 4:10, 5:16

1 Peter - 1:18-19, 2:9, 3:15, 3:18, 4:8, 4:12-13, 5:7-8

2 Peter - 1:5-8, 1:19-21, 3:8-10, 3:16, 3:18

1 John - 1:1-4, 1:5-7, 1:9, 2:2, 3:1, 3:16, 4:16, 4:18-19, 5:1

2 John - 1:4-6, 1:10-11

3 John - 1:4, 1:8

Jude - 1:20-22, 1:24-25

Revelation - 1:8, 3:20, 5:9-12, 7:9-10, 12:11, 21:-5, 22:13, 22:17-21