The presence of God and functioning of the human brain

Some years ago when I was preparing to start my doctoral research I came across a wonderful book by Andrew Newberg and Eugene d'Aquili called "Why God won't go away: Brain science and the biology of belief".

I had come to the discipline of neuro-theology through my interest in quantum theory and the new science (which I covered in some earlier graduate work - my book 'Christ at the centre' has a chapter that seeks to rephrase the doctrine of Christ in more contemporary language, so instead of the traditional Greek philisophical concepts of ousia and hypostasis I sought to rephrase the unity of the divinity and humanity of Christ using quantum physics, theoretical microbiology and transpersonal psychology (later I discovered integrative philosophy to be more apt). It was a wonderful journey of discovery and rediscovery). 

At more or less that time there was a popular movement that focussed on the 'God spot' in the brain - the theory was that religion and belief can be disregarded because some neuroscientists had discovered the place(s) and functions of the brain that caused belief.  It was popularly dubbed as 'the God spot' in the brain. This line of argumentation is fundamentally flawed since it presuposes an dualism between spirit and matter (i.e., that the body and the spirit are somehow seperated).  It is what Ken Wilber calls a 'flatland' perspective that tries to collapse the complexity of reality into an objective system.  These scientists had fallen into the same trap as religious fundamentalists - they had closed the possibility of other points of view by suggesting that their perspective was the only valid option.  In this instance they suggested that because you could show the bioligical functioning of a part of the brain, the experiences that result from that function were not valid.

Can you see the logical inconsistency in that argument?  If we acccept that line of argumentation we would have to say that the human heart does not truly 'work' because we understand its biological functioning.  Just because we understand something does not mean that it is not true!  In fact it may be MORE true because we understand it.

It was this line of argumentation that I employed to present the exact opposite of their conclusion - simply because there is physical proof of the existence of a place in the brain that shapes religious experience does not mean that faith is not valid or true!

In fact the converse is more likely - we are created with a capacity to experience God and God's divine presence.  This is a gift, and in fact validates the truth that humans are created to be religious beings! Years later when I wrote up my Doctoral thesis I showed how these 'a-priori' (pre-existent) neurological pathways are the foundations of our identity as human persons.  We are integrated physical, psychological and spiritual beings.  Our identity depends on the development of all of these aspects of our being (see p.215 of the thesis forward).

In short, God has wired God's presence into our being!  We are hard-wired to experience and know God who is in all and above all.

My research went on to discuss the concept that the truest form of 'knowledge' (what is knowing in the Hebrew scriptures as yadah') is discovery through relationship.  Simply stated, a fact is useful (to know that my wife Megan exists is a fact which I can prove objectively - that is quite useful), however, to experience her love which is mediated through our relationship is transformative (this is known as subjective knowledge or experience, or more precisley, intersubjective knowledge that changes my life). 

Jesus is the essence of truth (the logos, the primordial person who is known through love). In my relationship with God in Christ I come to discover transformative truth, not just doctrinal certainty.  My friend Kevin Light wrote a wonderful chapter that discusses this relationship between experienced truth and rational truth in his chapter entitled 'What about an affirmative action for theological application' (see Forster, D and Bentley, W 'What are we thinking? Reflections on Church and Society from Southern African Methodists' (Methodist Publishing House: Cape Town, 2009:107-116).

Thus, I have concluded that the most transformative knowledge of God is that knowledge that comes through a relationship with God in Christ.  We are transformed, renewed, recreated and reshaped as we grow in love (and knowledge) of Christ.

This little Latin saying has been living within me for the last while:  "Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus Deus Aderit" [bidden or not bidden, God is present / invoked or not invoked, God is present].

It is variously attributed to Erasmus (a Enlightenment scholar and humanist) and Carl Jung (the Swiss psychiatrist).

There is a great truth contained within these simple words.  Indeed, God pre-exists our thoughts, our actions, our intentions, and even our will.

This is not only a theological statement (the Bible is filled with reminders that before we are, God is!)  God is the source from which all life comes.  God is creator (and so we are creation).  However, it is also a neuro-scientific reality.

If you ever have the inclination to understand the neurobiology of belief there is a wonderful book, written by Andrew Newberg and Eugene d'Aquili entitled "Why God won't go away: Brain science and the biology of belief"

Here is an endorsement for the book:

"Why God Won’t Go Away is a thrilling exploration of the intersection of modern brain science and religious experience by one of the leading researchers in this field. Theologians and religionists, don’t worry; this is no exercise in God bashing. For, unlike most books exploring the connection between science and religion, Dr. Andrew Newberg is exceedingly mindful of the limits of science- what it can and cannot say, where it can and cannot go. He realizes that for every question science answers about religious experience, a dozen more arise to take its place. The respect this book displays toward the great mysteries, such as the nature of God and the origin and destiny of consciousness, is one of its most appealing qualities. Newberg’s reverential attitude toward the great unknowns is reminiscent of Einstein." Larry Dossey, MD Author: Reinventing Medicine, Healing Words

I have, however, progressed beyond the dualism that separates belief into physical and spiritual categories.  For me the dividing wall between spirit and mind, between my body and my faith, has been broken down.  In Christ the Spirit of God is present fully in a human person.  And, through His saving grace my life is being transformed into that state of 'being present' to God.

So, no matter what you face today I would like to encourage you with the knowledge that whether God is invited, or not invited, God is always lovingly present.  Amazingly God has even given us the biological capacity for this truth to be discovered within the depths and complexity of the brain!

Otium Sanctum - Riding 'Die Burger' mountainbike race

On Saturday the 31st of July 2010 I had the joy of riding my second 'Die Burger' mountainbike challenge in Stellenbosch.  It is a truly superb race on the mountainbiking calendar - it is well organised, well supported and the riding terrain is second to none!  Plus, it is in my 'back garden' so it is very convenient.

This year I did the 60 KM ride with my Wines2Whales team mate Greg Long. Greg is a great friend and an superb cyclist.  He has super technical ability (mainly due to his experience as a national champion BMX rider in his youth).  He is also very strong physically and mentally - not to mention that we get along so well.  It is a joy to ride with Greg.  He and I are quite evenly matched most of the time.  I am quite strong on the climb but slow on the technical and he is superfast on the technical and steady on the climbs. 

On this race, however, he was on top form!  He did the 60KM course in a super 4h02.  I on the other hand only managed 4h50 - I'll say a bit more about my time below.  I ended up with a slit tyre, no repair kit and two flat tubes...

It was an overcast day with strong winds, but quite a lot of the course was sheltered.  What also made the riding quite good this year was the fact that it had not rained for the 10 days preceding the race.  Die Burger is known to be a muddy ride in winter!  This year wasn't too bad.  There was some mud to contend with, but on the whole the farm tracks, climbs through the vineyards, forest sections and single track were all pretty dry and well maintained.  Much of the tract was quite new and it was clear that the organisers had done great work to get things ready for the race!

I rode on my trusty Mongoose Canaan Comp which I have had for about 2 years now.  She is a trusty steed that handles the terrain much better than I do.  I lovingly refer to her as 'the beast' because she carves up the dirt with ease!  This range of full suspension bikes is truly exceptional value for money!  I was fortunate to purchase my bike as stock from a previous year that had not sold, so I got it at a great price.  But even new they are extremely affordable, well fitted, and durable.  Perhaps the only thing that I would change on my bike is better suspension - to be able to lock out the suspension on the climb would be a great bonus!  But, the bike is comfortable, stable, and fairly light.

Die Burger MTB challenge has 4 distance rides on the day - 15 KM for the kids and novices, a 30 KM ride for teenagers and more avid riders, a 42 KM ride for those who are hankering after a little distance, and then the 60 KM ride for those of us who really enjoy a bit of a leg stretch!  There is also a 75KM ride, but that is by invitation only and caters for the more professional and skilled riders.

The 60 KM ride has plenty of variety - water crossings, farm trails, mountain tracks, jeep tracks, great fast descents, some fairly technical sections with steep dropoffs and switchbacks, and lots of single track (rolling track and some climbs and fast descending track in the forest).

It was this track that I slit my rear tyre on a root.  I heard the air coming out and then my tube burst as it bubled through the slit.  So, I changed it fairly quickly and started riding.  But within about 50 meters the second tube also burst.  That was when I knew I was in trouble.  Both my tubes were flat, my tyre was slit and I didn't have any patches and glue.  I asked all the passing riders for help and they were all kind, but most people ride on tubeless tyres so I wasted 30 minutes before someone came along with spare patches and glue! I patched the tyre first by sticking a patch on the inside of the tyre to strengthen the hole.  Then I patched the tube and put it back in.  It held for the rest of the race, although I had to underinflate the tyre to stop the slit from getting larger.  I will certainly have to get another rear tyre when I have a few spare rand!  I won't be able to ride another race on this one.

Here's my 'bush workshop'.

So, my time could have been 4h20 were it not for the breakdown.

Still, I am happy with my ride.  It was good training for Wines2Whales later this year.

Most of all, I am grateful to have enjoyed nature, engaged with other riders, encouraged a few people along the way, and had a chance for some 'Holy Leisure' (otium sanctum).  My body, mind and soul feel renewed!

Above is a screenshot of the route for the ride (I use a Garmin Edge 705 heart rate monitor and GPS - I sync the data to a program called Ascent on my Apple Mac that allows me to get routes, my speed, calories expended, average speed and a host of other data).

Over the 60 KM we climbed a total of 1519 meters!  The worst climb for me was right at the begining (towards Hellshoogte - I think it is called Bosmanskop), and then the climb from Delvera farm through the Papagaaiberg before one descends into Stellebosch for the finish.  My goodness, that took a lot of lungs and legs to keep peddling!

The image above shows the elevation, my heart rate, and speed throughout the ride.  The slit tyre happened on the highest point of the blue graph (labels 6-8 if you can read them).

I'd love to hear about your rides if you have any to share - particularly if you're from elsewhere in the world!

Jesus - monk or manager? The answer could change your life!

When you think about Jesus, what kind of minister do you think he was?  This may sound like a strange question, but it is important to answer it honestly!  I have come to see that most Christians tend to think of Jesus more as ‘monk’ than as a ‘manager’!

Some of the people that I spoke to thought that Jesus did similar things during his ministry to what their pastor does today (he preached, he cared for the sick, he nurtured people, he built a community).  Now of course that is partially true – a great deal of what pastors do in their congregations today is modelled on the ministry of Jesus.  However, it is a mistake to limit your understanding of Jesus’ ministry to such a narrow understanding.  The problem with seeing Jesus in this way is that it becomes difficult to imagine that Jesus did the kinds of ‘ordinary’ things that you and I have to do each day!  Somehow this ‘religious’ view of Jesus and his ministry creates a measure of separation between our everyday lives, and particularly our everyday work lives, and the life and work of Jesus.

In fact, I’m sure that like me you may have heard some sermons preached in which the impression is created that Jesus is antagonistic towards the marketplace!

Our picture of Jesus and his ministry is shaped by years of reading, learning, and thinking about the saviour.  I have found that sometimes I need to see things from a slightly different perspective in order to discover new opportunities and possibilities for my faith life.

Let me illustrate it to you in this way.  Recently a friend attended a course on ‘listening’ for a counselling program he is running.  The facilitator placed a serial box in the middle of the table around which the participants were sitting.  He asked each of them to tell the others what they saw.  Naturally there were various descriptions of the box depending on where the participants were sitting.  Some saw the front of the box, while others saw the back.  Some could see part of the front and one side, while others could see part of the back and the other side.

What you will read next is simply an attempt to look at Jesus’ life from a different angle, an angle that might help you to feel closer to him in your everyday worklife.

Biblical scholars tell us that Jesus lived for about 33 years (from his birth to his death on the cross).  During those 33 years the synoptic Gospels record that Jesus only spent 3 years of his life, from age 30-33, doing the kind of ministry that makes most people view him as a wondering monk, or Rabbi (Hebrew teacher or priest).  Have you ever thought about what Jesus did with the rest of his life?  Did Jesus only start loving people, praying for them, caring for their needs, telling them about God when he turned 30?  Of course not!  While Jesus may only have started his public ‘teaching’ ministry at around 30 years of age (Lk 4:14-15), we know that he was already displaying the evidence of his special nature and calling as a young boy.  Luke says ‘And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.’ (Lk 2:40).  How would others have known of his wisdom unless he was saying and doing wise things?  How would they have known that God’s grace was upon him unless he was already displaying God’s grace in his words and actions?  In fact the clearest evidence that Jesus was already engaging in ministry as a boy is to be found Luke 2:41-52, the account of Jesus engaging the priests in conversation in the temple.  Once again this passage ends with Luke noting, ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.’ (Lk 2:52 NIV).

So, we can be sure that Jesus was a minister, even as a young child – (Lk 4:49) Jesus notes that he is about his Father’s business.  As we discussed in chapter 4, to be a minister means to ‘act under God’s authority’.  It is assumed that Jesus would have been about 12 years of age when this incident in the temple took place, and as Luke points out he continued to grow in stature, getting recognition from others, and found great favour with God and other people. 

This simply means that Jesus was in a different form of ministry from at least age 12-30, than the kind of ministry he did from age 30-33.  What kind of ministry was Jesus engaged in for those 18 years?  Mark’s Gospel gives us an insight into the primary way in which Jesus’ community viewed him during that period, ‘Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?’ (Mk 6:3 NIV).

Jesus’ contemporaries recognised him first as a businessman – a carpenter – and then only later as their teacher and saviour.

It is important to note that Jesus didn’t do carpentry as a hobby.  In the ancient near east a boy would take up his trade as a teenager, normally learning the skills and techniques that he would use to support his family in years to come.  Since Joseph was a carpenter, Jesus followed the same trade.  So by the time of Jesus begins his public ministry (Lk 4:15) he had spent almost 20 years applying his trade.  Of course it is not surprising that his contemporaries found it difficult to relate to him as their saviour, since some of them would have bought Jesus’ products!  Perhaps they had a table, or a door, or some farm implement, that Jesus had crafted for them in their house.  Furthermore, Jesus clearly knew his trade well, since we can see that he uses the metaphor of a wooden yoke, something that a skilled carpenter would have made many times, to illustrate the blessing of living a life under submission to God (see Matt 11:29-30).  As Ed Silvoso rightly points out in Anointed for business, Jesus parables are full of examples that show his understanding of business and the marketplace:  construction (Matt 7:24-27), wine making (Lk 5:37-38), farming (Mk 4:2-20), tending animals (Mt 18:13-44), management and labour (Matt 20:1-16), return on investments (Matt 25:14-30), crop yield (Mk 13:27-32), and management criteria (Lk 12:35-48).

Just as Jesus encountered people with the knowledge of business then, he wishes to encounter you with the knowledge of your daily work today!  Jesus understands the pressures of working with people, the challenge of creating something that one can market and sell in order to earn a livelihood.  Jesus knows how to deal with customers and suppliers, how to manage a workflow and juggle priorities in order to remain in business – he did it for 20 years of his life.  And, the remarkable thing about it is that we’re told that while he did this he continued to grow in wisdom and favour with both God and people!  Jesus understands what it means to be a minister in the marketplace.

Central to Jesus ministry in the marketplace was the understanding that he needed to obey God’s will in order to effectively establish God’s Kingdom on earth.  Notice that Jesus mission statement is very practical, it deals with poverty, health care, criminal reform, debt, justice and God’s loving favour (Lk 4:18-19).  

You can read more about Jesus and the workplace in 'Transform your work life: Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling" you can download the first few chapters here, or purchase a copy of the book at Christian Republic or at Wordsworth and Exclusive books.

Christian republic has a special running - you can get the book for just R88.00 and that includes a free leather type journal.

Stalking, homicide, suicide, and depression - the neuroscience of rejection

Do you remember the pain of having your love rejected by another?  I sure had my fair share of failed romances as a young man!! Indeed, I'm pleased to say (at this stage of life) that my heart was broken quite often!  

Thankfully I have found love with my wonderful wife Megan! 

However, a recent study has shown that the same neurological functions as those activated by cocaine addition are active in the human brain when love is lost.  Goal orientated behavior dominates one's thoughts.  You become directed towards finding satisfaction for your desire to love and be loved, pretty much in the same way that an addict seeks a 'fix'. You are willing to make sacrifices, you set aside basic needs (such as sleep, proper nutrition) and become overtaken by the emotion of your desire.

To find out more about this groundbreaking research please follow the links from boingboing below.  By the way, I'd love to hear any stories you may have of love driven obsession!  No, I don't want to hear the scary stuff, I'd rather prefer to hear some of the funnier things you did for love.

A study published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology found that romantic break-ups activate parts of the brain that are associated with addiction cravings:

"This brain imaging study of individuals who were still 'in love' with their rejecter supplies further evidence that the passion of 'romantic love' is a goal-oriented motivation state rather than a specific emotion" the researchers concluded, noting that brain imaging showed some similarities between romantic rejection and cocaine craving. "The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that romantic love is a specific form of addiction."

The study also helps to explain "why feelings and behaviors related to romantic rejection are difficult to control" and why extreme behaviors associated with romantic rejection such as stalking, homicide, suicide, and clinical depression occur in cultures all over the world, the researchers wrote.

I think most of us have experienced this feeling at one point in our lives, but it's interesting to know it can be backed up by science.

Anguish of romantic rejection may be linked to stimulation of areas of brain related to motivation, reward, and addiction [Science Daily]

Between the pew and the pavement - Praising with the people of Paarl

I am always honoured, and humbled, to be invited to address Churches or groups.  Tonight I had the privelage of sharing with a group of men at the Protea AFM Church in Main road Paarl thanks to my friend Nic Slabber who invited me.  I first met Nic at the Global Day of Prayer conference in May.  

At that conference I did my talk on social media (twitter, facebook, blogs etc.) and how these technologies are changing the global landscape.  The premise is simple - Christianity has shifted its location throughout history.  It started in the Middle East, moved to Europe, form there is went to North America, and then on to the developing world.  Next, however, Christianity is moving on to the internet!  I used Philip Yancey's great quote to illustrate this shift:

As I travel, I have observed a pattern, a strange historical phenomenon of God “moving” geographically from the Middle East, to Europe to North America to the developing world.  My theory is this: God goes where he’s wanted.

If facebook were a country, it would be the third most populace country on earth (third only to China and India).  At the time of writing this post facebook had more than 500 million registered users - that means that 1 in every 14 living persons is on facebook!

The question is - where is the Church?

What struck me this evening was the simple truth:  If the Church's primary means of evangelism is its Sunday service, then the Christian faith is in for some serious challenges!  

There are two basic problems with Sunday services.  First, a Sunday service does not serve the real needs of a community in a tangible and practical way!  It doesn't feed people, it doesn't help people to face hardship, conflict or some of the most basic needs in life (this may be a general statement.  I'll concede that there are some Churches that do these things in addition to the regular 'Sunday service' activities. But, on the whole most Churches do not).  I'm not saying that a Sunday service is not valuable or necessary - it is!  It is an act of worship! But, I AM saying that it is a VERY innefective tool for evangelism.  

The second reason why it is not effective as a tool for evangelism (in the sense of bringing the Good news to bear upon the world) is because it is framed around propositional evangelism i.e., the preacher will make claims and statements about God and the Christian faith that his or her congregation will have to make a decision about.  Most of the claims (e.g., God loves you, Jesus died to set you free form Sin, God wants to meet your physical, emotional and spiritual needs etc.) cannot be substantiated by an experience or encounter in the service.  So, if we say that God loves us, how will we facilitate an authentic encounter with that love in a synthetic environment?  The problem of propositions is compounded in a world of competing truths!  The Church will have to move beyond the Sunday service if it wants to move from the pew onto the pavement with the Gospel!  

The act of worship should be the catalyst for evangelism and mission!  If you want to see how Monday can become an extension of Sunday then please see the incredible work of my friend John van de Laar at www.sacredise.com.  John is doing some amazing things to extend worship into the world of work (and general life), and bring the world of work (and general life) meaningfully into worship!  Please keep an eye on John's site for his new book which is sure to give some fantastic practical insights into this topic.

So, my presentation suggests 5 mind shifts, paradigm shifts if you will, that we shall need to go through if we wish to live for legacy, impact our community for the Gospel and not just out Church.  In other words, these are things that we shall need to do in order to shorten the distance between the pew and the pavement!

Thank you to the men for their hearty engagement, the great coffee, and most of all to Nick for the exceptional worship!  Nic is truly a gifted worship leader!

So, here are my slides:

Make every day an extraordinary day

View more presentations from Dion Forster.

Please feel free to use them!  The video that I used, called 'Shift happens' is one of the most asked for clips when I speak publicly.  Here's a copy of the video:

Lastly, if you would like a more detailed discussion of the 5 paradigms please see these tags - There is even an audio recording from a Radio Pulpit show on the 5 paradigms after the jump. And I wrote a chapter about this in my new book 'Transform your work life' (Chapter 3 entitled 'Big plans, big purpose). It has both the content and some useful references and illustrations to help one practically consider the implications of such mind shifts.

How many Churches do you think have understood the relationship between the pew and the pavement?  Can you give any creative examples of how the Church can shorten the distance between the pew and the pavement?  I'd love to hear from you!

Too familiar to take seriously?

I read the Bible - it is a valuable and helpful discipline. I find courage, challenge, comfort and insight within its pages. I have a copy of the Bible on my iPhone (in fact I have three copies; the NRSV, NIV and Greek New Testament). I follow the discipline of taking time for daily devotions (prayer, reading scripture and quiet mediation upon scripture). But, I also try to read the Bible during the day when I can find the time.

The quote below challenged me! I need to spend much more time being challenged and changed as I wrestle with the grace filled teaching of the Bible. Here's what Thomas Merton said:

"There is, in a word, nothing comfortable about the Bible -- until we manage to get so used to it that we make it comfortable for ourselves. But then we are perhaps too used to it and too at home in it. Let us not be too sure we know the Bible ... just because we have learned not to have problems with it. Have we perhaps learned ... not to really pay attention to it? Have we ceased to question the book and be questioned by it?"

- Thomas Merton from his book 'Opening the Bible'

I'm afraid that sometimes I become too familiar with this sacred text. How do you use the Bible? What do you use it for? I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts!

The cliffs of Mosselbay - Riding the Wandelpad on my Mountainbike

On Monday Megie, Courts, Liam and I drove out to Mosselbay to spend a few days with our great friends, Cois and Corne and their kids, in Mosselbay. For those who don't know where that is, Mosselbay is about 3 hours drive outside of Cape Town. Cois and Corne have a beautiful flat in an area called Diaz beach.

Yesterday was a cold, wet day. Late in the afternoon I decided to go for a ride. It wasn't very long, about 22km, but it was great! I rode from where we are staying to 'the point' and then went looking for the Methodist Church (tip of the hat to the good 'Methodist people'). I found the Church and added it on Gowalla and while I was there a neighbour of the Church told me about a place called 'Die Wandelpad'.

So, I went up Church street, past the golf course and onto the cliffs around the point. It was an awesome piece of single track! Some great technical riding over rocks with a sheer drop on the side. There were a few moments where I was laughing out loud as I rode! I loved it! Just take a look at this view towards the lighthouse.

Here's a little piece of single track pointing out towards the sea. Here you can get some idea of the terrain - rocky and quite close to the edge! It is actually a walking trail, but one can ride most of it.  There were a few places where I had to climb off my bike because the corners were too steep, or there were large (or sharp) rocks obstructing the walking path.  Then of course there were the steps at the end.  But on the whole most of it was rideable in a lower gear (both up and down).  As long as I kept my weight back and my centre of gravity low I could climb and descend the paths.  I will confess that riding single track is what makes mountainbiking so appealing!

This was the last picture I took below the lighthouse before hiking my bike down the stairs to the point.  I had to pick up my bike and carry it down to the parking lot.  I passed a few tourists along the way who clearly thought that i was crazy coming down the walkway with my bike on my back!

 

If you're interested in seeing the track and the change in altitude, here's the info from my Garmin Forerunner 305 watch. It is an older watch, but it works for me.  It handles GPS coordinates, keeps track of my speed, distance, heart rate etc.  And what is best is that I can connect it to my Apple Mac via USB and download both the tracks and the riding data using a piece of software I purchased called 'Ascent'.  The little graphic below comes from a screen shot in Ascent.  It helps me to keep track of my rides, the distances and also to know how my training is going - I am preparing for a three day stage race later in the year called Wines2Whales.

There is more than this! Finding blessing at work!

On a Wednesday morning we have a prayer group that meets from 6h30-7h30 at our company. It is a wonderful gathering that fills me with hope, connects me with my faith, and offers support and encouragement for the week. But, it also allows me to see many of our staff arriving at work to start the day.

It is pretty sobering to see people arriving for work, knowing that they have 9 hours ahead of them, and many of them don't look energised, let alone blessed, by the prospect of being at work.  I can understand some of the practical considerations that make going to work difficult - the mother of a newly born baby who longs to be with her child.  That father of a sick wife who arrives at work worried about how his wife is feeling.  The person who has to face a difficult boss, and those who don't particularly enjoy the tasks they are to do in order to earn an income and survive.

Indeed, work can be difficult - but, the good news is that there is MORE to work than just working!  There is an immeasurable opportunity to find blessing at work by allowing God to use you to BECOME a blessing at work.  And, it may be much simpler and easier to do than you think!

Listen to this interview between Particia McNaught Davis from Radio Helderberg and Dion Forster (broadcast on the 15th of June 2010 - 8mb MP3) and you may just get a few insights to help you to discover that your work life can be transformed into an extraordinary calling.  Something that you look forward to, because there is a sense of incredible significance and purpose in what you're doing there - you are sent by God to achieve His will in that place, among those people, and within those systems!  Indeed, 'work can be worship' (Col 3.23-24).

You can also download the first few chapter of the book 'Transform your work life:  Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling' and read all about Graham Power and how God is using him in business, and also about Dion Forster - a pastor who has been sent by God to work in the marketplace.

You can purchase copies of the book (with a free leather journal) for on R88 (just over US$10) at ChristianRepublic.  Or if you're in South Africa you can pick up copies at Wordsworth books, Exclusive Books, CUM books etc.

Proof at last!

Indeed, there is proof! For the record, I am NOT platform agnostic!

I wonder if we'll be using iChat in heaven!? Thanks to Kevin for sending this through!  He knows that I am both passionate about Christ, and quite passionate about Apple Macs!

All the gory details!

Yesterday my friends Greg (@gregbeliever) and Ruan (not on twitter!) and I (@digitaldion) did an EPIC mountainbike ride from Somerset West to Stellebosch (on the mountains), and back.

Ruan had to turn back a bit early (I think at about 30km's), but Greg and I did 60km's in total, mostly on the mountains above Somerset West and Stellenbosch.  It was great fun!  There were many parts where we had no roads or tracks to ride - we simply road through the bushes, and at times pushed our bikes, and even had to 'hike' them over our shoulders.  Yes, there were one or two spots where we had to jump a boundary fence!

We left at 13.30 and eventually got back home in Somerset West at 19.30 - 60km's in 6 hours!  Not exactly a world record for speed, but definitely a ride of a lifetime.

It was great to share the experience with Greg - he and I are both deeply committed Christians.  So, we had lots of time to talk, pray and give thanks, and just celebrate being healthy, alive, and riding in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.

It is a great varied ride; some tar, some good jeep track (with lots of climbing), some technical single track, some VERY technical single track (in Eden and Paradyskloof - hectic, steep, rocky downhill!), and some bush with no road in sight!  So cool!

Well, if you're interested in following the route in Google earth you can download the file here (right click and save it if you're on windows, control click it if you're on a mac).  Firefox seems think it is a text file and open it in the browser instead of saving it to open in Google Earth.  Not sure why.

There was some spectacular scenery along the way! My goodness!  At one point we ended up on this farm (I'm still not entirely sure where it is - somewhere behind Avontuur farm).  Isn't this view amazing?

If you're interested in the 'inner workings' of my heart this image below shows my heartrate throughout the ride - I snapped this one at my highest point (166bpm - not too bad for such a long ride!)

A friend asked 'Why would you do this!?' - well, first it is GREAT fun! But, we're also training for the wines2whales race later this year that will be between 80-100km a day for three days.

Have you got any 'fun' activities for which you'll endure strain and discomfort!?

5 tips for becoming a better presenter, public speaker, preacher

Follow the link at the end of this post for some great advice from one of the great public speakers in South Africa - @MikeStopforth

Have you got anything to add?

In my experience the larger the crowd the more challenging it is to engage them.

I often speak to groups of 50-80 people. No problems, a bit of audience participation, some great narrative (stories!), humour, fast pace, powerpoint slides with NO text (just pictures) and it works. But when the group is much larger (I recently spoke at a conference with 900 people) it is a little more challenging...

Having an understanding of how the brain works also helps. I've figured out that certain types of visual and auditory stimuli are far more effective than others... I confess that I use some of that to get my message across. If you want to know my 'secrets' drop me a line @digitaldion! I'm happy to share!

Here's Mike's article: 5 tips for become a better presenter (or public speaker).

iPhone OS4 / iOS on a South African iPhone... What to do!?

I heard this morning that the iOS4 upgrades are starting… The new features look FANTASTIC!

Here’s my dilema.

I have an iPhone 3GS that is unlocked so that I can use it with my MTN sim card (I have my Vodcaom sim card - a work contract that does not have a data bundle loaded) in my Motorola Milestone (a Droid for the rest of the world).

The reason for doing this is simple, I don’t want to use my work’s phone for personal browsing, facebook, twitter etc., I’d rather pay for that usage myself. Hence the decision to put my personal sim card with a data bundle into the iPhone (browsing and social networking are superb on the iPhone)!

I also tether my iPhone to my Macbook in order to access my personal email, blogs, tumblr, twitter and facebook…

If I upgrade my iPhone 3GS to iOS4 will I loose the ability to tether?

Any advice is appreciated! Remember, I am in South Africa and use my iPhone on the MTN network.

Update on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 2:16PM by Dr Dion Forster

Well, thanks for the feedback (thanks Rowan and a few others who sent me links via twitter, facebook messages and emails).  Much appreciated!

I took the plunge and updated my iPhone 3GS to iOS 4.0 - it was quite easy! So, here's the verdict, it WORKS and it is great!

I had to jailbreak my phone using redsn0w, and then having installed Cydia I loaded the UltraSn0w repository and within minutes my phone was up and running on MTN in South Africa, with tethering enabled!

Amazingly after I had done the first install and jailbreak (which didn't allow me to unlock the phone to use on the MTN network (in fact I had to put my old AT&T sim card into the phone to activate it - the sim came with my original iPhone 1G!)  So, what I did was to restore the phone to the standard Apple firmware and then used my last backup to restore the content of my phone via iTunes (I created a backup by right clicking on the phone and selecting backup before I did the first firmware update).  That backup took about 30 minutes on the standard iPhone Apple firmware.  Once the restore was done Cydia appeared!  I couldn't believe it.  So, I looked up the UltraSn0w repository and then then installed UltraSn0w from there which unlocked the phone).

I love my iPhone! By the way, it also works on Vodacom - I tried it with my other sim card.  Just as an aside when I put the Vodacom sim card in iTunes wanted to update my carrier settings.  I'm not sure if that is safe or not, so I just cancelled it (I would hate to update the modem baseband and so disable the ability to use it on MTN)!

Standard disclaimer applies!  Try this at your own risk - if you get it wrong you may be left with a very sophisticated iPod Touch ;-)