Plan Be, Dave Andrews and the Laws of Followship

I spent the day yesterday at Queens Park in Toowoomba (where I live) where every Easter a little festival that has been dubbed Easterfest occurs every - well Easter.

Easterfest is pretty much a conglomeration of bands and other activities that attract a great number of Christians (apparrently it is the largest Christian festival in the Southern Hemisphere) from all over the country.

Many people have asked the question over the past 11 or 12 years that the festival has run (it was orginally called Australian Gospel Music Festival or AGMF until th ename change in '08 I think), "What has it all got to do with Easter". While it may not have ben the prevailing question during the AGMF years, it has certainly been so since the name change to Easterfest.

I know quite a few people who have not returned to the festival since the name change. And just yesterday, a business associate asked me what I was doing at the festival, thinking that I was doing comedy. When I told him I was representing the radio station on which my show airs (Mark and Mal's Mad Rush to Midnight, weeknights from 9.30pm - listen in Toowoomba on 92.9, or listen worldwide at www.radio929.fm) and that I had been told in 2006 that comedy didn't fit their format, he responded, "Oh, but Motocross - now that speaks volumes to me about the sacrifice of Christ that we remember at Easter. Its a funny ol' festival, isn't it."

That all said, yesterday my co-host, Mal, and I spent most of our time interviewing not the muso's, but people that I think actually bring a glimmer of what following Jesus is about to the forum. People like Lyle Shelton from the Australian Christian Lobby; Steve Davies from the Bible Society Qld; the guys who remember the outlaw bikers on the fringes of society (who are copping plenty of flack in the media right now) in God's Squad; and the prophetic voice of Dave Andrews.

If you are not aware of Dave, do yourself a favour and either:
a) buy and read Dave's books, particularly Christi-anarchy;
b) visit www.waitersunion.org
c) all of the above.

Dave was at Easterfest where some might say he was launching a book. I reckon he was launching a movement.

Dave has just finished writing a book called Plan Be. The simple premise of the book is that Plan A (Treat others as they have treated you) does not work, but if we all lived the Be-Attitudes that Jesus shares at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, that would be enough to create a revolution for Jesus.

Sounds like followship to me. In fact, reading through Dave's book last night, there were plenty of parallels.

I may unpack these some time later, but for now, do yourself a favour, pull out your Bible, blow off the dust, turn to Matthew 5 and read the Beattitudes. Now, don't stop there: pick one and exercise your followhip - DO IT!

You may even perhaps change the world.

If you are on the Bible Society's mailing list, look out for the Plan Be small group material coming to you. Don't throw it away - put it into action.

I leave you with Dave's 'Plan Be' version of the serenity prayer.

Lord,
Grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change;
The courage to change the one I can;
And the wisdom to know it's me.

Cheers and Peace for Easter,

Mark G