Well since Roberto is the undisputed king of the blogosphere and Old Man Dave and Ruth are now fellow bloggers, it's time for to take my leave.
I am going to a lovely Gites about two hours away from La Rochelle for two whole weeks. I simply cannot wait to get away from the craziness and drink lost of stubbies and cheap red, eat amazing cheeses and BBQ anything that MOVES.
In the mean time I leave you with one of life's great imponderables which I invite you to ponder at your leisure. Improbably.
What's on my face?
M
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
*snigger* puerile and immature post
The church of the God of Prophecy held its annual leadership conference this last week, where they discussed whether marriage after divorce is adultery.
Thye chose this wonderful place for their venue.
Only in America ...
M
Thye chose this wonderful place for their venue.
Only in America ...
M
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Repete; numero un, b
I usually try and avoid the kind of 'blog entry which gives minutiae regarding the weekend's activities. 'Cos for some readers it's just dull, especially those who weren't there.
For this blog I will attempt to avoid such banalities. i will begin with quoting a line from a much maligned manchester band.
"I swing from high to deep, extremes of sweet and sour"
I have yet to find a better line to describe what my life feels like over a period of about 7 days. Sunday was in many ways a very special day for me - we went over to lead worship at a church in Bath. After narrowly avoiding missing Jay, we lead the service and it was great - such lovely welcoming people, and ministry time was fantastic. PLus after the service it turns out we did a great job for which they were very grateful. PLUS plus I met claire Miller's gran ....!
I then went home and felt really ok with the world. Home to an empty house. Bliss. Music on, chocolate cake and a book. Then like 20 poeple show up, so it's off to the park to thow mini american footballs around. I felt shattered. Went home and slept. Got up. went to church.
Now reherearsal was very hard. I broke a string. I found it hard to communicate what i wanted. During the night I broke ANOTHER string (these were brand new on friday) and went out of tune. i then lasted 15 minutes at the elbow rooms before abandoning Samm and running home to bed.
In short I went from good mood to bad mood .
Why?
Nothing changed, nothing really. If anything I should have been over the moon - both services went well, two of my good friends got engaged (finally) to their respective ladies - it was all so sweet.
Mes modes s'ont fragile commes les bulles. I'm just weird, me.
For this blog I will attempt to avoid such banalities. i will begin with quoting a line from a much maligned manchester band.
"I swing from high to deep, extremes of sweet and sour"
I have yet to find a better line to describe what my life feels like over a period of about 7 days. Sunday was in many ways a very special day for me - we went over to lead worship at a church in Bath. After narrowly avoiding missing Jay, we lead the service and it was great - such lovely welcoming people, and ministry time was fantastic. PLus after the service it turns out we did a great job for which they were very grateful. PLUS plus I met claire Miller's gran ....!
I then went home and felt really ok with the world. Home to an empty house. Bliss. Music on, chocolate cake and a book. Then like 20 poeple show up, so it's off to the park to thow mini american footballs around. I felt shattered. Went home and slept. Got up. went to church.
Now reherearsal was very hard. I broke a string. I found it hard to communicate what i wanted. During the night I broke ANOTHER string (these were brand new on friday) and went out of tune. i then lasted 15 minutes at the elbow rooms before abandoning Samm and running home to bed.
In short I went from good mood to bad mood .
Why?
Nothing changed, nothing really. If anything I should have been over the moon - both services went well, two of my good friends got engaged (finally) to their respective ladies - it was all so sweet.
Mes modes s'ont fragile commes les bulles. I'm just weird, me.
Friday, August 25, 2006
My new favourite word
eisegesis
–noun, plural -ses /-siz/ an interpretation, esp. of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text
Wish I'd had this at hand when I read some of the Christian pop culture books that have troubled me.
Matt
–noun, plural -ses /-siz/ an interpretation, esp. of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text
Wish I'd had this at hand when I read some of the Christian pop culture books that have troubled me.
Matt
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
quick question
Is it right to describe a preacher as a 'gifted motivational speaker' as so many do? Is this what really matters? Is teh chruch so flabby we need endless cajoling and nudging? Isn'tit one step form this to the self help Gospel of Osteen et al?
I refer you to the shortest and most perfect pep talk ever, on the brink of the biggest god project ever, displacing an entire race:
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
12 And God said, "I WILL BE WITH YOU. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you [a] will worship God on this mountain."
I think I'm happy to look for the speaker who is an excellent communicator of God's Words. We're blessed with them at Woodies. The biggest indicator of a preacher's angle would be to hypothetically ask what difference it would make if they weren't allowed to use the bible. For some I have heard at festivals this summer it would make no difference whatsoever. for others, notably Jo Saxton and John Piper (http://www.desiringgod.com) , it would cripple them.
Hmmm.
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Outside in Fog*
Isn’t it just so odd how time is relative? When you’re enjoying life it flies by. When life is a struggle it can’t go quick enough. Time is bent.
The happy spectre of a decision to be made looms over me. I don’t want to make this call – it all seems far too final given the subject matter. When did people begin expect me to be able to make sound and rational decisions? That’s the problem with pursuing maturity I guess – stating your goal without being anywhere near it but people’s expectations are informed by it.
Why is it so hard to hear from God on matters of the heart? The decisions which affect your emotional stability are the most crucial ones – so why are the hardest decisions the hardest to hear from God about? I wish I could post a Venn diagram about the overlap of my will and God’s. I wish there were more of it. Too often I listen to the lies for they offer safety. Trusting in God always was a bit hairy!
Give ear, O Eternal, to my prayer,
heed my plea for mercy.
In my time of trouble I call You,
for You will answer me.
*with homage to Coraline
The happy spectre of a decision to be made looms over me. I don’t want to make this call – it all seems far too final given the subject matter. When did people begin expect me to be able to make sound and rational decisions? That’s the problem with pursuing maturity I guess – stating your goal without being anywhere near it but people’s expectations are informed by it.
Why is it so hard to hear from God on matters of the heart? The decisions which affect your emotional stability are the most crucial ones – so why are the hardest decisions the hardest to hear from God about? I wish I could post a Venn diagram about the overlap of my will and God’s. I wish there were more of it. Too often I listen to the lies for they offer safety. Trusting in God always was a bit hairy!
Give ear, O Eternal, to my prayer,
heed my plea for mercy.
In my time of trouble I call You,
for You will answer me.
*with homage to Coraline
Friday, August 18, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
What I wanted to blog on
1 January 1739: "Mr. Hall, Hinching, Ingham, Whitefield, Hutching, and my brother Charles were present at our love feast in Fetter Lane with about 60 of our brethren. About three in the morning, as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of His majesty, we broke out with one voice, 'We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.'"
On tuesday night my Dad gave my a copy of John Wesley's journal.
They then mentioned this passage at soul survivor.
Good old methodists
Matt
On tuesday night my Dad gave my a copy of John Wesley's journal.
They then mentioned this passage at soul survivor.
Good old methodists
Matt
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The world: in or out or straddling?
Was going to blog about something John Wesley said , but instead we have that most welcome of all blog entries, the personal expression of confusion over something we don’t understand.
Please note this is more of an attempt to think through an issue rather than attack anything in particular; so if you are offended , I didn’t mean it. I think you’re great.
The issue – for as long as I can remember people have been telling me about a ‘new generation that God is rising up to INSERT ASPIRATION HERE’, and hence we should plunge resources into Youth work. I have many friends who do much youth work, and it manifestly and obviously NEEDS to be done. But I wonder if we write off the current generation too quickly?
If God truly is the God ‘capable of immeasurably more than we can every ask or imagine’ who has ‘incomparably great power’, then God can do lots of things with lots of people lots of the time. Like, now. With me and You. Wherever we are.
I guess this taps into something deep in me – how appropriate is it for a person to be fully immersed in the Christian scene from a work point of view, as opposed to being in the world with all its challenges and inspirations? I can’t see myself working full time for church again at the moment - purely because I feel I learn so much from working where I work. The Christian bubble is a safe place, but it’s also a stifling place. Could I ever be a full time worship pastor?
I mean, just imagine that you had to only listen from now on to Christian Music. I might cry.
I have just come back from a conference where I was working with an NGO who encourage us all to make a difference one life at a time, which is totally spot on. We all have a part to play in changing the world for the better in small ways. But I am more and more convinced that some of us must stand to change to world in massive ways. Like Wilberforce and slavery, or Tutu in South Africa and apartheid. Global and local as the saying goes.
Where does youth work fit in to this again? Hmm - well I guess if I look at the mess my dad’s generation got the world into, and the mess we’re leaving for my potential kids, then I could get very pessimistic and see the new generation as my only hope. Does lack of hope in me and my own generation drive me to look to the next as my saviour?
I think working with people one – on – one is completely necessary. We need youth workers, we need pastors and all the rest. But we also need people who will ‘purify their inner lives’ and wrestle with living out God’s message of the return from exile through JC in the hardest places. By that I mean the DVLA, the MOD, multinational companies, the UN, the academy …
Example: Hugely successful city trader jacks job in to work with street kids and the poor, teaching them about financial responsibility and offering hope. What a sacrifice, we say. When asked whether he thought about staying where he was a working against the macrostuctures and powers that keep people in financial bondage for freedom, he said “you’ll never change that”. Is it just me or is there a fear that drives us to seek manageable and obvious short term results just because to stay and fight e.g in the trade sector for your whole life is just too hard? Or is it that the comfort he had as a byproduct is seen with suspicion? Most full time Christians have at some point lived ‘by faith’, which really means ‘by the faith of other Christians who have money’ . Both the giver and the receiver are blessed by participating in God’s plan – I have no problem with that, and I’ve been on both sides of the equation. But at any given time a certain proportion of the Church must be in gainful employment (in the UK at least church work is far from gainful!) – my point being that they aren’t there to give their 10% and be miserable while the real Christians get on with it, but to serve and worship with their entire lives, just so happening to deserve a wage because of their labours.
In short : not everyone is called to be a full time youth worker, or a full time worship leader, or a full time professional Christian. It is much more likely that the highest calling we can all aspire to is to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God, demonstrating God’s love to a hurting world wherever we are, proclaiming Jesus as the Lord of all the powers and structures. In short (again), to love the Lord with our whole mind heart soul and strength.
Good grief. What nonsense.
Please note this is more of an attempt to think through an issue rather than attack anything in particular; so if you are offended , I didn’t mean it. I think you’re great.
The issue – for as long as I can remember people have been telling me about a ‘new generation that God is rising up to INSERT ASPIRATION HERE’, and hence we should plunge resources into Youth work. I have many friends who do much youth work, and it manifestly and obviously NEEDS to be done. But I wonder if we write off the current generation too quickly?
If God truly is the God ‘capable of immeasurably more than we can every ask or imagine’ who has ‘incomparably great power’, then God can do lots of things with lots of people lots of the time. Like, now. With me and You. Wherever we are.
I guess this taps into something deep in me – how appropriate is it for a person to be fully immersed in the Christian scene from a work point of view, as opposed to being in the world with all its challenges and inspirations? I can’t see myself working full time for church again at the moment - purely because I feel I learn so much from working where I work. The Christian bubble is a safe place, but it’s also a stifling place. Could I ever be a full time worship pastor?
I mean, just imagine that you had to only listen from now on to Christian Music. I might cry.
I have just come back from a conference where I was working with an NGO who encourage us all to make a difference one life at a time, which is totally spot on. We all have a part to play in changing the world for the better in small ways. But I am more and more convinced that some of us must stand to change to world in massive ways. Like Wilberforce and slavery, or Tutu in South Africa and apartheid. Global and local as the saying goes.
Where does youth work fit in to this again? Hmm - well I guess if I look at the mess my dad’s generation got the world into, and the mess we’re leaving for my potential kids, then I could get very pessimistic and see the new generation as my only hope. Does lack of hope in me and my own generation drive me to look to the next as my saviour?
I think working with people one – on – one is completely necessary. We need youth workers, we need pastors and all the rest. But we also need people who will ‘purify their inner lives’ and wrestle with living out God’s message of the return from exile through JC in the hardest places. By that I mean the DVLA, the MOD, multinational companies, the UN, the academy …
Example: Hugely successful city trader jacks job in to work with street kids and the poor, teaching them about financial responsibility and offering hope. What a sacrifice, we say. When asked whether he thought about staying where he was a working against the macrostuctures and powers that keep people in financial bondage for freedom, he said “you’ll never change that”. Is it just me or is there a fear that drives us to seek manageable and obvious short term results just because to stay and fight e.g in the trade sector for your whole life is just too hard? Or is it that the comfort he had as a byproduct is seen with suspicion? Most full time Christians have at some point lived ‘by faith’, which really means ‘by the faith of other Christians who have money’ . Both the giver and the receiver are blessed by participating in God’s plan – I have no problem with that, and I’ve been on both sides of the equation. But at any given time a certain proportion of the Church must be in gainful employment (in the UK at least church work is far from gainful!) – my point being that they aren’t there to give their 10% and be miserable while the real Christians get on with it, but to serve and worship with their entire lives, just so happening to deserve a wage because of their labours.
In short : not everyone is called to be a full time youth worker, or a full time worship leader, or a full time professional Christian. It is much more likely that the highest calling we can all aspire to is to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God, demonstrating God’s love to a hurting world wherever we are, proclaiming Jesus as the Lord of all the powers and structures. In short (again), to love the Lord with our whole mind heart soul and strength.
Good grief. What nonsense.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Le weekend
Well boys and girls it was another EPIC
Friday night the world's worst wedding band re-formed for our first gig, practice was fune, then Ana's party with loads of fuse and assorted crew.
I was lucky enough to have Dave Small and the Oldskool staying with making for many a jovial and unexpectedly deep moment.
Saturday was an interesting day to say the least - started at ten with a Mahusive brekker at havana avec Oldskool, Small, Zellis, Birched warlord, James (sorry no nickname), Tim Kidd and Listeroff
So we all then roll up to ADH to set up full PA in a garden . . .fairly challenging one might assume and it was – I bailed when it came to the lights. No idea, didn’t want to burn the place down!
So benily got married – besotted couple 1.0 . all very sweet.
Things went downhill for me when I stepped up to start the BBQ’s and blew a spark right into my eye, burning the cornea – ow. Zoe and Kirsty diagnosed; off to the eye hospital where Zoe was just lovely, fetching water keeping me entertained and eventually using all the doctor’s toys to look into my eye . . . so that’s why she wanted to some! Anyways we got back in time for speeches, and then came the gig.
It all went so quick – suffice it to say that using the vocoder on the s club seven tune running straight into Billy Jean will go down in wedding band legend for sure. Everyone was well up for a party – such a good atmosphere. Johnny D steeped up to help recreate some after april love with john B Goode -.
Negative would have to be having zero time to schmooze and capitalise on this performance – due to need to pack up PA and turn garden from gig venue into garden. Never mind. We’re trusting in God for that side of things. . . .
Friday night the world's worst wedding band re-formed for our first gig, practice was fune, then Ana's party with loads of fuse and assorted crew.
I was lucky enough to have Dave Small and the Oldskool staying with making for many a jovial and unexpectedly deep moment.
Saturday was an interesting day to say the least - started at ten with a Mahusive brekker at havana avec Oldskool, Small, Zellis, Birched warlord, James (sorry no nickname), Tim Kidd and Listeroff
So we all then roll up to ADH to set up full PA in a garden . . .fairly challenging one might assume and it was – I bailed when it came to the lights. No idea, didn’t want to burn the place down!
So benily got married – besotted couple 1.0 . all very sweet.
Things went downhill for me when I stepped up to start the BBQ’s and blew a spark right into my eye, burning the cornea – ow. Zoe and Kirsty diagnosed; off to the eye hospital where Zoe was just lovely, fetching water keeping me entertained and eventually using all the doctor’s toys to look into my eye . . . so that’s why she wanted to some! Anyways we got back in time for speeches, and then came the gig.
It all went so quick – suffice it to say that using the vocoder on the s club seven tune running straight into Billy Jean will go down in wedding band legend for sure. Everyone was well up for a party – such a good atmosphere. Johnny D steeped up to help recreate some after april love with john B Goode -.
Negative would have to be having zero time to schmooze and capitalise on this performance – due to need to pack up PA and turn garden from gig venue into garden. Never mind. We’re trusting in God for that side of things. . . .
Thursday, August 03, 2006
This one's for all the doubters up in the place
Astoundingly as it may seem to me, some poeple do not consider climate change to be a moral issue that the church should address, stating taht the church's mission is to Isaiah 61 the whole place, preaching good news to the poor etc. Others, most notably bible belt right wing US evangelicals, but not exclusively these , consider that since the earth is essentially a horrid and evil place fom which we wil be liberated , addressing climate change is not important.
According to new research by Christian Aid, 182 million people in sub saharan Africa could die from disease directly related to climate change.
1 - 8 - 2 MILLION poeple. Say it. Try and count it.
E.g.#1 Tanzania; risign temperatures enable malaria carrying mosquitoes to spread and survive in more regions.
This is before we consider the twin threat of drought and famine to a subsistence community.
In short, I propose that we stand up and realise the ecological debt we owe to the developing world, that which we burdened the planet with when we devleoped unchecked throughout the industrial revolution, and campaign as hard as we can to bring God's equity to this situation as we have over third world economic debt.
Your status in Christ does not guarantee you a middle class existence.
Matt
According to new research by Christian Aid, 182 million people in sub saharan Africa could die from disease directly related to climate change.
1 - 8 - 2 MILLION poeple. Say it. Try and count it.
E.g.#1 Tanzania; risign temperatures enable malaria carrying mosquitoes to spread and survive in more regions.
This is before we consider the twin threat of drought and famine to a subsistence community.
In short, I propose that we stand up and realise the ecological debt we owe to the developing world, that which we burdened the planet with when we devleoped unchecked throughout the industrial revolution, and campaign as hard as we can to bring God's equity to this situation as we have over third world economic debt.
Your status in Christ does not guarantee you a middle class existence.
Matt
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