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Weblog Archives: January 2003
Friday, January 31, 2003
Friday is a good day to hear something from the Wesley's I think, this time a hymn for which John is responsible. It's a translation of a German hymn, but it can be truly called "Wesleyan".
Thou hidden love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed no one knows,
I see from afar thy beauteous light,
And inly sigh for thy repose;
My heart is pained, nor can it be
At rest, till it finds rest in Thee.Thy secret voice invites me still
The sweetness of thy yoke to prove;
And fain I would; but though my will
Seems fixed, yet wide my passions rove;
Yet hindrances strew all the way;
I aim at Thee, yet from Thee stray.’Tis mercy all that Thou has brought
My mind to seek its peace in Thee;
Yet while I seek, but find Thee not,
No peace my wandering soul shall see.
O when shall all my wanderings end,
And all my steps to theeward tend?Is there a thing beneath the sun
That strives with Thee my heart to share?
Ah, tear it hence and reign alone,
The Lord of every motion there;
Then shall my heart from earth be free,
When it hath found repose in Thee.O hide this self from me, that I
No more, but Christ in me, may live!
My vile affections crucify,
Nor let one darling lust survive
In all things nothing may I see,
Nothing desire or seek, but Thee!O Love, thy sovereign aid impart
To save me from low thought care;
Chase this self will from all my heart,
From all its hidden mazes there;
Make me Thy duteous child that I
Ceaseless may “Abba, Father” cry.Ah no! ne’er will I backward turn:
Thine wholly, Thine alone I am!
Thrice happy he who views with scorn
Earth’s toys, for Thee his constant Flame;
O help that I may never move
From the blest footsteps of Thy love!Each moment draw from earth away
My heart that lowly waits Thy call;
Speak to my inmost soul and say,
“I am thy love, thy God, thy all!”
To feel Thy power, to hear Thy voice,
To taste Thy love, be all my choice.
Posted by Richard @ 05:22 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, January 30, 2003
Joel Fuhrmann of Religious Left Watch ponders the question of whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God. He concludes that they don't:
Christianity and Islam present two images of God which have different attributes, one claiming the eternal existence of God's Son, and the other denying it. The contradiction forces me to admit those two images of God cannot describe the same God.I can't argue the distinction, but I do take issue with the conclusion. Just as the same person may be experienced differently by different people, it doesn't take much imagination to see that the Muslim can have a different "image" of the same God. Of course, I believe that in Jesus we have the most complete revelation of God that we can have this side of glory, but that doesn't mean the Muslims have a picture of a different person completely.
Christianity and Islam are cousins. Therein, I think, lies our problem.Posted by Richard @ 05:17 PM BST [Link]
Writing in today's issue of Methodist Recorder, American minister Joe Hale shares his feelings about the "War on terrorism":
Because a "War on Terrorism" is underway, we dare not trust people we do not know and must exercise care in our contacts with those of different ethnic background or race, especially on guard with people who come from certain countries, cultures and areas of th world. The newly established "Homeland security" agency will help us by keeping close tabs on everyone.Later in the same article we find:
In this atmosphere, increasing numbers of Americans are seeing our "War on Terrorism" as out of character with many of our ideals and long-held national aspirations, including a commitment to look beyond ourselves and open doors that provide hope to people both in ur society and in the world community. This recent focus on "terrorism", on the other hand, is different, breeding suspicion, fear and racial and national profiling. The tragedy of "9-11" is altering the character of the country I love.The question to Iraq is: "Where are your weapons of mass destruction hidden?" Should not this same scrutiny be focussed on other countries in the Middle East that have those weapons, but will not admit it? ... When the roll is called for the members of the nuclear club to step up ... the State of Israel does not answer... A call for Israel to account for its nuclear arsenal could powerfully demonstrate to the world that the United Nations acts openly, with fairness, and for the good of all.Posted by Richard @ 03:17 PM BST [Link]
Whenever an arrest is made on suspicion of terrorism, it is usual to hear some mention of the suspects race or (more recently) religion. It used to be that it was an Irish accent that made someone an automatic suspect, now it is usual for the media to point out that those arrested are Muslim.
The day before yesterday, a man witnessed a robbery and gave chase. He caught up with the robbers and was shot dead. Police commended his bravery and public-spirited actions.
But it was 24 hours before it was reported he was a Muslim.Meanwhile, my local newspaper reports that the far right British National Party is targetting Swansea as a place where it might increase it's support, mostly on the back of the asylum issue.
But of course, there are no racists here...
Posted by Richard @ 12:01 AM BST [Link]
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
There's some interesting thoughts on some different styles of gathering as Church over at the Living Room. It is thinking which I really need to take on board and develop for this context. I've been at a lecture tonight on the history of Methodism in Wales, and one of the impressive things about that story is the way that the Methodists (and other Free Churches) responded to a very rapidly changing situation as the Industrial Revolution took hold, how they provided communities for the thousands made rootless by the move from rural areas to the expanding cities.
We face a similar challenge today. This is a fractured and rootless generation. I have a feeling that Darren might be on to something. Wander over and see what you think.Posted by Richard @ 11:47 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Last night it was my tax return that kept me from the blog. But it got done, and with a bit of luck I haven't made any mistakes and they'll accept my calculation of what I owe them. I can't say I had any sense of joy filling in the form, and writing out the cheque didn't give me much satisfaction either.
Tonight in our church Bible study we were looking at "the Law". It struck me again as we read just how much of that code is to do with the care of the stranger, the poor, the widow and the orphan. That care is a duty placed on the Israelites because God had been compassionate to them. They were led to safety when they were foreigners; now it is their task to show care to the strangers who live amongst them.
As we read tonight, I thought about my tax return and that duty of care. How else, but through our taxes, is a society today able to provide shelter and security to those who have no means of their own? How else, but through our taxes, do we provide access to justice for those who cannot pay for it themselves? How else, but through our taxes, can we offer medical facilities and education to all regardless of their ability to pay?
I'd never have guessed that reading Exodus and Leviticus would make me glad I've done my tax return. But it has.Posted by Richard @ 11:36 PM BST [Link]
Monday, January 27, 2003
No entry to speak of today - well, except this one, which doesn't count.
Why?
Because I had only a few days to complete my tax return, calculate my tax, and send it up to those charming people at the Inland Revenue. My wife seemed to think that sorting that out should have a higher priority than blogging.
And I suppose I can't really argue with that.Posted by Richard @ 11:56 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, January 26, 2003
One last thing before I call it a night.
Just what is this "soup bowl" the Americans have been getting so worked up about today?
Posted by Richard @ 11:29 PM BST [Link]
Another smile, this time from new blogger Dave Barry
URGENT SECURITY ADVISORYBene Diction takes the credit for this one.
Be advised that there is a vicious new "worm" virus circulating around the Internet. If it gets into your computer it will travel to your keyboard and try to get into your lap, where it will take up permanent residence in your personal organs. Currently the only known way to prevent this is to wear aluminum-foil underwear.Posted by Richard @ 11:23 PM BST [Link]
It's been heavy, heavy, heavy round these parts of late. So here's a silly story to leaven the lump a little more.
Several years have passed since the great flood. Noah has settled well into his retirement. Then, one day, he hears God's familiar voice again.Thanks, if that's the word I'm looking for, to my friend John for that one. :o)
"Noah. I've got another little job for you."
"What's that, Lord?"
"I want you to build me another Ark."
"Like the last one? But you said..."
"Not like the last one. This one must have 20 decks."
"20!? That's alot of floorspace. And it'll be quite a height. Will I have to fill it with animals again?
"Not this time. This time I want it filled full of carp. As many carp as you can fit."
"Carp!!? Lord, you know I never question you, but I have to ask. Why do you want me to do this?"
"No special reason... ... It's just that I've always wanted to own a multi-story carp ark!"
Posted by Richard @ 11:14 PM BST [Link]
From Easy Speak, a blog which says it offers "Pointers to using plain language from an author who has done a lot of it."
"People like Flesch and Gunning studied what adults read. They found that all successful magazines and English best sellers, including the King James Version of the Bible, kept their reading level at or below the 12th grade. For example, Gunning found: Francis Bacon used an average 28 words a sentence. Captain John Smith used an average 16 words a sentence. Thomas Paine, writing "The American Crisis" ("These are the times that try men's souls…"), wrote at a 7th-grade reading level. Gunning wrote, 'It appears from our own investigation that in all ages there have been men with something to say who wrote comparatively simply.' "Posted by Richard @ 02:51 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, January 25, 2003
For those who think there are easy answers...
Posted by Richard @ 10:34 PM BST [Link]
Richard Bott offers this helpsheet to make our arguments more coherent. It's good stuff. But I'm not promising to take any notice of it ;o)
Posted by Richard @ 05:03 PM BST [Link]
If you read the comments of yesterday's post, you'll see that Greg Popcak has responded to me. Both he and Dean point out that I lifted the words I quoted out of context. Guilty as charged, your Honours. Would rhetorical expediency be considered mitigation? It's all I have.
That being said, the words I quoted were not untypical of the way that arguments on important subjects are presented between Christians, and it's that wider context which is the more important one. To a degree, we have been talking at cross-purposes. Greg wants to talk about abortion. I was trying to address the issue of how we deal with disagreement in the Church, using the discussions we've had in the last few days as a starting point. He's taking about how we should deal with a pastoral situation. My concern was our conduct in public debate. Surely we can agree that these two spheres are different, though obviously related. I'll try to unravel my understanding of the two as I respond to Greg. I've quoted him at length so that I can go point by point, and this time I've tried to preserve the context of all his remarks. I think it is pretty clear there is little hope of us reaching agreement on this - what I'm aiming at is understanding.Reverend, you have the mistaken impression that facilitating healing means being less than truthful. Abortion IS murder.No, I haven't. I am fully aware of the role that truth and truthfulness have in healing. In my pastoral practice and in my preaching I hope that I am not afraid to "speak the truth in love". But let's put that on a hook and come back to it later. For now let's look at those final three words. They're the nub, aren't they?
If those three words are clearly and unreservedly true, the whole debate is ended. Murder is, by definition, unjustifiable. The first response to it is not therapy or counselling (they should come later) but punishment. If abortion is murder, it must be punished. What should that punishment be?
Whilst the slogan seems like a handy bit of rhetoric, that's really all it is. I'd agree that there are circumstances where abortion would be murder. The termination of an otherwise healthy pregnancy at, say, eight months would be one clear instance in my view. (Incidentally, I don't know the law in the USA, but here in Britain such a termination would be illegal). At the other end of the scale, things are much less clear to me. I know that many say that life begins at conception, and in a sense that's true, but I'm not at all sure that the full meaning of personhood can be invested in an almost invisible bundle of dividing cells, whatever their potential. And this, surely, is the point that seperates us. It is said that at conception a unique, never to be repeated combination of genes arises making every individual unique and precious. Yes - but a person is much more than a bundle of DNA. Perhaps the debate about when life begins should be informed by our understanding of death. If death is defined by the ceasing of the brain's electrical activity, it seems bizarre to me to put the beginning of life before such activity is possible.
The other informative parallel is miscarriage, where again it is clear that there is a scale of how it is talked about and acted upon. (Please bear with me. I know this is dangerous, painful territory) A miscarriage at a few days or even weeks might not even be noticed. A miscarriage at eight months is a bereavement as terrible as any. In between lies a process of growth, bonding and mutual awareness. Somewhere in this process a person emerges.
Turning to the scriptures, the only directly relevant passages I know of are Leviticus 21: 22, which seems to indicate that the ending of a pregnancy through accident is treated as an injury to property rather than human life. and Leviticus 27: 1-8, which say that the lives of those under 1 month old are of no value. There are clear and severe penalties set down in Leviticus for murder. These are not applied in the case of injuries resulting in miscarriage.
Lastly, most Christians would accept that abortion is permissible in circumstances in which there is a real and direct threat to the life of the mother. An abortion in this situation is no less an abortion, but few if any would call it murder.
None if this is meant to trivialise the reality of abortion. But a simple slogan, attractive though it may be, just won't do.
For the record, I am not "pro-abortion". I think the language of choice when associated with pregnancy goes very wide of the mark. In a pastoral situation I would certainly not be a "whatever you decide God won't mind" sort of pastor. There are times when this is a "black and white" choice between right and wrong. But that's a long way from saying that the choice is always black and white. Trouble is, "Abortion is in some circumstances murder" doesn't scan in a chant and doesn't fit easily on a placard. Life, and death, are like that.Now, that said, of COURSE, women who have had an abortion thought it was the lesser of two evils at the time. But clearly it wasn't, and the fact is, healing cannot take place until one fully reconciles with the gravity of what one has done and what she has experienced.It might have been, but whether the choice was right or wrong, the feelings of guilt, regret and self-loathing are still likely to be there. And I believe that it should be possible for us to conduct our public debate with sensitivity to those experiencing these feelings, whilst also sqaring up to the realities of what's happened in a pastoral situation. Even then, I wouldn't begin, "You're a murderer." Would you?All your approach does is slap a band-aid on the wound, which does nothing save compel your parishioner to put on a brave face so Reverend can feel like he did his bit. Then, she suffers another year or so until she eventually comes to someone like me, who can finally help her really heal. I wish I had tuppence for every time I heard that story.‹SARCASM› Funny, I thought "Wonderful Counsellor" was a title that belonged elsewhere ‹/SARCASM›
Seriously, I'm glad there have been women you've been able to help. But I admit to being a wee bit narked at you jumping to conclusions about my pastoral practise on no evidence other than your own prejudices. I shouldn't be so sensitive.Regarding your comments on the need for humility, I will only say that everything has its season. Perhaps you would think that Elijah lacked humility for standing up to the prophets of Baal, or Joshua lacked humility facing down the walls of Jericho, or Josiah lacked humility for making the people of Israel weep at having forsaken the Law of their fathers. Perhaps you would, but I would notNor would I. But I'm no Elijah. Not even a Wesley. Just a jobbing parson doing his best to discern God's will and almost certainly getting it wrong as often as I get it right. Sometimes, like St Peter, managing to do both at the same time. (Matthew 16: 13-23)Reverend, I will leave it to you if you wish to placidly stand by while your people sacrifice their children to Moloch. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.The temple of Moloch in Swansea closed down a few years ago. There's probably still one in Cardiff. Trust me, we're doing our best to serve the Lord this end, too.Finally, if that spade looks like a shovel to you, I would suggest that it is for the same reason you Brits confuse that Euro-weenie sport, "soccer" with "football" and think that french fries are chips.That proves it. We're right about those. And we make much better beer. ;o)Now, just to show that there are no hard feelings, I'll buy the next roundTa very much. But it'll cost ya!Posted by Richard @ 04:24 PM BST [Link]
Friday, January 24, 2003
I needed something less than serious. Look what I found on Ian's Messy Desk. If you need a smile, you know where to go.
Posted by Richard @ 09:37 PM BST [Link]
I had no intention of returning to the abortion debate today. I've been feeling the need for something a bit more frivolous, and although there are undoubtedly bruises out there in blogland, there have been some meaningful conversations as a result of Wednesday's controversy. I'm sure some good in terms of mutual understanding will come of it all. But then I read this piece by Gregory Popcak and I had to respond somehow.
That said, I am sick and tired of the saccharine, namby-pamby "compassionate Christianity" crap that refuses to call a spade a spade and murder, murder. I am sick and tired of the nonsense that the worst sin a Christian could commit is to offend someone?!? Good heavens, someone is offended! Stop the presses! Alert the thought-police! Bring out the Royal PC Guard! Crucify him! Crucify him!Don't hold back, Mr Popcak. Tell us what you really think! ;o)
Give me a break.
Apparently Jesus didn't get your memo either. After all, calling the pharisees a "den of vipers" was not exactly a warm fuzzy. He engaged the public debate using language the people could understand.
So, all you would-be Rodney "Let's all just get along" Kings out there, please line up now for your ritual slapping.
Consider this a much-needed reality check from the friendly therapist at St. Blog's.
I suppose he would consider me a fully paid-up member of the namby-pamby set, so I feel qualified to make a reply. However, I don't really want to raise the abortion issue again - except to say that what Mr Popcak calls a spade looks more like a shovel to me. The two are much alike on the face of it, but appearances can be deceptive. Make of that metaphor what you will.No, the deeper issue is how Christians respond to one another when we find that we have deep disagreements that apparently cannot be reconciled. One response is simply to shrug and say it doesn't matter. You go your way and I'll go mine. Live and let live.
In my view, ignoring our differences this way is dishonest and unwise. We may be able to travel that way for a while, but eventually a point will be reached - and maybe Wednesday's issue was one of these - where to ignore the opinions of another would be a betrayal of our own integrity. Everyone, even a horrid namby-pamby, hoity-toity, keep-your-voice-down, don't-upset-the-neighbours, pink's a -nice-colour-isn't-it liberal has their limit.A second response to disagreement is to what what I think Mr Popcak did. Denigrate your opponent. Pour scorn on his arguments, but in no circumstances address them directly, because to do so concedes that there is a debate to be had. I'm right. I know, because God told me. If you disagree, you're either a fool or an apostate or both.
I must say, this is a very satisfying way to conduct an argument, because you begin with iron-clad defences and a fully-stocked ammunition cabinet. Shouting louder usually does the trick, and if you really want to press home a point, crank up the anglo-saxonisms a notch or two. You can emerge the victor every time and it feels great. I know.
The trouble is, for every person that shouts "Amen!" there's another shouting "No way!" The Body of Christ is divided and weakened. ("Can the eye say to the hand, I don't need you?") If we fall out of fellowship with one another, we all lose.The better way is to face our disagreements openly, with the humility to be willing to learn from one another. Of course, in any argument I'm going to be sure I'm right. And I've got an opinion about everything. But I hope I've acquired sufficient wisdom to know that I won't be right about everything. It's in dialogue with one another that we learn and grow - that's how the Church has always operated from its beginning. Talk to me. Say your piece and, I hope, let me say mine. The internet offers us more channels for communication than we've ever had before, more opportunities for individual Christians to "meet" across geographical and cultural boundaries. It's up to us whether we use the opportunity to promote growth or deepen our divisions.
Posted by Richard @ 06:27 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, January 23, 2003
As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity draws to a close, here's Charles Wesley's hymn, "Catholic Love":
Weary of all this wordy strife,
These notions, forms, and modes, and names,
To Thee, the way, the Truth, the Life,
Whose love my simple heart inflames,
Divinely taught, at last I fly,
With Thee and Thine to live and die.Forth from the midst of Babel brought,
Parties and sects I cast behind;
Enlarged my heart, and free my thought,
Where'er the latent truth I find
The latent truth with joy to own,
And bow to Jesus' name alone.
Redeem'd by Thine almighty grace,
I taste my glorious liberty,
With open arms the world embrace,
But cleave to those who cleave to Thee;
But only in Thy saints delight,
Who walk with God in purest white.One with the little flock I rest,
The members sound who hold the head.
The chosen few, with pardon blest
And by th' anointing Spirit led
Into the mind that was in Thee
Into the depths of Deity.My brethren, friends, and kinsmen these
Who do my heavenly Father's will;
Who aim at perfect holiness,
And all Thy counsels to fulfil,
Athirst to be whate'er Thou art,
And love their God with all their heart.For these, howe'er in flesh disjoin'd,
Where'er dispersed o'er earth abroad,
Unfeign'd, unbounded love I find
And constant as the life of God
Fountain of life, from thence it sprung,
As pure, as even, and as strong.Join'd to the hidden church unknown
In this sure bond of perfectness
Obscurely safe, I dwell alone
And glory in th' uniting grace,
To me, to each believer given,
To all Thy saints in earth and heaven.Charles Wesley
Posted by Richard @ 11:12 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Speaking of subjects that generate more heat than light, I feel like I'm sticking my head above the parapet. Let's see if I can keep it...
Abortion is a deeply sensitive issue, arousing great passions. Many Christians present it as a simple matter, often using the word "murder". There can be no discussion - only the trading of slogans like these. Clever but, in my view, not very helpful.
My pastoral experience is that this is very rarely a simple issue for anyone involved in it. Doctors, nurses, family, partners but most especially the women who face abortion, almost always find it to be a pit of grief. The best that can be said is that it is thought to be the lesser of 2 evils. The image of doctors performing terminations with glee, of women casting aside their unborn without a thought is, in my limited experience (and it's all I have to go on) a gross caricature.
My plea, horrid liberal though it makes me seem, would be that all Christian conversation about abortion be conducted with compassion towards those who have been through it. Speaking the truth in love should not include rubbing people's faces in the dirt. We should not underestimate the feelings of wretchedness that some women feel even years after an abortion: chants and slogans will not help any to find the forgiveness that Jesus holds out to all sinners. Of course, moral challenge is a part of the preaching of the church - but even that challenge is offered to build people up, not grind them down.
looking back...looking forward has also shared a thought on this.
Update: Darren in the Living Room also weighs in.Posted by Richard @ 11:45 PM BST [Link]
Who will go for us? has been prompted to write a thoughtful, helpful piece on homosexuality in the church. It's a subject that usually generates more heat than light, so it was good to read something that had been written with compassion and sensitivity.
Posted by Richard @ 10:37 PM BST [Link]
Channel-hopping, I heard this memorable sentence uttered just a little while ago:
"The cross is this year's hot sexy look"I make no further comment.Posted by Richard @ 10:05 PM BST [Link]
I think of this blog (and indeed the rest of theConnexion) as being part of my ministry, though it remains personal rather than officially sponsored by the church. As part of my accountability I have to take part in a self-appraisal process that includes feedback from those to whom I minister. Which, gentle reader, is where you come in.
What do you think of this blog? Is it a worthwhile part of my ministry, or should I be using the time other ways? What about the subjects covered? If you have any comments to make I'd be grateful if you would email them to me. All responses would be confidential and definitely not blog-fodder! Thanks in advance.Posted by Richard @ 03:20 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Can I have my word back please?
I don't like to label people. Labels can be a means of wrapping people up in a word and then dismissing them. It is easy to forget that the labels we use to describe people do not define them. The Almighty has made us in such infinite variety that our labels can only ever be vague hints or approximations.
You might guess from all this that today I'm trying to get rid of a label - but you'd be wrong. What I want to do is recover a label which has been (ahem) "borrowed". I want it back. The label is... (wait for it!) ... evangelical. There. I said it. I am an evangelical.
My problem is, I reckon that word has been misappropriated and it's in danger of losing its meaning. It is beginning to be associated with a particular approach to the Bible, and sometimes with a particular style (or styles) of worship which have no exclusive claim to it.
So what does evangelical mean? I'll quote the glossary in "An Introduction to the Christian Faith", published by Lynx Communications in Britain:"One in whose Christian faith great importance is given to the teachings of the Bible as the basis for belief and to personal conversion as a necessity for true Christianity"That'll do me! Of course, I'm more than happy to share this label with others who might want to qualify it in different ways. Conservative, charismatic, radical, Calvinist, Arminian (and many others) would all be possibilities. Just don't try to claim that the word belongs to you alone. It's mine too!Posted by Richard @ 02:02 PM BST [Link]
There's some great stuff over at My Valentine, recently returned from a trip to South Africa.
Posted by Richard @ 01:36 PM BST [Link]
Monday, January 20, 2003
Josh Clayborn and Mark Byron have been mulling over the question of alcohol, and whether God minds if we drink it. Not an issue I'd want to go to the stake over, but I can't help feeling that this is another one where people have made up their minds before they consult the scriptures. And I've certainly never seen any evidence to back up the claim I've often heard that the wine mentioned in the Bible was very low alcohol.
There are some things that it's a sin to drink. American beer is one of them, in my humble opinion. British ales, stouts, bitters, ciders and other fine beverages are another thing altogether. For pleasure in moderation, responsibly and with consideration for the feelings and sensibilities of others. But wine, it says in the Psalms, was given to make us glad. We surely shouldn't try to legislate against gladness?Posted by Richard @ 11:55 PM BST [Link]
Peter, the Gutless Pacificist has been pondering the question of racism as the US celebrates Martin Luther King Day. He's invited others to respond to a piece by black theologian James Cone. It's been a while since I picked up anything by Cone, but I'm glad to be reacquainted with him:
Race criticism is just as crucial for the integrity of Christian theology as any critique in the modern world. Christianity was blatantly used to justify slavery, colonialism, and segregation for nearly five hundred years. Yet this great contradiction is consistently neglected by the same white male theologians who would never ignore the problem that critical reason poses for faith in a secular world. They still do theology as if white supremacy created no serious problem for Christian belief. Their silence on race is so conspicuous that I sometimes wonder why they are not greatly embarrassed by it.Many Christians will disagree with Cone's analysis. They deny even the possibility of a specifically "black" theology. "God," they say, "is colour-blind."
But it is undeniable that the history we inherit shapes who we, how we understand ourselves, how we will talk about God. Each of these stories needs to be heard and understood if the church's "God-talk" is going to reflect the diversity in which we were made - a diversity which bears the image of God. In a deeper sense, our histories are part of "his story", a story of betrayal, denial, rejection, cruelty - but ultimately resurrection and vindication. This should be reason enough for us to give close attention to those who have been, and continue to be, oppressed and marginalised. We prefer to look for Christ in the glory and splendour of heaven. He said we would find him in the stranger.Posted by Richard @ 11:37 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, January 19, 2003
Tonight I've been at an ecumenical service as part of the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I was told this story, and had to share it:
A man went into the lingerie department of a well-known store and approached a sales assistant with a slightly embarrassed look. "I want to buy a bra for my wife."
"What sort of bra?"
"You mean there's more than one kind?"
The assistant gestured towards hundreds of different bras, in every size, shape, colour and material.
"So how do I choose?"
"Between you and me, sir, there are really only 4 types of bra. There's the Roman Catholic, the Salvation Army, the Methodist and the Anglican."
"I don't understand."
"It's simple, Sir. The Roman Catholic supports the Masses. The Salvation Army lifts up the fallen. The Methodist organises the unruly."
"And the Anglican?"
"The Anglican makes mountains out of molehills, sir.":o)
Posted by Richard @ 11:24 PM BST [Link]
One of the things that's most prized in modern media is the speed with which they can respond to events. The BBC has a channel here which trails itself "the news as it happens. The new portal HourEleven.com (thanks to Bene Diction for the link) has the motto, "best commentary – fast". Blogs are often praised for their immediacy. Progress, yes?
I would have given an unequivocal "yes" until last night, never having given it much thought. But I've been reading a fascinating book, Why do Buses Come in Threes? The hidden mathematics of everyday life by Rob Eastway and Jeremy Wyndham and it has given me a fresh perspective. In the chapter on "feedback loops", which deals with such things as shower controllers, rabbit populations, and fist-fights, I found this:One of the most worrying examples of an over-reactive system has been the media. There was a time not long ago when a news story took several days to develop. There was less demand for immediate analysis, and therefore the reporters were able to digest a story before giving their opinions. Now an analysis of a story and the reaction from all the parties involved is almost instantaneous ... Society has created, and is now the victim of, a system which is out of control. Any wise shower operator knows the solution to this. You get to the right answer sooner if there is a pause for reflection before turning the tap.
Why do Buses Come in threes? London 1999 p135Posted by Richard @ 01:30 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Dean @ blogs4God has been kind enough to give me a guest slot on the front page.
And I'm wearing a childish grin :o))Posted by Richard @ 05:43 PM BST [Link]
My friends Gutless Pacificist and Bible Geek have begun a conversation about "justice". It started with an issue about a university's admissions policy, but inevitably ranges wider than that. They seem to be pretty well in agreement, and I think this is a representative quotation:
Scripture and the Church teach us that the world is fundamentally unfair. Things go haywire and from time to time nearly everyone has to bite the bullet in one situation or another. Therefore, any social program that benefits a group of people, say the poor, ought not have the goal of fairness and equalization ("social justice"), rather it ought to be rightly understood as a gracious act that is totally unfair, which would be the whole point.I hear what's being said about the world not being fair, and I'm sure there is plenty of scope in the world for people to act toward one another with unmerited graciousness. I'm all for that.
Even so, to say that "social justice" is not a central part of the church's mission is very wide of the mark in my (not very) humble opinion. You might as well say that the church has no business pursuing righteousness, because these two words are translations of the same word in the scriptures.
In the Old Testament sadiq has a legal meaning as its root, but has a broader sweep than that. For a king, it means good government (eg Isaiah 32:1), for the ordinary people it means treating neighbours as partners in the covenant (eg Amos 5:6,7) - for everyone it means acknowledgement of God in life and worship (Ezekiel 18:5-9).
In Paul, dikaiosuné is both granted to (Romans 5:17) and demanded of (Romans 6:12-23) believers, because the gift provides the basis for a "change of ownership" (Romans 6:17,18). Christians are called to live in righteousness - justice - because they serve a master who is righteous. Matthew's gospel makes this even more plain: dikaiosuné is both an expression of the salvation given by God and a condition of it. Underlying both Paul and Matthew the Hebrew understanding of the sadiq of God remains - the expectation that God will vindicate those who are oppressed (Psalm 146:7) - those who hunger and thirst for justice will be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).So I'd want to argue that it is the calling of the Church to "seek first the kingdom of God and his justice" - in individual relationships, in families, in our communities and between the nations. The call to righteousness is now and always has been a call to justice.
Posted by Richard @ 05:30 PM BST [Link]
From the Jan 13th entry of foolishness.net
my professor told us that the story of Goldilocks and the three bears was really about the U.S. Constitution. He said that Papa Bear's chair was the British Monarchy, it was too hard, too strict. Mama Bear's chair was too soft, like the Aritcles of Confederation, which didn't give the national government enough control. But the U.S. Constitution, like Baby Bear's chair, was "just right."A pity. That really ought to be true. ;o)And then as class was ending he admitted to making up that entire story, it was all a lie.
Posted by Richard @ 01:48 PM BST [Link]
A thought on Wesley's doctrine of "Christian Perfection"
Following on from yesterday's post on the "4 all's", a further contribution on "perfection" seemed in order.
The preaching of "Christian Perfection" has been one of Methodism's most important contributions to the life of the whole Church of Christ. It has also been, from time to time, a source of controversy. It must be said that Wesley's sermon which bears the title is perhaps not the best introduction to his views. To understand "Christian Perfection" we must first understand what Wesley was trying to achieve.
Wesley believed that there could be no limits on the grace of God and that all were called to the very highest standard of life. This is essentially what Wesley meant by 'scriptural holiness'. There is no one beyond the reach of God's grace, and therefore none who could excuse herself from the obligation toseek for the perfection that God offers as a free gift of his grace. With forgiveness (or justification) comes the progressive change in character which is the result of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Wesley taught that all Christians should expect to see this change and growth, and should seek the end of this process which is the perfection of God. This perfection he called "Entire Sanctification".
The target of Wesley's teaching on perfection was the 'elitism' of much of the Christian teaching of his day, which held that only a select few could hope to achieve holiness, and the best that could be expected of most was occasional church attendance and a degree of respectability. For Wesley this would not do. Just as all are included in the offer of salvation by the grace of God, so Wesley insisted that all could 'press on toward perfection'.
Posted by Richard @ 12:00 PM BST [Link]
Friday, January 17, 2003
I've been meaning to post this for a while now...
Although the Methodist Church does not have a simple doctrinal statement to wave at people, the essence of Methodist teaching has often been expressed in the "4 All's". These are slogans rather than detailed theological pronouncements, but provided that this limitation is remembered they are quite useful. For the record, the "4 All's" are:
- All need to be saved
- All can be saved
- All can know themselves to be saved
- All can be saved to the uttermost
Unless you already know what these slogans mean, you're probably not much wiser, so let me explain ...All need to be saved
(The doctrine of "Original Sin")This has been called the only Christian doctrine for which there is empirical evidence. Everyone knows that things are not what they could be. The Christian word for the fault-line that we see running through human life is sin, the determination shared by all people everywhere to pursue our own interests and to take God's place as the centre of our universe. Sin is "I" against God.
"Original Sin" doesn't mean sin that nobody else has thought of. It is a way of saying that sin is something that all people are born into; in every age and place men and women have found it easier to do wrong than to do right. St Paul expressed it this way:"I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.Sin may not be a popular word, but most people will recognise the experience that Paul describes. If you doubt it, check out the number of "self-help" guides available in every book shop. We know we can be better than we are. For Christians, the solutions to this problem do not lie within us, but in the love and mercy of the God who made and sustains us.
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."
(Letter to the Romans, chapter 7 vss 18,19)All can be saved
(Salvation by grace)Is salvation for all people, or are some people excluded from God's promises? After all, the Bible speaks often of God's people being chosen. As anyone who has ever played football in a school yard knows, every time one person is chosen another is left behind. Is that how the salvation of God works?
Methodists, following Wesley, have always asserted that salvation was on offer for all and not simply to the few for whom it was predestined. It is this belief that has given, and still gives, the Methodist Church its missionary purpose.All can know themselves to be saved
(The doctrine of assurance)The first two Methodist emphases point to objective realities - human seperation from God and God's action in Jesus to restore us to a relationship with him. This third emphasis is more subjective; not 'are you saved?' but 'do you feel saved?'Wesley first taught that this feeling of salvation came automatically to all believers, but he later came to realise his mistake. Assurance is a gift of the Holy Spirit that is shared with the people of God, but which is not experienced by everyone all of the time. Even the most faithful Christians know 'the dark night of the soul' at some time in their lives. Certainty of salvation and the joy that comes with it is a privilege for which we should be grateful.
All can be saved to the uttermost
(Christian Perfection)Of all of Methodist teaching, this is probably the most controversial. Wesley taught that the Christian life was a process of growth in holiness and that this process could be completed in perfection during a believer's lifetime. He did not claim this perfection for himself. Though at first sight it may seem ridiculous, it is important not to jump to conclusions about what is meant by Christian Perfection. I'll write a bit more about this in the next day or two. Here there is only the space to say that by Christian Perfection we mean perfection of attitude towards God and neighbour, a perfection of the will directed in love.
This means that this is not a matter of self-fulfillment or individualism. Since love is all about relationships, Christian Perfection is essentially a social matter. As Wesley himself put it, the gospel has "no holiness but social holiness".Posted by Richard @ 11:29 PM BST [Link]
Another great quote from Darren Rowse, wishing church were a bit more like a visit to a sports stadium:
Somehow I feel we've gotten a little lost. Instead of being out in the stadium of our world impacting the masses, we are locked away in our clubhouses coming up with great chants, cheering like crazy but not really in touch with the game. Its a pity - I think if we only would refocus the attention of our efforts just a little we could have a major impact on the game at hand and those others around us watching it!Posted by Richard @ 09:52 AM BST [Link]
The speed of gravity has been measured, another success for Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Had you ever thought of gravity having a speed? I hadn't.
I nearly missed this story, so thanks to In a mirror, dimly for keeping me abreast.Posted by Richard @ 09:37 AM BST [Link]
Thursday, January 16, 2003
One of the links that Gary Petersen left on the comments to my last post led me to this:
We've all heard the claims that there are many contradictions in Genesis. Many people, for instance, believe that there are inconsistencies between the creation accounts of Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2. So what about all of the supposed contradictions?
There are none!
If, with the NIV, we read 'Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east . . .' (Genesis 2:8) and, 'Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field . . .' (Genesis 2:19 with emphasis added), it is clearly seen that chapter 2 states that the plants and animals were formed before Adam. When Adam named the animals (Genesis 2:20), they obviously were already in existence. There is no contradictory significance in the order of animals listed in Genesis 2:20; it is probably the order in which Adam met the animals, while the order of their creation is given in Genesis 1:20-25.
For me, this comes under the "hedging, fudging or blustering" I mentioned yesterday. If we read with the NIV as the authors suggest you can reach this conclusion, but it's a huge "if". What do other English translations say?
KJV: 2:8 "And the Lord God planted a garden..."; 2:19 "And out of the ground the Lord God formed..."
GNB; 2:8 "Then the Lord God planted a garden..."; 2:19 "So he took some soil ... and formed all the animals..."
NLT: 2:8 "Then the Lord God planted..."; 2:19 "So the Lord God formed..."
JB: 2:8 "Yahweh God planted a garden..."; 2:19 "So from the soil Yahweh God fashioned..."
NRSV: 2:8 "And the Lord God planted..."; 2:19 "So out of the ground the Lord God formed..."
In fact, I've not been able to find any other English translation which reads with the NIV. This is an instance of the NIV's translators' stated commitment to the infallibility of scripture overcoming their faithfulness to the text. In any case, and which ever translation you might use, 2:18 makes clear that animals are made after the man:It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make {my emphasis} a helper suitable for him.
You can read what the Bible says, or you can read what you think it ought to say. I'm going with the Bible.Posted by Richard @ 02:15 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Dean @ blogs4God links to this article from the "Institute for Creation Research" and asks "Does science conflict with the Bible?" Strangely, I gave a talk in a local church tonight which included this very subject.
My answer is, no it doesn't. The Bible isn't about science and tells us no useful scientific information about the origins of the universe. This is what I wrote on March 18th last year:What they offer [the opening chapters of Genesis] is theology, a statement of the relationship between God, humanity and creation. I'm not saying that Genesis is not true, but it is not interested in cosmology, astronomy, quantum mechanics or biochemistry. Think of the way that different maps can be used to chart the same territory, but offer different information according to the map's purpose. Different insights into the same truth. That, for me, is something of the relationship between the Bible and science. Don't try to find your way on the London Underground using a street map.I'll stick by that. I'm amazed that people continue to flog this dead horse of a 6 day creation, claiming to be standing up for scriptural truth. I realise that I'm on the verge of ranting, but really...
If you truly want to take the Bible seriously, if you're prepared to let it challenge and change you, then you have to read what it actually says. It's only the first chapter of Genesis that speaks of the week of creation. The second chapter gives quite a different story, told in a different way, with the creation occuring in quite a different order. If the first chapter is a scientifically accurate account, then the second cannot be. No amount of hedging, fudging or blustering can get around it.
Just for clarity, Genesis 1 has:
"In the beginning" - light-day/night - sky- land - grass & plants - sun etc - fish - birds - animals - human beings - rest
By contrast, Genesis 2 goes
Adam - garden - plants - animals & birds - woman
There really is no need to confuse our young people with this old chestnut any longer. I'm not saying that science has all the answers. The essence of science is an uncompleted journey. But to try to claim that the Bible is any basis for teaching science is preposterous, at least as dangerous to faith as it is to science and ultimately flawed because it refuses to allow the Bible to speak for itself.Posted by Richard @ 11:16 PM BST [Link]
Posted by Richard @ 11:11 AM BST [Link]
Bene Diction offers some thoughts on "listening". Here's a favourite:
Living in a competitive culture, most of us are most of the time chiefly concerned with getting our own view across, and we tend to find other people’s speeches a tedious interruption of our own ideas.I'd like to think that amongst Christians such reminders are unnecessary, but I know myself too well. He also gives a useful link to the International Listening Association. The quick glance I've given the site suggests I should make some time to peruse it at greater leisure.Speaking of listening, there's a huge discussion going on at Rachel's Journal, sparked by her reaction to the question, "What is an American?" There's at least one point at which someone uses a word which in their own context is neutral, but in others would be very patronising. It's worth remembering that in these cross-cultural discussions that the internet makes possible, the other person's English often needs translating into our own.
Update: The discussion continues...Posted by Richard @ 10:46 AM BST [Link]
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
MESSIAH, Prince of peace!
Where men each other tear,
Where war is learned, they must confess,
Thy kingdom is not there.
Who, prompted by thy foe,
Delight in human blood,
Apollyon is their king, we know,
And Satan is their god.But shall he still devour
The souls redeemed by thee?
Jesus, stir up thy glorious power
And end the apostasy!
Come, Saviour, from above,
O'er all our hearts to reign;
And plant the kingdom of thy love
In every heart of man.Then shall we exercise
The hellish art no more,
While thou our long-lost paradise
Dost with thyself restore.
Fightings and wars shall cease,
And, in thy Spirit given,
Pure joy and everlasting, peace
Shall turn our earth to heaven.Charles WesleyPosted by Richard @ 11:24 PM BST [Link]
Monday, January 13, 2003
We've had a lot of fun at my church recently with the performance of our pantomime, Dai Whittington. (I'm pretty sure that pantomime is peculiarly British - if it means nothing to you, this might help) It was, as pantomime should be, very silly indeed. Men dressed as women, a very bad "baddy", a handsome hero and beautiful heroine (who, of course, end up getting married), lots of audience participation and some very (very!) bad jokes. I often wonder why pantomime is so popular. After all, it is thoroughly "old fashioned" in form and content, and could hardly be called original. In fact, originality is the opposite of what's wanted. Everyone knows that when the dame says she's very beautiful, you're supposed to shout "Oh no you're not" (to which s/he'll reply "Oh yes I am", and so on). When the baddy walks on you boo and hiss, shout "he's behind you!" when the baddy tries to sneak up on the hero, and sing your lungs out in some ridiculous songs. The essence of good pantomime is predictability. Which is not to say that originality is out of the question. Plots can be adapted, as ours was, to fit place and time. But the shape remains the same.
Perhaps the enduring success of pantomime is that sense of "rootedness" in the past and the riotous freedom it gives to both cast and audience. As Dwyer & Price put it"...pantomime has never been politically correct. Instead, it brings us face to face with our greed, prejudice, cowardice and dishonesty, and forces us to laugh at ourselves."
And I wonder, in view of the discussions we've been having around the blogs - are there clues in pantomime to "being church"?Posted by Richard @ 09:16 PM BST [Link]
I was preaching in one of our Circuit churches yesterday, and as a "way in" to a children's talk I asked the congregation if anyone had made a New Year's Resolution this year. No one would admit it, so I changed tack and asked if anyone had ever made one. Most had at some point - which was a relief - and I got on with the talk.
After the service a lady approached me. "Richard. I have to tell you that I did make a resolution this year. I decided to be less critical of others. I was just about to put up my hand to tell you when I glanced up at the choir and thought, 'Why on earth is Mrs X wearing that?!' Then I thought I'd better keep it to myself."
:o)Posted by Richard @ 09:43 AM BST [Link]
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Rachel has been to a cricket match, and while there discovered that something is lacking in her church worship:
We sat in the "Terraces" (i.e. cheap seats where all the crazy and fun stuff happens).. where suddenly, all these strangers around you became buddies for a few hours, sharing a love for the game. Some of the fun things were the dressed up impersonators of our cricket players, when our fielder came near the terraces to stretch at the beginning of our fielding innings, the whole crowd behind him copied his every stretch (!) and the zany Mexican waves where you joined in and dodged the zillions of beer bottles flying.If we could get something of the excitement of the terraces into our worship we'd have achieved something.
Tomorrow I'm probably going along to a church service. I can guarantee you that we won't get as excited, or sing, shout and cheer until our lungs burst and our voices fail us.Posted by Richard @ 02:21 PM BST [Link]
It's been my privilege to visit several different countries, become somewhat emmersed in their cultures and even learn a little of their languages. I must admit that I didn't learn as much Welsh as I had hoped, but have truely come to appreciate my heritage from the the short time we were in Wales this summer. In all my visits to these other lands and cultures I don't think I felt as "out of my element" as I did this week.
My son, Christopher, attended the Florida Music Educators Association annual Conference at the Tampa Convention Center. His purpose of being there (a little bragging here) was to rehearse for the All State High School Jazz Band Concert as the second chair trumpet player. The concert was last night and was extraordinary. Not only were the 25 high school students producing a professional sound as well as having a good time, but they also got to play several "Blood, Sweat and Tears" numbers with a professional quintet called the Boston Brass. That was followed by an amazing concert by 180 Japanese high school students whose sound would rival many polished adult concert bands anywhere. All but 4 of those Japanese students had only played their instruments for three years or less!
Anyway, while Chris was rehearsing non-stop from Wednesday afternoon through Friday noon I spent much of my time wandering through music-related exhibits in the convention hall, listening to various school bands and ensembles and trying all the while to kind of fake my way through conversations with people whose lives totally revolve around music. I found myself in a different culture trying to speak a different language. I admit that I love music, but I can only play a little guitar and piano and a lot of radio, cd's and records (you might remember those things). I took what I've learned from my 15 year old and applied it to the many conversations I struck up with college and military recruiters, instrument salespersons and others who also appeared to be waiting out the rehearsal schedule.
I came to the realization that how I felt over the past few days must be how unchurched folk must feel when exposed to us church people with our church language, practices and culture. The only difference is, music trancends human and cultural barriers much more effectively than the Church does. In a regular meeting with clergy friends this past Tuesday we talked about some of the mean spirited things going on in various churches that, along with our lack of relevance many times to a post or pre-Christian world, keep many people from coming to know Christ as a personal Lord and Savior. Was it Ghandi who once said that he would probably have become a Christian if it were not for how he had been treated by Christians.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to pay attention to how well or not well our worship services speak to those who might come as seekers from an outside world who don't know the language or the culture. At least we'll have music if nothing else makes sense, but even then the words attached to that music comes from the Church language.
May we always work to make Christ relevant in our language, practices and culture of the Church. May God's Holy Spirit continue to trancend all the barriers we have put up or fail to recognize and take down.
Have a Christ-filled day of rest and worship.
Ivan
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 04:34 AM BST [Link]
Saturday, January 11, 2003
Despite my getting his name wrong yesterday, Darren Rowse is still talking to me, and continues the "being church" theme, picking up on my post...
...how do we infect the church with some 'holy foolishness'? How does one help a timid and largely comfortable institution to change course? I've met numerous individuals scattered through churches around Melbourne (and the world now through blogging) that think this way - that are keen for change and open to some revolutionary thinking - but most feel helpless and disempowered every time they share their ideas or dreams in the churches where they worship... The debate that I'm hearing in emerging church circles here in Australia is about the way forward. Do we remain in 'mainline' churches and attempt to bring about change from within? Do we band together in new communities and attempt to model a different way? Is there some middle ground - are both legitimate ways forward?I think I'll have to come back to this later.
I guess for me I've decided to take a middle ground approach of sorts by attempting to start something 'new' (whatever that means) but keeping strong links with 'mainline church' by being intentional in my relationship with our denomination and two local congregations.Posted by Richard @ 03:45 PM BST [Link]
Friday, January 10, 2003
It looks like Bene Diction has moved successfully into his new abode. It all looks very comfy - every modern convenience. Pop over to say hello. And don't forget a house-warming present.
Posted by Richard @ 04:31 PM BST [Link]
You can always count on Martin Roth to come with an unusual but useful perspective on a situation. Reflecting on the possibility of war with Iraq he writes:
The Assyrians – living in northern Iraq for 5,000 years – are among the world’s persecuted Christians...It would be wonderful to think that any war to liberate Iraq will bring justice at last to the Assyrians. But this is far from certain. For the Assyrians in northern Iraq are under threat from another quarter – their neighbours the Kurds.Sadly, I don't think this war is about the liberation of anyone, be they Assyrian, Kurd, Arab or otherwise. If that were it's purpose it would have been declared long ago. At the very least we could count on our governments not to have had relations with Saddam. He has, after all, always been fairly odious. But he made a convenient ally in the past, and an even more convenient scapegoat now. Injustice, I fear, will continue unhindered.Posted by Richard @ 04:06 PM BST [Link]
Just in case there's any unsatisfied curiosity out there, this is where I stayed earlier this week. Cool.
The training was pretty good too.Posted by Richard @ 11:22 AM BST [Link]
What with caring for sick daughters (yup - Catrin came down with chickenpox earlier this week. Quelle surprise) and church pantomimes and stuff, I missed out on the blogging yesterday. I don't suppose anyone threw themselves from a bridge in disappointment, but I do try to keep it coming.
David Prowse continues the discussion about "being church", fully aware of the dangers of stretching an analogy too far:
How do we do crop rotation as farmers of the gospel? Are we in danger of over farming the same patches of soil as church? I suspect that here in Australia we are. As I stated in the blogservations post - the way the vast majority of churches 'do church' has been shown to only appeal to a relatively small part of the population. I suspect that this is one of the reasons that church attendance here is in decline.I'm not sure that it is "overfarming" that's the issue. I see it more in terms of timidity in our sowing. The sower of the parable scatters seed liberally and inefficiently. He does not sprinkle the seed carefully over the good soil so as not to waste any. He hurls it willy-nilly over good soil and bad. How can the church imitate this?
I'm sure that this is about far more than how we organise our church services and church structures, though these things will not be left untouched. It impacts on all of the things we do as the church, and as individuals working out of the church. It should shape the messages we send to politicians and the causes were seen to support. In all our activities we should be seeking to imitate the gracious love of God, not calculating a strategy for achieving maximum market penetration. So far, so theoretical. What it means in practical terms will vary from one context to the next, but in most it will run counter to "common sense" - because most of our common sense is shaped by the world and not the gospel. Whenever we find ourselves using words like "efficient", "realistic", "reasonable", or any of the lexicon of management gobbledegook which has become so fashionable in the church, we should be wary. St Paul called himself "a fool for Christ". Maybe it's time the church got out its makeup and engaged in some holy foolishness again.Posted by Richard @ 11:03 AM BST [Link]
Hwyl fawr
May we leave this place
Seeking an uncharted and freely chosen way to wholeness,
Knowing we have companions along the way.Link via Worship Web
Diolch. Blog on!
Posted by Bene Diction @ 03:57 AM BST [Link]
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
I'm grateful to both Bene Diction and Ivan the Crank for their contributions while I've been off, out in the wilds of the English countryside. I'll say a bit about what I've been up to tomorrow (with luck) but for now let me give you a quotation from John Wesley's sermon "A Caution Against Bigotry" that came up in the conversations I've been part of in the last day or two:
What, if I were to see a Papist, an Arian, a Socinian casting out devils? If I did, I could not forbid even him, without convicting myself of bigotry. Yea, if it could be supposed that I should see a Jew, a Deist, or a Turk, doing the same, were I to forbid him either directly or indirectly, I should be no better than a bigot still.O stand clear of this! But be not content with not forbidding any that casts out devils. It is well to go thus far; but do not stop here. If you will avoid all bigotry, go on. In every instance of this kind, whatever the instrument be, acknowledge the finger of God. And not only acknowledge, but rejoice in his work, and praise his name with thanksgiving. Encourage whomsoever God is pleased to employ, to give himself wholly up thereto. Speak well of him wheresoever you are; defend his character and his mission. Enlarge, as far as you can, his sphere of action; show him all kindness in word and deed; and cease not to cry to God in his behalf, that he may save both himself and them that hear him.
I need add but one caution: Think not the bigotry of another is any excuse for your own. It is not impossible, that one who casts out devils himself, may yet forbid you so to do. You may observe, this is the very case mentioned in the text. The Apostles forbade another to do what they did themselves. But beware of retorting. It is not your part to return evil for evil. Another's not observing the direction of our Lord, is no reason why you should neglect it. Nay, but let him have all the bigotry to himself. If he forbid you, do not you forbid him. Rather labour, and watch, and pray the more, to confirm your love toward him. If he speak all manner of evil of you, speak all manner of good (that is true) of him. Imitate herein that glorious saying of a great man, (O that he had always breathed the same spirit!) "Let Luther call me a hundred devils; I will still reverence him as a messenger of God."
Posted by Richard @ 10:52 PM BST [Link]
Loshon hora
Rabbi Chaim Feld in Cleveland, Ohio, says the Bible forbids speaking words that hurt people in any way. Loshon hora is a Hebrew phrase for negative or cruel speech—an evil that causes untold damage.
Link via Our Daily BreadMy two strongest besetting sins are temper and impatience.
I have outstanding debts of love.Romans 13:8 says: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
My new link has been removed from blogs4God.com. Dean Peters did so because as I understand it, I am unable to fulfill a request he has made for paperwork. Things here are not always done as they would be by our southern neighbours. In knowing I didn’t communicate effectively, in knowing reassurances didn’t fulfil his request, I got frustrated and fatigued and I committed Loshon hora. That removal has had nothing to do with the moderators.
If you have further questions, ask Dean. I cannot solve this dilemma. He made what he believes is the right choice for himself and the portal. I respect that, and will not re-apply, since I think that application could be a further hurt, and I don’t want to be party to that.
I owe him a debt of gratitude in several ways. He has built a strong portal. He has poured his time and his finances into building blogs4God.com so it is technically safe. He made me laugh. He blog-sat. He taught me technical things, and I thank him for his work.
God has unique plans for all of us. There are no sides here, no competition, and no either/or. I asked forgiveness for my acrimony.
Whenever we're tempted to pass along a negative word about someone, even if it's true, let's seek God's help in putting the brakes on gossip. Instead of loshon hora, let's speak a word of kindness and love.Redwood Dragon wrote this.
“I'm glad all the tsuris is behind you; and I think both you and Dean
distinguished yourselves, despite the depth of your disagreement, by your
charity and care for the health of the Body. It could have been a lot
uglier, and a lot more in line with Screwtape's wishes, than it was. A
triumph for our side. Thank you.”
I will not be removing my links to the portal or to Heal Your Church Website. It is a very small gesture of gratitude for all I was given during my time there. Blog on!
Posted by Bene Diction @ 08:10 PM BST [Link]
The other day I did a post on different types of humour and introduced you to a Canadian on-line offering named The Toque.
Here is an American offering that serves up wisdom with wit called Police Log at Arcata Eye Newspaper.
A stocky man with a crew cut wasn’t drunk, it turned out, just good old-fashioned strange, bugging folks for money and harassing businesses and passersby at Samoa and K streets. He was sent on his what will have to do for his “way.”(Sounds like me these days!) Or:
A disgruntled customer emerged from a green van in the Post Office’s back parking lot and, it was reported, went postal – yelling and screaming about packages and refusing to leave. An officer helped reconcile her issues to the extent that he could.(Huh. Sounds like me these days too!) Or:
If you got notes like that in your mailbox, you’d go to the cops, too. She asked that they call the writer at the two phone numbers he’d put on the note, but one was a fax machine and the other disconnected. He wasn’t a very helpful harasser.My blogging time in Wales grows short. Bene Diction Blogs On has a host. I really don't know much about all of this yet, I tend to stay out of the way when techs get to work.
Martin Roth of Australia, donated $125.USD to give Bene D a domain name and tech to set things up. Nothing could have happened without him.
Richard Hall here in Wales, gave me space to rant and blog and has taught me about grace by exhibiting a great deal of it.
I've landed on a server in California, I think. I'll have more about that when everyone is ready to rock and roll.
Rachel Cunliffe of New Zealand is busy doing whatever cre8d-design does to make blogs work.
My Canadian tech, who prefers to remain in the background, is serving our country well, and a tired blogger friend just as well (merci!).
Great people from five countries have given a great deal. Thank you, everyone.
Blog on!
Posted by Bene Diction @ 02:10 AM BST [Link]
Tuesday, January 7, 2003
On Saturday, January 4 precisely at 9 a.m. EST, the Volunteer Fire Department, watched by many faithful citizens of their beloved city of Fruitland Park, Florida, including yours truely, their chaplain, burned down City Hall! The City Hall started its life as the Fruitland Park Elementary School in 1915 and was turned into City Hall in the 1960's. In the last few years, this "historic" building (certainly not by European standards) became decrepid, too small and unsafe. So, the City Council in consultation with the head of public safety, decided that the best way to raze the old City Hall to make way for the new one was to drop torches through the roof and ignite combustibles inside.
It was quite a warm show for those who braved 30+ degree F weather to watch, for many, their beloved school burn to the ground in less than two hours. Now, all we have left of some of the earlier buildings in this town that itself only dates back to the 1870's is an old hotel, a store with a black steer on the roof called the Red Barn Furniture Store and the old post office next to what had been the railroad in the good old days.
So, here I live in a town where the firemen not only started the fire, they stood by and encouraged its success. The "historic" building that was burned for practice and to save money over traditional razing procedures really wasn't all that historic. The mayor of the city along with counsel members worked the crowd and assured those who didn't know the fire was planned that everything was under control, even though the firemen were spraying water on nearby trees and buildings and not on the fire itself. And, to top it off, the architect for the new building was watching the whole affair realizing that his new plans were finally going to be seen by builders. Oh, and in this country that likes to have lots of arguments over separation of Church and state, the temporary City Hall continues to reside in the old parsonage of my church, Community United Methodist Church. The only separation going on in this case is the separating of the city's rent money to occupy our former home.
So, another day in this exciting place called Fruitland Park, Florida.
Ivan
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 05:19 AM BST [Link]
Monday, January 6, 2003
Since I am attempting to be a half-decent guest here at connexions.net I would never ask my host where all his readers come from.
However, I can ask the readers! Pop into the comments section and let us know what country you are visiting from, ok?
Hagar had it tough
I was reading the story of Hagar in Genesis 16:1-13 today.
Its a tough story.There are a lot of things I don't understand. Sarai tells Abram to have intercourse with handmaid Hagar because they as a couple, haven't been able to have kids. Abram doesn't protest. Did Hagar?
Hagar gets pregnant and, it appears, a sense of entitlement which was not common among servants. She'd done her job.
So, Sarai, quite ticked off at this point, blames Abram. Abram cops out and says, "fine Sarai, do what you will." I suspect the acrimony was quite er, unpleasant.Hagar has to take off and fast. She winds up in the desert at a spring. I like that. In her hurried, panicked flight she found an essential. Water. She finds more, an angel of the Lord, who pops by with some things to say to her.
I like how in the bible angels of the Lord usually ask questions and give people a chance to explain themselves.
She answers truthfully. So the angel gives her an instruction. She didn't have to follow it, it's a biggy. "Go back and submit to your mistress." Then he gave her promises and predictions. It helps to have information, doesn't it?Hagar, destitute, pregnant, unprotected, went back and submitted, to Sarai, who was getting her exercise blaming the others, and who was probably still jealous, angry, spiteful and hard to live with.
That decision must have been really hard for Hagar. Prices were paid for everyone's behaviours.
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen [3] the One who sees me."That's my favorite part of this saga. Alone, broken-hearted, lost in very difficult and trying circumstances, Hagar realized God saw her distress and would not leave her. Hey, I'd have taken off too, desert or no desert if I was being mistreated, and God would have come looking for me too.
You are the God who sees me.
Hagar met an powerful God, Who is able to solve every problem, no matter how overwhelming or confusing, lonely or unfair things get. She went back realizing that He watched over her, and that she was not forsaken and not beyond hope.
She got it.
God is awake.
Posted by Bene Diction @ 03:11 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, January 5, 2003
I haven't usually blogged my sermons, but today is a special Sunday in the calendar of British Methodism. Tonight I'll be sharing in a celebration of the Covenant Service, and we'll be joined by friends from other local churches who have closed their doors for the night to join us. It will be a truly ecumenical occasion, with 5 churches and 4 denominations represented. I'm quite excited! Since it is an unusual event, I thought I'd share here the thoughts I'll be sharing tonight.
Main Text: Jeremiah 31: 31-34 The New Covenant
When we talk about the Covenant Service, we often talk in terms of renewing our Covenant - but it is not.
The New Covenant, like the old, is God's choice, not ours. The Covenant between God and Israel was not one that Israel made, but one that god made in choosing them to be his people. "This is the Covenant I will make with the house of Israel," God says through Jeremiah. He was not compelled to choose Israel - he could have chosen any other people. Israel was not more remarkable than any other nation, quite the opposite. It was not the most powerful, or the most civilised, or the wealthiest. In choosing Israel, God chose a nation that was not a nation, a rabble of slaves in a foreign country. As the poet put it neatly: "How odd of God to choose the Jews" But this is how God always acts - in love which is free and undeserved (grace).
This is what happens in the New Covenant with the New Covenant in Jesus. It is rooted in God's choice: free, unexpected and undeserved. Jesus chose the poor, the lame, the sinners, those who no one else would have. This is exactly where we stand today. At its heart, this is not a moment when we choose God, but when beyond all hope or expectation he is choosing you and me! [more]Posted by Richard @ 03:30 PM BST [Link]
Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine is one of the best media watchers, participators and bloggers out there.
Jarvis takes a hard look at Glenn Reynold's concern via Nick Denton that sewer mouths over at Slashdot have finished it off. He deftly addresses Professor Reynolds concerns this could happen to weblogs.
Does this mean the blogosphere will eventually collapse into a flamer-haven that everyone else avoids? I'm not sure. It's possible, and it's probably even the way to bet based on history.Anyone who has been on line awhile has probably been to /. It's not for the faint of heart. Anything technical you pick up competes with shout downs, flaming, tech-egos, smart alecs, and rude adolescent behaving, name calling adults competing for attention.
There are other places on line where you can learn, without leaping into a septic tank.Jarvis strongly disagrees with Instapundit by summing up the /. anarchy.
It's simple sociology: The shouting snipers get the attention... until and unless somebody else -- or the community as a whole -- shouts them down or shuns them.Next he talks about one of his own very busy sites.
...as I have bragged here often, we have incredibly active forums getting millions of page views and countless thousands of posts each day. A few teen twits, bozos, and jerks do spray-paint on the walls in there. But we rely on the community to send us alerts and then I, the mayor of this town, send in our forum police to clean up the no-no posts (and there aren't many of them). With a little tender loving care, these communities continue to grow and prosper.He explains why he believes the blogosphere and blogs won't degenerate into a snarky Slashdot snipe-fest.
Third, weblogs are different because they are not, purely, a community. They are media, produced by people who publish and care for -- and control -- each element. Together, they act like a community in some ways because they all talk to each other (like this).Jarvis finishes up with why he believes community and civility can rule, and encourages blogging comments sections.
....I wish that Reynolds would turn on comments on Instapundit. I understand his fears, especially considering the traffic and the subject matter and the scary email I'm sure he receives. But I'm sure a few volunteers could help police it and the contribution would be worth that price. I get a few twits in my comments but, all in all, the contribution far outweighs the carping.Blogs have a way to turn off the shouters. The comments sections are more self-policing. And the blogger, in his or her own interests, can use blocking and a delete key.
If you've got anything to say about this, by all means leave a respectful, civilized comment below.
Posted by Bene Diction @ 01:28 PM BST [Link]
Darren pleads for for "doing things differently"
We are not satisfied with where we are at - but we're not willing to move out of our comfort zone to move forward. As a result we keep doing what we've always done and we fail to fulfil our dreams. ... If this is what we desire - to be somewhere that we are currently not - surely we need to be willing to do some things that we've never done before. We need to be exploring new ways of being church. We need to be open to new forms of worship, teaching, prayer, leadership and community. We should be dreaming, experimenting, tweaking and striving to find relevant ways to connect with our world. We should be changing the ways we think, speak and look. We should be empowering new, up and coming leaders, giving them permission implement their fresh ideas.(Thanks to looking back...looking forward for the link)
I have to admit, I'm torn as I read. A big part of me shouts, "Right on! You tell 'em!" He's right; if things aren't working, it doesn't make sense to press on in the same way. Ask any successful business person. But I have doubts. We all want to see growing, lively churches, but it is a mistake to fall into the trap of thinking of the Church as a 'business' with a 'product' to sell. The film Sister Act perpetated this myth - change the music, liven things up a bit, and the people will come flocking back.
But we do not have a product to sell. We have a gospel to offer. I keep going back to the parable of the sower, who sows seed into every kind of soil indiscriminately, knowing that only some will produce a harvest. My fear is that I'm living in a culture where the soil is bad after years of abuse. This doesn't stop us sowing the seed, but it does mean we have a lot of patient, difficult work to do on "soil improvement" before we can expect to see the combine harvester at work.
Tilling, composting, mulching, double-digging, weeding - these are not glamorous and rewarding tasks. But I think this is where the energy of Christians in the west needs to go. And this would mean that we should be focussed, not on "doing church differently" but on "doing society differently".Posted by Richard @ 07:49 AM BST [Link]
Saturday, January 4, 2003
From the blog ofAndrew Careaga
It's difficult to wallow in self-pity when God's always nudging you out of the muck.Read the whole thingPosted by Richard @ 11:42 PM BST [Link]
Apparently, nominations have opened for the Bloggies 2003, Blog awards in 30 categories. [What do you mean you've never heard of them? well, truthfully, neither had I but acording to Joshua, "They're very tough to get and respected by nearly ever blogger."] Here's what it says over at blogs4God:
The moderators at blogs4God believe that the sites listed in the portal are as good, if not better, than any other blogs. Therefore we've come up with a list of nominations in the hopes of recognizing excellence and furthering success of Christian blogs. By voting for Christian sites you improve their chances of winning and in turn improve the liklihood of people visiting Christian sites.Sounds like a good scheme to me. Have a look at their suggestions, then go forth and nominate!Modesty prevents me from inviting you to follow their suggestions for "Best European Weblog" especially closely. Well, almost. ;o)
Posted by Richard @ 07:35 PM BST [Link]
With the festival of Epiphany almost here, the following quote seemed very apt:
Although the scribes could explain where the Messiah should be born, they remained quite unperturbed in Jerusalem. They did not accompany the Wise Men to seek him. Similarly we may be able to explain every article of our faith, yet remain spiritually motionless. The power that moved heaven and earth leaves us completely unmoved.[Thanks to Jason Evans, from whom this quotation was shamelessly stolen. Wander over and see what other good stuff he's got]
What a contrast! The three kings had only a rumor to go by. But it spurred them to set out a long, hard journey. The scribes, meanwhile, were much better informed, much better versed. They had sat and studied the scriptures for years, like so many dons. But it didn't make any difference. Who had the more truth? Those who followed a rumor, or those who remained sitting, satisfied with all their knowledge?
- Søren KierkegaardPosted by Richard @ 01:29 PM BST [Link]
Friday, January 3, 2003
Over on theConnexion Open Forum an anonymous visitor asks if anyone can answer the questions an article he's read (which he also posts) raises about Jesus.
It's quite a long article, and I won't be able to get to it for another 24 hrs at least. Any of you Apologists care to have a go? Remember though - kindly and respectful, eh?Posted by Richard @ 11:42 PM BST [Link]
It's widely known that I'm not much of a lad for poetry, but From the Anchor Hold has a moving piece which begins:
A leper looked for Jesus but found meThe rest is well-worth reading.
Such things happen, such things happen
He was a beggar, lacked good eyes
I had two, but none to sparePosted by Richard @ 09:59 PM BST [Link]
Bene Diction's "How to Blog 101"
Blogging is about linking to others, having fun, providing good content and making connections.
Links
The vast majority of us stumble across a blog somewhere. We start reading. We read another. We get hooked. It's called blog-lurking. And we find others, because bloggers are all about linking. Very, very few ever build a reader base by not providing contact to others.
Then one day we say to ourselves...hey, I can do that..and another blog is created.
Once you are technically set up, the next step is your links. A new blogger usually starts by linking to blogs they have lurked around and it's a good start. Then you begin to link in your posts as you leap-blog (jump around to other blogs new to you).
Most people have favorites bloggers or reciprocal links on the side bar of their page. Your blog roll is your personal choice. Study by web designers show that a very large side bar blog roll doesn't get hit much.
Many bloggers carry over a large roll to a second page. I often find that second page very handy. But by far, I find new blogs from reading a post. Why? Ideas beget ideas. Inspiration gives inspiration. It gets my attention.Blogs have not really been studied much yet because it is estimated that weblogs only take about 3 to 7 percent of internet space. That is continuing to change. Most blogs last about six months, but many bloggers return to the genre. The blogosphere is not going away. It is still growing. Do you feel lost and discouraged out there on your blog? Reach out to other bloggers. Link. Ideajoy's tool, Who Links Who is a great resource to find other bloggers who are not yet getting many link ups, all the way though to the most linked blogs. Dispatches from Outland has decided to mention blogs that are having a bit of trouble self promoting and getting started off the Who Links Who list. He is doing a great job.
Fragments from Floyd has been contacted by a fellow working on his Phd on human interaction and/on computers. (I'm flying a bit blind here, I've lost some content recently, as you know). This student will need blogs to study. Why not contact Fragments from Floyd for information? If this fellow follows through it would be fun to be part of a first study, wouldn't it? I'd love to participate if I can.
Bloggedy Blog has been contacted by someone working on their MA. Why not contact Bloggedy Blog and ask if you can help?The vast, vast majority of blogs are 'amateur', or 'non professional' writers. And that is precisely what makes them so unique and so interesting. Amateur is not a bad word. It is not lesser than; it is 'one who engages.' Many of the best people in their field I have seen in my travels and work were amateurs. Interacting with your links (other bloggers) and if you choose, with readers in your comment section, builds your readership base. I think blogging by it's very nature requires a level of unselfishness and a bit of effort on the part of the blogger at self-promotion.
And, when you are starting out, that is a very big step. Meta bloggers and others are here to help you. Every blogger started at the beginning and the vast majority will give you ideas to follow through on.
A post I did the other day here at connexions.net helped me link a non-tech blogger to a technically skilled blogger who may know how to solve their problem. I was able to do that because of who I know, and because of Richard's comment section. I followed up by email. It took five minutes.Content
I'm a meta-blogger....a blogger who blogs about blogs, and am currently a meta-blogger scrambling to rebuild my blog and it's base. I provide international news events that wouldn't get much attention where I come from, with the hopes and prayers I can help others expand their world view.
I provided and will continue to provide links that give someone in Australia an opportunity to read a blog in Canada, Wales, the US or any country. I provide personal content occasionally, because I can never forget that behind every blog is a person. I provide humour occasionally and fun blog quizzes. I provide content about what is going on in the blogosphere and posts about blogging. I'm not an 'expert'. I learned from Martin Roth in Australia, and attempted to carry it on at blogs4God.com. I'm being given a marvelous opportunity here at connexions.net. while I rebuilt my own lost blog.
I will be continuing the concept and expanding it at Bene Diction Blogs On when I have the rest of my technical base in place. I will continue to help to connect others, simply because God has given me a unique background, and I really enjoy using it in my blogging.Content is not difficult, although it occasionally feels that way. Writing is a discipline. The more you do, the better you get. The more you read others, the better you get. Ask yourself this.
What is the focus of my blog? Then, go for it, because you learn as you do it, like the rest of us.Ok. You've got an idea about a post. The self-doubt creeps in. That's very normal!
Here is an old broadcasting trick I often use. Write first. Get it into the template, and then read your entry out loud. What are you really trying to say? To whom? Are you rambling? We all do.Then trim, stick to the main theme, and branch out if you need to. Come back to it, 'nail it' at the end of your post. Then, post.This is the internet. You honestly don't know who is going to stop by and read your blog. And, when you have posted, why not take a minute to send out one or two emails to a blogger you have seen do a similar post and ask if they'll stop by and read your entry? If they don't, you can try again tomorrow with someone else. Pop into someone's comment section and say, 'I wrote about that too!'
Here is a great example. The Gospel According to Mark posted about people emailing him to get a comments section. Mark is in Iowa. And, he got a post response from The Musings of Irene Q in Malaysia. Both are excellent posts, and both have connected. You can learn a lot from reading their posts to help you make your own choices about comments.
Bene Diction Blogs On is up, designed, and awaits the return of Cre8d-design to help get it into a blogging platform so I can interact with you more effectively. I'm currently missing some essential tools that I need as a meta blogger. They will will be put in place over the next week or so. Unfortunately I have had to be self-focused lately to get up and running. I'll continue to be saying hi-bonjour to many of you as I set up and get meta blogging again. You are most welcome to say hi back and ask for resources.
Pop quiz! Quick. How many blogs were you connected to in this post?
Posted by Bene Diction @ 03:53 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, January 2, 2003
The web as a source for guided prayer? It may seem unlikely, but Sacred Space is a site that does just that, and rather well.
I'm grateful to Shalom for the link.Posted by Richard @ 11:32 PM BST [Link]
Not everyone who hangs around here will be a fan of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. His New Year address focussed on our society's obsession with image:
"We are in the world not of make-believe but of makeovers.And, whatever you may think of him, he is proving to be a challenge to our government. This story shows they are taking him very seriously."Walk down almost any street in town, and you'll see banks, businesses, cafes and bars busy reinventing themselves.
"Time for a change to the decor and the name. Businesses, charities, seem obsessed with rebranding themselves.
"You do wonder a bit how much difference it really makes. So what's going on? I suppose that behind all this is an anxiety. What do people really think of us, of me?"
"There is something beyond anxiety and fear - God is to be trusted"
Posted by Richard @ 11:17 PM BST [Link]
John Wesley will be 300 years old on 28 June 2003, and to celebrate, Ship of Fools is running extracts from his fascinating (and occasionally bizarre) journal every day this year.
That's another good idea I wish I'd thought of.
Posted by Richard @ 02:49 PM BST [Link]
Read through the Bible in a year with Ian's Messy Desk. He links to the passages on Bible Gateway, so you don't even have to look them up for yourself.
It's a neat idea - wish I'd thought of it.Posted by Richard @ 02:03 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, January 1, 2003
Since I am a blog guest in Wales I thought I'd introduce you to a bit of Canadian humour.
Canadians are seen by the rest of the world as quite funny. I don't quite get that, but I'll play along. I certainly agree that many of the best comedians in the world are Canucks.
As North Americans, our number one idea of funny is the put down of others. But we also excel at putting ourselves down. Our political humor is very UK rooted and is ruthless and sharp. Our politicians go out of their way to be featured on a popular show here called The Royal Canadian Air Farce. It's great publicity and an opportunity to take the first shot.
Sarcasm, irony, mimicry, caricature and slapstik are different ways people in different cultures find ways to laugh.Canadians have taken caricature of their culture and identity and have turned it into an art form. One of my all time favorites offerings is The Toque. It diversely uses subtle, raunchy, direct and indirect approaches and it is run by a talented group of people.
Here is an example that wouldn't be subtle to a Canadian, but may leave you thinking we are a bit nuts.
Prairie Seals are Straying Into Towns.
Although there have only been a dozen or so sightings within the city limits so far, animal control officials are preparing for a heavy season of seal wanderings. Traps are being prepared, with large cages with buckets of herring to lure the seals. The seals are captured in the cages, and then released back into the wild, far from inhabited regions.Enjoy.
Posted by Bene Diction @ 10:43 PM BST [Link]
Over at blogs4God, the moderators have been sharing their New Year's Resolutions. They're not entirely serious, which is no bad thing - it doesn't do to take these things too seriously. But the start of a new year is suggestive of fresh starts and new beginnings. In the Methodist Church we acknowledge this with an annual service for the renewal of our Covenant with God, normally on the first Sunday of each year.
The "high point" of this service comes as we say the "Covenant Prayer" together. It is always a powerful moment for me, a great challenge and encouragement. We undertake this renewal relying on the grace of God and trusting his promises. (Incidentally, in this prayer the word "suffering" is used in the sense of "patiently enduring" - the opposite of "doing". We are not inviting God to inflict pain on us) I share this prayer with you today, in the hope that it might come to mean as much to you as it does to me.I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you;
let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly
yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.Glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
Let this covenant now made on earth
be fulfilled in heaven. Amen.Posted by Richard @ 11:26 AM BST [Link]
Jan, at Shalom, is another blogger showing good taste in her links.
;o)Posted by Richard @ 08:56 AM BST [Link]
Guest blogger Bene Diction now has his own domain name: benedictionblogson.com. Pop over and offer some encouragement.
