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Weblog Archives: March 2002
Sunday, March 31, 2002
I'm feeling a bit fuddled. Last night I shared in "celebrating" (can that really be the right word?) an Easter Vigil, and though I'm now as tired as I can ever remember being it was for me a very blessed time. We begin at10:00pm yesterday with an act of worship, and continued through the night in prayer and fellowship. We gathered at midnight, 2(3)am and 5am and in between some prayed, some watched a video, some had tea & toast in the kitchen. Some did all of the above. At 6:45am we gathered on the beach in Swansea Bay, and beneath a leaden sky we celebrated our Saviour's resurrection in song, prayer, Bible reading and (brief) preaching by my friend Kim Fabricius. We met again in church for breakfast before celebrating the first of 2 services of Holy Communion. It was a joyful night and I'm already looking forward to repeating the experience next year.
The Lord is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!Posted by Richard @ 07:42 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, March 30, 2002
There has been some welcome sunshine, and an even more welcome chance to share it with my family. God is good!
The news of the death of the Queen Mother is sure to affect many people. Whatever your views on the institution of monarchy, it is undeniable that she had a place of real affection in the hearts of many. I pray that all her family will know the comfort of faith in God, and even in mourning find the joy of the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.Posted by Richard @ 08:11 PM BST [Link]
Friday, March 29, 2002
No words of my own tonight - just some words that have become my own that I hope will become yours too.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.Posted by Richard @ 09:24 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, March 28, 2002
Enjoyed a very relaxed communion service with a group of about 30 in my church tonight. It made me realise (not for the first time) how far our celebration of the communion has come from the simple sharing of bread and wine between a group of friends. I'm not convinced that something has not been lost. This is the start of a busy weekend for me as for most ministers, but Easter is always a high point in the year for me.
I'm sharing an ecumenical service in the morning, and being allowed to stay in the congregation for our evening service, which will be a rare treat. We hold an Easter Vigil on Easter Saturday, beginning at 10.00pm and continuing through the night - concluding with a service on the beach at sunrise. If, gentle reader, you're anywhere near Swansea you'd be welcome to join us.
Posted by Richard @ 11:16 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
From the United Methodist News Service:
Officers of the World Methodist Council believe Israel must end its
occupation of Palestine in order to achieve peace in the region."We believe the fundamental requirement for a settlement and an enduring
peace has two parts: the prompt end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian
areas and a withdrawal to the borders of June 4, 1967, which includes
Jerusalem and the land upon which settlements have been constructed during
almost 35 years of military occupation," said a letter signed by His
Eminence Sunday C. Mbang of Nigeria, council president, and the Rev. George
Freeman, top staff executive.Officers approved the March 22 letter during a meeting at the council's
headquarters in Lake Junaluska, N.C. It was sent to U.S. President George
Bush, Israeli President Ariel Sharon, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan."We understand the pain experienced within the present situation in the
Middle East," the World Methodist Council leaders wrote. "However, we
believe that the disproportionate use of violence or initiatives further
diminishes hopes or aspirations for peace with security."As the current conflict appears to spin out of control, the officers said
they join with the Israelis and Palestinians who believe that only a return
to the 1967 borders will bring peace. "The Saudi proposal offers this, and
we believe it is the best hope presently voiced. Neither Israeli military
force and incursions that destroy Palestinian infrastructure, hopes and
property - not to speak of innocent lives - or Palestinian suicide bombers
will offer peace or the opportunity for people on both sides to 'get on with
their lives.'"The letter urges the politicians to use their authority to bring about "a
complete separation to the 1967 lines, including Jerusalem, as it was formed
in 1948, and to the borders as Palestine was drawn before the occupation of
the Palestinian area ... by the Israeli army in June 1967."
The World Methodist Council represents 71 million Methodists in 130
different countries.Posted by Richard @ 11:53 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
A sign I saw in an office today:
There are moments when we are free of worry.
These brief respites are called 'panic'
Made me smile.Posted by Richard @ 11:33 PM BST [Link]
Monday, March 25, 2002
I had a happy time today at the reading group I belong to. The book this session was The Gospel According to the Simpsons by Mark Pinsky. I can recommend it as an entertaining (and undemanding) read to all Christian fans of that fine cartoon, but I'm not convinced it lived up to its title. The essential problem is that it has no gospel to present - the show has very little to say about Jesus and the good news of God's free grace. It does say quite alot about religion and it is very funny, and that's worth a good deal in my view. But it isn't the gospel.
What I find particularly interesting is that religion is taken for granted as an everyday part of life in Springfield, the backround against which events happen. This never happens in British TV shows, which seem to regard the church as only suitable for crackpots, social misfits and hypocrites. I suppose this reflects a difference between British culture and that of small town America. We often complain here of the "Americanization" of Britain (and the world), but if The Simpsons enables people to accept that faith can (and should) be part of normal life then it will have done us a great service.
Incidentally, a poll of 1000 British schoolchildren voted Homer Simpson as the celebrity they'd choose as a father. Last year a poll of American college students picked Ned Flanders as the most famous Christian, way ahead of the Pope and Mother Theresa. Makes you think...Posted by Richard @ 11:11 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, March 24, 2002
My computer crashed somewhat spectacularly just after I'd finished writing a longish piece for today, but before I'd saved or uploaded it - so there won't be an update for today. Apart from this one.
Posted by Richard @ 11:55 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, March 23, 2002
I'm speechless. No, really.
I've just heard a report of the Conservative Party's spring conference. Apparently they are on the side of the poor and vulnerable. Daft, isn't it? Doesn't anyone remember the 1980's? I'm not a huge fan of our present administration, but it is shocking beyond words for the Tories to portray themselves in this way. They'll never get away with it ... will they?Posted by Richard @ 10:42 PM BST [Link]
Friday, March 22, 2002
I spent this evening (take no notice of the 'date stamp' - I'm still working on Thursday!) with a group of students watching Monty Python's 'Life of Brian'. I'm a big fan of MP and I reckon Life of Brian is probably their best piece of work. When the film was first released several Local Authorities, including Swansea, banned it from cinemas in their area on the grounds of its "blasphemous content". I went to see it shortly after its first release, and didn't feel at the time that the blasphemy charge was in any way justified. I wonder how many Christians today feel that LoB 'steps over the line'. If it is true that the film is now widely accepted (and it must be since it can be shown on national television without comment) does this represent a healthy attitude of tolerance or a lowering of the standard of acceptability?
Posted by Richard @ 12:10 AM BST [Link]
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
When I was first putting theConnexion together I wanted to include as many different methods of sharing ideas and information as I could think of. A bulletin board, ecards and a mailing list were my first thoughts, and I got them set up without too much hassle. They're not perfect as they are, but they don't carry adverts and they don't cost me anything above my hosting costs so I'm happy with them.
When I discovered the idea of a 'wiki' - a collection of editable web pages that users can change and add to - I got really excited. I thought that this would be theConnexion's "killer application", but truth to tell other folk don't seem to share my enthusiasm.
The idea is a simple one. On most web pages you come across, users are passive recipients of information. On a wiki page, every user can become a contributor, changing existing pages and adding new ones. There are a few rules for formatting text, but they're fairly straightforward to use - certainly nothing like as complex as HTML. You don't have to be an "expert" to contribute. If someone uses a word or phrase on a page you don't understand, you can turn it into a link so that someone who does undestand can add a definition. If you come across mistakes in spelling or grammar, it's a doddle to correct them. Every contribution has value.
The kind of 'dialogue' that this produces is quite different from the linear manner of the bulletin board. It's more organic somehow, with pages "evolving", never really being finished. I still think it's the best bit of theConnexion.
My implementation of wiki is called Compass. Give it a whirl!Posted by Richard @ 11:32 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
The discussion about creationism continues to rumble on Open Forum. I'm a bit bothered by it - I've never seen a discussion on this subject anywhere on the internet that hasn't degenerated into name-calling or insults. I hope here will be different.
Ship of Fools is always worth a glance, and Wood's column 'Unholy Writ' ought to raise a few smiles. You might want to enter their text message competition. I might even have a go myself.
Posted by Richard @ 11:29 PM BST [Link]
Monday, March 18, 2002
I've had a number of emails on the subject of science and faith since my post of last Thursday, some quite irate that I could appear to be taking sides with Richard Dawkins, a well-known (and militant) atheist. I suppose I have to apologise if I've caused anyone offence or confusion, but I stand by my view that the opening chapters of Genesis provide no useful scientific insights into the origins of the universe. What they offer 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.
Posted by Richard @ 11:32 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, March 17, 2002
I enjoy preaching, and feel called by God to do it. It's a great privilege. But I'm starting to feel as though Sunday comes around a bit too often. Besides, every one else gets a weekend off. Why not ministers? The real trouble is that there are too many Sundays in a week, and something must be done. If you agree with me, join my international campaign to decimalize the week. A ten day week is the answer. Whilst we're at it, more hours in the day would be good. It's time to take a stand.
Posted by Richard @ 11:26 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, March 16, 2002
I hope that everyone reading this has had as good a day as I've enjoyed. Nothing earth-shatteringly exciting, just quality time with the family and a certain amount of constructive work too. If I was looking for a word to describe today (and I am) it would be "contentment". Thank God for days like today.
Posted by Richard @ 11:51 PM BST [Link]
Friday, March 15, 2002
You might think from my last post that I'm not absolutely thrilled to be another year older. You'd be right. It isn't so much that I've reached 39, or even realising that the next will be 40. What really irritates me is being proved wrong about how old you have to be before you are ... well... old. I'm not, but I was sure I would be, if you know what I mean.
Posted by Richard @ 11:37 PM BST [Link]
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear me-ee
Happy birthday to me
Deep joy.Posted by Richard @ 01:28 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, March 14, 2002
There is a political row brewing in Britain over the teaching of science, and the biological sciences in particular. Emmanuel City Technology College in our Pime Minister's constituency of Gateshead is apparently teaching that "7 day creation" and the evolution theories of Charles Darwin (pictured) are of equal merit, both being "faith positions". The scientist Richard Dawkins, famous for his anti-Christian views, has weighed in saying, "These children are being taught ludicrous falsehoods. This is not a matter of one scientific position against another scientific position. There is no scientific position which states that the earth is a few thousand years old. Any bishop would say the same."
I'm not a fan of Dawkins, but I fear on this issue he is right. It is a fundamental misunderstanding of the opening chapter of Genesis to read it as a scientific account of how the universe began. This is not to devalue the Bible, but to treat it with the utmost seriousness. What do you think? There's a discussion on this just started on Open Forum. Have your say!Posted by Richard @ 04:49 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
In a discussion group today a glass of water was placed at the centre of our circle and the question was put: "Is it half full, or half empty?" The answers given seemed to depend on 3 things - personality type (optimist/pessimist), what kind of day we'd had (how's the world treating me?), and what we thought we'd want to use the water for (is there enough?).Then we looked at a variety of pictures clipped from recent newspapers and magazines and asked a similar question - does this picture illustrate a hopeful situation or not? Sometimes it wasn't easy to decide, and in more than one case a false assumption about the context of the picture altered perceptions about the hope it presented. One striking image was of asylum seekers trying to climb the fence at the Eurotunnel terminal to gain entry to Britain. As we read together the story of Abraham welcoming 3 strangers at Mamre (Genesis 18) we were thrown back to the newspaper image and wondered what it said about our hospitality to strangers. It was in that encounter with strangers that Abraham received the promise of a son to Sarah. It's a story that points forward to the fulfilment of God's promises and the salvation of the world, a story of great hope. Definitely half full then.
Posted by Richard @ 11:25 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
Although it is possible to buy tin whistles which cost an awful lot of money that are made with all kinds of different materials, my favourite is essentially the same as would have been played in Victorian times. Made of rolled tinplate with a wooden plug ("fipple"), the "Clarke Original" whistle is a gem, and only costs around £5. I took up the tin whistle because I couldn't afford to buy a clarinet - I'd sold mine when I was a penniless student, and I've regretted it ever since - but in many ways the whistle was a much better bet. I can have one in every bag, jacket and drawer, and always have one to hand for when the muse alights - and you don't have to worry about breaking them. The tinwhistle is a truly democratic instrument, available to everyone and offers everyone the opportunity to make music instead of being just part of an audience. Give it a go!
Posted by Richard @ 11:38 PM BST [Link]
Monday, March 11, 2002
If you've always to speak the 'post-modern' lingo but didn't know where to turn, try here.
Posted by Richard @ 11:06 PM BST [Link]
The tin whistle - aka "pennywhistle" or just plain "whistle - is a wonderful thing. It's just a tube of metal (or some other material) with 6 holes down one side and a mouthpiece at one end where you blow so that the thing makes a noise. Often they're treated by "serious" musicians as nothing more than toys, but in the hands of an expert these instruments can produce music of great beauty and expression. I've been playing for a bit more than a year now, and I'm not at all expert - I was never one to practise. But I'm never far from a whistle, and when I feel the need I blow a few notes and the world takes on a rosier glow, at least for me. My family tend to close the doors when I'm playing, but that's another story...
Posted by Richard @ 08:04 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, March 9, 2002
NCH is one of the UK's leading children's charities, working with some 89 000 children and their families. Most of its work is conducted in partnership with other agencies, so that despite the high quality of its work and the respect which it has in "professional" circles, the public profile of NCH is very low. I'm an NCH chaplain for the half dozen or so projects there are in Swansea, which include "Ty Laura", a respite centre for the families of children with disabilities, and the "Penlan Church Initiative", working with a local church on community development. I feel very privileged to be linked to NCH.
Posted by Richard @ 02:56 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, March 7, 2002
Many people misunderstand the nature of science . It is still somehow assumed that science reveals the "truth" about the world and that as the knowledge of science expands so our need for God will decrease. If you take this view, science is a threat to Christian life. But the truth is, science does not work this way. It is becoming more and more clear that what science does is construct a series of "models" of reality which are useful in predicting the outcome of experiments and in making technological progress. This does not make the models 'true' in any absolute sense. In fact, scientists are more than capable of having 2 mutually incompatible models on the go at the same time. They use them because they work. It's hard to illustrate this without resorting to a technical discussion, but I suppose the classic case in point is the nature of light. Is it a wave? A particle? Both? Or neither? Perhaps a few words from someone else would be in order.
"All models are deliberately simplified ... and all models of the world beyond the reach of our immediate senses are fictions, free inventions of the human mind. You are free to choose whichever of the quantum interpretations most appeals to you, or to reject all of them, or to purchase the entire package and use a different interpretation according to convenience, or the day of the week, or whim. Reality is in very large measure what you want it to be. ... all we can ever hope to find is a self-consistent myth for our times."
[John Gribben, Schrödinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality, London 1995, p221]
I doubt that many physicists like the word "myth" any more than fundamentalist Christians do, but there it is. Far from being two different worlds, science and faith are in fact fellow travellers on the road of human discovery.Posted by Richard @ 11:58 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
"If God loves me so much, how can he let all this happen to me?" It wasn't the first time I've been asked and I'm sure it won't be the last. Behind the question are many unspoken assumptions, the most compelling of which concerns the sovereignty of God. "God is in control, therefore whatever happens to me must have been caused by God," about sums it up. It's the same line of thinking that leads to all those "what have I done to deserve this?" questions.
But I believe with all my heart that God does not single out some for punishment whilst leaving others untouched. Yes, God is in control - but he will not act against his own nature, by which he has given freedom to men & women to act even in ways which harmful to themselves and others. Yes, sin results in suffering - but that's a long way from accepting that one persons sufferings are a direct result of their own sin. No such simple causal relation exists, as the New Testament makes clear.
What we can say with certainty is that suffering is never God's desire for us. His plan and purpose is always healing and restoration - salvation - and it is this purpose that reveals his love. Our understanding of God comes from his self-disclosure in Jesus, who declared his mission to be "to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind, freedom to captives and to announce the year of the Lord's favour" and who entered our experience so completely that he suffers and dies for us so that we can enter the fulness of his life. That's love!
Posted by Richard @ 10:06 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, March 5, 2002
The Bible4today project is worth a look. Here's an extract from the home page:
Before the days of the printing press the language of the Bible would automatically change with the times because it would either be told as stories passed on from one person to another, or the priest would read from the Latin and translate (or interpret) into modern English. With printing, the Bible became available to everyone, but the language became fixed in time. This project is an attempt to return to a living language to express the truths of the Bible.
Have a look!There's a discussion on the subject of Bible translations here. My friend Craig Adams has written a helpful article on choosing a translation. My own (more modest) effort is here.
Posted by Richard @ 06:58 PM BST [Link]
Monday, March 4, 2002
A surreal conversation
Him: What's the difference between an orange, an American and a Pritt Stick?
Me : I don't know
Him: You can't get orange juice from an American.
(pause)
Me : What about the Pritt Stick?
Him: That's where you get stuck!I know some strange people...
Posted by Richard @ 11:50 PM BST [Link]
It's "Fair Trade Fortnight" here in Britain, two weks devoted to promoting justice in trade between the nations and making the link between producers and consumers. For more information, visit the website
Posted by Richard @ 12:40 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, March 2, 2002
It was my daughter Ruth's 5th birthday on Thursday and today we had a party. Twentyseven children gathered in the church hall for singing, dancing, games, cake and all the rest of it. Hard work, especially for Jayne, but everyone seemed to have a good time. We had an entertainer who did magic, told daft jokes, modelled with balloons - I'm sure you know the sort of thing. What struck me when I was watching him that his routine could have been done 30 years ago and we'd have laughed just as loud. For all their sophistication, the children of this generation are not really any different to their predecessors.
That might seem like an obvious observation, but I think it's easy to miss the importance of it. Strip away the accretions of culture and generation and you find that children are essentially the same. Sit them in front of a man in a silly hat who can make a rabbit appear from nowhere and they'll laugh with the same joy and wonder.
So much human strife is the result of pointing out and emphasising the differences between cultures, nations and races. Longing for a world in which people can get along despite their differences is called 'naive' and 'unrealistic'. But if, at 5 years old, we're all the same maybe there are lessons our children can teach us about the nature of reality. Perhaps this is part of what Jesus meant when he said, "Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."Posted by Richard @ 11:37 PM BST [Link]
Friday, March 1, 2002
The sharp-eyed will notice that it looks like I have managed to post an entry on Jan 1st 2000 after the 28th Feb 2002. As a great fan of Dr Who I'd like to be able to say that it was the result of a mix up at the controls of my TARDIS but sadly seems to be no more than something dreadful happening to my web server. It appears to have been down most of yesterday. What really irritates me is that has been no word of explanation (let alone apology) from the company that organises my hosting.
Bah!
