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Weblog Archives: July 2003
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Since Benediction raised the issue of fanaticism - I think I'll share in the area that I am most fanatical about - Christian Pacifism.
I am one of those strange persons who feel strongly that if you call yourself a Christian - then you should live a life of peace - and never use force against another human being. My reading of the Gospel writers show that Jesus called his followers to a way of life in which violence and division are overcome by sacrificial love. We must not return evil for evil, Jesus taught, but must return good for evil; we must not hate those who wrong us but must love our enemies and give freely to those who hate us. These themes in Jesus’ ministry were deeply rooted in the Hebrew prophetic tradition, and Jesus’ ministry an his sacrificial death were a continuation and a fulfillment of that tradition. Christian Pacifism is the response to a world of violence.
Eventually - when I share this aspect of my faith and life - someone without fail - will ask the fateful question that is supposed to stop all pacifists in their tracks. "What would you do if a criminal, say, pulled a gun and threatened to kill your wife? (or loved one - daughter, aunt, mother -- a female relative normally.) They normally stack the deck and add conditions like -- and if you also had a gun with one bullet, and you were assured of killing the attacker with no harm to your loved one. Sometimes they dump emotional baggage into the question as well and say the attacker is threatening to rape your loved one and you are there on the scene just in time to save her.
And without fail - they always expect pacifists to crumble under the weight of the assumptions. They expect us to understand that a measured amount of cleansing violence will make the world peaceful and beautiful. But they violate an important principle -- "Never do an evil so that a good might come."
So - how do I answer the question? I like John Howard Yoder's Answer in the essay, "What would you do?"
His short answer --
Common sense says that any person is limited in the capacity to observe and evaluate the facts by a particular point of view and the limits of vision; but Christian faith tells me, in addition, that my selfish mind, my impatient and retaliatition spirit, and my adrenalin positively warp the way I perceive the facts to make them reflect my self‑esteem and my desire to be independent of my Creator at the cost of my neighbor. Thus while common sense argues for modesty about my capacity to make valid decisions by myself, the Christian understanding of sin goes well beyond that to call me to repent of the very idea that I might make a decision completely on my own.The real temptation of good people like us is not the crude the crass, and the carnal. The really refined temptation, with which Jesus himself was tried, is that of egocentric altruism. It is being oneself the incarnation of a good and righteous cause for which others may rightly be made to suffer. It is stating one's self‑justification in the form of a duty to others.
I do not know what I would do if some insane or criminal person were to attack my wife or child, sister or mother. But I know that what I should do would be illuminated by what God my Father did when his "only begotten Son" was being threatened. Or by what Abraham, my father in the faith, was ready to sacrifice out of obedience; Abraham could ready himself to give up his son because he believed in the resurrection. It was "for the sake of the joy that was set before him" that Christ himself could "endure the cross."
My readiness‑not in the contemplation of my moral strength but in the nature of the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ‑to accept that kind of love as my duty and privilege is founded in no craving for self‑confidence, no pious enthusiasm, no heroism, no masochism. It is founded in the confession that he who gave his life at our hands was at one and the same time the revelation of that true humanity which is God's instrument in the world.
Thanks John for the reminder.
Posted by The Gutless Pacifist @ 03:14 AM BST [Link] [Make a Comment]
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
The wrong kind of heroes
The Gutless Pacifist who is guest blogging here this week, has found himself in a bit of a blogging pickle.
It's an opportunity for Pen to question some ideas and values among sports fans, but it can also be a bit dangerous.
A basketball star in the US was charged with rape. Pen found out very quickly that there is a seamy, adolescent, dark side to sports fanatics, when hits on his blog jumped for about 40 a day to over 1200.
They are looking for a picture of the young lady involved in the case.
Pen has tried to turn the discussion, and I wonder if he is learning the root meaning of the word 'fanatic'.
There have been death threats against the DA (prosecutor).
The searchers don't want discussion, they are wrapped in their emotions and illusions.
{fanum-temple}
\Fa*nat"ic\, a. [L. fanaticus inspired by divinity,
enthusiastic, frantic, fr. fanum fane: cf. F. fanatique. See
{Fane}.]
Pertaining to, or indicating, fanaticism; extravagant in
opinions; ultra; unreasonable; excessively enthusiastic,
especially on religious subjects; as, fanatic zeal; fanatic
notions.
Posted by Bene Diction @ 04:47 PM BST [Link] [1 Comment]
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
This is a tad lazy, a mirror post, but I'd like to get the word out.
Although US bloggers out number others in the god-blog community by virtue of the sheer number of computers, the international sector is thriving and vibrant.
The diversity is tremendous, healthy and educational.3 Philippine god-blogs have been nominated in the Philippine Weblog Awards
Whoo hoo!Son Seeker's is currently at #2.
Starbucks Coffee For Free is currently #4.
Super Blessed is currently at #8.
These blogs have made an impact on line and deserve our vote. You rate them on a scale with 10 being the highest number. We don't know who they have influenced to think about Jesus Christ and they are out there blogging and trying.
You know what to do. :^)
Click over.
Vote.
This could be the first time that god-blogs have been formally recognized for their quality and worth.Here is the award site again, just to help you out.
Posted by Bene Diction @ 08:44 PM BST [Link] [Make a Comment]
Monday, July 28, 2003
Don't Shoot, It's Only Me
Bob Hope died quietly at his home last night.
Born in Eltham, England, he was the fifth of seven sons.
He starred in 48 movies, cameoed in 15 others, and is best known to this generation for his TV specials. He was also a star in vaudeville, radio and on broadway.He received over 2000 awards and citations.
In 1941 he entertained troops at March Field in California and never looked back.
He boosted moral of allied troops during war and peace keeping missions all over the world.Thanks for the memories Mr. Hope.
A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.
I don't generally feel anything until noon; then it's time for my nap.
If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf. - Bob Hope (1903-2003)
Posted by Bene Diction @ 04:52 PM BST [Link] [Make a Comment]
Sunday, July 27, 2003
A recent study at the University of Berkeley in the US about what makes an American political conservative makes interesting reading.
No argument from me in general, although we should bear in mind that the bias of The People's Republic of Berkeley is well-known. :)
Posted by Wood @ 03:24 PM BST [Link] [Make a Comment]
I didn't get any suggestions to muddy the waters....I'll leave that to my American friends, Ivan the Crank and the Gutless Pacifist, and try to behave myself.
I've been thinking a great deal about Richard's upcoming cycle around the circuit.
That's going to be very tough, because he will also preach 11 sermons.I worked communications for a 100 kilometre extreme mountain bike race today.
Sitting in the woods in the pouring rain for six hours gave me new respect for these athletes.We have five checkpoints for them. At #4, the worst is isn't quite over. Some of the toughest 10 K are right in front of them, then it's downhill to the finish.
They had done 90 K by the time they reached us.I was a front spotter today, and as I sat in the rain I thought about Paul encouraging us to finish the race.
Tired, muddy, wet, dehyrated, most of the athletes gave me a smile and a thank you.
Checkpoint 4?
Only 10 more kilometres?
Whoo hoooo!
I can do this!
And the majority of them did.:^)
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last. I Cor. 9:24
Posted by Bene Diction @ 12:04 AM BST [Link] [1 Comment]
Saturday, July 26, 2003
Richard asked me to muddy the waters around here while he was out of pocket. Here goes my first stab.
Have you bought a book lately at a Christian Bookstore?
[At the Christian Booksellers Association,] Word Entertainment took the prize for best attention grabber with spotlights, free popcorn, and -- I am not making this up -- a "Catch the Cash" booth with money swirling around: You stepped into it and grabbed as much as you could as fast as you could. Other memorable promotions included inflatable sharks, Jews for Jesus shopping bags, a guy in a kilt, and one booth that featured a stop sign altered to read, "STOP Liberals!"... John Pott, an editor at Eerdmans, confessed to finding the whole scene "utterly demoralizing." Publisher Lisa Shaw admitted that she had gotten "so fed up with the whole thing that I went...to my hotel and cried for two hours." If blatant commercialization is cause for tears, it’s a wonder that Shaw stopped after only two hours.
--Lott J. Jesus Sells. Reason, February 2003
(Link Courtesy of The .Plan)A 'catch the cash' booth? Come on! I wonder how that meshes with the whole 'don't be greedy thing.'
Ouch. It would be novel if the church's marketing wing would read the Bible a little more...
Posted by The Gutless Pacifist @ 11:09 PM BST [Link] [3 comments]
A few months ago, President Bush declared victory in the war with Iraq. Since that time, almost as many American and British military personnel have died at enemy hands as did during the "war." Now, our leaders have declared that these "gorilla" tactics should subside since we've managed to kill #2 & #3 on the Hussein top 10 hit list: his sons. Unfortunately, it looks like that, too, may have been an underestimate of the resolve of the pro-Hussein forces still in Iraq. It appears that they are now really ticked off and they are killing even more of our people than before.
I learned while I was on vacation that my niece's husband is in the Army assigned to a Humvee and is guarding something in Bagdad. He and his gunner are basically on the resistance movement's hit list of vulnerable targets. My District Superintendent's son is also somewhere in Bagdad and one of the men in his unit was assasinated while drinking a soda at the University. My brother-in-law is in southern Iraq on an air base in the desert and the grandson of my office manager in my last church is in the 4th Army that sustained 3 killings today. I guess this all has become just a little personal and I'm still waiting for something that convinces me that we are really wanted or needed in Iraq. Especially since we are now facing requests from Liberia for help and don't know that our dear friend in North Korea really has up his sleeve. That's not to mention our troops still going cave to cave in Afghanistan and trying to work around the war lords to establish a stable government there.
How do we apply the teachings of Christ to all of this? How do we as Christian citizens of various nations speak out against what we feel are unjust wars without being labeled unpatriotic for doing so? Or, maybe it doesn't matter since this world is our temporary home anyway. I believe in praying for my president, our congress and senate and all world leaders. But, Jesus also taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us as well.
Maybe this "victory" seems so victoriousless because there really appear to be no winners. Maybe the only true victories are those that we find in Jesus, and his opponents actually killed Him. Hum.
Well, these ramblings are out here just to stir up some thought and response.
Peace.
Ivan The Crank
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 09:46 PM BST [Link] [4 comments]
Richard's going to be busy for the next few days and he is forbidden to go on the Internet, so he asked me to make a few entries whilst he is gone. (See, I still remember my English).
I thought I'd start with something fairly non-controversial. Yesterday, Debbie, Rachel and I ventured the whole 28 miles from our new home in DeLand, FL to the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach. There, surrounded by lots and lots of children and about an equal number of adults, we enjoyed a family concert by the London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Richard McNichol did a great job introducing each piece by letting different sections play the types of sounds to be recognized in the piece, such as the angry North Atlantic crashing against the cliffs of England. Then, the whole orchestra would play the entire piece. A special thrill for us was that our son Chris, who had the priviledge last year of playing trumpet with the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra in competition in London and also of hearing the LSO on another date in London, was one of 23 young people selected to work all last week with LSO and played with them yesterday. Not only am I a proud father, but I am very thrilled to see that there are still supporters of the arts on both sides of the pond. Among God's greatest creations is music, and I'm so glad that it still has the power to move, emote and persuade both children and adults like.
Ivan The Crank
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 05:08 AM BST [Link] [1 Comment]
Friday, July 25, 2003
Wood has finally got round to reading the first 4 Harry Potter books. His review is well worth reading. Good stuff, Wood.
Posted by Richard @ 03:50 PM BST [Link] [Make a Comment]
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Josh Claybourn points out this story about Ant Protection in Germany as evidence that Germany is a nation of clowns:
ANIMAL LOVING GERMAN officials issued a warning to citizens that it was now illegal to kill ants and announced at the same time that it had appointed 85 Ant Protection Officers to protect ants nationwide.It's easy to see how this story can be held up to ridicule. I mean, how could any rational nation appoint officers to protect creatures which most of us regard as pests? We don't often think of the contribution that "creepy crawlies" make to us - the idea of protecting what deserves to be stepped on seems nonsense. But these creatures do bring benefits, and in the case of the German ants that benefit is apparently pest control in their forestry industry. How big a contribution they make I have no idea, but it seems that the Germans have decided that it is big enough to merit legislation. I couldn't claim to know enough about it to say that they're definitely wrong.
Homeowners and gardeners who attempt to destroy an anthill or subterranean nest will be subject to hefty fines if caught.I remember reading some time ago that the value to US agriculture of the honey bee is estimated at $9 billion, and that about one third of the human diet in developed countries is directly or indirectly traceable to bee pollination. Now I'm not claiming that ants have anything like that level of usefulness. But even a fraction of that sort of contribution is worth protecting.
Isn't it?
Posted by Richard @ 05:14 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Hard to believe, but a quick tour round the blogosphere got me into the "gents" twice today. First I was elbow-to-elbow with Clarity amidst Chaos. Then I find I'm in the company of What in Tarnation.
Where else but the blogosphere is such profound conversation happening?
Posted by Richard @ 05:48 PM BST [Link]
The Gutless Pacifist is on a roll, first linking to this article by Jim Wallis and today offering extended quotes from a piece calling for tax reform to consider the needs of the poor.
The tax situation in the UK is very different from the US, so there's little point in my commenting on the specifics of any of this. But I agree absolutely that tax is a moral issue, and it is the needs of the poor that should drive any taxation policy that deserves the adjective "Christian". There are plenty of people around who consistently describe taxation as thievery, but they are wrong. It is taxes which allow us to care for one another, surely a fundamental principle for Christian people. Through our taxes, we are enabled to exercise our collective responsibility. Certainly, this is counter-cultural. The dominant political and economic philosophy claims that responsibility lies principally with the individual; society has little or no role to play. But the fact that this philosophy has "the upper hand" and that it is held by many Christians does not make it "Christian" or "of God". History shows that quite the reverse may well be the case.
Posted by Richard @ 05:00 PM BST [Link]
Alice (Legally Blonde) writes
I work in a clinic (or two) of natural medicine, complementary or "alternative" therapies etc... there's heaps of medical evidence and research etc that says this is A Good Thing and can help sort out problems that "conventional" medicine (ie operations, antibiotics, that sort of thing) has trouble righting.So what do you think? Is acupuncture a gift from God, or Satan's snare? Is homeopathy the highway to hell, or a heavenly healer? Don't tell me -- tell Alice.BUT
Someone - a kind, well meaning, would be helpful someone - in church asked me how I could justify me - a Christian - working there. Hmmm. Confused alice asks why? what possible objections could there be? I was so unprepared for the attack.
Please can someone, anyone, please, explain to an upset naiive blonde what's so evil, from a Xn point of view, about acupuncture, chinese medicine, homoeopathy, osteopathy, naturopathy, counselling or detox?
Posted by Richard @ 03:06 PM BST [Link]
Earlier this month I might have seemed a bit gloomy. My well-laid plans weren't working out and there were nay-sayers hovering in the wings more than ready to say "I told you so."
The hardest part of discipleship for me is keeping faith when it doesn't seem to make sense. It's hard to trust when you're in the mire. But it is also true -- at least according to the Tarzan films I used to watch as a child -- that when you're in the mire the worst thing you can do is struggle. Waiting patiently for the help of God can be excruciating, but he is faithful and never abandons his people. Amen!
I just sometimes wish he'd give us a few more clues along the way. :o)
Posted by Richard @ 02:35 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
I don't know what to say about this. What an exraordinary feat!
Posted by Richard @ 05:57 PM BST [Link]
Rachel's digital quilt is looking splendid. Go and cast admiring glances!
Posted by Richard @ 05:10 PM BST [Link]
In a comment to this post at Bene Diction Blogs On a lawyer named Lisa writes the following
"Christian" is a noun. For some of us, we stretch grammatical rules and also make it a verb. It is not, in my opinion, an adjective.It isn't wise to play word games with lawyers, but I do want to take issue with this one because I think it is essential that "Christian" is retained as an adjective with the meaning "showing the qualities of the teaching of Christ".With the utmost of respect to Dan at Signposts, I disagree with the comment that the writer of the letter to Jamie failed at being both a Christian and a lawyer. Firstly, we can never fail at being a Christian. Thankfully, grace makes that an impossibility. Secondly, I can not fail at being a lawyer. I _am_ a lawyer (by dint of being called to the bar of British Columbia and paying my fees). I can do my lawyerly tasks poorly or I can do them well. If I do the tasks in a manner that would objectively be considered bad, that does not change the fact that I am a lawyer.
When people ask me about my faith and my career, I am always careful to say that I am a lawyer who is a Christian. There is no such thing as a Christian lawyer. There are litigation lawyers, medical malpractice lawyers, estate lawyers....you get my drift. Accordingly, I think it is a misnomer to talk about "Christian" lawyers.
Let's take the heat of lawyers for a bit and talk about motorists instead. Let's say you are a motorist and a Christian. Can there be such a thing as a "Christian motorist"? I think there can. You can drive absolutely within the law, obeying whatever local codes there might be and at the same time display none of the qualities of Christ, pressing your own rights and exploiting every little mistake made by others. Or you can drive with gentleness and compassion. (No really. You can!) If you follow the teaching of Christ in your motoring, then you are a Christian motorist. The same reasoning applies to lawyers, gardeners, teachers and so on. We may never get it absolutely right, either in our motoring or our Christian discipleship but (and here I do agree with Lisa) by the grace of God our failure will never be absolute.
Posted by Richard @ 04:49 PM BST [Link]
I was reading about a journalist who was once surprised by an unexpected sign that he was getting old. He was attending a game of rugby - a sport he enjoyed - when he suddenly realised that he didn’t care which side won. The story reminded me of what seems to be growing apathy towards the political process, especially (though not exclusively) among the young.
Christians sometimes find another excuse for indifference to politics. "We shouldn't get involved in such worldly stuff -- the spiritual is our concern." It's an attractive excuse, but it won't do. If we believe that in Jesus God has invloved himself in the whole of human life, it is surely part of the calling of Christians too. For Christians our engagement with the political process this is not just a civic duty but also a moral and spiritual responsibility. We are under the authority of Jesus to ‘render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar’ whilst owing our supreme obedience to God. Christians are called to discern the signs of the times and to be aware of the major issues of the day which call for action and response.
The theologian Karl Barth said that whenever God addresses human beings it is always to change the subject. Christian voters may want to do the same when it comes to political and social priorities. The newspapers may insist that the big issues are the economy, taxation, the ‘euro’ and so on. These are vital, but they cannot stand alone. There are other issues which are often marginalised by politicians but which will vitally affect the future of all of us. These include the environment, the needs of asylum seekers and refugees, overseas aid and development and the needs of poor, elderly, homeless and long-term unemployed.
These are gospel priorities. They are in accord with John Wesley’s insistence that his followers should go, “Not only to those who need you, but those who need you most”. If Christians do not attempt to bring the values of the Kingdom of God into politics, who will?
Posted by Richard @ 03:16 PM BST [Link]
The Board of Freeholder in Warren County, N.J., have voted to post the national motto, "In God We Trust," in every county-owned building, prompting complaints from church-state separation activists, reports the Newark Star-Ledger. [more...]
Posted by Richard @ 12:22 PM BST [Link]
Monday, July 21, 2003
the Appliance of Science!
Genetic fingerprinting might soon clear up an ancient Christian mystery - the origins of medieval parchments and even the Canterbury Gospels, thought to have arrived in Britain in 579AD.Read the whole story...
Cambridge scientists plan to study DNA in parchments prepared from animal skins to trace where they came from.Posted by Richard @ 11:14 PM BST [Link]
But can blogs ever be mainstream?
Posted by Richard @ 07:21 PM BST [Link]
The tangled web that led to the death of Dr David Kelly is occupying much of our media's attention, and a sorry, murky tale it is. To some, the blame lies with the BBC, who are no better than agents of Saddam in seeking to undermine the credibility of our government. Others pin the responsibility on Tony Blair and his government, evil despots who will stop at nothing in order to have their own way. For what it's worth, I don't believe the conspiracy theories. Nor do I see the BBC as anything other than a organisation trying to maintain the very highest standards of journalistic integrity. The war between the government and the BBC is not new. Political opposition to Tony Blair is very weak - his most effective critics are within his own party! In these circumstances, the BBC finds itself acting in the stead of an opposition - almost by default. It isn't the first time this has happened. During Mrs Thatcher's years as Prime Minister there were frequent jibes at the BBC but the storms blew over because, in the last analysis, almost everyone here regards the BBC News as one of the most courageous and trustworthy information sources there is. My guess is that this storm will blow over too.
In the meantime there are some important questions which this row should not be allowed to obscure. Principal among them - did the government deliberately exaggerate intelligence reports of the threat posed by Saddam and his WMD's to persuade MP's to back a war that few really wanted?
Posted by Richard @ 06:37 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, July 20, 2003
In his column today on blogs4God, Dean wonders at "all the scurrying about worrying we do online". His particular problem is the outpourings which have come as a result of Pat Robertson's 'prayer offensive'.
My problem with this isn't just that on first reading Robertson seemed to be praying for the death of the three Justices, which I accept may have been unintended. And I certainly don't have a problem with praying for those in authority, particularly the government and judiciary. No, my problem is that Robertson is presenting God with a very specific political agenda and claiming it as God's own. Christian prayer is always bounded by "thy will be done". As Dean says, one of the primary purposes of prayer is to change the attitude of the one doing the praying. Robertson's prayer had more of the "telling God what to do" about it. When such a high profile Christian makes that sort of gaffe it isn't surprising that more than a few want to comment.Posted by Richard @ 02:53 PM BST [Link]
I've been meaning to post this for a while. I was bashing out some tunes with a few of the students a little while ago. One of them shared one his favourite folk tunes, and when I got home I discovered it gave a new look to a few hymns. So he arranged it for me (Thanks Richard!) and here it is, with the words to "With gladness we worship". Hope you like it as much as I do.
With gladness we worship, rejoice as we sing,
Free hearts and free voices, how blessèd to bring!
The old thankful story shall scale Thine abode,
Thou King of all glory, most bountiful God!Thy right would we give thee - true homage thy due,
And honour eternal, the universe through,
With all thy creation, earth, heaven and sea,
In one acclamation we celebrate thee.Renewed by thy Spirit, redeemed by thy Son,
Thy children revere thee for all thou hast done:
O Father! Returning to love and to light,
Thy children are yearning to praise thee aright.We join with the angels, and so there is given,
From earth, Alleluia, in answer to heaven.
Amen! Be thou glorious below and above,
Redeeming, victorious, and infinite Love!George Rawson (1807-89)
Posted by Richard @ 08:57 AM BST [Link]
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Aussie blogger Jan reminded me of an incident during the time when I had "a proper job".
I was working in a co-operative, dealing in nuts, grains, dried fruit, that sort of thing. Among our best customers were the nuns of a nearby Benedictine Priory. They would ring in an order, we would pick it and a couple of nuns would come to collect it. Every once in a while the Mother Superior would fancy a trip out, so she would come with them and on these occasions she would take some time to look round our store.
During one of these visits I was working the shop floor, replenishing the stock on shelves. I noticed the old lady standing by the stand where we had our various vegetable oils. She had a puzzled look on her face.
"Can I help you, Mother?" I asked politely.
Her eyes twinkled. "Yes, young man." She points at the olive oil. "We are virgins. But what is an extra virgin?"
!
Posted by Richard @ 09:48 PM BST [Link]
My friend Pat sent in this charming story:
Once upon a time an Eagle accidentally laid its egg on a chicken farm. Suddenly, the sound of dogs and heavy machinery chased the mother away. A few days later, the egg began to hatch among other, smaller chicken eggs. In spite of its obvious size, shape and posture - the farmer allowed the baby eagle to remain with the mother hen and her baby chicks in the pen.
Over the next few weeks, the baby eagle joined the other chickens - feeding with them, sleeping with them and doing everything like them - poking, croaking and copying their every behaviour, in spite of being much bigger and heavier than the chickens. But he baby eagle was happy and it just did what it did because that is 'what chickens do', it reasoned.
Then one summer day, a big bird flew over the clear blue sky and it caught the attention of the baby 'eagle'.
"Look! Look! - what is that up in the sky?" asked the baby 'eagle' to the mother hen.
"That is the most beautiful and majestic bird ever to fly called the Golden Eagle", she said in awe.
"Wow! one day I want to fly like that and grace those beautiful skies", said the baby eagle.
"Don't be silly - you are one of us. Chickens can never fly".
"Oh, that is right. I forgot I AM a chicken like the rest of us. I will never be like that magnificent bird", the baby replied.
As the mother eagle failed to attract the baby eagle up to 'fly' - it flew off, leaving the baby eagle and the mother hen to continue pecking and poking in the pen. Sadly, the baby eagle never did fly because it believed it was a realy chicken - never ever knowing it could fly naturally. It dies before its time and left an unfulfilled life.
The moral of this tale? Who and what defines you? Are you existing like a chicken or living like an eagle?
Posted by Richard @ 06:42 PM BST [Link]
Friday, July 18, 2003
I'm sure I won't be the only one who thinks that there's something very dodgy about this. Please remember the family of Dr Kelly in your prayers.
Posted by Richard @ 05:58 PM BST [Link]
I'm appalled at this. Our old pal the Bible Geek has received the following letter (from which I have deleted names and other such stuff)
To Whom It May Concern:This is absolutely barking mad. I mean, like, completely bonkers. But the fine young man formerly known as the the Bible Geek is giving up his chosen moniker, presumably for the sake of a quiet life.
I am the attorney for [deleted], d/b/a From [deleted]. [deleted] owns various federal trademark registrations for BIBLE GEEK, including U.S. Registration Numbers [deleted] (the “Marks”).
I understand that you are using the name “Bible Geek” in connection with the website www.cruciformity.blogspot.com and email address biblegeek@[nospamplease].com. Although [deleted] and I certainly appreciate your efforts to spread the Good News, you are going to have to do so without using the name “Bible Geek.” The use by you of the term “Bible Geek” is causing confusion. To get legal, it also constitutes, among other claims, trademark infringement, misappropriation and unfair competition, entitling [deleted] to immediate and permanent injunctive relief, as well as monetary damages and attorneys’ fees.
[deleted] has invested significant time and resources in the Marks, and [deleted]’s federal registration of the Marks vests [deleted] with the exclusive right to use the Marks in conjunction with its services.
Again, your efforts are commendable, but you are going to have to discontinue all present and future use of the term “bible geek” in connection with spiritual and theological messages and materials, including, without limitation, the cancellation of the email address biblegeek@[nospamplease].com.
I myself am a youth minister at a local Catholic Church (after having been a full-time attorney for many years), and so I appreciate your efforts on behalf of our common Savior. I have known [deleted], the principal of [deleted], for years, back when he was a youth minister. I hope that this won’t go any further than to require you to confirm in writing to me that you have discontinued all use of the term “bible geek.” If I don’t receive this confirmation by July 31, 2003, [deleted] reserves the right to commence any action it believes is necessary or appropriate to protect its rights in the Marks, without further notice.
Just to get technical, this letter is a legal instrument and is delivered to you for the purpose of: (1) establishing that your continued use of the term “bible geek” after the date of this letter constitutes willful infringement of [deleted]’s exclusive rights in the Marks; and (2) making formal demand that you immediately discontinue any use of the term “bible geek.”
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter, and may God continue to bless you for your ministry and work to build the Kingdom.
But I'd like all bloggers to join me in a little campaign. Link to the Bible Geek today.Posted by Richard @ 03:17 PM BST [Link]
I've seen it all now. Pat Robertson's Age-Defying Protein Pancakes for a breakfast that fights disease, protects your heart and tastes great!
More snake oil, anyone?
Posted by Richard @ 02:49 PM BST [Link]
Josh is right. This story is gross. But isn't it extraordinary that healthcare in the US is so profit-oriented that the Red Cross couldn't comply with a father's reasonable request that his son's donated organs should not be used for profit?
Posted by Richard @ 12:45 PM BST [Link]
Does Bush believe in Free Trade?
Posted by Richard @ 09:36 AM BST [Link]
The Korea Times reports that a South korean Christian goup is to send ($4.1 million worth of medical supplies today to North Korea, part of a $10 million pledge it made to the North's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee in November last year to treat tuberculosis patients in the North.
Posted by Richard @ 08:55 AM BST [Link]
Christian Zionism: Israel's ultimate strategic asset?
Posted by Richard @ 08:07 AM BST [Link]
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Stephen Carson says that pre-Enlightenment scholastics were not only 'economically literate' but "but that in many cases their economic theory was far more advanced than many professional economists who came after them." He presents a broad overview of the thinking of these worthies and offers an ample number of quotes from them. The purpose of the article appears to be an attempt to demonstrate that free market economics is rooted in the Christian tradition.
It's an interesting article, but for me it proceeds the wrong way. In effect it says, "I believe free market economics is right - what can I find in the Christian tradition that will back me up." So there is no attempt at all to deal with those passages of scripture or the elements of Christian tradition which speak directly against the operation of the so-called "free market".
The article makes much of 'private property', the 'calamity of taxation', and 'market price' which are the bedrock of conservative economics. But there is nothing here about stewardship, communal welfare and justice which ought to be integral to any economics which claims to be based on the gospel.I'm not an economist, and it may be that the free market is the most efficient method of organising the economy in the modern world. (I only said "may"!) By all means present arguments for it. But we shouldn't try to sanctify it by spurious appeals to the tradition. The 'free market' may be right for the world, but Christians find their true freedom in God -- it is his wisdom that should guide our economic thinking, not the wisdom of the world. And I see little evidence in the scriptures or elsewhere that the two are in agreement.
Posted by Richard @ 04:32 PM BST [Link]
It is reported that sales of Christian music have declined:
Sales of Christian and gospel music dropped 10 percent in the first half of 2003, with industry leaders blaming music piracy and the economy for the drop.it sounds feasible -- horrid music pirates are robbing honest artists of their livelihoods. But this report suggests that File swappers 'buy more music'At the end of the first six months of 2003, Nielsen SoundScan sales of Christian and gospel music stood at 21,046,000 units. That's a 10.23 percent decline from the same period in 2002, when 23,445,000 units were sold.
Despite the sales decrease, the genre of music maintained its market share in the overall music industry.
The sales of these recordings represented 7.14 percent of all music sales, ahead of sales for Latin, classical, jazz and soundtracks, the Gospel Music Association said.
"We are not surprised at the slowdown because gospel music sales are being affected by the same issues as the rest of the music industry -- an uncertain economy and music piracy," said John W. Styll, president of the Nashville, Tenn.-based association.
Styll said a task force of the industry's leading distribution companies was recently developed to address digital distribution issues, including illegal downloading.
Music fans who download songs from the internet go on to buy more albums, a survey has suggested.Could it be that most "Christian" music just isn't very good? Surely not.The survey's findings oppose the music industry's long-standing argument that internet downloading is responsible for a slump in CD sales, with album sales falling 5% in the last year.
Market research company Music Programming Ltd (MPL) said 87% of its respondents who downloaded music admitted they bought albums after hearing tracks through the internet.
An MPL spokesperson said: "Downloading is actually a 'try before you buy' tool for a significant amount of people.
Update: Lordy! It looks like Josh Claybourn and I are agreeing again. One of us is slipping...
;o)Posted by Richard @ 03:03 PM BST [Link]
This is one kind of internet scare story. And you have to admit that Flaw exposes internet hardware is a more dramatic headline than Cisco issues software patch. It's strange that we almost seem to need the threat of "the end of the internet" hanging over us. 21st century apocalyptic.
This is another kind of internet scare, the threat posed by, not to, the internet. Of course, children are going to enjoy using the internet to contact people from around the world. The immediacy and global reach of IM services, email and all the rest are a tremendous resource. I mean, does anyone else remember how long it took to get a penpal through Big Blue marble? But if you wouldn't drop your children off and leave them in a room full of strangers, don't leave them to use the internet unsupervised.
Don't.
Posted by Richard @ 01:02 PM BST [Link]
My intention has always been to keep this site free from commercial advertising, and that hasn't changed. But I have to say something about the marvellous service I've had recently from Xpress Gifts UK. Yesterday I emailed them some jpeg's to be made into coasters. The postman has just delivered them, barely 24 hours later. Those who've been around theConnexion a while know I don't do this sort of thing -- I'm making an exception now because I'm just so pleased.
Thanks Steve.
Posted by Richard @ 12:00 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
A detail from a painting done by some of the children of my church. Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, for to such belongs the kingom of God."Posted by Richard @ 11:45 PM BST [Link]
On July 1st, the British Methodist conference voted to enter into a Covenant for unity with the Church of England. On Sunday, the General Synod of the Church of England approved the same covenant proposal. Those who know me might expect me to be pleased about this -- I am a self-confessed 'ecumaniac' and believe that different denominations should be working together despite their differences.
My lack of enthusiasm for this venture iarises for both practical and theological reasons. The theology is simple for me. There is only one Church, so we don't need to have conferences, commissions and consultations to decide whether there should be mutual recognition of membership and ministry. It's obvious - of course we should. Next question please. I know it sounds naive, but I really feel that if we need a process to determine these things we're making some fundamental errors. Put it this way: If my brother were to come along and anounce he wanted to enter into a legal covenant to affirm our brotherhood and to establish a process to determine the terms of that brotherhood, I can tell you he'd get no co-operation from me. We're brothers. What more is there to say? That's very much how I feel about this formal approach to ecumenism.
The practical reason is that I don't see any prospect for such a Covenant moving the churches closer together where it really matters, on the ground. Those who resist co-operation will continue to resist it, despite the Covenant. Those who're committed to co-operation will continue to work with other churches, but that won't be because of a piece of paper their heirarchies have approved. In Wales there has been a Covenant for Unity between most of the major denominations since 1975. But I see very little sign it has done us much practical good. The failure of the Church in Wales to ratify the proposal to consecrate an Ecumenical Bishop in Cardiff was for me the 'last straw' for this kind of top-down approach to ecumenism. If it doesn't come from the grass roots, it isn't going to get anywhere.
Posted by Richard @ 12:43 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Rachel is making a digital quilt. And it is coming along nicely. Get creative and add a square of your own.
Posted by Richard @ 07:37 AM BST [Link]
We just returned this afternoon from a much needed vacation (holiday - see, I still speak English!). Our 2,500 mile round trip included two visits with friends in Louisville, Kentucky. On the way up we dropped Chris off at the University of Louisville for a week long jazz improvization camp. We stayed with Pastor Jim Seelhorst and his family, friends of mine since 1979 when we were all at Kentucky Wesleyan together. We were also reunited with Melody Medley and met her family. I had not seen her since 1983. Then, we were off to Riverview, Michigan where we stayed with my sister Ann and her family for a few days. Those days included a tour of the Ford Museum in Dearborn (near Detroit) and a visit to a street festival that included a look across the Detroit River into Canada. (We ran out of time or we would have visited out of the country again this summer - but not quite the same thing as going to Wales and England.) Debbie, Rachel and I also did some family history work as we visited Grand Rapids, the former furniture capitol of the world (800+ factories at her peak in lower Michigan). There we delivered to the Grand Rapids museum the 1865 Wedding Certificate of my great-grandfather and grandmother, James M. and Lucy C. Barnett. We also found the site of their house not far away. They and her parents were settlers and prominent citizens of Grand Rapids. I also got to tour the 1915 Swiss Chalet style house built by their son and my grandfather, James Foote Barnett. It was strange to see for the first time the house that my mother grew up in and later raised her first two sons in with her first husband. We visited my grandmother's and great-great grandparent's graves not far from the first Barnett home. I came away with a new appreciation for the strength and courage, fortitude and determination of our earlier settlers who left much of their established lives "back east" much as their forebearers had over a century or more before when they left places like England, Wales and Germany to make their way in this new world.
The trip also included connecting with a first cousin whom I had not seen in almost 40 years (we were raised in different states and just didn't get togther). He and his wife have a gift shop in Springboro, Ohio in an old house that they are pretty sure was on the Underground Railroad. It's called "Aunt Susie's Gifts" and can be found on the WEB. Greg also shared a picture of my grandfather, Harvey Darling, when he was a baby in 1884. I also got to see a portrait of my Grandmother Bertha Lehman Darling whom I had never met either. She died two or three days after my mother was born at the end of 1918 (probably Spanish Flu that turned to pneumonia). My mother was adopted by the Barnetts at age 2 1/2 and never met her natural father. So, now I find myself reconnecting with a family that has loads of cousins all over Michigan. I guess I'll have to attend a family reunion someday just to meet them all.
On Friday we picked up Chris after hearing his Jazz combo perform, visited with the Seelhorst one more night and made our way south. We didn't have any specific plans from there on, so we actually decided to "See Rock City" at the top of Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee. We went through this facinating human enhanced granite rock garden at the top of the mountain and then saw Ruby Falls in a cave deep inside the same mountain. We had driven by all of this since I was a kid and had seen signs all over the eastern United States painted on barn roofs and bird houses that said "See Rock City". but never did until now. All the Corbins were pleasantly surprized at what we thought would just be a tacky tourist trap.
On our last day, we went to Underground Atlanta, had lunch at Micky's, toured the Coca Cola museum and paid a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historical site that included Ebenezer Baptist Church (where I took my first preaching class under still pastor Joe Roberts with a visit from Daddy King one time who said "Preachin is hard and preachin is hollerin!"). This visit was a very sobering and thought provoking one for the Corbins as we retraced the steps and sacrifices of the American Civil Rights movement. This included watching a movie about the influence of Black youth since the 1930's and the sacrifices they made for civil rights. What was interesting to me and noted by the rest of my family is that we were in the minority that wholed day in the theatre, downtown Atlanta and at the King Center. Most of the folks around us were African American. Forty years ago, a day like Sunday would not have been possible for any of us. But, we still have a long way to go. Leading up to the Center is an area of decay and poverty that is still a source of struggle for many inner city Americans.
For me, this was a journey into my roots where part of my family even had maids and butlers and were definitely part of the "Haves", but I'm glad my children were more impressed with the King Center than the contributions my Barnetts made to the city of Grand Rapids.
We didn't get there, but just one hour north of Grand Rapids are the graves of my great-grandfather and mother and his parents. William Davies and his mother and father, James Davies and Martha Harries Davies are buried near their own farm (they left Haverford West as farm laborors) in Stanwood, Michigan. I am proud to be a part of all that makes me me, my family what it is and our country the melting pot (and troubled stew that it sometimes is). This vacation for me was a way of coming home long before we pulled into our driveway today.
I hope this rambling passage stirs some thoughts and memories of home, heritage and family for others.
Peace.
Ivan The Crank
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 02:56 AM BST [Link]
Sunday, July 13, 2003
The BBC profiles Marvel Comics' Stan Lee.
Posted by Richard @ 04:57 PM BST [Link]
Jesus said, "Anyone who welcomes one of these little ones, welcomes me" and "Let the children come to me ... for to such belongs the Kingdom of God."
Children can be annoying. They get in the way. When you're trying to be quiet, they are noisy. When you want them to say or sing something, they go quiet. They speak the truth at inconvenient moments and ask awkward questions.
No wonder Jesus said what he did. Children and him have a lot in common.
Posted by Richard @ 03:00 PM BST [Link]
A Prayer
Lord,From Tides and Seasons; modern Prayers in the Celtic Tradition David Adam
When our steps are weary
And the going is rough
When our life is dreary
And our journey is tough
Open the gate of gloryLord,
When the dark clouds thicken
And the storm rides high
And the troubles quicken
And the danger is nigh
Open the gate of gloryLord,
When our work is completed
And the battle is done
We are not defeated
The victory you have won.
Open the gate of gloryPosted by Richard @ 09:04 AM BST [Link]
Heterosexuals storm Church Synod meetingRead the whole thing -- it gave me a smile.
12 Jul 2003
A group of heterosexual church leaders disrupted the Church of England General Synod in York today. The leaders, who are opposed to the "dominance" of homosexuals in the Church, pushed their way onto the stage and spoke at length about the evils of excluding "straights" from Church life.Thanks to the Wibsite for turning this up.
Posted by Richard @ 12:27 AM BST [Link]
Saturday, July 12, 2003
The Structure of the Methodist Church in Britain
OK, I know this structure type stuff is pretty dull, but I've had a couple of queries on it lately so here goes a brief explanation. This only applies to Methodism in Britain -- the UMC is an entirely different kettle of fish, for reasons that needn't detain us now.
Individual Methodist Churches are grouped together in Circuits with one or more ministers sharing responsibility for them. It is the Circuit which is the "basic unit" of the Methodist Church in Britain. For example, ministers are sent ("stationed" in our jargon) to a circuit, not a local church. One of the ministers in the Circuit will be the Superintendent who has overall responsibility for the life of the Circuit. (For the unfortunate Methodists of Swansea & Gower, that's me!) Much of the worship in local churches will be conducted by trained lay people (Local Preachers).
Circuits are grouped together in Districts under the authority of a District Chair. The governing body of the District is its Synod, which consists of both ministers and lay people. It is the Synod which appoints representatives to the annual Conference, which is where 'the buck stops'. Each year a President is elected to chair the Conference and to represent the Methodist Church. (The President is always a minister, the Vice-President always a lay person). Although there is a heirarchy of sorts within the Methodist Church it is worth remembering that for ministers there is no 'promotion ladder'. Someone who is a District Chair may in their next appointment become a Superintendent or Circuit minister.
The Methodist Church holds to the Priesthood of all believers, that is ministers are set apart for particular work but there is nothing a minister does which a lay person could not be authorised by the Conference to do. I'm going to allow myself a quote from our book of rules at this point:
For the sake of church order and not because of any priestly virtue inherent in the office the ministers of the Methodist Church are set apart by ordination to the ministry of the word and sacraments.Hope you caught the drift of that!Organisationally, Methodism's 'big idea' is "Connexion" (Yes, we always use that spelling, and hence this site). This is the sense that each carries responsibility for the other - strong support weak, whether individual, church, circuit or otherwise. Although it may at first appear to be cumbersome and bureaucratic, the structure of the Methodist Church embodies this essential gospel truth and in my humble opinion it is connexion which is Methodism's best gift to the wider Church.
Posted by Richard @ 09:15 PM BST [Link]
Friday, July 11, 2003
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:
Unless you already know what these slogans mean, you're probably not much wiser, so let me explain ...
- All need to be saved
- All can be saved
- All can know themselves to be saved
- All can be saved to the uttermost
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. 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 @ 07:06 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, July 10, 2003
I've been reading a shocking series of short stories. Tales of brutality and torture, kidnapping, child abuse and murder. Suitable reading for a minister??? Who could have written such things? If writers like Robert Bloch, Stephen King and Denis Wheatley spring to mind then I’m afraid you are on the wrong track. These were folk tales, collected by ‘the Brothers Grimm’, and widely available for children. As I read them I was amazed at how ‘toned down’ were the versions that I remembered. How about this (relatively mild) extract from the end of Rumplestiltskin, as the queen announces that she knows his name:
‘A witch has told you! a witch has told you!’ shrieked the little Man, and stamped his right foot so hard in the ground with rage that he could not draw it out again. Then he took hold of his left leg with both hands, and pulled away so hard that his right came off in the struggle, and he hopped away, howling terribly. And from that day to this the Queen has heard no more of her troublesome visitor.'
How can we allow our children to read about such brutality? Of course, the truth is that children need these stories because through them they can begin to learn about good, evil and the consequences of both. Through stories, children can be equipped to deal with a world where cruelty and injustice are all too real.
People sometimes express surprise and shock at some of the events recounted in the Bible. There too we can find stories of violence, cruelty and wickedness and we may wonder what they have to do with the loving God of ‘gentle Jesus, meek and mild’. We would probably prefer that these stories were not included in the scriptures at all. The Bible is not a ‘nice’ book, but rather a book that deals with the realities of human life and human nature with all its facets. It does not shy away from the harsher realities about ourselves that we would prefer to ignore. The stories it contains illuminate the story of our lives, providing waymarkers on our pilgrimmage.
How much poorer would our childhood’s be without cruel giants, wicked queens, handsome princes and all the rest? Poorer still do we become if we allow ourselves to forget the stories on which our culture and tradition were builtPosted by Richard @ 11:57 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, July 9, 2003
A busy day away from home, down in "the Smoke" of London. I can't say I've exactly enjoyed myself, but it has been a worthwhile day doing some proper ministry. The train journey gave me the opportunity to re-read Theodore Jennings Good News to the Poor: John Wesley's evangelical Economics which provided plenty of food for thought. The central premise is that John Wesley regarded economic transformation as the most significant marker of a living faith. The chapter on wesley's failure is sobering, but the analysis of the reasons for that failure are instructive -- I think I'll have to come back to this one!
In the meantime, last have a few words from brother Charles. It's a hymn which amounts to a manifesto of the Wesleyan insistence that the gospel is true for all people and should be preached to all. Grace has no limits:
FATHER, whose everlasting love
Thy only Son for sinners gave,
Whose grace to all did freely move,
And sent him down the world to save;Help us thy mercy to extol,
Immense, unfathomed, unconfined;
To praise the Lamb who died for all,
The general Saviour of mankind.Thy undistinguishing regard
Was cast on Adam's fallen race;
For all thou hast in Christ prepared
Sufficient, sovereign, saving grace.The world he suffered to redeem;
For all he hath the atonement made;
For those that will not come to him
The ransom of his life was paid.Arise, O God, maintain thy cause!
The fulness of the Gentiles call;
Lift up the standard of thy cross,
And all shall own thou diedst for all.Posted by Richard @ 11:42 PM BST [Link]
Richard Bott offers an ethical dilemma.
Posted by Richard @ 07:39 AM BST [Link]
Jaz has been determinedly fanning the flames over on the wiki. For that alone his wiblog deserves a gratuitous mention.
Posted by Richard @ 12:43 AM BST [Link]
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
I've just sold my first item on eBay.
Yay!
Posted by Richard @ 11:52 PM BST [Link]
Mark Shea has a very interesting post on the justification of the war in Iraq.
The longer we look for weapons, and the more excuses or "Well, it wasn't really about WMDs, you know" I hear, the more I begin to feel had and to think the Holy Father had a point. Telling me Saddam was a devil is not going to convince me that we therefore had the right to cut down all the laws in England to get at him. I want to know that we really had cause. Which means I want to know that there was the imminent threat of WMDs we were assured of.(You'll have to look at the whole article if you need the "all the laws of England" reference explaining, as I did)
The temptation to believe that "ends justify means" is ever present for people on all points of the political spectrum, and it is always persuasive. But if we set aside the principles on which we claim our civilisation is founded, we undermine ourselves more surely than any terrorist or foreign dictator ever could.Posted by Richard @ 04:55 PM BST [Link]
What can I say but sorry? theConnexion has been down, but is now up.
And, no. I don't know why.
Posted by Richard @ 04:21 PM BST [Link]
My friend Jack sent me this stress-testing web page. Try it out for yourself.
I definitely need some time off!
Posted by Richard @ 08:35 AM BST [Link]
I've just got round to adding this humble site to Blogarama. If you wanted, you could write me a review -- but do remember how sensitive a soul I am!
Posted by Richard @ 12:02 AM BST [Link]
Monday, July 7, 2003
From the United Methodist News Service
The Rev. Inderjit Bhogal lives in what some might call a "disadvantaged area" of the northern English city of Sheffield. But he says he doesn't see it that way. For this British Methodist minister, it's an advantage, especially as a newly appointed member of a high-level British government advisory panel on racial equality.
"I'm living in a multicultural part of Sheffield," Bhogal told United Methodist News Service during the 2003 British Methodist Conference. "I've got my ear to the ground and I can bring local concerns and local views (to the government)."
A past British Methodist president and the first person of color elected to that role, Bhogal said he has been badgering government officials here for years, particularly on issues of justice and fairness for asylum seekers.
"As I see it there are some 50 million people seeking protection - people who have lost the safety of their country, living both inside and outside those countries," Bhogal said. "The vast majority of those people are being cared for by neighboring countries. The poorest countries have the biggest burden of protection and hospitality. ... A trickle come to the wealthier nations. We could be more hospitable and take a greater share of the burden."
[more]Posted by Richard @ 11:37 PM BST [Link]
Speaking of the wiki, there's an interesting new page about Jesus you might want to contribute to.
You might like to sign the new guest book while you're there. Who'll be first?
Posted by Richard @ 10:07 PM BST [Link]
Thanks to Randy McRoberts I discovered this entry on Tensegrities:
Imagine a website where any community could publish the things they’d created to support religious learning and religious practice. This website would be free and open to the public, so that anyone could post resources – curriculum materials, bible studies, worship notes, and so on – and anyone could download them. The key would be that anyone posting through this site would have to agree – in the posting – that their resources would be there under a “creative commons” copyright agreement to stay free and accessible. They would be able to work out separate agreements with print publishers only as long as the original electronic publications remained free and open."What an exciting idea!" I thought. But then I realised that not only does something which offers almost every listed feature already exist, it exists right here on theConnexion. Compass is a wiki to which anyone can contribute, every visitor can edit, any resource be commented upon. It has been a very slow beginning, largely (I think) because the whole "open source" model is so novel. But Compass will grow and change in ways that will be determined by those who use it. The only control I have greater than anyone else is the power to "pull the plug" altogether. Have a look at it and see what you think. I'm going to email Hessma.So, begin by imagining a web space in which people from all over the world could publish the resources they’ve developed locally, and others could download and use these resources – perhaps modifying and reposting them back to the website, further contextualized for use in specific settings.
Now, imagine that this website has two additional features – a very powerful search engine, that allows people to search in multiple ways amongst the materials, and a very powerful and flexible ratings system, that allows anyone who chooses to, to add their own evaluation of the materials.
Posted by Richard @ 02:01 PM BST [Link]
The "traditionalists" may feel like they have won a victory, but the message they have sent is that God's grace is not so all-sufficient as Christians have sometimes claimed. His forgiveness only stretches so far, after all -- there are some sins in our past that Jesus' love cannot reach. That's exactly what Jesus said. Not.
And I'm glad to say that this prominent Methodist agrees with me.
Posted by Richard @ 11:49 AM BST [Link]
Sunday, July 6, 2003
The summer is upon us - at least, we hope that there will be something that we can call a summer. Many of us are looking forward to a summer break and the opportunity to leave routine behind, even if it is only for a few days.
One of the ironies of our society is that for years we have been promised more and more leisure time. The benefits of technology were supposed to bring the end of drudgery and enable people to exercise their creativity. There is hardly any area of life that has not altered dramatically in the last few years: home, office, factory, shop and farm have all been subjected to immense changes. Tasks that would once have taken a whole day can be completed in an hour or less, and the work of many can now be accomplished by a few, or none. Despite this, the promised age of leisure never materialised. For some these changed have brought not leisure, but the enforced idleness of unemployment. At the same time other people work more hours and endure more stress than they have ever done.
The drive for greater ‘efficiency’ has become an altar on which it seems no sacrifice is too great. Mobile phones, email, laptop computers and the other trappings of modern life make it more and more difficult for us genuinely to rest. Even if we do not use these things ourselves we are not immune to their influence. How do you enjoy a train journey whilst the person next to you fields numerous calls from suppliers and customers? I guess if you were to challenge this fictional fellow-traveller they would say that they are making the best use of their time, not allowing their travel to prevent them from working. Nothing must slow us down!
We need to regain a biblical perspective on our lives, to let go of our obsession with efficiency and recover the reckless joy of the Living God. It is no accident that our word ‘holiday’ comes from ‘holy day’. To really enjoy the life that God created us for means being ready to stop and rest, to do nothing - even to waste some time. We were not made mere machines, but creatures who bear the image of our creator, the God who rested ‘on the seventh day’. We needn’t let go of our cherished efficiency altogether but I hope that we will be able to put in its proper place, our servant and not our master.
I wish everyone the best of summers, that whether at home or away we will all have some opportunity to properly relax and simply ‘be’ in the presence of God.
Posted by Richard @ 03:42 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, July 5, 2003
Relapsed Catholic quotes the Christian Science Monitor on the search for the real Sound of Music
"The film also ignores the strong Roman Catholic faith of Maria. Raised as a socialist and atheist, she was dramatically changed by a chance encounter with a Jesuit priest when she was a teenager. "I quite enjoyed the article, but it does irritate me to have "faith" (Roman Catholic or otherwise) and "socialist" presented as polar opposites. It may be a dirty word in many circles guys, but socialism has deep Christian roots and many Christians are pleased to label themselves as socialists.Including me.
Posted by Richard @ 04:58 PM BST [Link]
Ian's Messy desk gets the credit for revealing this bit of fun.
Go to Google. Put in "weapons of mass destruction" (without the speech marks) and click on "I'm feeling lucky".Enjoy the error message you're treated to.
:o)
Posted by Richard @ 04:28 PM BST [Link]
Well, I finally made it back to the connexion and Greymatter. We moved from Fruitland Park to DeLand, Florida back on the 9th of June and are just now getting settled in. Tomorrow we leave for a vacation that will take us to Louisville, Kentucky and then on to Michigan to visit relatives.
Debbie and I realized that at this time last year we were enjoying one of our best Fourth of July events when we got to attend the special program at the Welsh speaking congregation. To get in touch with our heritage from a new and fresh perspective was wonderful! It's hard to believe that was all a year ago!
Today we attended a very well produced musical production at Stetson Baptist Church, complete with videos on a big screen, representatives of all branches of US military and a full concert band and large choir. The American flags were everywhere, even on the dresses of the female choir members. The music was a mix of American traditional and patriotic. Since it wasn't a worship service, it was easier to take than if this had been a Sunday worship service. But, while I am a patriot, I still can't bring myself to think that being a Christian and being an American patriot are synonymous. Maybe because that's because I know too many Christians who are not Americans and too many good Americans who are not Christians. Maybe it's because I don't believe that the US is the only nation blessed by God. I know that for some, this is heresy, but I'm more concerned about what God thinks than the patriotic monitors.
Last Sunday is when we acknowleged our heritage in worship and I had to ask a well intentioned worship leader not to decorate the communion table with symbols of the US. I explained that this really is a secular holiday, no matter how much we say "God bless America". Otherwise, the celebration of the 4th and all it stands for, including "freedom and justice for all" would only be for good, patriotic Christians. That's just a little too exclusive for me!
So, has Richard rubbed off on me or what? Actually, I pretty much thought like this before listening to his sermon around the 4th last year adressing the "one nation under God" controversy, but our time in Wales and England, my time in Russia and studying about Christianity elsewhere just convinced me of the rightness of being a citizen of the Kingdom of God before being a citizen of any earthly nation.
Happy 4th! Happy Canada Day a few days late. Happy whatever national holiday is just around the corner around the world.
Happy Sunday and may we celebrate our citizenship in the Kingdom of God!
Ivan the Crank
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 05:03 AM BST [Link]
Friday, July 4, 2003
This is not new, but hey, didn't someone say that "There is nothing new under the sun"? In honour of the Fourth of July, and with thanks to Merle (from whom I first heard this) we bring you...
Only in America...
Only in America...can a pizza get to your house.......faster than an ambulance...Only in America...are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink...
Only in America...do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions...while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
Only in America...do people order double cheese burgers, large fries -- and a diet coke.
Only in America...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
Only in America...do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.
Only in America...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
Only in America do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.
Posted by Richard @ 10:47 PM BST [Link]
What Is Freedom?
Eberhard ArnoldEarly attempts at air travel began with a gas-filled
balloon tied to a steel cable fastened to the ground.
Then people risked allowing the gas-filled balloon
rise unhindered and abandoned it to the winds.
They called this vessel a "free" balloon. Was it really
free? Could its crew be called free when they were
driven out over the ocean at the mercy of storms?...
The modern airplane can better illustrate for us what
true freedom is. No matter which way the wind blows,
the pilot flies his plane in the direction he decides.
More Fourth of July reflections from the Bruderhof
Posted by Richard @ 09:50 AM BST [Link]
The next President of the Methodist Conference will be Rev Wil Morrey, the Chair of the South Wales District. It's amazing how far you can get when you have good people like me behind you!
Posted by Richard @ 07:57 AM BST [Link]
Thursday, July 3, 2003
From the Inaugural address of the new President of the British Methodist Conference
The minimum wage is not enough to live on, the new leader of the Methodist Church in Britain has warned. The President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Dr Neil Richardson, made the claim as part of a stinging critique of what the modern market is doing to the poorest in society.Read the whole addressThe keynote address was the first act of the new President after his induction at the start of this year's Methodist Conference at the North Wales Theatre, Llandudno. The President is the most senior office to be held by a minister in the Methodist Church in Britain.
In the address, Dr Richardson said: "Must we not say that capitalism, as we know it, is not working well? A capitalism which, under successive governments, continues to enlarge the gap between rich and poor, cannot, by Biblical standards, be said to be working well. A capitalism which requires people to work harder than is good for them, which drives the price of housing out of the reach of many of its citizens, which seems to generate more stress and depressive illness, a capitalism which is ravaging the environment, cannot be said to be working well. In this country the minimum wage is not enough to live on."
He went on to voice concern about the ability of the Christian faith to thrive in an affluent society: "We know there are no simplistic solutions, still less that wealth creation is unnecessary. Modern wealth has brought countless benefits to the human race. But to ask now ‘What is our affluence doing to us?’ might just be the beginning of wisdom. And to keep asking what is our brand of capitalism doing to the poor in Britain, and across the world, is the task of a prophetic church."
Elsewhere in his address, Dr Richardson reflected on the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. He warned the Church against "Wesleyan fundamentalism", saying that Methodists should not "simply do or say what Wesley did then. We have to ask what we need to leave behind, what we need to cherish and take with us into the future."
Titling his address "A God-centred Church, he also called on Methodists not to lapse into being "a church-centred church, liable to lapse into one of two false positions. Either it becomes a religious ghetto, a cultural island, secure in its own little world, but quite irrelevant to the wider world. Or, chameleon-like, it takes on the values and outlook of the culture of which it is part."
Many people - whether churchgoers or not - have false pictures of God that need to be left behind, urged Dr Richardson. For churchgoers, this is the god who turns the Bible into ammunition for them to throw at people with whom they disagree. For those outside the churches, there is "the god you were put off believing in at school, the god you grew out of, rather like Santa Claus, the god who is little more than a cosmic frown or a giant question-mark".
Posted by Richard @ 05:38 PM BST [Link]
I don't think I have been quite so enraged as I was by this Article from Sunday's Observer, The Last Resort, which describes a Jamaican private detention facility where American parents (and soon, possibly, British parents) send their dysfunctional teenagers to be brainwashed into being "perfect." Even twenty-four hours after reading it, I'm shaking with anger thinking about it.
And if you think I am being overzealous describing their tactics as "brainwashing", go read the article, and then check out this definition of coercive mind control from a site about cults.
If there is any way at all these people can be stopped, they must be.
Posted by Wood @ 10:00 AM BST [Link]
The BBC reports that the National Lottery is due for a shake up. Many are now bored of the lottery, it is claimed.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell is to unveil plans for a shake-up of the National Lottery after several years of declining sales.I'm not at all a fan of the Lottery. Here's what I wrote for a church magazine a little while ago:
In a White Paper to be published on Thursday, it is expected that different companies will be given the chance to run lottery games and the public will get more say over which good causes should benefit.I seem to have been involved in a number of conversations about the ‘National Lottery’ recently and I’ve been surprised about the wide range of opinion about it. My view is no secret: I regard the Lottery as an evil influence and wish that it could be scrapped, although I am realistic enough to know that it will not be. Why do I think this way? Briefly . . .Some things have changed since then, and the lottery has lost most of its "religious" language -- either that, or I've stopped noticing. But in some ways, I find that more disturbing still. The Lottery has become so much a part of our national life that its existence is unquestioned and the multi-million pound prizes are taken for granted. But underneath this now-treasured institution is a bedrock of avarice and greed which no amount of "image management" can change. The lure of instant gratification and enrichment is powerful, but in the end can we really afford to build on such a foundation?
1. The lottery encourages greed. We see this by how many extra tickets are sold when there is a large rollover jackpot. There may be one or two exceptional souls whose only thought is how much good they could do if they won, but for most the chance of a fortune is irresistible.
2. The lottery appeals to gullibility. Have you studied the odds of winning a jackpot? One in fourteen million! (OK, Alan. 1 in 13,983,816). You are much more likely to be struck by lightning than to choose the right numbers, but how many people would bet on that?
3. The lottery overstates its charitable contribution. It is unarguable that the charity makes massive donations to ‘good causes’. It is also undeniable that these sums are a a small percentage of the lottery’s turnover, giving a veneer of generosity to an industry which is an exploitation of greed. If you seriously want to give to charity, cut out all the middlemen and give directly.
4. The lottery is effectively becoming a religion. Don’t believe me? Then listen to the language of the lottery broadcasts; “It could be you”, “The Lottery prayer”. See the fervour of the gathered crowd. Listen as the great deeds of the Lottery are recounted. Numbers are given personalities (“That’s the second time this year no. 14 has put in appearance”), and even serious newspapers are printing lists of how often numbers have come up, as though that has any relevance to future events. “Religion” is the guide to where people put their ultimate trust, and for many today the lottery fulfils that role.Posted by Richard @ 09:46 AM BST [Link]
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Karl Barth was one of the great theologians of the twentieth century. Born in Switzerland towards the end of the last century, he was first a Lutheran pastor and then taught in several European universities. He was a leading light in church opposition to the nazi government in Germany and was forced to leave that country in 1935. His contribution to theology is immense. He wrote many books and papers, including his massive Church Dogmatics. (I wouldn’t recommend asking the library to get it for you. You would need a wheelbarrow to get it home!)
Once, he was giving an interview on an American radio station and was asked to summarise his faith. The interviewer expected a long and complicated answer, worthy of such a well-respected academic theologian. Instead, Barth answered simply, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so”. After all the millions of words that he had written, all the thousands of lectures he had given, he chose to summarise his faith in the words of a hymn that many today would sneer at.
We all need to think through our faith to the limit of our ability. Some, like Barth (there are not many!) will have very considerable powers of theological thought. Most of us are considerably more limited in the range of our minds. But whoever we are, we need to remember that our grasp of the wisdom of God will be limited at best and all our understanding relies on the revelation of God. We would all wish to grow in wisdom and understanding, but above all that we will grow in the love of our Lord. Perhaps we can use this opportunity to make the hymn that Barth quoted our own:
Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak but he is strongYes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so.Posted by Richard @ 10:47 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, July 1, 2003
I'm grateful to Bene Diction for reminding me of this piece about blogging ethics by John Adams. Hope I'll be forgiven for using more-or-less the same quote as my friend BD - it is a corker. Maybe an extra gratuitous link will be a suitable recompense!
Everyone has a different idea of how people should argue. That may sound a bit comical, but it's true. Those who have spent time on debate teams, ... are generally more prone to argue forcefully, and to insist that their opponents remain within the boundaries of debate. They will often call their opponent's bluff if he/she ventures into "ad hominem attacks" or "emotionalism." They are trained to win, and they mostly do just that.people with straight A's and no cavities A classic line!But some people are less interested in debating the finer points of [insert topic here] than they are in "dialoguing" – a friendly-sounding word for voicing one's opinion without fear of having it decimated by people with straight A's and no cavities. I do not presume to know where the balance must be struck, but please keep in mind that people are very rarely persuaded by heavy-handed replies, no matter how chock-full of logic, reason, and hard facts they may be. On the other hand, don't go posting your humble opinion if you're not prepared to get it challenged. To me, that's an essential part of blogging – learning where your blind spots are. "Iron sharpens iron." So, I suppose what I'm asking for is grace from the erudite and humility from the opinionated.
Posted by Richard @ 08:59 PM BST [Link]
Today's Daily Dig from the Bruderhof
Surrender Is Everything
Jean-Pierre de CaussadeIt matters not what my abilities may be then, provided that I possess you, Lord. Do what you will with this insignificant creature. Whether it be that I should work, or become inspired, or be the recipient of your impressions, it is all the same. Everything is yours, everything is from you and for you. I no longer have anything to be concerned about, anything to do. I have no hand in the arrangement of one single moment of my life; everything belongs to you. I do not need to add or subtract anything, nor to seek after or mull over anything. It is for you, Lord, to regulate everything: direction, humiliations, sanctification, perfection and salvation - all are your business, Lord. Mine is to be satisfied with your work and not to demand the choice of action or condition, but to leave everything to your good pleasure.
Posted by Richard @ 07:36 PM BST [Link]
Pen asks, "What do you believe?"
So, what do I believe? I believe that God cares deeply for the world. That God takes broken, dead, empty things and fills them with life and usefulness. I believe that God has intentions, love, and grace for all of us. I believe that prayer is more about the conversation and less about the answers. I believe that we see God in those around us. I believe that in the end -- everything works out just right -- not by coincidence or chance and not because we are in control -- but because God is in control. And I believe that God is made most real in the story of the Bible which tells of God's deep love -- so deep that God came incarnate in the form of Jesus to satisfy my doubts, my sin, and reluctance to be in relationship with God.Good thoughtful stuff - wander over and share your thoughts.Posted by Richard @ 12:30 PM BST [Link]
I wrote the other day about daring to take risks.
We won't always succeed. And God doesn't ask us to. What we're called to is the path he sets before us, knowing that in success and in failure he is with us to set us back on our feet and get us on our way again.That's easy to say -- as long as you think you're winning.But what do you do when you've put your heart and soul into something, believing that it is where God was calling you? When the siren voices have been saying for years that it's a waste of resources and you shouldn't bother? Knowing what to do when facing failure like that is not at all easy. Hang in there, or call it quits and "pull the plug"?
Wish I knew.
Posted by Richard @ 11:33 AM BST [Link]
I'm not finished, but I am winning, so today the plan is to reward myself with a brief post periodically. So if nothing else appears today you'll know I've been driven out by it! Yesterday I found myself singing this hymn under my breath whilst I was sorting out a couple of shelves and when I thought about it I couldn't understand why. Charles Wesley wrote it to be be sung before reading the scriptures, and that's the only way I've ever used it. But on reflection, verse 3 is curiously appropriate so I hope you won't mind my sharing it with you.
COME, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire,
Let us thine influence prove,
Source of the old prophetic fire,
Fountain of light and love.Come, Holy Ghost, (for moved by thee
The prophets wrote and spoke)
Unlock the truth, thyself the key,
Unseal the sacred book.Expand thy wings, celestial Dove,
Brood o'er our nature's night;
On our disordered spirits move,
And let there now be light.God, through himself, we then shall know,
If thou within us shine,
And sound, with all thy saints below,
The depths of love divine.
