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Weblog Archives: November 2002
Saturday, November 30, 2002
An Advent Address
Based on Mark 13: 24-37At the end of the film Terminator there is a scene in which the heroine, Sarah Connor, is making her escape into the wilderness. She has destroyed the android sent from the future to kill her, but still she knows that the future of the world is bleak. Her thoughts are filled with the impending nuclear war and subsequent chaos. A "gas station" attendant looks up at the sky and says, "There is a storm coming." She replies simply, and not without irony, "I know."
Earlier in Mark's gospel (Mark chapter 11) there is a puzzling little incident in which Jesus goes looking for figs on a fig tree, even though it is not the season. When he finds none he curses the tree, which is later found withered. We find a fig tree again in Mark 13, though this time the tree is bursting into leaf. The fig tree was one of the commonest trees in Palestine and, being deciduous, was a clear indicator of the coming of summer.
In the passage before us, Jesus uses the traditional language of the Hebrews to paint a picture of "the end", the day of the Lord. Disturbances in the heavens, darkening of sun and moon, wars and famines were all used in Jewish literature as signs of the coming judgement of God. You do not have to take this language literally to see the awe and terror with which the end is predicted. Maybe in an age when we all want to "cosy up" to God, when any notion of mystery is sneered at and the divine Trinity is reduced to a benevolent grandfather, a kindly uncle and a very rapid "Linguaphone" course - maybe we need to reacquire this language and lose the embarassment which it causes us.
In Jesus' words it is hard to escape the sense of impending judgement, the gathering of storm clouds. Jesus reminds us that we are a people who live in the shadow of eternity, that everything that is now is merely provisional - our economic security, our knowledge of ourselves and the universe, the spiritual experiences we seek - all must fall before the day of the Lord. We cannot know the day or the hour, and so we must live as though the time were now.
All the signs we see around us, wars, earthquakes, famines should prompt neither fear nor despair, but rather the certain faith that one day we are to be brought face to face with God, that we should live to make ourselves ready for that moment.
But in the middle of all this talk of finality and judgement Jesus offers us the image of a fig tree coming into bud - an end to barrenness, an end of winter, a symbol of the resurrection from the dead. "The end" will always be near, but the message of Advent is that over the chaos of history hovers the Spirit of the Creator God, in the brokenness of humanity moves the God who makes all things new, in the despair of death stands the Christ who breaks open the entrance of the tomb.
Learn a lesson from the fig tree - with God it is always hope, not judgement, which has the final word.
Posted by Richard @ 10:16 AM BST [Link]
Friday, November 29, 2002
Bene Diction is back, and returned with a brand-new look. And it's very nice. Just as you'd expect. Anyhow - welcome back BD. Some of us have missed you.
BD reports a theory that "the lower a person’s religious conviction, the more likely he is to revere a particular celebrity" — which I found particularly interesting. It is only an hour or so ago that my wife was telling me about a discussion she'd heard on a radio programme which had presented evidence that Britain's teenagers increasingly have no ambition beyond being famous. The cult of celebrity does seem to be on the rise, and presents a new missionary challenge to the church.Posted by Richard @ 11:41 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, November 28, 2002
I'm grateful to Darryl for pointing me towards this article about the Prayer of Jabez. There are those who treat this prayer as a sort of magical incantation, and it has become the heart of a thriving industry. But the article's author sees the prayer as an ironic interlude, or comic aside to the genealogies which occupy much of the early chapters of 1 Chronicles:
Given this interpretation, the Jabez prayer (the Ouch! prayer) may then be taken as an indication that God can sometimes bless God's servants with prosperity. Yet the text simultaneously distances itself from any easy or absolute identification of blessing with earthly wealth and human striving for self-worth and power. Jabez is honorable, to a degree and in a way; we may even take him as a kind of hero. But if he is a hero, he is really a comic hero--he and his "blessing" of prosperity are not to be taken with final or ultimate seriousness. Were The Prayer of Jabez made into a movie, big, adorable funny men (modeled after John Candy or Jackie Gleason) might be perfect for the part. Jabez is certainly likable, but to be admired only with ironic qualification.
Admittedly, this is not a terribly pious reading--but then the Bible itself is often not too pious. Solely on textual terms, it is hard to make much more of Jabez and his prayer. It is more edifying to read the Ouch! prayer as a wry leavening of scripture than as a motivational mantra or a magical success formula. Besides, the church already has a model prayer.
You'll have to read the article to discover why he calls it the Ouch! prayer...Posted by Richard @ 04:38 PM BST [Link]
I'm experimenting with adding an .xml feed. Geeky, or what?
But it seems to work!Posted by Richard @ 12:18 PM BST [Link]
The BBC reported today that a British surgeon thinks that face transplants will be technically feasible in the next 6 to 9 months. People whose faces have been disfigured by cancer or burning could be helped by the operation.
I wonder, though. What would be the psychological effect of looking in a mirror and seeing someone else? What would the effect on a relative of someone recently deceased be if they were to come across their living face somewhere? And what of the ritual of "saying goodbye", the last opportunity to see a loved one just before a funeral? These are questions that I don't claim to have answers to, but there are worrying possibilities here. Given our record, when we can do a thing we do, regardless of whether we should or not. Time to pause and take stock.Posted by Richard @ 12:15 AM BST [Link]
Wednesday, November 27, 2002
I'm a bit anxious. It's possible that my post of Tuesday on Matthew 25 might have given the impression that I'm praching some sort of "gospel of works". That isn't what I mean. The life of Jesus represents what I read somewhere described as a "double movement" - from God to humanity, from humanity to God. In Jesus, God comes amongst us an offers himself. That's the first part. But the second is just as important, for in Jesus our humanity is made perfect and offered back to God. Even our smallest, most hesitant step of faith is gathered up by the perfect faithfulness of Jesus. We would never be good enough or even have faith enough to make it into the presence of God. But Jesus can take us there!
We gain our "righteousness" from him, and it is all we'll ever need.Posted by Richard @ 11:30 PM BST [Link]
If you'll be celebrating Thanksgiving, have a great one!
If not, find something to give thanks for and celebrate that!Posted by Richard @ 11:13 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
I preached on Matt. 25: 31-46 on Sunday and wasn't especially happy with the sermon. Today I had a second go at it in the college chapel and thought I'd share my musings here.
There is a real difficulty in this judgement day parable. It seems to clearly say that entry into eternal reward depends upon what we have done. To make things worse, those who "get in" are surprised about it. There's nothing here about "salvation by grace through faith" or about a conscious decision for Christ which is the starting point for most theology. So what do we do? Chuck out 98% of theology since Luther? Or say that Jesus made a mistake? Or do the traditional liberal thing of saying that there's a creative tension here that we just have to live with? I can cope with a certain amount of untidiness in theology - in fact I insist upon it - but this one needs to be wrestled with.
Here's how I approach it. In the parable, entry into the kingdom is actually on the basis of a response to Christ: I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Rejection comes from the failure to make this response. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and all the rest are signs of a response to Jesus, even if it be an unconscious one.
If we look at Paul's theology of salvation we're obliged to admit there is more going on than simply the offering of an individual life to Christ. For Paul, Jesus is the new Adam who remakes humanity. Salvation comes from being "in Christ", from the radically new life that this brings.
Maybe here is the clue to reconciling these two very different approaches. In the parable, rejecting the needy amounts to a rejection of Christ. In Paul, humanity is made new by the life and self-offering of Christ - there is an objective reality to salvation to which we are invited to respond. But our response is always secondary to the reality of what God has done for us. All is grace. But Jesus reminds us in his awesome parable that God will never force his grace upon us, never compel any to enter his kingdom. We remain free to accept or reject him. For he walks with us still, in the poor and dispossessed, the weary and the broken-hearted, the sick and imprisoned.whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me Posted by Richard @ 11:17 PM BST [Link]
Monday, November 25, 2002
A couple of extracts from John Wesley's sermon "On the Use of Money":
Do not throw it [money] away in idle expenses, which is just the same as throwing it into the sea. Expend no part of it merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life.
Do not waste any part of so precious a talent merely in gratifying the desires of the flesh; in procuring the pleasures of sense of whatever kind; particularly, in enlarging the pleasure of tasting. I do not mean, avoid gluttony and drunkenness only: An honest heathen would condemn these. But there is a regular, reputable kind of sensuality, an elegant epicurism, which does not immediately disorder the stomach, nor (sensibly, at least) impair the understanding. And yet (to mention no other effects of it now) it cannot be maintained without considerable expense. Cut off all this expense! Despise delicacy and variety, and be content with what plain nature requires.
Do not waste any part of so precious a talent merely in gratifying the desire of the eye by superfluous or expensive apparel, or by needless ornaments. Waste no part of it in curiously adorning your houses; in superfluous or expensive furniture; in costly pictures, painting, gilding, books; in elegant rather than useful gardens. Let your neighbours, who know nothing better, do this: "Let the dead bury their dead." But "what is that to thee?" says our Lord: "Follow thou me." Are you willing? Then you are able so to do.
Lay out nothing to gratify the pride of life, to gain the admiration or praise of men. This motive of expense is frequently interwoven with one or both of the former. Men are expensive in diet, or apparel, or furniture, not barely to please their appetite, or to gratify their eye, their imagination, but their vanity too. "So long as thou dost well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee." So long as thou art "clothed in purple and fine linen, and farest sumptuously" every day," no doubt many will applaud thy elegance of taste, thy generosity and hospitality. But do not buy their applause so dear. Rather be content with the honour that cometh from God.If, then, a doubt should at any time arise in your mind concerning what you are going to expend, either on yourself or any part of your family, you have an easy way to remove it. Calmly and seriously inquire, "(1.) In expending this, am I acting according to my character? Am I acting herein, not as a proprietor, but as a steward of my Lord's goods? (2.) Am I doing this in obedience to his Word? In what Scripture does he require me so to do? (3.) Can I offer up this action, this expense, as a sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ? (4.) Have I reason to believe that for this very work I shall have a reward at the resurrection of the just?" You will seldom need anything more to remove any doubt which arises on this head; but by this four-fold consideration you will receive clear light as to the way wherein you should go.
If any doubt still remain, you may farther examine yourself by prayer according to those heads of inquiry. Try whether you can say to the Searcher of hearts, your conscience not condemning you, "Lord, thou seest I am going to expend this sum on that food, apparel, furniture. And thou knowest, I act herein with a single eye as a steward of thy goods, expending this portion of them thus in pursuance of the design thou hadst in entrusting me with them. Thou knowest I do this in obedience to the Lord, as thou commandest, and because thou commandest it. Let this, I beseech thee, be an holy sacrifice, acceptable through Jesus Christ! And give me a witness in myself that for this labour of love I shall have a recompense when thou rewardest every man according to his works." Now if your conscience bear you witness in the Holy Ghost that this prayer is well-pleasing to God, then have you no reason to doubt but that expense is right and good, and such as will never make you ashamed.You can read the full text of this sermon here.
Posted by Richard @ 11:17 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, November 23, 2002
Locdog is much exercised by the Evangelical Environment Network's attempt to get Christians to think theologically about the sort of car they drive. He doesn't appreciate it at all:
they've simply taken classic bleeding heart issues and co-opted a frilly religiosity to pawn as a pretense for their true aims. masking their contempt for what has become the poster child of the hate-america left behind the vaguest of Biblical mandates, they attempt to create a spiritual guilt rather than the more traditional social guilt of the secular left, but it's still the same old gag.Locdog claims that a political agenda is being wrapped up in religious language, rather than faith driving the politics.
These are difficult issues. Every Christian I've ever met claims to base their politics on their faith. None of puts self-interest first. Jesus wouldn't like it. But it is remarkable how often western Christians have arrived at conclusions which conveniently serve their material and political interests.
I don't know the answer to "What would Jesus drive?" but it seems unlikely to me that it would be a V8 behemoth, especially if it was going to do nothing more arduous than the synagogue run and the occasional shopping trip into Jerusalem. There's no scriptural evidence about whether the SUV would have been our Lord's vehicle of choice. Nor did he say anything about abortion, alcohol or national lotteries, but that hasn't stopped Christians taking up (sometimes opposing) positions on these things. It seems to me more than legitimate to try to apply the "gist" of the scriptures to modern circumstances. That's exactly what those who want Christians to think prayerfully about their personal transport are doing.
If I am doing something which causes even unintentional harm to others, most Christians would agree that I should stop or at least make every effort to minimize that harm. There is little doubt that the burning of fossil fuels is contributing to global warming, and that without reductions in the use of these fuels there is likely to be further significant climate change. (OK. There are some scientists who dispute this, but they are far from a majority) If climate change continues unchecked, the ones who will suffer the most will inevitably be the world's poorest. And if there is even a chance that the type of car you drive is contributing to the plight of the poor, is it unreasonable to suggest that Jesus would have something to say about it?Posted by Richard @ 03:57 PM BST [Link]
Friday, November 22, 2002
An Owl Among Ruins posts a homily on "the Good samaritan" that will repay the time you spend with it:
We have tried many times to design a just society. We don’t know how. We have sociologists and politicians by the score, most of them people of integrity and good will, working on the problems of the poor, of health care, housing, crime, and all the rest. If the solution were to be found, you would think we would at least be getting nearer.Another good hoot from the Owl!
Some of us in fact have been physically beaten by robbers; sadly enough, it isn’t a rare occurrence. But even if not beaten physically, we are beaten by the conditions of our lives, in which faith is difficult, and the meaning of charity is far from obvious. At the end of the day, we must admit we know not what we do.
Here at last is where Gospel, Jesus’s voice, is heard. As the incompetent, the ignorant, the downcast, Jesus has prayed for us: “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.”Posted by Richard @ 08:51 PM BST [Link]
My friend Wood issues a political rant that should set the right-wingers out there into spasms, if they can be bothered to read it. And they should. It isn't exactly ... er... diplomatic, but it deserves to be read and thought about. Here's a small taster of quite a lengthy piece:
I believe that we each of us have a responsibility to each other and to the state, just as the state has a responsibility to us. It's all reciprocal. Each of us should give as much as we can afford to the state; the poor less, the rich more, in proportion to what they have. That, I think, is the essence of the Christian concept of "good stewardship".Nice one, Wood.
(He doesn't do permalinks - it's the Nov 22 entry)Posted by Richard @ 04:07 PM BST [Link]
Gutless Pacificist has been asking interesting questions again:
How do you, as a pacifist (or not) view the sacrifice of Christ.Worth an essay in response, but I don't run to essays so a sentence or two will have to suffice. For me the death of Christ is God's ultimate expression of his power: evil is overcome with self-offering. It is a physical assault in the spiritual struggle, but I wouldn't want to conclude that "we could wage war in the physical realms and thereby affect spiritual battles". Rather, it is the opening up of a path and a call to follow. It isn't an easy journey, but it's the only way to resurrection. Remember that Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
Was it the ultimate act of passive aggression. Was it peace, lived out in the flesh carried to its ultimate conclusion?
Or, was it the ultimate frontal assault on the forces of evil. Was it a violent attack, a physical act that affected a spiritual war?
Was it both? Neither?
And if Jesus’ death was a physical battle in a spiritual war; would that not open up the theological possibility that we could wage war in the physical realms and thereby affect spiritual battles?Cruciform Chronicle makes a heartfelt plea for more thoughtful debate and discussion between Christians:
Ignorance, disinterest, complacency, all of these things, when it comes to theological discussions, issues, and ideas all stem from fear. The Church, last I checked, is a community of peace and love, which drive out fear. Fear has no place. We fear of being wrong. We fear of having our ideas discredited. We fear that the passion in a brother's or sister's voice is directed at us personally. We fear that we can't think, or be who we are with other Christians. It's time to put an end to all this. Put fear aside, and pick up a book, start doing some thinking, and the next time you're with some fellow Christians, start a meaningful conversation on the ways of God.Do I hear an Amen! from the back?Posted by Richard @ 12:22 AM BST [Link]
Thursday, November 21, 2002
I've just finished writing my piece for our Church newsletter for December - thought I'd run it past you all (or is that y'all?)
Comments welcome, as ever."All glory be to God and to the earth be peace
Good will henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease"As we prepare to celebrate again the coming of "the Prince of Peace" we cannot avoid seeing that all around us the world is preparing for war. The song the angels sang for the shepherds may seem to have a hollow ring to it: after 2000 years, where is this promised peace?
Despite all the chocolate box sentimentality that has become attached to it, the Christmas story has a violent edge to it. It is set in a violent world, and does not shy away from the that violence. Think of the resentment that there must have been about the imperial census that forced Mary and Joseph on the long journey to Bethlehem. The shame of a pregnant, unmarried young women. The murderous scheming of a vicious puppet tyrant. This is the stuff of nightmare, not fairy tale.
And yet the story also speaks of hope and reconciliation. Many of the characters in the story, though they are very different from one another, are provoked to a unity of worship by the infant Jesus - rough shepherds, sophisticated followers of a foreign religion, Anna the prophetess, Simeon the devout Jew - all are found gathered around him offering their gifts and singing their praises.
Perhaps here is a clue to how we can have the audacity to continue to sing our carols of peace and joy. Herod and his counterparts are still with us, determined to use their power to enforce their will, justifying the suffering of the innocent as a necessary evil and diminishing its reality by the use of euphemistic jargon. But though Herod has not gone away, what the Christmas story demonstrates is that his power is broken. Not by strength of will or force of arms, but by a scrap of flesh wrapped in swaddling clothes. His cry may only be that of an infant, but its sound can still be heard above the din of a world in strife. Here begins the story of the self-emptying of God, a story which finds its completion at Calvary and the empty tomb.
Against the violence and injustice of the world God offers - himself. In the stable of Bethlehem God comes to us and invites us to join with him in pursuing "all that makes for peace and builds up our common life". Amen!
Posted by Richard @ 06:20 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
From the United Methodist News Service
A United Methodist pastor from Washington state was still being held Nov. 18 at the Massyahu Prison in Ramle, Israel, after being arrested during a protest in a Palestinian village.
The Rev. Gordon "Gordy" Hutchins, pastor of Highland United Methodist Church in Tieton, Wash., was arrested Nov. 15 in Jayyous, near the border with Israel, with eight other international protestors and one Israeli protestor. The group had joined Palestinians who were trying to stop Israeli bulldozers from proceeding with the building of a "separation wall" that they say will illegally annex much of their fertile farmland into Israel.
[more]Posted by Richard @ 11:16 PM BST [Link]
I'm strangely drawn by the idea of a Buy Nothing Christmas, even though we've already done significant damage to the credit card in anticipation of the festive season.
Link via blogs4God.Posted by Richard @ 11:10 PM BST [Link]
I didn't think I could be any more convinced that our society has gone completely bonkers and has its values not only back-to-front but, I suspect, inside out as well. But tonight I saw an ad on the television for a doll. No surprises there, it being so near to Christmas. It had the usual accessories that any little girl would expect; clothes, cot (that's crib if you're stateside) and all the rest. What made the ad unique was the closing voice over, as the little girl said: "I can leave her with my mum and I can have my life back."
I ask you...Posted by Richard @ 11:00 PM BST [Link]
Monday, November 18, 2002
Thinking about 'lament' (see below) reminded me of how useful the Psalms can be, and how often they are overlooked in the tradition to which I belong. But though the Psalms are amazing, they are not always easy to live with. Boney M may have sung 'By the rivers of Babylon', but I don't remember them including the final verses of that Psalm:
Remember, O LORD , what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell.If they had, I don't suppose the song would have ever been a Chart success.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-
he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks. (Ps 137: 7-9)
It's hard to admit that there are such verses in the Bible, but they don't go away just because we ignore them. One way of dealing with them is to say that they were written by a more primitive people than ourselves; that sophisticated modern folk have got rid of all such feelings. And yet the rage evident in these few sentences is also heard in the cries for revenge which are heard almost daily in our media.
Another tack is to say that these words are divine approval for the destruction of the enemies of God's people - in effect that the enemies of his people are also the enemies of God. Tempting as that may be, particularly when you have an enemy in your sights, it is worth remembering that Jeremiah addresses the same group of exiles whose voices were raised for the battering of babies' heads:Work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the Lord for that city where you are held captive (Jer. 29:7)As there is a place for lament in our worship, so also there is a legitimate place for rage. But it should never be the final word.Posted by Richard @ 11:55 PM BST [Link]
Martin Roth links to the site of an Aussie band and asks: "Do we lament enough when we worship?" To which the answer must surely be, "No." We don't do lament because worship is treated as though it is supposed to be therapeutic - we tend to judge worship (at least in the circles I move in) on the basis of how it makes us feel. The Psalms are full of expressions of emotion which most of the modern church would call inappropriate - because if you love Jesus that's supposed to make everything all right. But we ignore those "difficult" Psalms at the risk of depriving ourselves of a great resource. Thanks, Martin, for the reminder.
Posted by Richard @ 03:06 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, November 16, 2002
The Gutless Pacifist raises the thorny subject of the death penalty, and links to a chilling site about the Electric Chair. (You'll have to visit his site if you want the link) Interesting that he should post this today, when the British media are full of the death of Moors' Murderer Myra Hindley. At the risk of being labelled a horrid liberal, I have to say that I'm opposed to the death penalty. There is no shortage of cases of miscarriage of justice leading to murder convictions, and that should be reason enough. In the US, the practice of keeping people on death row for years on end must surely be considered cruel and unusual punishment. I'd have less problem with the death penalty if it were administered swiftly after sentencing, but this could only happen if the possibility of an incorrect verdict was completely non-existent. Lastly, is the death penalty applied with equality, or does it fall more surely on those who can least afford legal representation?
There's no doubt that if there were to be a referendum in Britain there'd be a majority in favour of the death penalty being reinstated here. This is one circumstance in which I'm glad our politicians have consistently ignored public opinion.Posted by Richard @ 10:43 PM BST [Link]
Ian's Messy desk has a handy (and funny) list explaining the gender of a variety of everyday objects. Here's a selection:
ZIPLOC BAGS - male, because they hold everything in, but you can always see right through them.There are some female ones too, but you'll have to visit Ian's site to see them. My wife occasionally reads this blog...
SWISS ARMY KNIFE - male, because even though it appears useful for a wide variety of work, it spends most of its time just opening bottles.
HOT AIR BALLOON - male, because to get it to go anywhere you have to light a fire under it...and, of course, there's the hot air part.Posted by Richard @ 04:36 PM BST [Link]
Hearing the call asks if he's the only one who feels that blogs4God has lost its focus. Caused quite a little stir. I don't agree with him but I'm glad I've found his blog - there's some interesting stuff there. And he's a Methodist. so he must be alright. (!)
Over at Ship of Fools, Rev Gerald Ambulance describes some interesting methods of evangelism and Wood gets to interview Lionel Fanthorpe.Posted by Richard @ 01:04 AM BST [Link]
Thursday, November 14, 2002
Thanks to Slacktivist for the link to this cartoon. Not subtle, but I enjoyed it.
I almost missed this post by Martin Roth inviting the church to take more notice of what's going on around us. Can't argue with that.
Pray Naked Experience must be the best name in Christian blogdom. Wish I'd thought of it.
Posted by Richard @ 06:41 PM BST [Link]
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
The Times yesterday reported a memo allegedly sent by the Rev George Hypewell, Head of 'Soul Trader Marketing'. It deals with the Church of England and its marketing strategy. Here's a couple of quotes:
"Christmas. Still the major sales point, but I want to reposition it away from all the retail competitors, the bad weather and the blockbuster TV and movie schedules. Somewhere like June would be good. We can expect major client resistance, and maybe we are stuck with late December. But we have to change the product mix. Nine carols, nine lessons ... who wants lessons at holiday time, for Heaven's sake? Two lessons max, and then we can run a full CD of remixed carol tracks.""I like the sound of Low Sunday, right after Easter. I see a new service for depressives, with Hymns Anxious and Post-Modern. Perhaps the start of a new order of missionaries to the mournful (the Blues Brothers?)."Course, it's a spoof. Has to be...Posted by Richard @ 11:22 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
I've just discovered the blog of the Gutless Pacifist. And I like it. Alot. You should go and have a look.
Posted by Richard @ 04:51 PM BST [Link]
This is not an original thought, it being sparked by a letter I read in a national newspaper today. But very few thoughts are entirely original, are they? So here it is - Let's declare a war we can win!
The people of Ethiopia are once again facing the results of a terrible drought. Up to 15 million people are at risk of starvation. Across the nations of Southern Africa, a further 15 million are in a similar plight. Drought and poverty are killers wherever they occur, and they almost always have the greatest impact on the poorest and most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, the "war" on terrorism gathers momentum, and massive resources are being gathered to wage it. An unprecedented international coalition is being gathered togethered to embark on an adventure whose outcome is uncertain but which almost certainly be massively destabilising to the world. It is unlikely that this war can ever be won, as the British experience in Northern Ireland surely shows.
9-11 remains unfinished business. The defeat of the Taliban and the disappearance of Osama Bin Laden have proved insufficient to satisfy the understandable rage that the atrocity provoked. Would a war in Iraq fill this gap, or will it leave the same acheing emptiness that resulted from the desolation of the Twin Towers?
So what should we do? For once, let's do something truly radical and take Jesus at his word. He said, "Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you." Of course there are those who say this only applies to individuals not nations - but that's an assumption rather than an established fact. So let's try it Jesus' way. If the proper response to evil is goodness, let's do it. We really haven't established with clarity who "the enemy" is in the war on terrorism, but poverty, drought and hunger are enemies that we can not only see but that we can beat - if we have the will to carry the fight to them. Let's meet every act of evil and terror with an overwhelming display of compassion and kindness, every threat with open-handed generosity, every violent deed with a reciprocal act of mercy.
Certainly, we should pursue and punish those individuals who commit acts of terrorism. But we will not serve the cause of God's righteousness by inflicting suffering on those who had no part in those deeds, whose crime is living in the wrong place under the wrong government.
This "alternative war" would be costly in terms of personnel and money. It will take time and commitment. But it is a war we can win.Posted by Richard @ 04:45 PM BST [Link]
Monday, November 11, 2002
In Flanders Fields - John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.Posted by Richard @ 12:19 PM BST [Link]
November is a month for remembering. With the bithday of my youngest daughter just past I catch myself saying “Where has the last 12 months gone to?” and sentences that begin “This time last year...” (Both, no doubt, a sign of advancing years!) On Bonfire Night children chanted “Remember, Remember, the fifth of November; Gunpowder, treason and plot” - and in Northern Ireland the remembrance of the hostilities of the 17th and 18th Century comemorated by Bonfire Night will be used to justify hostility in the 21st. Yesterday in Church we paused in our worship to remember those killed in war, though this year we were not able to pretend that we are living now in peace. A similar pause for reflection was observed by many at 11:00am today - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
The terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001 and the response from the “alliance against terrorism” in Afghanistan and elsewhere have been called a war more than once. This is not, we are told, a war serving a narrow national interest, but a war to preserve freedom for all and to establish justice between the nations. With such aims, how do we justify the deaths of the innocent and the further impoverishing of an already desperately poor nation? Can justice be established on such a foundation? In the years to come, how will this ‘war’ be remembered?
As we make our act of remembrance this year and pray for the safety of loved ones serving in the Armed Forces, I hope we will not be tempted to assume that we ‘have God on our side’. It may be true that war is politically necessary, and maybe even justified, but whenever nations commit to military force the best that may be said is that the lesser of a choice of evils has been accepted. It is right that we remember ‘the fallen’ and honour the values of courage, loyalty and commitment for which they stand in our collective memory. But we should not dishonour that memory by a refusal to question the wisdom of the powerful or be ashamed to raise our voices on behalf of the weak, whatever their nationality.
Above all, our remembrance should lead us to the recognition that the political and economic “realities” of today are very far from the ultimate reality revealed by God through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who calls us now and always to walk with him the way of dangerous self-sacrifice - the way of the Cross.Posted by Richard @ 11:43 AM BST [Link]
Sunday, November 10, 2002
I never thought that search engines cold be cool, but kartoo has proved me wrong. I expect I'll stay with google, but it does look cool.
Andrew Careaga has been getting nostalgic. Whatever happened to Stryper I wonder...
Update:Apparently they're still going strong.Posted by Richard @ 11:27 PM BST [Link]
Saturday, November 9, 2002
My first attempt at the Friday Five. And yes. I know it's Saturday.
1. Did you vote in your last elections?
Oh yes. Voting is a duty and a privilege that has been bought at a great price.
2. Do you know who your elected representatives are?Yes.
3. Have you ever contacted an elected representative? If so, what was it about?Certainly. The most recent occasion was about the cancellation of Third World debt.
4. Have you ever participated in a demonstration?Yes, but not very recently. Truthfully, I'm a little ashamed to admit that.
5. Have you ever volunteered in an election? What was the result?Yes. Delivering leaflets in a European election. The party I supported did rather well, but didn't win.
Posted by Richard @ 11:09 PM BST [Link]
If you're looking for a British angle on stuff, you might try GBloogle, an index of British weblogs. Mind you when I searched for "Methodist" it came up with only 2 matches, and reckoned This Life was a better match than Connexions. But I don't begrudge him his higher ranking. Not much, anyway.
Posted by Richard @ 10:48 PM BST [Link]
Friday, November 8, 2002
Amid all the stuff about the mid-terms, I can't believe that the amendment to the Florida State constitution that Ivan reports below has gone otherwise unnoticed. Tethering pregnant pigs is now unconstitutional, and as a veggie of almost 20 years I suppose I should approve. Like Ivan, I can't help feeling that a constitutional amendment is a bit OTT, but wonder if this amendment will ever be treated with the same reverence as certain other Contitutional amendments that side of the Atlantic. How strong was the opposition to this bit of legislation? Could "the right to keep and tether pigs" ever be a rallying cry?
Perhaps not.
While the good folk of Florida were re-electing Jeb I was having a bit of an electoral triumph of my own. I heard today that I've been elected as a "parent governor" at my daughter's school, which is obviously a great privilege. It will be good to have the opportunity to be involved, though it will add to my "stuff to do" pile. But that's great - I do get bored sitting around doing nothing all week. ;o)
Posted by Richard @ 09:22 PM BST [Link]
This past week has been one of many experiences. Originally, I was going to report primarily on our election results from the mid-term elections, but other events have added to the depth of this week's experiences.
So, first, the elections: Aside from some relatively minor glitches, the Flordia elections went very smoothly for once. There was not even enough for Jay Leno comedy remarks, except for one of the voting places having only Spanish ballots available until a supervisor told the dunces running the polling place to open ALL the boxes of ballots where they would find the English ballots as well.
As far as the results of the elections, I'd say that they were somewhat predictable but did not make all of us happy. We have re-elected a state governor who happens to have had a final push from his brother the President. Governor Bush is a very sincere man who has done some good things, but thinks that good education is simply teaching children to pass a prescribed set of tests at the cost of learning of things like the arts, social studies, etc.. The bottom line is passing grades for schools. His opponent, who, unfortunately, had a last minute push from the former President Clinton and VP Gore, got his education platform passed as Florida State Constitutional ammendments (reducing class sizes and paying for and offering pre-kindergarten for all 4 year olds). This means that costly programs were approved (barely) by the voters and have to be supported by a non-supportive governor. Should be interesting. We did vote to eliminate smoking in public places by 70% to 30%. It will be nice to eat in a restaurant without breathing cigarrette smoke while sitting in a token "non smoking" section. Now, if we can just prohibit "all you can eat" buffets and reduce the chance for gluttony, then we might really reduce the possibilities of heart disease and create a healthier people. Ha!
One other ammendment we passed that was a bit interesting was the one protecting the rights of pregnant pigs. It is now illegal to keep pregnant pigs restrained during pregnancy, a factory method of breeding pigs used in other states. I'm not sure if this cruelty is any worse than turning their babies into ham and bacon later on, but at least pregnant pigs are now safe. I'm just not sure that this was worthy of being made a state constitutional ammendment.
The best thing about this latest election is that we don't have to put up with any more campaigns for about a year and 3 months now, till the nation gets geared up for the next presidential election.
By the way, I'm sure more than a few people expect things to happen with Iraq now that elections are over. I have a reliable source that says watch January 19, 2003. I don't know why, but let's see if this person is really in the know.
Back to animal rights. Sunday after church services, someone deposited 3 adorable 3 month old kittens in a cage with blanket, toy and water, in front of the sanctuary. Somehow, in trying to find new homes for these creatures, one was appointed to our household. It's name is now Reeses (like Reese Pieces) since she is a Callico. Everyone thinks she is adorable and loving except for our 11 year old, 24 pound, former male beast called Black Jack. At least he is no longer hiding under our bed, but their vocal exchanges are anything but loving and we're not sure what will happen between a precocious 3 pound cat and her unwilling host. More to come on that.
In the proud parent log, our son Christopher who got to travel with the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra to London last July just recently was named to the Florida All State High School Jazz Band. I realize we're bragging, but if parents don't do it, who will? Anyway, we're hoping that this will help translate to scholarships later on.
So, that's it from the Florida Correspondent for today. Hope that it was worth reading. Sorry the elections were not as exciting as in the past, but let's see what happens with all the politicians who got new jobs or kept their old ones. They always provide much grist for the writers of the world.
Peace.
Ivan The Crank
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 04:00 PM BST [Link]
Thursday, November 7, 2002
It's been awhile since either of the Wesley brothers showed up around here, so here are a few choice words from John from the introduction to his hymn book:
1.Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
2. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.
3. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.
4. Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.
5. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy harmony, but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
6. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.
7. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.From John Wesley's Select Hymns, 1761
Posted by Richard @ 09:28 PM BST [Link]
I've just put Jayne in a taxi for the railway station, bound for London. Why would I put this in the blog?
Look at the time! I don't do mornings...Posted by Richard @ 05:29 AM BST [Link]
Wednesday, November 6, 2002
Want to write a new story for Dr Who? What about The A-Team or 'Allo 'Allo? Our friend Bene Diction has come up with this link to a fan fiction site where you can submit your own stories to hundreds of different TV programmes. Sadly, Marine Boy is not on the list. (Anyone else remember that? Don't forget to take your oxy-gum!)
Even if you don't like the idea of fan fiction, which is understandable, the site is worth a visit to have a go with the online dictionary and thesaurus.Update: Info on Marine Boy!
Posted by Richard @ 09:58 PM BST [Link]
Jayne gave me a cutting from the Nov 1st edition of The Times with the headline, "Bible Belt pastors welcome sinners to a virtual House of Hell" -
People lie dying on the street of a small Florida town hit by a tornado, their mangled bodies buried under uprooted palm trees.During the tour, visitors are taken alongside a couple killed in a car crash. The young man is welcomed by St Peter and led into Paradise as the Hallelujah Chorus plays. But the woman is told she will spend eternity in Hell and dragged away by shadowy figures (as per the film Ghost by the sounds of it). Visitors are given an experience of hell and of heaven and invited to turn to Christ so as to avoid the former and enter the latter.
Survivors walk around in a daze, pleading for help. A small boy, blood running down his face, goes from person to person asking, "Have you seen my mom?"
A busload of rubberneckers arrives to witness the carnage. They lift the yellow tape of the police cordon and walk through the scene, anxiety written on their faces. But they make no attempt to help.
They are hurried on by a tour guide, who leads them into a makeshift operating theatre where victims lie on the floor screaming in pain.
This unnerving scene happens a dozen times every night on Palmetto Avenue in Daytona Beach, where the first Baptist Church is presenting a "Judgement House", a 90-minute £2 morality tour showing visitors how death can strike at any minute.
The message is, when the time comes, will you be prepared to meet your maker?
But you can't scare people into loving God and a few moments terror will not create disciples. Has anyone out there got any experience of this kind of "evangelism"? It strikes me as being a very long way from the methods of Jesus.Posted by Richard @ 09:43 PM BST [Link]
A brief tour round the Christian blogs I know reveals almost universal joy at the US mid-term election results. I need to add a dissenting voice. But I'd better leave it at that.
Posted by Richard @ 07:30 PM BST [Link]
An Owl Among Ruins explores faith, enlightenment and metaphysics, ground I've been too lazy to spend any time in recently, and urges the church to stand over against the prevailing culture. At least, I think that's the nub. And I agree. In every time and place, the church should be profoundly counter-cultural. As one of the students said to me in the Chaplaincy recently, "Going to church is an act of rebellion."
Of course, it is entirely possible that I've misunderstood the Owl's eloquent hooting. You'll need to read it for yourself.Posted by Richard @ 07:16 PM BST [Link]
Tuesday, November 5, 2002
I've spent Bonfire Night in traditional fashion with my family. We went to a public fireworks display at St Paul's Church in Sketty, and a very good time it was. We had traditional weather too. Wet. But there was no burning of effigies - just good clean family fun.
It's fascinating to me that we continue to "celebrate" an event which is rooted in religious divide and ended in the gruesome torture and execution of the plotters. So far as I know, even the most outspoken supporters of the death penalty would baulk at "drawing and quartering". I think. More fascinating still, we're celebrating the *failure* to blow up Parliament...Posted by Richard @ 11:45 PM BST [Link]
Our Florida correspondent (how are those elections going I wonder?) has a strange name. There's no denying it. Here's the story of how he came by it, on an exchange visit to Swansea, as told by "John":
Shortly after arriving in Sketty for his pulpit exchange Ivan was shown around the inside of the church which was full of scaffolding as the electricians and decorators were in. Much to Ivan's delight, he discovered that the church has a raised pulpit (which his Florida church does not possess) which also contains an adjustable reading lectern operated by means of a small crank handle. Came the morning when the church was clear and ready for worship an excited Ivan, determinded to make the most of preaching from a pulpit, climbed the steps and proceeded to raise and lower the lectern at will. This greatly amused John who was one of the vestry stewards that morning and that was when John gave him the nickname "Ivan the Crank!"So now you know.
Posted by Richard @ 11:36 PM BST [Link]
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plotPosted by Richard @ 12:25 AM BST [Link]
Monday, November 4, 2002
Trojan Horshoes has taken exception to the contents of his church bulletin. And blogged about it. At some length. It first caught my eye because his is a United Methodist Church, and though I'm not UMC myself - the British Methodist Church is entirely seperate from the UMC - I am of the same family, so to speak. I'm not responding to the article except in the most general way. It sparked some thoughts.
I suppose the place to begin is to say how sad I would be if something like this happened in my church. I would hope that if anyone has issues like this with any material that my church publishes they'd take it up with me rather than "having a go" in public. Maybe Trojan Horshoes did that, but he doesn't say so.
Mostly I'm concerned about what the article seems to imply about church involvement in politics, and also reminded of something I noticed while I was Florida this summer.
As a minister (or pastor, if you'd rather) I am sure that it is my duty to speak on faith and morals. Morals. Of course, that means individual behaviour, sex, gambling, relationships, duty, that sort of stuff. But it is not limited by those things. Most political issues have at least a moral aspect to them. Trade, education, the economy, the treatment of refugees - all of these things are matters of morality as surely as pornography and drug abuse. It is my duty, my responsibility as a preacher of the gospel to invite people to make their decisions about all these things in the light of the gospel. Not to tell them how to vote, to be sure. But to do all that I can to bring the resources of scripture and Christian tradition to bear on the issues of the day. Confronting the facts will surely be part of this process. If church members think the facts as they're presented are misleading or inaccurate, then I hope they would raise it. But if it is only that the facts are uncomfortable because they challenge a political decision that has been arrived at without reference to the gospel then, in my simple view, the pastor has done their job.
Trojan Horshoes mentions "socialized healthcare" and he reminds me how shocked I was to hear that phrase used by a UMC pastor in Florida - not shocked by the words, but by the barely disguised sneer behind them. I detect the same sneer from Trojan Horshoes. So this is a cheer for our National Health Service. It isn't perfect by any means, and it doesn't provide 5 star accommodation with full en suite facilities for all patients. But it is top quality care, free at the point of use to all and is rightly a source of pride to (almost) everyone in these islands. So there.
Posted by Richard @ 11:50 PM BST [Link]
Sunday, November 3, 2002
There are some good arguments in this article opposing war with Iraq. Here's a sample:
Next, if you read the arguments for war, you'll almost certainly hear about Iraq's use of Chemical weapons against the Kurds or the Iranians in the 1980's. Naturally, any man who would use these weapons has to be gotten rid of, right? Of course, at the same time, if one thinks a little he may wonder why there was no U.N. resolution condemning those attacks, if they were so horrid?
The answer to that simple question is equally simple; there was never a U.N. resolution against the use of W.M.D.'s in that war because the U.S. and U.K. wouldn't let it happen. Not only did we not care if Iraq used those weapons due to the fact that we thought Iran was a bigger threat, we even helped him get the equipment to build them. So next time you hear an argument about how immoral Saddam must be for using those weapons, remember how immoral the Americans were behaving at the same time. Then, ask yourself why, if those events are justification for Saddam's removal now, why they aren't justification for the imprisonment of American leaders from the 1980's?
On the other hand, Martin Roth argues the opposite point of view.Posted by Richard @ 04:06 PM BST [Link]
Andrew Careaga invites us to join the dots between Christianity and consumerism.
Posted by Richard @ 08:09 AM BST [Link]
Saturday, November 2, 2002
From Melville's classic, Moby Dick
Again, I always go to sea as a sailor, because they make a point of paying me for my trouble, whereas they never pay passengers a single penny that I ever heard of. On the contrary, passengers themselves must pay. And there is all the difference in the world between paying and being paid. The act of paying is perhaps the most uncomfortable infliction that the two orchard thieves entailed upon us. But BEING PAID,--what will compare with it? The urbane activity with which a man receives money is really marvellous, considering that we so earnestly believe money to be the root of all earthly ills, and that on no account can a monied man enter heaven. Ah! how cheerfully we consign ourselves to perdition!Posted by Richard @ 11:36 PM BST [Link]
Whether it is related to my blog the other day or not, I don't know, but contributions to Compass, my attempt at a Christian wiki have started again. Why not put your oar in?
Posted by Richard @ 11:29 PM BST [Link]
For most of us, there's no such thing as a bad link. The more links we have the better, right?
But not everyone likes to be linked. Really. And there's a blog about them.Posted by Richard @ 11:13 PM BST [Link]
Friday, November 1, 2002
I've been away at a 24hr gathering for the Superintendents in South Wales, and good fun it was. Out "in the sticks", down very narrow lanes in a retreat house belonging to the Anglican diocese, it was a good opportuniy to talk things out with colleagues.
One disturbing thing to emerge from our conversations was the increasing feeling that we need to "cover our backs" in our pastoral practice, in response to a society which is increasingly litigious. (This, like halloween, is a US import we could have managed without) Of course we have to be careful, but I refuse to behave as though I can't be trusted. It seems that we're getting to the point where ministers won't be able to visit anyone without having made an appointment and arranging a chaperone. It won't be long before we're expected to keep detailed records of all our conversations, just in case. Bah!Posted by Richard @ 09:18 PM BST [Link]
It's good to welcome Ivan back to the blog again - I'll be delighted to have some on the spot reporting of the forthcoming elections.
I'm fascinated by the notion of a church having a halloween celebration. Over here it just wouldn't be done. When I was growing up (not that long ago!) halloween was hardly noticed at all, though it is being made quite a lot of now. I've come to resent "trick or treating", which in these parts is being used as an excuse for youngsters to go around being unpleasant to others. Last night Jayne had an egg thrown at her from a passing car. To say she was not amused would be something of an understatement.
Enough of this grumpiness!Posted by Richard @ 09:03 PM BST [Link]
Hi, Ivan Corbin here. With Richard's permission, I have the opportunity to join the blogging community once again and thought that the night before All Saints Day would be a good time to say "hello" once again to those who visit this site. We've blown out the candles in our pumpkins, the kids have safely returned from gathering candy from the neighbors and dressing as all sorts of creatures (including some that I've read about in my "Ghost Stories of Wales" book). Ironic, isn't it, that one of the most popular holidays for American children has it's origins in Druid rituals, beliefs and practices. But, none of the characters I saw tonight are as frightening as some of those currently running for political office here in Florida and the rest of the United States.
Election day for all of us here in the US is Tuesday and most eyes will once again be on Florida. One, to see if we can actually hold a valid election after the fiasco of 2000. Two, because if the President's brother loses to Bill McBride, it is believed this might spell the beginning of the end of the second George Bush and make it two Bushes in a row that serve only one term. So, I'll make some comments as the elections draw near and also in the aftermath, hopefully not having to defend poor election procedures in the state of Florida.
By the way, I think it is no coincidence that we have our elections right after the celebration of a pagan holiday whose main catch phrase today is "trick or treat." Sounds like a politician's election strategy to me.
On a lighter note, I was glad to hear from Richard Hall that the Swansea area did not sustain too great a damage in Sunday's wind storms. We consider anything over 75 miles per hour a hurricane here in the states, so 96.6 mph in Mumbles; what was that considered? Could it have been the remnants of Kyle, the tropical storm that refused to die and then headed up into the Atlantic? Maybe he wanted the Halls to have the full Florida experience.
Well, enough rambling. It's good to be back at the keyboard. Maybe the next sitting I will have something more profound or interesting to say. By the way, I am using my new Welsh nickname, given to me by John Thomas before our departure in July. It's Ivan the Crank. Peace. Ivan
Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 03:34 AM BST [Link]
