conscientisation

Sunday Observer

2012-01-29T16:12:00.000Z

Two nice bits in the paper today that I enjoyed.

Andrew Rawnsley making some useful observations on the debate of Scottish Devolution, essentially arguing that if the English were allowed to vote that the Scots would gain devolution. I have mailed to agree with this, particularly if the border were to be moved to Yorkshire. And Victoria Coren positing a defence of the episcopal contribution to this weeks Welfare Reform bill debates, or more accurately having a go at their detractors.

To The Guardian

2012-01-28T20:34:00.002Z

Sent a wee note to The Guardian this week, following the pronouncements of Cameron and Milliband last weekend, both attempting to garner the social conscience vote by insisting they are more caring than the other whilst shafting anyone dependent upon benefits.
They haven't selected it for publication so I though I'd share.

Sir,

Cameron's popular capitalism is indeed a political move prophesied by the Grand Old Man. (Socialism Belongs Here, 20th January) During a visit to All Souls (Oxford) in 1890, a young Fellow of the college, destined to become Bishop of Hereford and then Durham, asked Gladstone if socialism was ever likely to become a serious factor in English politics. He was perplexed by the response, "Mr.Henson, if ever socialism becomes a force in English politics it will be by the action of the Tory party."

yours...

More on Henson to come...

A preaching in the morning

2012-01-21T22:42:00.002Z

John 2: 1-11; Rev. 19: 6-10
St. Mary Magdalene Longbenton. 22^nd January 2012

Four ‘W’s and a new beginning. Weddings, Woman, Water/Wine are the strong and pleasantly alliterative symbols that run through our readings this morning and I am delighted that they are such strong symbols, as they allow me say a few things about this morning’s gospel, without having to return to arguments about the nature of miracles. The symbols, in the language throughout this gospel are so rich, so full of biblical connections, and so involved, that it renders questions as to the reality of the miracle secondary, or at least a distraction from the meanings in the text. It is of course one of the most familiar stories from the gospel which has currency both inside and outside of the church, if only for use in arguments over the consumption of alcohol.

The first of our ‘W’s is the scene, set at a wedding, a wedding at which Jesus, his mother and undoubtedly a number of disciples are present. We are not distracted at all by knowing who are bride and groom, we don’t know their name or their social standing, or indeed have any contribution from the immediate family at all. We see the action of the servants and we hear the reaction of the steward of the feast but otherwise we know nothing of the nature of the event. But almost like a TV soap opera we know that any wedding story just can’t be straightforward, there has to be a disaster, a scandal of some sort for the story to take off, (watch Coronation street this week,) and we are not let down here. Mary notes that the wine has run out. Whilst we may imagine that this would be a problem if we were at a wedding today, it would be an event of disastrous social proportion in the cultural setting in which Jesus lived and moved. To fail to ensure an adequate party would have been deemed a social faux pas of a serious nature and brought shame upon the house of the young woman being married. Some biblical commentators have gone so far as to suggest that such a failure may have led to litigation between the bride’s and the groom’s families as a result.

So very rapidly we are brought to our second ‘W’. ‘Woman!’ says Jesus when his mother points out to him the nature of the impending social disaster. Now this is just the kind of scene in which women may take a hand to try to avoid problems before they happen. I was recently discussing with a visitor from the south of this country, her impression that the North East of England was a predominantly masculine and hard cultural environment. I was at some pains to explain that this was only surface impression and that the North East, especially in the former mining, shipbuilding and other industrial communities was in fact profoundly matriarchal. Women are the ones that hold families and communities together, make things happen and such is Mary. She takes steps to name the problem and suggest to her son that he might need to do something about it to avoid the embarrassment of the family. Jesus response however we may find a little surprising. “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” Now then, there is some speculation as to what the subsequent conversation is between Mary and Jesus, but if I try, not too hard, I can imagine what would happen if I said this to my mother. I can only imagine that it went something along the lines of an incredibly withering look, providing a split second in which to realise that I had not provided the required response, before a severe ear bending. “I beg your pardon! What do you mean what’s it got to do with us? And how dare you address me as woman? Now get out there and do something about it or you’ll be getting a smack upside the face with the dustpan and then it will have something to do with you.” or at least I think Mary may have said something like that, because Jesus is up and off to sort things out immediately.

And so we come to our third and fourth ‘W’’s, the water and the wine. Having commanded the servants to fill the substantial water-jars with water, they are no sooner finished than he asks one of them to draw out some of the water and take it to the Steward of the feast. His decision and pronouncement is clear, this is the best wine, that which they had before was not the best stuff at all, and how surprising for the best wine to be served after all the cheap stuff has gone.

In doing so, the Steward of this feast is drawing together all of the symbols used in this story to point to a change. Not simply that the hosting family has provided wine of superior quality later in the feast rather than sooner, but a very public declaration that the intervention of Jesus in the lives of all people is the change signalled in this act.

It is symbolic that this initial ministerial act of Jesus takes place at a wedding. The wedding and subsequent feast is used in many instances throughout ancient scriptures as allegory for the coming of the messiah and the subsequent fulfilment of ancient promises. Our epistle reading for this morning describes the redemption we are offered through Jesus as a wedding feast. In Isaiah 54 the prophet speaks of the husband who is the coming redeemer and in chapter 62 declares that God will rejoice in that redemption as ‘the bridegroom will rejoice in his new bride’. In Joel (3:18) the prophet promises “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias.” Jesus himself is conscious of this allusion and uses the imagery in his own teaching. In the gospel of Luke he prefigures our memorial of this promise in the breaking of bread and the sharing of wine as he shares in his last supper with the disciples. In Matthew chapter 8, he speaks of the eternal feast and in chapter 22 he expands on this to tell a full parable of the kingdom of heaven as a wedding feast.

The stone jars that Jesus commands to be filled with water are vessels that would usually be used for ritual purification under Jewish law. Is this accidental? Perhaps not. Perhaps Mary’s opening gambit may be interpreted as a reflective comment on the ritualistic, cultural customs of Pharisaic tradition, which is being replaced by something new. Empty vessels prepared for ritual arrangements that will be transformed into the holders of the vital and abundant new life giving wine, the quantity of which is substantial. Six jars of up to 30 gallons each. This again takes us back to the world of old testament promises of redemption, Amos (9:13) tells us that “New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills”, Jeremiah (13:12-14) talks of sufficient wine to render everyone in the land drunk, and of the new wine (31:12) that is to come.

Even though we can see at other points in the gospels that the disciples can be a bit dense and not catch on to what is going on in the set pieces of interaction, it would be difficult to believe that they would not see in this rich tapestry of symbols the portents of Old Testament prophecy. They are at a wedding, something significant has happened surrounding the water and wine, they would have to be a collection of Jews utterly ignorant of their own scriptural and cultural inheritance not to realise that this was significant moment.

And finally Jesus’ use of that word ‘Woman’, in speaking to his mother. It is an unusual way for a son to address his mother, but then this is no ordinary son. Is Jesus himself signifying to her that this is a point of change? That the promises surrounding his birth are now to be fulfilled and he is no longer her little boy, but a man destined to carry out the promise of his father in heaven, which begins with this sign.

John 2

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.²Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.³When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’⁴And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’⁵His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’⁶Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.⁷Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.⁸He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it.⁹When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom¹⁰and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’¹¹Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Revelation 19

⁶Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
⁸ to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said^* to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant^* with you and your comrades^* who hold the testimony of Jesus.^* Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus^* is the spirit of prophecy.’

Responsible Reform 2

2012-01-11T23:04:00.005Z

Have been apoliticking - have sent our chaps in the Lords a copy of the report in post below.

My Lord Archbishop / Bishop,

I am writing in reference to the Welfare Reform Bill currently in process in the house of Lords.

I wish to draw your attention to a research report published this week, in the particular respect of Disability Living Allowance. Responsible Reform has been researched, written and wholly funded by people whose lives are being and will be affected by the changes proposed by the government in this bill. I am just one of them. The report argues thatreform must be measured, responsible and transparent,based on available evidence and designed with disabled peopleat the very heart of decision-making. In doing so it evidences that the consultation undertaken by the government in respect of this particular benefit, wilfully ignores the tenor, content and numerical responses received and thereby; the responses, contributions and fears of those who are disabled in our society have been marginalised at best and misrepresented at worst.

I am writing to request that you may in your deliberations on the bill consider the voice of this constituent group and consider the findings of this report as you weigh your responses to debate and vote in the house. I thank you for your consideration.

Neal Terry,

Longbenton, St.Mary Magdalene.

Responsible Reform.

2012-01-09T21:22:00.001Z

It's a bit of an 'I'm Spartacus' moment....yes, I helped fund this research.

The report discussed in the article below and on
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16008 is compiled by people experiencing disability to demonstrate how this government views 'consultation'. The report is based on the responses to the government's own consultation on its planned DLA reforms, which were only made public once disabled people requested them under the Freedom of Information Act.

Findings include:
* 98 per cent of respondents objected to the qualifying period for benefits being raised from three months to six months
* 99 per cent of respondents objected to Disability Living Allowance no longer being used as a qualification for other benefits
* 92 per cent opposed removing the lowest rate of support for disabled people

Please share this report, http://tinyurl.com/78erjru, and if possible forward to any wandering MP or member of the House of Lords you may bump into.

Disabled people listened to on welfare plans? It's a goverernment sham

www.guardian.co.uk

Sue Marsh: The welfare reform bill will be disastrous for sick and disabled people. But we are now determined that our voices will be heard.

Fighting to save Disability Living Allowance

2011-12-31T15:44:00.000Z

Raise'>http://www.gofundme.com/">Raise Money Online with GoFundMe.com

Still warming up...need more time...

2011-11-19T23:51:00.000Z

The Unionists Soliloquy (with apologies to the tortured Dane)

To strike, or not to strike--that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The cuts and redundancies of unbridled capitalism
Or to take voice against a sea of financiers,
And by opposing end them. To strike, to voice--
No more! --and by that voice to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand unnatural shocks
Work is heir to. It is a realisation
Eagerly to be sought. To strike, to shout--
To scream--perchance to dream: oh, there is the agony!
For in that show of strength what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this management coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes meaning of such short life.
For who would bear the servitude of life,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's abuse,
The pangs of denied passion, the laws delay,
The insolence of office, and rejection of worthy labours,
When they might end it all with incisive action.
Who would bear these burdens,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
Except that worry of what may come next-
The imagined country, from whose pension
No employee returns- confuses the will,
And makes us rather suffer the ills we know,
Than seek possibilities we know not?
Thus prevarication makes cowards of us all,
And the raw temper of commitment
Is clouded with a pale cast of comfort,
And enterprises of strength and moment
With this thought are turned to fear,
And lose the name of action.- Soft you now!
The fair Kesteven!- Baroness, in your prayers
Are all our failings remembered.

Warming up..

2011-10-29T09:54:00.000+01:00

Thank you to Sir for the link to this site.

25th Wedding Anniversary thing

2011-09-25T18:23:00.001+01:00

Lots of strange things during the last week, all manner of unpredictability, illness, panic and general chaotic nature of the universe. Anyway her Ladyship has been much better at recording things than I, so please have a look at her blog...Pen and Paper.

Birthday message

2011-07-20T07:41:00.002+01:00

...and just to prove that God has a sense of humour and is watching...the first e-mail I open this morning...

The Vicars away...

2011-06-26T01:15:00.004+01:00

Sermon – St. Mary Magdalene 26th June 2011
Upon the occasion of the Vicars departure from the Parish.

There were these two nuns walk into a bar…No…no… sorry wrong room…what day is it? OK…

Following on from the vicar’s sermon last week, in which he spoke of St. Paul saying goodbye to the Corinthian church that had caused him not a little consternation, I too wish to speak about goodbyes, and in so doing wish him well in his continuing journey with God into a new ministry.
It is then perhaps fortunate that in these morning’s readings in which we continue to hear from St. Paul in his advice to the Romans as to the nature of relationships between us. Unlike St. Paul in last weeks readings, I am not writing/saying these things because I am going away from you all, but would wish that in the midst of our changing situations, that our relationships and corporate being, be one of building up and not of one of tearing down.

So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
2 Cor 13:10

Just as the vicar pointed out last week that there was a seemingly appropriate happenstance of the last Sunday’s readings involving a goodbye, so it has proven to be in my own experiences during the last week.

First, this passed week has been the final week of college for the greater majority of students and there have been many occasions upon which staff and students have spent some brief reflection on the experience of the relationships that have been formed in the class room over the last year or two and then said goodbye to each other. Those of you who have spoken to me recently about events at the college or read in the press about the re-organisations taking place, will also be aware that staff have been, or will be departing the college soon and there is an overwhelming sense of what is being lost in the midst of these changes; as well as many hurried collections for leaving presents and goodbye dinners and perhaps the odd shandy, as people seek to mark the ending of significant relationships.
Secondly, a member of my Blog community whose life, ministry and diary writing has been an inspiration to me for a couple of years now, has also begun a process of saying goodbye. Kirstin has been battling with chronic illness for several years and has made the critical decision to stop treatment. On her blog, which carries her characteristic phrase, ‘Ain’t got time to die’ she has written recently,

It isn’t time to die yet. But it is time, to begin giving over. I am so grateful for the people who walk with me most closely in that, and who teach me that even if I have scary times contemplating all of this, God is already holding me that closely, has always been, and will always be. I’m not going into the arms of a stranger. I’m held in the arms of the one who created me exactly as I am.

Kirstin

In this she reminded me of the vicar’s point in his previous sermon when he said that ‘just because I am going to belong somewhere else doesn’t mean that I belong here any less.’ Kirstins own courage and tenacity express the understanding that although she is here in this world she is very much connected with and of something else. Much as we as Christians are taught that we are in the world but not of it, there is this need in us, an intrinsic human passion to recognise the temporary nature of this existence alongside a connectedness with something which is continuous, and outside of the difficulties of time and place, even if it is only a recognition of a common humanity, never mind a transcendent God, although I know that this is who Kirstin is talking about.

These apposite and timely reminders of the nature of our human condition; the political struggle, the economic woes, the irrevocable nature of time and change, and ultimately our own mortality, despite being desperate and difficult in their immediacy are precisely the opportunities, the happenstances and co-incidences wherein we must face the choice that St. Paul brings us to in this mornings reading. Paul invites us to consider through his dialogue with himself, the meanings of sin and righteousness and the critical point of whether or not our actions, choices and responses are guided by the principal of law or the principal of grace. I am further inclined to think that Paul invites us to consider these two points together in parallel deliberately to enable us to think more about the nature of expediency, the quick fix and the sometimes ‘necessitous’ pressures that push their way into our common life together. When the need is upon us and we have to make that call, what will guide you, the call to law or the call to grace? Expressed by Bob Dylan,

"You're gonna have to serve somebody,

yes indeed, serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you have to serve somebody."

Bob Dylan

I’ll use an analogy from my work to explain. Frequently situations arise as a youth worker and a trainer of youth workers where dealing with the reality of young peoples lives creates a conflict between that which exists as law; policy guidance, that we call good practice and a decision as to the best course of action in dealing with the circumstance. Laws, rules and good practice exist in order that when the situation is difficult, usually complex, we have instructions and guidelines that we may follow. Yet there are points when we understand that these rules and guidelines will not produce the best possible outcomes and are not the best way forward. Youth workers in training are frequently challenged by such situations that lead to debates as to what is the nature of professionalism. Does being professional mean that we have a rulebook that we follow without question? Or does being professional mean that you know the rules; understand the consequences of stepping outside of them and make a personal decision to act according to your own judgement? Most of you know well by now where I sit on this question. It is often said that ‘rules are made to be broken’. I have never advocated that as a philosophy, I believe that rules are made for good reasons in a certain time and place and for that reason alone should be respected but not always regarded. If I am in a different time and place then the rules need to be different, as I am clear that I am driven by grace and not by law. And this is not some advocacy of anarchy. It is a simple recognition that stuff happens, things change, we move on, partly because of law and partly in spite of it.

To come back to Paul, I assert that the central challenge in this text is to have us consider whether or not our faith is a simplistic set of laws and rules to be inculcated and followed as directed, or a dynamic, growing and developing experience which demands responses according to principles greater than law. Is the life lived as a Christian, one of subservience to a plethora of rules and regulations or do we see the Christian life as one of engagement with all the difficulties of the human condition, replete with all the happiness and pain that comes with it?

The first consequence for us as individuals I think is that an adherence to law makes us lazy, inconsiderate and unlikely to engage with the real difficulties that people face, who are on the outside of the rules. If we have a rule for it, then it’s dealt with and we should all just stick to that? Not good enough I say. The nature of time and change means that the context will always render the rule implacable and irrelevant and in the meantime create a space in which the person can be outside of the rule of law. Is that what we believe is the good news? Is it conceivable that there are those outside of Gods grace?
Secondly, as an organisation, the church (or any organisation for that matter) in making its own laws, would do well to consider, whether or not it’s deliberations are the outpourings of grace or a slavish reaction to simplistic and anthropological definitions of sin. In pandering to context and political pressure the temptation to come up with new and ever more complex systems of rules and regulations appears to be the default position for us, instead of considering what would be the loving thing to do. Yes, that is another little comment in relation to The Anglican Covenant, but I won’t say more about that now, as I know some people find my objection to it tedious, except to say that it is a prime example of the case.
What is perhaps most important today is that I tell you something of a story about the nature of a relationship in Christian context, which is appropriate to our occasion and I feel perhaps a better example as to what I’m rambling on about here.
This story is a little over ten years old, and therefore brief in face of the history of human experience. Although brief it has many elements to it, little intrigues and plot twists, battles and disagreements, many joys and a number of woes. When there was joy to be had they shared in it together. When one was ailing and suffering the torments of the world, the other was there with comfort; accompanied them and went through it with them. When laughter was possible they availed themselves of it fully, to the point of tears. When practical help was needed they would do what they could to secure it for each other, if not doing it themselves. When they fought and disagreed, they did so in private and without loss of respect for the others dignity. When there were opportunities to be taken, they encouraged and supported and educated each other. When external pressures embattled them they were resolute in fighting a joint cause and were not averse to the odd drink in celebration or commiseration over battles won or lost.
It sounds a lot like the stuff of heroes or at least the creation of an exceptional work of fiction. But no…it’s quite ordinary, for this is how I describe to other people the experience of working alongside David. I couldn’t describe it to him in this way until now, clergy do tend to get awfully big headed about this kind of stuff and start to believe their own publicity.

But to my friend I now say, God speed, go not in law but in grace, and with every blessing that God may grant you. Amen

Romans 6:12-23

12Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. 20When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 10:40-42

40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger

2011-06-23T22:42:00.001+01:00

Most impressed with this Blog, recently discovered after her writing reproduced in the Guardian. Pithy stuff, politically challenging and with good humour.

Equality Act guidance for CofE

2011-06-20T22:43:00.003+01:00

Paper here.

I may say some things about it once I've digested it thoroughly and coped with the acid.

The Alternative Vote.

2011-04-29T10:21:00.003+01:00

Once the royal frippery is over, the british people will take up consideration as to the futre of our democratic voting system. The governmant are permitting us to express an opion on this, this coming Thursday. The politicians have completely buggered up any sort of rational debate about this with the usual bitching and harping on. Although I would have voted for change anyway, I would have been convinced by this video viewed this morning. Any group with this sense of humour can't be all bad.

Book review

2011-04-27T09:04:00.000+01:00

I've just written a review of James Freys new book The Final Testament Of The Holy Bible. It has been procured by my beloved and can be read at her place.

2011-04-22T10:13:00.003+01:00

Crux fidelis inter omnes arbor una nobilis:
nulla silva talem profert fronde, flore, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulces clavos, dulce pondus sustinet.
Pange lingua gloriosi lauream certaminis, et super vía trophæo dic triumphum nobilem:
qualiter Redemptor orbis immolatus vicerit.
Sempiterna sit beatæ Trinitati gloria; aequa Patri Filioque, par decus Paraclito;
unius Trinique nomen laudet universitas. Amen

FAITHFUL Cross! above all other, one and only noble Tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom, none in fruit thy peers may be; sweetest wood and sweetest iron!
Sweetest Weight is hung on thee!
SING, my tongue, the Savior's glory; tell His triumph far and wide; tell aloud the famous story of His body crucified; how upon the cross a victim, vanquishing in death, He died.
Blessing, honor, everlasting, to the immortal Deity; to the Father, Son, and Spirit, equal praises ever be; glory through the earth and heaven to Trinity in Unity. Amen.

Good Friday Reflective Thingy

2011-04-22T09:12:00.001+01:00

I'm not generally very much into the oooh aaaahh wonder of existence thing, but one cannot fail to be impressed with this short movie nor the piano piece accompaniment. A bit of patience is required also...It's that demand for quality...

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Me on prayer...

2011-04-21T13:15:00.002+01:00

Lamb, The Gospel According To Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal

2011-04-16T08:59:00.003+01:00

Christopher Moore : Orbit 2002

Although published a few years ago, I had never heard of this book until last year when I wrote a review of Phillip Pullmans allegory of the gospel story. A regular reader of my beloveds blog mentioned it in response to my review and I am deeply grateful to her for that. I read it in the summer last year but did not write a review at the time, as I had promised to do for Alexia and it being Lent, penance was due for my tardiness. It is perhaps something about Lent that draws me to the alternate Gospel story, as I notice that my review above was written a little under a year ago. This Lent too I have been drawn to a further publication in the same ilk which was published just last week, but more on that when I’ve finished reading it.

The narrative is principally all of the bits of the life of Jesus that the authors of the four canon gospels forgot to write about. (Or if you feel as Phillip Pullman does, were malevolently removed by the dark guiding hand of the evil church.) The author himself even goes so far as to note Johns own editorial comment, “and there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” John 21:25. If only the good Lord had provided John with HD storage and a Kindle we may have had previous information on what happened to Jesus between 13 and 30 years old. This peculier gospel relates the formation of childhood friendship between Jesus (Josh) and ‘Levi who is known as Biff’. The turbulent and difficult nature of growing up as children of a repressed populace in an occupied country forms the backdrop for a young Josh who is kind of aware that he is the messiah, and knows that there is something significant about that and is trying to find out how to be the messiah. Although childhood games of resurrecting sand lizards are very successful the young Josh’s early attempts at human resurrection are not startling successes and Josh struggles with doubts. What the book tells us is that what happened between the ages of 13 and 30 is that Josh travelled extensively in search of the three wise men that had visited him at his birth. Following the logic that as they had obviously recognised him as the messiah that they might be the best people to ask what that meant and what he had to do in order to be a messiah. There are many adventures on the way including, hot babes, kung fu and the possibility of a yogic elephant. Voltaire may assert that God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh but the creator of this piece is intent on alleviating that fear. The book is not exclusive of the passion story and does relate the events of that week in its own bittersweet way, the desperation and the struggle of those who knew Josh in life and could not grasp the necessity of his death.

Resurrected 2000 years later with the gift on tongues, the extremely worldly (“I’ve always had the gift of tongues, ask any girl I’ve known.”) and pragmatic (“said Levi who was called Biff, as he punched the angel in the mouth.”) the eponymous Biff, who by stint of events related in the book, was also completely omitted from the canon, is maintained in a hotel room by a watching angel who has compelled him to complete a new gospel. Banter (and occasional violence) between Biff and the angel provides momentary pause and space for reflection between the passages of this new gospel and after all that’s what angels are for, it’s all very biblical. Biff relates his story with his own reflections on events of the time in-between these bouts of theological disagreement with the angel and frequent visits to the bathroom to read the bible he has discovered in the bedside cabinet. This is a serious, fun book, which should be read and delighted in by all who claim to hold the Christian faith, and I would commend it to the rest of you too, if only to demonstrate that people of faith are not without a sense of humour and are not hard nosed biblical literalists. When Maggie, (Mary of Magdala if you prefer) berates Biff and Josh for demeaning the disciples’ lack of intellect she captures the essence of this book very nicely. She emphasises that Belief is not about intellect it is about imagination and that every metaphor Josh supplies for the Kingdom is “like pointing something out to a cat, - the cat looks at your finger, not what you’re pointing at.” This novel inspires thought as to the nature of being in this world but not of it; to re-imagine what a present and coming kingdom means in the personal sphere, what acts of faith mean in a cynical and hard-bitten world and what it means to be both human and divine. The authors own invitation expresses it and I encourage you to accept that invitation.

“If you have come to these pages for laughter, may you find it.
If you are here to be offended, may your ire rise and your blood boil.
If you seek an adventure, may this story sing you away to blissful escape.
If you need to test or confirm your beliefs, may you reach comfortable conclusions.
All books reveal perfection, by what they are or what they are not.
May you find that which you seek, in these pages or outside them.
May you find perfection, and know it by name.”

Sermon 100411

2011-04-09T23:44:00.001+01:00

St.Mary Magdalene, Longbenton

Well some whopping readings for today. I’m almost tempted just to read the Old Testament set for the day as well. Or perhaps we could just sing it together… well known song… written by James Weldon Johnson…anyone know which song I’m referring to?
Dem bones of course, based on the words of Ezekiel 37 where the prophet visits a desiccated land and in that land a valley filled with bones. The Lord asks the prophet if the bones can live once more and when the prophet indicates that he thinks not, the Lord commands him to prophesy to the bones. He asks Ezekiel to promise the bones that they shall be reconnected, that they shall be covered with sinew and flesh, and once again shall know breath and life. Ezekiel is a bit of a misery at the best of times and doesn’t quite get the point at the time, even when the bones do start to rush together and are joined with all the other bits, he has forgotten to speak of the breath which they need to ensure life. Once they are standing before him fit and hale and healthy Ezekiel still appears to be missing the point so God explains to him. The dry bones are representative of the people of God, whom Ezekiel has spent a long time berating for turning away from God, which has led them to a spiritual death in that dry valley. God is making the promise to Ezekiel that it is always in Gods power to renew, to grant life and breath even from beyond death and thus he will renew his commitment to the people of Israel.
Ezekiel experiences all manner of strange things in his journey with God, but this point in the story is his description of the literal state of the people of Israel dwelling as a defeated and enslaved people during their exile in Babylon. The book of Ezekiel is being written during this period when the state of Israel is at its lowest point ever. Ezekiel is observing the destruction of Gods people and sees no hope.

Reading our newspapers and listening to the news might convince us likewise. Certainly in the last hundred years we have learned to witness and live with death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. The cruel and prolonged First World War, the criminal tragedy of the holocaust, the killing fields of Vietnam, the mass graves of Kosovo are all elemental parts of our history which have enabled us to see that which Ezekiel is only imagining in his prophesy. Even in terms of natural disaster, hurricanes in Haiti, earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I am sure you can think of others, attended by modern technology, have allowed us to witness Ezekiels valley. We are all also witnesses to the death of a loved one, family or friends with whom we have shared life and are then deprived of their being.

It is in this more personal experience of death that our gospel story begins. Jesus receives word from friends that a friend is gravely ill. He doesn’t react immediately, he waits. He waits a couple of days before deciding to travel to see Lazarus and the company of friends who are in Bethany. Once arrived he is informed that he is too late as Lazarus has already died. He enters into a discussion with Martha about the nature of life and death, as many of us would do with fellow mourners and Martha testifies to her faith in him. He has the same debate with Mary who similarly does not seem to grasp what Jesus is saying about Lazarus and the promise that he will rise from the dead. There are none around him who appear to understand Jesus meaning when he promises that Lazarus would wake up. We then have the shortest verse in the whole bible. “Jesus wept”. Not only the shortest verse in the bible, but the only point in all of the gospels where we see Jesus cry. In this instance I believe that we see Jesus most particularly as a human being, through this simple expression of emotion. The text may imply that Jesus was simply upset, moved by the death of his friend, but if he was at all conscious of his capacity to perform the subsequent act in raising Lazarus, why should he be upset at his albeit temporary death? I think it more likely that this is the key point in his ministry where Jesus comes to terms with the frail and fragile nature of being human. That it is all of their tragedy, struggle, failure and doubt, to remain truly unable to comprehend the nature of resurrection. It is in his close identification with our human incapacity to grasp the offer of life in all its fullness, that Jesus connects with the most base and simple sadness of the human condition and begins to cry. Of course we all know the story well, and even now I am seeing in my mind the scenes from the great passion films that may appear on TV over the next couple of weeks.

This gospel points not only to the centrality of our understanding of Jesus as fully human but also reminds us of the promise of God made to the prophet Ezekiel but to the whole people of Israel. Jesus is not simply demonstrating that in his fully human condition that he is capable of the divine responsibilities but signifies that he is here in fulfillment of that prophetic vision which Ezekiel gave to the Jewish people in exile. He is not simply the bringer of resurrection in the sense of saving from death but is the resurrection which brings new life.

We tend to focus on the resurrection that we think for ourselves as a faraway promise, our contractual payoff of salvation, our eternal life in heaven. But what might it mean that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? What can it mean that we are that we are raised to life, life right now, whilst living, right here, with Jesus? For Lazarus, the Gospel does not describe his future with Jesus, but his present. In chapter 12, the anointing of Jesus takes place at the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. We are told that Martha served, Mary anoints Jesus, and Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, "was one of those at the table with him." The raising of Lazarus also gives him new life with Jesus. This new life is leaning on the breast of Jesus, reclining at the table with him, sharing food and fellowship. New life in Jesus is this intimacy, this closeness, this dwelling, lying on the chest of Jesus. It is here and now, because for the Gospel of John, it is not just the death of Jesus but the life of Jesus that brings about salvation. For the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, through which "we have all received grace upon grace".

The entirety of the gospels, not just this mornings reading, is formed on this theme of resurrection. It is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that death is defeated forever, but it also provides a starting point of a new sensibility for those with hope rooted in resurrection. To do God’s work with our hands in order to participate in God’s transformation of this world into the reign of God—produces a reality shaped by God’s grace. It is because resurrection is both the promise in which we trust in and the reality that brings us forth to participate in God’s mission for the sake of the world; it has always to be spoken in both our proclamation and delivered through the ministry we engage in.

Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act,” says the LORD.

Romans 8:1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

John 11:1-45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Resumed...

2011-03-25T21:18:00.000Z

I have resumed anti-covenant activities today, inspired by a colleague at work who e-mailed us all with a summary of Kants response to the question, 'What is enlightenment?'. I hadn't read this for a few years but was delighted to enjoy it once more and pick out the following...

But would a society of pastors, perhaps a church assembly or venerable presbytery (as those among the Dutch call themselves), not be justified in binding itself by oath to a certain unalterable symbol in order to secure a constant guardianship over each of its members and through them over the people, and this for all time: I say that this is wholly impossible. Such a contract, whose intention is to preclude forever all further enlightenment of the human race, is absolutely null and void, even if it should be ratified by the supreme power, by parliaments, and by the most solemn peace treaties. One age cannot bind itself, and thus conspire, to place a succeeding one in a condition whereby it would be impossible for the later age to expand its knowledge (particularly where it is so very important), to rid itself of errors,and generally to increase its enlightenment. That would be a crime against human nature...

Petition

2011-03-15T23:46:00.001Z

HERE

Restored

2011-03-08T23:50:00.002Z

Normal infrequent, erratic service restored.

Sermon 060311 St. Mary Magdalene, Longbenton.

2011-03-06T01:42:00.002Z

Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

I’m not sure what the theme of my homily today ought to be. Do I want to speak of the miracle of Our Lord’s divine transformation? Not really, no. I don’t want to talk about His divinity. I’d rather talk about His humanity. I mean, you know, how He lived His life, here on Earth. His kindness, His tolerance… Listen, here’s what I think. I think that we can’t go around… measuring our goodness by what we don’t do. By what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think… we’ve got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create… and who we include.

Not my words sadly, much as I may wish that they were. These are the opening words of the transfiguration sermon of Fr. Henri, the parish priest in French village at the heart of Chocolat, the novel by Joanne Harris. It is an excellent book and a very enjoyable film, which I can thoroughly recommend particularly at the moment as Fr. Henri is preaching today, transfiguration Sunday, and the film, plays out the ‘transfiguration’ the change that takes place in that community during the Lenten period and up to the following Easter. If you want to understand something of what transfiguration means, you could do worse than read the book or watch the film.

Somewhat like Pere Henri I don’t want to focus on the mystical events of this mornings gospel reading. It is one of those delightful bits of gospel that resonates with mystery and revelation, cross and glory, past and future, god and man… and drives me nuts!

First, what is it with holy men and mountains? I would love to know how and why it came to be that our history is littered with people going up hills and mountains in order to visit God? I’ve climbed a few hills in my time and whilst I’ve certainly enjoyed the view from the top I can’t say that it has necessarily made me feel closer to God. Five mornings a week I get to climb stairs up seven floors to go to work and don’t feel any closer to God and feel anything but holy at the end of it, especially when I look out of my office window and see the Angel of the North, proud on the far side of the Tyne valley at just about eye level. Secondly, what is this story about Jesus, all of a sudden having a shiny face and clothes of dazzling brightness? When I ask non-believers what they make of this piece of Gospel it receives comments of incredulity and inferences in respect of TV Washing Powder adverts. “Dazzling Bright, Dazzling White – Jesus uses Daz!!!” Perhaps the mountain thing is significant again. Is this where biblical launderettes are located and Jesus is simply glowing with the physical effort of dragging his washing up the hill? Yes, it’s a ridiculous notion but hardly more fantastical than the story as presented here…and that may be why the epistle focuses on recounting the incident as one of witness, from someone who was actually there rather than acknowledging the appeal to a mythology that had developed around the life of Jesus. We must remember that the epistles were written some time after the events of Jesus life, and this particular bit of ‘Peter’ generally understood to have been written as an addition to the epistle, well after Jesus resurrection. So even then, that much closer to the events in the Gospel, people would doubt and question the oddness of events in this gospel.

We all react differently to the gospel and perhaps more so when it relates interventions of Gods power that we can’t easily explain. I wonder if this is dependent upon our personal experience of revelation and where we meet and find God. Some who have had similar revelations of vision or hearing wherein they have been transfigured may find it all very plausible and affirming of their own experience, and thereby find nothing unusual in the story. Like myself, having never experienced the awe and wonder of the mountain top experience just find it a little bizarre and wonder why God should bother with such magic shows. But to focus on the literal nature of the events recorded is probably missing the point. There are many threads and possibilities to understanding this gospel.

There is certainly a running theme throughout Matthew, in which the author is trying to establish the divinity of Jesus and the line of succession in Jewish tradition and history. To place Jesus with Moses and with the prophet Elijah would certainly connect Jesus with everything that was good in the Jewish tradition. And Peter responds accordingly, he wishes to venerate the mountain and the three holy men by creating tabernacles for them, only to find that in short order the two elder statesmen have disappeared and only Jesus remains to lead them from them mountain. This is not an insignificant event for me, as it indicates that Jesus is not of the old covenant, a holy man to be venerated upon the mountain by a select few. Jesus is the new covenant, figuratively and physically descended not only from the mountain but from heaven, to be with all humanity for ever. Moses brought the old covenant of rules carved into stone tablets down the mountain. This new covenant is not set in stone but is a living and breathing engagement with the experience of mankind and the start of a new relationship between god and man. Those present did not seek understanding in the mystical nature of the events just witnessed but in the command that came with it. Whilst God again says that this is his beloved son in whom he is well pleased, he also adds the phrase, ‘listen to him’. That Moses and Elijah have passed out of sight is sign and symbol of god’s intent to renew the law and replace the Old Testament prophetic pattern with new instruction as to how we are to treat each other and to live our corporate lives. This has been replaced by a truly divine and human entity that will instruct us as to how to pattern our lives, teach the precepts by which they should be lived.

We are the body of Christ. We affirm this every time we partake in the Eucharist, that Holy Communion in which we shall share this morning. I am confident that we are all capable of describing ourselves as thoroughly human and often will find it easier to dwell upon the failings and occasion for sin that daily reminds us of this fact. What may not be always easier for us to see is that which is divine within our lives. What may not always be easy for us to do is to present the divine aspect of our nature, to show our shiny face to the world, either as individuals or as the church collectively. The transfiguration of Jesus must necessarily point to ours, challenging us to be the dazzlingly clothed and shiny faced representation of Christ in the world.

And isn’t that difficult? Or have we simply convinced ourselves that it is too difficult? It is as we enter Lent that we should begin upon a serious reflection as to just how much we fail to be a positive representation of Christ in the world and the transfiguration shows us the way in which to consider this. That we do not beset ourselves by first considering our inadequacies or failings, nor should we be too willing to project our dissatisfactions and failings onto others who are perhaps different from us or in disagreement with ourselves. As Father Henris sermon advises, it is time to stop working out our personal transfiguration by what we don’t do, or by what we resist and or that which we deny ourselves or by whom we choose to exclude and look to what we can create, embrace and who we can include.

Today, I shall finish as I started with a quote, although this one is not fictional, nor is it from the lips of Nelson Mandelas some have said, but from the work of Marianne Wilson in her book, A Return To Love.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

Exodus 24:12-18
The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

2 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit

Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Happiness, happiness, the greatest gift that we possess…

2011-02-26T09:27:00.001Z

Avid press followers will no doubt be aware that the government is attempting to create a national measure of happiness, a consensual understanding as to what constitutes our national sense of well being. Bitter and cynical as I can be, I may comment that this will be in order that they can re-package it through a PFI deal and sell it back to us at a ridiculous profit. The initial questionnaire is available here on the link and you lucky Brits out there have until the 15th of April to contribute. The Office of National Statistics who have been handed this headache have set out on the process of accruing public opinion and comment as to what we mean by the terms ‘happiness’ and ‘well-being’ and the kind of criterion that may be considered in achieving an effective ‘measure’ of them. I have proffered answers to their suggestions, which follow, (their question in italics). Whilst I find the notion of a national scale of happiness hugely amusing, indeed I feel much happier that anyone could conceive of such a thing, I can’t help but worry as to what use this thing may be applied. Suggestions on a postcard please… or in the comments box, whichever.
There is a blog accompanying the process that thus far seems not to have attracted floods of well-contented beings.
What matters in life?
Well-being needs to be defined before it can be measured. Through the National Well-being Debate the ONS is asking people what it is that affects their well-being – what makes your life a good one, and what makes it not so good?
Some of the things that have been suggested as affecting individual well-being are:

· health
· relationships – with a partner, with family, friends and the wider
· community
· the well-being of our children
· job satisfaction
· freedom and democracy
· religious faith and spirituality
· income
Join the debate: what matters to you?

Whilst some number of things may be important to me, the nodal determining factor in all of them is security. My health, as possessor of a chronic condition is not a worry, as long as the necessary medications remain available on a free at delivery NHS. Relationships are not a concern for me, I have always practiced The Big Society before anyone thought it may be a handy election pledge, having held office and worked in a number of charities, and am happily married. The threat to security in my community organisations through economic policy, my threatened redundancy, and the governments threat to remove my disabled partners benefits, may change this irreparably. Speaking of my job, yes it is very satisfying but is woefully undervalued; my experience ignored, my proposals and ideas rejected, and yes, is underpaid. Not that I am driven by money but having my qualifications and experience recognised would improve my sense of proportion and not make me feel that study and qualification was not a pointless waste of time. As I work in education the well being of children is a paramount concern for me and I am sorely distressed at the unitisation and comodification of education to the extent that anyone can get an education but learning things is actually becoming impossible. The notion that we live in freedom is ridiculous. Democracy in western society is simply the sugar that permits the wealthy to increase their wealth at the expense of the majority. My faith is my own. informed by my spirituality and will remain so. Income - As someone currently earning only 55% of what I was earning 7-8 years ago, I can't honestly say that it is critical in considering my happiness quotient, but facing redundancy for the third time already in my working life does not excite me. Unemployment is soul-destroying but being forced into low grade poorly paid employment would be worse. I am not an unhappy person. But I fear I may have reason to become so. My securities seem to be tenuous and only defended by my personal optimism, work ethic, community life and secure marriage. These will remain because they are of me, and not some peculiar notion that happiness can be created by government policy. If policy should tend towards anything, it should be to greater justice and security, which allows contentment and security to flourish, rather than opportunism for the few and greed amongst the many.

What is well-being?
Is there more to national well-being than happiness? What else matters?
Thinking beyond the individual – at a national level – what affects the nation’s well-being? Should we just measure happiness or life satisfaction – what the media have been calling a ‘happiness index’ – or is national well-being much more complex than the sum of our individual feelings?
Some of the things that have been suggested as affecting national well-being are:

· poverty levels
· life expectancy
· educational attainment
· crime rates
· depression rates
· feelings of trust in the community
· national sporting achievement

Join the debate: what matters to you?

I think that I have answered much of this in my previous response and have dealt with my thoughts about wealth and poverty. I spend a good deal of my life dealing with teenagers suffering socio-economic disparities and remain appalled with the waste of young lives that is incurred for the lack of real investment in education and preparation for life. Life expectancy? I can't ever remember waking up and thinking, 'Oh joyous day, for I know my life expectancy has increased." Not afraid of death, in fact a good lie down might be nice. Security and confidence that tomorrow will be much the same as today. I still have a home, I have sufficient food and warmth (It's all very Maslow!). I have the opportunity for consciously rewarding work and the affirmation that comes with that (Herzberg). Educational attainment is important to me insofar as I believe learning is important, indeed the defining human characteristic (Dewey). Gaining educational qualifications has proven to be a shallow experience but I have never regretted learning. Depression, I'm not sure it really exists, although I am prepared to accept the teaching of those with appropriate qualification to determine this. I do feel the distribution of anti-depressant medication much as Smarites is not a good thing.
I have no problem trusting my community, but am disturbed with inability of others to do so, the mutual fear and distrust that is created by the competition for resources. My contribution to National Sporting Achievement will be to leave the country for the entire duration of The Olympics next year. That is how important it is to me. I shall make many others much happier by depriving them of my general disinterest and cynicism about such things. If you want to do such things then fine but please don't expect me to join in, or accuse me of being un-patriotic because I don't want to. I find it palpably ridiculous that any vestige of patriotic sporting glamour would or could have an effect on my sense of well-being. Making Football illegal would be a positive policy move I would vote for, that would make me happy.
The essential difficulty in this 'measuring' will be in reaching agreeable definitions of the terms 'well-being' and 'happiness'. I presume this exercise is recognition of this difficulty and an attempt to create some indices by which further research can be measured. I am pleased to take part and would ask you to consider that it is the taking part that makes it all worthwhile. Contentment, security and justice are all born of participation. Government policy, if it is to recognise this and change accordingly could do worse than consider what it's economic practice and general policy-making achieve in increasing or decreasing participation.

Sermon St.Mary Magdalene 30/01/11

2011-01-30T02:29:00.001Z

Malachi 3:1-20, Luke 2: 22-40, Hebrews 2: 4-7,11-15

Often when I read the bible I tend to get stuck on individual words. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just my habit. I’m a person who enjoys words, reading, writing the art of conversation and of course, the greater part of my working life is reliant on the verbal exchange of information with the young people with whom I engage. Teasing them with spelling games and throwing words like floccinaucinihilipilification into the middle of a sentence just to tease them into learning how to use a dictionary. I even accepted a wager recently that I wouldn’t use it in a sermon. Would you like to know what it means? Then you will need to find a very large dictionary.

I was caught up by the use of discipline in the letter to the Hebrews. I have had several discussions this week using this word, or its extensions. One of these was in tutorial with a degree student who is beginning to learn about ‘education’.

Discipline as we commonly use it today is full of probably unpleasant images for many of us, replete with memories of the teachers with whom we were unable to get on and perhaps some recollection of what would happen when mother felt it necessary to report to father of our behaviour. It’s intents express a desire to correct behaviour or to punish for misdemeanour, be that at home or at work or in society at large…but the origins of the word are deeper than this. It comes from the Latin ‘disciplina’ which was used to mean ‘instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge’. My student and I were discussing what the dividing line is between education and training and whether we thought education was about the instilling of knowledge, skills and attitudes in young people to the curriculum and standards set by society, or whether it was about drawing out, growing and developing children and young people, leading them to be whatever it is in them to be. Educate also comes from a Latin word ‘educare’ which has this latter meaning. It is in this debate, in this contention about what it means to teach and how it should be done, that I have found this mornings readings useful.

There is little doubt in the OT reading as to the slant that the prophet Malachi has in his disposition towards the leaders of Israel. Speaking following the return of the Jewish nation from its exile in Babylon, he was most vexed concerning the laxity of the people in observing their Mosaic inheritance, and was most pointed in his words for the priesthood who should have been responsible for this. He says;

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

You have got to love the Old Testament prophets, if like me you are into words. The power and majesty of their statements is very moving and I’m sure that the priesthood of the temple could not be unimpressed with this threat. Their lack of discipline will be burnt away in the fire of the metal worker, the dirt and grease staining their behaviour will be scoured away as fullers soap cleans the fleece which will be spun into wool. These are harsh treatments of which Malachi speaks. There can be little doubt as to what he believes is a fitting chastisement for the priests. The God he speaks of is the strict disciplinarian, the God of rules and punishments for disobedience.

Our gospel text however begins with the observance of exactly the kind of ritual that Malachi is so upset about its lack of observance. The law dictated for Jews that following the birth of her first-born son, the mother is regarded as unclean for 40 days. After this period of time she must present herself and her child at the temple to be dedicated to God. Mary and Joseph duly do as their tradition expects and prepare themselves with the expected sacrifice and go to the temple. Their order of service is however disrupted by unexpected events. First, the elderly and revered priest Simeon interrupts the ritual with his proclamation of the insight he claims from god. Simeon was promised by God that he would see the salvation of Israel before he died and in seeing Christ child it is revealed to him that this event has come to pass. He declares his thanks to God that this is so and prays that now he can pass away in peace and receive the glory promised to the children of Israel. A similarly elderly person, Anna the prophet also perceives from Simeons outpouring of emotion that this child is not your ordinary first-born presentation to the temple and begins to inform others of the events occurring in the temple. Joseph and Mary are amazed at this turn of events, they are perhaps also discomfited at the somewhat ambiguous blessing that Simeon gives to Mary. He forewarns that the child will nonetheless be opposed and that this will be a source of pain and distress to her. So whilst Simeon and Anna may now regard their lives as fulfilled we are witnessing the continuance of life through the arrival not just of a baby boy in this instance but in the birth of something completely new which will disturb the old way of doing things. Something which will expose hypocrisy and injustice and bring a fall to those who deal in it, whilst the poor, the silent and the disenfranchised of society will be raised. The practices rights and rituals of their faith, the basis of their society, their relationships with one another, will not escape the light that has come into the world in this one child. The manner in which we are to deal with one another is no longer to be based upon punishment for disobedience but through a different understanding of how a God may deal with his children.

The letter to the Hebrews poses this very directly. It suggests to us that a life lived in Christ is superior to the rituals, to the supporting institutions of society which hitherto have alienated people from each other and distanced them from God. We are advised that existing in the grace of God does not mean that we should live by the systems and symbols with which we are comfortable, however unjust and excluding they may be because the grace of God is to be extended to everyone. ‘No-one’ says the writer should be prevented from this grace by anything that we would care to implement by means of rule and regulation, demands for obedience or threat of punishment or disenfranchisement. The writer states that our lives should be one of making ‘straight paths’ so that which is already ‘lame’ does not get put out of joint but is preferably healed. The questions and challenges, the difficulties and contradictions, the injustices and oppressions that we all struggle with are an essential of our human condition but they should not be responded to with measures which can only further distance from Gods Grace any who need it.

This is not easy. And the writer of Hebrews acknowledges this. We are to struggle; we are to battle with these things. In a complex world the making of straight paths so that ills may be healed is a complex matter. We have not the wisdom to see all ends and plotting the road we may make will doubtless be beset with many pitfalls and problems but we are instructed clearly in the manner of dealing with this things; practice peace and offer grace to all.

Those of you who heard or have read my previous sermon in respect of the proposed Anglican Covenant will doubtless therein recognise similar expression of what I perceive in this mornings readings. My objection to this legislation is based on these same understandings so I won’t re-iterate that point again here. But this challenge is real, not just for the worldwide communion, but in our church here in England, here for this congregation and for each of us as individuals. Our church remains marginal to the life of the majority in this country and the very concept of faith, religious belief itself is beset by a secular mindset that does not understand but seeks to criticise. What are we to do as a national church in order to make our contribution to the straight path for our wider society? How is it that this parish church can seek to be an effective witness to that grace in a community which is largely disengaged from any thought of God whatsoever, never mind a personal relationship? And personally, what is it I need to change about me, my habits, my behaviours, and my ritual observances that will allow others to see the grace of God living in me?

These challenges have been very real this week as I have sought to answer a question that was posed to me on Tuesday. A Christian believer who has been asked to be Godparent to a child at a forthcoming baptism is conflicted as to whether to accept the invitation or not. Uppermost in the gentleman’s consideration are the possible ramifications offering slight to the family concerned and any subsequent loss of relationship with friends and family because of such slight. Next is the feeling that baptism is really quite a special rite of passage, a ritual that should have meaning beyond a simple naming ceremony and specifically in a Christian context should be much more than an excuse for a good knees-up by families who profess no faith. There is also a nagging feeling that he is just being a coward and should actually stand up for his faith and is not being an effective witness by not witnessing this. Then again, none of this complexity is the fault of the child and why should that child be deprived of a possible outlet for gods Grace in its life? What benefit to anyone if the peace and joy in the gift of a new child is prevented by adherence to selfish preference and adherence to ritual? Is it not better to see the potential for a straight road that is bound in maintaining relationships rather than severing the ties that may lead to some new revelation?

I suggest that this relationship, which the writer of Hebrews would describe as lame, should ultimately be allowed the opportunity to be healed and not completely put out of joint. It is not cowardice to take the hit and absorb the hurt to ones own belief in order to seek the furtherance of Gods grace. This is the sacrifice that god made in Christ, and in similar selfless sacrifice we learn the discipline in which we are conjoined with God and become the free flowing channels of his grace he intends us to be.

Luke 2: 22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Hebrews 2: 4-7,11-15

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.’ Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?

Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.

Good Question...

2011-01-25T12:23:00.000Z

Murdoch grabs Queen...

2011-01-19T14:08:00.000Z

First it was the football and then the cricket and every other possible mass interest sport...now he's muscled in on the Monarchy.

A great uncle.

2011-01-03T14:26:00.001Z

Not simple boasting, but one became a great uncle during the Christmas holidays. Her ladyship has bagged rights to the photographic presentation to the world so you need to visit her blog to see the wee chap.

Cairo.

2011-01-02T23:38:00.000Z

My colleague Islam Muhammad from the EU interfaith youth work conference lives in the street next to the church in Cairo which was bombed yesterday. He is in some distress as to the physical and spiritual damage that has been caused to his community by this gross act. He has posted today on his facebook page the command of the prophet in relation to Christian peoples. I reproduce it here first because I think it is worth reading and some Christians could well take note of its precepts and secondly to salute my friend for maintaining his stance in his distress by posting such a statement. He writes...

This oath, entrusted by Muhammad (PBUH) to his Caliphs, is an expression of his authoritative command to them as to their attitude toward the followers of the Christ through the whole world. The oath referred to was issued by the Prophet Muhammad to the Christian Monks at St. Catherine in the Sinai. A copy of it was translated into Turkish, while the original is still preserved in the treasury of the Sultan in Constantinople. This same Turkish copy was translated into Arabic by Naufal Effendi Naufal, a Chrsitian of Tripoli, Syria; which translation is recorded in abook written by him and known as Sunnajatu't-Tarab.

The oath is as follows,

“This letter is issued by Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet, the Faith, who is sent to all the people as a trust on the part of God to all His creatures, that they may not have no plea against God hereafter – Verily God is the Mighty, the Wise.

"This letter is directed to the embracers of Islam, and who disobeys that which is therein will be consider a disobeyer and a transgressor to that whereunto he is commanded. He will be regarded as one who has corrupted the oath of God, disbelieved His testament, rejected His Authority, despised His Religion, and made himself deserving of His Curse, whether he is Sultan or any believer of Islam.

“Whenever monks, devotees and pilgrims gather together, whether in a mountain, valley, or den, or frequented place, plain, or church, or in houses of worship, Verily we are back of them and shall protect them, and their properties, and their morals, by Myself, by My friends and by My assistants, for they are My subjects and under My protection.

“I shall exempt them from that which may disturb them; of the burdens that is paid by others as an oath of allegiance. They must not give anything of their income except that which pleases them – they must not be offended, or disturbed, coerced, or compelled. Their judges should not be changed or prevented from accomplishing their office, nor the monks disturbed in exercising their religious order, or people of seclusion stopped from dwelling in their cells.

“No one is allowed to plunder their pilgrims, or destroy or spoil any of their churches, or houses of worship, or take anything contained within these houses and bring it to the houses of Islam. And he that takes anything therefrom, will be one who has corrupted the oath of God, and, in truth, disobeyed his Messenger.

“Poll taxes should not be put upon judges, monks, and those whose occupation is the worship of God; nor is any other thing to be taken from them, whether it be a fine, a tax, or any unjust right.

“Verily I shall keep their compact in the East or the West, in the North or the South, for they are under My protection and the testament of My safety, against all things which they abhor.

“No tax or tithe should be received from those who devote themselves to the worship of God in the mountains, or from those who cultivate the Holy Land. No one has the right to interfere with their affairs, or bring any action against them – Verily this is for ought else and not for them; rather, in the seasons of crops, they should be given a Qadah for each Ardab of wheat (about five bushels and a half) as provision for them, and no one has the right to say to them that this is too much, or ask them to pay any tax.

“As for them that possess properties, the wealthy and merchants, the poll tax must not exceed12 dirhems a year (i.e. about 45 cents).

“They shall not be imposed upon by anyone to take a journey; or be forced to go to wars or carry arms; for the Muslims have to fight for them. Do not dispute or argue with them, but deal with them according to the verse revealed in the Qur’an, “Do not dispute or argue with the People of the Book but in that which is best.” Thus they will live favored and protected from everything which may offend them by the callers to religion (Islam), wherever they may be and in any place they may dwell.

“Should any Christian woman be married to a Muslim, such marriage should not take place except after her consent, and she must not be prevented from going to church for her prayers. Their churches must be honored and they must not be prevented from building churches and repairing convents,

“They must not be forced to carry arms or stones; but Muslims must protect them and defend them from other. It is positively incumbent upon everyone of the Muslim nation not to contradict or disobey this oath until the Day of Resurrection and the end of this world."

This is the oath which Muhammad ibn Abdullah gave to the Christian nation, the fulfillment and promulgation which has been agreed upon by all the witnesses who have hitherto attached their names. It was signed by the great assistants of Mohammad as follows:

Ali ibn Abi Talib
Abu Bakr ibn Kahafat
Omar ibn al-Khatab
Othman ibn Affan
Abu-ul-Darda
Abu Hairarat
Abdullah ibn Masoud
Abbas ibn Abdul Mutalib
El-Fadl ibn Abbas
Ezzubair ibn El-Ewam
Talhat ibn Abdullah
Said ibn Maath
Said ibn Abada
Thabit ibn Nafees
Zaid ibn Thabit
Abu Hanifah ibn Attaba
Hashim ibn Obeid
Mazamm ibn Qoreish
El-Harith ibn Thabit
Abul Azamm ibn Hassan
Abdullah Ibn Omar ibn al-Aas
Amaar ibn Yasir
This oath was written by the hand of `Ali ibn Abi Talib in the worship place of the Prophet in the thord day of Muharrem in the second year of al-Hijrah.”

Happy New Wotsit...

2011-01-01T15:19:00.002Z

As always I find myself very conflicted about this Happy New Year greeting. I observe the social norm because I'm English and can't really be bothered with the ensuing argument, but I am baffled that we should spend effort in greeting people with good wishes upon a purely arbitrary numerical arrangement. I wish the best for people all year round, why is it neccesary for me to verbalise it for this one calendar date?

A happy new year whilst we are still posessed of such Stupid Bastards just seems incredibly unlikely.

Please pray for my friend Jennifer. I can't share why as yet, but her story has shredded my soul.

Affectionatley from within my melancholia, I love you all and would dearly love to make this year and every year happy for you.

Happy Easter!

2010-12-23T21:58:00.000Z

Purchased this very morning in Newcastle city centre.
The Happy MaltEaster Bunny. Yes, it is a Malteser in the shape of a bunny rabbit.

I'm not going to be too ridiculously snarky about this as it is a fundraising item for Comic Relief and I just happen to have a great deal of time for this particular charity and the work it does.

But Easter chocolates on sale the day before Christmas Eve?

Bah!

2010-12-22T10:18:00.001Z

I'm almost beginning to feel slightly festive!

Advent 3 Sermon thing.

2010-12-11T20:56:00.000Z

Matthew 11:2-11

St. Mary Magdalene, 12th December 2010

This morning’s gospel is another one of those odd little passages that makes me wonder what was in the mind of the people who set the lectionary readings when they decide on the selections they do. I spent some considerable time reading and re-reading it, trying to find something within it that I could find vaguely meaningful or relative to stuff that is going on in my life or our collective life as a church. Where exactly in this brief sketch of John the Baptist can I find God?

At this point in his life John has been languishing in prison for a good while. It is perhaps not surprising that he’s likely to be feeling very abused and forgotten. Although he is obviously allowed visitors as he is able to send a message out to Jesus. John is asking Jesus if he is the messiah, the promised saviour or whether there is another person yet to come to fulfil the old prophecies. Having baptised Jesus we might wonder as to why John feels the need to ask this question. Has John completely forgotten the events of the baptism? Perhaps John knows that he will not see Jesus again and simply wants to know that everything is going to be all right, even when he is gone. Perhaps John is more selfish and was hoping that Jesus would have put everything to rights by now, installed the kingdom of God and crucially, have gotten John out of jail by now. Whatever John’s particular circumstance it appears that he is suffering from some disappointment, some failure in expectation that is leading him to question what Jesus is doing.

Expectation is of course an overarching theme for advent. It is during this period of our year that we are looking forward to the birth of the Christ child. And I suppose it wouldn’t be an advent sermon from me if I didn’t have a moan about all of the fluff and nonsense that hangs onto this festival…but, this year, I’m not going to. See, I can behave outside of expectations too. But expectation remains a big part of our lives, and not just at Christmas.

We all carry expectations throughout our every day lives. Lots of them are so much a part of our lives that we never think about them until something pulls us up short, stops us in our tracks and makes us re-think what we expect to happen. We expect to be safe and secure, we expect to be healthy and have opportunities to work and to learn and be valued contributors in our society. We have expectations of peoples behaviour, we expect that when we go to the shops that there will be bread and milk on the shelves, we expect that our responsibilities in raising children, their education and our jobs will continue. In other words we pretty much expect the world to continue tomorrow much as it has done today. The world will turn into the light of the sun, I will get out of bed, have breakfast, leave for work to carry out any number of tasks before going home, before eating and sleeping again. But what happens when these expectations are not met?

Most certainly our expectations in respect of our shopping may have suffered some upset recently. The bad weather has ensured that for some parts of our country the regularity of supplies has been badly affected. Even hard by the city as we are, some of our shops have run short of one or two essentials as some people panicked with the onset of snow and bought more of these goods than they may usefully use. Our expectation of good behaviour in others is possibly a more regular source for dissatisfaction. A life working with teenagers has certainly provided me with many experiences that could serve to prove that there are many levels as to what is or is not acceptable behaviour. The public events this week regarding the future of our children’s education have regrettably degenerated into an argument as to what is and is not appropriate behaviour in the political processes of a democratic society. This has distracted from the real debate as to the expectations and hopes of those young people for their respective futures that are set in opposition to the expectations of a government intent on reducing public expenditure. Further in this respect, several hundred thousand peoples expectations of getting out of bed to go to work may also be disappointed during this coming year.

So like John we are perhaps due a measure of disappointment and frustration, as our expectations are apparently not met. In the dark days of winter and in an uncertain political context, we like John may feel inclined to ask, when will this be sorted out? Not unlike young children on a lengthy car journey we may feel like asking, “Are we there yet?” As Helmut Thielicke commented, “There is a John who lives in all of us: we are disappointed in God. “

And does Jesus provide a simple answer for John? No. None of Jesus answers are ever simple and straightforward. Instead of providing john with a clear response he urge those bringing Johns message to go tell John what they have heard and what they have seen of Jesus. What they have seen achieved and what have they heard Jesus say. Jesus is not simply ‘bigging up’ the aspects of his ministry which have seen many amazing events but is providing John with the evidence he needs to answer his own question. John knows his prophets well enough to realise that what Jesus is doing is the fulfilment of old testament prophecy.

In Isaiah 35 the prophet foretells the coming of the messiah who will,

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”

These same sentiments are echoed in Psalm 146, it is he,

“who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.”

Jesus is as good as saying ‘yes’ to John but does it in a way that this be comes an open message to all present as to the nature of Jesus’ being. Not finished though, Jesus goes on to enforce the importance of prophecy itself by launching into a speech in praise of John and his work. It is almost as if the crowd have begun to mutter about John for having dared to ask the question of Jesus. There is also a little bit of this speech which makes me feel that it is almost a eulogy, for John, from Jesus as they shall certainly not see each other again and perhaps both he and Jesus would expect that John would soon be dead. Again Jesus uses scripture to uphold John and the importance of prophecy in holding out during the hard times.

Many of our expectations, which fall down and lead to us being disappointed, are borne of the same human failings that led John to question Jesus. We sometimes expect things to be other than they actually are. Johns question suggest that he was perhaps feeling that Jesus was not quite the messiah that he was supposed to be…and we are supremely talented at whingeing and moaning about what is wrong and how things should be instead. Indeed, I feel that sometimes people become so wrapped up in this habit that they begin to miss the signs of the kingdom that are manifest. They do not see the things that they should rightfully be rejoicing in and thereby fail to prophesy as to the coming kingdom. Just as I was struggling to see the message in this text when I began reading it, I couldn’t see the Jesus for the Messiah.

Advent is our time in the church when we need to remind ourselves in the growing darkness of the promise of the coming light. AND being able to say to the kids in the back of the car, “No, We’re not there yet, but we are on the way, and if you look carefully, you can see that we are getting closer.

Matthew 11:2-11.

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Snow...

2010-11-29T23:50:00.001Z

Chesters First Winter by Rav Singh.

We are beset by the white stuff and all of the usual flummery and nonsense that comes with it, but I must admit that I quite enjoy it really...or at least I seem to enjoy the throes of faux misery that it seems to cast people into. I don't usually do the sloppy posting of animals etc. but I was very taken with this image on a BBC collection of photo's of the last few days. This collection, also BBC, has some good shots of this neck of the woods.

Of Course, I Could Be Wrong...: AMAZING RECORD SLEEVES OF ALL TIMEWHERE DOES HE FI...

2010-11-20T21:01:00.000Z

Of Course, I Could Be Wrong...: AMAZING RECORD SLEEVES OF ALL TIMEWHERE DOES HE FI...: "Themethatisme sent this album sleeve into MadPriest Towers. Do not for a moment think that this is an example of 1963 naivety. Paddy Robert..."

Sermon Thing

2010-11-06T22:37:00.001Z

Greetings all,

Sorry for the highly infrequent postings, life keeps on getting in the way of me doing the things I really enjoy! Still, as I am preaching in the morning, I have thought to include my sermon here as I would usually do, but it will be noted that my sermon this morning although taking an askance look at the mornings gospel, is principally in order to announce to my parish church my thoughts and feelings on this here covenant thingy. I am delighted to see the launch earlier this week of NO ANGLICAN COVENANT, and am pleased to add what I may to the argument against its adoption. The following reworks some bits and pieces that I previously have shared with trying to awaken a local consciousness to a global matter.

2 Thess. 2:1-5,13-end; Luke 20:27-38

St. Mary Magdalene, 7th November 2010.

This morning I wish to address you all in respect of the wider church. The communion of Anglican thought and worship which extends beyond these four walls, into the diocese, our national church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. I know that sometimes it is difficult to see what the great debates of church politics have to do with us here in Longbenton, in our own little community with its church embattled and or ignored by the majority who surround us. You will recall from the intercessions last week that I offered prayer for the newly elected diocesan representatives to general synod. This was not done lightly as I believe that this synod amongst the many debates it will have, will be facing one of the most radical and sweeping changes in Anglican structures for three hundred years. This morning I wish to address the matter of the Anglican Covenant.

It is appropriate that I do so now as the first meeting of the new synod at the end of this month will be invited to receive and commend the covenant document for discussion in diocese and parishes. It is appropriate that I do so now as this week has also seen the launch of body that will be campaigning against the adoption of the covenant. And I believe that it is appropriate in reflection upon this morning’s gospel reading, which may make some relevant comment on the matter, at least in my own thinking.

Now because I don’t know who has read the covenant or at least read about it, I want to give a brief description as to what it is. My synopsis is brief and is no substitute for reading the document itself and discovering its intentions. Should anyone wish to have a copy, let me know after the service and I will provide it for you. The covenant essentially intends to introduce a set of rules governing the relationships between all of the partner churches in the worldwide Anglican Communion. It proposes a series of statements about faith and our theological tradition, which are to be the criteria upon which membership of the communion is to be assessed. Pretty much like any other organisation you would like to join, it is a statement of ‘who we are’, our corporate identity and the purpose of the organisation. If I did not believe in the right and ability of working class people to organise and provide for themselves the means of social intercourse, self-improvement and education for example, I would not be a member of a CIU social club. The Anglican covenant proposes just such a statement and somewhat like any other organisation it outlines a series of precepts and rules that must be agreed to in order for the respective bodies to abide by. It also includes procedures to be followed should any member church wish to make changes in its own laws, which would bring it into disagreement with the precepts of the covenant. In this respect it permits a church to withdraw from the covenant or to be withdrawn by a standing committee created for the purpose of maintaining the covenant.

It is for this reason and no other that the covenant has come into existence. During recent years, national churches have taken decisions to change the nature and practice of their ecclesiology and worship. We have ourselves moved to ordaining women and will shortly begin to have women as bishops as do numbers of our brethren around the world. Most recently and perhaps most controversially, The Episcopal Church in the USA ordained an openly gay partnered priest to be a bishop and a Canadian Diocese authorised a liturgy for same-sex blessings. In a worldwide organisation, reflective of such breadth of diversity embracing so many different cultural patterns, ethnic inheritances and national identities, these matters are extremely complex. The response to these changes has been protracted, boastful, argumentative,dogmatic and probably painful but foremost has challenged the nature of authority within the communion. Who or what has authority? How is it manifest? It is perhaps not surprising; that the answer proposed by our bishops, is a set of rules by which the relationship should be governed, hence the Anglican Covenant.

In today’s gospel reading, authority is very much in question as the Sadducees seek to entrap Jesus with questions based on scripture. The Sadducees as part of the wealthy aristocracy, tied to the temple and a code of practice proscribed by the tenets of scripture are looking to dispute with Jesus the nature of resurrection. They do not believe in resurrection and seek to use codes set down by Moses to challenge Jesus. They use a biblically enshrined principal, that of Leverite marriage, to test Jesus as to his authority. If Jesus denies the principal enshrined in law, then how can he claim to be the son and prophet of the one true God? If he can provide an answer to the question then how can the law make sense in the resurrected life he is promising?

Jesus response is masterful in denying the validity of the question itself. He not only challenges the Sadducees insipid use of the law in this way but also uses the example of Moses himself in order to make the point. Jesus quite simply says that the concerns of earthly arrangements are not those of the kingdom. In the life to come, the heavenly party that is offered through grace is not subject to the law, written or otherwise. The mealy mouthed terms upon which the Sadducees presume to judge the authority of Jesus and shape the nature of God are rendered irrelevant by Jesus response. And the Sadducees have no answer. The text leaves us there; we have to make the decision for ourselves as to just who has the authority here. Is it the powerful upholders of tradition and scripture or the son who comes to make all things anew?

For contemporary Christians the gospel poses an invitation to live according to the teaching of the One who embodies the God of life, and who wills all to enjoy fullness of life. This is not only an eschatological hope but one which we strive for to the extent possible in the present.
Barbara Reid Catholic Theological Union

A colleague’s sermon last year on the nature of communion included a good description of the importance of family togetherness in the Jewish cultural tradition and the part that food played in that experience. It reminded me of things I had read in Rabbi Jonathan Sacks book The Dignity of Difference, which in turn has brought about my ruminations on the Anglican Covenant. I have from the outset been uneasy with the very name, ‘covenant’, as it has read to me as a contractual or constitutional obligation.

'Covenant' from the Latin 'convenire' meaning to come together, is our inherited translation of the Hebrew 'berith' which is also used occasionally to mean testament. I have a problem with the proposed arrangement as it's central tenet is to proscribe terms under which groupings of christians (or individuals maybe), may not come together. Overtly, it's extant intent is to identify those who do agree and bind them together, in which one of the earlier roots of 'berith' finds some meaning from 'berit', an Assyrian word, meaning to fetter. But its flip side is, as with many covenants concluded between human beings, (The Nicene Creed being a particular favourite of mine) is the sub-text which says who is not allowed to join the party. Its specific text is to describe the terms and conditions under which they may be thrown out of the party and in whom authority is vested to take that decision.

And this is about so much more than who gets to fly around the world playing at being Christians communing with other Christians. The cost implications of the covenant are yet to be worked out, though I expect that it will not be cheap and numbers of bishops will get to increase their air miles quite substantially. Its practical outworking will not just predicate who does and does not get to go to Lambeth. Its rigours will ensure that the theology and canon of its members will be subject to consideration and veto by any of its other members. In England for instance, this could if enacted swiftly, still interfere with the progression of women into the episcopate. It could prevent future changes to the establishment of the C of E which may just lead to its financial survival, for instance in the introduction of lay presidency. The General Synod would find its power to govern not only hindered by its own house of bishops, but by any member of the episcopate from anywhere in the world. This of itself will cause wider debate about the established nature of the church here, as there is a bit of a history attached to being subject to “foreign potentates and powers.”

Anyway the good Rabbi, in discussing the nature of covenants, makes a number of statements, not the least of which is that covenants are different to contracts and that,

“..it is not limited to specific conditions and circumstances. It is open-ended and long lasting. And it is not based on the idea of two individuals, otherwise unconnected pursuing personal advantage...What makes covenant a concept for our time is that it affirms the dignity of difference.”

Covenants are about universals and not particulars. The proposed covenant is, despite its opening statements of affirmation very much about particulars. It has arisen from difference and seeks to proscribe the capacity for difference in the future. It precludes the possibility that god has created human beings in such variety and difference as a source of joy for godself and the edification of humanity. Whilst there is no included end date or time limit for its operation it is neither open-ended nor long lasting for those whom it will exclude. They may well be subjected to time limits in their banishments, which will include ameliorative actions and above all, a call to repentance before such time limits expire. Further to this there is no sense in which the parties engaged in this covenant are unconnected. To express these differences through tools of regulation is to merely enforce exclusion and banishment on the basis of difference. Perhaps more than anything such action is a denial of grace, not only in human action but principally in the revelation of god.

I suggest that covenants, as well as communion are the prerogative of God and not of men. Their terms are of the universal given. They are given by god and not negotiated by men. The biblical covenants concluded by god are not ones in which we negotiate on terms and conditions for our own advantage. It is not by our demand or effort that grace is achieved, but solely by the open offer of god. The covenants that are struck between men are doomed to failure as we do not possess the universal capacity for the love of difference, which we understand in god, and there is arrogance in presuming that we can. In its existing form, the alleged covenant is a fetter; a manacle that will bind both those inside its provisions, those outside it and inhibit communion, not strengthen it.

And I am not simply arguing for a name change here, I would like for our leadership to recognise that they are saying something very profoundly unsettling about our faith with this proposal. It proposes that the Anglican Communion is an homogenising institution, where people all eat, drink, play, bleed, cry, think the same, and pray the same way. This is absurd.

“The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference. Can I recognise God’s image in someone who is not in my image, whose language, faith, ideals, are different from mine? If I cannot, then I have made god in my image, instead of allowing him to remake me in his.”
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

The ‘Anglican Covenant’ proposed is just that, men playing at creating God in their own image and making up the rules to say who is in and who is out. I am deeply grateful that the God I know is bigger than that and even maintains a place at the resurrection party for those who have created this document.

Luke 20:27-38

27Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.” 34Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

A preachin again...

2010-10-10T17:54:00.000+01:00

St. Mary Magdalene 10th October 2010

Luke 17 11-19 & Psalm 66

Well yet again I have a miracle story for the mornings gospel. I think I may have said one or two things about miracles in previous offerings in this church and the place I believe they hold in the gospel texts. So it can only be described as the work of the Spirit or a challenging vicar in his rota selections, that I am to reconsider another miracle story.

This tale of healing occurs as Jesus is travelling on his way to Jerusalem. Knowingly or not, on the way to the cross. Some texts translate the geography of the event as ‘the region’ rather than ‘the border’, between Samaria and Galilee. I’m not a sufficient scholar of the Greek to be able to make any recommendation as to which translation is the more accurate but I do find it interesting to wonder whether there is something in this lesson which is about space…and I don’t mean as in, a physical place, somewhere in reality at a particular time. In my previous sermon I did mention my developing Star Trek theology, about going beyond the borders of our knowledge and comfort, trespassing ‘the final frontier’ to build new knowledge and understanding which surpasses that which we already perceive. Perhaps Jesus is already showing us the symbols of a new place beyond space and time.

This geographic confusion at the beginning of the text hints that we may be coming into a new place, just as Jesus is travelling to a new place. Physically there is no ‘region’ between Samaria and Galilee; they are side by side, so geographically this cannot be where Jesus is. There is certainly a border, an imaginary line created and moved from time to time by politics and its virulent bedfellow war. So even that may be only temporal, although it does produce a nice image of Jesus walking a line painted in the sand like some mime, tightrope walker.

The events during the scenario related in the reading are at first pretty much what we are used to in terms of the healing miracles. Jesus receives a plea for help, and then after a few well-chosen words to make his point, Hey Presto!, someone has lost his Disability Living Allowance. Sorry! Lapsed back into my former stance on miracles there and a very slight dig at this week’s Conservative party conference, with a touch of Monty Python for good measure. (Alms for an ex-leper!)

Ten men who are all living within boundaries proscribed by the religious law and politics of their time approach Jesus. They are men held within a no-mans land ostensibly because of a disease called leprosy. This disease as with many others, was believed to be the wrath of God, visited upon a person for some sin in their life. It rendered them unacceptable within polite society but more critically as unwelcome within the temple. Unclean in that culture, did not just mean a bad case of body odour. It was a religious and thereby social sanction, which excluded you from society. Society sets these boundaries and decides which side of them you are on. These guys have so many boundaries they can only walk around in circles. But their circle has brought them into Jesus space, a space beyond sight and sound (Science fiction references getting a bit thick here, but it works so I won’t apologise), where miracles can happen and cures can be received.

And then the crux of the story, where Jesus bowls in the googly, (curve-ball if you’re of an American frame of mind.), is the command to go show themselves to the priests. They duly wander off and find themselves healed as they are travelling. Nine of them then disappear from our story. We don’t know what happened to them, presumably the priests being duly impressed with their new-found cleanliness under the law could no longer prevent them from the temple and they re-joined acceptable society. In their world the boundaries, which had excluded them, still remained, but they were once again on the beneficial side of that particular boundary. Did they ever recall what it was like to be the excluded? We don’t know, but it’s nice to speculate. The one we do know about was the bloke from the other side of the border, the geographical one, and the one that made him a ‘foreigner’, to use Jesus own words. The leprous, weirdo, scabarous, foreigner who the other lepers probably didn’t even talk with, is the one who comes back to Jesus, prostrates himself and offers praises to God but then does something very odd.

And this is the one moment in this event, which makes this healing miracle different from all the others, across all the gospels. The tenth leper, incidentally a Samaritan, says ‘thank you’ to Jesus. The only occasion in Jesus ministry where he is thanked for what has just happened. Giving thanks is much more than a simple act of politeness. A thank you to someone who has fundamentally touched your being with an act of kindness or even a well thought out gift is much more than a simple social gesture. It is something that strengthens and deepens the relationship between the giver and the receiver of the gift.

Many of you know that in my daily work, I support, encourage and hopefully educate young people who are beset by all manner of social, economic, physical and mental barriers. Struggling with the borderlines of a society that makes it difficult for them to pass into adulthood. The passed few weeks seem to have been particularly difficult with an unprecedented number of young people seeking advice, guidance and help within the first few weeks of term. One of the vocational tutors, a sensitive soul for whom I have much respect noticed that I was little world weary and asked how I was faring. After a brief summary of my week, she went to a cupboard and retrieved a student portfolio from last year’s submissions. The student was one with whom I had spent a great deal of time for reasons I won’t go into here as they are deeply unpleasant. The tutor showed me a small paragraph in the midst of her professional development module. In the section where she had to demonstrate the ability to seek help and know where to find it, she had written her thanks to me, for teaching her many of the things that she needed to get through the course but most of all for teaching her that it was OK to ask for help, for teaching her how to receive it and for being her friend.

John Kavanagh of Saint Louis University describes Jesus in that moment of thanks, he says,

“(Jesus)… saw the splendor of a human heart that believes it is loved, that accepts the gift. Such faith not only brings salvation. It is the gift back to God, so enchanting that God would die for love of it.”

John Kavanaugh, S. J. of Saint Louis University

When I was presented with these few words from that student, I felt the same way. I saw in those few words a heart that had perhaps for the first time connected with the possibility that there is love in the world as well as hatred and spite. I saw in those few words the gift that I give back to God in thanks, for my faith and the lessons it has taught me, the blessings in my life, those who bring them and most of all, thanks for the hope that is renewed in that one soul.

This tale may on the surface be about a miracle of healing but its intentions I think are much deeper than that. In thinking more deeply about it and reading a little more about it, I have come to see it more as a lesson about the importance of giving and perhaps more importantly about the importance of receiving. After all, how can we be givers if there are none to receive? But it is not the gift given that is critical in this exchange but the act of receiving and then of receiving in kind, a mutual exchange in relationships that become their own reward. This gospel once again is pointing us towards a place where there are no boundaries, where the grace available knows no boundaries. It is a grace beyond this time and place where by intention or default, we do so much to create boundaries through discrimination, inequality and plain abuse. It is grown and nurtured in the spaces between the boundaries, over the boundaries and all-around the boundaries. It is the grace that can only be found in expressions of human action that transcend the boundaries created by human inaction. It is the grace that could take one man, on a journey to a cross, betwixt and between this world and the next as an example to us all.

Thank you.

Ten Healed of Leprosy

11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a]met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Psalm66

1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! 3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah 5 Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf! 6 He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah 8 Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; 9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 For you, O God tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

Quoting

2010-10-10T00:14:00.000+01:00

"But Paradise is locked and bolted...We must make a journey around the world to see if a back door has perhaps been left open,"

Heinrich von Kleist,

On The Marionette Theater

Worried...

2010-10-05T15:24:00.000+01:00

Just one of those spurious bits of communication that throws a spanner into the works of daily thought. I was somewhat concerned at the weekend to receive a note from my doctors informing me that I needed to make an appointment for my overdue smear test.
He is a doctor after all...he knows something I don't evidently.

Chastised and overjoyed...

2010-10-04T13:27:00.002+01:00

A former student mailed me for advice a wee while ago about a problem experienced at work. Before launching into the advice proper I began by saying that I had warned about hanging around with evangelimaniacs and the kinds of problems it causes. Today, came the reply as to unfolding events, signed off with the following words...

"I know you warned me about hanging around with evangelicals- but who else will tell them when they're being stupid."

The student has become the teacher.

24th Wedding Anniversary.

2010-09-20T08:20:00.003+01:00

.. The following was in the charts the year after my beloved was born. It is possibly the most cheesy 60's record I have ever heard, and also the only track I know of, called 'Tracy'. Its high score on the cheesiness scale however does not obliterate the sentiment expressed, with which I wholeheartedly agree after 24 years manacled together...and so begins our 25th year together in unholy dreadlock.

The Slap -Christopher Tsiolkas

2010-09-12T10:43:00.000+01:00

Having a professional interest in violence perpetrated against children I was moved to buy this book which promised much in terms of an examination of such issues. Having finished it, I feel like making a claim against the media for literary mugging. A lengthier review will appear in due course on her Ladyships site, but for now I can simply state that it's basically a prurient Neighbours in book form, with more swearing and sex than the TV could get away with. A book for bogans. A term new to me, which was the only positive thing I gleaned from this publication. The site below will explain and provide some amusement.

Bogan.

St. Mary Magdalene, 29th August 2010 - Luke 14; 1,7-14

2010-08-29T19:40:00.001+01:00

So, this is Lisa, from Rahde, in Germany who has just read our gospel for us.

She has been staying with Tracy and myself for this month and sadly will be going home tomorrow…but for now she is going to help me with todays text.
This is completely unrehearsed and Lisa is a little nervous. So Lisa, can you tell us, after 4 weeks in Newcastle what do you think is so different between England and Germany? And what do you find different between English people and German people?
(Lisa extempore)
Thank you Lisa.

It would be a severe understatement to say that I have enjoyed Lisa’s visit and the time she has spent with us. One of the main reasons why I work with young people, have always worked with young people, is that they always bring a fresh perspective to the everyday joys and woes that are the stuff of our lives. One of the most difficult things I struggle with as I get a little older, apart from young things like Lisa calling me, ’Alte Mann’, is a tendency to be too cynical, too set in my ways, too inflexible not only in my joints but in my thinking. We all have tendency to live with the knowledge with which we are most comfortable, easier to stick with what we know rather than take the risk of finding out something that may upset our comfortable state of mind.

This came to me as I was listening to Peter a few weeks ago in his sermon when he was talking about being vulnerable. I feel my days of white water rafting may well be over so I am unlikely to be vulnerable in that sense as I have little desire to go hang-gliding either. Nor do I feel terribly inclined to the kind of aesthetic existence that would mean being without clean running water or electricity, as this would very definitely require living without Tracy. She tolerates many things for my sake, but I don’t think that this would be one of them. No, my vulnerabilities are adventures in thinking, an adventure that I believe is open to all of us, although I would quite happily organise a white-water rafting trip for you all if you would like it…? No….

One of my particular passions in working with young people has been the development of programmes that have encouraged and created opportunities for young people to travel across international boundaries. Hence Lisa’s trip here this summer. Some of you will recall 10 years ago that I brought an international group here for Sunday morning service with my colleague and Friend Andreas Bröcker. Andreas and I have worked together now for 15 years in creating such opportunities. We have both seen many young people through customs to new experiences in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, the USA, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Turkey, South America and have seen the difference that it makes in their lives. It makes a difference because it is a difference. It changes their view of the world in which they live. Perhaps more importantly it changes their view of their own locality, the ideas by which it is underpinned and why their local setting works the way it does. I always remember one parent in particular who telephoned me after her daughter had been to Lithuania. She asked me who it was that had come home to her house. It was a sensible and mature young woman and not the silly girl I had taken away.

Lisa’s presence and thinking about today’s gospel has prompted me to think about the nature of difference and how important it is for us to face difference and to engage with it in order to develop and grow. Lisa like many young visitors to this country has caused me no end of laughter by asking me many questions, not all of which I am able to answer, but she has made me think. And it is often not about anything horrendously difficult, but simple things like ‘Why is Byker called Byker?’, a young Chinese women once asked me why we say ‘sheep instead of sheeps?’. Slightly more difficult was a young Latvian who observing people shopping in Poundland asked me why people shopped there when all the things they bought were rubbish that they did not need?

Slightly more difficult always, is to explain the nature of English reserve. Not ‘stiff upper lip’ exactly but, why is it when we receive poor service in a restaurant or shop that we smile sweetly, say thank you very much and then just don’t go back there again? Why are we always shackled by an inability to speak our mind for fear of causing offence? Why are we so happy to stand in queues? In these latter days of political correctness our very language has become altered by the fear of causing upset. Jesus would have very quickly found himself on a disciplinary hearing for using terms like crippled, lame and blind as he does in this text today.

The gospel today speaks to us about a very austere and distinguished social setting. Having lunch at the house of the top Pharisee. It’s all very posh, mixing with the aristocracy. But how would you feel about being invited to lunch with the Bishop? Or with the Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, or the Queen even? What to wear? What you would say or where and how you would sit? Cutlery is a word that I dare bet is going through a lot of peoples minds right now. One thing about this meal Jesus is attending is you can be sure that cutlery is not a problem, but the challenges of social standing are. Who gets to sit where and what does that say about their status? Jesus as ever takes us straight to the heart of the matter telling a parable which challenges the expectations of his host and the other guests. Those readying themselves to be seated are embarrassed by Jesus suggesting that they are full of their own pomposity to take places closer to their host than they may well deserve. There may be guests yet to come who the host may wish to seat closer to himself. Jesus really hits home when he tells them that if they would put themselves first they can only be humbled, but if they are humble in their approach then it is possible for them to be honoured with greater position. Not totally content with upsetting the other guests Jesus then asks the host why he has invited such dignified and wealthy people to this banquet. He suggests that it is only for the purposes of self-aggrandizement and the hope of a return invitation. Why is he not inviting the poor and outcast of this society, as Jesus says, the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind?

I can’t resist a small political point here, it is too good an example. The conservative party, God bless them, are raising funds for the party by allowing members to pay two thousand pounds to have dinner with the prime minister. If you would care to make a donation of fifty thousand pounds per year you will find yourself invited to a string of such dinners, receptions and cocktail functions. But just how much will Mr. Cameron learn from people who could afford such things. More than a months pay for me to have dinner with him. Just think more than twice my annual salary, before tax, almost 8 times the average pension, just for the privilege of being part of the regulars club. It is too easy for me to rant about privilege and the powers that be maintaining their own particular worldview, and securing their own advantage and exaltation through such practices, but like I said, I’m trying to fight the cynicism. Like the chief Pharisee and his guests, the invitation is about social positioning and securing personal stature, not about anything that could make a difference to the majority of lives in this country. Just for the sake of balance, I might add that I did not see the passed government behaving any differently.

This is not people making themselves vulnerable. This is not people exposing themselves to difference and to the potential to learn new and challenging things. How much better informed would our political leaders be if the ordinary folk of this country were invited to dinner? What if those who exist outside of this social circle were invited to dinner regularly at the Houses of Parliament? I have dined with a member of the Royal family. Once…I haven’t been invited back. But I’ve also eaten with the homeless on the streets in London and with children who make a living scavenging on rubbish tips and I would say to you that this variety is indeed the spice of life.

What I want to encourage is that like Jesus we take time to think about the social understandings and presumptions by which we live and that we should actively understand why they are the way they are and think about how things might be different. I am beginning to think of this as ‘Star Trek’ theology. Like Captain Kirk we need to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before. Sometimes it is only in understanding things that are at the edge of universe of knowledge and experience, or even beyond that horizon, that we can learn how we might do things differently. Jesus was able to challenge and teach about the kingdom of God because he understood things that we do not. What will you do today, this week, next month to learn something new and surprising? Where, or how will you boldly go?
Neal Terry.

Luke 14; 1,7-14

1On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely.

7When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Lukas 14

Helfen verboten?

1 [a]An einem Sabbat war Jesus bei einem angesehenen Pharisäer zu Gast. Scharf wurde er von allen Anwesenden beobachtet.

Wer bekommt die besten Plätze?

7 Als Jesus bemerkte, wie sich die Gäste nach den besten Plätzen drängten, nahm er dies als Beispiel und sagte: 8 [c]»Wenn du zu einer Hochzeit eingeladen wirst, dann setz dich nicht gleich oben auf den besten Platz. Es könnte ja noch jemand kommen, der angesehener ist als du. 9 Mit ihm käme dann der Gastgeber zu dir: ›Der Platz war für diesen Mann hier bestimmt!‹ Vor allen Gästen müsstest du dich an das Ende des Tisches setzen. 10 Wäre es nicht besser, du setzt dich gleich dorthin? Wenn dich dann der Gastgeber begrüßt, wird er vielleicht zu dir sagen: ›Mein Freund, für dich habe ich einen besseren Platz!‹ Du wirst damit vor allen Gästen geehrt. 11 [d]Jeder, der sich selbst ehrt, wird gedemütigt werden; aber wer sich selbst erniedrigt, wird geehrt werden.«

12 Schließlich sagte Jesus zu seinem Gastgeber: »Zu einem Essen solltest du nicht deine Freunde, Geschwister, Verwandten oder die reichen Nachbarn einladen. Sie werden dir danken und dich wieder einladen. Dann hast du deine Belohnung schon gehabt.
13 [e]Bitte lieber die Armen, Verkrüppelten, Gelähmten und Blinden an deinen Tisch. 14 Dann wirst du glücklich sein, denn du hast Menschen geholfen, die sich dir nicht erkenntlich zeigen können. Gott wird dich dafür belohnen, wenn er die von den Toten auferweckt, die nach seinem Willen gelebt haben.«

Where have I been?

2010-08-24T23:17:00.001+01:00

Well yes it is a wee while since my last post. I ended up back in hospital again in July for a further week dealing with a knot in the bowel and thereafter some further enforced lying around doing nothing... not my favourite state of being. This ran into my annual leave from work which allowed me to get on with other matters in the community, some of which I am not permitted to speak of as they are sub judice and likely to run for a good while yet. Beloved and I did manage to have a long weekend at our favourite little hotel in Scarborough during this period which provided a very welcome change of scene.

Back home again everything became very busy again as I began to feel much better and set about the otherwise ignored garden and garage and to tidy the house in preparation for a house guest for the month of August. Lisa, 14 years arrived from Germany on the 4th and remains with us until Monday. I cannot explain what a delight this has been and how much being nagged at in two languages instead of just one has improved the quality of my life. Beloved has posted more detail on the above link so I shall refrain from further comment at the moment. Suffice to say Lisa has been an energising force for me, arriving at a point where my health seems to be better than it has been for some 4 years now...and I am feeling much better.

The new meds and new diet (eating sans fibre...5-a-day, Ha!) do seem to be offering substantial improvements. A check up at the hospital this morning following an MRI scan two weeks ago has shown that my bloods are within normal range, there is only a slight indication of the disease as still active in a small area of bowel, I have begun to gain a little weight, have muscle tone once again and am gaining in energy levels and stamina. The release from the arthritic pain has meant I can walk upright again and breathe without aching. The last time I was feeling so perky I ended up in hospital again with the week, so I'm not going to boast anymore about how well I'm feeling. No pain for the first time in 4 years, cheers God!

Anyhoo... as life trolls on things are happening again at work, at church and hopefully I'm going to be able to post a tad more regularly for the time being. Preaching again on Sunday so that should be the next post.

Still busy...

2010-07-17T09:18:00.000+01:00

Good Omens.

But still got time to write for herself.

Busy...busy

2010-07-08T09:05:00.002+01:00

Sorry for not being around too much at the moment peeps...lots of strange things agoing on in my life at the moment which are demanding attention. One of which is her ladyship asking for book reviews. The latest one is here, Black Water Rising by Attica Locke. Powerful book which I recommend wholeheartedly.

...and there's more....

2010-06-22T23:38:00.002+01:00

Frank Sidebottom

2010-06-22T18:26:00.000+01:00

Saddened to discover today the death of Frank Sidebottom. Positively the only good thing to come out of Manchester in the 80's/90's Frank made a career out of being brilliantly talentless and providing a great deal of laughter in the process. a good natured and innocent soul who has been taken away by the cancer yesterday. I loved you Frank although many failed to understand. Mark Radcliffe rightly describes you as a Genius today.

REST IN PEACE, CHRIS SEIVY, 1956-2010.

A little light musika..

2010-06-15T07:52:00.003+01:00

I am slightly stunned to find my beloved posting Rammstein on her Blog. I knew she liked the track posted, but... so I though I'd post another of the Gentlemens more recent work.

Lyrics translated at Herzelied.com

Booky thing...

2010-06-12T18:40:00.003+01:00

The Lacuna by Barabara Kingsolver is the winner of this years Orange Prize but I have to be careful about mentioning such things now as her ladyship regards books as the domain of her blog. I just wanted to add that I told her it would win and if she thinks forcing me to write book reviews for her is going to get me to sit still, I know its all just a cunning plan to.......

Anyway there was also an interesting piece about her in yesterdays Guardian too, which should appeal to Amurkhan visitors. My review will apear on Pen and Paper in the morning...Sunday, that is.

Hospital...

2010-06-08T11:16:00.002+01:00

Yes I've had another brief stay in hospital over the weekend. First my thanks to all the staff on Ward 16 at the Freeman who are utterly magnificent in their care and ministrations to those of us in their charge despite the best efforts of their bureaucracy to frustrate them. especially to my consultant, Dr. Nick Thompson who is well on top of his game and hasn't forgotten how to listen, even to a nerd like me who comes up with more difficult questions than most I am sure. Thanks also for the thoughts and good wishes received from friends locally and across the blogging world. I know they are a source of comfort to buggerlugs* as she holds me together at these points.

No huge panic. I started a new course of drug therapy (Humira) on Thursday and by Friday morning felt distinctly odd The regular discomforts had developed into pain so just being a little more cautious these days I thought I'd better be somewhere someone could check it out. The last change in drugs produced a previously unheard of side-effect (lost the use of me legs!) so... a few days of regular blood checks and observations assured that I was OK although the inflammation markers had raised a little, but this was swiftly dealt with. I'm home, feeling quite robust, perky even and I can continue with these new drugs which hold hope for improvement.

Other things about the weekend will be reported in a slightly more detailed post tomorrow or Thursday perhaps.

*A term of endearment I wish to assure our Amurkhan brethren.

Joining in...

2010-06-08T08:58:00.000+01:00

Writing letters to The ABC seems to be in vogue at the moment so I thought I would join in...

My Lord Archbishop,

Peace and blessings in our Lord.
I am delighted to read press reports over the weekend in respect of changing the current provisions regarding divorce and the appointment of Bishops. Not simply because I believe this to be just, but because I believe The House itself would benefit from the presence of persons who have a greater experience of livelihoods which have not been 'the norm'. I further note the comments recorded by Fr. Geoffrey Look At ME Kirk and trust that in such vein he and his FiF brethren will consequently be subject to the same strictures you have chosen to underline with The Episcopal Church in America and will be relegated from the premiership division, for not toeing the line in accordance with the provisions of Windsor and the forthcoming covenant.
The covenant is by the way, an extremely bad idea. I could make biblically based comments about swords and eyes for eyes but you are much more aware of these things than I and I have never wasted much time in teaching grandmothers (or grandfathers) to suck eggs. I have also never really been into the kind of biblical literalism that the folly of Cpt. Look At ME Kirk expresses as wisdom nor do I truly believe that he should suffer its consequences. Nor should TEC, nor our gay and lesbian brethren throughout the world. Human beings are exceptionally bad at covenants; they should remain the prerogative of God alone. We are not possessed of the capacity for one-sided sacrifice, have not the omni-conscience required to exercise forgiveness on the scale required to mirror the great covenants of our faith history. (Rabbi Sachs knows about this, you should ask him next time you have a chat.) In our hands covenants can only be blunt swords which wielded even with the best of intentions will only disable, removing eyes in exchange for big left toes and such.
I regret to inform and am sincerely sorry that my progressing ill-health has necessitated my standing down as church-warden in my parish. But this has at least allowed my now more sedentary habit of letter writing to be extended and you may hear from me more often now. Every cloud...

I remain your servant,

For Grandmère...

2010-06-08T07:51:00.000+01:00

The British satirists have eventually got around to some comment on the ecological disaster unfolding in your back yard at the moment. It's on Youtube and you may like to have a look. I was particularly interested in the BP website of handy telephone numbers which includes a line for people to ring in with their ideas.

...and thank you very much for your kind post last week. We are much humbled by your kind considerations and thank you and other commenter's for you prayers and thoughts.

The Twilight Saga - New Moon

2010-05-27T15:12:00.004+01:00

The gothic has had the full emo treatment in this poor telling, wherein I wished Bella would just end it all...Simply copying and pasting the word tedious 3000 times into this box would still be more interesting than this film.

...and what is it with all these politically correct vampires? It's not even as if they are politically active and shouting for vampire rights, They are truly insipid and pathetic creatures denying their true selves and revelling in self-indulgent nonsense. Yes I know they're not real but that’s the point, they are a fantasy and should remain so. The fashion for humanising them and acceptability belies our own societal nonsense of political correctness and ameliorates the need for scary stories or perhaps our new world of information has changed us already. Perhaps now that it is much easier for us to see the real world and its true scariness we no longer need the fictional creations of earlier centuries.

Anyway, I like my vampires to be vampires. The only spot in the film worthy of mention being the appearance of Michael Sheen as top man in the Volturi. Obviously watched his Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee as a young man and introduced some real romance, and danger into the scheme of things.

World Cup

2010-05-26T10:04:00.002+01:00

Pray -

Well at least that seems to be the advice from the C of E, generally I mean not specifically, for the England team. That would be taking sides wouldn't it and I mean..that wouldn't be PC..no not at all. We couldn't possibly ask our Lord to give unto Rooney the power and the glory to give those Yankees a damn good thrashing in the first game...no that wouldn't be right.

A prayer for those simply not interested

Lord, as all around are gripped with World Cup fever,
bless us with understanding,
strengthen us with patience and
grant us the gift of sympathy if needed.
Amen.

Vujon

2010-05-26T07:22:00.004+01:00

A quick restaurant review - Yesterday was the occasion of Brenda's birthday (work colleague of reputation), and a number of the merry band gathered at Vujon restaurant in Queen Street, Newcastle to mark the occasion. Jolly for me being off work and able to catch up with people I've missed for several weeks now. Jolly for Brenda who raised a smile for us in celebration. (Only kidding Master!)

Simply put - some rather excellent food was let down by some rather lacklustre service.

I had the Lucknow* Pasanda Gosht with a Keema Nan, which were both beyond expectations. The lamb was cooked to perfection out of the sauce which was delicately and beautifully suffused with cardamon and not so thickened with almond to become sickly-sweet which is often the case with pasanda. I don't think I've ever had a Keema nan with so much fragrant meat in it, it was almost like a kebab on it's own. £18.50 for that, a diddly over the regular for Newcastle but I would expect to pay that bit extra for the quality. So an evidently good chef is being let down by front of house.

I had arrived first and was offered a drink, duly undertaken and being helpful explained that we generally pay for our drinks individually and separate from the food bill. No reply. This came when a small number of colleague's arrived ordered drinks and explained similarly. "We don't do that - that makes it extremely difficult for us" - No gentlemen, no. This is not how to make friends and influence people. So food took a little longer than it should to have been served, after dinner mints arrived without us being offered any coffee and it took forever to get the bill, which had several errors. Don't try to bung extras on group meals chaps, we know the game.

I did however very much like the taps in the toilets, but Don't put your Rubens in an Ikea clip-frame.

*Partly in a search for things to suit the new diet but more down to history and my own birthday...odd coincidence too, my Feed Tracker also informs me that someone from Lucknow visited the blog earlier today!

Laughing out Loud

2010-05-24T11:33:00.001+01:00

There are moments now when I wonder about getting older and what happens. I seem to be becoming less concerned about the reactions of people around me, less self-conscious at the very least as to what people think. I scared a rather elderly lady at the bus stop this morning when particularly amused by a small piece in the Guardian G2 section this morning.

Get it here folks, never mind anyones faith pretensions we can now all own a burqa. retailing at $200 for a pack of ten, the LaptopBurka ensures that you can sit in the sun without fear of glare from your screen or anyone witnessing your travails through the Internet, with this handy all in one elegant garment. Have I missed a couple of months and is it April the1st? Is there something wrong with the simple logic that if you don't want sun on your screen or anyone to read your latest masterpiece that you should stay indoors or the fact that wearing this thing essentially places you indoors out of doors. No...its real.

Charlie Brookers piece this morning is also worth a read.

The Observer

2010-05-23T09:25:00.006+01:00

This mornings paper contains a number of articles of interest as ever but two of note that I would like to direct people to.

North of England fears public sector axe in a return to divided Britain.
The government priority of deficit reduction I understood would be particularly difficult for the north east of England as following the decimation of industry here during the Tory led 1980's, much of the workforce that did not move or become budding entrepreneurs was taken up into service industry and largely into the public sector. 1in 3 people in the NE are employed in the public sector and when a government talks about big departmental cuts it is not going to have such an effect on the SE for example where only 1 in 6 people are reliant on the public sector. Anushka Asthana has sensibly made the choice of visiting Newcastle and talking to some locals about their worries. As a school leaver in the mid-eighties I was one of that grand number of young people for whom the entry into the world of work was blighted by the dearth of jobs and opportunity. When I read this week that we now have almost 900,000 young people without employment, training, or education opportunity, it has brought home to me just how significant that difficulty was and to some extent how it has affected the rest of my life.

Gut instinct: the miracle of the parasitic hookworm.
Speaking of blights on my life, the magazine main story, is an interesting twist on a brief newspaper article that I mentioned in conversation with Grandmère. some time ago. The focus of the main article (and it is a bit lengthy but nonetheless compelling for a person with Crohns) is a small parasitic worm. There has been research into the effect this worm has on individuals with this disease, a particularly successful study at the University of Nottingham, which I first read about last year and did some subsequent research myself. The idea of introducing a living organism into my gut was at first a tad unappealing, particularly as they are applied to the skin and 'work their own way in'. the story is of an Amurkhan chap who went somewhat further than I did in his research and was not prepared to wait for then development and testing of a drug based on the chemical activity of the worm, but got on a plane to Cameroon to deliberately contract the worm. The story of his subsequent improvement in health is positive, as is his passion to make them available to others suffering from a range of auto-immune diseases. the other side of the story is about the power of the major drug producing industries and their political influence. Jasper Lawrence is now a fugitive from the USA, hiding out in the UK for the time being to avoid the attentions of the Federal Drug Administration. Critical stuff for me but a well written human interest story all the same.

..and finally, The pitiful Olympic mascots sum up this sorry affair, laments the forthcoming Olympics championed this week in the unveiling of the obligatory mascots. Photo a couple of posts below, although I had suggested they were the new prime minister and his deputy. I am saddened, I had thought they are rather good. The only good thing about the Olympics actually.

Ashes to Ashes Finale

2010-05-22T16:36:00.001+01:00

The Guardian- Sam Wollaston.
The Guardian - Tim Lusher.

BBC - photo from BBC/Kudos

I can't recall the last time I reacted as much to a TV programme as I did last night when watching Ashes to Ashes. Right through from Life on Mars to the end of the series I have found it an engaging drama tinged with humour and sadness...and the irrepressible figure of Gene Hunt. I won't venture into too many details of the programme for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, I almost did that twice this morning, frustrating when you want to talk about something but the others have recorded it and haven't watched it yet. But there is at least one tragic and sad ending in the programme, subtly and wholly appropriately accompanied by a famous Vangelis track.

About half way through when Bollykecks unearthed the warrant card of the youthful Hunt, I audibly gasped, uttered a word I won't repeat here and disturbed my wife in doing so. So they are all dead. Always have been. The whole set up of Fenchurch East nick is a purgatory for troubled coppers, no not metaphorically, literally. Never mind the initial premise of an injured copper falling through some hole in space and time and waking up in the past, it all turns out to have been good catholic theology. Purgatory is the extension of what we thought we knew in our real life, Jim Keats is the devil offering the temptations of hell and heaven is the pub, well at least for coppers it is. Probably is for me too if I'm honest. The journeys of all the principal characters has been engaging and we have grown in affection for each of them as we have ridden with them through the trials and tribulations of their times together, Ray probably more than most and I have no doubt that someone somewhere will get picky about him attaining the pub despite being a suicide.

Glenister recalled a scene that defined Hunt: "He's in his office and he's looking at this poster of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with a scotch and a fag in his hand, and Sam Tyler walks in and says, 'Which one are you?' And Gene replies, 'I'm all three.' I love that, it just sums him up."

The appeal of Gene Hunt has been the most noticeably discussed element of this show and I must admit has been part of the attraction for myself. The line women want to sleep with him and men want to be him feels as though it was written for this bloke, for bloke he is, although I don't know who it was originally written about. Anything that ends in 'ist' can probably be applied to Gene and yet he is the one who we know cares for and looks after his people with a passion. The attitude to women has probably been foremost, with the mid eighties as the season of the new man it was simply too good an opportunity for the writers to have an unreconstructed male in the lead here. As Lily Savage would say, she's all for this new man stuff, he can feed the baby and wash up if he wants to, but you still want someone who can rip your vest off and shag you on the landing. The flip side to Gene's appeal for me and the one that is slightly worrying to some extent is that his popularity perhaps betrays my suspicion of the PC bubble in which we live now. that all these attitudes are quietly bubbling away under the surface, waiting for the new rules to breakdown. We don't say these things anymore but Gene is there saying them for us.

Vision

2010-05-22T08:12:00.000+01:00

Naked Pastor has made some interesting comments on 'vision' over the last few weeks which are in mind both in respect of church and the new government politics.

Coalition Policy

2010-05-20T14:40:00.015+01:00

There are a number of elements of the new government policy which are of specific interest to me and several will no doubt receive attention over the coming few weeks as I think about them but this one has caught my eye, as the details are published.

A proposed ban on the sale of alcohol as a loss leader shows an unusually attentive approach to what the licensed trade, police, and those working with young people have been saying for years. The BBC article linked contains a number of points of interest but as ever the devil will be in the detail of the proposal. My specific interests are first and foremost one who engages in youth work and thereby the cultural patterns of young people, but also as an officer in a workingman's club and thereby a purveyor of alcoholic products.

The coalition said that it would also review alcohol taxation and pricing and strengthen licensing powers.

This is a little worrying simply because when we hear of a review of taxation the general expectation is that things get reviewed up rather than down. Whilst people can go to Tesco's or Booze Buster and effectively pay half the price or less for alcohol, any increase in taxation for the licensed trade will only increase the rate at which pubs and social clubs are going out of business.

The British Retailers Consortium said irresponsible drinking was a question of culture, rather than price.

The retailers consortium I believe are not going to win any points in the debate if this is the sole response they can make to this. It's a little like the Amercan gun lobby strap-line 'guns don't kill people, people kill people' - I think the gun helps. It is for me undeniable that drinking and the habits associated with it are cultural rather than one of price, BUT the attitude towards price is a cultural one. Hence the choice of those on lower incomes to become increasingly socially isolated as going out becomes more expensive, but staying in being able to have more drink than could be purchased in a pub or club. The tradition of the workingmens club in the Club and Institutes Union I believe still has some lessons to give here. The importance of groups of local people being engaged in the delivery of community participation alongside the sale of alcohol at social events provides an environment where responsible attitudes to alcohol can be learned through socialisation rather than a simple competition to see who can get hammered the in the quickest or in the most amusing fashion. Most clubs in the north East are still very much tied to their communities and the simple possibility of any inappropriate behaviour being reported back to family or being disciplined by other locals can still be quite powerful deterrent, certainly more so than strong policing or public prosecution. The clubs themselves have lessons to learn in changing their outlook on community involvement and particularly in what they offer to young people in their communities, but that is for them to develop their own activities. If they simply focused on selling alcohol then they are no different to any other licensed stockist and have retained nothing of the origins and traditions of the CIU and its original intents. The time is ripe for them to remember the work and vision which created them. In relation to young people specifically, it is in the clubs interests to engage with them in activity which draws them into a social world where drinking alcohol sociably is an acceptable skill which is learned, rather than being a totemic rite of passage and initiation outside of the community in general. This should be also learned by organisations working with young people who operate complete alcohol bans in their activities.

At the heart of the coalition's plan is a ban on selling alcohol for less than it costs the retailer to buy from the industry - a move that is directly aimed at curtailing the widespread availability of very cheap drinks on the High Street.

This is the clincher, the one that would really make all the difference. Large chain stores and off-licences that can but stocks in enormous quantity and thereby effectively use it as loss-leaders, selling it for less than they are paying for it. The binge-drinking culture is fuelled by the capacity for younger people particularly to tank up on cheaper alcohol before going out into towns, where as the policeman quoted in the article says, they are half-cut before they even enter a bar. I don't pretend that young peoples use of alcohol is my specialism within my work and perhaps I should do some further reading and research into it, but simple experience informs me that it is a more significant factor in the lives of my young people than the use of any other drug. I have one young person on my book who is an alcoholic at 18 and another who although a committed weekend drinker, consumes in excess of two bottles of vodka most weekends. There are of course regional, cultural traditional aspects to the drinking culture where I live and these too must be considered alongside; the privatisation of drinking, where young people sneak and hide around shops and the darker corners of their communities with plastic bottles of high-strength cider, the privatised stay at home adult isolated socially or financially and the privatised but public behaviour in our towns and city centres of a weekend.

POSTSCRIPT...
Terry Leahy CEO of Tesco obviously read my comment about Tesco but has decided to respond in The Telegraph instead of on my blog. that's clout for you.
The full coalition policy document in .PDF is now available here.

Coalition document to be published today

2010-05-20T09:19:00.006+01:00

The government will today release the document detailing the coalition deal which has produced out new government. Only a week old and I am already sick to death of the cynicism with which this arrangement is being greeted and the self-righteous indignation of the die-hard Tory nutcases and the opportunistic Looney Left. Dianne Abbot for leader...methinks not. She can hardly complain about cuddling up to Tories, smooching with Portillo the way she does in The Politics Show. Still its now a six horse race, five white middle class blokes and a token. Pity she's not a lesbian too they would have covered all the bases then. God this cynicism stuff is so easy isn't it!

Anyway, I hope the two boys are having fun with their makeover.

What to do.

2010-05-20T08:44:00.003+01:00

I am embarrassed by Grandmère who having declared a sabbatical on her blogging has returned to the fray in less time than I am leaving between most postings here. Her six day sabbatical was much more brief than I had expected but ladies of a certain age are obviously just as prone to addictions as the rest of us, having put up only four posts during said sabbatical.
I love that woman!

I think it's that I am just not terribly good at discipline.

My mind is such an eclectic mix of stuff that not only do I fail to keep a regular theme in my head for more than ten minutes but I never sit and make time to write anything on a regular basis. Its not that I don't enjoy writing little things here and there, indeed I find it relaxing, but that may be why I don't give it priority. I don't want to relax, there are too many things to learn, to read, to do...and I'm a bit like a kid in a sweet shop. Politics, theology, religions, business studies, physics etc. etc. they all fascinate me and draw me from one to the other.

The second aspect of discipline is simply having a regular day. All this illness stuff that's happening at the moment means that I am taking more drugs at this point in my life than I ever have (and the new stuff arrives today)...and I am crap at taking them. I know they are important, I know they have to be taken at regular intervals, some with food some without, I have a good memory for their brand names, their functional names, the potential contra-indicators and side-effects all whilst reading a book and listening to the news and oh dear... forgot to take them. Her Ladyship has devised a system to help involving little plastic cups with sticky labels on them left at strategic points around the house, which is helping with this a little, although she still has to remind me at times, to go find. Fortunately it seems to be working...further scan has revealed that the distension is settling and that my bloods are returning to acceptable levels.

+Rochester

2010-05-15T18:37:00.003+01:00

Guardian Face to Faith today.

The good bishop is once again pontificating in our national press making an enormously populist appeal for our new coalition government to ensure that it's plans for the bright new future includes 'the spiritual and moral agenda'.

We of course know that the word 'the' is the non-functional bit of his statement. There is no neutrality in the spiritual and moral agenda he promotes, it is his own and that of his right-wing biblical pals that he wishes to establish. Joining in with the momentarily fair-game target of conspicuous consumption, greedy bankers, fiddling politicians, whilst claiming that British commercialism is also based in biblical principle (Jesus was an Englishman after all), he lumps these all together under easy target of selfishness. The experiment in selfishness has failed, he exclaims and exhorts a new radical equality. Yet we know from his other protestations that in his definition of the selfish are included; homosexuals, particularly those who would like to be ordained, women who presume the purple shirt, Muslims who don't live in the suburbs, and I recall from a times newspaper nine or so years ago, my wife and I, for the affront of being married and not having children.

Be clear this is not radical equality this man discusses but a theocratic return to natural order theologies. The 'primae facie' evidence he claims that shows we are not equal only precedes the justifications of the injustice and oppression he pretends to speak against. The rich man at his table and the poor man at his gate is not quite what I would describe as a radical equality... if this should be the basis for the new morality he wishes our new government to pursue then all the portents of doom deserve to come true. Scientists of course understand no experiment ever fails, we may not get what was hypothesised but they only raise the next set of questions. +Rochesters failing is in not seeing that the moral and spiritual agenda is similarly progressive.

Whilst he is correct that we should have to ask ourselves why it is we believe human beings to be equal, it is the asking that makes us human and equal, not his definitive answers to the question.

The Meedja..

2010-05-14T00:02:00.001+01:00

Guardian and Telegraph to merge...

It's not cricket...?

2010-05-10T23:17:00.003+01:00

I wondered today what our American brethren must be making of the current electoral doings. Our increasing insignificance in the world is of course reflected in a disproportionate lack of interest across the pond, compared to our following of last years presidential elections. But it struck me today, that tomorrow will be the day when it will be sorted to no-ones satisfaction whatsoever. Day 5 you see. It's what all that cricket is about, and let us not forget that we are largely talking about a set of public schoolboys here. I recall somewhere from a news report that Americans could never understand cricket because the idea of playing a game for five days where you could still end up without a winner was somehow alien to their conceptual view of the world.

Now you can see this clearly displayed after todays play that we are finely tuned for a match finale which will produce no winners. The final overs will be bowled in the morning and we can expect a result in the early evening I think after some strange calculations not involving anyone called Duckworth or Lewis. Such considerations aside, the result seems to be unwelcome for all concerned. who will be at the crease for the final over, we still don't know. A Labour led coalition of' the smaller parties will mathematically, only just carry the ability to defeat Conservative strength providing everyone turns up and does as they are told on the day. A Conservative/Lib Dem arrangement whilst numerically more attractive for stability, will be troubled by the simple ideological differences that they hold, threatening the longevity of such a batting partnership...

And the populace, or at least the press seem to think that this is all disastrous.

No, what it is is politics. That the public are being feted to a an open showing of the nature of the beast, is in fact the best possible outcome at this point. What we have been able to witness at this time is exactly what goes on in the machine anyway, we just don't normally get to see it in such vivid detail. What it is is the growing pains of a society which has changed enormously over the last 25-30 years with a rapidity and variety previously unknown saying that the political system of 200 years ago no longer reflects who we are. I am delighted that the powerful are being made to re-think their perception what it means to be winners and losers. I am delighted that a system of adversarial politics deep in the pockets of free-market capitalism is being made to re-think its credibility amongst its people and thereby encourage some thinking on changing the system of voting. I am delighted that interest in politics has been re-engaged by this election, with the TV debates and the first truly net-wise participation which has certainly re-engaged young people in the political process. I am delighted that we might begin to see that there are no winners because therein exists the possibility that we may also have no losers.

We're so obsessed by the notions of winning and losing. Have we learned nothing from a couple of centuries of cricket?

Simply the star of the election campaign.

2010-05-08T20:48:00.001+01:00

Laura Kuenssberg for Prime Minister.

Picture nicked from Google, anyone want to claim copyright or tell me to take it down that's fine.

Health stuff.

2010-05-07T20:30:00.002+01:00

Thank you all for for kind wishes and thoughts during my further brief sojourn with the NHS. 'Tis herself that needs the prayers now as I am not a generous patient and intemperate with my own incapacity. Still she seems to have learned to cope with that.

Readers of a delicate disposition may not wish to consume the gory details...anyone who wishes to understand a bit more about the nature of Crohns may find this informative.

The Crohns is active again and has caused a 'sub-acute blockage in the small bowel', which is doctor speak for doubled up in pain, on the floor crapping and puking for all he's worth again. More adroitly, the blockage is not the concern as much as the distension that builds up behind it, creating an imminent risk of peritonitis. Fortunately I relented early this time to hospital treatment and walloping doses of steroids etc. have restrained the distension sufficiently for me to avoid further surgery, for now. So I am back at home on a fibre free diet for the next six weeks, with suitable medicament to ensure continued ease from pain, and abjured to lie about doing nothing for a couple of weeks. It remains to be seen which of these ceases to be the case first.

Enough for now, going to practice lying down a bit more.

The Leaders Debate.

2010-04-16T09:47:00.007+01:00

Well there was a crushing inevitability about it to some extent. At some point the TV battle of the main contenders was bound to happen. Yes I watched, any live TV is worth the possibility of the unexpected but this was perhaps more so because of the rulings that had been imposed in the debate. It was however without surprises.

I haven't read any commentary yet although I did catch a snippet of BBC news this morning which seemed to be of the opinion that Nick Clegg had got the better of the evening. I am also of this opinion. I don't feel that media quips about 'Nick who?' will be appropriate anymore as he certainly made his presence felt last night. There was an element of rebelliousness about his stance and a bit of Obama can-do attitude as he swung at both other parties with equal ferocity, presenting himself and his party as the best and only opportunity for real change in this election.

Gordon was very statesman like, the voice of experience and performed probably much better that was being expected of him. Very directly challenging David and occasionally Nick, but also very deftly paying court to the Lib/Dem leader. I believe there were at least three or four occasions in the first half hour where he dropped variations on 'I'm sure Nick will agree with me...', but not sparkly, not a showman and his concluding comments were terribly negative.

David, I feel definitely came off the worse on the night. He was constantly on the defensive, as he needed to be but at times whined about how awful the other two were being to him when he failed to answer their challenges over the economy. The Conservative position is looking much weaker in this respect as a result of last nights debate. Cameron resorted to last weeks argument invoking the spirits of businessmen who had complained about the rise in NI.

I was much happier with the whole thing than I had anticipated. I had worried that it would have been too sterile, that it would have been too scripted and without passion. This was not the case. Sadly I will not see round 2.

The Telegraph

The Times

The Guardian

We've given them Pop Idol and Strictly Come Dancing, but last night, after a 50-year wait, we took one of America's most time-honoured TV formats and, against all predictions, did it better than they ever have.

Jonathan Friedland.

the mood I'm in...

2010-04-16T09:41:00.001+01:00

2nd Election casualty

2010-04-09T20:11:00.001+01:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/scotland/8610934.stm

Election Issue of the week.

2010-04-09T17:49:00.006+01:00

Its that National Insurance thing really.

The Conservatives began the week in good form with a letter in the Telegraph signed by CEO's of allegedly leading businesses saying that the governments proposed increase in National Insurance (NI) contributions planned for next year, was a 'tax on jobs' and likely to put the recovery from recession at risk. This was already a significant stick with which to beat Labour as the Labour party in it's first term of this government made great play of the manner in which it schmoozed, wined and dined the business fraternity and became 'the party of business'. Mr. Mandleson then uncharacteristically flipped out and described the signatories as having been deceived by Conservative policy. So Labour now presents that the CEO's of some of the biggest businesses in this country are gullible. Gullible people generally do not end up taking home £90 million a year in salary.

They may be many things Mr. Mandleson but one of them is not gullible. The thing is that the rise is NI is not a 'tax on jobs' unless the business community decides that as a result of the increase in NI, in order to protect MY profits, the interest of MY shareholders, I will reduce employment costs. business leaders will undoubtedly disagree with any policy that is likely to effect their profitability, whichever party it comes from. what it does show is that the world of business is indeed without moral and will swing whichever way the political wind is blowing as they have ever done although one cannot resist saying that this has historically meant their pals in their Conservative party. The secondary line in this argument about who can make the most efficiency savings and when is a red herring. Whichever party or conglomeration gets into power, the deficit will demand budget cutting leading to a loss of jobs. Labour do at least recognise this and have sufficient policy and initiatives in job-creation, to say so. The Conservatives are holding on to the notion that the alleged efficiency savings will prevent the increase in NI and thereby protect jobs. I run a business with less than 20 staff and even I know that you don't make effective savings just by buying cheaper coffee and poorer quality toilet paper. And £6 billion is in fact peanuts in terms of UK plc. budget, and laughable in terms of the the national debt. so id £12bn. Mr. Cameron so it's a pointless game trying to outdo each other on the odd billion here and there.

Speaking of which, both parties are arguing about efficiency savings based on work done by the same guy. He used to work for the government, but is now advising the Conservatives. Mr. Gershon is assuredly the most moral of all the businessmen here. Having sold his services to both sides, does a treble-dip today and sells details of his advice to The Financial Times. What a nice chap, particularly as he informs us that his recommended savings could affect up to 40,000 public sector jobs. So both parties end up looking a bit out of sorts. The Conservatives are now trying to retrace their steps by saying this could be achieved without any compulsory redundancies but I think Labour look slightly better off having at least been marginally honest about the medicine to come. Mr. Clegg had by and large stayed out of this particular topic for most of the week except to agree with Mr. Brown that the Conservative sums did not add up and pitching his nice new poster declaring that the only way the Conservatives could deal with their speculative financial promises would be to increase VAT in the first parliament.

In all, I find that although the economy is definitely the leading issue in this election, there is such an appalling lack of clear information about the actual state of play in the nations finances and little party political information which is not tainted by the electoral process that it is truly impossible for the average punter to make a decision as to who is promising anything which is vaguely realistic, honest or even plausible as a policy future. The only party which seems to be rising above the mud-slinging and personal point scoring is Mr.Clegg and the Lib/Dems.

Perhaps I should just pray to the Lord for guidance and ask him to tell me who to vote for.

Election 2010

2010-04-09T15:54:00.004+01:00

So it's happening again. A four week frenzied media destruction of democracy which we call a general election. Four days in, and because I'm off work, I've had BBC News24 running constantly in the house and at the moment I think I'd probably vote for the party who promises to bring back hanging for inane journalism.

Before I launch upon any real commentary, 'tis only fair to list my prejudices in starting. Having been brought up on a 60's working class housing estate, the son of generations of miners on both sides of the family, my voting proclivities have always been with Labour and in truth probably remain there. Much of my political sensibilities were shaped by the events of the miners strike 1984/85 wherein I witnessed first hand the abuse of power to produce a free market capitalism that essentially has no care other than its own profit margins. It is also true to say that like many other people with socialism in their blood, I have become rather disillusioned by what the Labour party has become over the last 13 years of their government. As a betting person at the moment I would put my money on a Labour win, but with a small majority, although I am excited by the prospect of a hung parliament, just to see what kind of horse-trading goes on as a result.

Watching the process unfold on Tuesday morning, if we are to take first impressions as being important, I was impressed more by Gordon than by David. Nick is trying, very, very hard and is talking a lot of sense in a race he has no chance of winning, although he is certainly in a stronger position than any other Liberal, Lib/Dem since Jeremy Thorpe. Davids first sentence was a personal attack on Gordon Brown in front of a conservative party rabble, which is something that is neither appealing nor is it indicative of a positive campaign attitude. Gordon stated his case, flanked by the members of his cabinet, outlined his main policy guidelines and left.

So, one up for Labour at the moment in my opinion, more to follow...

BBC Election pages - lots of nice toys to play with.

Goodbye.

2010-04-07T18:15:00.003+01:00

Jordan Patterson - died 26th March aged 19.

One of my students, whose funeral I attended today.

Forgiveness.

2010-04-01T16:27:00.002+01:00

This post started as a response to a post by Grandmère but got a bit long so I decided to post it here.

I'm late joining in here...always the story of my life, but your post did make me think and I needed a little time to organise my head before responding. I have latterly become what is being described in certain circles as a bad christian. This is in part due to my history of antagonism in the church but moreover in that what I have given up for Lent this year is going to church. I am at this time undecided as to whether or not this should be come a longer break than just the current season but more on that at another time.

I was struck by your post on forgiveness as you struggle with our Lords dictum on the number of times that we must forgive and whether or not you wait until the individual offending asks for forgiveness. The first point has always amused me as I have visions of more literal brethren keeping little tick sheets at home with the relevant scores marked against individual names, and their delight and relish in anticipating the 490th offense when they can claim they have achieved the Lords requirements and subsequently write that individual down as having been sufficiently forgiven. Indeed the process of forgiving the same offense over and over can make this a regular achievement especially if moving amongst the right groups of people. Your second point I think is more challenging, as our dignity is often involved in our preparedness to forgive, largely predicated on a theological expectation that the individual has to display contrition, in order to be forgiven. It is much easier for us to justify withholding forgiveness if we can argue that the individual is not sorry and or is carrying on doing the same thing again and again. And as you say, often the things that we find most deeply wounding come from people who are not sorry, nor are they likely to be. Often the deepest challenges come from people of whom we would expect more, or better.

This is just one of my contentions with the Lords Prayer. "I ask God to forgive me as I forgive others", leaves us with a pretty desperate God if he needs us to teach God about the nature of forgiveness. My practice of forgiveness needs to be more like that offered by God. It is not conditional, it is not limited (490 of anything was a pretty big number in Jesus time, as close to infinity as anything else!) and it precedes the offense. The parable of the prodigal son, is completely misnamed, that which is prodigious and overflowing in this story is forgiveness. It is only in this precession that we can continue beyond the offense, continue in working with and dealing with the challenges and struggles that meet us in daily life. But where does offense lie? with the giver or the receiver? I know that when I am accused of giving offense that it is (in the main) unintended, why should I assume any different of those who offend me? Perhaps the primary forgiveness that is required is the ability to forgive myself for rash judgements and prejudice towards the person who has offended me. I can't know why they act as they do say the things they do, but I can know that without forgiveness I will never discover that nor have the opportunity to discuss with them our difference. I know that my daily works in my job or as a volunteer in my community will bring me any amount of hurts and criticisms, offenses which make me rage quietly within...but they (the offenses) are already forgiven, not by me but by God. If I can add a human element to that, modelling that forgiveness, then perhaps those around me might learn something of God, or at the very least see a different way of treating people, a different way of responding to the violence and aggression that is offered all too frequently...and that will do...I can live with that.

I do not ask God to forgive me as I forgive others, I ask others to forgive me as God has forgiven them.

Diverse Me.

2010-04-01T16:10:00.001+01:00

A great part of my recognition of the predominance of patriarchy mentioned previously comes from my adherence to a little thing called Christianity. It is also a little bit about getting over the fear that I mention above. To release ourselves from fear we first of all have to make ourselves a little vulnerable. This is me being a bit vulnerable.

I do not want this thread to turn in to a religious slanging match but rather to be open about something that has shaped much of my thinking and will influence the things that I say or write in this blog and other places around the internet. I think it only reasonable for my own reflection and for those with whom I engage that they understand that the faith in which I have grown remains influential in how I deal with issues in equality and diversity. A fellow blogger recently asked that we share our two favourite pieces of scripture. I am not sure that these are particularly favourite but they are the most important for me.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied:
" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is
like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments." Gospel of Matthew Chpt22.

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Gospel of Matthew Chpt 5.

For a daily challenge, these are pretty big demands. OK if you don't believe on God then the greatest commandment is a bit of a non-starter, but even the toughest atheist will struggle with the challenge of loving their neighbour as them self... and this is not enough. I am required not just to love my neighbour, the person who lives next to me, sits next to me at work, shares the refectory table with me but I have to care about my enemies as well! Those who actively seek to harm me, my opinions, my way of life are also to be regarded in the same way.

And I do believe these things to be necessary, but not because some centuries old text says so. My experiences have also led me to believe that I am a happier and better person through trying to live out these commandments. In them I find the centre of my thought about equality and diversity. In them there is nothing of the oppression of women and homosexuals for which various churches have quite justifiably been accused of in the past and present. There is nothing here which requires the believer to persecute anyone in any way shape or form but rather challenges them to find a better relationship; to find another way which makes all enemies neighbours, recognises all as equal and without discrimination.

I must dedicate this learning to my Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Christian friends who have helped me to learn these things.

Feel the Fear...

2010-04-01T16:07:00.003+01:00

It's all a bit scary.

Yes, even just setting up a new blog** I'm uncertain (little bit scared) as to how it may be received or what sort of participation it may draw, but that's part of what I want to tackle. From conversations I have had recently, particularly in trying to develop interest in diversity as a subject, I get the impression that there is a great deal of fear attached to getting involved in anything that is vaguely equal-opportunities oriented.

Not the least of these fears is about the language that may be used without fear of being brutally challenged, or threatened with further actions. It is perhaps simplistic to claim that a liberal dynamic which has equated any discussion about immigration with racism has created a silence in which racism has actually quietly flourished...and yet how many of us had actually even heard of the BNP 4 or 5 years ago? Here I hope that people will feel able to comment freely, anonymously if they feel it necessary, but am I right? Are people frightened of engaging in conversations for fear of causing upset or getting themselves in trouble? Is the language of political correctness becoming a burden rather than liberating?

I repeat my warning though from my first post. I will not tolerate postings here which are of malicious intent. Discussion and opinion are welcome, abuse is not, and in this space I am the arbiter.

**Originally this post was in a different place. Tis here now because of reactions drawn by it.

Ow!

2010-03-25T17:52:00.000Z

19 teeth removed on Tuesday. It's all a bit hurty.

I don't believe it!

2010-03-17T09:46:00.004Z

The poet laureate has written an ode to Beckham's injury. Of all the celebrity obsessed trite nonsense, I don't think I've read anything that has engendered so much disbelief and anger within me. ITS ONLY A BLOODY GAME! Why don't we have him put down instead like a good racehorse and then the country can mourn properly. Comparing him to Achilles on his way to Troy is a damned insult to antiquity. Thank God for NEWSBISCUIT.

...and again.

Oot and aboot...

2010-03-14T09:10:00.007Z

Whilst having a break from posting in February I did manage to have a night out, traversing the Penines to Manchester, to see my favourite little industrial metal band, Rammstein. The chaps were on sparkling form and the MEN was packed lending a fantastic atmosphere to proceedings. their live shows are amazing, always energetic, full of surprises and certainly very loud. Standing about 20m from the stage, one does not so much listen as vibrate along to the sound and just close enough to feel the heat from the flame throwers. This is the first video release from the new album, there is also as you may expect coverage of the gig on Youtube should you feel so inclined. Translation can be found here.

Jesus is the answer...

2010-03-12T13:36:00.001Z

Jesus Comeback tour announced.

Newsbiscuit

2010-01-29T15:37:00.001Z

God gutted after Jesus signs for Islam.

The Equality Bill.

2010-01-14T11:38:00.004Z

There are many aspects of this forthcoming bill which is currently at its committee stage in the Lords. I have had to consider various bits of it in relation to work and some of my voluntary responsibilities outside of work. It is a complex piece and one of my chief worries about it is that it will be law and interfering in peoples lives in all sorts of unjustified ways before its implications have been properly understood. It is certainly being put through the parliamentary process at some pace, which has in itself attracted criticism from a number of groups. Still, the government are probably worried about...well, not being the government anymore, before it is enacted. The churches have ensured their usual exemptions to ensure that they still have a legal justification to discriminate where they see fit...But I digress, my principal reason for mentioning it here is to see how people feel about the definition of Religion or Belief enshrined in the bill.

10 Religion or belief
(1) Religion means any religion and a reference to religion includes a reference to a lack of religion.
(2) Belief means any religious or philosophical belief and a reference to belief includes a reference to a lack of belief.
(3) In relation to the protected characteristic of religion or belief—
(a) a reference to a person who has a particular protected characteristic is a reference to a person of a particular religion or belief;
(b) a reference to persons who share a protected characteristic is a reference to persons who are of the same religion or belief.

What do you reckon?

Bankers.

2010-01-13T13:43:00.003Z

Pete Rollins tells the following story on his Blog just before Christmas in a post entitled, Engaging in a game that no-one believes in. Now there are various theological reflections which can be drawn from the story and are, but I was reminded of it this morning whilst listening to BBC Breakfast. The topic of bonuses for bankers which are soon to be paid apparently. The chap who was defending the bonuses was arguing that if the banks were prevented from doing so, or the individuals themselves were to be highly taxed, then 'we' would lose out as the banking talent would leave the country for other centres of financial business. We would therefore lose the opportunity of taxing them more reasonably for a longer period of time...

There was once a British army base located in a tiny town in rural Northern Ireland. The story goes that each time a new battalion of soldiers arrived to do their tour of duty one of the resident Officers would show them a trick that could be played on the hapless locals.
When the latest group of soldiers arrived the Officer brought them down to the local pub for a drink. When they were settled he got out an old twenty pound note and a one pound coin. As the soldiers watched he crumpled up the twenty pound note and polished the pound coin before placing them on the table. Once he had done this he then scanned the bar for one of the oldest and drunkest men in the place, and called him over. When the local had settled himself the Officer said, ‘I want to give you one of these, but which would you prefer, this bright shiny coin or this old crumpled piece of paper’?
In response the old man picked up the coin, bit into it with his teeth and then exclaimed with delight, ‘I’ll take the shiny coin please”. The soldiers, of course, found this hilarious and started trying it with others. The foolishness of the Irish provided them with endless hours of entertainment.
However there also happened to be a tourist in the bar that night who watched what was taking place in disbelief. When the soldiers had left, she went up to some of the old men and exclaimed, ‘why on earth did you take the coin when you could have had the note? Do you not know that it is worth twenty times more’?
‘Of course we do’, replied one of the locals, ‘but if we took the note they would stop playing’.

Sermonette

2010-01-10T09:18:00.001Z

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
St. Mary Magdalene Longbenton 10th January 2010.

Morning. Bit chilly isn’t it. So I thought I’d make this mornings sermon extra long, so we can all sit here for a good half hour or so getting really cold…no really you’d quite like a short one?

Still it is interesting to see the reactions of people to all this snow, or really to it’s persistence, because snow, is really a bit like the relatives who come to stay for Christmas. It’s lovely at first but after a week you really begin to wonder when they are going to go away. Tracy and I were reflecting that it was probably early in the year that we were married we can last recall a winter that had some staying power in it That would have been the January of 1986 and we were trudging around in the snow looking for our first home. Of course talking to slightly older people one will be regaled with tales of the fell winter of 1963 and there are some here this morning who will recall it well. I was talking to a chap at the bus stop just outside the church, the other day just as the snow was beginning to fall again and he was telling me of travelling the trams in Newcastle during the winter of 1941. It was only afterwards that I worked out this bloke must have been well into his eighties and still seemed to be coping better with it all than I was. And don’t get me started on car-drivers… don’t they get grumpy when deprived of their toys! Our societies apparent difficulty in coping with periods of heavy snow is not because the snow itself is any noticeably worse or complex than that of previous heavy winters, but simply that so much of our lives are now predicated upon the car.

But it has to be the reactions of children that are most interesting in many respects… because those who are 9,10, to 12,13 years old have not really seen snow hang around like this for a period of weeks and for them it is almost a world made anew. That first morning waking up to find that the colour of the world has changed and not only has it changed colour but the substance is good fun too. Simply throwing the stuff at each other, and dare I say it the occasional moving object will provide endless capacity for laughter. The opportunity to hurtle downhill on a pre-formed sheet of plastic also seems to provide great competition. I never really understood this one. Problem was, having done the hillside once it nearly put my back out dragging it back up for the repeat performance. My childhood sledge was knocked together in the pit foundry, weighed half a ton and was more unsinkable than the Titanic. But apparently the pre-moulded PVC ones are now in short supply and are changing hands for large sums of money. A news report I heard yesterday said that 40,000 have been sold in Aviemore this year compared to the usual winter sale of 2,000.

But what has all of this icy reflection have to do with a couple of blokes up to their neck in a river in a nice hot Middle Eastern landscape?

Probably not a lot outside of my own mind, but I see in this reading this morning a state change in the nature of the world. These opening chapters of Luke are very much like a TV programme that jumps from place to place in a story that is being unfolded a piece at a time, and not necessarily in chronological order. The scenes change swiftly and with huge contrast, just like waking up and finding the world has changed colour.

There are events in this short, and typically for Luke, terse narrative that says that the world has changed colour at this point. That it is a real thing of substance that has occurred.

The great German theologian Karl Barth discusses the baptism of Jesus by speaking of Jesus subjection to God. He states that in this story we see Jesus express, “His free subjection to the will of God. His free association with humanity. His free entry upon the service of God and humanity.”

In our first scene, the world changes in this moment because of the action of Christ in firstly identifying with humanity. Jesus went to John, ‘when all the people were being baptised’, not at some privately arranged ceremony for his personal benefit. This is a public acclamation made amongst and for all those who were gathered at that point, the poor, the lame and diseased, men and women, tax collectors and soldiers…and they were an expectant people, ‘wondering in their hearts’ says Luke, if John himself were the long promised messiah, the release from their strife and oppression. But this is a specific role that John knows is not for him but is for another. In one of my favourite phrases from any of the gospels, John singularly demotes himself and points out the sad condition of all humanity, that there comes one ‘the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie’. But John also issues a warning at this point, that he who is yet to come will not baptise with water but with an unquenchable fire and with the Holy Spirit. Not a symbolic baptism but a real challenge with real consequences.

The scene then changes dramatically, although our readings skip a couple of verses and I have never really understood why. True it seems a little out of place here, like a flash-forward in the middle of a TV programme, but it does show that the actions of John as a baptiser have consequences for him. Herod, at the bidding of his brothers wife has John imprisoned and that does not lead to a good place for John. Jesus as the great one who is following John, is similarly accepting that by baptising with spirit and fire he is setting himself in opposition to the world and will suffer similar consequences.

Our scene returns abruptly to the river and the second great shift in this passage is in the opening of heaven and the palpable presence of God at this event. A clear voice from heaven establishes that this is not just another baptism. This is the establishment of a new relationship between God and humanity enacted through the person of Jesus. God chooses a life of free association with human beings in all of their frailty and poverty understanding this to be the only manner in which they may become more than they currently are. The baptised becomes the baptiser, the one who is and shows the way…and it all shifts again as the narrator tells us of Jesus lineage and then just as swiftly scene change again and Jesus is off into the desert.

So that’s it for this morning. Short and sharp just like Luke. Look out for the scene change and be careful out there.

Luke 3:15-22
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. 19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. 21 When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.

Post-christmas Reflection

2009-12-31T19:27:00.003Z

Rev. Jones was lauded previously on OCICBW and has had some subsequent coverage in The Church Times. On this eve of the new year, I wish everyone Gods blessing for the coming year and that we may be as inspired as he.

"Lord Carey said that no one was dying of hunger in Britain."

Lord Carey knows dick all.

Ante-Christmas Reflection

2009-12-14T14:32:00.001Z

What do you think Christ would say if he saw the commercial exploitation of the religion that bears his name? '

'Not only did he let me die on this cross, but he never sent me a bloody Christmas card either.

Twas the night before...

2009-12-11T15:13:00.000Z

a non-specific non-denominational holiday....

Equality Bill

2009-11-24T14:42:00.004Z

Despite warnings from the EU over enshrining religious exemptions in the forthcoming Equality Bill, just yesterday amendments have been tabled which would provide the right to discriminate in provision in respect of elderly care homes and for adoption agencies managed by the churches. These are of course presented by such liberal, even minded individuals as Ian Paisley, Anne Widdecombe, Bill Cash...

Diary

2009-11-20T16:44:00.002Z

Hello people, I know things have been a bit thin here for a while. Truth is I've had a really bad patch health-wise, for a couple of months now, and just getting to work has been about the sum of my energy for each day. Yes, I should have probably said something back in September, but I didn't want any fuss etc. and also asked her ladyship not to tell either. Bottom line is after a good couple of years remission, it's back and I had to come off my meds for a wee while and it all got a bit uncomfortable. I'm stable again for the moment but am going to have to have a new regime of meds sometime in the new year following several large hoops to be jumped through before then.

I have however spent a great deal of time lying about at home which has pleased herself enormously. I have been reading the Biography of Clementine Churchill by her daughter Mary Soames. Clementine was not of a strong constitution herself and yet showed remarkable energy and courage in her efforts, charitable and in restraining her manic husband as best she was able. In one of her letters she quotes the following poem by Christina Rosetti. Being the rank philistine that I am, I have never been given to the reading of poetry and had never previously heard of Christine Rosetti. But I think I know how she and Clementine felt at the time.

UP-HILL.

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day's journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.
But is there for the night a resting-place?
A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.
May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.
Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you standing at that door.
Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?
Of labor you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who seek?
Yea, beds for all who come.

I don't do jokes really...

2009-10-29T14:24:00.001Z

...but this tickled me...

I telephoned the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people the other day... he sent me a large goat with a very long neck...turns out I called Dial-a-llama.

Day 15,805 in the Big Brother House.

2009-10-27T15:56:00.002Z

Apropos of nothing really, other than to celebrate m'colleagues abilities to create spreadsheets to sufficient standards to complete a qualification...to whit... he asks my date of birth, pops it into the created spreadsheet and informs me that I am 15,805 days old today.
Work really is rather quiet.

Newsbiscuit does it again

2009-10-16T10:19:00.004+01:00

Postman Pat, the future.

The situation with the Royal Mail is desperate and it comes down to the same revolting yardstick by which everything in this sodding country is now measured and ruined - profitability. The Royal Mail actually perform pretty amazing things for very little charge and are part of the social glue that maintain something once called civil society. Now it's just another chattel, a thing to be bought and sold, whose real value will not be understood until it is with us no more.

PCC

2009-10-09T11:10:00.006+01:00

PCC Meeting came and went Wednesday evening despite dire predictions of doom and gloom. True there were some difficult things to discuss as the experience of visitors to our church lately has been less than welcoming and some of the behavior between inmates has been pretty well appalling. Nonetheless we reached an agreement as to a statement that as well as expressing what we belive mission to be in this place, here and now, will also serve as a benchmark as to what we expect of our congregation.

We seek to be a Christian Church worshiping God, and sharing His love by word and deed. That love leads us to be Generous in our own service and engaged with others to serve God in the needs of our neighbours. Our services and all our activities are open to all.

That done and various other matters dealt with, I decide it was appropriate time to give notice on my churchwardenship. I will stand down at the next AGM (April) which gives the church a good 6 months in which to twist someones arm into taking this on. At that point I will have served 9 years in post. There is a nagging sense within me that I am abandoning them at their lowest point and therefore some guilt, but in the main I am convinced this is the right thing to do. I have for over 25 years now been chairman of this, treasurer of that, trustee here there and everywhere, and there is also the feeling within me that I need a break from carrying organizational responsibilities for a good while. Tis no secret that my health overall can hardly be said to be improving or stable and this is not being helped by the amounts of voluntary commitments I have undertaken in the past. It has also meant that lately I have also not been up to those responsibilities with the enthusiasm or level of activity that they truly require in order to be done properly.

I am also very conscious that I am not as engaged with church as I used to be in terms of my own spirituality and development. It is just about the last place that I feel that I experience grace and mystery. It is time that I was not there, at least for a wee whiles.

Another Nightmare: The Intellectual Eclipse of the West

2009-10-08T10:25:00.002+01:00

Cracking post by The Ugley Vicar, which touches on so many of my feelings about our education system.

Why women have sex

2009-10-01T14:07:00.000+01:00

Guardian by-line

According to a new book, there are 237 reasons why women have sex. And most of them have little to do with romance or pleasure.

...and we're supposed to know what's going on!

Guest posting

2009-09-24T08:37:00.001+01:00

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
The promised review is now available at her ladyships.

23rd Wedding Anniversary

2009-09-20T09:32:00.002+01:00

Now that her ladyship is blogging, I thought I would allow her to make some reflection on this day, our 23rd Anniversary, but I really wanted to share this reflection which I had from another Blog a few months ago,

Marriage is a paradox second only to life itself. That at the age of twenty or so, with little knowledge of each other and a dangerous overdose of self-confidence, two human beings should undertake to commit themselves for life – and that church and state should receive their vows with a straight face – all this is absurd indeed. And it is tolerable only if it is reveled in as such. A pox on all the neat little explanations as to why it is reasonable that two teenagers should be bound to each other until death. It is not reasonable. It happens to be true to life, but it remains absurd. Up with the absurdity of marriage then. And up with the marriage service. It is full of death and cast iron. And it is one of the great remaining sanity markers. The world is going mad because it has too many reasonable options, and not enough interest or nerve to choose anything for good. In such a world, the marriage service is not reasonable, but it is sane; which is quite another matter. The lunatic lives in a world of reason, and he goes mad without making sense; it is precisely paradox that keeps the rest of us sane. To be born, to love a woman, to cry at music, to catch a cold, to die – these are not excursions on the narrow road of logic; they are blind launchings on a trackless sea. They are not bargains, they are commitments, and for ordinary people, marriage is the very keel of their commitment, the largest piece of ballast in their small and storm-tossed boat.
Robert Farrar Capon

She who must be obeyed..

2009-09-16T15:14:00.003+01:00

..has decided that I should do a guest post on her Blog.
So, I am currently reading a book, which she will then read and we will both review. I did promise not to make any comments about it beforehand but I cannot resist in teasing a little...

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith

"...transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read."