adventure

Israel Attacks Gaza

2008-12-29T22:21:00.003Z

Israel has now been attacking Gaza for three days. I've blogged in various places before about the rocket attacks on Israel (eg here) which are clearly unacceptable and should be condemned. It's easy to explain (which is obviously different to condoning) the motives of a disenfranchised and suffocated Palestinian people with Gaza effectively cut off.

But cycles of violence are never going to be broken if homemade rockets that rarely injure get met with anhilation and significant deaths of women and children. It's hard not to avoid the cliche of driving the disillusioned into the arms of terrorism.

25 Dec

2008-12-25T12:22:00.000Z

Happy Christmas all!

24 Dec

2008-12-24T22:19:00.001Z

Well here we are, I've blogged my way through advent.

Liked this Christmas message in the EDP from the Anglican bishop of Norwich.

God places his confidence in very ordinary and unlikely people. He lets them get things wrong. He encourages them to take risks. All this is to bring hope to those who are anxious, depressed, and uncertain what the future will bring. The Christmas story is a sign of God's confidence in people like you and me, a confidence that comes from love. God's confidence in us is the best reason for wishing you a very happy Christmas.

Couldn't do better than that.

23rd Dec

2008-12-23T20:13:00.002Z

Jay Jacobson from fractalism.com

Waiting for what you can't imagine...

Sitting this side of advent, or even shortly after the birth of Christ. Who could have imagined...

Firefox and Facebook

2008-12-22T20:54:00.002Z

Also just discovered this handy addition - a facebook toolbar for firefox.

Assuming you're signed up go here.

Everything in your toolbar, messages, status updates etc.

Open Office

2008-12-22T20:39:00.004Z

I've been regularly checking back at openoffice.org for version 3.0. Basically the website says it's an en-us version. I'd been waiting for an english uk version.

I was doing some searching today to find out when that would come out and discovered that if you have a uk intel chip it automatically converts it from your pc settings.

Suffice to say, it's been downloaded and looks great. Much improvement on v2.x which itself was pretty handy :-)

You can download from here.

22nd Dec

2008-12-22T12:29:00.004Z

One of the things that strikes me is how sickly sweet the portrayal of the birth of Christ is. It's a big leap to go from meek and mild, carol lyric passive to a God who is relevant and engaging at the point of everyday reality - good times and bad times. Given that the Christmas story is about incarnation, God moving into our reality it's annoying that our descriptions of Christmas almost suggest there's not much to say.

21st Dec

2008-12-21T19:42:00.004Z

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The activist response - to spread the what they had seen.
The contemplative response - to treasure and ponder.

But a response all the same.

20th Dec

2008-12-20T19:37:00.004Z

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

I know I've used this passage before but I liked the image. Got me thinking about digital communication and what would be a contemporary equivalent. Would the angels have set up a group on facebook, arranged a flashmob or would there have been a huge increase in traffic on twitter?!

But then I guess the point is the angels went to the shepherds. Equivalents for us wouldn't be people with access to technology, probably on the edge of society. Funny then how middle class faith has become....

19th Dec

2008-12-19T19:50:00.000Z

Have you not heard his silent steps?
He comes, comes, ever comes.
Every moment and every age,
every day and every night
he comes, comes, ever comes.
Many a song have I sung in many a mood of mind,
but all their notes have always proclaimed,
"He comes, comes, ever comes."
In the fragrant days of sunny April
through the forest path
he comes, comes, ever comes.
In the rainy gloom of July nights
on the thundering chariot of clouds
he comes, comes, ever comes.
In sorrow after sorrow
it is his steps that press upon my heart,
and it is the golden touch of his feet
that makes my joy to shine.
—from Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

18th Dec

2008-12-18T18:36:00.000Z

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Saviour;

Micah - a book in the bible

17th Dec

2008-12-17T18:57:00.007Z

Wait
             Anticipate
                                 Don't be late

Bide
             Your time
                                 In the line

Expect
             Will come
                                 Again

16th Dec

2008-12-16T19:29:00.007Z

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
"A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more."

One of the things you notice in the advent story is that there are no ambivalent responses. There is worship, extravagent gifts, extensive journies and murderous intent.

Even before his adult ministry Jesus was provocative, a stumbling block, an inspiration.

That set me off on two lines of thinking. One along the lines of CS Lewis' "trilemma" which in brief argues that you cannot hold the view that Jesus is a good moral teacher unless you accept his divinity. This is because were Jesus not divine He would either be deluded or deceptive. My point is not that the argument of Lewis is watertight, rather that for most people I've spoken to, the notion that Jesus is a good moral teacher is a comfortable technique to keep at arms length Jesus' story. "Good moral teacher" is often an ambivalent and disengaged position statement. Rather than an engaged conclusion.

The second line of thought I wandered down was the notion that the extreme responses capture in a smaller scale the reality of Christian living. Or at least for me! I lurch from amazement and wonder to anger and frustration. In the words of a new testament writer - working out ones faith in fear and trembling. That to me is why faith is worth it - it's an adventure becasue it's not easy; full of hope because it's not glib; of value because in the rest of life we assume there are no quick fixes.

15th Dec

2008-12-15T11:10:00.000Z

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Is it that after encountering God there's no going back to how you were?

14th Dec

2008-12-14T15:02:00.000Z

the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demand my soul, my life, my all.

13th Dec

2008-12-13T12:54:00.003Z

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

I'd love to know how far the Magi/Wise men travelled. What they saw on the way, how long it took, what they talked about on the way back. I wonder how they made sense of the king who wasn't a king. I wonder if the journey back was more of a trudge compared to following a star.

I'd love to be confident that I would notice signs announcing the presence of God amongst us....

The Magnificat

2008-12-12T22:20:00.000Z

As part of my blogged advent calendar I briefly covered what is called Mary's Magnificat - her song of praise and celebration in Lukes gospel. See here.

I liked Heather's take on it with a poem by Phoebe Willets that includes the phrase "with God it is good to be a woman." See here.

12th Dec

2008-12-12T19:48:00.004Z

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

11th Dec

2008-12-11T19:28:00.004Z

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The story of Jesus' arrival seems one of such folly. The Christ child carried by a young virgin, announced to the ruffians on the hillside. Disgrace. Nothing went right - was comfortable or safe. Such vulnerability and risk.

But then I guess to risk is to dare.

Ambient Wonder - 11th Dec

2008-12-10T19:45:00.004Z

This Thursday between 6:30 and 8:30 Ambient Wonder is creating some space amongst the hurly burly of late night Christmas shopping. We'll be in St Stephens which is the church by Chapelfield mall. There's more info on the website, or if you're on facebook we've an Ambient Wonder group we've just started.

The idea is that people can stay for as briefly or as long as they like. There'll be a range of things to do from drinking free hot chocolate to some activities encouraging us to pause amidst the hectic pace of the season and reflect and connect with who we are and who God might be.

Some might call it bite sized and festive!

Pop in and say hi if you're about.

10th Dec

2008-12-10T19:05:00.003Z

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

The Shepherds end their involvement by going to Bethlehem.

I wonder whether they went straight away, what their opening line would be to Mary and Joseph, what they talked about the next time they were back in the fields. I wonder how the sheep responded to the choir of angels, I wonder how favoured they felt having been terrified moments before, I wonder what it's like to be a shepherd.

9th Dec

2008-12-09T20:27:00.003Z

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

I like in Luke's gospel how the story of Jesus is built around people on the margins of society. A choir of Angels greeting shepherds isn't quite an announcement in the Times for the birth of a king! I also like the fact that so many of the people were surprised. Things weren't neat, predictable, planned. People were interrupted, knocked off course - terrified even! I like that the baby Jesus is the untamed God.

8th December

2008-12-08T19:40:00.004Z

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob....
........and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to break the engagement quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph is an interesting character - understated, often overlooked but full of faith and courage. He heard God, stood alongside Mary in the face of the societal disgrace that would have been hurled at her, courageously took his wife and Son into Egypt for their safety. I'm sure much personal cost.

Here's to Joseph - another player in the drama of salvation.

7th December

2008-12-07T14:50:00.001Z

Light of the world
You stepped out into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came to earth You created
All for love's sake became poor
Tim Hughes

More on Zimbabwe

2008-12-07T11:52:00.002Z

I'm a big fan of John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York. He was in Uganda under Idi Amin and was a judge imprisoned for his judicial independence.

He has written in todays observer calling for the International community to end Mugabes regime. The article is worth a read. Here and here.

He concludes

The time has come for Mugabe to answer for his crimes against humanity, against his countrymen and women and for justice to be done. The winds of change that once brought hope to Zimbabwe and its neighbours have become a hurricane of destruction with the outbreak of cholera, destitution, starvation and systemic abuse of power by the state.

As a country cries out for justice, we can no longer be inactive to their call. Mugabe and his henchmen must now take their rightful place in the Hague and answer for their actions. The time to remove them from power has come.