the soapbox

Soapbox is moving to Wordpress

2007-10-15T23:06:00.000+01:00

soapbox is packing up his box and moving over to wordpress. See the new home here

a bit late but...

2007-10-13T00:16:00.001+01:00

I was there!

2007-10-12T21:03:00.000+01:00

soapbox is back from a thoroughly enjoyable weekend in Cardiff, via the delights of Birmingham Airport - possibly one of the first airports I've encountered where they don't charge you twice the average price for everything. Unlike the motorway services stop where we paid £7.95 for a fry-up, but what better way to start a rugby watching weekend.

Sitting in a Spanish bar in Cardiff surrounded by Kiwis, Aussies and le french was a great fun. Shame the same couldn't be said for the watery poorly poured black stuff. Cardiff is a prime example why the government's insistence on putting a national stadium at the Maze is crazy. The prematch atmosphere in Cardiff was great - full of colour, and pretty darn good for the local economy too. They had great park'n'ride schemes too.

We had seats in Row U. I kid you not. 3 rows from the back. With roof closed it did feel a little ovenesque - although our french friends in front probably felt the heat a little more. The view was amazing. I was full of expectation at the fast flowing rugby I've come to expect of the All-Blacks, only to be disappointed as they failed to show up in the second half of a marvellous french revival. I had my trusty (not very good point and shoot but not a lot more) digital camera along to record the action. So i spent about 6 of the first 10 minutes taking a few photos, struggling with the light, the odd video of the haka, and then caught myself on.
In my obsession with creating tangible memories i was missing out on enjoying the occasion (certainly more than our kiwi neighbour). Its a phenomenon I've noticed at gigs - people are so obsessed with taking photos and videos to prove to their friends they were there, or just gloat, or just trying to preserve the experience to be relived, that they missed out on the wonder of what was happening - not soaking up the sights and sounds of the here and now.

The three of us had a wander around Gloucester the next day, enjoying some infantile sniggering as we walked down 'Three Cocks Lane' before checking out the memorial to Bishop Hooper - an early reformer martyred for his faith. Interestingly the Cathedral seemed more interested in telling people that Harry Potter was filmed there than celebrating a hero of the faith and man of great integrity... The cultured one of us took the Cathedral Tour while the yuth worker and student worker retired to ye olde pub for some fine ale and South Africa - Fiji...

cow

2007-10-08T10:19:00.000+01:00

Great Sporting Lies and Humility

2007-09-27T10:24:00.000+01:00

" We are being asked to believe that, less than a week after the great upheaval, players who regarded Mourhino as their mentor have thrown their lot in with someone who they ahve reason to suspect may have hastened their beloved manager's exit. T's like saying Larry, Adam and The Edge would barely look up from their royalty checks if Bono were dumped in favour of James Blunt..."
Read the rest here

I've been doing a fair bit of training over the last couple of weeks - for new staff of our ever growing plot to change the world through students. I've been ranting a lot about the Bible as I have done here too. Jaybercrow and Zoomtard also have a lot of good stuff to say on the subject. One of the things i keep coming back to and trying to live as well as hammer into people [constantly emphasise is maybe a better phrase in this context as has been pointed out!], is a sense of humility. A wise lecturer commented a couple of days ago that their is a significant difference between arguing about the 'authority of the bible' and our 'interpretation of the bible'. Often we confuse the two. If someone doesn't agree with your interpretation, its easy to claim they don't respect the authority of the bible. and again its a classic example of trying to make ourselves feel better by making someone else feel small and claiming superiority. Which is not humility. Which is not the way of Jesus. Humility is not about winning and losing. Humility respects that other people's opinions are not snatched out of the air. Humility realises that we don't know it all, that other people have much to contribute to helping us understand God, the world, each other. In fact I think that's part of what is behind Paul's teaching on the church as a body. God does not make us self sufficient. We do not have all we need by ourselves. We need others for their gifts, skills, wisdom and experience. I think this is also what Paul is getting at in Ephesians 3 - " that you may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge".
Time to stop and begin living humbly - realising others have much to teach us, that we need others. As someone working with students I see it all the time - sometimes at 19 or 20 people think they know it all and don't need anyone else. It's something I, as someone who always knows the right way to do things - my way, has had to learn the hard way and come to appreciate much more over the years. We need other people. a large part of humility is realising that.

the soapbox - coming after your money

a blue day

2007-09-20T08:49:00.000+01:00

For all Chelsea fans - a day of mourning for the Special One who has gone from our midst. What will the papers write about, what will we have to look forward to in post-match interviews. Is this a case of classic boardroom and owner meddling? Was dropping mis-firing or not-firing at all Shevchenko the final straw for the baby faced billionaire? And to make it worse his buddy who was nicked from Portsmouth Avram Grant is lined up to move from Director of Football to Manager. A man with experience of managing two Isreali clubs and the Isreali national team. Hardly Champions League winning pedigree - looks like the Russian is making Chelsea his own plaything and playing with the loyalty and patience of fans who after so many years of mediocrity were getting used to success. Or maybe Kenyon's move to Chelsea was all a big ploy to convince Abramovich to do crazy things (although powerful Russians have never needed an excuse before) to plot Chelsea's downfall and United's restoration.
Given Chelsea fans are all glory hunters expect a sudden defection to the sexy football of Arsenal - another team on the rise.

And at least we can look forward to Mourhino's book - certainly won't be dull...

Egg all over the fomula one and football faces

2007-09-18T20:43:00.000+01:00

So Fernando Alonso certainly does come across as a petulant little boy - threatening to dob in his own team if they didn't make him the big boy of the team. I guess he is a double world champion and is having to live a little in the shadow of his boy wonder team-mate. How Alonso kept his points is certainly miraculous. Jackie Stewart's claims of bias toward Ferrari did look a little silly after the publication of the emails the next day. Apparently its par for the course in Formula One and we really shouldn't be surprised, McLaren are just the ones who have got caught, big style and hauled over the coals. But does that make it ok? Is honesty and integrity fast becoming a thing of the past?

And then there's Stephen Ireland of Man City, who got caught spinning a bizarre web of lies in the midst of his girlfriend's tragic miscarriage. Proof that when we start lying it gets harder and harder to own up to the truth. Seeing his granny who he claimed had died will be interesting. I didn't realise football clubs and associations went to such lengths to check things out though.

An elaborate web of lies is what much of the media are insinuating the McCanns have been spinning. Its strange how the media has turned on the couple - in much down to the Portugese police. I've no idea what actually happened but people are very quick to crucify the McCann's. If they are innocent it's another example of lives scarred and ruined by the over-zealous media. If it turns out they were involved in Maddy's death they certainly have spun an incredibly elaborate web of lies.

Soapbox - off to invest in Northern Rock

The Charity you've all been waiting for...

2007-09-18T08:08:00.000+01:00

Check out Whynotsmile's take on the recently arrived Dawkins Foundation.
She says it all better than I could, and makes her encounters with a certain DIY chain hilaroius and compelling reading.

I may get around to some posting of my own sometime soon when I emerge from the depression of Ireland's world cup campaign...

Life on the road

2007-09-05T08:55:00.000+01:00

It feels strange that after almost 5 weeks in Peru, a few days in the Mournes and a week in Berlin I'm not going anywhere in the next few weeks. Life on the road isn't all bad. Berlin is a fascinating city. We (some of my colleagues and I) were there for a conference on missional leadership by the excellent Innovista. Charlie Hadjiev - a Bulgarian Pastor, recently finished a PhD on Amos led some great sessions thinking through what mission and the gospel actually is, pushing us not to settle for a narrow inadequate and simplistic understanding:

"Often when we think about mission, we make a fundamental mistake. We think our mission is to save people from 'the fires of hell'. This is all good and true, but inadequate. The gospel is not about avoiding death only. It is about new life."

Having been in Berlin last year, I enjoyed a bit more time sitting in cafes. My boss now agrees with my last year's assertion that the coffee in the Starbucks at the Brandenburg Gate is among the worst I've had in a coffee establishment. Dunkin Donuts offering wasn't too hot either, but the local places were pretty good. Being in Starbucks - for usage of their fine toilet facilities, listening to English music was unsettling. It reminded me how bland and dull globalised franchises are - totally lacking in character. Looking forward to my return to common grounds.

If you're ever in Berlin - do the walking tours. We did a Third Reich one - 4 hrs walking around with an excellent guide who knew his stuff and was pretty funny - and had the best walking backwards technique I've ever seen. 90% of the city was destroyed in the war so a lot of the tour is "this car park was the site of Hitler's bunker", it was disturbingly fascinating to see the remains of cells in the basement of the SS and Gestapo HQ - now site of a Typography of Terror Museum, and to hear how Berliners call the Soviet Memorial to the Unknown Soldier (commemorating some of their 20 million war dead) - 'the memorial to the unknown rapist' due to the 90,000 Berliners raped by conquering troops. War isn't a pleasant business, and our guide was at pains to point out that the Nazis weren't superhuman monsters but humans like each of us capable of acts of extraordinary evil. Sobering stuff. The national guilt in Germany over the war and the Holocaust is incredible, and their process of coming to terms and living with that. Having seen what the Spanish did to Peru and Bolivia, and aware of the mess the British Empire made of much of the globe, I wonder how much remorse Spaniards or British people have for the actions of previous generations. And where do you begin to draw a line? For those of us living on Northern Ireland, that's the question - how do we deal appropriately with the events of the past, what does it mean to move forward?
Hope becomes an important concept - despite growing up in a 'hell and brimstone' culture - seeing and being reminded of stuff like this, the thought that one day those who perpetrate horrendous acts will be held to account gives me hope, while i tremble and throw myself on God's mercy and grace because (to paraphrase Gary Haugen) I know that the same attitudes and thoughts that existed in the hearts of Hilter and Stalin are in mine...

On tour in Peru - Cusco and Machu Picchu

2007-08-18T12:56:00.000+01:00

A 3am start the day after our return from English camp was met with much excitement (and the odd bit of morning grumpiness) as we flew off for our team holiday - 3 days in Cusco including one at one of the newly voted 7 wonders of the world - Macchu Picchu. We could feel our chests tight with the altitude which was cancelled out by the wonderfully clean mountain air. None of the the black snot that signalled the pollution of Lima! We had a whistlestop city tour of some of the main sights in and around Cusco - a combination of Inca ruins and Spanish architecture.

It was fascinating to see a Dominican church built on the ruins of an Inca temple. The Inca stonework was incredible - no cement or mortar used the stones were precision cut to fit and lock together. We detected some of the animosity from the guide that can only come from a people subjugated in the violent way they were by the Spanish. On a 'mission trip' it was interesting to observe the effects that forcing Catholicism had on the locals. We also visited Saksaq Waman- not sexy woman but more Inca ruins which from the air form the shape of a Puma's head, with the town of Cusco forming the body. The Incas really were pretty amazing people. The best was saved for another 3am start - a one and a half hour minibus ride followed by 2hrs in a baltic train to Aquas Calientes - the town beside Machu Pichhu.

Machu Pichhu is an Inca settlement at the top of a mountain. The scenery alone is breathtaking as jungle covered mountains appear from the morning mist with the coming up of the sun. That this sanctuary or city could be built in such a place without modern technology is stunning. The Spanish didn't discover it and it was only found in the early 1900's covered in jungle. Its incredibly beautiful and peaceful, slightly disturbing on learning some of the stories of sacrifice, and still mystical - people are still unsure as to its exact purpose. A hike up the Inca trail - in the burning sun gave still more magnificent views down onto the ruins I'm more used to seeing on my coffee packets. We had all sorts of fascinating discussions about the Inca's beliefs and how God would view those in the silence looking down at the city as most of the tourists left. It may just be ruins on top of a mountain but it one of those place you have to see for yourself to appreciate it, the skill of the Incas, and the God who gave them the skills to build it.

Paint, holiday camps and ethical tourism - Peru part 4

2007-08-15T22:42:00.001+01:00

Leaving Caraballyo was an emotional experience. Although some of our Spanish wasn't great we had formed bonds and built friendships with many of the people there, especially Cara and Emma who had been before as part of the UUJ team. The warmth and generosity of the people in San Martin as they welcomed 'the gringos' won't be easily forgotten.

Our next task was a spot of painting in casa AGEUP, repainting the exterior cream from its original light blue. Painting was great fun, the girls seem to get more over themselves than the walls and a few white handprints appeared on people's clothing. Its often nice to do something you see tangible results with, which was definitely the case here.

Next stop was English Encounter 2007 - and English Camp for Peruvian students. Around 25 of us headed off to a little holiday camp in a part of Lima where the sun actually shone for some intense English speaking, English lessons and English bible studies. We enjoyed not just a bit of sun but the opportunity to really get to know the students, and in many ways it would have been great to have the camp nearer the start so we could have continued to deepen those relationships and continue conversations. No camp is complete without a campfire which eventually lit with the help of a little gasoline, although we almost lost Rob in the process!

After the team holiday (in a post to come) there really was the sense of beginning to come home. we lost Jo in Cusco, as she stayed on to go visit Puno and Lake Titykaka. Before Cara flew out on the 10th we had a goodbye dinner with the guys from AGEUP. Apart from being some of the best chicken and chips i've had it was a really emotional evening with more than the odd tear shed. The AGEUP staff - Juan, Yenny, Adela (and her husband Juan) , and Jose have been incredible in how they welcomed us, loved us and looked after us. The warmth of that love was so evident that night, despite the language barriers. It has been a real privilege to be part of their family and we're really going to miss them. One of the things we did notice is that Peruvians and Irish people do seem to share a similar cheeky sense of humour, not only did we feel incredible loved but we had so much fun with them. There will be more reflections to come im sure and one definately has been how thankful, generous, affectionate and loving the christians we met in Peru are. We definitely have a lot to learn from them...
Some of the Peruvian dancing was also strangely familiar:

delta delights

2007-08-13T03:32:00.000+01:00

More on the last week or so including a trip to
Machu Picchu later. After losing our baggage for two days on the way here Delta airlines further enhanced my love for them by overbooking our flight from Atlanta to Dublin and leaving Paul, Naomi and I spending a sticky night tonight in a Comfort Inn in Atlanta before hopefully making it home a day late

Halfway musings

2007-07-31T00:22:00.000+01:00

Well my system is well and thoroughly detoxed and i may even be a little slimmer thus allowing my brain to beign musing on some of what we´ve been experiencing here in Peru. One thing that´s been very noticeable in churches is how often people say ´gracias´ when praying. After listening to a Tim Keller sermon on the bus on the way home today (that´s the sort of christian geek i am) i was pondering is the thankfulness and generosity shown by christians here as compared to how we live at home related to how much we actually believe the gospel. In wealthy countires we have everything we need and do we really acknowledge how much we need God or do we just do religion - good stuff? More to follow....

Its been interesting how easy it has been to go without things, like the two days without our luggage, and even for a coffee snob like myself who has 3 cups a day, i've only had 3 my whole time here. Peru produces some really good coffee - the cafedirect beans from macchu picchu are pretty good yet people here don't seem to get to enjpy some of the really good stuff they produice because its all exported. One of the women in Caraballyo, when asked if she uses vegetables (given there are fields of vegetables around the community) replied tellingly 'no, the good ones all go to you' meaning overseas. The world is so small and connected, frightening to think our demand for vegetables and coffee actually deprives the people in the countires that produce them from enjoying the good fruits of their land...

After some more painting the last couple of dayswe're off for an English camp this week and we are actually camping. A few English lessons and some Irish culture are being hastily prepared. For those of you who have been to Slovakia - sound familiar?

We return on Sunday night and get a 6am flight to Cusco for our team holiday - a few days at one of the new 7 wonders of the world - Macchu Picchu which should be stunning - as long as no-one gets altitude sickness. We've done pretty well on the sickness front and hope it stays that way...

Who let the dogs out? - Peru part three

2007-07-27T21:31:00.000+01:00

To quote another song, dogs are everywhere here in Peru, well especially in Caraballyo, although most are pretty inactive and docile. However we have learned that Peruvian dogs seem to enjoy the Peruvian way of life which tends not to be too fast paced. Powerwalking in a European way to get back to the petrol station from which we get the bus back to lima seems not such a good idea, as the hole in my t-shirt from an overexcited dog now demonstrates. No skin broken so no fear of getting rabies. We've been working in San Martin in Caraballyo for two weeks now. The roof on the community house is now complete, there's a 3m hole dug for a latrine, and there's now a fence running along the back of the kids playpark and the path shielding the sight of the rubbish dump in the background. We've discovered some of the genius of HSBC's local knowledge ad from the local handyman and community leader Crescento who with a chain and piece of wood took out a pole concreted in the ground in two minutes which took us a couple of hours with our rocking back and forth method. We´ve loved working with Luis the carpenter putting up the roof, one of those people with a constantly smiling face who we managed to have great chats with in spanglish. The universal language of football is a great starter. Paul and I and a few of the girls have been getting into playing football with some of the kids and the guys who drive the mototaxis. We've seen the sun and blue skies in Caraballyo for the last week which has meant lots of sweating, even when just doing nets. The Paul and Sam combo is becoming a pretty fearsome attacking force. For those who are aware of my footballing prowess, the stony bumpy pitch and the dust seem to help. It's exciting to see how AEGUP (thePeruvian IFES movement) are committed long term to community development in partnership with the community. The last couple of days we've been able to do a bit of mini kids club with arts, crafts, songs and bible stories. The kids seem to get it all, which is great. This weekend is independance weekend so there's flags everywhere and we're getting the chance to see some of the big parades in Lima. We've settled in really well, helped immenseley by Rob [Rob Clay Rivers - to give him his full title], anamerican doing a year here with LatinLink. Sorry a North American, as we've realised that american refers to any native of the two continents of the americas. Watching the Copa america final at his house was pretty good too. One of Rob's other contributions has been giving us another team member. His friend Jo came to stay with him for a week and get involved in the stuff he was doing and has ended up joining us for the whole time. Its been funny thinking back to this team almost not happening but we've got a great bunch of people with Emma and Cara staying from the Jordanstown team, and now Jo. Its added a great dynamic, perspective and banter. As a team we've been digging into Colossians which has been great, and i've been rereading Colossians Remixed - which is one of the best books i've read in the last couple of years, both for the context of the Roman Empire and for translating Paul's subversive message into a global consumer culture. Lima is no different with McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut et al in evidence - although Paul and I's sneaky Pizza last night from a local joint was pretty heard to beat... the girls weren´t so impressed but it was his birthday...

Soapbox - currently enjoying a free (involuntary) weight loss and detox regime

Pets and Poverty - Peru part two

2007-07-22T22:42:00.000+01:00

The strangest sight so far has been the woman on the bus with two snails in a plastic bag with a little lettuce - not lunch but merely pets it seemed. Saturday 14th saw our first day working in the community of San Martin at Caraballyo. The green fields of vegetables were a welcome relief from the greyness of Lima - the city of 11 million were the sun never seems to break through the smog. The sight of this little community on the edge of a rubbish dump was however a different sight. After the dustiness and rubbish came the smell of the rubbish and the pigs that feed on the rubbish. As we stepped out of the mototaxis, the first thing to my shame that i noticed about the kids [apart from them being pretty cute] were that they looked pretty dirty and the last thing i wanted to do was touch them. I had to remind myself what Jesus would have done and make a concious effort to get stuck in, but after my self-centred concerns the kids weere so affectionate and really glad to see us, and to play. Football not being my strong point, the only people I can beat are kids so its all good! We will be putting a roof on the community house built by AEGUP - the Peruvian IFES movement, who after consultation, are working in partnership with the community leaders. They've also built an amazing little playground that provides a splash of colur in the midst of some of the drabness. Its going to be a real learning experience and privilige to work alongside AEGUP as they demonstrate integral mission and get to know some of the locals with my pidgeon Spanish. Lima has been in the grips of strikes for the last few weeks although we haven't seen much apart from riot police around the centre. all is quiet, but Independance Day on 28 July should be fun.

bags and being bogging - Peru part one

2007-07-13T23:41:00.000+01:00

So we´ve arrived in Peru after a 8 hr flight from Dublin toAtlanta and 6 hrs from Atlanta to Peru.Highlights from Delta included haagen daas mid journey. However the ban on liquidsa nd aerosols did have a negative effecton our personal hygeine! Delta then crumbled in our estimation by managing to leave our bags in Atlanta (and those of around 30 other people on the flight). The lack of sleeping bags was most keenly felt as its pretty baltic in the sunless grey skies of Lima, as was the lack of toiletries, once again the team has bonded around our lack of cleanliness. When our bags arrived this morning however,w e were pretty happy but at the same time had been reminded that you can survive quite happily without a shower for three days and living simply is a pretty content way to be whehn living in a community of people. We start work tomorrow and had some time to see Lima today, having jsut avoided some roiting the last few days. Paul as our tallest member at six feet five literally is head and shoulders above all Peruvians. AEGUP - the Peruvian IFES movement who we are working with have welcomed us amazingly, and are invovled in some awesome community development projects which we will be a part of. More soon..

Next stop Lima

2007-07-09T10:54:00.001+01:00

Its been a while since the last post, partly because it seemed to stir up so much discussion i wasn't quite sure how to follow it, and also i've been off wearing my health and safety hat managing a few venues at summer madness.
The trip to Dublin airport to leave for Lima via Atlanta is fast approaching. I head off on wednesday morning (11th July) jjust in time to miss the bonfires. On the subject of which i was glad to see at least one newspaper article tacking the polluting nature of bonfire season.
I'll be in Peru until 12th August, we're building a community centre and working with one of the local christian student groups. If you're of the praying sort, we'd appreciate your prayers for good health, team building, language skills, and that we would be able to serve and learn from our hosts.
I'll hopefully be able to post a few updates, but we'll also have updates on the Latinlink site.
If you'd like to write to me/us and send us some chocolate or keep us up to date with the Premiership and all that's happening at home, we'd appreciate that - well the girls less so about the football maybe.
Our address is:
Equipo Step AEGUP, Enlace Latino, Apartado 1277, Lima 100, Peru

So any women on the go?

2007-06-25T09:16:00.000+01:00

I had to restrain a strong desire to punch an elderly relative for this comment at my gran's funeral several years ago. Whether I had or not was irrelevant. In my moment of grief all she was interested in was my relationship status, not the fact I may have been upset. This is one of the things that really bugs me about the Christian community in the North at least. It's obsessed with relationships - which are a good thing but not everything, and in fact they have a very poor theology of relationships. There seems a massive pressure for people to get married. And so many christians get married so young, and some of those marriages run into problems. Northern Irish Christians all need to read some Hybels wisdom in Making Life Work (which is a fantastic book) or Fit to be Tied. It could only have good results.

Its one of the things that frustrates me about church. Sometimes I feel it would be easier to fit in if I was in a couple. Maybe I’m just more sensitive to it, having grown up with parents who split up when I was young, and mum sharing some really hurtful comments made by other Christian couples like – “if you were still together we could go out like we used to”. Can couples not spend time with single people? Are they so insecure about the stability of their relationship that they can’t be reminded of some of the harsh realities of life?

I was really pleased to hear a friend’s minister say from the front – "we will not be a church that only invites you for dinner if you’re a couple", recognising that disturbing reality that exists in some churches. In churches that clearly are missing something major about all that stuff Jesus kept talking about when he called his followers to love one another, to show hospitality. I don't remember there being any qualifiers, in fact that was the whole point of the good samaritan parable. Yet for single people churches can be lonely places.

It’s another reason why I have serious issues with John Eldridge. I read Wild at Heart a couple of years ago. While lots of people seem to think he says some good things, I had to restrain myself from throwing the book across the room on several occasions. His theology is woefully inadequate, especially when it comes to singleness. As in he doesn’t have a theology of singleness. I wondered why he didn’t really use Jesus as a role model for men – it would seem an obvious choice, but then Jesus was single and that kind of blows his theory out of the water. Passages like Matthew 19.12 and 1 Corinthians 7 are conveniently ignored by Eldridge where Jesus and Paul commend singleness.

Now I’m not just taking a pop at Eldridge but something that is endemic in the Christian community and has and is damaging lots of people. Churches sometimes assume marriage is the norm and everyone else needs married to sort them out.

In Genesis when God says its not good for man to be alone, I wonder if we read too much into that in taking it to be purely about marriage. If God lives in the community of the trinity surely what He was doing there was creating community for humanity – which is something larger than marriage, which is one expression of that. Maybe what our churches need more of is loving inclusive community with the recognition that marriage is not the be all and end all and recognition that singleness is exalted in the bible. Maybe then we might really see God’s kingdom touching earth and many of us who are broken and hurting actually finding a home…

Check out Tim Chester’s blog where he has been posting some great stuff on marriage and singleness – especially this morning’s post which precipitated this soapbox rant and has some fantastic stuff in it.

Soapbox - aware of the ironic timing of this post....

in my other life...

2007-06-20T08:45:00.000+01:00

John O’Farrell is a pretty funny writer, but then he cut his teeth on spitting image – one of the best satirical shows that’s ever graced our screens. Although part of its appeal was probably some of the real characters around at the time – Maggie et al. The first book I read of his – ‘This is your life’ is the hilarious story of a thirtysomething pretending to be the next big thing in stand-up comedy. I raided my friend’s library for another of his books – ‘the best a man can get’ around exam time. It’s the fascinating story of a guy living a double life. With a wife and two kids in one house, then ‘working away’ in a bachelor pad with 3 other guys. He has the best of both worlds (his wife and mother of two small children may disagree…) it seems, until he invariably gets found out. Maybe the reason its so incisively funny is because we can all identify. We all have our stories of living double lives until we got found out. Mine was at school. One person to my friends, another to my family and church. Why do we feel the need to pretend, to try to be someone we are not to others? So often we feel we have to impress people to get them to like us, we’re afraid that if they saw the ‘real me’ they wouldn’t like us anymore. But we simply can’t keep up performance related friendships. People who constantly try to impress by telling you how great they are and what they are doing, but aren’t interested in you, who don’t listen aren’t people I want to spend a lot of time with. Which reminds me that often I am one of those people, insecure in my own identity. We all love authenticity, people who don’t care what others think but know who they are. Maybe by trying not to pretend, not to be different people that can help release others from the captivity of their alter egos before it all comes crashing down in flames…

In it for life...

2007-06-18T22:04:00.000+01:00

Best man speeches are a bit of a nightmare. You really do feel the pressure to try and make people laugh, and I'm no stand-up comic, although when you have friends who have done lots of amusing things it makes it much easier. Being best man for Tim and Susie was a real pleasure and a bit of a privilege, to be so involved as they commit themselves to each other for life. There was a great moment in the service where we - Tim and Susie's family and friends also said 'i do' to helping them live faithfully with each other. It really impressed me as so often we are given the impression that once in a couple you have all you need but you don't, you still need other people around you to cheer you on, to listen and be there when it all goes pear-shaped, and to share in the joy. I guess it was reminding us that just as Tim and Susie are in it together for life - we're in it with them for life too as a community who will try to help them live faithfully. Rob Bell's 'Sex God' has some really interesting stuff on relationships connected with all this but that's for another day. I leave with one of the best photos (in my opinion - well apart from Emily the flowergirl - the true star of the show) of the day - kindly supplied by Colin's photographic genius...

And the bride and groom
I'm trying to restrain myself to not posting some of the photos and video clips I used in the speech, I have a lifetime of dinner invites to think about...

Peru

2007-06-12T17:17:00.000+01:00

This time next month i'll be on the plane to Peru. I'm going with a bunch of students from across Ireland, where we'll be working with the Peruvian equivalent of who I work for. We (hopefully) will be doing some English language stuff with students - just as well given my spanish skills. We'll also be helping build a community centre in the outskirts of Lima. AEGUP (the Peruvian IFES movement) are pretty awesome and holistic in what they do. The community centre will not only provide a place for locals to come and use, but will host breakfast and lunch clubs for kids who probably wouldn't eat otherwise, as well as being a hub for community development teaching skills, giving health education and a lot more. With weddings and all sorts of other stuff like being crashed into going on I'm only getting around to really thinking about Peru. By the way, what are the odds, blemish free driving for years the points and an accident all in a few weeks. Thanks to all those who have dug deep to help us on our way so far, if you'd like to contribute - click on the justgiving link to the right. Hasta luego.

Big Brother does it again..

2007-06-08T08:53:00.000+01:00

I hadn't realised we had another series on big brother until a few days after it started, and especially the last few days. As big brother becomes embroiled in another 'racism row' i have to admit to a large degree of cynicism. After the whole shilpa debacle is this simply big brother trying to redeem itself? I thought it was an experiment in social observation, although it appears to be becoming more like its orwellian inspiration and turning into social control. Obviously racism is wrong but this whole thing appears to be making a massive deal out of one comment. To throw someone out instead of warning them or talking to them about their behaviour and use of language is massively over-reacting. Apparently they weren't concerned with her motives but in the offence caused to the viewing public. Rubbish. If they really cared about offending the viewing public they wouldn't show half of what they do, and they certainly wouldn't have let the 'white bint' comment made by another contestant go unchallenged. Big Brother stinks of hypocrisy and a crass attempt to raise the ratings which i certainly won't be contributing to...

Sunday can wait.

2007-06-04T18:40:00.000+01:00

So the sabbathing stuff is coming, I’m enjoying this time of year as things quieten down (well apart from the wedding I’m best man at on Saturday) and the CU planning for next year I’ll be at this week. It usually means my mind starts to waken up. I’ve been reading Eugene Peterson’s ‘Eat this Book – The Art of Spiritual Reading’ with the title based on John’s experience in the book of Revelation.

I’m pretty passionate about the bible – God’s revelation of himself that invites us into life with him and into his story. I hate it when people misuse the bible – giving many people ammunition for all the negative claims often made against the bible. Its pretty unique and incredible if you give it a chance, it you give it time. For people trying to follow Jesus often there can be nothing more damaging than ‘bible’lite’, than not taking it seriously, not engaging, and just dipping in for bible horoscopes to make you feel good about yourself for the day. Now hear what I’m saying - God speaks and uses lots of things but we can’t build a healthy engagement with God this way. That may do for a few weeks, or months but not for a lifetime of journey. We need to really engage - I often think it ironic that 'bible studies' (a term that fills most people with dread, because of boring, dry, comprehension-like question and answer sessions) don't really involve studying or the bible, but reading a passage once (which we pretty much instantly forget) then sharing opinions without actually getting into the text - more licking and forgetting than eating and chewing. That means coming humbly - not arrogantly thinking we have it all sorted or explained and entering into the story, sitting humbly under its authority.

We’ve been having lots of conversations in work about how we approach the bible, as it is one of our core values. There had been a phrase ‘good use of the bible’ banded about which we were aware did sound a bit like we thought we had it nailed and sorted. More profoundly one of our board stated a theological objection reminding us we don’t use the bible – if anything it ‘uses’ us. As we engage with God’s word, his Spirit changes and transforms us. its not just go and do this but we almost enter into the story, begin a conversation. And so ‘dynamic engagement with the bible’ was born.

I thought the following from Eugene was telling – as we enter into God’s story yes there is joy and promise and fulfilment but also deeply unsettling experiences…

"The bible is a most comforting book; it is also a most discomfiting book. Eat this book; it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth; it will also be bitter to your stomach. You can’t reduce this book to what you can handle; you can’t domesticate this book to what you are comfortable with. You can’t make it your toy poodle, trained to respond to your commands.

This book makes us participants in the world of God’s being and action; but we don’t participate on our terms. We don’t get to make up the plot or decide what character we’ll be. This book has generative power; things happen to us as we let the text call forth, stimulate, rebuke, prune us. We don’t end up the same.

Eat this book but keep a well stocked cupboard of Settlers and Alka-seltzer."

I'm excited about continuing my journey of understanding, experiencing and being involved in what God is doing in history, to do that its vitally important we engage properly and meaningfully with his word. I leave you with a question posed by a friend...

"How can I read the Bible to enter into its story so that its story becomes my story and the story of this community I have come to love?"

small, black and beautiful

2007-06-03T11:03:00.000+01:00

Yes I have crossed to the dark side. Zoomie please don't kill me. I have entered ipod land. It just looks so nice. What did disturb me was that of its 30GB, well actually 27, I have already filled 14GB with music and a podcast frenzy. That's over 9 days solid of audio. Being a bit of a geek I was listening to some interesting stuff from Harvard Business Review - stay with me, and stop snoring, about the need for rest and healthy balance to life which stirred up some memories of one of my colleagues frightening me during the week by quoting something I said back at me (from something I did on sabbathing) which nicely tied in to my first ever visit to a book launch from the Shep on rediscovering Sabbath (no free books though). One of those dirty words that makes me think of people with placards and all the things I wasn't allowed to do on Sundays. So I've been thinking about sabbathing as a concept of something good and beautiful - even more so than the little black ipod. More soon...

Kermode's review - Pirates of the Caribbean: at World's End

2007-06-02T16:34:00.001+01:00

For your delight...
Kind of want to see it to see how bad it really is.
Orloondo Bland - genius