Stop the world - I want to get off!
I have always believed that it is vitally important for us ministers to be conversant with both current affairs and cultural trends. The old adage was , ‘Bible in one hand, newspaper in the other.’ That was OK when a newspaper was all that was needed to keep up, oh, and possibly a ‘wireless’. Wasn’t life simple in those days? I have for sometime been suffering from information indigestion.
Let’s start with newspapers. I love to buy and read a newspaper, I mean a real newspaper, not a red top. Something like The Times or The Telegraph or The Guardian. In fact most days I read all three, well, I skim through selected articles of all three of the internet versions. I actually very rarely buy a newspaper at all, except for the Methodist Recorder, which I feel obliged to buy – well somebody has to! We used to take the Evening Chronicle for local news, but I recently cancelled it as I only really read the back pages and that was making me depressed.
I love books too. Here I must make two confessions. Firstly I love buying books, especially second hand, but I would rather declare undying love for Sunderland AFC than part with any books. Hence my collection grows ever larger. Secondly I think I have an addictive personality - don’t worry, alcohol and mind altering chemicals are not a problem – I am a collector. John Grisham is a good example of this. I once purchased a copy of ‘The Firm’ for 20p at a church fair. Having read and enjoyed it whilst on holiday I realised that this guy was churning out books at an exponential rate, so I am always on the lookout for my next Grisham and of course having bought them you have to read them. The trouble is its not just Grisham, it’s also Thomas Hardy, although fortunately he’s not writing novels any longer. I started with JRR Tolkien and read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings after which someone recommended that I should read The Silmarillion, but I found it impenetrable and was cured of Tolkien.
I also love films, or movies as they seem to be called these days. I was brought up in the countryside long after the more local cinemas had closed. A visit to the cinema required a 40 mile round trip, so we didn’t go very often. Even when we did go we were sometimes late. I remember going to see The Sound of Music, we arrived 15 minutes into the film, but stayed on at the end and watched the first 15 minutes of the next showing. So I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. It’s mind boggling to think of the sheer number of films that get churned out each week and that’s just in the English language. If you listen to the critics then the real quality is French or Japanese or Romanian cinema. And I would really like to see them all, except for the nasty, unpleasant ones that are a waste of everybody’s time. And I think theoretically I could thanks to Sky Movies and Sky Anytime and Sky + and the fact that DVDs are dead cheap these days. But watching movies takes up a lot of time.
I really love music as well; all kinds of music such as U2, Kings of Leon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Beyonce, Les Miserables, Delirious, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Green Day, Opera, Male Voice Choirs, Barbershop. Well, not all kinds of music, not C&W or Jazz or what used to be called Soul. But I like enough to keep me going. Fortunately I spend a fair bit of time in the car which gives me the opportunity to listen to music, that is when I’m not listening to Radio Five Live. I Tunes is great isn’t it, now suddenly all those back catalogues are instantly available at 67p a shot.
Talking of I Tunes, we now have podcasts to keep us up to date. I subscribe to several including two BBC Five Live programmes, ‘Fighting Talk’ and Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode discussing the week’s film releases. Both are produced weekly and are about half an hour in duration and needless to say don’t always get listened to.
But nowadays what with podcasts, I players, Sky +, You Tube et al you need never miss out on anything ever again just so long as you have 30 hours in your day.
I also love sport and live events. Somehow football has lost its appeal just at the moment. I’m not sure why. Watching cricket is the perfect way to spend an English summer’s day (remember them?) but that will have to wait until retirement. In the next few weeks we are planning to see a T Rex tribute band, Beyonce, Clive James, Evita, Michael Ball and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. You see we never know when we might be back in the countryside again.
So trying to keep up with news, current affairs, films, music, sport and live events could be a full time occupation. To help in this task I have been taking lessons from the younger members of our family in watching a film on the television with at the same time a laptop balanced on my knee displaying the internet newpapers and plugged into my IPod belting out the new U2 album.
The trouble is it all merges into one and I wake next morning thinking I’ve just watched a movie about MP’s expenses with a rock n’ roll soundtrack.
Stop the world I want to get off!
As Easter approaches
I wonder how historians will look back on 2009. Will it be seen as a small blip in the endlessly growing global economy, or will it be seen as a watershed, a paradigm shift in our experience of life. Time will tell. At the moment it feels as though we are in the midst of turbulent economic times. There are many people facing unemployment, repossession of their homes and mounting debt. Whilst it would be wrong to be too gloomy, for those for whom this is their reality, the situation can be a living nightmare.
How quickly things change. Its not that long ago that best selling books were telling us we had no need of God anymore, we had become so clever and so sophisticated that that old outdated concept could be safely put to one side. Never underestimate humanity’s need to make a mess of things! The danger of that happening is never higher than just at the moment when we are congratulating ourselves on how great we are.
Of course we need God. All that happens when we dismiss God is that we create a vacancy and then try and fill it ourselves. And so in recent times as we have congratulated ourselves on great economic progress, the cult of self has quietly taken centre stage. Self respect, self fulfilment, self gratification are goals to be pursued. ‘Look after yourself, be good to yourself, make time for yourself’ we say to each other. Although we mean well, on its own that philosophy is dangerous.
Easter reminds us of Jesus Christ, who,
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
But Jesus isn’t just an example or a role model. By submitting to the cross he has smashed the power of sin that is the root of our human selfishness; the same power that spoils and mars our human efforts to better ourselves. In being raised from the dead Jesus is confirmed as God himself, breathing new life and hope and possibility into our human endeavour, whatever our circumstances. Wow…thank you Jesus!!
It's been a good week!
Having achieved a significant birthday recently I have been in reflective mood, a sure sign of advancing years! For the whole of my life I have been a churchgoer. In the early days I was taken to church, during some of the middle years I sometimes went reluctantly, for the last 11 years I have been a Minister and it is now expected that I go! Actually, the rhythm of attending worship is part of who I am and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
A lifetime of churchgoing affords me a significant vantage point to observe some of the changes that have taken place. Of course the most obvious change has been a steadily declining membership, there are a lot fewer of us at worship each week than there used to be.
However another and perhaps equally significant change is the way our churches fit into the life of the wider community. Most Methodist Churches have at least paid lip service to a sense of social involvement. Historically though this was offered on our terms, for example we would run youth clubs, but only for those youngsters who would come to the evening service also. The thinking behind this although well intentioned was about how we get more people in. In other words, how will this benefit us, rather than how will it benefit them?
We have just completed a really busy week in the life of three of our churches in Gateshead that has illustrated a significant change in our thinking with regard to social involvement.
On Monday May 14th a dedicated group of Christians from a number of churches led by Liz Day opened the Cornerstone Project at Sheriff Hill Methodist Church. Each Monday from 10am – 2pm Cornerstone will offer a Café, Thrift Shop and Listening Service all offered on a not for profit basis. On Thursday of last week the church at St Mark’s held its latest Messy@St Mark’s attended by 50 Mams, Dads and helpers. 'Messy' is 2 hours of craft activities, worship and a shared meal. It is fun for the kids and a meeting place for the parents, a safe place to relax and share. It is free. Then on Saturday 19th at Wesley we held our Open Day, an opportunity for all the groups from Church and Community to come together and support one another. It was a wonderful occasion enjoyed by many, it was good to see so many people with a smile on their faces. At the heart of the Open Day was free admission and free refreshments, a symbolic way of saying that when it comes to community involvement we believe we have something to give and we want to give unconditionally.
The no strings attached approach to community involvement is much more in line with the good news of God’s love made real in Jesus that does not enforce conditions but evokes heartfelt response.
The underdog
Why did I do it? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I was overwhelmed by a wave of optimism. Having checked in my diary, just on the off chance that May 17th was clear, I discovered I was free. So I logged on to the website and entered myself into the ballot for 2 tickets for the UEFA Cup Final. You may call me impulsive and foolhardy, I prefer to see it as an act of faith.
You know what it’s like when you just get a feeling that something good is going to happen, that this year is going to be our year? Well, that is how it feels right now. At the time I entered for the tickets there were just 6 matches separating the Toon Army from a trip to Glasgow and a tilt at real silverware. Such is the optimism we’ve even got a song about it!
I wasn’t born and bred a Geordie. As a youngster I supported Darlington, still do, I suppose, only I’ve stopped worrying about Darlo. My first ever match at St James’s Park was a kind of epiphany. It was in 1975, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United, Supermac the scorer, and from the moment I entered the ground I was hooked. In my first season we made it to the League Cup Final (and lost). After 14 years of standing in the Tin Shed at Feethams I was ready for a bit of glory and thought it would only be a matter of time. I’ve just had my 50th birthday and I’m still waiting!
What is the psychology of supporting a football team, what keeps you loyal after years of disappointment? Partly it is the unpredictability, the fear of not being there when something great happens. After years of loyal support you don’t want to miss out just when success comes to call. It is the unpredictability that means even when your team is playing that team which is 10 places above you in the League, has cost 3 times as much to assemble and you just know is better than yours, that sometimes the underdog is the victor. (I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about Hereford too!)
I’m a follower of Jesus too. He, also, was the underdog. Although the New Testament actually describes him as the Lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb. He chose to leave behind his heavenly powers and as he took earthly form it was not as a King or a blue chip Company Director, or even an idolised centre forward. He came as a servant and followed the path of service and wisdom and eventually suffering and death.
At Easter we remember once again how they took this Jesus and killed him on the cross and thought that was it, end of story. But it wasn’t, there was extra time, 3 days of it. And on the third day Jesus, against all the odds, was raised from the dead offering hope and life to all of humanity’s little people and ordinary people and sinful people and sorry people. A great victory had been won for all time. Of that I’m certain.
I will soon know whether my faith in Newcastle United has been vindicated. Knowing my luck, they’ll make it to Glasgow and I like thousands of others won’t be able to get a ticket. But I would settle for that.
Labels: Easter, football
A Little Beleaguered
As I write this I am feeling, as a Minister in the Christian Church, a little beleaguered. It appears it is open season for anyone who wishes to have a pop at people of faith.
It started with Richard Dawkins who has brought together many years of strident polemic into his latest book, ‘The God Delusion’. If the wide spread reviews and the promotion of the book are to be believed then religion is the cause of all the world’s ills.
Then I came across the launch of another book, ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, written by Rev. Paul Walker, Church of England Minister now a hospital chaplain based in Middlesbrough. In which he says, “I made a life-changing decision. I just stopped praying and stopped trying to pray. I have to say it was a hell of a lot easier than giving up smoking.” And calls for what he describes as ‘Christian agnosticism’.
Finally it was Elton John’s turn. In an interview in which he claimed, among other things, to be the new “Queen Mother”, Elton called for a ban on all religion.
Now, I am prepared to admit that all 3 of these gentlemen have something worthwhile to say, but having read some of that I was feeling a little battered! It was perhaps good to be reminded that there are those who take notice of what the faith community says, even if they are looking to condemn us out of our own mouths.
As we move towards Christmas we are coming to that time of year when people are more predisposed than at any other time to engage with the Christian story. It is a story not about power and privilege or even about doctrine or creed. It is a story of humility and love and a story that speaks of hope for the whole of creation.
It is this story of Emmanuel, God with us, that I believe with a passion is the only hope of salvation for our sin-sick, fractured and suffering world. This Christmas, listen to it, sing about it, take it in your heart and live in the light of it through 2007 and beyond.
Merry Christmas and a Happy and peaceful New Year.
Labels: christian, church, methodist
