Reading in Community

I'm floating an idea here, so if you read this please comment even if you don't like the idea.

I'm thinking of trying to start blogging about Scripture. The idea would be to take a book for a period, say Galatians for three months or Exodus. To offer chapters to read and study for each week, comments on study resources, text and language, exegetical cruxes, and of course, biblical theology.

The idea will work if through a blog post a reading and commenting community grows up where we share with and encourage one another in reading Scripture. If there was interest a meeting could be arranged to take further any key issues that come up in our studies.

What do you think?

I'm away at the Kingdom Come conference next week, so I'll probably being on this week beginning Feb 8.

A Busy Week

I've not been able to do much blogging this week as it has been a bit busy.

Monday - I had two meetings, first with a group of friends to discuss matters of importance within the life and future of the Church of Scotland which was good. In the afternoon an excellent meeting at the ICC Glasgow to consult with church leaders on biblefresh, some really good ideas about this.

Wednesday - we had a great meeting of the EA Scotland executive, God is doing some very exciting things in Scotland.

Apart from that just the usual church stuff to keep up with.

Tyndale House Newsletter

The newsletter from Tyndale House is available on line - here.

Our new Newsletter gives a taste of the many things happening at Tyndale House.

> BibleAndChurch and TheJesusAccounts - resources for apologetics
> Erasmus Scholars and STEP project - future resources for the church
> Scholars featured from Mongolia, Greece, Japan and Australia
> A new Hebrew inscription from the time and place of Goliath
> and more..

Well worth a look.

A Week Of Prayers

This week, beginning yesterday (25/1/10), the daily worship readings and prayers on the Sanctuary Frist web site were written by myself. I hope they are helpful and if you want to leave any comments on them I appreciate that also.

Biblefresh and N T Wright

Over at slipstream on the EAUK site - here - a video clip has been published of N T Wright, one of the biblefresh bible champions talking about bible reading and Christian leadership. Just in case you don't want to go over to the EA site, which you should some time, here is the clip:

Haiti

Earlier today I was able to join in a second conference call with Tearfund workers.

I gathered from the call that some Tearfund partners are located outside Port-au-Prince and their sites have become like hubs for displaced peoples to gather and so food and other resources on site for various projects have been divered to supply the immediate need of between 1500 to 2000 homeless and desperately needy people.

Some prayer points:

from Mark who is leading the Tearfund needs assessment team which is presently in Haiti:

> pray for wisdom in establishing programmes to meet the needs,

> pray for good connections and working relations with other aid/relief agencies,

> pray for Jean-Claude and his family. Jean-Claude is Tearfund's lead person in Haiti his wife is suffering from severe trauma following the earthquake. The Tearfund office, where Jean-Claude would usually have been working was destroyed, his home, where he and the family were, was partially destroyed.

from Jean-Mark, who is part Haitian:

> pray for the coordination of access ports that aid may flow smoothly through and get to the places where it is most needed,

> pray for the miraculous opening of the harbour to shipping as a means of bringing large scale aid into Haiti.

from Oenone, who works with Tearfund's disaster response team in the UK,

> pray for those deeply troubled by what they have seen following this disaster, for peace of mind,

> pray for many people who are asking, 'Why have I survived? Why was I saved?' Many are searching for some reason why they lived while others did not.

I am challenged by so many of these prayer requests. Do we believe in a God who works miracles and are we willing to ask him to work miraculously to intervene in this situation? I hope we do, and I hope we are.

Haiti - Tearfund respond

I'm copying here an email I received from Andrew McCracken from Tearfund with information about the response Tearfund partners are making in Haiti.

Latest on the Tearfund Haiti earthquake response

Tearfund partner World Relief is treating earthquake survivors around the clock at one of the few functioning hospitals left in Port-au-Prince. Staff are also mobilising local churches to distribute emergency aid packs. Another partner is running a camp for 2000 people at Dalmas on the outskirts of the capital.

A team of Tearfund's disaster response experts are on the ground working with partners to provide basic essentials such as food, water and shelter, and are planning our longer term response.

Just like the 2004 southern Asia tsunami, the devastation in Haiti is total and the need is immense. Our partners were operating in the country before the earthquake struck, and, just like the tsunami, we'll be there long after it drops out of the headlines, working towards long term recovery. But we need your help.

As Tearfund staff and partners respond to last week's terrible disaster, the support your church can give remains vital. We're on the ground but we can't do anything without money. We want to equip you to communicate this message of need to your churches. We will continue to cover the latest news and prayer points on our website at www.tearfund.org/haitiearthquake but from Saturday morning (23 January), in time for the Sunday service, you will also find:

* An updated prayer PowerPoint presentation
* A brand new film for churches on Tearfund's Haiti relief work

Please use these resources to encourage your church to give what they can to our appeal, either by making a direct online donation at www.tearfund.org/haiti or by sending cheques, payable to Tearfund, to Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE

'We believe now is the time for the church to give as Christ has given - without holding back.' Jean Claude Cerin, Tearfund Country representative for Haiti.

Thank You Pete Greig

I don't suppose Pete Greig will spend his time reading my blog, but I want to say thank you to him for this book.

Thank you for the honesty contained in this book which encourages us to engage with the silence of unanswered prayer.

It won't be enough to make space on your shelf for this book, you will need to make time in your life for this book - it doesn't deserve to be on a shelf but in your hands being read and prayed.

I don't want to try to pick away at this book with lots of comments, let me share just two things.

Questions that heal

It's interesting to note how many times after His resurrection Jesus introduces Himself to people by asking them questions. Good Friday had left a mess, and Jesus was systematically dealing with the consequences of chaos in the lives of His friends by provoking them to respond to His presence. (page 296)

What a great insight into the coming of the Lord Jesus to his friends on that Easter Day. Jesus knows about the sorrow of Good Friday, the silence of Holy Saturday, and in his presence, at his coming he wants to deal with that by asking us questions upon which we can grow.

Living with unanswered prayer

I need a big God;

an awesome,

unspeakably amazing God;

a death-defying, eternal God;

A God whose promises are certain.

No compromise:

our God is our Father,

loves us completely,

is all-powerful and

ultimately will make

all things new. (page 85)

Thanks, Pete, for highlighting the dangers of compromise. This is our God, even when he is silent.

Greig on Lewis on Prayer

I'm reading Pete Greig's God on Mute (see, I'm sticking to those on my list!) and it really is a great book. I'll be finished by the end of the week and post something on Pete's book then.

Today I came across a quote which Pete uses from CS Lewis, Screwtape is giving this advice to his nephew the junior demon:
Sooner or later [God] withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience ... He leaves the [human] to stand up on its own legs - to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish ... Our cause is never in more danger than when a human - no longer desiring but still intending to do [God's] will - looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys. (God on Mute p. 234, CS Lewis The Screwtape Letters p. 47 in my copy)


I hope this helps someone today. God's absence is in experience, not in fact and when we stand, and continue to stand, when we obey in the apparent absence of God, hell trembles. Mustard seed faith expressed in faithful perseverance may be for many the victory we will see today.

Neither Malawi nor Mali

Group A has finished in the African Cup of Nations and in the final game Mali have defeated Malawi 3-1 - the BBC report is here.

However, after a 0-0 draw between Angola and Algeria they have both qualified. Was it the 1978 World Cup that East and West Germany played out a 0-0 or 1-1 draw to ensure they both made it through to the next round?

Well done Mali, you'll be pleased about that Eddie.

Tearfund Appeal Video

I found this Tearfund appeal video, it's on their web site and also on You Tube - here.

Shuffle

I've pressed shuffle on my iPod and here are the first ten tracks it selected:

1. John Coltrane ‘I Hear A Rhapsody’ Lush Life
2. Buena Vista Social Club ‘YTu Que Has Hecho?’ Buena Vista Social Club
3. Bruce Cockburn ‘Use Me While You Can’ Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu
4. Rick Wakeman ‘A Prayer For All’ Prayers
5. Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood ‘Sleeping In The Ground’ Live From Madison Square Gardens
6. Colin Towns Mask Orchestra ‘Strange Circus’ Nowhere and Heaven
7. Phil Cillins ‘I Missed Again’ Face Value
8. Norah Jones ‘Lonestar’ Come Away With Me
9. Queen ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ News Of The World
10. Bruce Cockburn ‘Open’ You’ve Never Seen Everything

Quite a jazzy selection, but on the whole not bad.What are the first ten your iPod picks for you?

In Search of the Glory

I'm following up on a comment and suggestion from a good friend, who to protect the guilty, I shall call Ichabod (sniff, sniff).



On my earlier post on classic album covers, Ichabod noticed an ommission and has suggested the following:

I'm sure this is a good album (??), but not a classic cover. I had an album in the early 1970's with a considerably more classic cover:What a photo, what a team. There are all there, the Rangers greats from 1972:

McCloy, Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, Johnstone, Smith, McLean, Conn, Stein, MacDonald, Johnston.

What a team. Will the glory ever return from the far land?

We can still get through

I was disappointed to learn that Angola beat Malawi 2-0 in the second round of games in the African Nations Cup, read a report of the game here.

Of course Angola are the host nation so should do well at home. But Malawi are still in a good place to qualify from the group, the final game is against Mali who are presently bottom of group A.

God Loves Haiti

I'm disgusted and appalled by the comments attributed to Pat Robertson and quoted on the BBC News site here, and on other sites.

I hope I am regularly quick to give the benefit of the doubt to those quoted in the press as they are so often misrepresented. However, Pat Robertson has a track record in this area of making obscene and offensive comments like this.

To describe Pat Robertson as an 'evangelist' is surely a massive abuse of the term. What good news is he bringing when he declares a nation and a people who are loved by God, for whom Christ died, as cursed, and describes a horrific earthquake as the judgement of God?

I hope that the people of Haiti experience the love of God in these days, not least through the generosity of God's people from every part of the world giving what they can to help in this time of need. I hope that this generosity is a genuine good news message, a true evangel, that will be heard not only in Haiti but all over God's world.

Keep Praying For Haiti

I've copied this from the EA web site.

As Evangelical Alliance member organisations respond to the earthquake in Haiti, the Alliance is calling on Christians to pray for the survivors and the relief efforts.

The earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, struck on January 12. Relief and development agencies, including Alliance members, responded immediately, deploying staff and creating emergency appeals.

Magalie Boyer from World Vision, who have 370 staff in the country, spoke of the earthquake: "It felt as if a truck had hit a wall. There is extensive damage in the city. People had to spend the night in the streets. They are not comfortable staying in their houses." Boyer added: "World Vision Haiti will distribute first aid kits to survivors, along with basic materials such as soap, blankets, clothes and bottles of water as an initial response."

Power and communication lines are down for miles, roads are blocked and damaged and there is a lack of equipment. This has all stalled the relief effort and made bringing aid to survivors more challenging.

Jennie Evans, Tearfund's Head of Region for Latin America and the Caribbean said: "'With so many buildings destroyed and so many people made homeless, the need for shelter and basic essentials such as food and water is extremely urgent.'

Impoverished Haiti is no stranger to disaster, but this latest earthquake is the largest to hit the Caribbean in 200 years, causing widespread devastation.

With the epicentre just 10 miles from the capital Port-au Prince, countless buildings (including the presidential palace and UN office) and homes have been destroyed and the official death toll is rising continually. Thousands of people sleep in the streets in fear of another aftershock, the hospitals are overwhelmed and family members across the world await news of loved ones.
British rescue teams and Government rescue specialists have landed in nearby Dominican Republic and although figures are uncertain the Red Cross estimated that three million people need emergency aid.

Distressing news pictures depict the injured and dead lying in the streets and screaming from underneath rubble.

Bishop Gerald A. Seale, General Secretary of the Evangelical Association of the Caribbean, said the earthquake has had a devastating impact on the progress made in recent years to develop Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere."The social and material gains made in the past two to three years have been totally wiped out by this earthquake," he said. "As Christian NGOs gear up for a major response in the next few days, we need to give sacrificially and pray."Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance UK, said: "At a time like this many of us feel powerless to do anything when we see devastation but as Christians we can always do something.

"Please give generously, and pray passionately for those who have lost everything in this disaster, that aid workers reach the thousands in desperate need and that the Church in Haiti is able to respond to the needs of those suffering."

Prayer points:
Pray for Haitians as they cope with the shock and aftermath of the earthquake.

Pray for the injured, that they would receive the medical attention and assistance they need, and for God's comfort for those who have been bereaved.

Pray for rescue efforts - that survivors are reached quickly and that communication and power lines are restored.

Pray for the local church leaders and Christians as they minister and offer spiritual, physical and emotional help to their neighbours in need.

Pray for the government and leadership in Haiti as they respond.

Pray for the safety and protection of relief staff, rescue workers and aid agencies.

Pray that the appeals for help and financial support will be met with a fast and generous response across the world.

Pray for Haiti

I'm presently on a conference call, listening in, to Anoni (I hope I got that right) and her husband Jean-Marc, who is half Haitian, talking about the disaster and Tearfund's response.

1) A Tearfund needs assessment team, with experience from the South-East Asian Tsunami, will arrive in Haiti at the weekend, with a particular focus upon water, sanitation and health.

2) Communications have gone down in Haiti, no one really knows what's happening beyond their kilometer. For 8 hours or so after the earthquake communication by mobile phone was posible, but now they need recharged and there is no electricity. (Humbled to think 48 people around the UK can join in a onference call).

3) A significant disaster, the central coordination of the country will need rebuilt, at the same time as the provision of food, clean water and health care. Many aid, relief agencies have office in Haiti, but these have been destroyed, affected by the earthquake.

4) Tearfund's immediate focus will be on helping with food, shelter and clean water.

5) Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, 80% in abject poverty, 70% unemployment.

6) Pray for Tearfund partners and their ability to offer aid to their communities.

Please pray

Please Pray for Haiti

Haiti earthquake

Tearfund is today dispatching emergency aid funds to help survivors of the earthquake that has shattered impoverished Haiti.

Hundreds of people are missing feared dead after a quake measuring seven on the Richter Scale struck the Caribbean island yesterday.

Many buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged in the capital Port-au-Prince, including the presidential palace and the five-storey UN offices.

Tearfund is in Haiti, responding to this disaster. Please give what you can to support our work using the form below. - see the web page here.

For more news on the situation in Haiti - see here.

For prayer points on Haiti - see here and below:

Haiti earthquake prayer points (last updated 13 Jan 2010)

The Caribbean island of Haiti is reeling after an earthquake caused devastation. Please use the following prayer points:

Pray for the people of Haiti as they deal with the aftermath of the earthquake, ask the Lord to comfort those who are injured and mourning.

Pray for rescue efforts to find survivors trapped in destroyed buildings and for communication links and power supplies to be restored quickly.

Pray for a swift and generous response from the international community to help this disaster-prone poor country.

Pray for the safety and protection of Tearfund staff and partners based in Haiti and that they will be able to respond as effectively as possible.

Biblefresh and Unity

I've copied the following from an email I received from Steve Clifford, the General Director of the EA UK. Alexandra is one of the great team at EAUK helping to coordinate the biblefresh initiative for 2011. As you read this, remember to come along to the biblefresh Scotland consultation on 25th Jan, 2 pm at the ICC in Glasgow.

The Bible: tedious, taboo and toxic... or transforming, treasured and true?

‘I met Msizi in the rural outskirts of Mpophomeni - a township near Durban, South Africa. I was there on my sabbatical last year as part of a team. Msizi did something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. As we handed her a food parcel she took it, put it aside, held out her Bible and said: ‘This is my daily bread’.

Msizi lives in the most basic of homes. Having lost her partner to HIV/Aids two weeks before I met her, she is left to raise four children on her own, whilst battling the disease herself. Yet this woman knows where her true source of nourishment comes from.

Today, the team of nine Brits on that Soul Action project run by Tearfund and Soul Survivor, all at various stages in life, all passionate about providing physical, spiritual and emotional care to the people of Mpophomeni, go on having learnt something from Msizi. To Msizi, the words of the Bible give life.’

This is one of Alexandra Lilley's reflections on her trip to South Africa. Alexandra is our Churches in Missions Project Coordinator and is another member of the Evangelical Alliance who, like you, is passionate about the Bible.

To pursue that common passion, the Alliance is bringing together over 50 different agencies, colleges, denominations and festivals, who work with the Bible but have never partnered all together before. Biblefresh is an initiative to help Christians renew their love for the Scriptures during 2011, the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Through Biblefresh, we aim to maximise and pool the resources God has provided, to build the Kingdom rather than individual empires.

As Alexandra coordinates stories from across the UK for the Biblefresh book being published in May 2010, her experience validates this truth: ‘We simply cannot experience the fullness of Christ without one another.’

I agree! Without unity, we have a hollow, incomplete experience of faith. It is, after all, Jesus’ heart for us, his people:
‘May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.’ John 17:3

Go Malawi!

I was really pleased this morning to learn that Malawi have beaten Algeria 3-0 in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Read the BBC report here.

In the midst of great poverty and facing many problems I hope this victory in a game of football brings some cheer in Malawi.

Sanctuary First

If you don't know about Sanctuary First, please do visit the web site here, or follow the link on my places to visit side bar.

This is a worship space created on the web by my friend Albert and folks from St Andrew's Bo'ness. I've copied what Albert has written about Sanctuary First:

Sanctuary First is written for and by Christians who want to be passionate about daily worship but we know how easy it is to lose heart and fall by the wayside. We at Sanctuary First just want to be honest as we grow in our faith. We don’t want to be ‘over the top Christians’ who fall off the edge, instead we want to recognise that we won’t always get it right but if we journey as a group of companions with Jesus at the centre he will save us from ourselves.

The present format launched in October 2009 has been devised by Sanctus Media, a not for profit company that operates out of St Andrew’s Bo’ness. It has been partially funded by the Church of Scotland’s Emerging Ministries Fund.

The vision we have embarked upon will call for a great deal of hard work and input from a wide variety of people.

We are seeking to collaborate with writers from around the world while maintaining a Scottish identity in our writing and communication.

Our initial aim is to establish a network of worshippers around the world who will be encouraged on a daily basis by the prayers, scripture readings and video podcasts that appear on the site. So we look to you to sign up and join our community. We not only wish to be hi-tech we also want to be hi-touch. Look out for the local monthly worship hubs that we hope to establish. Perhaps one could be planted in your area.

It is our vision that this web site will be a creative tool inspiring collaborative thinking across the world allowing us to engage with the world church in worship helping us to become more passionate about the issues of peace and justice and reconciliation as we seek to live out the teaching and practice of Jesus.

I've been invited to write for the Sanctuary First site in the coming weeks on the theme of struggling with self and with God and would value prayer for this piece of work.

Saturday Night Ephesians

I’ve been studying Ephesians for preaching and want to share some thoughts on Ephesians 1:4-5. I’ve copied some English versions below:

KJV
Ephesians 1:4-5 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

RSV
Ephesians 1:4-5 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 5 He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

NIV
Ephesians 1:4-5 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

NLT
Ephesians 1:4-5 4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.

ESV
Ephesians 1:4-5 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

In each of these versions the phrase ‘in love’ is taken with v. 5 – in the New Living Translation the sense is given as ‘God loved us’, which is in keeping with a v. 5 ‘in love’, except the KJV which takes ‘in love’ with v. 4.

Interestingly the commentators, including Calvin, Barth, Lincoln and Wright all take the phrase ‘in love’ with v. 4, e.g Tom Wright ‘4 He chose us in him before the world was made, so as to be holy and irreproachable before him in love. 5 He foreordained us for himself …’

The Greek texts reads as one sentence from 1:3 down to 1:14 and in the NA 27 edition en agape is separated from v. 5 by a comma.

It seems to me that it makes a great difference where you read this short phrase. If you take it with v. 5 you end up reading that the predestination of us by God was undertaken ‘in love’, presumably God acting in love to predestine those he will predestine. Now this is good theology, I’m sure God did act in love when he issued his decree of predestination. However, I don’t think that is what Paul is trying to say here.

Rather taking the phrase in v. 4, Lincoln writes
‘But “in love” should rather be seen as part of the goal of election is intended to achieve in those it embraces – a life before God which is holy and blameless and lived in love.’ (page 17)

God’s decree of election has a goal, a purpose. The election of Abraham and through him Israel had the purpose of bringing a blessing to the nations – election is to service. In NT terms God elects those he elects to live a life which can be characterised by love, described as being lived ‘in love’. And so a sermon on these verses rather than focusing upon God’s secret and still hidden decree of election should exhort and encourage God’s people to live lives ‘in love’ which are holy and blameless before God.

I find it sad, and dangerous, that so many otherwise fine English versions have made a translation choice here which reflects an orthodox theology rather than the intention of the Holy Spirit at work in the Apostle. The sentence structure imposed upon Eph 1:3-14 in every English version is based upon interpretative choices. I don’t think I would like to see bibles printed where all of these choices are explained, but I do think such verses highlight the need for careful exegesis and good exposition on the part of those called by God and appointed by the church to teach Holy Scripture.

Christmas Present - on being used

In a display of unparalled bravery (or foolishness) my dear wife bought me Ching's Chinese Food in Minutes for Christmas. She has now twice eaten the results, cooked by my own highly skilled hands.

So far we've tried a sweet and sour chicken (first time I've played with a ginger root) and this evening a chicken and fine bean stir-fry (ok, Ching has snake bean, but where do you buy snake bean in Stranraer?)

I've been using somethings in our kitchen that have never been used before - kitchen scales, measuring jugs - my dear wife's preferred method is a dollop of this, a splash of that. Having twice played with cornflour now it looks like I need a apron, and the floor needs a good sweep.

Seriously, if you enjoy Chinese food this is a great book, really easy (even I can do it) and from start to finish in 30 minutes.

Classic Album Covers

The Royal Mail have issued a set of postage stamps featuring classic album covers - see here.

The idea is not that these are necessarily the best albums, but that the covers have an iconic status. I guess they must have agreed not to include Sergent Pepper.

I've come up with five, in no particular order.

1. Yes Relayer

Not the best Yes album, but one of the finest Roger Dean covers. Dean created a look for Yes albums which always made, and still makes, them stand out as a Yes album.

2. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

The Royal Mail are using Division Bell, but I think the minimalism and starkness of Dark Side has the edge. There is a connection between this vivid image the music presented on this classic album contained behind a classic cover.

3. Queen Live Killers

This cover portrays the energy and excitement of the Live Killers tour, I was fortunate enough to see the Live Killers tour in Glasgow in Dec 1979. One of the truly great live albums and the cover really lets you know that.

4. The Rolling Stones Only Rock 'n' Roll

Perhaps an unusual choice, but this image shouts Rolling Stones. The crowd, dressed in flimsy clothing all focused upon the images of the band, just reaching the bottom of that impressive staircase with its red carpet. A marvellous image for a 1970's rock band.

5. Led Zeppelin In Through The Out Door

The Royal Mail are using Led Zepplin IV (or whatever its called) on a stamp. I've chosen this cover as a classic example of big band whimsy. The first image shows the outer, brown paper cover (my copy didn't have the Japanese side bar), I think the idea was that this would be discarded to reveal the inner cover - but most people kept the whole thing in the brown paper bag. The inner cover is a sepia tone image of someone in a bar, like Rick's Cafe from Casablanca. This is another image that really goes with the contents of the album.

I found this quite difficult, it is hard to separate the cover from the music and so difficult not to pick your favourite albums and assume the cover is a classic. What would your top five be?

Bible Fresh Launch

I hope to see you at the bible fresh launch Monday 25 January at the ICC, Glasgow at 2 p.m. finished by 4 p.m.

Krish Kandiah will speak on bible fresh and there will be a real consultation about how we in Scotland can make best use of this opportunity to transform our nation through the bible.

A Picasso Desktop

I've changed my desktop image for the new year.

This year I've found a copy of a Picasso linocut in colours from 1959, Avant La Pique (Before the Lance).

I like Picasso, well, most of his work. The figure on horse back reminds me of his Don Quixote posters which are really good. He very simply has represented the power of the bull and by setting the central figure of the matador in light emphasises this aspect of the matadors 'craft' to shine in the centre of the ring.

I'm not persuaded I would like bull fighting, but can well admire the skill of the Spanish master in this deceptively simple work.

EA Idea

The Evangelical Alliance bi-monthly Idea magazine is now available on-line. Idea is a great resourse for info about what's happening and also regularly carries helpful, mission encouraging articles. You can find the on-line version here.

Calvin 2010

Last year was a great year for Calvin, the 500th anniversary of his birth.

But every year is a good year for reading Calvin! The good folks at Princeton Seminary are hosting a web site with weekly readings from Calvin for 2010 - check it out here.

The blurb says
This site is designed to help small groups "return to the sources" and study Reformed theology in a systematic way throughout 2010. We’ll be using John Calvin's 1541 Institutes as our foundation. A pastor-scholar will introduce each chapter, draw connections to Scripture and the wider Reformed tradition, and point out specific issues for further discussion.

This week the reading is the letter to Francis I from the first edition of the Institutes from 1535.

Words of the Decade

The Herald published an extra review of the decade today, continues tomorrow, I couldn't find it on their web site.

They offer three words which define, they claim, the past decade.

Terror - I've had an idea on terror and the so-called war against terror in Afghanistan. In stead of sending Marines and Paratroopers, why not send the Medical Crops and offer free medical care to the poor, and send the Catering Crops and feed the hungry, send the Royal Engineers and let's build hospitals, schools, roads, water treatment plants, sewage works. We won't win this war with guns, we need to win it with generosity and love.

Celebrity - Sad but true, people today want to be a celebrity. They used to want to be singers, film or TV stars, sports people - someone who does something and becomes well known, perhaps famous for doing something. Are we not all weary of those 'I want to be a celebrity will someone please notice me in this jungle' shows? We need to change expectations and ambitions away from notoriety for doing nothing into recognition for doing something.

Meltdown - as the Herald puts it, 'From dot-com bubble to credit crunch'. We all love to accuse the bankers of greed, and yes they were greedy. But, their greed fed off our greed and in turn fueled our greed in a cycle of ... sin. It is time to call our Adam Smith economics for what it really is, sin. Our whole economic system depends upon the greed and selfishness of consumers who always want more. The evil of this system is seen in the casual way millions of our sisters and brothers are condemned to the most abject poverty - to serve our greed! The last thing we need is to get this evil system working again, we need a new system, an economics of contentment, sufficiency, generosity, sharing.

I wonder what will change over the next ten years?

Revelation and Humility

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)

The fullness of the Deity, the essence of God, is unknowable to human reason or examination. It was made known to the Apostle, by revelation, that this fullness of God was in Christ, a permanent union of divinity and humanity. This is made known to us, not as to the Apostle by an immediate revelation, but by a mediated revelation, or a special revelation - through Scripture.

God is, he has being and existence, revealing himself to us through the union of divinity and humanity in Christ God shows himself to have personality - in Christ (and in Scripture) the personality and absoluteness of God go hand in hand.

Our knowing God, in which eternal life consists (John 17:3) is a knowing of God as he has revealed himself to us. Even if we do not know God as he is in himself, his essence, we have a sufficient knowledge of God as a result of his revelation in Christ, which now is revealed to us in Scripture.

Such a knowing of God should not, must not, lead to pride - how great are we that we know God! No, acknowledging that all we know of God is a result of his gracious self-revelation we live humbly before him, we receive with humility that revelation of himself he has given to us. Our approach to God, to his Scripture must be a humble approach. Such humility will give birth to great joy - we have received from God that which we do not deserve, a knowledge of him. How can we not rejoice and give glory to this gracious God?

A Comfortable Introvert

I've always liked Mike Bird's posts at Euangelion, and especially his recent one on personality types - read it hear.

I took the test which Mike recommended - find it also here.

I'm another INTJ, and I like how Mike describes us:

Basically, this means that I'm a cold hearted book worm with a super-sized intellect in lieu of a sense of empathy. So I don't really care how you feel, but I know when I'm supposed to pretend to care in order to help someone if they need it. I'm task orientated with a capital "T" and if I'm on a mission just show where to bury the bodies of the people who get in my way. I like people, they are very useful entities, they need to be looked after, but after a while I need to be away from them.

Of course you could read the more boring description of INTJ's here.

Mike's point is a really good one. There is a Christian culture of extrovertion which at times makes it really hard for us introverted types. Increasingly, I think all our cultural norms are more extrovert. But I don't think we need to be extrovert to be loved by Christ or useful in his service.

I'm comfortable with my introversion and look forward to enjoying many more years with a pile of books!!

Worship Central Free Download

A good New Year to one and all.

I've just found a free download from the Worship Central team - an unplugged set of six songs - you can download it here.


Worship Central // Unplugged is a brand new acoustic recording featuring Tim Hughes, Al Gordon, Ben Cantelon and Nikki Fletcher, available today to download for free. Songs include 'God of All', 'Glory in the Highest' and 'Remember' as well as a new arrangement of a classic hymn, 'On Christ The Solid Rock'.

The album was recorded in an amazing old church called St Peter's in the centre of Brighton, off the back of the 2009 UK tour, which saw over 8,000 worshippers gather across the UK. The Worship Central band for the recording included percussionists Ben Bryant (Worship Central) and Jez Wiles (Imogen Heap), cellist Squiff Wordsworth (We Play Parties), and Ben Cantelon (used to be in a boy band) switching between keys and worship leading, alongside Tim Hughes, Al Gordon and Nikki Fletcher.

Tim Hughes writes, "We are so grateful to everyone who has been a part of the Worship Central adventure in 2009, and we thought it would be fun to just get together with some friends, worship and give the recording away for free. Enjoy!"

The track listing is:
1 // God of All // Ben Cantelon
2 // On Christ the Solid Rock // Tim Hughes
3 // Remember// Nikki Fletcher
4 // I Love the King // Tim Hughes
5 // Glory in the Highest// Al Gordon
6 // Amazing Love // Tim Hughes