CHRISTMAS!

I had a Christmas celebration earlier this week. You may not have noticed, but it was CHRISTMAS DAY on Tuesday-it happens every year at about the same time.

I went to my mum's on Christmas Eve, and we both went over to my sister's on the day itself. She moved house a couple of months back, so she wanted to host it. Which was nice. I had plenty of time to get ready to get over to my mum's, but I still ended up not getting there until the evening (partly because I started writing the last post I put up). And then I started wrapping the presents. My mum was also wrapping presents as well, so I'm not the only one. I knew I would be able to do it in time, and I really needed an idea on how to wrap some of the more awkwardly shaped ones. As usual, my mum had an answer, and the answer was boxes. Which she had plenty of-or at least enough.
And then, all too soon, it was the day itself. I got up late, which will surprise no-one, so there wasn't really much time to do much before we went over there. I was supposed to help my sister move a couple of months ago, but due to circumstances the moving date got changed, and so this was the first time I'd seen her new place. Which was also nice. It was a very nice place (still is, in fact), and we had a very nice day. My niece tried to get me playing 'hangman' with her and show me her dolls from 'Monster High' at the same time. They include a vampire, a werewolf, a ghost, Frankie Stine and Abi Nominal (a yeti) among others. Not what I was expecting from her, I have to say. Christmas dinner came soon after, which was good, as I hadn't really had breakfast due to getting up late, and then the rest of the day was a mess of crackers and pud and present opening and playing with presents and 'Bop It'-pretty much all at the same time, it seemed. and it was, in general, a very nice day for all concerned. I went back to my mum's and read for a bit and then went to bed. I got up even later on Boxing Day, and didn't really do much all day. Which was nice. I got dropped off by my mum in the evening, as I had to work the next day. So that was my Christmas-which actually was a lot more enjoyable than I make it sound, honestly.

And this in turn, made me think of some things. This was a pretty normal Christmas for me, though usually with a bit more church involved somewhere, but now and again I kept seeing people for whom their experience was anything but 'normal. My flatmate, for instance, was home alone on Christmas Day-what was it like for him? Some chinese people I passed in the street-what was Christmas like for them? A Big Issue seller I spoke to, who lives in a tent-what was Christmas like for her? And the people in the takeaway I went earlier this evening or the Tesco just below me-what was it like for them? I don't know how to answer these questions, maybe I never will; but maybe I should. But at least, I should remember that the questions are there.

Carols-Some By Candlelight

Not exactly chrononlogical this post, as they're spread out over the month; but for me, carols are an integral part of preparing for Christmas. Something I always look forward to and enjoy.

The first one was in the middle of the month-at a university campus. I have a friend who is a chaplain's assistant at the local uni, based at Pittville, which is a bit out of the way. So part of his job is to come up with events that the students can do - and if that has some relationship to church, that's all the better. So, for him, doing a carol service was both good fun, and completely within his remit. I went along because he invited loads of people he knew, presumably with the idea that at least some people would know the carols. And, obviously, we might enjoy it. That's why I went along, anyway. And I definitely did enjoy it. Apart from it being in the S.U. bar, it was a pretty traditional service, though instead of a sermon, the talk was someone giving us his story about how he came to know God. Which was brilliant in itself. I can say that everyone seemed to enjoy it, and he said that one of the students came along to church the next Sunday because of ;)it-and came to know God for herself. Even more brilliant. Well done Joe ;)

The next couple I went to I didn't really get to take part in properly, though I still had a good time. They were both ones at my church, and I was helping serve mulled wine, spiced apple, and mince pies after the service. As a result, I didn't really get to be in the actual service much, as it takes a while to produce enough for several hundred people. In the first one, I went in for a short while, and for the second, there was a video link; which was good, but not quite the same as being in the church. However, in both of these, I had a great time after the service mingling with all and sundry. Lots of people there, including quite a few I hadn't seen for quite some time. After the first, I heard that a couple of people came to know Jesus for themselves, which is also brilliant; haven't heard about the others yet.
And then I went to another service at St Matthews, which was a bit different. A lot more structured (as far as I could tell, anyway), and they had a choir. What was particularly good about this one was that I saw some friends I don't see very often. Which was nice. And then I went back to my church to meet up with people after the service, which was just finishing-nice timing. More mince pies and mulled wine, and the opportunity to actually chat to a few or more people this time. A very good way to prepare for Christmas, in my opinion. :D

New Friends And Old

Had a busy weekend just gone, starting with the first (and only?) Christmas party this year. Which was fun. just a relaxing time with a few friends and some mulled wine, chatting. Nice. And then I went up to Manchester after work the next day. I support a Christian theatre company called In Yer Face, who are connected to the Message Trust, and have done for a while.

But, obviously, them being in Manchester, and me, well, not, means that I don't get to see them that often. So, when they wrote to me recently with the dates of their version of the Nativity, I figured that would be a good opportunity. I'd get to see them perform, and get to meet their newest members, Emily and John. Nice. So I sorted out staying over with John on the Saturday, and arranged to go to their performance at Ivy Manchester, which is the church where a couple of friends of mine go.

So. After a slight(ly strange) mix-up with the trains, which resulted in me having to leave work early, I got into Manchester in the early evening. And then had the slightly surreal experience of going to the house of someone who wasn't there, as John was out for the evening. He is on the Board of Trustees of another theatre company, and they were having a celebration of some kind, which he was attending. But I wasn't left on my own; Emily was there to keep me entertained. We basically chatted for the next few hours, or I did anyway-or, at least, that's what it felt like. Which is strange, as I can be quite quiet when first introduced to someone. We also found time to fit in a couple of episodes of 'Lie To Me', which is a fantastic progamme. So that was the evening.
Sunday morning was also a little strange, because they had to be at the church for about 6:30 to set up and do a run through, and obviously, there was no need for me to be there that early. So they arranged a taxi for me at 9:30, so comparatively I had a fair lie-in. Still earlier than I would normally be up on a Sunday, but as I'd also gone to bed quite a bit earlier, that wasn't a problem. Not likely to happen on a regular basis, though. The taxi arrived, dead on time, which was unexpected, but I was waiting for it-almost as unexpected-and off I went to the church. Or, rather, the Cineworld, which they hire on a semi-regular basis. As I was early for church (also unusual for me), I didn't really know what to do, so I asked someone on the Message Trust stand, and she showed me inside, where I saw a friend I hadn't seen for a while, since he moved up to Manchester to work with the Message Trust. That was unexpected-but brilliant. It was nice to chat to him for a bit, and I did get to chat with the In Yer Face guys before it all started, and I was on my own. I was sitting in the front row somewhere I'd never been before with everyone I knew onstage. But on the other hand, I did have a pretty much perfect view.

It was a bit unexpected, as it turned out to be a bit of a multi-media performance, with carols and live music from Twelve Twenty Four (one of the Message Trust bands), and, of course, In Yer Face. with their version of the Nativity, set in Moss Side.  When I first saw the publicity shot, it made me think about the fact that the first Christmas wasn't nice and fluffy at all, like the impression we sometimes get from Christmas cards; and when I saw the show, this was the overwhelming impression I was left with. When God came down to earth as a man, He didn't choose to make it easy-it almost seemed as if He went out of His way to make things difficult for both the people He chose, and by extension, Himself. A very powerful piece all round.

And then afterwards, after all the packing up and goodbyes, as they had to rush off to their next performance, I went out to join the church for tea and cakes. Thumbs up to that! I met up with the friends I knew who go to the church, and went to lunch with them and some of their friends. Which was nice, spending time with them-and their kids, who are smiley, lively and very noisy. Also a nice thing.
And then I went home, in time to get to church on time-so that was twice in one day, and neither was down to me. During the service, the pastor spontaneously asked if anyone had any encouragements of things God has done, so I got up and told them about the play. Which, 'coincidentally' led into what the speaker was talking about-that when God does stuff, it's very rarely nice and easily understandable, except with hindsight. Something I hope I'll remember.

Some Thoughts

I've been thinking a fair bit recently-occasionally I do that, it helps to pass the time. In a rather confused way, I've been thinking about several things, but mainly three; family/God, creation, and (spiritual) gifts. In various ways. So here is where my thoughts have got to so far-recently, anyway.

To start with, a Bible verse-often a good place to start. Matthew 5:48 says "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect", which sounds impossible. However, reading around a bit revealed that the word translated 'perfect' would be better translated 'complete', which gives a slightly different slant on things. Clearly, if we are incomplete, then we cannot make ourselves complete; we can get there one of two ways-either we find what is missing and replace it, or (as is much more likely and doable) we grow into it. And with all the mentions of seeds and plants in the Gospels, we can be pretty sure that Jesus is fond of encouraging growth as well. So, how do we grow?

Well, here are two glimpses of families to give a hint, both true. The first is of someone who adopted a son, as a baby. His friends said that over time the boy grew to look more like his adopted dad, and this was because he was picking up some of his mannerisms, and his accent, and the like. The boy was no biological relation, yet he became more like him, because he spent time with him-a lifetime, in fact. And the second is similar. Someone knew a couple at his gym, who were avid weightlifters, and when he met their children, he was unsurprised to see that they were quite well built too. Seems straightforward enough, until you remember that muscle mass is not an inherited characteristic. The only way the children would have got well built, as it were, is to do the same sort of exercise that their parents were doing. So, in both cases, we have children becoming more like their parents by spending time with them, copying them, and doing what they are doing. Therefore, if we want to be more like God, our heavenly Father, we need to spend time with Him, copying Him, and doing what He is doing. The good thing to remember is that to a certain extent this will happen without our conscious effort; but not all. Some of it will require effort on our part, but it will be rewarded.
So, what does God do? Well, the first thing we see God doing in the Bible is creating, and because we are made in His image, we know we can do the same. Not just build, not just shape (which it tells us He does too), but actually create something new; something that didn't exist before. We also see His love of variety, and just, well, revelling in it. And we also know that He created us to be relational beings, saying it was not good for the man to be alone. So, a good place to start being more like Him is probably to try to create, as well as to revel in what has already been created-by Him or by us. And then share what we create, and what we see, hear, experience. Another thing is that we see Him spend time with Adam and Eve, walking with them in the cool of the afternoon, every afternoon by the sound of it. so, we can be sure that if we want to spend time with Him, He will be more than happy to spend time with us.

More than that, He took the initiative. He said that He came to give life, and life to the full, so He is not only wanting us to be complete, but ready and willing to help us all the way. That's why He came. No matter how bad at it, or reluctant we are.

GODSPELL

I had a good evening out on Saturday, first going for a curry (at the splendid Kashmir), and the going to see the Jacob's Well production 'GODSPELL'. And all to welcome back Lydia from China. No need to tell you about the curry, I'm sure you can guess what that was like-and if you can't, I recommend you get along to the Kashmir as soon as you can. But the play was brilliant!

If you've seen 'Godspell' before, you might think you know what it would be like, but it promised that you wouldn't have seen it like this. As I hadn't, I didn't have anything to compare it to, and can just say it was an amazing production in its own right. From the strong, though confusing, start through to the powerful and emotional end, it grabbed my attention and didn't let go.
The way it was set up onstage was to look like a post-apocalyptic children's playground, as if the characters and world were shaped, defined, by something that had happened in the past. Think 'Mad Max', though I also felt it was something like 'Waiting for Godot'-I don't really know why. So, it started with God coming on and walking through His creation, and then He left. And then the people came on. And from that point, it was pretty much non-stop movement, going from one story to another. Word had got around that there was something different about this performance, and the first thing was pretty obvious-there was no-one playing the character of Jesus. Something you might think would be fairly central to the story, but it was something they used to great effect by the simple device of having a coat that got passed around-the wearer playing Jesus for that moment.
There were a couple of other things added to this production that I don't think are in all versions of this play. one thing was that the characters were responding to what Jesus was saying, as the play went on; and as they 'got it', they were spotlit for a moment, pointing up there was something more to their response than just understanding. And this led to the second part of using the coat-there were a couple of people who never wore the coat, never played Jesus, and when the betrayal scene came about, they were the ones who betrayed Him. And then the crucifixion happened. The first point in the play to have a sustained time of silence and stillness, only broken by one of the betrayers' heartbroken repentance. And then darkness fell. And when the light came back, the characters discovered that the gate at the rear of the stage, which had been locked all through, was standing open. The characters were unsure about what to do for a bit, but it wasn't long before they started to make their way through, including one who finally 'got it' just at that point. And they all left the stage through the gate-except one. He refused, and the lights fell with him just sitting, staring at the floor.

That's what I meant by a powerful and emotional ending. All through the play, it was high energy and a hefty dose of humour, which meant that that ending, when it came, was as moving and memorable as it was unexpected. Congratulations, guys, I'm sure this will stay with people for a long time to come...

Change

I had an unusual week last week, which started off with the visit to Leeds, and it made me think. After getting back, I spent 2 days working in the Gloucester shop, which was different; and then 2 days working on my own, partly due to another member of staff going to hospital (thankfully, he's alright, but will be off for several more days), which was unexpected. So, different and unexpected set the tone for the next few days...

Like, for instance, seeing a friend I hadn't seen for ages. Which was great. Or, phoning my mum and finding out that we'll be spending Christmas at my sister's new place-that I haven't been to yet. Unexpected because we don't usually do that, and different because it's a new place. So that will be great. Different, unexpected, great. However, the biggest two things (Thing One and Thing Two) are quite a bit different-mainly because they're so big. My flatmate told me that he's decided to move out and move back home-to Great Yarmouth-which means that things are all up in the air at the moment as to what is going to happen. All that is certain is that he is definitely leaving at the end of the month. So, that's huge. And, then, a friend mentions that he will be moving soon, and asks if I want to move in with him. I don't know yet, but I'm definitely not dismissing the idea out of hand.  So, whatever happens here, there will be some big changes in my life coming up soon.
And all this made me think about change. I don't really like change. I deal with things slowly, and I like it that way. I know for a fact that if I'd been offered the chance to move before my flatmate decided to move, I almost certainly wouldn't have taken it. And I'd have felt maybe disappointed at an opportunity lost, despite the fact that it would have been my choice. So, what does that say about me-and about life? Well, the main thing to get, that these past few days have reminded me forcefully, is that life is unpredictable. Of course, it's easy to say that, and to say that we believe it; but it's not so easy not only to live knowing it, but also to get to a state where that is (more or less) comfortable. But if that's the way life is, then there's nothing we can do about that; so it's better to accept that and learn to enjoy it. Another point, which is huge but seems small, is that change isn't either good or bad necessarily. Obviously some things are good or bad, but most things just are. And the final point I need to remember-maybe you do too- is that not changing can be in itself a bad thing; it can actually be worse than most changes eventually. So, time to change..?

Visitin' Leeds

Well, after one birthday celebration on Friday, I had another one on Sunday-in Leeds, as you may have gathered. It's my best friend's birthday, and though he's now another year older, he's still younger than me (never mind, eh!).

The plan was that I went up Sunday and stayed til Tuesday, and any other details would be worked out when I got there. Which is what happened, and seemed to work quite well. Apart from almost missing the coach-I got to the station with literally a couple of minutes to spare, but I got there, and once I was on the coach, it was plain sailing (or rather driving). I got there a little late, which was hardly a surprise, and phoned to find out where to go-which turned out to be a bar quite close to where he lives. A nice place with an interesting range of fruity beers. One of which I liked enough to have a whole half of, which, you know, is quite something, as I don't like beer. Well, to be absolutely clear, I can't stand it. Except, apparently, this one. Which I  can't remember the name of, and am never likely to see again anyway. When I got there, I was immediately despatched to buy a round, and then the presents were presented. I then joined in one of the strangest conversations I can remember for a long time. It was clear that the others had been at the bar for quite a while before I got there, as the topics of conversation ranged from soap to the dog's handwriting to food porn. Suffice it to say that some people have unusual suggestions as to what you can do with mushrooms.
After much laughter and a few more rounds, we left his friends and went to his house where we chatted long enough for me to stop feeling tipsy and start feeling a bit ill. Not drink related, but rather annoyingly, a bit of a head cold type thing. Still I didn't have to get up early the next day, so I rested. He was at work, not being able to get time off, so I gradually drifted awake, actually earlier that I would have done on a normal day off, and went into Leeds city centre. By myself. Which was alright, but for the slight problem I had in that my phone battery was almost dead. So I went around a bit-the German market was pretty good, and ended up in Waterstones. Where I texted him to say to meet me there. Which he did, a couple of hours later. So I was left to amuse myself among a host of books for a while-not the most difficult task in the world I've ever had. And then we went back for tea and chat and cards, and more tea-and doughnuts. And again were up until the early hours of the morning. It was a bit more important that I get up at a reasonable sort of time this time, as I had to catch my coach, so we arranged to meet for lunch. Which was nice. However, as far as catching the coach went, I didn't really need to be worried, as it was delayed by almost an hour, due to problems on the motorway. Which was annoying, and a little concerning, as I had to catch another coach at Brum. We actually ended up being even later getting there than when we had left, which I was puzzled by, as we cut one stop from the route; but, thankfully for those of us who did have to catch it, that coach was also delayed, due to problems on another motorway. And so I got home okay, just a little bit delayed in the end, as I didn't spend much time waiting at Brum. All in all, a great, relaxing few days. Nice. And the few things, which at the time, I thought were going to be real problems, turned out not to be really, after all-just minor inconveniences. And so there was no reason to worry. Maybe next time I'll remember, and not worry-and maybe even the time after that.

Bits And Pieces

Well, this week has been another relatively busy week. Which is good, but it has meant I haven't got round to doing another post. On the occasions I did have time, I was often too tired. But it was a good week, all in all. Started off pretty much as normal, what with a quiet day Sunday and church in the evening-and then the pub, which is always fun, just spending time with friends. I did mention to a friend about meeting up to talk about a creativity course I've been planning for a while, but that never happened, as I didn't find my notes-note to self, must remember to look them up this week. And apart from work, all I did Monday was finish off a letter to a friend.

Tuesday was again my day off, and it was quite relaxing this time-I got up late, and just pottered around doing bits and pieces, this and that. A bit of cleaning, a bit of recycling, and attempted to find the notes. I did manage to post the letter, though. And then, in the evening, I went to the theatre. It was the day of 'The Woman In Black', which was definitely not how I was expecting-not least because it appeared to be the play of choice of most of the schools in the locality. Definitely a most watchable play, and amusing, as well as tense in places, despite the over the top screams from some of the teenage girls in the audience. To be honest, that probably made me take it slightly less seriously than I otherwise would. Unfortunately, I can't actually tell you any more, because it would be difficult to describe without giving it away, and it's definitely worth seeing. I recommend it to anyone who likes good theatre-and if you aren't really up for that, then it's almost certainly worth checking out the film. Which meant that Wednesday evening, I relaxed again. I probably should have tried to write a post then, but I was honestly too tired. I fell asleep in the middle of the evening. And then Thursday I was pretty tired, cos I couldn't sleep properly later. And in the evening, it was Hungry For God-our weekly prayer meeting during term time. Also something I would recommend to pretty much anyone. Recently, there has been a lot of God taking charge and really getting us deeper into Him. We had a time of several people sharing what God has been doing in and/or with them. I shared how He has changed me since He first took hold of me all those years ago. And then we prayed and listened to what He wanted to say to us. He told me to stop. I'm not entirely sure what He means by that, so I'm not going to jump the gun. I'll meditate on it for a bit before sharing it-if there's anything clear to share. And then after that, we went to the pub again, and again had a good time chatting with friends. Which is always good.

And then yesterday was a pretty busy day, what with the birthday celebration in the evening. It was a friend's 50th-which to be fair, surprised me. I didn't know I had any friends of that age-apparently I do. So, after getting home, I got ready to go out, before another friend came round. We arrived at the restaurant a little bit late, though we weren't the last to get there. It was just a generally good time-The Everest is a fantastic restaurant for large groups, though I don't go there often. Anyway, there was fine food, fine friends, and good company and conversation. Which was a good way to start the evening. And then we decamped to John's parents house to continue the party. A cake was brought out, though with only 10 candles-no way he's going to convince people he's that age. And presents were unwrapped and the piano was played by one of the guests. John said he was good, but he managed to play 'Bohemian Rhapsody' unaccompanied well enough for (some of) us to sing along. And so I got back lateish, and to bed even later, which again isn't good for my sleep patterns, as I had to be in work today. And when I got back, I fell asleep again, before sorting out going to Leeds tomorrow. More on that later...

'Christianity' - for the masses

A couple of years ago, when I was unemployed, I went to Spring Harvest as a steward for the first time in years-maybe 6 or 7. Which was great fun, and I would definitely recommend it. I've done it every year since, and will do it again. However, this time, it seemed different-I don't know how much because it has changed, and how much because I have. Which is certainly the case.

I have been to New Wine more often than Spring Harvest, and I think of them as being much the same, except in the way they're put together structurally-until this time. I remember a while back flicking through a list of Christian events with descriptions, and it described NW as a worship event, and SH as 'broad church', which puzzled me. In my experience, they were basically the same; but this time, I could see quite a difference in SH. Both have changed over time, they both have become more outward focussed; but SH seems to be interested in more of life than NW-possibly just because it has a physically bigger site, so it can have more seminars. This would mean that could have many seminars that are similar to those at NW, but also more than that. but the main difference is probably in attitude. That year the theme of SH was 'Different Eyes', and one thing I can remember is that there was a presentation about sexuality by a Christian woman in a relationship with a woman-I can't imagine that ever being done at NW.

Anyway, at SH, we were giving out copies of Christianity magazine with a subscription offer-see here for a free sample if you want to know more. And I took one. God wanted me to subscribe to it, so I did. And I have to say I thoroughly enjoy it-which is one reason why I still subscribe 2 years on. In a way, it could be described as 'broad church' in the same way that SH is, in that they have articles on all sorts of things from all sorts of people from many different perspectives. It seems as if the idea is that they want to appeal to as many people as possible in order to introduce them to something new-which definitely works with me. There's stuff to make me think, to make me feel, and just to inform me about stuff that's going on-in Christianity, and 'outside', as it were. I find it very interesting because there's always something unexpected, and it definitely covers things that I know little about. Every time I read it, I am reminded how little I know about what is going on, and how much more there is that I can't even imagine. How much God is doing that I can't even imagine. Which isn't really surprising, as He said He can and would do that. So Him doing it is just backing up what He said. And finding out about it is fantastic. Why don't you have a look at some of the things He is doing?

A Kind Of Busy Day Off

Last week ended up being pretty relaxing, all in all, what with not going out most evenings; and that was great. As I said, it wasn't exactly planned, and certainly didn't start off that way, cos I arranged to meet my mum on my day off. Which meant I had to leave the house earlier than I usually would. I didn't get up any earlier, but normally on a day off, I would get up later. And this time I didn't. But it was worth it.

Obviously, just the fact of spending the day with my mum was good in itself, as I don't get to see her that often-both of us managing to fill our time with all sorts of things. So she asked when my day off was, and we met up in town. On the way I managed to drop some books off at a charity shop-I've been meaning to do that for ages. Our first point of call was Costa in Waterstones, just so we could chat for a bit, catch up before deciding what to actually do. Which was nice. And amusing to see a pigeon come in and wander around because someone decided to stand in the doorway of the balcony are with the door open, chatting. Not so good. And I suppose health and safety people wouldn't have been too impressed by the presence of said pigeon. And then we wandered around Waterstones itself. Which I love doing, cos, you know, I love books. And reading them.

Next we went to the theatre to spend her theatre tokens she got given last year-good thing there's no expiry date. And she booked tickets for us to go to see 'The Woman in Black' in a couple of weeks time-a couple of weeks from then, anyway. Looking forward to that-I've heard only good things about that show. Headed up the High Street, stopping to chat to a friend briefly. Which was nice. And then we went into the arcade to wander around the shops. And found an art gallery. Called White Crescent Art. I didn't know that was there, but it's definitely worth a visit. Go have a look round. And then we went to a shop which was almost an art gallery, in that it sold lots of animal 'sculptures'. All sorts of animals, different sizes, different materials, from slightly bigger than life size insects to ones about as big as me. Those weren't insects, though. Also worth going to. And, you know, if you feel like it, maybe buying something as well. Just to remind yourself of the place. And in between the two was a stall selling 3D pictures of animals. Big cats, sharks, wolves. And meerkats. So, for art or animals, Regent Arcade is the place to go. And then it was time for lunch-somehow that had taken us about 3 hours. After discovering that Swedish cuisine is not really vegetarian friendly, we decided to go to M&S cafe. Which is always good. And after lunch, we did a bit more shopping. A lot more looking around, but only a bit of shopping. Which ended up with mum getting a new pair of glasses, and both of us having hot chocolate from Whittards. Banoffee flavour. And then somehow it was dark. Although it is winter, so it wasn't that late. But home we both went to rest and relax. Which I then carried on doing for the rest of the week. Apart from work, of course- I kind of had to go there.

So, there you go. A very busy day off. But worth it. And we still have 'The Woman in Black' to look forward to.

A Political Post

Well, I've done a few things this week-for instance, my day off was quite busy-but mostly, I've been staying in. Which wasn't really planned, and was very relaxing. So, not having done that much, I thought I'd talk a bit about politics. Because a lot of other people have been talking about that recently, for one reason or another. And, also, because I saw this on a friend's facebook profile, and this pic on another's.


Which made me think a bit-and smirk. But mainly think. I definitely have opinions, as anyone who knows me well would agree, and am not afraid to share them. But I don't often do more than that. However, recently, I did. I signed a petition online a while ago, asking Dominic Mohan to take the bare boobs from The Sun. I don't often read any daily paper, but this is still something I feel to be important-so I signed the petition. And, as is often the case, didn't think much more of it, though I did read the emails they sent to keep me updated with the campaign. And recently, they asked us to support them by not shopping at certain shops for a week. They had selected several of The Sun's biggest advertisers, and  asked us not to shop there for one week, and to consider telling them why. Then they would contact them to ask them to consider stopping advertising with The Sun until Page 3 has been removed.
I had a slight advantage in doing it, in that I didn't read the message until Tuesday, so effectively 2 days of the week had already gone by-thankfully, I hadn't shopped at any of the shops that week. And when I looked at the list, there were only really 2 of the shops that I generally shopped at. However, the problem was that those were my main grocery shops, and both are within a few yards of my house. I actually live above one of them. So, the problem was not just remembering to get groceries from somewhere else; but also remembering not to just pop in when I felt like something on the offchance. Which I knew would be difficult, and I didn't know if I would manage it; but I knew that I could, if I tried. So I did. It made me think about what I bought, and to a certain extent why; and I definitely ended up buying less. And I only went to a takeaway once that I remember. So, I was reminded once again that I can do more than I often think I can-mainly if I actually think, rather than just going through life. And I wonder how much I (we) don't do simply because we don't think; and, more importantly, what we could do if/when we do think.

So, there you go-a political post that's not about politics-or at least not about voting. And to finish, I'll give you links to two other issues I feel strongly about:- marriage and peace. You may not feel strongly about either issue, and if not, you don't have to look; but I do, so I'm doing something. Only a little something, maybe, but doing something is better than doing nothing. At the very least, it keeps it in my mind.                                                                              

Fireworks, No Bonfires

I know it's been a slightly longer time than usual since I last posted. Either this week was particularly busy, or I didn't have much to write about. Or both, I don't really know.

So, here are a few thoughts about Bonfire Night (or Fireworks Night, as you can see from the title, no bonfires were in evidence); which I've actually been thinking about for a while now. Mainly because there were a few kids locally who were out asking for a 'penny for the guy', and they started doing it about two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I live above a shop, and they had decided to position themselves in front of the shop. Quite a smart move on their part, as loads of people passed them over that time, but it meant that almost every time I went in or out I had to go past them. They did ask me a couple of times, but I refused-I didn't want to have to do the same thing every day for two weeks. Though I was sort of impresssed by their tenacity-it got pretty cold at times, and I can't really see that it would have been worth it. But it made me think about the origins of the whole thing. I mean, obviously, it represents Guy Fawkes, but what is the point of the giving-what are people giving money for? Something I've never really thought about before.

So, what did you to celebrate/commemorate this weekend? To be honest, it's not something I've ever really thought about much. I don't dislike it, but I've never really been one much for big gatherings, and this has always seemed more like an excuse than a reason. It may have been different when it first started, but how many people now actually know what was going on, why Guy Fawkes tried to do what he did. And would they be for it or against it? But this year, I did go out to celebrate-with my home group. We met for hot dogs, and then the plan was that we go to the Racecourse to see their display. That turned out to be a bit iffy, because of the weather (yes, no,yes, no, YES), but it cleared up enough in the end that we could go. We didn't go in, partly because we left later than we originally intended, and partly because we just wanted to watch the fireworks and then go back; which we could do quite well enough from outside. Actually, from where we ended up standing, we probably got a better view than if we had been inside, as there were some fireworks that were quite close to where we were. They may not have been from the Racecourse (though I can't imagine who else nearby would bother), but we more or less ended up with two displays-or that's what it felt like, anyway. Which was brilliant. On the way back, I saw some Poles, and I did wonder what they thought of it all-if they had any idea what it was all about. But then, probably the same could be said of almost anyone. Why do we still celebrate this? And then we went back for tea and biscuits (how very English that sounds), and a bit of chat. And very nice it was too.

I was also thinking about the difference between us and the States in this-they don't have Guy Fawkes Night, so Halloween is a much bigger event. It's never really going to get that big over here, I think, simply because we move from one to the other-celebrating the one after October would kind of get in the way of the other. But the other thing it made me think about is why it is that everyone knows about All Hallows Eve, but not All Hallows Day. Or All Saints Day in modern English. Which is November 1st. And the day after that is All Souls Day. Which is hardly celebrated-or even known-even in churches. Why is that, do you think?

Jojo's Big Day

And another weekend when I actually did something. My friends were having their youngest son christened and invited me along. Well, really, as it was at the church I go to anyway, it was just telling me, so I could make sure I was there at the morning service, as I don't always make it. Apparently, there was an actual invitatation, but I never saw that.

And so Sunday morning arrives, and I make the attempt to get up and get there in time. Thankfully, it was the night after the clocks go back, so I effectively had an extra hour to sleep-and I didn't try to push it by deliberately going to bed later. But somehow or other, I still manage to get there late. Not too late, I miss the start of the service, but I'm there for the actual baptism. Which was great. Jojo behaved himself really well, and when the minister asked him if he was excited to be baptised, he said 'yes'. Which was unexpected, but brilliant. And now it's my responsibility, along with everyone else there, to encourage him to grow in his Christian faith. So I will-as much as I can, given that I don't see him that much. However, I am confident in saying that his parents will do that job well.
Then Joseph and all the other children went off to Kidzchurch, and the service continued. The sermon, fittingly, was about evangelism, and was entitled 'You Can Do It'-the point being that God has called us all to evangelise, so He has gifted us all to do it. Well, maybe. I'm not sure I agree. I think that evangelism is a specialised task that He hasn't called everyone to. The church as a whole He has called to make disciples, and obviously evangelism is part of that-it has to be. But I don't think it makes sense that everyone has to do everything-and if there are some who are called to do just evangelism, then doesn't it make sense that there would be those at the other end of the scale as well. However, what He has called each of us to do is "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pe 3:14-16)-that is something to glorify Him. I could say more, but I won't just yet.

So, let's skip the rest of the service, which, you know, went pretty much as you might imagine, and cut straight to the afternoon celebration. After I finally got there-I had to make my own way there, but that's good, as I'll be going there the next couple of weekends, so now I'm confident I can find it-I met up with some friends I hadn't seen for a while. All sorts of friends, from people who moved away years ago who we still keep in touch with, to a guy who recently left to go to train to be a vicar, to Joseph's parents (who I don't get to see that often) and their parents. It was a really nice mix of people, and I did know a fair few of them-most of whom commented that I had long hair last time they saw me, so that's at least 3 years ago. And all sorts of interesting conversations-it's really good catching up with people and finding out what's been going on in their lives. Which was amazingly varied.
And, then, all too soon, it was all over. People were leaving, and going off to their various places in various parts of the country. Which was a shame. But it had to happen-celebrations happen, and then life goes on. And then we tidied up, and I went back to Jojo's house with his parents-which was literally just down the road. Which was nice. As I said, I don't get to see them that often, so that was good. A mixture of TV and chatting happened, and then the children went to bed, after Joseph's older brother reading me the story of the Jews escaping through the Red Sea from his children's Bible-and then telling me what happens next. But I won't spoil it for you. And then we carried on chatting for a bit, and then I got a lift home-with a short detour to take some stuff back. And I don't know about everyone else, but I can definitely say that it was a great day for me, and Jojo certainly seemed to enjoy it too. ;).

Odd Shaped or God Shaped

After getting back from D-Fest, I've been thinking seriously about mission and what and how it could (and should?) be. There is one particular issue that's been on my mind in various forms, and is simply this:-how do we reach those who don't fit? I'll explain in a bit, but the background is that most of the talk I've heard about mission/evangelism over the years has been based on basically one premise. We have a community that we are part of, which we call 'church', and at some point, the idea is that people will become part of 'our' community. This often involves going to 'them' first and developing some sort of relationship, but, eventually, we expect/hope that 'they' will join 'us' in 'our' community-and become part of 'us'. Leaving aside for now the point about us all being one church (a different issue, and for practical reasons, not really relevant to this post), I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that. It works for a lot of people, to the extent that we do have genuine community; and the more we work on that, the better it will get. However, what I've been thinking about, as I said, is those who don't fit. I'm not talking about those whose behaviour is not really conducive to the growth of commmunity (all of us?), but those who for one reason or another can't fit into our version of community.

There are lots of them, for one reason or another, and some of them the church (this time I mean all of us) is better at reaching out to than others. The most obvious are students, those in jail, and people serving in the military in some capacity. It's fairly obvious that each of those groups 'don't fit' in the sense that their lifestyle doesn't allow or encourage them to be part of a local Christian community. Strictly speaking, students can-there is nothing physically stopping them-but they would tend to live in a way that sets them apart from non-students. Now, there are official church chaplains for all of those groups, and other forms of Christian outreach for at least two of them; Christians who are there with them, living alongside (or, at least, visiting often), and who build a community there from a postition of understanding. However, there are many other groups and individuals, who for one reason or another or another 'don't fit'. What about travellers or circus performers, for instance? Or people who work at holiday camps, like Butlins, who live onsite? (After going to Spring Harvest for 3 years in a row and seeing several of the same staff, I did start to wonder what their life is like). People in care homes of one sort or another-or hospices? Or even long term patients in hospitals, especially those whose family can't or don't visit? Now, in some ways, I recognise this is somewhat unfair, as most of these people simply cannot leave their situations easily; so, anyone wishing to take Jesus to them would have to be committed to it for the long haul. It's not something you can really do half heartedly.

So, what about those who could physically join a local Christian community, but live in a way that they are unlikely to come across anyone who might want to introduce them to Him? I mean, for instance, those who mainly work at festivals (as cleaning staff, security, stallholders, etc). Or, on a somewhat subtler level, how about those who work in local nightclubs or music venues:- owners, bar staff, AV guys, even DJs and bands? I'm not saying that they wouldn't ever come across Christians (most of us do believe we're allowed out now and again), but that when they do, they probably wouldn't notice. With probably hundreds of people passing by them every week, how are any of them going to stand out? The only answer I can think of is the answer Jesus modelled, and what He told us to do, indirectly; and that is to build relationships with them. On an ongoing basis. For as long as it takes. In whatever way we can. Which for some of us may mean becoming bar staff, or even a DJ/musician. But not, repeat not, in order to 'reach out'. The only way we can 'reach out' and earn the opportunity to share Jesus is to live. With integrity and living a full life, the life He promised. So, if He has given you a gift of music, then use it and enjoy it to the best of your ability. But, if you just happen to be someone going along to the pub or club on a fairly regular basis, you can do so without leaving Jesus behind when you go. And then maybe, you may end up leaving Jesus with someone when you leave there.

These are just some thoughts, some questions, maybe some answers. Let me know what you think. . .

Post Script Poem - Giving

This subject has continued to be on my mind since I wrote the previous post, and I felt like writing this poem, which came out quite a bit different to how I thought it might. I'll explain a bit at the end of the post.

                                       

Giving

If giving is better than receiving, 

Then we know giving must be a good thing:

Not only does it do good, 

But it does us good

As we do it;

The more we give, the more we gain, 

And those around us gain as well-

God loves those who give hilariously,

As their giving blesses those who see

And those who receive;

And as we give cheerfully, hilariously,

We are blessed ourselves

(Before, during, after).

So give, because giving is good (for you).

The main thing I guess I need to explain is the reference to hilarity. There is a verse in the Bible often translated 'God loves a cheerful giver'; however, the word translated 'cheerful' is actually closer to the word 'hilarious'. So I was thinking about this, and what it could mean, and the only thing I could come up with is that 'cheerful' giving should be giving that is both enjoyable to watch, and inspires the watchers in some way-as well as being enjoyed by the givers themselves.

Incidentally, I got a message from a friend who lives and works in Kenya who liked the previous post-she said she found it interesting, being in the situation she is in. Which is that her and her husband don't have much (money or otherwise), though they have more than enough. Because they don't need much where they are. But, because they still have more than most people they know, they get asked for help a fair bit. But, no matter what they do, there will still be need-that is clear and obvious. But them being there does help - when I was there in the summer, one of the things I did was go to a children's home and help hand out shoes. Shoes that the money was raised for by people from our church - but those people would never have thought about it, or even known, if she hadn't told people. That was something that would never have happened if she hadn't been there. And that made me think about the effect that each of us have that only  we can have, where we are. What can you do - in your place, your situation? What can you do that no-one else can?

Giving-Without Caring

The idea for this post came about shortly after Destruction Fest (see 2 previous posts), as a result of two things that happened that evening. The first was that on my way home one day, I saw a new Big Issue seller who I hadn't seen before, and I really didn't want to stop-I was completely exhausted-so I didn't. And thought about that most of the way home, as much as I was thinking about anything. The second thing was reading this post from a friend who was also at the weekend, about his experience, and what he remembered about the weekend.

So, giving, what about it? And I don't just mean money, but time, and practical help as well. What about it? As far as I can see, there are two ways to think about it-certainly only two that I am aware of ever thinking, though I often think about it in both ways. The first is that we should give, both because we have more than we absolutely need, and because in some vaguely not-quite-defined way giving is good for us. And the second is that giving should arise naturally out of us, that we only really have to think about how to do it best. Some background to the second is that as we grow closer to God, He changes us to become more like Him in character. We give because we want to more and more often, and we also become more aware of the need around us, even actively look for needs to fill. The problem with this is that it doesn't work. What I mean is not that we don't fill (some of) the needs we see, but that that isn't enough. Clearly; there is still need around us.
And the background to the first way of thinking is that we are told to. Not only do we find in the Bible that giving is always talked about positively, and that God loves a cheerful giver; but, more importantly, we are commanded to love everyone. Starting with God, and then others and ourselves in equal measure. However, it seems that nearly everyone has a problem with that most of the time. I know I do. And, all too often, when this is talked about, there is a vague sense of guilt hanging around. Either of feeling we are not doing enough, or that we could be doing more. Or both-the two are different. The first is looking around and seeing need still there; while the second is just knowing when we have reached our limits. And we will reach our limits before all the need is filled. At that point (preferably before), we should step back and rest, recover our strength, and then step forward again. Otherwise, we will collapse and become part of the need, and so making it bigger. Indeed, in the verse where we are told God loves a cheerful giver, we are told to do it 'not reluctantly or under compulsion' (2 Cor 9:7). We need to know our limits and exceed them rarely-there will be occasions to do this, but it should never become a pattern.

And so back to me, because of course it's all about me. Well, maybe not, but ideas need to be grounded in real life, or they remain (almost) unimaginable. So, two more images. The day after that, at a Bible study group, we were talking about helping vulnerable people, and ways we could do it. I used to be part of a group which went out in the evenings and gave out sandwiches and tea/coffee to people on the streets, which I have taken a break from, and started thinking seriously about going back. I needed a break from it, but I now know I will go back. And the following Sunday after a talk that was introduced as being about evangelism but actually talked about compassion practically, I had a long chat with a friend who I met through going out on the streets. When we met him, he was in a really bad way, but due to many people in the church and God (his words, more or less), he has sorted himself out. I don't lay claim to being a good person, but things I have been involved with have changed people's lives for the better. But there is still need. There always will be, but I can do something. And doing something is better than doing nothing.

DESTRUCTION!!! Part 2:More than Destruction

And so I got to the meeting about 20 mins late, which you might have thought would be a bad thing. Not really the case, in this case. As any Christian knows, a meeting which is due to start at on the hour, can in reality start any time from quarter past. This one actually started at about 7:50, which meant I had plenty of time to get myself settled, have a cup of tea (of course), and chat to a few people before anything important happened. Loudly. Let me be absolutely clear that two guitars in a small space (one electric) will, without doubt, demand your attention. They used the same set-up for the church service on the Sunday, and the main difference between the two was that more happened in the church.

After starting by worshipping (loudly), we moved on to the main business of the evening-praying for people. It was originally supposed to be praying about what people are getting involved with back home where they are, but apparently God had other ideas. People came up to ask for prayer about what was going on in them, which was both powerful and moving-to know that they trusted people with what was going on with them, and that people obviously cared. I don't really want to go into any more detail, as I don't feel it would exactly be appropriate. It's not my things to share. And then more people arrived shortly before the end of the meeting, but to be fair, they had come from Chesterfield. A rapid tidy-up followed, and then we decamped to a pub-the one where the gig would be held the next evening. And then another. And much merriment followed.

The next day was very busy, but thankfully didn't start too early. I got up at about 9:30, which was actually a fair bit later than I would normally get up on a Saturday, so that was good, and I had a relatively leisurely journey to Islington where I was meeting a friend-and on the way discovered that my phone battery was almost dead. Which would make things tricky to keep in touch over the weekend if we separated. Oh well. The event we were attending during the day was a celebration of 30 years of  Workshop. It was an interesting and fun day, but although for my friend it felt like coming home, I had a distinct feeling of not quite fitting. So, for that reason, I don't feel that I should really say more; as I definitely wouldn't do it justice. I enjoyed it, it was fun and interesting, and it was good to spend the day with him; we shall leave it at that. Apart from to say it gave both of us plenty to talk about later, and we are both fully agreed that Universalism is not true Biblically. And then we came to the evening, where we had a bit of a problem-there were two gigs to go to, D-Fest and a gig connected to the Workshop 30 day, and we both wanted to go to both. We decided to do a bit of travelling between venues, and see what we could see. So we missed the first bit of D-Fest and saw the first guy on, and I for one wished we hadn't. I fell asleep during his set. Let's say he was brilliant at what he does, it's just not for me. Or it could have been that I was really tired. Or maybe something else. Anyway, we got to D-Fest, and I was quite happy to stay where I was from that point, so I did. And definitely feel I made the right choice, if only for Seventh Angel-their first UK gig for 20 years. I thought they were brilliant; something I wasn't alone in thinking, I'm certain. I look forward to hearing more from them here....

And so, after finally getting to bed at some ridiculous hour (our hostel had a bar that stayed open until 3a.m.-though we weren't there quite that long), we had to be up and about in time to check out at 10. I'd discovered that didn't mean we actually had to leave the building, just hand over the keys, so I went to have a shower after that. And I felt so much better after that-almost awake, in fact. Anyway, we left and grabbed breakfast in a nearby pub, and then went to check out the British Library, cos we're cultured, like-and it was basically just across the road. I definitely recommend it-it's a striking maze of a building, and you never know what you might see around the corner. Or who. In this case, it was a fellow D-fest attendee, who we both knew. Which was nice. And we saw some very old Bibles. Which was interesting. And then it was time for us to leave and go back into the real world, as my friend had to catch a coach back to his life. I still had 1 1/2 hours before the D-Fest closing service, and once again, I managed to be late. Which appears to be a real skill I have. Anyway, I got there and celebrated with all. It was a very informal (and, obviously, loud) church service with people wandering in and out, and then people drifted around and chatted for a while-apparently a more or less typical Glorious Undead service, by all accounts. Which was generally just really relaxing and really nice, as well as worshipful-I will definitely remember it and the people for a long time to come (definitely the people, as I'm keeping in touch with several, so I won't be able to, even if I wanted to). And then I had to make my way home. I had thought that a 5:30 coach would be fine to catch, but as I didn't leave Camden Town until almost 4:50, the journey to Victoria was a bit fraught. Especially as I realised that my return ticket was on my phone, and I didn't know what the battery situation was like. Well, you'll be pleased to know that for basically the first time that weekend, I managed to get somewhere on time...

And so I caught the coach, and got home. And just generally relaxed after an absolutely stupendous weekend. I won't forget the people I met, and I look forward to meeting up with them again at some point. maybe the next D-Fest, whenever that may be, but hopefully sooner. Who knows what might happen..?

DESTRUCTION!!! Part 1 (Eve of Destruction!)

Well, another weekend when I was busy. Very busy this time. This time I was down London way for the third Destruction Fest-a Christian metal festival put on by a church called Glorious Undead, who have a particular desire to reach out to those in that music scene. They are linked to the Elim network, and work together with St Michael's, Camden Town, where they are based.

I first heard rumours of a planned D-Fest several months ago, which was exciting, as it's by no means a regular occurrence; the last one was three years ago. They do them every so often, as they are not a money making venture-the last one was free, and this one was to raise money for a local homeless charity, where they pledged to double whatever money was raised over the weekend. So, it's not something they feel they can make a regular feature in their calendar. I guess that's the reason, anyway.
So, quite a few people I know were at the least intrigued when these rumours started circulating, rumours which quickly became confirmed fact. So I knew I wanted to go, and a couple of others who might want to go as well, so it was just down to whether we would. I talked about going for quite some time without doing anything about it, until I got to a point where I just had to make a decision. So I spoke to one of my friends, and said 'so, are we going or what?'-nothing like passing the buck when it comes to decision making. Anyway, the upshot was that we decided we would go, so we left it that he would book us somewhere to stay in London. There were a couple of practical reasons for this. one was that he is much better with computers than me, so I expected he would do it no problem (whereas I would probably procrastinate-no, make that definitely); and second, at that point, he wasn't sure exactly when he would come down, or if he would stay for the whole weekend, so it made sense for him to work that out, and then let me know what he'd sorted. And it had the added advantage that, if he was doing that, I could assume that it was happening, so I wouldn't change my mind. Probably. So, I booked the time off work (you know, quite useful to know I could go), and then pretty much forgot about it. Until just a few weeks away, when I realised we hadn't sorted anything definite out. It got slightly more complex on each side when we each found other things to do that weekend-some in London, some not. So, after a couple of frantic couple of phone calls, we finally worked out where we would be staying, and (important) where it was in relation to the places we wanted to go over the weekend-4 in total. And then I realised I hadn't done anything about sorting out transport, with less than a week to go. Thankfully, it's pretty easy to get to London-seems quite a few people want to go there. The only slight difficulty was that a friend wanted to show me a church in London, and I'd said I could do this weekend and then hadn't heard any more about it from her. Were we going or not? How long would I need to stay in London? (As it turned out, probably longer than I did.) I booked my ticket there, so at least I knew I could get there, and then I was ready. As ready as I ever am, anyway.

So, on Friday morning, I got up bright and early (well, alright, not early); and got myself ready. I had plenty of time, so I left the house with just enough time to catch the coach. Well, actually plenty of time, as it was late-not that that mattered much as I had about 4 hours to play with at the other end. And I still managed to arrive late to the prayer meeting which kicked the whole weekend off. But, at least I HAD ARRIVED...

What I didn't do at the weekend.

Well, I know I said I don't go out much, but as of Thursday eve, it looked like I might be having a very busy weekend this one just gone. Shame it didn't quite work out that way.
On Friday, I could have gone to a talk about climate change by a local group with links to Christian Ecology Link, which sounded interesting. Saturday I was supposed to be watching a couple of friends torment themselves with (very) hot chillis-I may have even be persuaded to join them. And I was reminded that I was invited to lunch with some friends, after which we were intending to Skype a friend in China Sunday afternoon. So, what actually happened?

Well, I went out Friday evening with the best of intentions. I was quite looking forward to the talk, even though I felt so tired I could well have fallen asleep, but I couldn't find it. Seriously. It shouldn't have been that difficult, but for some reason, it was. I wandered up and down the street a couple of times, but didn't find anywhere obviously being a venue for a talk on climate change. I was actually quite irritated-not so much because I didn't get to go, but because it shouldn't have happened that way. And I'm now slightly bothered as to where this venue actually is. Maybe I'll find it one day. Saturday was a similar story, in that I was fully intending to go, but didn't get there-this time, I didn't even leave the house. I got home from work (admittedly going via Costa), and then fell asleep. That wouldn't have been so much of a problem, if I'd managed to get a lift-I did ask a friend who lives round the corner, but she got taken ill and couldn't go out. So, it would have taken me about an hour to get there. That's the problem when you don't drive-things take so much longer than they otherwise might. Anyway, I was tired, and really not up to a long journey. So I didn't go. Shame. By all accounts, much amusement was derived from seeing them change colour after they ate the chillis. And I missed it!
And on Sunday, it was a bit up in the air as to whether I would get out in the afternoon after my landlord said he was coming round to pick up the rent cheques. Which could have been any time from about 2. I did think about going along earlier and then getting back here for 2, but it's a good thing I didn't, as he actually came about quarter to 2. Which is pretty much unheard of. I can't remember a time when he's been early before. So, then, I had the important decision of whether to go and catch up with what they were up to. And God told me to stay in and pray for a bit-thankfully they weren't expecting me. So, that turned out to be quite relaxing, just spending time with God. My flatmate was out, so there were no interruptions, and I could just kind of sit. With God. Which was brilliant-I definitely recommend it.
So, was that it? Did I actually go anywhere that weekend? Well, yes actually-Sunday evening I went to an event called Seek His Face, which was set up by a couple of friends. Other friends. Although they mostly know each other. The idea is for people from different churches to get togeher and worship. Together. It's been at the same place the first couple of times, but the idea is it will move around. The next two are pretty much planned already-come along if you can! Anyway, I went along and worshipped. On my own. And I wasn't the only one doing so. I looked round occasionally, and saw most of the people around the walls pretty much spending time with Him on their own, though in company. God was there in a most powerful but gentle way-at least for me. It was kind of an extension of what I was doing in the afternoon. I can't remember asking him anything or Him telling me anything, but I was very aware that He was there. With me, around me, in me. Always. I'm definitely looking forward to the next 'Seek His Face' event.
So, what did I learn from that-apart from that it's alway worth spending time with God. Just that things don't always work out the way you plan, or even think they might; but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just a thing. There's an old Jewish saying quoted by Woody Allen-'if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans'-and, if that's the case, I need to remember to hold on to things loosely.

What I learned from books (0.5)

I think it's fair to say I don't do much in my life. I'm currently reading 'Yes Man' by Danny Wallace, about how he chose to start saying 'yes' to the opportunities life can give, after realising that he basically hadn't gone out anywhere for most of a year; and, while I'm nowhere near that bad (who is, apart from Danny?), 'going out' and 'doing things' definitely isn't the general pattern of my life. Though, saying that I did go to a leaving party last week for a friend who's going to Mozambique for a few months. And tomorrow I'm going to watch another friend poison himself with very hot chillis he's grown himself (habaneros-350,000 Scovilles, apparently). And Sunday looks to be pretty busy also. So, you know, I do 'go out', but overall that probably wouldn't be enough to keep writing about on it's own; so, I thought I'd come up with something else to say now and again.

So, here is the first in an occasional series, which I'll put up whenever I haven't done anything worth remembering, and can think of something to say. Which might not be that often. We'll see. As I said in the last post, one thing I do do is read. A lot. For anyone who may be interested in knowing exactly how much, you may be able to see the current total here. I hope so, anyway. And from reading this much, I've come to see that a lot of books say very similar things. A very smart chap a long time ago said that 'there is nothing new under the sun', which seems reasonable, so, you know, hardly surprising that there are patterns. So, unlike learning from cats or TV shows, I've learned some stuff (maybe not a lot, definitely not everything) from books. Or, at least from reading.
So, in this sort of introduction (that's why 0.5), I'll unleash my first conclusion. Are you ready? Here goes, then-what people say about things, and what they actually are may not be the same. Seems pretty obvious, and it probably is; but it's amazing how often people seem to forget this in everyday life. Or at least I do. Almost certainly because it's easier-and definitely quicker. In the same way that people really know that most films that come from books are not accurate, but talk as though when they've seen the film, they know the book. Or that a cover version just may not be the same as the original (ya think!?). It seems that most people think/behave in a way that they form their opinions from a cloud of half formed bits of ideas. I know I often do something along those lines, but I aim (hope?) to keep challenging myself on this.

Anyway, I will unfold this a bit with a couple of examples. First, how 'Dracula' annoys me-not the book, but the films; or rather, the way no-one seems to know the book. As I said before, most films which come from books are not accurate, and this is particularly so with this one. As I seem to be one of the few people in the world who read the book before seeing any films based on it (I think I was 13), I find it difficult to watch any of the films which claim to be based on the book-'Dracula A.D.1972', however is definitely worth watching. Most of these films are incredibly inaccurate (ironically, apparently 'Dracula-Dead And Loving It' by Mel Brooks is pretty accurate), the 'best' (worst?) of these, certainly the best known, is the awful 'Francis Ford Coppela's, sorry, my mistake, Bram Stoker's Dracula', where about all he got right was the characters names. And that Dracula was a vampire. I suppose we can give him that, at least. So, the point is never read a book before seeing any films based on it? Or films about Dracula only work if they don't try to be anything like Dracula? I guess either of those could be a point, but to get back to what I was saying earlier, the point is that the films (what people 'say') and the book (what it actually is) may not be (alright, definitely aren't) the same. At all.
That was me being ever-so-slightly cynical. Or possibly just annoyed. So, on a more positive note, here's what I have to say about 'Pride and Prejudice', which I finally got around to reading sometime last year. And then read most of the rest of what Austen wrote, cos, you know, I actually quite enjoyed it. I like most of her books, with the exception of 'Mansfield Park', which for some reason I've never been able to finish. I don't think 'P&P' is the best, my favourite is 'Persuasion', basically because pretty much nothing happens. Sounds a bit strange, but it works-probably why there's not many films based on it, though. Anyway, I used to have this sneaking suspicion that classic literature was in general quite boring; until I decided to actually read a fair bit of it. And found that there's a lot of good stuff out there. What I didn't realise about Austen, cos I've never heard anyone say it, but she was very, very funny. She had a very dry wit, which is particularly clear in her short stories. My favourite is about a man who gets married, and then decides to go travelling-without his wife-comes back a while later, flirts with a woman in a coach, and then discovers that's his wife, and they live very happily ever after. Unfortunately, I've now ruined that one for you, as the actual story isn't much longer. And the other thing I discovered is that 'P&P' is not a love story, primarily-I don't think Austen ever intended to write love stories. I think what she wrote (and what she intended to write) was sort of satires (gently) poking fun of the society that she lived in/around. The reason why there's so much bout marriage in what she wrote is simply because that's what life was all about for most people of her social status-she didn't really have anything else to write about. But don't just take my word for it, read her books (especially the short stories), and see for yourself.

And that's the point, as much as this has a point. Things may not be as they seem, appearances can be deceptive; so, why not actually check things out for yourself. Remembering, in the words of G. K. Chesterton, "the point of having an open mind, like an open mouth, is to close it on something solid".

In the beginning..?

Well, here I am, finally. I've been thinking about doing this for...oh, well over a couple of years now. I've been putting it off, because, well, what have I got to write about? And would anyone really want to read it? However, due to the fact that a couple of friends said when I mentioned it that they thought I would write something interesting, I figured, maybe they're right. And if so, then probably someone will read it. You know, maybe as many as 10. Or 11, including me.

So, back to the first question-what do I have to write about? Well, I have a few ideas here and there, scattered about randomly, but to start off with, I thought I'd write about me. Not (just) because I might be incredibly self obsessed, but there are actually some fairly good reasons to do so. Maybe. First, because I haven't really thought about a direction of where this is going to go, so I may as well give you some background-you know, some idea of some things that might pop up now and then. Also, down to the idea that when you don't know what to write, write what you know; at least to start. And while I may not know as much about me as I probably think I do, I do know something. So, that gives me somewhere to start-and, you, when you've read it, some idea of whether you want to read any more. I hope at least some of you do, but if you don't, you're probably right. I mean, you know what you like, and all.

So, then, who am I? Or, maybe what (apart from maybe self obsessed-I mean, here I am, randomly wittering on, in the hope that maybe someone will want to read it)? Well, I think, the most important thing (possibly the only important thing) is that I am me, and I am unique. That's two things, but then there were two questions. Who and what. Now, let's be absolutely clear here-I'm not saying that there is no-one like me. That's nonsense, there are loads of people like me-I mean, for a start, there are only a limited number of ways facial features can be arranged. I have two eyes and ears and one nose and mouth, and they're arranged pretty much as they're supposed to be. I guess. In general, most people seem to have them more or less the same way. So, in general, there are several billion people who are like me. More specifically, there are people who share some of the same thoughts, beliefs, opinions and tastes as me. Some of them. I know several people who read almost as much as me, and like a lot of the same books. I know several people who like a lot of the same music as me-though I've been getting to listen to a LOT more since I started playing around with Spotify. (Recently, I've listened to Guided By Voices, Skrillex and Carrie Underwood because someone mentioned them, and because I could-that's pretty random, I think. I like all of them, mostly.) There might even be a few other people who think that this post is interesting enough to be worth putting up. So. There are people like me.
But, and this is the important point, there is only one person who is exactly like me. Only one me. I am unique, because God made me that way. That's the good news. And the even better news? So are you.