I know Marc has mentioned on his blog, about how we accept other people's theology without really questioning it: that our understanding often comes from others without us really learning it for ourselves. In the past I've certainly questioned ideas that form part of church tradition with no biblical basis, and I'm sure it'll happen again after this.
I was reading in Luke this evening about the events surrounding Jesus birth and the period shortly afterward. It's an interesting section because of the stories surrounding that time, as the actual birth is simply recorded as happening at Bethlehem, almost as though it's a side issue. The story of the shepherds and angels is also well known, and much is made of that in Sunday school plays round the world.
But there's 2 interesting stories that are effectively ignored, possibly because they are less susceptible to cuteness or commercial application: Simeon and Anna. They MUST have been included because they carried meaning for Luke, and they're a little like looking through a keyhole for me, seeing there's a 'world' beyond the door that I'm getting little glimpses of.
The bit of received knowledge that these stories break down for me is the idea that between the last book of the bible (Malachi) and the coming of Jesus there was a period of 400 years when God did not speak to Israel. I don't know exactly where I got this from: it may be baptist tradition, orthodox theology or just something peculiar to the church I grew up in, but I've heard it talked about by others. Yet here are 2 people, Anna and Simeon who are both clearly hearing God speak in an accurate and direct way, both full of the Spirit. Anna is even described as a prophetess.
Now it would be true that Israel didn't have a prophet/judge character to lead them like Moses or Samuel in this period, but both these characters were OLD, and were clearly not novices in hearing God and speaking about Him. In fact Anna is described as telling everyone who was withing range about who Jesus was and what He was going to do: not the typical actions of an 84 year old lady.
This makes me think back to when I read the Apocrypha a couple of summers back. The books were pulled together from materials produced during the intervening years, and bits of it have the ring of biblical truth to them, while other parts feel like religious mythology. Now I'm not interested in material from this period, other than from a purely historical perspective - I certainly don't believe there are mysteries tucked away or significant truths to be discovered, just like the other 'gospels' are of no value outside historical interest. But it seems entirely likely that *some* of this was genuine prophesy, given to Israel for those years, and no longer carrying authority like the words we currently recognise as scripture. just like prophetic words now do not carry the same authority as the bible, but instead need to be checked that they line up with it.
If you read this far - well done!
Monday, 30 November 2009
It's been a highly eventful weekend.
For one thing, I've spent nearly 2 hours removing blood (not ours) from the livingroom carpet, mostly successfully. Pray for Christopher, please, to get well soon.
Saturday we spent at Portsmouth with Daring Dan and the Lovely Kita.
Naturally I took a camera, and managed to grab a few shots. Kita is quite serious and good at photography, so inspired by her example I decided to try something different, post-processing wise for some of them. Pics here and an example below.
Saturday we spent at Portsmouth with Daring Dan and the Lovely Kita.
Naturally I took a camera, and managed to grab a few shots. Kita is quite serious and good at photography, so inspired by her example I decided to try something different, post-processing wise for some of them. Pics here and an example below.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
What is the direct opposite of google's Chrome OS?
Opera unite.
It's been a long time since I saw something on the web that seemed fresh and a good idea, but this seems like a GREAT thing to do. Sure there are downsides: not least is the likely impact on local bandwidth if every person connected to the net (well, the odd couple of % who are already Opera users - maybe not such a big deal after all) all start making content available directly off their own PCs instead of some 3rd party servers. And you'll have to have a server running 24/7 to maintain availability of content.
I'm going to look into this very seriously over the next few weeks with a view to migrating all my images across to a spare box at home running Opera Unite (probably under Linux). I also feel like a broadband upgrade (same connection speed for the last 5 years at a medium cost) could be happening shortly. Ben will be pleased about that!
It's been a long time since I saw something on the web that seemed fresh and a good idea, but this seems like a GREAT thing to do. Sure there are downsides: not least is the likely impact on local bandwidth if every person connected to the net (well, the odd couple of % who are already Opera users - maybe not such a big deal after all) all start making content available directly off their own PCs instead of some 3rd party servers. And you'll have to have a server running 24/7 to maintain availability of content.
I'm going to look into this very seriously over the next few weeks with a view to migrating all my images across to a spare box at home running Opera Unite (probably under Linux). I also feel like a broadband upgrade (same connection speed for the last 5 years at a medium cost) could be happening shortly. Ben will be pleased about that!
Faith.
I wondered idly this morning whether Matt 17 v20 was Jesus explanation of the placebo effect?
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
God keeps pulling me back to Matthew
Matthew 12, that is.
There's an awful lot in there. I can see/imagine applications for almost all of it, but tonight was the second evening in a row I've felt told to go read that passage. Wonder what He's really trying to say that I'm not hearing clearly, because I certainly didn't feel like I heard clearly tonight or last night? And is it teaching/learning or prophetic (or both)?
There's an awful lot in there. I can see/imagine applications for almost all of it, but tonight was the second evening in a row I've felt told to go read that passage. Wonder what He's really trying to say that I'm not hearing clearly, because I certainly didn't feel like I heard clearly tonight or last night? And is it teaching/learning or prophetic (or both)?
Last night I had a car crash
Nothing serious, all quite low speed stuff, probably my fault. Made a mess of the pug drivers door, left me shaky but there were no other effects and this morning I didn't feel any lasting side effects.
Today tell the insurance people, admit liability, give the details etc. Hopefully the repair service people will come for the car tomorrow.
Straight after the crash when we'd got out of the cars to talk & exchange contact info the other driver saw the Alpha sticker in the back of my car and exclaimed about doing Alpha in London. He'd not done the full course, just 3 or 4 meetings, but he'd come away with a positive experience. So we talked a little about it, while I could feel myself starting to shake a bit. Exchanged phone numbers, went separate ways amicably.
Lord, next time you want me to talk about Alpha with someone, couldn't I just meet them in the street?
*edit*
Somewhat dis-chuffed with the other driver & GF. I spoke with him the morning after and specifically asked "are you OK?" to which I was told "yes". This morning I have a claim from his people telling me he has all kinds of back injuries and whiplash. This is not cool.
Today tell the insurance people, admit liability, give the details etc. Hopefully the repair service people will come for the car tomorrow.
Straight after the crash when we'd got out of the cars to talk & exchange contact info the other driver saw the Alpha sticker in the back of my car and exclaimed about doing Alpha in London. He'd not done the full course, just 3 or 4 meetings, but he'd come away with a positive experience. So we talked a little about it, while I could feel myself starting to shake a bit. Exchanged phone numbers, went separate ways amicably.
Lord, next time you want me to talk about Alpha with someone, couldn't I just meet them in the street?
*edit*
Somewhat dis-chuffed with the other driver & GF. I spoke with him the morning after and specifically asked "are you OK?" to which I was told "yes". This morning I have a claim from his people telling me he has all kinds of back injuries and whiplash. This is not cool.
How do you know when something is different?
About yourself, that is?
Not that I'm given to introspection (it's a damn silly practice most of the time anyway) but something has changed: I don't seem to be getting depressed any more. I can trace back to pretty much when it changed too. It was a couple or 3 days after I posted 'it's not enough to say I hate it'. I can't give you a day, but I can tell you to within that time frame.
What's changed? I've had flu and been quite unwell over the last 3 weeks, and in fact that almost perfectly coincides with when I hit rock-bottom health wise, 3 weeks ago. But getting ill is no reason to stop being depressed.
There's 2 things that stand out from that time.
One was that I determined (with a rather thick, fuzzy head) that I was just going to do my best to play whatever songs I had to play, just to help out. The other was that I started playing guitar 'properly' again.
When I was younger I can remember going stir-crazy on 2 week holidays with Chris, not being able to play, because normally I was playing so (relatively) much at home. My hands would almost convulse, and I'd hold approx guitar neck-sized objects and just finger chord shapes or lead lines sometimes. But that was 25 years ago, and I've changed a lot since then, play much less, don't really have withdrawal symptoms any more.
So I'd hate to think that's what has caused it, not least because I don't want to be dependent on anything like that these days, but the possibility lurks at the back of my mind.
Maybe it's time to make that non-church worship band I've been pondering so long a reality? Rachel - if you're reading, we should talk.
*edit*
There's something else that's different: the church is changing. In the past I've quite seriously wondered whether I were having some of the issues I did in a prophetic sense (might have even posted about it). A week last Sunday we got together and fasted for a day with continuous prayer going on out of obedience to what we felt God was saying through a number of different people. Now that IS different. There's other stuff coming through too, but I quite seriously wonder if this is the real key.
Not that I'm given to introspection (it's a damn silly practice most of the time anyway) but something has changed: I don't seem to be getting depressed any more. I can trace back to pretty much when it changed too. It was a couple or 3 days after I posted 'it's not enough to say I hate it'. I can't give you a day, but I can tell you to within that time frame.
What's changed? I've had flu and been quite unwell over the last 3 weeks, and in fact that almost perfectly coincides with when I hit rock-bottom health wise, 3 weeks ago. But getting ill is no reason to stop being depressed.
There's 2 things that stand out from that time.
One was that I determined (with a rather thick, fuzzy head) that I was just going to do my best to play whatever songs I had to play, just to help out. The other was that I started playing guitar 'properly' again.
When I was younger I can remember going stir-crazy on 2 week holidays with Chris, not being able to play, because normally I was playing so (relatively) much at home. My hands would almost convulse, and I'd hold approx guitar neck-sized objects and just finger chord shapes or lead lines sometimes. But that was 25 years ago, and I've changed a lot since then, play much less, don't really have withdrawal symptoms any more.
So I'd hate to think that's what has caused it, not least because I don't want to be dependent on anything like that these days, but the possibility lurks at the back of my mind.
Maybe it's time to make that non-church worship band I've been pondering so long a reality? Rachel - if you're reading, we should talk.
*edit*
There's something else that's different: the church is changing. In the past I've quite seriously wondered whether I were having some of the issues I did in a prophetic sense (might have even posted about it). A week last Sunday we got together and fasted for a day with continuous prayer going on out of obedience to what we felt God was saying through a number of different people. Now that IS different. There's other stuff coming through too, but I quite seriously wonder if this is the real key.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
It's different for... people.
Read this today on Linea's blog.
"A Hasidic story tells of a rabbi’s son who used to wander in the woods. The rabbi asked his son, "I wonder why each day you walk in the woods?" The boy replied, "I go there to find God." "That’s very good, son. But, don't you know that God is the same everywhere?" "Yes," the boy answered, "but I’m not.""
I have to remember this, both for other people and for myself. I am inclined not to recognise places and times as special, when they mean something to other people. I may also be affected by times and places but not realise that I have been.
"A Hasidic story tells of a rabbi’s son who used to wander in the woods. The rabbi asked his son, "I wonder why each day you walk in the woods?" The boy replied, "I go there to find God." "That’s very good, son. But, don't you know that God is the same everywhere?" "Yes," the boy answered, "but I’m not.""
I have to remember this, both for other people and for myself. I am inclined not to recognise places and times as special, when they mean something to other people. I may also be affected by times and places but not realise that I have been.
Monday, 23 November 2009
What's wrong with my discs?
My Macbook resolutely refuses to recognise the Memorex 52X 700Mb CD-Rs that I've been using successfully in every other computer with a CD drive for the last 3 years. I've just had to do the credit card trick again, as it simply refuses to recognise the presence of a disc in the drive, even to the point where holding down eject while starting up does nothing (and startup seems to take forever these days).
Burned a DVD-R fine. Weird.
Burned a DVD-R fine. Weird.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Out of the Linux installs
....that I've done in the last couple of weeks: Fedora 12, Ubuntu Studio and Sabayon, as an OS I'd want to use on a daily basis, I'm still a fan of Sabayon.
Unfortunately when it installed GRUB onto the bootable drive that already contained Fedora it failed to recognise Fedora being there, and has prevented me booting that OS too. Dual-booters beware - it doesn't seem to have an auto-detect mode, which is a little odd.
One of the slightly more bizarre things, presumably because it's free (as in non-proprietary): Fedora didn't recognise my Nvidia graphics card and therefore didn't install drivers. Having said that, Fedora fonts were a long was ahead of Ubuntu fonts for clarity, even if they are a little odd, but was still less good than Sabayon. It also told me that it didn't recognise my sound card, which is bizzare, since it's a vanilla Soundblaster PCI card.
Fedora and Sabayon were quite fast too: not blazing quick, but not much slower than XP on this machine. However the real test was DVD playback. I never had the chance to test it with Fedora, but with Sabayon it was as good as a winbox. The dragon player is a bit sparse on controls, but it also comes with VLC loaded, so theoretically there's no reason not to use that if it's your preferred player.
In the hope of getting Ubuntu studio up and running today I ran the various tests available, including 90min worth of memory tests (boy, does that RAM get hot when it's being worked hard). Verified the disc - all fine. Everything passed, so I went on to try another install - to no avail - it's failing toward the end of installing packages. Installation is also REALLY slow - at least 1 hour, compared to around 40min Fedora and 35min Sabayon (S is a fair bit smaller) - and because it requires input several times during install it's not a walk-away job. I may resort to 8.04, just to give it a spin.
So if you have a machine that's a couple of years old and fancy a change, I'd certainly recommend Sabayon 5 as an interesting alternative to M$ and Apple.
Unfortunately when it installed GRUB onto the bootable drive that already contained Fedora it failed to recognise Fedora being there, and has prevented me booting that OS too. Dual-booters beware - it doesn't seem to have an auto-detect mode, which is a little odd.
One of the slightly more bizarre things, presumably because it's free (as in non-proprietary): Fedora didn't recognise my Nvidia graphics card and therefore didn't install drivers. Having said that, Fedora fonts were a long was ahead of Ubuntu fonts for clarity, even if they are a little odd, but was still less good than Sabayon. It also told me that it didn't recognise my sound card, which is bizzare, since it's a vanilla Soundblaster PCI card.
Fedora and Sabayon were quite fast too: not blazing quick, but not much slower than XP on this machine. However the real test was DVD playback. I never had the chance to test it with Fedora, but with Sabayon it was as good as a winbox. The dragon player is a bit sparse on controls, but it also comes with VLC loaded, so theoretically there's no reason not to use that if it's your preferred player.
In the hope of getting Ubuntu studio up and running today I ran the various tests available, including 90min worth of memory tests (boy, does that RAM get hot when it's being worked hard). Verified the disc - all fine. Everything passed, so I went on to try another install - to no avail - it's failing toward the end of installing packages. Installation is also REALLY slow - at least 1 hour, compared to around 40min Fedora and 35min Sabayon (S is a fair bit smaller) - and because it requires input several times during install it's not a walk-away job. I may resort to 8.04, just to give it a spin.
So if you have a machine that's a couple of years old and fancy a change, I'd certainly recommend Sabayon 5 as an interesting alternative to M$ and Apple.
Imelda Marcos visits Somerton.
That may be a little obscure for some.
We recently changed beds: been using the last one more than 10 years, and it was pre-owned before we got it. The one before that was our very first, and we've been married 28 years now. Our reason for changing was that we'd both been getting pains in various parts, probably due to nerves in our necks and shoulders getting upset.
Anyway.
We stored a lot of stuff in the old bed, including shoes. Chris just reminded me that I'd not blogged about it - she had 52 pairs! In justification, they were collected over a very long period, the oldest being 22 years old (she had trouble trying them on, as she was heavily pregnant with Ben at the time).
I had a mere 15 pairs, the oldest of which I bought when I was 15, and were my first pair of real cycling shoes. Another pair I also remember buying for a friend's wedding - when they came back from honeymoon we told them about Chris being pregnant with Ben.
Maybe we do hoard a bit. Dixie - looks like we need some of your ruthlessness!
We recently changed beds: been using the last one more than 10 years, and it was pre-owned before we got it. The one before that was our very first, and we've been married 28 years now. Our reason for changing was that we'd both been getting pains in various parts, probably due to nerves in our necks and shoulders getting upset.
Anyway.
We stored a lot of stuff in the old bed, including shoes. Chris just reminded me that I'd not blogged about it - she had 52 pairs! In justification, they were collected over a very long period, the oldest being 22 years old (she had trouble trying them on, as she was heavily pregnant with Ben at the time).
I had a mere 15 pairs, the oldest of which I bought when I was 15, and were my first pair of real cycling shoes. Another pair I also remember buying for a friend's wedding - when they came back from honeymoon we told them about Chris being pregnant with Ben.
Maybe we do hoard a bit. Dixie - looks like we need some of your ruthlessness!
To Chris this morning:
"I'm a worship guitarist - why do I keep wanting to play Thin Lizzie riffs?"
Her answer
"Because they're more fun than the worship songs".
I wonder whether we should have worship music that you actually want to play and listen to because it's fun or great, rather than just because it's worship? I can feel a real tension. The problem with having great tunes for worship is that you could end up playing them because you want to, rather than because you want to worship.
Her answer
"Because they're more fun than the worship songs".
I wonder whether we should have worship music that you actually want to play and listen to because it's fun or great, rather than just because it's worship? I can feel a real tension. The problem with having great tunes for worship is that you could end up playing them because you want to, rather than because you want to worship.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Ubuntu 9.10 issues
Looks like I'm not the only one with problems trying to install Ubuntu 9.10. Maybe I should try studio 8.04?
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Downloading
Sabayon 5.0
Can the spankiest, sharpest Linux distro have got any sharper?
On a related note, I'm starting to wonder why everyone appears to be copying M$/Apple when it comes to OS interfaces. Makes me wonder very much if Google's Chrome might actually be innovative, or whether it'll simply try to move all the things we do locally into 'the cloud' to make users dependent on and locked into Google?
One of the things that makes the current OSs so powerful for users is that none of them truly lock users in: all the data is there, on your hard drive, often in (increasingly these days) non-proprietary formats that can be moved from one app to another. Install the latest thunderbird, for example, and it will ask if you want to import emails from outlook. Moving cross platform is trickier, but not impossible, especially if you're willing to buy apps that will help. I'm hoping to move my thunderbird emails across from a winbox to Linux at some stage in the near future too.
But what if your data is 'in the cloud?
We're used to that to a certain extent, with gmail, hotmail etc (none of which I use) but it always brings to mind the comment from Microsoft "all your data are belong to us". But what if all your documents, images, audio files, movies and emails are held on some nameless server in the cloud and for some reason, legal or mechanical, you cannot access them?
To me, that's a really scary prospect. If Peter Mandelson does manage to push through the laws that he has been 'encouraged' to support (for non-Brits, after having enjoyed media tycoon hospitality PM wants 'downloaders' to have their net connections disconnected) where will that leave people who have allowed their content to exist online only? Not because I'm worried about the prospect of being caught downloading, but because mistakes are, shall we say, not exactly unknown in the IT and legal industries, while the pace of rectification is often glacial.
There was an interesting cartoon I found not long ago that suggests both M$ and Apple should be very scared as Google was not only planning to give the OS & apps away, but that people also trust Google where they very much don't trust either M$ or apple. I wonder how long it will be before they learn that Google is just another large company with US corporation ethics. Of course if they work in the publishing industry they will already be aware of that.
Can the spankiest, sharpest Linux distro have got any sharper?
On a related note, I'm starting to wonder why everyone appears to be copying M$/Apple when it comes to OS interfaces. Makes me wonder very much if Google's Chrome might actually be innovative, or whether it'll simply try to move all the things we do locally into 'the cloud' to make users dependent on and locked into Google?
One of the things that makes the current OSs so powerful for users is that none of them truly lock users in: all the data is there, on your hard drive, often in (increasingly these days) non-proprietary formats that can be moved from one app to another. Install the latest thunderbird, for example, and it will ask if you want to import emails from outlook. Moving cross platform is trickier, but not impossible, especially if you're willing to buy apps that will help. I'm hoping to move my thunderbird emails across from a winbox to Linux at some stage in the near future too.
But what if your data is 'in the cloud?
We're used to that to a certain extent, with gmail, hotmail etc (none of which I use) but it always brings to mind the comment from Microsoft "all your data are belong to us". But what if all your documents, images, audio files, movies and emails are held on some nameless server in the cloud and for some reason, legal or mechanical, you cannot access them?
To me, that's a really scary prospect. If Peter Mandelson does manage to push through the laws that he has been 'encouraged' to support (for non-Brits, after having enjoyed media tycoon hospitality PM wants 'downloaders' to have their net connections disconnected) where will that leave people who have allowed their content to exist online only? Not because I'm worried about the prospect of being caught downloading, but because mistakes are, shall we say, not exactly unknown in the IT and legal industries, while the pace of rectification is often glacial.
There was an interesting cartoon I found not long ago that suggests both M$ and Apple should be very scared as Google was not only planning to give the OS & apps away, but that people also trust Google where they very much don't trust either M$ or apple. I wonder how long it will be before they learn that Google is just another large company with US corporation ethics. Of course if they work in the publishing industry they will already be aware of that.
The good news is........
I seem to be getting better. Thinking is difficult but possible, and I got out of bed this morning without feeling like I wanted to crawl straight back in again. Still lacking energy and endurance, but time and exercise should build those up again.
I'm grateful.
I'm grateful.
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Back from the doctor.
I'd love to insert a little clip of Michael Schenker in there, to play automatically.
Apparently I really have flu. I'd have just said it was a nasty cold, but hey ho. Estimated time for clearance, up to 6 weeks. Come back in a couple of weeks if the cough isn't getting better.
There's a certain sense of deja vu, but I hope that's wrong.
Apparently I really have flu. I'd have just said it was a nasty cold, but hey ho. Estimated time for clearance, up to 6 weeks. Come back in a couple of weeks if the cough isn't getting better.
There's a certain sense of deja vu, but I hope that's wrong.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Back to work today.
I feel like I should be doing something, anything, to keep the business ticking over, and things ache much less than they did, so I'm going to go back.
*edit*
NOT a resounding success - <1 hour later, I'm home again.
*edit*
NOT a resounding success - <1 hour later, I'm home again.
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Calling Mikey Mo
How do you like Ubuntu studio - still using it? I'm about to rebuild my livingroom machine, and want to go Microsoft free (no more XP licenses available).
Also, does it play back DVDs OK, or do I need to install some guerrilla ware?
*note the title edit*
Proof if you needed it that my brain wasn't working right last night!
Also, does it play back DVDs OK, or do I need to install some guerrilla ware?
*note the title edit*
Proof if you needed it that my brain wasn't working right last night!
My head has been distinctly off this afternoon again
....but I've spent some time wandering through a fascinating Russian blog. There are lots of pages that could be posted, but these seem the most interesting (don't follow up the ads for Russian brides, models or hookers!).
Old russian traditions as observed by an Englishman.
Inside the Kremlin.
The Aral sea.
Russian appetisers.
Jesus Monopoly.
Lake Baikal (warning - lots of pics. I'd forgotten how lovely colours are in Kodachrome or equivalent).
Russian Orthodox priests.
Ionospheric communication network.
The String Train. This completely reflects the expectations we had for technological development as children in the 1960s.
Enjoy/be mystified as appropriate.
Old russian traditions as observed by an Englishman.
Inside the Kremlin.
The Aral sea.
Russian appetisers.
Jesus Monopoly.
Lake Baikal (warning - lots of pics. I'd forgotten how lovely colours are in Kodachrome or equivalent).
Russian Orthodox priests.
Ionospheric communication network.
The String Train. This completely reflects the expectations we had for technological development as children in the 1960s.
Enjoy/be mystified as appropriate.
Monday, 9 November 2009
We could all do with something breath-taking occasionally
And by that I don't mean a cold.
Image from the University of Arizona High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment.
Image from the University of Arizona High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment.
Being home is both good and bad.
If you're my mum, it's good. She came out of hospital on Saturday, and seems less bad right now, which is nice.
If you're me, well, it provides time to complete the build on the work PC for Chris.
If you're me, well, it provides time to complete the build on the work PC for Chris.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
If any of you
were praying for me yesterday about the music, thank you. I think it was possible for me to make a positive contribution and not be pulled down by it.
And today - I am full of cold. :-(
Don't expect rational arguments, concise words or thoughtful statements today then!
*edit*
Tonight I'm a bit pants. Shivering, slightly dizzy and wheezing like my mother after I've walked upstairs. Hoping the Cold & flu medication might kick in soon. Work tomorrow is just speculation right now.
Early this evening, having collapsed hard on the settee all afternoon, I started putting together a small business PC for Chris. If you want a small, cheap case without PSU then I'd recommend one of these from ebuyer. Sides & front have tooless removal, and overall it's nice looking even though there are some shortcomings. It's quite slim, and I'm hoping because it puts the PSU down low at the front it will be reasonably quiet. So far I've got the PSU and MoBo in the case, but had to stop to cook dinner. Now I'm just bushed, flopped on the settee again. It can wait for further building.
And today - I am full of cold. :-(
Don't expect rational arguments, concise words or thoughtful statements today then!
*edit*
Tonight I'm a bit pants. Shivering, slightly dizzy and wheezing like my mother after I've walked upstairs. Hoping the Cold & flu medication might kick in soon. Work tomorrow is just speculation right now.
Early this evening, having collapsed hard on the settee all afternoon, I started putting together a small business PC for Chris. If you want a small, cheap case without PSU then I'd recommend one of these from ebuyer. Sides & front have tooless removal, and overall it's nice looking even though there are some shortcomings. It's quite slim, and I'm hoping because it puts the PSU down low at the front it will be reasonably quiet. So far I've got the PSU and MoBo in the case, but had to stop to cook dinner. Now I'm just bushed, flopped on the settee again. It can wait for further building.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
It's not enough to say I hate it.
Last night I posted about music for the pop-idol X factor generation as a response to music I’d needed to listen to for a local event. That post was a highly moderation version of the anguish I’d felt as a result of listening, and I spent a night of restlessness, discomfort and turmoil afterward. The songs together produce a quite literal desire to go and hang myself, almost certainly as a result of the hopelessness and desperation pent up in them.
Unlike some, I don’t seem to have grace/good sense to always push into God when I feel like that, but I wonder if God is trying to talk to me out of it.
I think God is trying to show me the misery and sheer hopelessness felt by the current generation: if that was the case, I caught the full impact. The music I had as a teen was a mixture, some arising from fear, some from depression, some from fun, some from lust, but always a mixture that usually left you with a measure of energy or a grin. This music (with a couple of exceptions) is the music of a generation that has lost a sense of musicality in music, a sense of purpose and a joy in life. It’s about desperation and isolation and the awful quality of vocals and emotions really express the depth of that.
It’s easy, having been very selective about the music I listen to and the inputs I receive to keep all that desperation at arms length. I recognise it and know it for what it is, but will not usually receive it. This delivered a blow full force, and even now, due to meet potential clients/employers in 10 min, I can still feel the effects.
No wonder the world is a mess (not to mention the Christians dabbling in it) if they are continually taking this on board. Sure, they’ll get toughened to it, but at what emotional and moral price.
I need to keep remembering why I’m doing what I’m doing (obedience) and the hopeful outcome. I just hope I can do it in a good spirit and with a right heart.
(Written about 10.50 am, getting ready to go discuss working for another company).
Unlike some, I don’t seem to have grace/good sense to always push into God when I feel like that, but I wonder if God is trying to talk to me out of it.
I think God is trying to show me the misery and sheer hopelessness felt by the current generation: if that was the case, I caught the full impact. The music I had as a teen was a mixture, some arising from fear, some from depression, some from fun, some from lust, but always a mixture that usually left you with a measure of energy or a grin. This music (with a couple of exceptions) is the music of a generation that has lost a sense of musicality in music, a sense of purpose and a joy in life. It’s about desperation and isolation and the awful quality of vocals and emotions really express the depth of that.
It’s easy, having been very selective about the music I listen to and the inputs I receive to keep all that desperation at arms length. I recognise it and know it for what it is, but will not usually receive it. This delivered a blow full force, and even now, due to meet potential clients/employers in 10 min, I can still feel the effects.
No wonder the world is a mess (not to mention the Christians dabbling in it) if they are continually taking this on board. Sure, they’ll get toughened to it, but at what emotional and moral price.
I need to keep remembering why I’m doing what I’m doing (obedience) and the hopeful outcome. I just hope I can do it in a good spirit and with a right heart.
(Written about 10.50 am, getting ready to go discuss working for another company).
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Ever do something that leaves you grumpy?
Like being under pressure to order stuff.
Like not checking ALL the details of the item for the Nth time.
Like not noticing that the MoBo you ordered required DDR3 memory.
Like not being able to re-use the perfectly good DDR2 memory you had lots of.
That leaves me grumpy. And a little lighter in the pocket.
Like not checking ALL the details of the item for the Nth time.
Like not noticing that the MoBo you ordered required DDR3 memory.
Like not being able to re-use the perfectly good DDR2 memory you had lots of.
That leaves me grumpy. And a little lighter in the pocket.
Gives me hope
Not the .com site, but the outcome of a meeting last night.
It appears God has been talking to a number of us at HPC, all about the same things* using similar passages of scripture. On top of that, when we came together to talk about it there was agreement about the direction the church needs to go in and the things it needs to do.
Hearing God speak and being part of the process makes other issues fade in importance, and though they don't go away, they become much less of a problem. But we also need to communicate what God is saying really clearly, so that others can buy in too and not just follow along either blindly or grudgingly. This is more than just passing information: I hope spirits are stirred as well as minds and minds as well as spirits.
*Joel 2, including the difficult bits.
It appears God has been talking to a number of us at HPC, all about the same things* using similar passages of scripture. On top of that, when we came together to talk about it there was agreement about the direction the church needs to go in and the things it needs to do.
Hearing God speak and being part of the process makes other issues fade in importance, and though they don't go away, they become much less of a problem. But we also need to communicate what God is saying really clearly, so that others can buy in too and not just follow along either blindly or grudgingly. This is more than just passing information: I hope spirits are stirred as well as minds and minds as well as spirits.
*Joel 2, including the difficult bits.
Our home email seems to be down
So if you've sent stuff, we're not ignoring you so much as unable to read it.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Post for marc (very long).
Last week Marc posed a question about what I'd written regarding pastors. I didn't have the time to answer properly, so I ducked the question, intending to come back later. Now is later. Below is my attempt to answer some of what was asked.
Marc wrote:
I'm curious to know what Biblical leadership looks like in your view.
Who is eligible for leadership? Who appoints them? Or should it arise naturally? Where are 'lay' people in all this--are they those who are not "gifted" in any leadership capacity?
More importantly, what does leadership and authority actually look like within the church--how does it play out? Leadership by definition seems to imply some who are set apart from others for that particular "assignment" (a term I got somewhere in my seminary reading, which I like).
Who is eligible for leadership – everyone that is given gifting to be a leader and will walk in it in faith. Rom 12 v3-8 covers it well, where it talks about having different giftings and the need to exercise faith in them, including leadership. Is leadership a matter of training and expectation or a gift from God? This passage implies it’s gifting – not that training is not important, but training and ability aren’t the reason someone is a leader in the church.
Who appoints them? Or should it arise naturally? Both. I would expect that someone with a gifting & calling for leadership to be living that out in the way the operate in church, before they are recognised formally in a leadership capacity. If someone is called to be an elder then I would expect them to not only fit the various scriptural qualifications, but also that people will seek them out for leadership. They will have demonstrated Godly wisdom and insight and been able to teach and guide in the things they say and the way they live their lives.
When the individual is demonstrating their calling through the way they function in the church I would expect that to be recognised by the existing leadership. They would formally recognise that calling in front of the church, laying hands on the individual that they would receive more of the grace and gifting required to walk in the role to which they have been called.
Where are 'lay' people in all this – They are all ‘lay people’. Each should be functioning in the gifting they have received, operating up to the limits of the grace and faith given them. There is no special class of people who are different from everyone else, who have a right to perform certain duties, rites or sacraments. It is also important to realise that this kind of church grows out of relationship, rather than rule, and that everyone is church together, rather than there being a separate trained and appointed ruling class.
More importantly, what does leadership and authority actually look like within the church--how does it play out?
This is where it becomes more complex, partly because I think we (the church) is still working out a right theology of church leadership.
As I understand it, a local church would be overseen by elders, although in small fellowships there may be a single elder with a team around him of those who can advise, administrate, act prophetically, have demonstrated maturity and Godly wisdom etc. There may well be a single elder that acts as community head - an equivalent may be seen in James at the church in Jerusalem – but it’s not a case of having ‘rank’ so much as function and recognition. It is also important that this is not seen in terms of politics, with the elders jostling for popularity and a higher degree of recognition. They might well bring some leadership and guidance to the eldership team, but would not dominate or control it.
How do they know what God’s will is? Collectively, God’s people often do hear God quite clearly, and although a mis-understanding of this has lead to the idea of democracy and church meetings with voting, it does not detract from the principle. People would be expected to feed back the things they feel they are hearing from God to the leadership team, who would prayerfully consider it. The leadership team won’t particularly want people’s opinions, but they will want to hear what God’s saying to them
This team of people would bring direction to the church, having tried to discern the mind of Christ through what He is saying to the church.
When it comes to authority, the model here is entirely that of the shepherd. The people follow because they trust, respect and know the leaders and recognise their gifting. They are not driven or ordered because that is not shepherding (and has lead to the abuses often referred to as heavy shepherding).
In New Testament times there would have been a single church in each place, so there would have been a single eldership, where as now we have multiple churches of various flavours. Something we are starting to see here are the leaders from various churches in a locality getting together regularly, almost acting as an area eldership team. Now certainly some of those are going back to entirely traditional backgrounds, but that does not detract from the model.
Connecting these churches in different localities together would be those with apostolic calling: those who are sent, like Paul, Barnabus, Silas etc. There’s nowhere in the west that a man like Paul could go now and say he’s building from scratch, because there will always be another man’s foundation, so the original model of an apostle planting a church that he then visited from time to time can’t happen. Instead these days churches often recognise that they are not an island, and will become part of a larger organisation with apostolic individuals. You might know examples, but to me, both New Frontiers and Salt & Light spring to mind, where churches ask to become part of the group, so they can receive input.
What about the ‘setting apart’ you mention? It’s easy to interpret setting apart through our present understanding of priesthood as worked out in the Roman, Anglican and Eastern church traditions. In the example of Paul and Barnabus, I think it meant being released from their local eldership duties and being commissioned to travel as apostles, planting new churches and spreading the gospel. I do not believe it meant that they became some new class of Christian, to found a church hierarchy structure that was separate from a laity.
I have deliberately kept this ‘scripture-light’ because it would have taken 3 times as long to write and been much more cluttered. Sorry if that’s disappointing.
Marc wrote:
I'm curious to know what Biblical leadership looks like in your view.
Who is eligible for leadership? Who appoints them? Or should it arise naturally? Where are 'lay' people in all this--are they those who are not "gifted" in any leadership capacity?
More importantly, what does leadership and authority actually look like within the church--how does it play out? Leadership by definition seems to imply some who are set apart from others for that particular "assignment" (a term I got somewhere in my seminary reading, which I like).
Who is eligible for leadership – everyone that is given gifting to be a leader and will walk in it in faith. Rom 12 v3-8 covers it well, where it talks about having different giftings and the need to exercise faith in them, including leadership. Is leadership a matter of training and expectation or a gift from God? This passage implies it’s gifting – not that training is not important, but training and ability aren’t the reason someone is a leader in the church.
Who appoints them? Or should it arise naturally? Both. I would expect that someone with a gifting & calling for leadership to be living that out in the way the operate in church, before they are recognised formally in a leadership capacity. If someone is called to be an elder then I would expect them to not only fit the various scriptural qualifications, but also that people will seek them out for leadership. They will have demonstrated Godly wisdom and insight and been able to teach and guide in the things they say and the way they live their lives.
When the individual is demonstrating their calling through the way they function in the church I would expect that to be recognised by the existing leadership. They would formally recognise that calling in front of the church, laying hands on the individual that they would receive more of the grace and gifting required to walk in the role to which they have been called.
Where are 'lay' people in all this – They are all ‘lay people’. Each should be functioning in the gifting they have received, operating up to the limits of the grace and faith given them. There is no special class of people who are different from everyone else, who have a right to perform certain duties, rites or sacraments. It is also important to realise that this kind of church grows out of relationship, rather than rule, and that everyone is church together, rather than there being a separate trained and appointed ruling class.
More importantly, what does leadership and authority actually look like within the church--how does it play out?
This is where it becomes more complex, partly because I think we (the church) is still working out a right theology of church leadership.
As I understand it, a local church would be overseen by elders, although in small fellowships there may be a single elder with a team around him of those who can advise, administrate, act prophetically, have demonstrated maturity and Godly wisdom etc. There may well be a single elder that acts as community head - an equivalent may be seen in James at the church in Jerusalem – but it’s not a case of having ‘rank’ so much as function and recognition. It is also important that this is not seen in terms of politics, with the elders jostling for popularity and a higher degree of recognition. They might well bring some leadership and guidance to the eldership team, but would not dominate or control it.
How do they know what God’s will is? Collectively, God’s people often do hear God quite clearly, and although a mis-understanding of this has lead to the idea of democracy and church meetings with voting, it does not detract from the principle. People would be expected to feed back the things they feel they are hearing from God to the leadership team, who would prayerfully consider it. The leadership team won’t particularly want people’s opinions, but they will want to hear what God’s saying to them
This team of people would bring direction to the church, having tried to discern the mind of Christ through what He is saying to the church.
When it comes to authority, the model here is entirely that of the shepherd. The people follow because they trust, respect and know the leaders and recognise their gifting. They are not driven or ordered because that is not shepherding (and has lead to the abuses often referred to as heavy shepherding).
In New Testament times there would have been a single church in each place, so there would have been a single eldership, where as now we have multiple churches of various flavours. Something we are starting to see here are the leaders from various churches in a locality getting together regularly, almost acting as an area eldership team. Now certainly some of those are going back to entirely traditional backgrounds, but that does not detract from the model.
Connecting these churches in different localities together would be those with apostolic calling: those who are sent, like Paul, Barnabus, Silas etc. There’s nowhere in the west that a man like Paul could go now and say he’s building from scratch, because there will always be another man’s foundation, so the original model of an apostle planting a church that he then visited from time to time can’t happen. Instead these days churches often recognise that they are not an island, and will become part of a larger organisation with apostolic individuals. You might know examples, but to me, both New Frontiers and Salt & Light spring to mind, where churches ask to become part of the group, so they can receive input.
What about the ‘setting apart’ you mention? It’s easy to interpret setting apart through our present understanding of priesthood as worked out in the Roman, Anglican and Eastern church traditions. In the example of Paul and Barnabus, I think it meant being released from their local eldership duties and being commissioned to travel as apostles, planting new churches and spreading the gospel. I do not believe it meant that they became some new class of Christian, to found a church hierarchy structure that was separate from a laity.
I have deliberately kept this ‘scripture-light’ because it would have taken 3 times as long to write and been much more cluttered. Sorry if that’s disappointing.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Well, it's been a busy weekend, despite the lurgy.
Friends to dinner Saturday night, friends to dinner Sunday night, very good friends who are almost parents tonight. To make up for it, we're out to dinner tomorrow night.
Wish we were both well, pain-free and with clear heads.
Wish we were both well, pain-free and with clear heads.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
It's been a curious weekend.
Both of us have been afflicted in varying degrees with a variety of Ben's lurgy.
TBH it stuffed up Friday night's whiskey tasting, and although I really enjoyed trying all the different varieties, my mouth was over-sensitive, taste buds not behaving normally didn't help. On top of that, whiskey reflux is distinctly painful, as it burns the lower reaches of the oesophagus. Not cool, especially when it stops you really appreciating whiskey at £65 a bottle.
Since saturday we've really been up and down health wise, at time struggling to move, while at others being practically normal. Saturday afternoon a few guys got together to try a few songs for a local music project for the Heyford park area. We did U2's One, Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars and the Blues Brothers everybody. High point was the blues brother's tune, as it fits the kind of music I enjoy and can really make people want to get up and dance.
Saturday evening we had some friends from the village round, and that was great, but I really ran out of stream by 10.30, at the same time not wanting them to have to leave.
Today was a real mix too. This morning we both really didn't want to get up, and had rough throats, aches etc. I was praying in church this morning (it gets pre-arranged) and I really felt God tell me to pray out of Joel 2 - all of it, rather than the well known bit everyone quotes. This fitted the message really well, and I feel God confirmed it was the right thing to do. God also gave someone else who doesn't know about the struggles I've had a picture, and he was kind enough to share it and pray with me, and for that I'm grateful.
This afternoon we enjoyed the company of a young family who've bravely uprooted from Chicago to come and work with the youth in Heyford park. They're good guys, and I'm not saying this just in case you find my blog, Heidi ;-). I hope we'll get to know them a bit better in the coming months, talk about their calling and how they came to be here a bit more.
And this evening we're just plain tired. I've got a pain that is, I'm sure, nerve-based in my left leg, and it's making sitting on the settee 'interesting'. Wonder if I'll make it to work tomorrow? Hope we can both sleep OK.
TBH it stuffed up Friday night's whiskey tasting, and although I really enjoyed trying all the different varieties, my mouth was over-sensitive, taste buds not behaving normally didn't help. On top of that, whiskey reflux is distinctly painful, as it burns the lower reaches of the oesophagus. Not cool, especially when it stops you really appreciating whiskey at £65 a bottle.
Since saturday we've really been up and down health wise, at time struggling to move, while at others being practically normal. Saturday afternoon a few guys got together to try a few songs for a local music project for the Heyford park area. We did U2's One, Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars and the Blues Brothers everybody. High point was the blues brother's tune, as it fits the kind of music I enjoy and can really make people want to get up and dance.
Saturday evening we had some friends from the village round, and that was great, but I really ran out of stream by 10.30, at the same time not wanting them to have to leave.
Today was a real mix too. This morning we both really didn't want to get up, and had rough throats, aches etc. I was praying in church this morning (it gets pre-arranged) and I really felt God tell me to pray out of Joel 2 - all of it, rather than the well known bit everyone quotes. This fitted the message really well, and I feel God confirmed it was the right thing to do. God also gave someone else who doesn't know about the struggles I've had a picture, and he was kind enough to share it and pray with me, and for that I'm grateful.
This afternoon we enjoyed the company of a young family who've bravely uprooted from Chicago to come and work with the youth in Heyford park. They're good guys, and I'm not saying this just in case you find my blog, Heidi ;-). I hope we'll get to know them a bit better in the coming months, talk about their calling and how they came to be here a bit more.
And this evening we're just plain tired. I've got a pain that is, I'm sure, nerve-based in my left leg, and it's making sitting on the settee 'interesting'. Wonder if I'll make it to work tomorrow? Hope we can both sleep OK.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)