Keep talking...

Cycling again - (33 miles today). Thinking all the way - what will I blog next? No inspiration, - maybe it was the music. Then Floyd came round (as they do quite often on my MP3 player).

The song: "Keep Talking" from Division Bell - a favourite album.

For millions of years mankind lived just like animals
Then something happened
which unleashed the powers of our imagination
We learned to talk.

The song uses Stephen Hawkins' voice from the BT advert. Hawkins proposes a "new world order" based on the idea of talking, and using internet technology to facilitate that. It is an enticing vision.

My first reaction was - no that is not all that separates us from animals. What about imagination, emotion, creativity, the sense of the numinous (the "other", the divine, the spiritual). But then I thought about my favoirite creation narrative -The Gospel of John chapter 1:

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made;
without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life,
and that life was the light of men.

Here communication is at the heart of creation - in Genesis creation is a direct result of communication - IMHO the only thing we really do or can understand about how creation happened is that it is a result of God speaking.

Communication is important - but as the floyd song illustrates we shouldn't confuse it with talking:

I think I should speak now ____ Why won't you talk to me
I can't seem to speak now ____ You never talk to me

As the dialogue between the vocals and chorus indicate, communication has to be 2 way.

I talk a lot - but I'm not so strong on listening...

Talking of creation - try this from Kez...

Five things you didn't know about me

I was happily reading "English Hen" and "God School" (brilliant post on Hermeneutics) - both of them writing a fascinating "Five things you didn't know about me" - only to find myself tagged!

1) I used to be young. Really - I may be 55 next month, but I was young - in the 60's & 70's. OK so I'm cheating - but you may not have known my age now...

2) I got one "A level" - Physics grade E - that is the lowest pass grade... OK so I did go on to get an electronics degree (just).

3) I used to run a Hearse (with a mate) and we used it to operate a mobile disco called "The Undertakers" It was (partly) a rather naive attempt at evangelism. We used it for a grand day out to the Essex coast - the back filled up with friends from the church youth group "SPYF".

4) In my 20's, at one point I owned 2 cars:

• a Reliant 3 wheeler van - (Trotter style) - 600 ccs of pure masochism. (In UK)
  
• A Plymouth Fury coupe - 5 litres of unreliable tyre-squealing power. (In California)

5) I was nearly arrested for planting paper flowers in a roundabout in St Albans (don't ask why - I've forgotten - and I probably didn't know then)

I'm supposed to tag five people - but I can't think who to tag...

Maybe Rob - (he'll never read this anyway)

Why I don't go to church on Sunday morning

It's that time of year - another Sunday - another photo of a muddy bike. It was so bad today I had to hose it down when I got home.

Every Sunday I can I cycle in the morning. It's fun (if sometimes cold & wet), it is good for me (not so good for Flora's sense of humour when I traipse in - in more muddy gear), and it gives me space to think.

I used to go to church on a Sunday morning. Now I don't - and this is why...

1) I discovered to my horror that Sunday morning church had become a "duty". I felt guilty for missing.

2) The community I worship with (Wakefield Baptist Church) now have a "menu" system. We call it "Portfolio Church" - where we are encouraged to chose a balanced diet from a variety of "options" - For worship & ministry I choose the Sunday evening meeting as it fits me better. I look forward to going - most times - and that's how it should be I reckon. Most times I am asked to preach it is at the evening meeting too.

3) My cycle ride is good for me (keeps me a bit fit)

4) I enjoy the ride and feeling a bit more a part of God's brilliant creation.

5) I have time to reflect. (very occasionally profound - but sadly those bits don't seem to make it to the blog!)

Mark 2 vs. 27: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath..."

Wisdom...

Well I was going to talk about the nature of church and the place of worship & preaching - because I'm in Switzerland and had a fascinating chat with one of our WEC "Ethnodoxologists" (Ethnomusicologist specialising in worship & music).

Then I read this...

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but delights in airing his own opinions"

(Proverbs 18 verse 2)

Thank you Lord!

Serving the Servant King

Had a very muddy bike ride today (25 miles by the Aire & Leeds-Liverpool canal), dodging the new-years-resolution keep-fit-new bike or jogging-gear people.

Floyd on the MP3 player (A Momentary Lapse of Reason) - the title that is (you could be forgiven for misinterpreting that).

These words:

The dogs of war don't negotiate
The dogs of war won't capitulate,
They will take and you will give,
And you must die so that they may live
You can knock at any door,
But wherever you go, you know they've been there before
Well winners can lose and things can get strained
But whatever you change, you know the dogs remain.

One world, it's a battleground
One world, are we going to smash it down
One world ... One world

After lunch and the obligatory falling asleep and drooling for a while I read two fascinating articles.

This one on Alleon by Tom Wright on Jesus as Servant King. Insightful as always.

This one on God's Politics by Jim Wallis on "How many deaths will it take"

Tom Wright was making the point that Jesus Servant King option is neither to follow the dogs of war, nor to take the opposite passive non-involvement option.

To my shame I have tended to do the latter. I'm happy to say my wife is a good example to me (and I know I dont listen to her enough!) - she was marching to say "Not in my name" in London before the Iraq war.

This Iraq situation is getting worse not better. And OK so maybe the Neocons have realised the error of their ways (some of them anyway - the chillingly evil "Project for the new American Century" seems to have packed up shop or gone bust).

I know WWJD was naff - but the idea was right on. What would Jesus the servant king do?

Certainly not nothing.

The chosen white van man

The chosen white van man, originally uploaded by ßlϋeωãvε.

There was a booming voice from above: "You! Yes, you in the white van, L421 WVM. Turn your radio off and listen carefully. You have been chosen to lead all white vans, to teach them driving skills and good manners on the British roads. Yes...I know it will be a challenge, but I have chosen carefully. I am confident in your abilities."

There was a pause and then a roll of thunder. "What? NO! You won't be able to claim triple overtime!"

(Quote from Tim's Flickr page)

Cool! I love Tim's photos.

It's sometimes good not to be needed

I was reading this magazine from New Frontiers, it is just amazing! The whole issue is about world missions. The picture painted is of a network of local churches that really have got being "missional".

There is a wonderful thread running through of curches intentionally planting multiplying churches, and aiming to do it where there is no church. There is passion for working at the frontiers (what we in WEC aim to do), and for establishing multiplying Churches (what we in WEC also aim to do). For caring ministry related in to church and church planting (what.. you get it).

There is a fantastic article on reaching oral communicating cultures. This is something I've been banging on about for a while since Phil Booth (founder of Radio Worldwide and of Oral Communicators Worldwide) told me about it.

Looking at the magazine I was thrilled! - And how do we in WEC fit in - well I don't think we do much! Do I care? (After all my job is to work on the relationship between UK church and WEC) - not a lot!

In fact if all churches were as this magazine portrays I'd be taking a long holiday.

(as if).