Just a quick word to charities
June 30th, 2007
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What I don’t have just now is time; and, Christian Aid, the other thing I don’t have is a mobile phone I’m trying to get rid of.
Archive
Archive for June, 2007
Procrastination
June 30th, 2007
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Not, strictly speaking – there’s no way that I can put this off until to-morrow (unless the heavens open) – I have to cut the grass – one of the joys of this house is that we have a pretty big garden – the downside, of course, is that it has to be kept in check.
Hitting the buffers
June 29th, 2007
Sometimes Friday comes as a kind of shock – for 5 days you’ve maintained the pressure – kept going – then suddenly, you don’t have to – of course, other pressures intervene – but just for a few hours – you’re in a kind of free fall – dangerous, in some ways …
Workplace Christian
June 29th, 2007
I am thinking of the emphasis some Christian groups put on witnessing to the people you meet – by which they mean preaching at them. Some years ago (ahem), I came home from a Scripture Union meeting at the shool I attended, clutching a booklet, probably the one produced by Campus Crusade for Christ. I worked my way through the booklet, acknowledging my sins, admitting that I could not by my own efforts reach God, and praying the prayer. Then, on the last page, I was told that within 24 hours I had to tell someone that I had become a Christian.
I couldn’t. I couldn’t have told my parents – they wouldn’t have understood. Crucially, I couldn’t tell the leader of the Scripture Union group, because there wasn’t going to be a meeting until the following week. I had failed. And by the time the next SU meeting came around, I was so thoroughly despondent that I said nothing to the leader.
Not the most auspicious start.
Sunshine and rain
June 28th, 2007
You can just see the rainbow in this picture, especially if you look at the big grey cloud just left of centre:
At the name of Jesus
June 26th, 2007
I don’t often try to write about the bible here, but Ian’s exposition of Philippians 2:5-11 has given me such a lift that I have to try to communicate something.
First, the glorious hymn – At the name of Jesus – especially sung to the tune that has a bit for keyboard between each verse – is it Camberwell? – I’m thinking just now of where it says “for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow” – but the hymn (as does the passage from Philippians) describes a trajectory – to the depths, and then to the heights – moving, and inspiring.
And then a verse I read this morning, in Colossians 3 – from The Message (without verse numbers, so I can’t be more specific) – When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too – the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. It seems to harmonise with the passage in Philippians – and gave me a real lift, much needed and appreciated.
Update
June 26th, 2007
So you can see how much progress I’ve made:
And for Jan – the radio on the windowsill is a FreePlay S360 – primarily a wind-up radio, but with a solar panel on the top.
A breath of fresh air
June 25th, 2007
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That’s how wife described Pans’ Praise – not sure how I would describe it – it’s an evening service held once a month by the church in a neighbouring town. I guessed that they might have an evening service (the church has a reputation for being quite lively) – could find no mention (of any church services) in the local paper – so googled for and found the church website. I told the minister that we’d found out about the service from their website – he said that he didn’t think that websites ‘worked’ – not sure what to think of that.
It was a truly refreshing experience. A simple format – an opening prayer, worship with a talk by the minister interwoven, and a closing prayer – followed by coffee, tea, juice (and good juice – churches have a happy of buying cheap and nasty stuff, in my experience), cakes, and biscuits.
Actually, this is quite funny
June 24th, 2007
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Following Auntie Doris’ suggestion, I learn that:
Chas needs your help to compete on a level playing field with the other parties in Edinburgh
Chas needs a nurse to take care of his father while he takes care of his Blackbelly sheep
Chas needs new wool pants
And that was just on the first page …