Bamburgh

Bamburgh Castle - quite amazing!

The girls attack the dunes

Trespassing... us?

Claire explores a mysterious hole

Rewarded with a cream tea

Essex at Easter

A walk in the country is somewhat traditional on a bank holiday...

Dad and Karen (our American lodger)


Clearly deep in conversation...


London skyscape - just visible through the afternoon haze

Newark Castle

Newark makes an excellent stopping off point for a trip down to London, as it falls about half-way. I spent a sunny hour there last week, and enjoyed a walk around the Castle and gardens.

The Pulley - GEORGE HERBERT

WHEN God at first made Man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by—
Let us (said He) pour on him all we can;
Let the world's riches, which dispersèd lie,
Contract into a span.

So strength first made a way,
Then beauty flow'd, then wisdom, honour, pleasure:
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all His treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay.

For if I should (said He)
Bestow this jewel also on My creature,
He would adore My gifts instead of Me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature:
So both should losers be.

Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness;
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to My breast.

Footprints in the sand

A conversation with my dad pointed me in the direction of these very cool prehistoric footprints at Formby Point, near Liverpool.

These footprints are thought to have been created about 4000 years ago, by humans and animals walking in the mud and sand along the shore. No one's sure how, but huge numbers of footprints in this intertidal region were not washed away but left exposed, perhaps due to a lowering of sea level. They were later covered with a layer of sand, which over time turned into sedimentary rock.

In more recent years the sea has eroded these concealing layers to reveal the footprints beneath. They were first discovered almost 20 years ago and archeologists have raced to capture the prints in photographs and plaster casts because once exposed the prints are quickly destroyed by the sea. Amazing to think that such an interesting archaelogical find is being lost so quickly, and by the very process that was interrupted so long ago.

They have even discovered prints belonging to the auroch - a giant prehistoric ox that became extinct in Britain during the Bronze Age. The auroch stood 6 feet high and was 11 feet long!

I especially liked this foot detail of a young adult male, showing the pointed toe outlines of long uncut toenails! (from the Intertidal archeology page).

Easter Communion - Gerard Manley Hopkins

Pure fasted faces draw unto this feast:
God comes all sweetness to your Lenten lips.
You striped in secret with breath-taking whips,
Those crooked rough-scored chequers may be pieced
to crosses meant for Jesus; you whom the East
With draught of thin and pursuant cold so nips
Breathe Easter now; you serged fellowships,
You vigil-keepers with low flames decreased,

God shall o'er-brim the measures you have spent
With oil of gladness; for sackcloth and frieze
And the ever-fretting shirt of punishment
Give myrrhy-threaded golden folds of ease.
Your scarce-sheathed bones are weary of being bent:
Lo, God shall strengthen all the feeble knees.

Story of Bread

I was entertained by this Story of Bread from 1949. It's hard to believe this stuff was ever meant to be taken 'seriously'!

Authority of Scripture

If the word of God discussion has been an interesting one, have a read of this post on the inerrancy of Scripture. The comments especially contain an interesting discussion on the relationship between inerrancy, authority and the nature of the Word.

Cravings

In my earlier post Henri Nouwen ends the quoted section with the following:

"It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart."

It left me reflecting on cravings and addictions, and I remembered these verses from Ecclesiastes:

"I have seen the burden God has laid upon men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11)

People often say that we ought to be content, and whilst I acknowledge the futility and ungraciousness of complaining about life, I fear being satisfied. The deep hunger in us, the heart that longs to be satisfied, is not an accident of our fallen human position (except in the sense that we have rejected the source of satisfaction). As Solomon says in the passage above, God has "set eternity in the hearts of men". He has made in us a heart that desires infinity, a craving that only He will satisfy. The Bible is full of that sense of expectancy: wanting more, being glad that this is not all there is, looking forward to a day when every hunger will be satisfied and every desire fulfilled.

"...but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears...Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Not I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor 13:10-13)

We often hear repeated that modern fable about the rich man who, despite owning more than we could imagine, still wants more. It is right to recognise that wealth, or any other earthly thing, will never satisfy but setting aside that deep dissatisfaction is not the answer. I want God to increase that craving in me, but at the same time keep reminding me that I will find my thirst slaked nowhere else.

Street Art

Following a conversation at the weekend, here's some of the 3D street art I was referring to. I love the Batman and Robin one especially, but there's plenty here to goggle at. Genius!

Searching where it cannot be found

A follow up to my earlier post, here Henri Nouwen reflects on the question: "To whom do I belong? To God or to the world?"

Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. It takes very little to raise me up or thrust me down...

As long as I keep running about asking: "Do you love me? Do you really love me?" I give power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with 'ifs'. The world says: "Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much." There are endless 'ifs' hidden in the world's love. These 'ifs' enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world's love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain 'hooked' to the world - trying, failing, and trying again. It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart.

As ever, Nouwen speaks deep sense. We put ourselves in bondage because tie ourselves to the world's expectations and demands. This is no freedom. And those demands have no power over us except that we give them. I'm reminded of a line in the sonnet 'Batter my heart' by John Donne, which struck me recently:
"But am betroth'd unto your enemy..."

We run around, desperately trying to please, to earn acceptance and love, and all the time we have a heavenly Father, who loves us desperately and is just waiting for us to come home.

HENRI NOUWEN on the Beloved

Henri Nouwen reflects on hearing the voice that says "You are my Beloved, on you my favour rests", from the book 'The Return of the Prodigal Son'.

As the Beloved of my heavenly Father, 'I can walk in the valley of darkness: no evil would I fear.' As the Beloved , I can 'cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.' Having 'received without charge,' I can 'give without charge.' As the Beloved, I can confront, console, admonish, and encourage without fear of rejection or need for affirmation. As the Beloved, I can suffer persecution without desire for revenge and receive praise without using it as proof of my goodness. As the Beloved, I can be tortured and killed without ever having to doubt that the love that is given to me is stronger than death. As the Beloved, I am free to live and give life, free also to die while giving life.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

This was a short reading interlude to enjoy some fiction, the mark of my holidays beginning!

There are reviews aplenty of this book, the 2002 winner of the Man Booker Prize, and I will add my praise but see no reason to repeat here what many have done so well. The Guardian's reviewer perhaps sums it up best: "The better story has a tiger in it."

I enjoyed the teasing way in which Yann Martel tests our credulity as the story continues. How far will we go with him? This is story in many ways about the power of storytelling, the extent to which we are willing to suspend disbelief for a good story, neatly paralled in the retelling at the end. As the Guardian's reviewer points out, the underlying narrative has the "neatness of fable".

For me, the most poignant moment of the story is the "bungled goodbye" at the end. Of all his interactions with Richard Parker, this one is perhaps the most credible and the least like story, and yet we're wrenched, like Pi, by the way in which this particular story doesn't end as it should. As he says, "What a terrible thing it is to botch a farewell...It's important in life to conclude things properly."

God's Grandeur

While we're on the subject, this is Gerard Manley Hopkins:

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs --
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Listen to it being read by Stanley Kunitz.

The vote is open

I've finally finished selecting my 10 images of space and it's been fantastic to remind myself just how beautiful the universe is.

Some decisions were hard to make.. which nebulae would make it to the final cut?

Here's some images which were near-rejects:
Cygnus loop shockwave
Eskimo Nebula
Spiral galaxies collide
...and many others!

You may disagree with my choices, but all the images I chose have a particular significance.

I'm curious to know which are people's favourites and whether everyone has the same idea of beauty... Let me know your top 3 from the 10 images I've picked.

The Word of God is Living and Active

I'm making slow progress through NT Wright's 'Scripture and the Authority of God', mainly because I can only read small chunks before I have to stop and consider what's being said. It also keeps sparking off other chains of thought, which make concentrating on the next section tricky! Here are some further thoughts on the 'word of God' concept that I've been exploring as I work through the book.

In the New Testament the 'word' is generally used for the gospel (see Colossians 1:5). This 'word' is the story of Jesus, his death and resurrection, "told as the climax of the story of Israel and thus offering itself as both the true story of the world and the foundation and energizing force for the church's mission." (p.36)

But NT Wright goes on to point out that "the 'word' was not just information about the kingdom and its effects, important though that was and is. It was the way God's kingdom, accomplished in Jesus, was making its way in the world" (p.36). More than just a retelling of the story, this word carries power:

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. " (Romans 1:16)

Or, in a slightly different sense:
"...because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

In the verse above Paul is making clear that the gospel is not a story told by humans, the 'word of men', but the 'word of God'. The word of God is at work in all believers, that same creative power that spoke the universe into being (see earlier post) is bringing new creation in each one of us.

As NT Wright says, "the word was announced as a sovereign summons, and it brought into being a new situation, new possibilities, and a new life-changing power". (p.36)

He also seems to attribute a wider meaning to the concept of word / gospel as used in the NT:
"The earliest church was centrally constituted as the people called into existence, and sustained in that existence, by the powerful, effective and (in that sense and many others) 'authoritative' word of God, written in the Old Testament, embodied in Jesus, announced to the world, taught in the church." (p.37)

In the same way, NT Wright goes on to discuss the way in which Paul and the other New Testament authors were conscious of the importance of their own words and writings, believing themselves to be 'authorized' teachers, by the guidance and power of the Spirit. In his own words:

"The apostolic writings, like the 'word' which they now wrote down, were not simply about the coming of God's kingdom into the world; they were, and were designed to be, part of the means whereby that happened, and whereby those through whom it happened could themselves be transformed into Christ's likeness." (p.38)

Mitochondria and Eve

National Geographic have launched the Genographic Project in an effort to trace the journey of human beings across the globe.

Tracing DNA history is an area of science in which I have been interested for a while, although biology is certainly not my specialism. Here's a short explanation, which will hopefully give a sense of why cellular biology plays such an interesting and important part in tracing human history.

Inside every cell of your body are tiny structures called organelles (the nucleus is the most well known). One of these organelles is the mitochondrion. Mitochondria are often called 'cellular power plants' for their role in providing energy to the cell.

However, these little structures are important for another reason. Mitochondria are unusual because they have their own DNA, their own genetic code, and it is generally accepted that their history began as a separate organism. If this is the case, then these creatures have a symbiotic relationship with humans. But this is just part of the story, although an intriguing part!

Mitochondria reproduce like bacteria, by division ('binary fission'), essentially making them clones. They reproduce according to the energy needs of the cell and therefore their life cycle is not related to the life cycle of the cell. During human reproduction an egg nucleus and a sperm nucleus are joined and their genetic material combined to form a new genetic code. However, the mitochondria in the sperm cell are generally destroyed at fertilisation and so the embryo begins its life with mitochondria from the mother only.

So that's the background, here's where it gets interesting... As mitochondria are basically clones, very little genetic difference is seen between successive human generations, although mutation over time will introduce markers that enable a particular 'gene tree' to be identified. This makes them particularly useful in population genetic studies, such as the National Geographic project mentioned above, because they allow scientists to use these markers to trace the movements of populations across many generations and recognise links between widely dispersed peoples (e.g. between Koreans and Native Americans - see the Atlas of the Human Journey).

Comparing differences between mtDNA and working backwards to find the point at which it diverged also uncovers "the woman who is the most recent common matrilineal ancestor of all living humans", famously named Mitochondrial Eve. The age of 'Eve' can be approximated using the 'gene clock' technique, a way of tracing the point when two population groups have diverged by counting the number of genetic differences between their DNA sequences. She is thought to have lived in Africa about 150,000 years ago. While there will have been other women living at the same time, many of whom will have descendants today, only Mitochondrial Eve produced an unbroken line of daughters that persists to this day.

Controversial for some, perhaps, but certainly interesting - don't you agree?

10 beautiful things...

...to see in space!

1. Cat's Eye Nebula


2. Earthrise (taken by Apollo 8) - from NASA Historical Images


3. Gas pillars in Eagle Nebula (M16)


4. Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDP)
This picture looks back in time 13 billion years and despite covering a tiny fraction of the sky (3 arc minutes square) includes 10,000 galaxies! Those points of light? They're not stars...


5. Horsehead Nebula
The dark area that makes up the head is a dark nebula - a thick cloud of hydrogen gas and dust where new stars are being formed. The nebula can be seen here only because it blocks out the light of the emission nebula behind it.


6. Supernova 1994D in Galaxy NGC 4526
Supernovae are massive explosions, often the dying moments of a massive star (although SN 199D is a type 1a supernova, caused by an explosion in a white dwarf star). They shine only briefly but for those few days may outshine the galaxy in which they reside! Supernovae are hugely important 'creation' events, as the force of the explosion forms many of the heavier elements, blasting them into space. (Fusion in stars forms elements up to iron on the Periodic Table, but heavier elements, e.g. copper, tin, silver, gold, are not formed by fusion.)


7. Light echo from Red Supergiant V838
This picture is one of a dramatic series of images taken by the Hubble telescope in early 2002 and showing a sudden brightening of star V838 Monocerotis, lighting up the dust clouds around it. It is called a light echo because the pictures show a ring of illumination gradually expanding around the star as the light travels outwards.


8. ...a picture I would love to take!
Images like this always stump the kids..even when they should know the answer!
I'm sure you'll figure it out straight away.. but can anyone work out the exposure time?


9. The Ring Nebula, in the constellation Lyra
This is one of the most famous Planetary Nebulae, the gas and dust drifting away from the white dwarf (seen in the centre of the image) left behind at the end of a star's life. This is an almost true-colour image, the colours are from the different elements glowing in the dust (blue - hot helium, green - ionized oxygen, red - ionized nitrogen).


10. Twisters in the Lagoon Nebula
The Lagoon Nebula is one of only a few nebulae visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere and can be seen in the constellation of Sagittarius. Check out the larger picture and explanation.



(Note: all these pictures - except the star trails - are from NASA and therefore copyright-free)

The Word Made Flesh

Further things to add to yesterday's ponderings on a God who speaks, from reading NT Wright this morning...

I'll let him speak for himself:
"...through it all we find the elusive but powerful idea of God's 'word', not as a synonym for the written scriptures, but as a strange personal presence, creating, judging, healing, recreating." (p.28)

He goes on to quote the following scriptures:

"By the word of YHWH were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."
Psalm 33.6
- again, the word of God and his breath are hung together

"Is not my word like a fire, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
Jeremiah 23:29

"All flesh is like grass, it withers and fades, but the word of our God will stand for ever"
Isaiah 40:8

"Like the rain and snow, coming down and watering the earth... so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but it will succeed in the tasks for which I send it"
Isaiah 55:10-11
- God's word is clearly personified here. In what sense can words return, empty or not?

"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart, so that you may do it."
Deuteronomy 30:14

I thought of a couple more as well...

"...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:17
- This is an interesting passage because I think we mostly take the 'word of God' here to mean the Bible, taking an active and offensive (rather than defensive) role, as in 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness", but I'm convinced that the 'word of God' here, as in the scriptures above, is a bigger concept than just the Scriptures alone. And this passage could perhaps be taken two ways: the word of God is 'the sword of the Spirit', or the word of God is the sword of this heavenly armour, the Spirit.

I love this passage from Hebrews:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12
- although, the article here is an 'it' there is still a sense of God's word personified, "living and active", judging and penetrating.

Perhaps this all seems very obvious to people, but for me this is a new way to think about God's 'word'. To what extent are God's word, the Spirit and His breath related? All three ideas are used in such related ways and often appear to play the same part in this story. In the quote above, NT Wright talks about 'a strange personal presence' - how is this not the Spirit? Are they actually the same thing or am I missing something here?

I should make clear at this point, that in no sense am I interested in reducing the person and reality of the Holy Spirit to something impersonal, swallowed up within the person of God. On the contrary, I think we need to increase our concept of the 'word of God'. When we limit the 'word of God' to the Scriptures, or consider God's words as speech acts in the same way as human speech-acts, we lose something of that mysterious presence identified by NT Wright. As the Scriptures above show, God's word is clearly a personal force, separate from God (although issuing from him, see the Isaiah 55 passage above), a living and acting presence.

Thoughts anyone?

The God who Speaks

I have been reading N.T. Wright's Scripture and the Authority of God.

I will aim to review it more completely when I have finished reading it, but for now I will say that it is shaping up to be an altogether refreshing read. Every now and again you read a book which doesn't so much give you something new, but instead more fully articulates something you already sensed was true, and in doing so helps to order your thoughts into something more lucid and coherent.

I was particularly interested to read this morning his reflection on a God who speaks, "who communicates with his human creatures in words" (p.24). He makes the point that this distinguishes the God of the Bible from other gods known at the time, and today. Indeed, in comparison with other creation myths, which incorporate many elements of a sexual and reproductive nature (egg, semen, birth, flesh broken...see the Wikipedia article on Creation Myths), the God of the Bible speaks creation into existence:

"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." Genesis 1:3

And, in John's Gospel:
"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." John 1:1

Ben Witherington, on his blog, makes the point that the ancients saw words very differently than we do. As he explains:

"We are apt to see words as just combinations of letters or ciphers or symbols, but this is not how the ancients, living in an overwhelming oral culture, saw words. Words spoke things into existence if they came from God. Genesis 1 is quite explicit about this. But the Word could not only create reality, it could become a human being as John 1 says---‘and the Word took on flesh’."

I recommend reading his reflections on a 'Wordshaped Bible', if only for his thoughtful poem, which serves as introduction.

I was also interested in the comment from Sandalstraps on the power of speech and the connection between breath and speech as he reflects on his son learning to speak. He makes the point that there is an intimate connection in many languages between the words for breath and spirit.

The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, which means breath. Similarly the Hindu concept of Prana (life-force) is a Sanskrit word for breath (see also Qi). In the Bible, the Hebrew words for breath and spirit are the same: ruach; and the Greek word used in the NT for the Spirit, pneuma, also has the same connection with wind or breath.

I made the point in my sermon a couple of weeks ago that the breath of God (giving life in creation - Genesis 2:7) and the work of the spirit are essentially synonymous. I wonder whether it's not too great a leap to relate God's breath (and the Spirit) and his speech in a similar fashion. In this context it makes sense for Jesus to be the Word, God's fullest revelation of himself. Jesus is God expressed, God spoken.

And finally, if God gives life by speaking, as NT Wright points out, "the idea of reading a book to hear and know God is not far-fetched, but cognate with the nature of God himself."

The painted tomb...?

I took this picture while out in Durham last Saturday... can you guess where and what?

Urville

Here's something odd, but kind of cool...

A Frenchman called Gilles Trehlin has spent years designing an imaginary city called Urville. His website contains descriptions of the geography, economy and society, but I particularly enjoyed his drawings of places and buildings.

I think these are my favourites:

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

I was reminded recently how much I enjoyed the music video for Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - you can view it on the In Between Dreams page on the official site.

I love the creativeness of it, and trying to figure out what comes next from the clues.. It's a simple idea, but cleverly executed (look out for when the piano comes in), and he does a good job dubbing the lyrics as well - I wonder how many tries that took?!

Abdul Rahman

I was struck by the story of this man, Abdul Rahman, who has been in the news recently, an Afghan Christian under trial for his life.

There is a short video of his confession of being 'a Jesus follower' on the website of the Afghan Christian News.

This man inspires me, standing up and declaring his faith in Jesus, despite the very real possibility of being hanged for his confession. It reminds me that we put our trust in the one who saves; He is only one who holds the power of life and death over us.

I want to pray for Abdul that he holds firmly to this truth, whatever happens. I ask for him to stand tall and be confident in God's presence. And I pray that he brings something of the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ to the prison where he is held, and to the country that wants to kill him.

Google goes out of this world

Check out Google Mars!

There's also a flight into Valles Marineris on Google Video (the HiRes version can be found here)

Church: why bother?

No, I'm not trying to be controversial, that's the title of my half-term-book-of-the-day today (although I should say that this is the first day I've managed it - and potentially the last one!)

This is Philip Yancey's reflection on his own church experiences, and although it's fairly slight and doesn't say much that I haven't gathered already from his other books, he's as readable as ever. I always find Yancey an inspiring read, or at least an affirming one. He asks honest questions and his reflections on genuine God-focused spirituality ring true for me.

However, the foreward by Eugene Peterson is perhaps my favourite part of this book. He relates the story of John Muir climbing a Douglas Fir in a storm, in order to experience the Weather.

He goes onto to talk about spirituality being about lived life, and his inspiration from Muir to "open myself to the Weather, not wanting to miss a detail of this invasion of Life into my life, ready at the drop of a hat to lose my life to save it (Mark 8:35)
"...if there is no readiness to respond to the living God, who moves when and how and where he chooses, it isn't much of a life - the livingness soon leaks out of it"

And two or three thoughts from Yancey that struck me...

On hypocrisy - "one day the question occurred to me, 'What would church look like if every member were just like me?' Properly humbled, I began concentrating on my spirituality, not everyone else's."

On the body of Christ - "As I look around on Sunday morning...I see the risk that God has assumed. For whatever reason, God now reveals himself in the world not through a pillar of smoke and fire, not evern through the physical body of his Son in Galilee, but through the mongrel collection that comprises my local church..."

On the 'saviour complex' - "Nouwen concludes, 'When we can come to realize that our guilt has been taken away and that only God saves, then we are free to serve, then we can live truly humble lives.'"
- (from Helmut Thielicke, on Jesus' ministry) "Though the burden of the whole world lay heavy upon his shoulders...he has time to stop and talk to the individual...for all time is in the hands of his Father. And that too is why peace and not unrest goes out from him."

Actually, this is one of the most interesting sections of the book...a reflection on how ministry in obedience and 'under' God's faithfulness avoids frenzied activity and burnout.

Mini men

These pictures are worth a look... Some French art students have taken a series of photographs of mini people in edible settings!



Excellent! Which are your favourites?

A bit of nostalgia

I re-discovered a page of 'Brockwell D' photos linked from Gav's website.

I believe it's actually me who took these - in the early days of my digital camera... o the excitement :-)

I miss that place sometimes! I spotted a few things that made me laugh to remember..
- rabbit fur armrest
- Pete's cake confusion
- cream and tickle fight
- the ever-present plastic goal
- Gav eating mud
- revision by the lake
- the deer on the wall (there were also badgers by the TV and a fox behind the fridge)
- Tom kidnapping Gav

Unfortunately there's no evidence of the leopard-skin fleece throw... which has strangely disappeared since! (Who do my present housemates have to thank for that?!)

Mystery

Thanks to whoever left the flowers and chocolates this evening! They were definitely a surprise!
But we're all a bit confused about who they're for exactly... to me, Vic, a joint gift to all the girls here tonight??

Maybe if the mystery man (?) would like to let us know somehow...?

Picture Memories

I came across these pictures from my trip to Uganda years ago. Unfortunately they've faded a bit and the scan isn't too good...

In the truck - the boys loved this truck, climbing all over it as we bumped down the 'road' - the girls sitting safely in the middle! We drove about an hour and a half away from the town to a lake, so that they could be baptised. They had become Christians earlier in the year and had been desperately waiting for this day ever since!



Waiting for baptism - the 'White Eagle Boys' had never seen any expanse of water before and they were slightly overwhelmed with the lake. It wasn't long before they were leaping and splashing around in the water though. And they were really excited to be baptised! About 20 that day... (I think I did three!)


Mukama ye ba si 'bwe!' Jesu ge kabaka!

Just a glimpse

My mp3 playlists are constantly changing, but my current collection is about as strange as they get! Here's a sample of what I've been listening to recently:

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac (live)
Crosses - Jose Gonzales
Broken - Jack Johnson
Second Hand News - Fleetwood Mac
Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
Answer in the Sky - Elton John
Reign - UNKLE
Les nuits - Nightmares on Wax
Protection - Massive Attack
Saltwater - Chicane
Hope - Faith Evans (feat Twista)
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
The letter that never came - Thomas Newman
Goodbye my lover - James Blunt
I will always love you - Whitney Houston
Send someone away - Embee
Dead in the water - David Gray
Lose yourself - Eminem
8 Mile rap battles!

Husbands and Wives: who will come first?

I've been reading Tony Campolo's 'Speaking My Mind' which has as a subtitle, "The radical evangelical prophet tackles the tough issues Christians are afraid to face"!

It's a series of essays on various topics: women, homosexuals, science, Islam, the 'moral decline'... As I'm normally a fan of Tony Campolo and I like how he approaches issues, I thought I'd find out what he had to say. I haven't been disappointed so far.

The first essay is on women in the church (and in marriage). He's less even-handed here than he is in other areas, but I was especially struck by the point he makes about us asking the wrong questions.

For example, he talks about being asked "Who's supposed to be the head of the house?"

'When I hear such a question, I am inclined to say, "If you were really a Christian, you wouldn't ask a question like that. The Christian never asks who's going to be master. Instead, the Christian asks who's going to be the servant. The true Christian never asks who's going to be the first in any hierachy but rather asks who's going to be last."

Fortunately, I don't have to be that tough in my answer. All I have to do is read what Jesus said about all of this when He taught His disciples: "And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all" (Mark 9:35). Then I simply ask how he could apply this Scripture in answering the question he just asked.'

He also makes the point that husbands are told in Ephesians to love their wives even as Christ loved the church. And he quotes Philippians 2:5-8: "...took upon him the form of a servant...and became obedient unto death..."

He goes on to conclude that 'if a Christian husband wants to love his wife as Christ loved the church, he has to define himself as her slave... What all this amounts to is a living out of each serving the other in love, even as Paul instructs them to (Gal 5:13).'

Iceskaters!

What a funny looking bunch! ;-)



Lighting was too poor for amusing action pics - oh well!

Jesus in the Wilderness

We were looking at Jesus' temptation in the wilderness this evening at cell. I wanted to jot down a couple of interesting points that came up...

- Jesus' temptations mirror the tests that the Israelites failed in their forty years in the desert...they moaned about food, they worshipped other Gods and they tested God.

- The choices he is faced with in these 'temptations' are just the beginning. They represent the choices he will face day-to-day during his ministry:
The temptation to use miracles for personal gain, or else to demonstrate his power or identity ('If you are the Son of God')
The temptation to build an earthly kingdom or submit to authority other than God's.
The temptation to test God, to demonstrate his divinity, to find out if God will really save him.

These choices are set before him, as clear as they will ever be. Jesus sets the pattern here, refusing neither to engage with the enemy, nor do what he suggests. He answers but does not bother to dispute.

- In thinking about the last temptation, it's interesting to remember that of course Jesus will die and God will forsake him (Matt 27:46), at least temporarily. He does throw himself from the temple in one sense, and God doesn't send angels to save him (although Jesus later says that he could call on his Father and immediately have 12 legions at his disposal - Matt 26:53) Jesus' focus is on obedience to his Father, not asking 'what if?'.

Birthdays baffled

Friends,

I'm trying to straighten out birthdays because I'm useless at keeping track. I'll try and get round to most people but if you're not feeling shy I'd be glad if you'd comment with the date of your birthday - and then everyone else will know too!

friend or food?

Here's a heart warming story!

Snake befriends snack

Also, check out the link on that page to the story of the lioness and baby antelope - amazing!

More puzzling...

Here's a few more cryptic clues for the puzzlers among you. This time they're all towns and cities in the UK:

1. Tying up cured meat with string. (M)
2. Fresh fortress. (N)
3. Envious magical woman. (L)
4. Stupid chips. (Sc)
5. Young shopping centre. (~S)
6. Murky pool. (N)
7. Contented cat with a lisp. (Sc)
8. Farm animal's car. (S)
9. En-suite, perhaps. (S)
10. Wealthy French world. (N/L)
11. Dancing Queens become clergyman.(Sc)
12. Needed for snooker (L)
13. Where ethnic music meets hard rock. (S)
14. Outdoor caterer. (N)
15. Sight the Queen's birds (W)

Office Linebacker

This video made me laugh a lot!

Google video is impressive - simple, intuitive and fast. Actually I'd be stunned to find a Google product that didn't measure up. They make software that works the way you'd like it to, and more.

First sunrise of 2006

2006 began with a early start (after a late night no less!) and a drive up to Northumberland to watch the sunrise. Alnmouth beach was quiet and gorgeous.. a beautifully still place to begin the new year.










The Sun finally appears - a good 20 minutes after sunrise!

The sun shines on Coquet Island lighthouse

Snowy Durham

Bright winter sun...

...lighting up the Cathedral!

Who do these strange prints belong to? (in the back garden!)

...not this strange beast!

100 things...

The BBC's list of 100 things we didn't know this time last year is an amusing look at some of the trivia plucked from the news this past year.
I especially enjoyed learning that 1 in 18 people has a third nipple (#78) and Croydon has more CCTV cameras than New York (#91), plus many other exciting bits of information that will no doubt enrich my life...

I'm tempted to start my own list!

It was Beauty...

...who killed the Beast.

Beautiful girl, brave hero, a creepy fog, a shipwreck, scary natives, a T-Rex or three, giant centipedes, stampeding dinosaurs, man swallowed by giant eel, a car chase, jungles (real and urban), slapstick, romance, tragedy...oh, and a giant ape!

King Kong was excellent fun!

If only we all had heroic writers and furry apes...she didn't even lose a heel!

From the summer..!

I've finally retrieved some Canada photos that I'd thought I'd lost!

The Widow and the King

I've just finished reading 'The Widow and the King', a Christmas present from Leo and the sequel to a book we both enjoyed in the summer, 'The Cup of the World' by John Dickinson.

As in the first book, I was caught up in the dark storyline and the strength of the characterisation. There are no good guys or bad in this world, just individuals caught up in events bigger than themselves, whether they be enemies become friends, friends acting in foolishness, or the simply self-serving. The characters drive the story here, bringing real surprises. And this is no lightweight children's fantasy, there is death and betrayal aplenty, and some genuinely fearful moments.

The book's protagonist, the Prince Under the Sky is a chilling enemy and trickster, subtle and masterful. He brings treachery and despair, but is ultimately powerless to act without his servants. He acts to deceive, offering choices where none exist, and demanding a price for power. As Ambrose discovers, even the truth he tells is lies, lies...

What appears at the outset to be a simple fantasy novel, is full of memorable ideas and imagery - favourites in this sequel are 'the Doubting Moon' and the protecting ring of white stones. The novel is woven throughout with explicit themes of power and evil, Kingship and Law. I was also struck by the boy's all-too-real struggle with forgiveness and justice.

My favourite moment in the book comes towards the end. Ambrose has forgiven the traitor, to the surprise of all:

'What?' barked Aun. 'You're going to save him? Let him go?'
'Save him?' cried Ambrose. And he jabbed his finger at Aun as if to pin him against the courtyard wall. 'I'm saving you!'

Christmas Eve Adventures

This should have been posted before the previous entry, but never mind!

Christmas Eve was a day out in London for the Millers. Mum had booked us a tour of the Thames Tunnel by tube which made for an unusual start to Christmas Eve!

The Curator of the Brunel Museum took our tour...a small man with a voice loud enough to speak over a tube train, but with a irritatingly small amount of stock phrases, uttered with huge enthusiasm but nevertheless starting to grate after the 20th or 30th time: "Welcome To The The 8th Wonder of the World!" "This is the Oldest Tunnel of the Oldest Stretch of Line in the Oldest Underground Railway System in the World!" "It's the First Tunnel Under a River Anywhere in the World!" etc etc.

The story of the Thames Tunnel is actually an amazing story, full of engineering triumphs and disasters, 19th Century politics and public-relations genius, such as the banquet in the half-finished tunnel. It is Isambard Kingdom Brunel's first public engineering project and paved the way for the London Underground. The tunnel has had a colourful history - including some time as "The First Underground Shopping Arcade!" but it's now part of the East London Line - thus the 'tour by tube'.

From our underground adventures we continued South, getting as far as Decathlon - the sports superstore at Surrey Quays. It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without some last minute shopping! As we left, the Sun was setting dramatically above the high rises...




Early evening found us on the South Bank and admiring the London Eye, as ever! The Golden Jubilee Bridges at the Hungerford are also a favourite.


We crossed the River and made our way up to Trafalgar Square for the Christmas Carol Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields. It had a slightly surreal quality to it, being recorded by BBC Radio for their Christmas morning service on Radio 4, but nevertheless some great carols and an excellent excuse for being out and about in a dark and festive London!

Barbecued Turkey a Success!

Yesterday certainly had its surreal moments. Pass-the-parcel at church, a bear to dinner, dad with a blow torch and the aforementioned turkey..

Christmas morning started off in much the same way as ever, opening my stocking. Santa had brought me a slinky, some sour worms and a pair of polka-dotted girls' boxers...it made an interesting start to the day!

Some theology books and new pjamas later and we were off to church. It couldn't be worse than last year, we reassured ourselves. In fact, it was very much better. It was about as far away from a traditional Christmas service as you could imagine and probably the most informal church service I have ever been a part of (but then that's what C-brook does best..)

We walked into a room lively with people greeting each other and children everywhere. 'Celebrate good times, come on!' was playing on speakers and it seemed appropriate for the mood of the morning! What followed was a cheerful and eclectic mix of celebration and earnest message. We were treated to a dance, an 8-instrument rendition of Away in a Manger from the kids, the shortest nativity ever (on PP- nicely done!), a game of pass-the-parcel-with-a-message, a drama/dialogue on the meaning of Christmas, and a prayer for us to 'take this gift home'. All led by a family of 6 - the four girls doing an impressive job taking us through the craziness of the morning.


Christmas Lunch was a little more complicated than usual, due to a broken oven. Veg was boiled and microwaved, but the turkey found a new home in the barbecue!


Lunch was attended by a most distinguished visitor, Grandpa Bear. He came dressed for the occasion and in good Christmas cheer.

Leo is regaled with stories of past glories...

"What do you call a polar bear wearing ear muffs..?"


Dad took the opportunity to try out his new present - the kitchen blow torch! We stood back, but the turkey wasn't so lucky...

Home thoughts

There's something about coming home to Ilford that makes my 'normal' Durham life just feel like a dream, though of course a good one! I feel detached from the events of only a few days ago, as if they happened to someone else. There's something about fitting into old patterns, and being around people who've known you a long time, which tends to bring out the best and the worst. I'm definitely in post-term collapse as well, which does reduce me to getting through the here and now, and in lowest gear..

What's been interesting this time home has been re-discovering yet again that life here is not where I left it. It's always slightly odd to return home and find that things have changed here as much as things have changed for me in Durham - I expect things to still be the same! At a party here this evening the people I knew were a minority. 3 or 4 people had arrived before someone whose name I knew arrived at the door! I'm glad that my family are busy in their lives and meeting new people, but it's a 'double-take' experience for me each time.

Since I was last home there have been big changes in the garden especially. Dad has built his new shed and it's all shiny new wood planking still. It looks amazing - I'll put up some pictures soon! And it appears massive, although it's a bit of an illusion because it's very wide but not very deep. All in all, I'm impressed and proud to look at it and say 'my dad made this!'

We had the opening ceremony this evening. Everyone came outside and an old friend of dad's cut the ribbon and let everyone in for a 'tour'! The Miller Bear was keeping guard outside, dressed in a santa costume.. looking as marvellous as ever.

On the cover of Time Mag

Interesting choices...TIME Magazine has named Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates as their Persons of the Year. The articles are well worth a read (although you'll have to look at an advertisment before they let you at them!), and include a fascinating look at the political influence of Bono. I was intrigued to read about the relationship between the three of them and the way they're able to use their combined talents and resources as leverage in the sphere of global health.

Christmas Quiz!

Hey folks - have a go at these Christmas questions. Something for everyone I hope!

Answers on a postcard comment..


1. How much older than Jesus is John the Baptist?

2. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?

3. What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?

4. When did baby Jesus cry?
a) when He opened the wise men's gifts
b) whenever babies usually cried
c) when the cattle started lowing
d) "No crying He makes"

5. Just what is a "heavenly host"?
a) an angelic choir
b) the welcoming angel in heaven
c) an army of angels
d) none of the above

6. In which carol can you find the following example of animal neglect:
“The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind”

7. What happened eight days after Jesus' birth?

8. What does Jesus’ name mean?

9. When is the feast of St Stephen?

10. In which carol will you find a rude wind’s wild lament?

11. What colour are the petals of a Poinsettia?

12. What are these carols normally known as?
a) Arrival Time: 2400 hrs - Weather: Cloudless
b) Loyal Followers Advance
c) Delight for this Planet
d) Give Attention to the Melodious Celestial Beings

13. What does Mariah Carey want for Christmas?

14. Where was Saint Nicholas born?

15. Who was Scrooge's dead business partner in "A Christmas Carol"?

16. How many sides does a snowflake have?

17. According to the carol, what type of pudding should we bring you?

18. What is 'A Visit from St Nicholas' often known as?

19. Reindeer are wrongly depicted on Christmas cards, at least for this time of year. Why?

20. What did Harry Potter get for Christmas in his first term at Hogwarts?