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Willimon short
Wednesday 10th March 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 A Willimon short for you - which struck me as concise & brilliant - as always:   A robust theology of the cross is a reminder to us preachers that there is no eloquent, rhetorically savvy way by which our congregations can ascend to God. All of our attempts to climb up to God are our pitiful efforts at self-salvation. The gospel is not a story about how we are seeking God, but how God in Christ seeks us. Christian theology has always affirmed that the cross is not only a window through which we see the true nature of ...

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Amazing ...
Saturday 6th March 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

Ever since Indie Jones went through that cave to get that small gold thing, I have had a fascination with the archeology of Scripture - never enough fascination to do anything about it mind you. But then you find articles like this - and you remember 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel disappeared into history - attacked by the Assyrian Empire around 2800 years ago - which by the way was an Empire that at it's height reached into Africa as far as modern Ethiopia ... Anyway - enjoy.

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Don't know whether I am scared or heartened by this ...
Friday 5th March 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 Don't know whether I am scared or heartened by this ...   Dad brings son to work - into the air traffic control tower to be exact.  

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Oh, now - this is interesting
Wednesday 3rd March 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 It may look like an academic 'don't even read me' article at first sight - but there are drawings, so take a closer look! It is particularly interesting for anyone who claims to want to communicate through various forms of media, and the future therein ... check it out ...

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Israel letter
Monday 1st March 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 This letter appears in the recent Methodist Newsletter - on the first day of release I received 3 calls/messages about it ... so thought I would put it up here as well ... just saying what I saw!   Dear Editor,  I have read with interest the recent correspondence concerning Palestine & Christian Zionism.  I had the pleasure of, along with John Alderdice & Gail Mercer, leading a group of students to the Occupied Palestinian Territories & Israel last August. I do think I am being overly dramatic when I say that the experience of witnessing the ...

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millenials
Tuesday 23rd February 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

I have not had the chance to get into this new report on church & young adults yet - but I will ... anything strike you?  

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Love is all you need ...
Friday 12th February 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

  Soooo, it's Valentine's weekend, and I have a huge mixture of emotions - some good & helpful, some negative and not that helpful. But over-riding all the emotions is something I heard on the radio: A recently retired postman in Dublin told a very interesting story. He said that when he began delivering mail in the late 1970's Valentine's day was a major part of the postie year - the management always had to bring in extra shifts and posties would get overtime. The post bags literally swelled with cards for & from ...

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Bart boy
Wednesday 10th February 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 Another cracker prayer letter from Bart Campolo ...   As much as she doesn't belong there, I almost left Denise in jail.  The $400 it cost to get her out is a lot of money, after all, especially for a woman surviving on food stamps in a $25 per month HUD apartment our fellowship covers to keep her off the street.  Then again, we cover it because we know she’s too sick and disabled to work, let alone do jail time. Of course, as a taxpayer I understand the county’s case against Denise, whose three kids were raised entirely on ...

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Dinosaur feet
Sunday 7th February 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 This is a 100 million year old problem for creationists ...   but 'wow!' to the rest of us. Check out the dinosaur footprints!

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curiosity killed the ....
Tuesday 2nd February 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

'curiosity' from Nic Askew on Vimeo.      

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common sense
Sunday 31st January 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

 I have no idea if this was actully printed or not, but it's a thought provoking small piece ...    An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly rather true. Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain;  - Why the early bird ...

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God of disaster?
Saturday 30th January 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

William Sloan Coffin was one of the most prominent and well known preachers of the 20thC. This link takes you to a sermon he preached almost exactly 27 years ago - ten days after his 24 year old son was driving in a storm and went off the edge of a road into the sea and was drowned. Many people have been speaking/writing/blogging about God & Haiti ... and those of us who have been quieter have just been letting the destruction sink in. Many in the christian church have what I call an inadequate answer to ...

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faking it
Monday 25th January 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

    What a brilliant photo! I love it - I love wolves (second to tigers they are the coolest animals on the planet) ... This photo WON the wildlife photo of the year 2009.   Except it didn't. It's a trained wolf called from Oissin from a zoo in Canada. see the story here ...   It made me sad though ... because on the face of it, it looks like an incredible achievement; a winning stroke of good fortune, skill, patience and creativity all rolled into one. But actually, it's just ...

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Gay marriage
Thursday 21st January 2010 @ 12:00 am / 1 comment

 The article below is a brilliant argument for gay marriage in America ... it does not speak theologically (as this question is one of the biggest at present & will remain so for most of the time I am in ministry, I'd like someone to write the theological equivalent please!) but outlines brilliantly normal objections ...   We will be hearing much more about the arguments over the next decade.   Read it here.

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Here's to you Mrs Robinson ...
Tuesday 12th January 2010 @ 12:00 am / 0 comments

Stephen Nolan: Do you think for example that homosexuality is disgusting?Iris Robinson: Absolutely. Nolan: Do you think that homosexuality should be loathed?Iris Robinson: Absolutely. Nolan: Do you think it is right for people to have a physical disgust towards homosexuality?Iris Robinson: Absolutely. Nolan: Does it make you nauseous?Iris Robinson: Yes. Nolan: Do you think that it is something that is shamefully wicked and vile?Iris Robinson: Yes, of course it is, it's an abomination.         I am glad Peter Robinson has stepped down as First Minister in NI, for the simple reason I cannot think of any other western ...

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