Coffee, anyone? Yes, I know.... it's sermon displacement activity on a Friday afternoon... and a little too close for comfort.

(I'm off to the kitchen...)

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

  ¶ 2:46 pm 0 comments

  A different sort of connection (Category: life)

I am now in the process of switching ISPs (and reducing my expenses claims in the process, hurrah!) This will also entail getting a new (free) modem.

Am I missing something vital here, or is there really no need for a new one? Surely the user still has to point the browswer to the correct URL and the mail client to the right mail server, and enter the correct passwords without the need for new technical equpment?

And more to the point, why do ISPs see the need to set themselves up as pseudo-gateways (if that's the correct term) like AOL etc. I know what I want and I know how to find it. I don't need a third party pushing their doorway to the web at me. I don't need or want the "value added" they provide.

(Or am I just a curmudgeon)?

:)

Humph, better get ready for lunchtime Communion (and a late lunch!)  ¶ 11:48 am 0 comments

  Spirit of the Age? (Category: Faith)

The older I get, and the longer I am collared, the more I realise the deep, native, naive spirituality that exists in this country. Such folk spirituality is definitely not Christian, but instead occupies a position of vague theism.

Thus, in the crises of life, prayers are offered, churches visited, "holy men" summoned (sorry about the non-inclusive terminology, ladies - should I add "wise women?"), and yet in the midst are also the blanket, "self-evident" universalisms, that all people go to heaven, apart from the "obvious" ones, who don't, and yet who are also in permanent earshot of those who remain behind. This leads to difficult pastoral situations where the grace of God is sorely needed. I might well be inclined to agree that A and B are now "together", yet also be forced to remain stumm with regards to the issue of quite "where" there may be together...

How can I, how can we, exploit these gateways of "crisis theism" and "naive spirituality" and help others find the truth of the Jesus who waits therein, ready to show a way to deeper, Christian, faith?  ¶ 11:31 am 0 comments

  Tragic Times: A prayer request (Category: life, faith)

A simple prayer request.

You may remember just before Christmas I did the funeral of J, a young man killed in a Road Accident. I may or may not have mentioned that home circumstances were somewhat difficult - but not atypical of our times. Well, I heard a couple of days ago that J's mother has also died and I have now been asked to do the funeral too.

Dealing with one tragedy is hard.

But two from the same family in the period of three months... that's a different league.

Pray for the friends and relatives. Pray for me. The dawn of Easter is approaching, but the night before the rising sun is very dark indeed. Kyrie eleison.  ¶ 3:09 pm 1 comments

  Blessing Audit - Healthcare

Wednesday 22
6%= percentage of Ethiopia's births attended by skilled health professionals
Give 50p if you've visited the doctor or dentist this year.

Take the challenge.

Count your blessings: you can get the PDF from Christian Aid.  ¶ 1:45 pm 0 comments

  Blessing Audit - Bonus Bundle Astute readers will have noticed a distinct lack of challenge in the past few days.

So, here in one bargain bundle we have...

Money
For every £1 poor countires receive in grant aid, they pay more than £2 to the rich world in debt repayments.
Give 10p for every loan you have and 20p for every bank account.

(£1.20 plus 20p if credit cards are counted as loans.)

Freedom of Religion
In many countries people do not have the freedom to practise their chosen religion.
Give 50p if you have been to church this month [presumably you could change that to Mosque, Gudwara, Synagogue, Temple, etc.]

(I'm just glad that one's a flat fee...)

Fuel
In Cambodia more than 90% of people use traditional fuel such as wood, charcoal and animal dung.
Give 5p for every plug socket in your house.

(Ouch! That one hurt. 62 sockets, that's £3.10! The only word for that is profligate! Admittedly they are not all in use, but there are quite a lot of 4 or 5 gang extension boards on the ones that are!)

Chained Trade
According to the UN, rigged trade rules cost poor countries US$700 billion every year.
Give 20p for every shop you visit today.

  ¶ 1:21 pm 0 comments

  Free at home but don't allow others... (Category: faith)

So, why isn't the UK government making a point on this one, I wonder?  ¶ 10:22 am 0 comments

  Piltdown Cat: The Missing Lynx (Category: life)

OK - the title isn't quite true, but it got your attention, didn't it?

One of those "strange but true" stories. As Mr Spock would say "Fascinating, Captain."

And now back to the mundane...  ¶ 10:17 am 0 comments