ME19four: life, faith and role-playing games
Friday, April 14, 2006
Sweet Sacrifice
(image (c) BBC)
(Category: Faith)
Go read this. Then tell me, who do you agree with? The artist, or the Christians? Do you need to ask me?
(It's amazing what you find when in "sermon avoidance" mode!) ¶ 1:35 pm 1 comments
(image (c) BBC)
(Category: Faith)
Go read this. Then tell me, who do you agree with? The artist, or the Christians? Do you need to ask me?
(It's amazing what you find when in "sermon avoidance" mode!) ¶ 1:35 pm 1 comments
Thursday, April 13, 2006
An Eve of Many Memories
(Category: faith)
It was a very strange sensation saying Evening Prayer at the Community Hall tonight. I, alone in my bare room, with a single candle for company. Outside a large group assembled, the kitchen humming with the activity of preparation for the Jewish Passover meal in the larger of the halls.
A strange juxtaposition. A night of memories of salvation in the Exodus, and the night of the instituion of the eucharist.
Two Last Suppers, both in anticipation of liberation wrought through death. The reading from Leviticus setting out the practice for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, forming a bitter-sweet contrast to the obvious sounds of joyous gathering outside.
An echo of another Passover Supper, and the radical, incarnate re-interpretation by the hidden and soon-to-be-rejected Messiah. The words of the Litany repeated in familiarity, while without another familiar litany of questions would soon begin.
At once together, yet separated by a wall.
A wall of stone, a wall of history and a wall of faith.
And do the tears of God flow tonight? Not just in the midst of an olive grove a stone's throw from the Holy City, but in the Holy City unseen by mortal eye? Tears from the same Father, of the Patriarchs and of Jesus, for all their sons. ¶ 6:28 pm 0 comments
It was a very strange sensation saying Evening Prayer at the Community Hall tonight. I, alone in my bare room, with a single candle for company. Outside a large group assembled, the kitchen humming with the activity of preparation for the Jewish Passover meal in the larger of the halls.
A strange juxtaposition. A night of memories of salvation in the Exodus, and the night of the instituion of the eucharist.
Two Last Suppers, both in anticipation of liberation wrought through death. The reading from Leviticus setting out the practice for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, forming a bitter-sweet contrast to the obvious sounds of joyous gathering outside.
An echo of another Passover Supper, and the radical, incarnate re-interpretation by the hidden and soon-to-be-rejected Messiah. The words of the Litany repeated in familiarity, while without another familiar litany of questions would soon begin.
At once together, yet separated by a wall.
A wall of stone, a wall of history and a wall of faith.
And do the tears of God flow tonight? Not just in the midst of an olive grove a stone's throw from the Holy City, but in the Holy City unseen by mortal eye? Tears from the same Father, of the Patriarchs and of Jesus, for all their sons. ¶ 6:28 pm 0 comments
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Lost: One Lent.
(Category: Life, Faith, Role-Playing Games)
I really should not be typing this. Or at least, not now. We all know the problem though - I have plenty to do, in a busy week, and yet the last thing I want to do is work. Maybe because I haven't blogged anything for a couple of weeks. Maybe it's something to do with having lost the day off this week, or at least half of it, which is tantamount to the same thing. It was lost to a good cause, a meeting with Bishop Brian, the assistant Dioceasn secretary, and three other clergy, to review progress, share ideas and discuss something of policy for the future. But it was still lost.
Still, I had a good meeting this morning with the boss of the developers for MLPK, information gathering, outlining possiblities and making sure they knew that yes, the church still was interested in some land to put the church on, please.
And, of course it's Holy Week. My theological roots are showing, combined with a small and relatively un-churched congregation. We don't "do" Holy Week. We're not actually "doing" anything here between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday - and I'm not sure if I miss it or not. There will be the Walk of Witness just down the road in West Malling on Good Friday (and pray it doesn't rain as I'm providing the music on guitar again!) but that's it until Sunday. No vigils, no foot-washing, no Passover suppers. Just another normal week. Is it possible that that is exactly what some in first century Jerusalem felt about it too? Just the normal? More of the same?
Certainly it is feeling like a busy week for meetings, and I have been very busy on the personal, role-playing games front for the last few weeks. Almost a case of London bus syndrome. First the material for publication in Tradetalk had to be finalised. Then a semi-whinge opened the door to the wonderful possiblity that reference to some of it might actually make it into Gloranthan canon, as long as I was able to copyedit some work for Moon Design and read the whole manscript of another to see what could be done. On top of that I've had an enquiry from a friend at BITS about whether I would care to finish, or prepare for publication, something of a 52,000 word project for Traveller that I did more than five years ago.
As if that's not enough I have the latest settings document for Gara-Dien, my contribution to Gwenthia, to finish before this weekend, and a deadline of May 1st for a contributions to the Continuum Convention Book.
Not forgetting being husband and father, preparing services for use after a short holiday that is approaching, and three services/sermons on Easter Sunday, one of which being the joint service between "my" outfit, The Church of England in Kings Hill (catchy name, that) and the Kings Hill Christian Fellowship. To be doing it at all is brilliant, so I'm not complaining. I'm just very aware that it's Tuesday already and I have morning committments every day this week - and mornings are the times when my brian works best.
(I haven't even mentioned the old computer I need to refurbish as a firewall and the new RPG books I've managed to get hold of at much reduced price and my intentions to sell them on eBay.)
All of which goes to partly explain why I haven't written much of late. Want to run a sweepstake over when the next entry may be, dear readers? ¶ 3:45 pm 0 comments
I really should not be typing this. Or at least, not now. We all know the problem though - I have plenty to do, in a busy week, and yet the last thing I want to do is work. Maybe because I haven't blogged anything for a couple of weeks. Maybe it's something to do with having lost the day off this week, or at least half of it, which is tantamount to the same thing. It was lost to a good cause, a meeting with Bishop Brian, the assistant Dioceasn secretary, and three other clergy, to review progress, share ideas and discuss something of policy for the future. But it was still lost.
Still, I had a good meeting this morning with the boss of the developers for MLPK, information gathering, outlining possiblities and making sure they knew that yes, the church still was interested in some land to put the church on, please.
And, of course it's Holy Week. My theological roots are showing, combined with a small and relatively un-churched congregation. We don't "do" Holy Week. We're not actually "doing" anything here between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday - and I'm not sure if I miss it or not. There will be the Walk of Witness just down the road in West Malling on Good Friday (and pray it doesn't rain as I'm providing the music on guitar again!) but that's it until Sunday. No vigils, no foot-washing, no Passover suppers. Just another normal week. Is it possible that that is exactly what some in first century Jerusalem felt about it too? Just the normal? More of the same?
Certainly it is feeling like a busy week for meetings, and I have been very busy on the personal, role-playing games front for the last few weeks. Almost a case of London bus syndrome. First the material for publication in Tradetalk had to be finalised. Then a semi-whinge opened the door to the wonderful possiblity that reference to some of it might actually make it into Gloranthan canon, as long as I was able to copyedit some work for Moon Design and read the whole manscript of another to see what could be done. On top of that I've had an enquiry from a friend at BITS about whether I would care to finish, or prepare for publication, something of a 52,000 word project for Traveller that I did more than five years ago.
As if that's not enough I have the latest settings document for Gara-Dien, my contribution to Gwenthia, to finish before this weekend, and a deadline of May 1st for a contributions to the Continuum Convention Book.
Not forgetting being husband and father, preparing services for use after a short holiday that is approaching, and three services/sermons on Easter Sunday, one of which being the joint service between "my" outfit, The Church of England in Kings Hill (catchy name, that) and the Kings Hill Christian Fellowship. To be doing it at all is brilliant, so I'm not complaining. I'm just very aware that it's Tuesday already and I have morning committments every day this week - and mornings are the times when my brian works best.
(I haven't even mentioned the old computer I need to refurbish as a firewall and the new RPG books I've managed to get hold of at much reduced price and my intentions to sell them on eBay.)
All of which goes to partly explain why I haven't written much of late. Want to run a sweepstake over when the next entry may be, dear readers? ¶ 3:45 pm 0 comments
