United Church of OMG
Somewhat irreverent (and oh, how I hate the OMG acronym) but this New Yorker cartoon did raise a smile. It amazes me when standing at the door on Sundays how many people are already thumbing away on their mobiles before…
Clarinet Dreams: Lucy Downer’s debut album Conversations
CONVERSATIONS Lucy Downer, Clarinet Claire Howard Race, Piano Saint-Saëns (1835-1921): Clarinet & Piano Sonata Op. 167 Allegretto Allegro animato Lento Molto Allegro Debussy (1862-1918): Première Rhapsodie Planas (1959- ): Spanish Rhapsody for solo bass clarinet Müller (1786-1854) / Rossini (1792-1868):…
Photographic lights and shadows
It's a bit of an in-joke in my family - but when i visit places, I tend to take more photographs of places than of people. It's not that I don't find people interesting. Quite the reverse in fact! It's…
Swedish sculptural surprises amidst Lund’s mediaeval grandeur
I've been in Lund, Sweden since Wednesday, as a guest of Teofil to speak for Langham at 2 conferences this week. It is a real thrill to be here for the first time, since my late Grandmother was Swedish and…
A plague on both their houses? Carl Trueman’s polemic Republocrat
I think it's fair to say that remaining neutral about anything Carl Trueman writes or says is impossible. And that's no bad thing! He's always provocative, stimulating and often (but not always!) right on the button. In his recent short…
Heinrich Heine foresees the fragility of the cross in the face of Hitler’s Thor
Having finished Metaxas major biography of Bonhoeffer the other day, lots of things have jostled around my mind. I confess I skimmed bits of it (it is nearly 600pp including notes); I found the style a bit jarring at times…
Dedicated to all glass half-empty folks: Franklin King’s THE PESSIMIST
For all those out there for whom the glass is always half-empty, here is a wonderful offering from the American poet Benjamin Franklin King (1857–1894) THE PESSIMIST Nothing to do but work, Nothing to eat but food, Nothing to wear but…
The Facts and Figures of Galatians 4: why Abraham takes precedence over Moses
This one was a sweat, if I'm honest. But last sunday, we recommenced our Galatians series after a 2 month break (the result of that little inconvenience alternatively known as Christmas and New Year). And the passage felt a bit…
Searching for an easier religion…?
I'm afraid I couldn't resist this cartoon from the 24 Jan 2011 New Yorker. Two quotations sprang to mind - which I'll just throw out for reflection... The first is from G K Chesterton: Christianity has not been tried and…
Creative hybrids, Hadestown, & Hugo Cabret: the joy of new discoveries
One of life's joys is to be introduced to previously unknown works of art, whether they be graphic, musical, dramatic or literary. It doesn't matter - there's the simple thrill of discovery at something new. And occasionally, one gets this…
The imperative of grace-bound unity: Partnership in Philippians
Philippians has been a letter I've returned to many times over the last 20 years or so. Not particularly by my design, more that it has at various points seemed the most appropriate place to go. Every year in January,…
Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 29 (February 2011)
Sacred Treasure Interesting article by Mark Dever on staying in pastoral ministry for the long haul - citing the example of the 3 bachelor Cambridge men, Sibbes, Simeon and Stott. Neil Powell has some useful tips on having a digital…