The Roller-Coaster

Link


The roller-coaster ride of life (1) 01 Oct 2009
'He has made everything appropriate in its time.' Ecclesiastes 3:11
One preacher said, 'Friends, if I were God your body would always be 18, you could eat anything and maintain perfect weight; your middle-aged wife would have the face and figure of an angel; your mid-life husband, thick hair and washboard abs; your youngsters as intelligent as Einstein; your teens cooperative, logical and consistent. Temperatures would be 72 always; snow would be warm, melting overnight; and there'd be no nasty people. Alas, I'm not God!' So we age, gain weight, struggle raising kids, shiver in winter, sweat in summer, and put up with difficult people. Welcome to the roller-coaster ride of life! It's neither punishment nor proof you're fatally flawed; nor is it heaven or hell selecting you for 'special' persecution, nor evidence you aren't truly saved. No, it's just life in the real world! Jesus said, 'On earth you will have many trials' (John 16:33 NLT). As in the physical universe, there's an underlying 'law of wave mechanics.' In accord with it, our energy, emotions and creativity ebb and flow consistently. Sometimes we're on top of the mountain, other times the mountain is on top of us. But whether at peak or trough, God's law of wave mechanics functions - for our benefit. 'There is...a time to weep (trough), and a time to laugh (peak); a time to mourn (trough), and a time to dance (peak)' (Ecclesiastes 3:1&4). While it's more fun to laugh than weep, 'He has made everything appropriate in its time.' Relax. God, who is Alpha and Omega, determines the seasons of your life. Whichever one you're in, the Word for you today is: 'My grace is sufficient for you' (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV).

pentecost festival

the pentecost festival was fantastic,

check it out online it really is worth going to. The next one is next year. It takes place in LondonLink

Mum and Mudze

 

scaircro

scaircro

2009 how i plan it

The end of this year was good and this Christmas was excellent compared to last Christmas uncomparable really. one thing I learnt in the past was that the Brits can think of several priorities where the French will see only one priority. So I am praying to be inspired with the most important thing and to make that the next thing I do.. but time management and all that stuff does make it possible to multi-task to be fair to us Brits (: lol

At the moment I am deciding on the best way to organise myself agenda-wise. i have a calendar on my ipod but cant sync it to windows calendar, dont really want to pay for mac's mobileme or upgrade to outlook which also costs, think i'll get a 60 day trial to office 2007 should be able to afford it later. praying that i'll pay off all debt before 3rd quarter begins.

the amazing blessing is that there is so much good stuff already there to be discovered when one rests in the Lord and from such a trivial thing as taking the time to go through my music and organising that; I can find a real blessing, or popping in on Godly people and keeping an eye on my friends.
i have work in jan please ask me if you would like to know more or leave a comment.

nice

Have been feeling refreshed by Jesus and had the opportunity to witness on a couple of occasions which is nice...

moving on up

dont buy it

this is a link that I posted some time ago but it seems even more relevant now.

My news is that I am working with special needs children and enjoying every minute . I am in a good church and being as active as I can. I have loads of debt to pay off since leaving Venice so I would really appreciate your prayers. I am looking for perm work.

Blog the Builder

you know what? I didn't read the content of my last blog which is remiss of me so please overlook it. From now on I will endeavour to be more accountable.

TO: Churchgoers, synagogue members, religious laity

FR: Rabbi Yehuda Levin and Dr. O'Neal Dozier


Has your Pastor, Rabbi or Priest yet explained to your congregation that Sen. Obama supports U.S. EXPANSION of tax-funded Partial Birth Abortion , a barbaric procedure that involves piercing the skull of an infant at full-term delivery and vacuuming-out the child's brains? Why is he silent?

If Herod were running for King today, if your religious leader knew of the slaughter ahead, and recognizing that it is perfectly SAFE and LEGAL to speak out in the USA... Would he or she say even one word?

Has your worship leader told your congregation what Sen. Obama's new "Sexual Orientation" law will mean? Why not?

Has your Shepherd explained that Sen. Obama favors full REPEAL of the Defense of Marriage Act? -- which protects your state from forced recognition of Same-Sex "Marriages" from other states? What's his excuse?

Has your Shepherd explained that Sen. Obama favors full integration of flagrant, practicing homosexuals into the U.S. armed forces and military barracks? Our military women aren't required to bunk and bathe with male soldiers; is it appropriate to force this kind of intimacy on any of our troops? What about morale and U.S. security? Is your pastor saying anything about this?

Has your Pastor/Rabbi/Priest shown your congregation the tasteful Interfaith Video Sermon which connects these facts and Scripture -- or shown the graphic version? (He got a DVD by mail and can download either brief video by clicking here! ) Why would a congregational leader NOT apply the Bible so?

Has your Shepherd seen and relayed the EYEWITNESS VIDEO ACCOUNT regarding Obama and the killing of infant abortion survivors in Illinois? How, in Heaven's name, can pulpit silence on this possibly be rationalized?

Has your clerical leadership bothered to get the facts, to verify the documentation ? Does your Shepherd even care about the truth -- or about shepherding his flock?

Has your pastor or bishop tacitly rejected Martin Luther King's plea to judge by the content of a man's character, rather than by the color of his skin? Is "Reverse Racism" or "White Guilt" inspiring shameful pulpit silence on the Torah, Tanakh and New Testament issues of Same-Sex Unions and Child Sacrifice?

Does your Pastor/Rabbi have even a clue regarding his First Amendment, Free Exercise, Free Speech rights to teach the Bible and Tradition from pulpit to pew -- while CLEARLY explaining policies of political leaders and NAMING NAMES? Is there any reason he or she would prefer ignorance?

Has your Pastor/Rabbi/Father joined the courageous Signatories yet? Has he offered up a single prayer seeking Sen. Obama's repentance for these policies, so desperately at odds with Scripture? Has your Shepherd spoken even one clear word on these monumental matters from the pulpit? Is your Shepherd a man of God... or just a "holy pontificator", a church mouse or... a wimp?

And, if your Shepherd IS indeed serving as a dutiful Watchman , if he IS boldly speaking up, preaching out, teaching clearly and NAMING NAMES according to the mandate of conscience and the Jewish or Christian Testaments... have you THANKED him yet with a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to The Judeo-Christian View?

I certainly hope so, because your Pastor/Rabbi/Priest truly needs YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT RIGHT NOW to say and do what he knows to be right in the eyes of Heaven.

Your leader is a good person, but only human.

ENCOURAGE YOUR LEADER TODAY. Forward this email to him/her and to all of your fellow church/synagogue members, with a kind word!

And, please put them all onto The Judeo-Christian View !
Lord Almighty, hear our prayer, help our Shepherds,
and help us all, your Sheep.
dozier_sm

Shalom,

Rabbi Yehuda Levin Dr. O'Neal Dozier
Congregation Mevakshai General Publisher


Go to: www.thejudeo-christianview.com
________________________________________________________________________________



Other Vital Resources:

Liberty Counsel: Many pastors, priests, rabbis and boards do not understand that they can freely preach/teach the Bible AND clearly explain to their congregations where NAMED political leaders stand on public policy issues informed by the Bible, distinct from any talk of endorsements. For example, because churches are not granted tax-exempt status by the IRS but acquire it automatically when they come into existence, the IRS has never been able to take it away from any church. Click here for a video discussion (toward bottom of linked page) on this by Prof. Mathew Staver, Dean of Liberty University School of Law and Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel -- a nonprofit legal defense organization for congregational leaders and their houses of worship, upholding First Amendment freedoms for all Americans via litigation, education and policy work. Established in 1989, Liberty Counsel is a nationwide organization of attorneys with offices in Florida, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and hundreds of affiliate lawyers across the Nation. Liberty Counsel's website is www.LC.org.

The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission: The CADC is a non-profit that aims to be the first-in-mind champion of Christian religious liberty, a first line of response to anti-Christian defamation, bigotry, and discrimination via public relations and, as necessary, litigation. According to CADC, by declaring he is a Christian, yet denying Christianity's essential doctrines and morality, Barack Obama has associated the name of Jesus Christ with practices expressly condemned in the Torah, the Tanakh, and the New Testament. To view CADC's brief and incisive videos on this and other vital topics, go to www.christianadc.org

The Anti-Defamation League: The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all." ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, scrutinizing and exposing hate groups and offering expertise on domestic and international terrorism. ADL also seeks to foster interfaith relations, to safeguard religious liberty, while defending the security of Israel and Jews worldwide. Through the Bearing Witness program, a partnership with The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Archdiocese of Washington, provides religious educators with the training and resources necessary to teach their students about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. For more, go to www.adl.org .




The Judeo-Christian View

P.O. Box 734, Vista, California 92085-0734

Charlie the Unicorn 2

charile the unicorn

Bella Hardy

some music online for those who have ears

with my friend Fabien from the lovely time I had in France before Winter.

ps fwd through 'rire' there is bad distortion T Y J

if you read this, i'll post you a mars hero

LETTER TO ARTISTS
Pope John Paul II

1999

To all who are passionately dedicated
to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty
so that through their creative work as artists
they may offer these as gifts to the world.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gn 1:31)


The artist, image of God the Creator

1. None can sense more deeply than you artists, ingenious creators of beauty that you are, something of the pathos with which God at the dawn of creation looked upon the work of his hands. A glimmer of that feeling has shone so often in your eyes when—like the artists of every age—captivated by the hidden power of sounds and words, colours and shapes, you have admired the work of your inspiration, sensing in it some echo of the mystery of creation with which God, the sole creator of all things, has wished in some way to associate you.

That is why it seems to me that there are no better words than the text of Genesis with which to begin my Letter to you, to whom I feel closely linked by experiences reaching far back in time and which have indelibly marked my life. In writing this Letter, I intend to follow the path of the fruitful dialogue between the Church and artists which has gone on unbroken through two thousand years of history, and which still, at the threshold of the Third Millennium, offers rich promise for the future.

In fact, this dialogue is not dictated merely by historical accident or practical need, but is rooted in the very essence of both religious experience and artistic creativity. The opening page of the Bible presents God as a kind of exemplar of everyone who produces a work: the human craftsman mirrors the image of God as Creator. This relationship is particularly clear in the Polish language because of the lexical link between the words stwórca (creator) and twórca (craftsman).

What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing—ex nihilo sui et subiecti, as the Latin puts it—and this, in the strict sense, is a mode of operation which belongs to the Almighty alone. The craftsman, by contrast, uses something that already exists, to which he gives form and meaning. This is the mode of operation peculiar to man as made in the image of God. In fact, after saying that God created man and woman “in his image” (cf. Gn 1:27), the Bible adds that he entrusted to them the task of dominating the earth (cf. Gn 1:28). This was the last day of creation (cf. Gn 1:28-31). On the previous days, marking as it were the rhythm of the birth of the cosmos, Yahweh had created the universe. Finally he created the human being, the noblest fruit of his design, to whom he subjected the visible world as a vast field in which human inventiveness might assert itself.

God therefore called man into existence, committing to him the craftsman's task. Through his “artistic creativity” man appears more than ever “in the image of God”, and he accomplishes this task above all in shaping the wondrous “material” of his own humanity and then exercising creative dominion over the universe which surrounds him. With loving regard, the divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power. Obviously, this is a sharing which leaves intact the infinite distance between the Creator and the creature, as Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa made clear: “Creative art, which it is the soul's good fortune to entertain, is not to be identified with that essential art which is God himself, but is only a communication of it and a share in it”.(1)

That is why artists, the more conscious they are of their “gift”, are led all the more to see themselves and the whole of creation with eyes able to contemplate and give thanks, and to raise to God a hymn of praise. This is the only way for them to come to a full understanding of themselves, their vocation and their mission.

The special vocation of the artist

2. Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.

It is important to recognize the distinction, but also the connection, between these two aspects of human activity. The distinction is clear. It is one thing for human beings to be the authors of their own acts, with responsibility for their moral value; it is another to be an artist, able, that is, to respond to the demands of art and faithfully to accept art's specific dictates.(2) This is what makes the artist capable of producing objects, but it says nothing as yet of his moral character. We are speaking not of moulding oneself, of forming one's own personality, but simply of actualizing one's productive capacities, giving aesthetic form to ideas conceived in the mind.

The distinction between the moral and artistic aspects is fundamental, but no less important is the connection between them. Each conditions the other in a profound way. In producing a work, artists express themselves to the point where their work becomes a unique disclosure of their own being, of what they are and of how they are what they are. And there are endless examples of this in human history. In shaping a masterpiece, the artist not only summons his work into being, but also in some way reveals his own personality by means of it. For him art offers both a new dimension and an exceptional mode of expression for his spiritual growth. Through his works, the artist speaks to others and communicates with them. The history of art, therefore, is not only a story of works produced but also a story of men and women. Works of art speak of their authors; they enable us to know their inner life, and they reveal the original contribution which artists offer to the history of culture.

The artistic vocation in the service of beauty

3. A noted Polish poet, Cyprian Norwid, wrote that “beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up”.(3)

The theme of beauty is decisive for a discourse on art. It was already present when I stressed God's delighted gaze upon creation. In perceiving that all he had created was good, God saw that it was beautiful as well.(4) The link between good and beautiful stirs fruitful reflection. In a certain sense, beauty is the visible form of the good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty. This was well understood by the Greeks who, by fusing the two concepts, coined a term which embraces both: kalokagathía, or beauty-goodness. On this point Plato writes: “The power of the Good has taken refuge in the nature of the Beautiful”.(5)

It is in living and acting that man establishes his relationship with being, with the truth and with the good. The artist has a special relationship to beauty. In a very true sense it can be said that beauty is the vocation bestowed on him by the Creator in the gift of “artistic talent”. And, certainly, this too is a talent which ought to be made to bear fruit, in keeping with the sense of the Gospel parable of the talents (cf. Mt 25:14-30).

Here we touch on an essential point. Those who perceive in themselves this kind of divine spark which is the artistic vocation—as poet, writer, sculptor, architect, musician, actor and so on—feel at the same time the obligation not to waste this talent but to develop it, in order to put it at the service of their neighbour and of humanity as a whole.

The artist and the common good

4. Society needs artists, just as it needs scientists, technicians, workers, professional people, witnesses of the faith, teachers, fathers and mothers, who ensure the growth of the person and the development of the community by means of that supreme art form which is “the art of education”. Within the vast cultural panorama of each nation, artists have their unique place. Obedient to their inspiration in creating works both worthwhile and beautiful, they not only enrich the cultural heritage of each nation and of all humanity, but they also render an exceptional social service in favour of the common good.

The particular vocation of individual artists decides the arena in which they serve and points as well to the tasks they must assume, the hard work they must endure and the responsibility they must accept. Artists who are conscious of all this know too that they must labour without allowing themselves to be driven by the search for empty glory or the craving for cheap popularity, and still less by the calculation of some possible profit for themselves. There is therefore an ethic, even a “spirituality” of artistic service, which contributes in its way to the life and renewal of a people. It is precisely this to which Cyprian Norwid seems to allude in declaring that “beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up”.

Art and the mystery of the Word made flesh

5. The Law of the Old Testament explicitly forbids representation of the invisible and ineffable God by means of “graven or molten image” (Dt 27:15), because God transcends every material representation: “I am who I am” (Ex 3:14). Yet in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Son of God becomes visible in person: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son born of woman” (Gal 4:4). God became man in Jesus Christ, who thus becomes “the central point of reference for an understanding of the enigma of human existence, the created world and God himself”.(6)

This prime epiphany of “God who is Mystery” is both an encouragement and a challenge to Christians, also at the level of artistic creativity. From it has come a flowering of beauty which has drawn its sap precisely from the mystery of the Incarnation. In becoming man, the Son of God has introduced into human history all the evangelical wealth of the true and the good, and with this he has also unveiled a new dimension of beauty, of which the Gospel message is filled to the brim.

Sacred Scripture has thus become a sort of “immense vocabulary” (Paul Claudel) and “iconographic atlas” (Marc Chagall), from which both Christian culture and art have drawn. The Old Testament, read in the light of the New, has provided endless streams of inspiration. From the stories of the Creation and sin, the Flood, the cycle of the Patriarchs, the events of the Exodus to so many other episodes and characters in the history of salvation, the biblical text has fired the imagination of painters, poets, musicians, playwrights and film-makers. A figure like Job, to take but one example, with his searing and ever relevant question of suffering, still arouses an interest which is not just philosophical but literary and artistic as well. And what should we say of the New Testament? From the Nativity to Golgotha, from the Transfiguration to the Resurrection, from the miracles to the teachings of Christ, and on to the events recounted in the Acts of the Apostles or foreseen by the Apocalypse in an eschatological key, on countless occasions the biblical word has become image, music and poetry, evoking the mystery of “the Word made flesh” in the language of art.

In the history of human culture, all of this is a rich chapter of faith and beauty. Believers above all have gained from it in their experience of prayer and Christian living. Indeed for many of them, in times when few could read or write, representations of the Bible were a concrete mode of catechesis.(7) But for everyone, believers or not, the works of art inspired by Scripture remain a reflection of the unfathomable mystery which engulfs and inhabits the world.

A fruitful alliance between the Gospel and art

6. Every genuine artistic intuition goes beyond what the senses perceive and, reaching beneath reality's surface, strives to interpret its hidden mystery. The intuition itself springs from the depths of the human soul, where the desire to give meaning to one's own life is joined by the fleeting vision of beauty and of the mysterious unity of things. All artists experience the unbridgeable gap which lies between the work of their hands, however successful it may be, and the dazzling perfection of the beauty glimpsed in the ardour of the creative moment: what they manage to express in their painting, their sculpting, their creating is no more than a glimmer of the splendour which flared for a moment before the eyes of their spirit.

Believers find nothing strange in this: they know that they have had a momentary glimpse of the abyss of light which has its original wellspring in God. Is it in any way surprising that this leaves the spirit overwhelmed as it were, so that it can only stammer in reply? True artists above all are ready to acknowledge their limits and to make their own the words of the Apostle Paul, according to whom “God does not dwell in shrines made by human hands” so that “we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold or silver or stone, a representation by human art and imagination” (Acts 17:24, 29). If the intimate reality of things is always “beyond” the powers of human perception, how much more so is God in the depths of his unfathomable mystery!

The knowledge conferred by faith is of a different kind: it presupposes a personal encounter with God in Jesus Christ. Yet this knowledge too can be enriched by artistic intuition. An eloquent example of aesthetic contemplation sublimated in faith are, for example, the works of Fra Angelico. No less notable in this regard is the ecstatic lauda, which Saint Francis of Assisi twice repeats in the chartula which he composed after receiving the stigmata of Christ on the mountain of La Verna: “You are beauty... You are beauty!”.(8) Saint Bonaventure comments: “In things of beauty, he contemplated the One who is supremely beautiful, and, led by the footprints he found in creatures, he followed the Beloved everywhere”.(9)

A corresponding approach is found in Eastern spirituality where Christ is described as “the supremely Beautiful, possessed of a beauty above all the children of earth”.(10) Macarius the Great speaks of the transfiguring and liberating beauty of the Risen Lord in these terms: “The soul which has been fully illumined by the unspeakable beauty of the glory shining on the countenance of Christ overflows with the Holy Spirit... it is all eye, all light, all countenance”.(11)

Every genuine art form in its own way is a path to the inmost reality of man and of the world. It is therefore a wholly valid approach to the realm of faith, which gives human experience its ultimate meaning. That is why the Gospel fullness of truth was bound from the beginning to stir the interest of artists, who by their very nature are alert to every “epiphany” of the inner beauty of things.

The origins

7. The art which Christianity encountered in its early days was the ripe fruit of the classical world, articulating its aesthetic canons and embodying its values. Not only in their way of living and thinking, but also in the field of art, faith obliged Christians to a discernment which did not allow an uncritical acceptance of this heritage. Art of Christian inspiration began therefore in a minor key, strictly tied to the need for believers to contrive Scripture-based signs to express both the mysteries of faith and a “symbolic code” by which they could distinguish and identify themselves, especially in the difficult times of persecution. Who does not recall the symbols which marked the first appearance of an art both pictorial and plastic? The fish, the loaves, the shepherd: in evoking the mystery, they became almost imperceptibly the first traces of a new art.

When the Edict of Constantine allowed Christians to declare themselves in full freedom, art became a privileged means for the expression of faith. Majestic basilicas began to appear, and in them the architectural canons of the pagan world were reproduced and at the same time modified to meet the demands of the new form of worship. How can we fail to recall at least the old Saint Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, both funded by Constantine himself? Or Constantinople's Hagia Sophia built by Justinian, with its splendours of Byzantine art?

While architecture designed the space for worship, gradually the need to contemplate the mystery and to present it explicitly to the simple people led to the early forms of painting and sculpture. There appeared as well the first elements of art in word and sound. Among the many themes treated by Augustine we find De Musica; and Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose, Prudentius, Ephrem the Syrian, Gregory of Nazianzus and Paulinus of Nola, to mention but a few, promoted a Christian poetry which was often of high quality not just as theology but also as literature. Their poetic work valued forms inherited from the classical authors, but was nourished by the pure sap of the Gospel, as Paulinus of Nola put it succinctly: “Our only art is faith and our music Christ”.(12) A little later, Gregory the Great compiled the Antiphonarium and thus laid the ground for the organic development of that most original sacred music which takes its name from him. Gregorian chant, with its inspired modulations, was to become down the centuries the music of the Church's faith in the liturgical celebration of the sacred mysteries. The “beautiful” was thus wedded to the “true”, so that through art too souls might be lifted up from the world of the senses to the eternal.

Along this path there were troubled moments. Precisely on the issue of depicting the Christian mystery, there arose in the early centuries a bitter controversy known to history as “the iconoclast crisis”. Sacred images, which were already widely used in Christian devotion, became the object of violent contention. The Council held at Nicaea in 787, which decreed the legitimacy of images and their veneration, was a historic event not just for the faith but for culture itself. The decisive argument to which the Bishops appealed in order to settle the controversy was the mystery of the Incarnation: if the Son of God had come into the world of visible realities—his humanity building a bridge between the visible and the invisible— then, by analogy, a representation of the mystery could be used, within the logic of signs, as a sensory evocation of the mystery. The icon is venerated not for its own sake, but points beyond to the subject which it represents.(13)

The Middle Ages

8. The succeeding centuries saw a great development of Christian art. In the East, the art of the icon continued to flourish, obeying theological and aesthetic norms charged with meaning and sustained by the conviction that, in a sense, the icon is a sacrament. By analogy with what occurs in the sacraments, the icon makes present the mystery of the Incarnation in one or other of its aspects. That is why the beauty of the icon can be best appreciated in a church where in the shadows burning lamps stir infinite flickerings of light. As Pavel Florensky has written: “By the flat light of day, gold is crude, heavy, useless, but by the tremulous light of a lamp or candle it springs to life and glitters in sparks beyond counting—now here, now there, evoking the sense of other lights, not of this earth, which fill the space of heaven”.(14)

In the West, artists start from the most varied viewpoints, depending also on the underlying convictions of the cultural world of their time. The artistic heritage built up over the centuries includes a vast array of sacred works of great inspiration, which still today leave the observer full of admiration. In the first place, there are the great buildings for worship, in which the functional is always wedded to the creative impulse inspired by a sense of the beautiful and an intuition of the mystery. From here came the various styles well known in the history of art. The strength and simplicity of the Romanesque, expressed in cathedrals and abbeys, slowly evolved into the soaring splendours of the Gothic. These forms portray not only the genius of an artist but the soul of a people. In the play of light and shadow, in forms at times massive, at times delicate, structural considerations certainly come into play, but so too do the tensions peculiar to the experience of God, the mystery both “awesome” and “alluring”. How is one to summarize with a few brief references to each of the many different art forms, the creative power of the centuries of the Christian Middle Ages? An entire culture, albeit with the inescapable limits of all that is human, had become imbued with the Gospel; and where theology produced the Summa of Saint Thomas, church art moulded matter in a way which led to adoration of the mystery, and a wonderful poet like Dante Alighieri could compose “the sacred poem, to which both heaven and earth have turned their hand”,(15) as he himself described the Divine Comedy.

Humanism and the Renaissance

9. The favourable cultural climate that produced the extraordinary artistic flowering of Humanism and the Renaissance also had a significant impact on the way in which the artists of the period approached the religious theme. Naturally, their inspiration, like their style, varied greatly, at least among the best of them. But I do not intend to repeat things which you, as artists, know well. Writing from this Apostolic Palace, which is a mine of masterpieces perhaps unique in the world, I would rather give voice to the supreme artists who in this place lavished the wealth of their genius, often charged with great spiritual depth. From here can be heard the voice of Michelangelo who in the Sistine Chapel has presented the drama and mystery of the world from the Creation to the Last Judgement, giving a face to God the Father, to Christ the Judge, and to man on his arduous journey from the dawn to the consummation of history. Here speaks the delicate and profound genius of Raphael, highlighting in the array of his paintings, and especially in the “Dispute” in the Room of the Signatura, the mystery of the revelation of the Triune God, who in the Eucharist befriends man and sheds light on the questions and expectations of human intelligence. From this place, from the majestic Basilica dedicated to the Prince of the Apostles, from the Colonnade which spreads out from it like two arms open to welcome the whole human family, we still hear Bramante, Bernini, Borromini, Maderno, to name only the more important artists, all rendering visible the perception of the mystery which makes of the Church a universally hospitable community, mother and travelling companion to all men and women in their search for God.

This extraordinary complex is a remarkably powerful expression of sacred art, rising to heights of imperishable aesthetic and religious excellence. What has characterized sacred art more and more, under the impulse of Humanism and the Renaissance, and then of successive cultural and scientific trends, is a growing interest in everything human, in the world, and in the reality of history. In itself, such a concern is not at all a danger for Christian faith, centred on the mystery of the Incarnation and therefore on God's valuing of the human being. The great artists mentioned above are a demonstration of this. Suffice it to think of the way in which Michelangelo represents the beauty of the human body in his painting and sculpture.(16)

Even in the changed climate of more recent centuries, when a part of society seems to have become indifferent to faith, religious art has continued on its way. This can be more widely appreciated if we look beyond the figurative arts to the great development of sacred music through this same period, either composed for the liturgy or simply treating religious themes. Apart from the many artists who made sacred music their chief concern—how can we forget Pier Luigi da Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso, Tomás Luis de Victoria?—it is also true that many of the great composers—from Handel to Bach, from Mozart to Schubert, from Beethoven to Berlioz, from Liszt to Verdi—have given us works of the highest inspiration in this field.

Towards a renewed dialogue

10. It is true nevertheless that, in the modern era, alongside this Christian humanism which has continued to produce important works of culture and art, another kind of humanism, marked by the absence of God and often by opposition to God, has gradually asserted itself. Such an atmosphere has sometimes led to a separation of the world of art and the world of faith, at least in the sense that many artists have a diminished interest in religious themes.

You know, however, that the Church has not ceased to nurture great appreciation for the value of art as such. Even beyond its typically religious expressions, true art has a close affinity with the world of faith, so that, even in situations where culture and the Church are far apart, art remains a kind of bridge to religious experience. In so far as it seeks the beautiful, fruit of an imagination which rises above the everyday, art is by its nature a kind of appeal to the mystery. Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption.

It is clear, therefore, why the Church is especially concerned for the dialogue with art and is keen that in our own time there be a new alliance with artists, as called for by my revered predecessor Paul VI in his vibrant speech to artists during a special meeting he had with them in the Sistine Chapel on 7 May 1964.(17) From such cooperation the Church hopes for a renewed “epiphany” of beauty in our time and apt responses to the particular needs of the Christian community.

In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council

11. The Second Vatican Council laid the foundation for a renewed relationship between the Church and culture, with immediate implications for the world of art. This is a relationship offered in friendship, openness and dialogue. In the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, the Fathers of the Council stressed “the great importance” of literature and the arts in human life: “They seek to probe the true nature of man, his problems and experiences, as he strives to know and perfect himself and the world, to discover his place in history and the universe, to portray his miseries and joys, his needs and strengths, with a view to a better future”.(18)

On this basis, at the end of the Council the Fathers addressed a greeting and an appeal to artists: “This world—they said—in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration!”.(19) In this spirit of profound respect for beauty, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium recalled the historic friendliness of the Church towards art and, referring more specifically to sacred art, the “summit” of religious art, did not hesitate to consider artists as having “a noble ministry” when their works reflect in some way the infinite beauty of God and raise people's minds to him.(20) Thanks also to the help of artists “the knowledge of God can be better revealed and the preaching of the Gospel can become clearer to the human mind”.(21) In this light, it comes as no surprise when Father Marie Dominique Chenu claims that the work of the historian of theology would be incomplete if he failed to give due attention to works of art, both literary and figurative, which are in their own way “not only aesthetic representations, but genuine 'sources' of theology”.(22)

The Church needs art

12. In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art. Art must make perceptible, and as far as possible attractive, the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God. It must therefore translate into meaningful terms that which is in itself ineffable. Art has a unique capacity to take one or other facet of the message and translate it into colours, shapes and sounds which nourish the intuition of those who look or listen. It does so without emptying the message itself of its transcendent value and its aura of mystery.

The Church has need especially of those who can do this on the literary and figurative level, using the endless possibilities of images and their symbolic force. Christ himself made extensive use of images in his preaching, fully in keeping with his willingness to become, in the Incarnation, the icon of the unseen God.

The Church also needs musicians. How many sacred works have been composed through the centuries by people deeply imbued with the sense of the mystery! The faith of countless believers has been nourished by melodies flowing from the hearts of other believers, either introduced into the liturgy or used as an aid to dignified worship. In song, faith is experienced as vibrant joy, love, and confident expectation of the saving intervention of God.

The Church needs architects, because she needs spaces to bring the Christian people together and celebrate the mysteries of salvation. After the terrible destruction of the last World War and the growth of great cities, a new generation of architects showed themselves adept at responding to the exigencies of Christian worship, confirming that the religious theme can still inspire architectural design in our own day. Not infrequently these architects have constructed churches which are both places of prayer and true works of art.

Does art need the Church?

13. The Church therefore needs art. But can it also be said that art needs the Church? The question may seem like a provocation. Yet, rightly understood, it is both legitimate and profound. Artists are constantly in search of the hidden meaning of things, and their torment is to succeed in expressing the world of the ineffable. How then can we fail to see what a great source of inspiration is offered by that kind of homeland of the soul that is religion? Is it not perhaps within the realm of religion that the most vital personal questions are posed, and answers both concrete and definitive are sought?

In fact, the religious theme has been among those most frequently treated by artists in every age. The Church has always appealed to their creative powers in interpreting the Gospel message and discerning its precise application in the life of the Christian community. This partnership has been a source of mutual spiritual enrichment. Ultimately, it has been a great boon for an understanding of man, of the authentic image and truth of the person. The special bond between art and Christian revelation has also become evident. This does not mean that human genius has not found inspiration in other religious contexts. It is enough to recall the art of the ancient world, especially Greek and Roman art, or the art which still flourishes in the very ancient civilizations of the East. It remains true, however, that because of its central doctrine of the Incarnation of the Word of God, Christianity offers artists a horizon especially rich in inspiration. What an impoverishment it would be for art to abandon the inexhaustible mine of the Gospel!

An appeal to artists

14. With this Letter, I turn to you, the artists of the world, to assure you of my esteem and to help consolidate a more constructive partnership between art and the Church. Mine is an invitation to rediscover the depth of the spiritual and religious dimension which has been typical of art in its noblest forms in every age. It is with this in mind that I appeal to you, artists of the written and spoken word, of the theatre and music, of the plastic arts and the most recent technologies in the field of communication. I appeal especially to you, Christian artists: I wish to remind each of you that, beyond functional considerations, the close alliance that has always existed between the Gospel and art means that you are invited to use your creative intuition to enter into the heart of the mystery of the Incarnate God and at the same time into the mystery of man.

Human beings, in a certain sense, are unknown to themselves. Jesus Christ not only reveals God, but “fully reveals man to man”.(23) In Christ, God has reconciled the world to himself. All believers are called to bear witness to this; but it is up to you, men and women who have given your lives to art, to declare with all the wealth of your ingenuity that in Christ the world is redeemed: the human person is redeemed, the human body is redeemed, and the whole creation which, according to Saint Paul, “awaits impatiently the revelation of the children of God” (Rom 8:19), is redeemed. The creation awaits the revelation of the children of God also through art and in art. This is your task. Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.

The Creator Spirit and artistic inspiration

15. Often in the Church there resounds the invocation to the Holy Spirit: Veni, Creator Spiritus... – “Come, O Creator Spirit, visit our minds, fill with your grace the hearts you have created”.(24)

The Holy Spirit, “the Breath” (ruah), is the One referred to already in the Book of Genesis: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (1:2). What affinity between the words “breath - breathing” and “inspiration”! The Spirit is the mysterious Artist of the universe. Looking to the Third Millennium, I would hope that all artists might receive in abundance the gift of that creative inspiration which is the starting-point of every true work of art.

Dear artists, you well know that there are many impulses which, either from within or from without, can inspire your talent. Every genuine inspiration, however, contains some tremor of that “breath” with which the Creator Spirit suffused the work of creation from the very beginning. Overseeing the mysterious laws governing the universe, the divine breath of the Creator Spirit reaches out to human genius and stirs its creative power. He touches it with a kind of inner illumination which brings together the sense of the good and the beautiful, and he awakens energies of mind and heart which enable it to conceive an idea and give it form in a work of art. It is right then to speak, even if only analogically, of “moments of grace”, because the human being is able to experience in some way the Absolute who is utterly beyond.

The “Beauty” that saves

16. On the threshold of the Third Millennium, my hope for all of you who are artists is that you will have an especially intense experience of creative inspiration. May the beauty which you pass on to generations still to come be such that it will stir them to wonder! Faced with the sacredness of life and of the human person, and before the marvels of the universe, wonder is the only appropriate attitude.

From this wonder there can come that enthusiasm of which Norwid spoke in the poem to which I referred earlier. People of today and tomorrow need this enthusiasm if they are to meet and master the crucial challenges which stand before us. Thanks to this enthusiasm, humanity, every time it loses its way, will be able to lift itself up and set out again on the right path. In this sense it has been said with profound insight that “beauty will save the world”.(25)

Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savour life and to dream of the future. That is why the beauty of created things can never fully satisfy. It stirs that hidden nostalgia for God which a lover of beauty like Saint Augustine could express in incomparable terms: “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you!”.(26)

Artists of the world, may your many different paths all lead to that infinite Ocean of beauty where wonder becomes awe, exhilaration, unspeakable joy.

May you be guided and inspired by the mystery of the Risen Christ, whom the Church in these days contemplates with joy.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always: she is the “tota pulchra” portrayed by countless artists, whom Dante contemplates among the splendours of Paradise as “beauty that was joy in the eyes of all the other saints”.(27)

“From chaos there rises the world of the spirit”. These words of Adam Mickiewicz, written at a time of great hardship for his Polish homeland,(28) prompt my hope for you: may your art help to affirm that true beauty which, as a glimmer of the Spirit of God, will transfigure matter, opening the human soul to the sense of the eternal.

With my heartfelt good wishes!

From the Vatican, 4 April 1999, Easter Sunday.

(1) Dialogus de Ludo Globi, lib. II: Philosophisch-Theologische Schriften, Vienna 1967, III, p. 332.

(2) The moral virtues, and among them prudence in particular, allow the subject to act in harmony with the criterion of moral good and evil: according to recta ratio agibilium (the right criterion of action). Art, however, is defined by philosophy as recta ratio factibilium (the right criterion of production).

(3) Promethidion, Bogumil, vv. 185-186: Pisma wybrane, Warsaw 1968, vol. 2, p. 216.

(4) The Greek translation of the Septuagint expresses this well in rendering the Hebrew term t(o-)b (good) as kalón (beautiful).

(5) Philebus, 65 A.

(6) JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio (14 September 1998), 80: AAS 91 (1999), 67.

(7) This pedagogical principle was given authoritative formulation by Saint Gregory the Great in a letter of 599 to Serenus, Bishop of Marseilles: “Painting is employed in churches so that those who cannot read or write may at least read on the walls what they cannot decipher on the page”, Epistulae, IX, 209: CCL 140A, 1714.

(8) Lodi di Dio Altissimo, vv. 7 and 10: Fonti Francescane, No. 261, Padua 1982, p. 177.

(9) Legenda Maior, IX, 1: Fonti Francesane, No. 1162, loc. cit., p. 911.

(10) Enkomia of the Orthós of the Holy and Great Saturday.

(11) Homily I, 2: PG 34, 451.

(12) “At nobis ars una fides et musica Christus”: Carmen 20, 31: CCL 203, 144.

(13) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Duodecimum Saeculum (4 December 1987), 8-9: AAS 80 (1988), pp. 247-249.

(14) La prospettiva rovesciata ed altri scritti, Rome 1984, p. 63.

(15) Paradiso XXV, 1-2.

(16) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Mass for the Conclusion of the Restoration of Michelangelo's Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, 8 April 1994: Insegnamenti, XVII, 1 (1994), 899-904.

(17) Cf. AAS 56 (1964), 438-444.

(18) No. 62.

(19) Message to Artists, 8 December 1965: AAS 58 (1966), 13.

(20) Cf. No. 122.

(21) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 62.

(22) La teologia nel XII secolo, Milan 1992, p. 9.

(23) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 22.

(24) Hymn at Vespers on Pentecost.

(25) F. DOSTOYEVSKY, The Idiot, Part III, chap. 5.

(26) Sero te amavi! Pulchritudo tam antiqua et tam nova, sero te amavi!: Confessions, 10, 27: CCL 27, 251.

(27) Paradiso XXXI, 134-135.

(28) Oda do mlodosci, v. 69: Wybór poezji, Wroclaw 1986, vol. 1, p. 63.

Provided Courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, AL 35210
www.ewtn.com


HOME-EWTNews-FAITH-TELEVISION-RADIO-LIBRARY-GALLERY-CATALOGUE-GENERAL
ESPAÑOL

kooki

The Kooks - Sway - Official Video

wearing out

i will be at harnhill from monday to the end of the week

i am

i am in London, staying with a family but will need to move soon. Driving round in the volvo. Have been playing in the worship and enjoying the preach on a sunday.. very down to earth.

info@london

have started new job

am staying with a christian colombian couple in my own room

the car is immobile until i fit the new alternator

basically i teach an elementary class, an advance ielts class, and a small part of a course on the old testament.

recently events in my life lead me to view myself in a dim light. I am making myself accountable to someone in Tiverton and I am looking for someone here to make myself accountable to.. so far I have only been here for about 4 days.

it's enjoyable to teach people from somalia, burma, pakistan, brazil, colombia..

the director of the school said that people who stay here can get kinda down after a while, which i think is a spiritual thing, so i need to look out for that as if one reads operation world one can see similar things about italy. all organisations there had had 'traumatic' experiences.

the thing is to improve my character.

some news

dont buy it


so , my gf broke up with me, i have decided to go to london to work for a language school in London and i decided to move out of my place in italy so the owner's mum could be near her mum. at present i am in italy with my mum to show her venice.

taco's

eating at the davis' for the last time for quite a while probably,

some news

I am no longer working in the mountains of folgaria italy and am heading south with two teacher friends ryan and david to see me mum


it has been good but costly in that i have lost touch with the real world

the hills are ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dont buy it



teaching in folgaria italy for eight weeks. kids are not easy but not impossible to deal with

How to Save a Life..

R L S S

am trying to get a summer job as a lifeguard, according to my student (lifeguard) I can use my expired lifeguard qualification to get a job in Italy as it is still valid, and just do a refresher course.


interested? see R L S S wiki or R L S S official website

contact

Quietly Jon

hmm, well nuthin much.

i guess i am evaluating more than anything else, trying to 'suit up' and tackle things, kinda 'get lost and then get found' i think thats what i am hoping for from this season.

i am finding that life is not as easy to move through as one might think, but i reckon thats cos of the way i am tackling it..

are we all clear now?

musically i did kick start up again, and then podge back to a hiatus (eek, i hope that's the right word, it sounds japanese)

i kinda feel like i am losing alot of friends.

people seem to all want money or help or something, but again i think that's just the way I am looking at things at the moment.

i am trying not to think or look at others, think about my own path, and not wallow in mourning or despair or bitterness or regret.

a few things i think God was and is saying recently kinda add up to what i already know, and what most people who know me could tell you, that's how God usually talks. Or at least it seems that way.

oo, I am thinking of going to the UK to work this Summer, and avoid a repeat of buying stuff when I am losing money.

still my heart, and hold my tongue

blast from the past

chatted with Ricky Lau on msn

we used to share a halls of residence back in uni

Gesu Libera Podcast

Gesu Libera Podcast 002 Paolo Brance se aveste fede quanto un granello di senape

Gesu Libera podcast

le brace di moise



FedeQuantoUnGranelloDiSenape

matrix ping pong

Watch More Bebo Tv Uploaded by niceonecheersthanks.bebo.com

Father's Day

was yesterday in italy

so...

oh but i reeeeeeally like it...dont buy it

so how am I , better that pete gabriel.. hmm, who knows, God knows.

but seriously, what about phil collins..

Genesis are playing at the colleseum in Rome, ho hum.

at the moment I am feeling peacefulish, slept well for the first time for quite a while.

alfa *italian Alpha, , hehe, Alfa Romeo huh, starts soon.

pray for the guys I ask , pray that just that one who will come and be infected with antivirus will be the one i ask, no fretting, no running around, no labouring in vain.

spring has sprung

dont buy it*this link is on every post

spring has sprung

da grass has riz

oi wonda where da boidies is

dey say da boid is on da wing

but dats absoid..

da wing is on da boid!

global woimin

forgive us our debts

some of my debt has been paid thanks to my ever loving progenitor.

now i have to deal with the rest.

falling down

fell over like three times, once onto my already broken arm, and now i need physio on my big toe, ankle, knee, and elbow.

the most important are... hey what do i know i amm not a doctor,

find it hard (cos i am an EFNP?) to organise apointments and motivate myself to keep on top of that stuff, which just means it may get worse.

not exactly employed enough to pay for it , but then again it may not cost too much.

just pray for wisdom, and that the reasons this is happening will be resolved b4 God,

amen, Mark

broken arm

i am assuming people have heard that i broke my arm on thirteenth december, was it a friday, i dont remember. hmm, that rhymes.

christmas was really tough emotionally, and there is so much potential change it makes my mind boggle,

funds are ridiculously low in a country where it is difficult to eradicate debt in the uk, i think i overspent after my dad died to help offset the pain which spendaholics do, but i think that is undercontrol, now to cope with the debt.

just recently was able to play the guitar again which was really nice.

a friend of mine has written lots of songs about me, not sure if that makes me the object of worship or some kind of opposite of worship, kind of afraid to listen to them.

on a good note my uncle is on skype but i cant hear him...

he can hear me tho, anyone can think why then tell me ok

if you wanna send me a present, the latest vineyard album would be great.

requested one a few months ago but havent heard anything, they are busy guys must be talking about important stuff.

really out of touch with bv, but i know the chan is back, wonder if she can speak french yet.

please keep mum in your prayers, she has so much to do.

please pray i make the right decisions, i may abandon teaching english as it doesnt work financially, and take some normal job.

am making friends here, need to be more reliable which i think as an apparent EFNP means taking on less. i would say i am reliable but that others expect too much... hmm, need to pray about that one.

could also do better in relationships generally, could well be losing some friends if i am not careful.

2007

this is going to be a tough year and I would appreciate all the prayer support I can get, let me know likewise if you would like anything, Mark

Lyrics Style

Pillar
Frontline





It's not like I'm walking alone into the valley of the shadow of death
Stand beside one another, 'cause it ain't over yet
I'd be willing to bet that if we don't back down
You and I will be the ones that are holding the Crown in the end
When it's over, we can say, "Well done"
But not yet, 'cause it's only begun
So, pick up, and follow me, we're the only ones
To fight this thing, until we've won
We drive on and don't look back
It doesn't mean we can't learn from our past
All the things that we mighta done wrong
We could've been doing this all along

Everybody, with your fists raised high
Let me hear your battle cry tonight
Stand beside, or step aside
We're on the frontline

And we'll be carrying on, until the day it doesn't matter anymore
Step aside, you forgot what this is for
We fight to live, we live to fight
And tonight, you'll hear my battle cry
We live our lives on the frontlines
We're not afraid of the fast times
These days have opened up my eyes
And now, I see where the threat lies

We've got to lead the way

tough

going thru a tuff time but a lot of it is about decision making and not a real problem... i mean its not something like dying of thirst.. it's more a problem of settling down and getting on with life in a responsible way.

mum has been staying for a few days which has been nice.

we really should do something to get out more.

there have been some tough moments out here,.. hmm,

need to sort some things out.

recently back to work.

BT = Bite Thedust

I have bought Mum a phone which she can use to phone the states and canada for pnuts, eventually I may be able to add an american and canadian number so that it can cost pnuts both ways,

in the meantime setting up this phone has meant picking up the following two numbers.


-please email me for these at mark_pendered@yahoo.co.uk


as long as we have the internet, these numbers will work anywhere in the world and mum will be able to phone (her family above all) for pnuts which is great!

So if you can save these numbers to your phones, you'll know it's her calling you.

those with the same special phones can call eachother for free (given that they have broadband internet).

laters, Mark.

Videonino

or will ya fade away?

Halo

BTW,


my cousin in Canada, is looking for penpals.. any takers? she is a responsible fun 16-ish year old.

horror-scope

this really is a time of decision making, but its a time when i feel so incapable of making them.

one side doesnt need to think about how to do so, but the tendency of my life has been to be between two things, not that i believe in astrology, but it kinda matches up with my sign. (the bible mentions certain constellations, but dont worry, i never read my horror-scope.

had a nice walk and chat with my flatmate and friend today, we have been through thick and thin as far as house stuff goes. one hopes we will do more creative christian stuff at some point.. we have played a coupla things together.

this summer as usual has been very unfulfilled with the exception of the mission which deserves a blog in itself. there are so many photos i dont think the net can handle them, so i wont post any..

but if any of you check out orkut from time to time, or want to become a member, let me know and i will send you an invite.. guess i could put them on my flickr, would someone nag andrew to post a foto on his flickr, its been 2 years now..

ok, gonna phone rob

ps pray for mum i think she is really missing Dad, not sure i came back too soon really.

aftermath

It was great to see so many of the family come down. Unfortunately Mum was not able to go to America for a reunion

We really need family at this time, but in some ways other than immediate family I think I am being quite defensive. I am also retreating into comfort zones, so i need to take my shell off for the next couple of weeks.

please continue to pray, may God bless all those reading this, I really do appreciate your support, even if its (especially if its) prayerful thoughts..


Rob and Traci are in the States.

messy

Dad passed away,

I was able to be with my Mum.

really peaceful but sad time, felt God was saying remember the good times, don't be crippled by grief,

so thats one thing,

another is working on relationships with friends and family.

Camila was very supportive.

Anne-Marie has recently had bad news about her Gran,

I must admit I need to get out of my hermit mode.

i am back with camila

my Dad has had a massive stroke, pls pray.

I am flying to stansted tomorrow morning then taking a hire car to Mum, then we'll go to the hospital. his eyes are closed, he is gasping for breath.

B.C. A.D.

This stands for Before Camila, and After Dump. kidding..

so theres pain,

hope,

memories,

regrets

anger

bitterness

repentence

happiness and sadness

a sudden realisation that I need to help others stil.. life goes on

hermit urges

other feelings too alien to give a name to.

when all this is over, I DONT want to do it again

but I do want another chance

seeking patterns of intimacy beyond physicality.

B.C. A.D.

Beyond Cynicism, Above Denial

post for christian artists by tim summers

agoraspace

chepstow methodist


All,

Today, both some reminders and some new things.

1. Artisan South West - 8pm Tuesday 30th May, Hope Chapel, Hope Chapel Hill

This is a reminder that the second meeting of Artisan South West will take place at the above time and place next week.

Artisan is a national body/network of Christians working in media, arts and entertainment. The meetings offer opportunity for fellowship, prayer and worship with kindred creative spirits, as well as networking. This is an exciting development for Christians involved in the arts in Bristol, so if this is in any way your thing, get stuck in on Tuesday! More information is at www.artisaninitiatives.org.

Further Artisan South West meetings will follow on 26th June and 26th July, each at 8:30pm. Refreshments will be served at each meeting.

2. "Essence" alternative/creative worship - 6pm Sunday 11th June, Chepstow Methodist Church

The next "Essence" event will take place at the above time and place. The theme of the service will be Water. The main church space will be used to encourage reflection on things that may prohibit our spiritual growth or healing, taking as a point of departure the story of Namaan the leper in 2 Kings 5:1-15. Activity will be both undirected, allowing people to explore on their own, and collective, at different points in the service.

This is third Essence service, and the group continues to experiment with new ideas. For further information, write to Anne Ellis at anne@ellisanne.wanadoo.co.uk, or to find the church check out www.chepstowmethodist.org.uk.

3. "Holy Ground" talks, St Aldhelm's Church, Bedminster - first one tomorrow!

In a recent announcement I mentioned the "Holy Ground" talks. The first talk by Chris Sunderland and Sian Hawkins is tomorrow evening from 7:30pm, dealing with the environment and climate change. Workshops on the same topic will follow, on 1st and 8th June.

Next in the programme will be a talk on 22nd June by Father Dermot Tredget of Douai Abbey, exploring the world of work and the spirituality of workers, drawing on the Benedictine tradition.

For more information on the full programme, contact Agora on 0117 957 4652 or via the website, www.agoraspace.org.

Thanks

April Showers

moneys too tight to mention
can't even think about my pension
why does it always rain on my?
so you had a bad day
they put you on the treadmill,
get them up against the wall
if i had my way..

don't you know that it's different for girls?
no, not love, she said "you're all the same"
logical advice gets me in a whirl,
turned out she had a heart of glass.
what is this world we've created..
's'against the law,
what is this world we've devastated.

take me home country roads,
to the place i belong.
old man, look at me now
24 and there's so much more
you're alot like me,
i need someone to love me
the whole night through,
oh, the needle and the damage done,

suzanne took me down to her place by the river
she got me on her wavelength,
and she let the river answer
that i'll always be her lover.
new yorks fine, the sun shines all the time,
and the feeling is laid back,
palm trees grow and the rents are low,
that ya no keep thinkin about,
makin my way back.

now i'm a new york city man born and raised,
but these days i'm lost between two shores,
LA's fine but it aint mine, New Yorks mine but it aint home no more,
I am I said,
to noone there,
and noone heard at all,
not
even the chair.
I am I cried,
I am said i
and I am lost and i can't
even say why,
leaving me lonely still.

Jesus, be the Centre,
be my hope, be my guide,
JESUS

SKYPE ID = planit

youth

had youth church today, pester Rob for more details.

war and peace

As Sir Winston Churchill so wisely noted in the 1930s, those who sacrifice honor for peace shall ultimately have neither.

Lightship Switched back on

on behalf of salt veteran Tim Summers

All,

On Saturday 4th Feb, Lightship returns with its open floor arts party here at 142 St Andrews Road, Montpelier. This will be the big one - so if you've been wondering what these things are about - now's the time to find out. The centrepiece of the evening will be an exhibition by Christian artists the Group. To whet your appetite, here's a trailer:

"Seek out this exhibition, find LIGHT in the dark … 10 artists abandon the half-light of the garret for a place in the limelight.

In the resulting exposure they engage with the physicality of light and consider its resonance beyond the material. Like plants reaching for the sun, artists within the Group explore different approaches in a variety of media, in their search for a visual language and process that may define what it means to be both a Christian and an artist in a contemporary setting."

We foresee the exhibition filling the rooms of the house. During the first half of the evening there'll be the chance to investigate. The second half will be the open floor session familiar from Lightship parties of the past. Here's my off-the-shelf description:

It's a party, but with a bit of a difference. IF you want to (it's not mandatory), you can bring something artistic to read, perform, show, sing, play. The floor will be opened for poetry, stories, songs, dance, acting - your own work or someone else's. We have a piano, but beyond that, bring your instrument if you want to play - and ideally some amplification.

However, there is no pressure to do anything at all. Spectators welcome. In fact vital. Whether or not you want to "do" anything, come and join us. And bring friends, whether Christian or not. This is not only a creative and social gathering, but also a great opportunity to bring outsiders to something strictly non-cringe.

The party is at 7:30pm, 142 St Andrews Road, Montpelier. Bring a bottle. There'll be some food of the bread / cheese / pate variety.

One caveat on this occasion: because there is already an art exhibition at the focus, we would prefer guests not to bring sculpture, paintings, photographs or other "visual" art to show. There's normally an opportunity for this - but this time round it wouldn't be quite fair on the exhibiting artists! (However there will be ample future opportunities for spur of the moment exhibitions - as there have been in the past.)

The house is the warehouse conversion with the red turret thingy in the cul-de-sac at the top of St Andrews Road. The best parking is in Richmond Road round the corner down in Montpelier, rather than in my part of St Andrews Road itself. The latter is not much overlooked by houses, and thus not great from a security point of view.

My number is 0117 924 6239 or 07754 501649. Drop me a line or give me a call for more information. Otherwise... I look forward to seeing you there!

Tim

Back to the Grindstone

Not sure how I'm feeling about going back to work, working on the 'grateful' thing. There's blessing to be mined huh..

current jobs:

lots.

also this week starting 1 middle school, 1 junior school

feel a little apprehensive without a diary (analogue), they were sold out.

got my 6600 sync'ed to mac tho, so.. (doesnt give that open page feel tho..)

Camila's fine, I'm ok really, just needing to sleep earlier, gaming alot, which can be used by God believe it or not.. needs modifying.

feel a bit useless in terms of what I vaguely feel could be happening, but stuff is happening. think i'm a little closer to God now.. just had a big tidy session which tends to focus me a bit, now i need to go through the transition from tidying to preparing lessons...

laters taters

50 Ways You Know you experienced the 90's

inthe90s.com


From a friend o mine Lotte, reliable source of amusing lists.

I still have a troll, still know all the words to Fresh Prince, still dance like the Prodigy when I'm pissed and still own several of those tapes and still have the nike airs with a hole in the flippin sole!

Thing is though, Space Raiders are still 10p.... and the Pepsi Chart is certainly not on Radio 1

Anyway, love this, hope y'all do too....



50 ways you know you experienced the 90's:

1) 10p Mr Frosty Ice Pops on long summer days!

2) Gordon the Gopher!

3) You could do or tried to do the Prodigy step. 'You're no good 4
me....'

4) You owned or longed for an Adidas three stripe tracksuit

5) You owned a compilation tape with TOP TUNES such as "Mr Vain", "What
is love" and "Rhythm is a dancer" and 'How Bizarre, How Bizarre"

6) Girls thought Blue Mascara was cool!

7) Girls actually fancied Gary Barlow more than Robbie Williams

8 ) The Racoons!

9) You owned a pair of Nike Air Max, and wore them to death

10) Mr Motivator (What ever happened to him?)

11) Running on the spot dancing!

12) You wore leggings/cycling shorts with long t-shirts

13) You owned a Bennetton, NafNaf, sweater shop jumper or waistcoat

14! ) Girls owned scrunchies in an array of colours and tacky headbands
with there names written on in thick glitter

16) You bought Smash Hits for the song lyrics and the immense amount of
stickers that you would stick everywhere!

17) You had a pen pal

18) You could only watch the simpsons on sky

19) On a Saturday afternoon you watched
Catchphrase,Gladiators,Generation Game, Noels House Party and then
Casualty

20) You taped the Pepsi Chatshow on radio one and tired in vain to pause
the tape before the annoying guy talked and ruined the whole thing.

21) Cans of Coke were 25p

22) 10p Space Raiders Crisps

23) A grey Fruit of the Loom jumper was a must have

24) Sharkie & George were the crimebusters of the sea

25) Puffa jackets

26) You used the line "it's a free country" every day

27) The Sky Sports Blimp!

28) Impulse body spray for girls

29) Hooch Alcoholic Lemonade (where's it gone?!)

30) 'Don't forget your toothbrush', 'TFI' and Big Breakfast with Chris
Evans

31) You had at least one troll

32) You know the dance to Macarena and Saturday Night. You also tried to
scat like Scatman John! Bi bat ba ba da bo.

33) You watched Baywatch and longed for the day that Eddie & Sharni got
together!

34) You watched Byker Grove ha ha ha ha ha ha hah (the themesong
ending), and saw PJ get shot in the eye with a paintball!

35) PJ and Duncan not Ant and Dec!Dodgy Pop Not Dodgy Presenting!

36) Shellsuits & bumbags!

37) You longed to live in Beverley Hills 90210

38) Home and Away was a prime time ITV programme watched by millions

39) You owned a Spice Girls album

40) Fruit salads and black jacks!

41) Strike it lucky on a sunday night with Michael Barrymore when he was
straight & married

42) Chain letters

43) You had fake ID

44) You remember Todd Landers in Neighbours

45) You religiously watched Saved by the Bell pn a Saturday morning!

46) You more than likely lost/nearly lost a wobbly tooth on a wham bar!!

47) CK one

48) Going Live, then Live and Kicking was the place to be on a Saturday
Morning - you know you remember the number 01818118181

49) You knew every word to the theme tune from Fresh Prince of Bel Air

50) You collected Premier League Stickers and did swops at playtime

Delete Reply Forward Spam Move...
Previous | Next | Back to Messages

back in Romania 1999

selbsters just discovered my old pal jon selby has a blog, and a wife!!!

round the world trippin as we blog... cool.

Bath based Alternative service

sanctuary bath

All,

The Bath-based alternative worship group, Sanctuary, is hosting an Epiphany service on Sunday and would love to welcome newcomers. The service will take place on Sunday 8th January, 8pm, at St Matthews Church, Widcombe, Bath.

My friend Mary Taylor has passed me some information about the upcoming service and about Sanctuary:

"What star will you follow this New Year? Need time to reflect on where you are going? Or a new start? Then come along and follow the starlit trail, with stopping points along the way. A simple liturgy, readings and meditations will shape the service based around three stations each of which will focus on one of the gifts mentioned in the prayer below:

Jesus,

may we not hoard,
but freely give

the gold of our hearts,
the myrrh of our grief
the frankincense of our dreams

to You.

At the end of the trail there will be space and time for reflection, prayer and music.

Sanctuary is a group of Christians seeking to build community by meeting together regularly to explore life, worship, and prayer, with the focus on making space for God. We believe that as Christians we are called to redeem all areas of life. We affirm that in God's eyes painting can be prayerful; and that working for God is no more important than playing for him.

Sanctuary is open to all who are interested in seeking God, whether or not they admit to believing in Him. Sanctuary is committed to building community, and to finding ways of impacting the culture however it can. We ask only that those who attend respect the dignity and space of others.

Sanctuary is non-denominational, but is seeking to build relationships with the wider church community. Worship services are held on the 2nd Sunday of every month in St Matthew's and a discussion group on the 4th Sunday of every month. It reports to a Parish reference group, is run by volunteers and receives no funding other than donations.

For further information, visit http://www.sanctuarybath.org.uk/mission.html or contact Mary Taylor at tmary@fish.co.uk."

what is love_

The Love Calculator...


Oh, the honesty of a child!!! We could learn so much just thinking that
simple.


Slow down for three minutes to read this.



A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have
imagined. See what you think:



"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got
arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8




"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4



"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5


"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French
fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6


"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4


"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before
giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."



Danny - age 7


"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing,
you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are
like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."



Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)



"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate,"

Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)



"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it
everyday."

Noelle - age 7



"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends
even after they know each other so well."



Tommy - age 6



"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at
all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the
only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."



Cindy - age 8


"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me
to sleep at night."



Clare - age 6



"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5



"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Brad Pitt."



Chris - age 7


"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day."



Mary Ann - age 4



"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."



Lauren - age 4



"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you." (what an image)



Karen - age 7



"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean
it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a
contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard,
climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"



When there is nothing left but God that is when you find out that God is
all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.

Oh God bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be
needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, which
transcends all understanding. Amen

Then send it on to five other people, including the one who sent it to you.
Within hours you caused a multitude of people to pray for other people.
Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life.

P. S. Five is good, but more is better.

Da Family.. or "Oi Santa! Leave me Mum alone!!!"

Parents are comin to town! i.e. Venice, from near Exeter

They have recently been Israel and Spain so it's been a busy year for them. Dad was reluctant to leave his room but agreed to make me happy. Mum asked what I'd like her to bring, but knowing her she'd bring too much so I said don't bring anything. The tickets were reasonable on Easyjet, but the cheapest carhire (also through Easyjet - Europcar) is expensive compared to Spain, but necessary for them to get around. Dad is 80 now (!)

family

family useful link maybe?..

Playing the 'Cello

concert

y'kno, never thought that'd happen...

played for Naz' to help in his concert. Please pray the strings come out in the recording cos they sure didn't in the live mix.. which was a downer, however spiritual I spin.

It was fun using vineyard inbred cable-knowledge to help too.

it was great playing a cello again, took a while to get it together, but it's a great instrument.

it was nice to see Nazario's songs were very personal and positive, i don't think there were any pity-party songs in there which was refreshing (not that i'm anti-sympathy, but thanksgiving sure beats regret).

and boy can Nazario's Mum cook!!!

sowing the seeds

seedstories

moral values without belief

citizenship

CHILD'S QUESTIONS THAT AN ADULT CANT ANSWER...

CHILD'S QUESTIONS THAT AN ADULT CANT ANSWER...
Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are
considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks have
branches?

Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat
round?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in", but it's
only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the
clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we
figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby"
when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still
called a hearing?

If you drink Pepsi at work in the Coke factory, will
they fire you?

Why are you IN a movie but you're ON TV?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change?
They're going to see you naked anyway.

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio
out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Can blind people see their dreams? Do they dream?

Do you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address
in the first place?

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW...

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW...
1 . Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.

2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.

3. The dot over the letter i is called a "tittle".

4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

5. Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller.

6. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

7. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.

8. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino.

9. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily.

10. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.

11. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.

12. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.

13. Most lipstick contains fish scales (eeww).

14. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

15. Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as medicine.

16. Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.

17. Leonardo DA Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time . hence, multi-tasking was invented.)

18. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

19. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

20. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before!

21. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver!

22. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

23. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

24. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was a Captain Kirk's mask painted white.

25. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19 You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar (good to know.)

26. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless.)

27. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

28. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

29. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples!

30. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!

31. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

32. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.

33. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it.

34. George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart .. "Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O. J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the ONE woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and they haul her fanny off to jail."

MORE CHRISTMAS EVENTS FROM TIM SUMMERS.,.,SALT VETERAN

SALT veteran Tim Summers continues to supply me with tasty evening-fillers:

'All,

Three alternative worship items today - one completely new, and two "updates" on previously advertised events. Putting the new first:

1) Quiet Space at the New Place - Wednesdays, 12:30pm, Eastville

If you aren't at work on Wednesday lunchtimes, there is a wonderful meditative service hosted by Charity Hamilton at The New Place - a Methodist Church at 119-121 Fishponds Road, Eastville. The service lasts around 30 minutes and includes prayer and quiet reflection, drawing on many traditions. Bring your own sandwiches, and there is a steady flow of tea and coffee during the service and afterwards! I went last week and can heartily recommend it. For more information contact Charity on 0117 9520522 or charity.hamilton@cumbriamail.com.

2) Large quarterly Alternative Worship service @ Cotham, Sunday December 4th, 8pm

I promised further details on this (see previous message pasted in below this one).

This will be an alternative/creative Christmas service. If that sounds odd... Well, come along and see for yourself! I can promise that it will be an ideal place to bring guests/outsiders, a thoughtful worship service which re-presents familar themes through a fresh imaginative prism. The service begins at 8pm, and takes place at Cotham Parish Church (on the roundabout where Cotham Road meets St Michael's Hill). Previous quarterlies have generally lasted an hour or a little more, with refreshments afterwards.

The planning team is still open if you want to join up. The three further meetings are on Wednesday 16th Nov at 8pm (15 Whatley Road, Clifton, top right buzzer - call Nick Martin on 0117 908 0787 if problems); Thursday 24th Nov, location probably Cotham but TBC; Thursday 1st December, location TBC.

3. Weekly Sunday 8:30pm reflective service - Cocoa and Compline at Cotham

Finally, a reminder that last Sunday was not a one-off. Every week we are opening the church at the earlier time of 8pm and serving hot drinks in the snug Annie Bartlett room before the service. Last week almost thirty people came. If you fancy investigating, you're very welcome to come along - even if it's after another service somewhere else! A little after 9pm, we decamp to the Highbury Vaults.

Hope to see some of you at one, some, or even all of these...

Tim

PS Lastly, for those who have been asking what has happened to it (thanks for the enthusiasm): the Lightship Arts Party has been on holiday for many months, but is due to return early next year. February 4th 2006 is the date for your diaries. There will be an art exhibition and the usual open floor for those who want to share creative stuff. For those to whom this means nothing: more information will follow soon!


Previous quarterly alt worship message:

'All,

Following my recent message about the growth of the small weekly Compline service at Cotham Parish Church, here is the promised notice of the next large quarterly 'alternative' service. This is happening on the evening of Sunday 4th December - precise time to be notified!

Please put the date in your diaries, and forward this message to anyone else you think might be interested. I cannot recommend these services highly enough, as a worship experience and as an accessible, stimulating way of introducing outsiders to the Christian faith.

The service offers an opportunity to worship God in ways which use the creative imagination - involving ultra modern elements (such as multi-media) alongside the ancient / traditional. It provides an alternative point of introduction to Christian spirituality, and seeks to be an inclusive and welcoming environment for worshippers.

In particular, we are seeking volunteers for the planning team. This will not be made up of people from any one church, or of mega-talented professionals. A range of gifts is needed, so don't assume that you won't be useful simply because you you don't think your gifts are of "the right kind". Moreover, signing up for this one won't commit you to doing it again! However, it will put you right at the heart of what should be a very cool event.

There will be three to four planning meetings before the day itself, the first of which will be at 7:30pm this Thursday evening, 10th November, at the address given below in the message from Simon Taylor, the Curate of Cotham.

Details of further planning meetings will follow shortly. If you would like to be involved but can't make this initial meeting, and/or feel you may have limited availability for the others when the dates are notified - please let me or Simon know regardless. We'd love to have you on board.

Simon's number and e-mail address is given below. My own mobile is 07754 501649.

Finally... if you don't fancy being on the team then, needless to say, come along to the service as punter - and perhaps bring friends with you. The theme of the service and the start time are still to be finalised, but again, I'll let you know in the near future.

In the meantime, I hope to see some of you at the weekly quiet service at Cotham, which will give you a flavour of what we're about - albeit on a much smaller scale. The service begins at 8:30pm (with cocoa from 8pm, and Highbury Vaults session from a little after 9).

Phew! That's it for now.

Thanks
Tim

Dear all,

The final alternative worship service of the year is approaching, and we're looking to put a team together to plan and run the service.

The service will be on Sunday 4th December at Cotham Parish Church (Cotham Road).

The first planning meeting will be at 7:30pm on Thursday 10th November at the Warden's Flat, Tyndale Baptist Church, Whiteladies Road. (go up the left side of the church and ring the bell marked steward).

It would be good to have as large a team as possible. If you've never been involved now's your chance! Come and bring ideas and inspiration.

If you'd like more information, then contact Simon Taylor on (0117) 3779591 or simon.taylor@bristol.anglican.org

Look forward to seeing you all soon,

Simon'

CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION FLYER

link from post on B.V.

MY HOME MOVIES

OK,


simpler this time;

take a deep breath;;

click here for my home movies.movies


and here if you need software to play them (you can play them on your mobile too).

and now for something very similar..

these links will expire 30 days after the publish date. i.e. 13th December 2005 breakfast in the sun pt2

CLOSER WALK PT 2

home movie phun

for home movie project. Files in 3gp (standard mobile phone format)



click
mac/pc /linux-box/ppc&palm to get a player.


alternatively, save them to your phone memory-key via bluetooth or using a card-reader. save-to the 'movie' folder and play directly on your mobile.

click
3gp for more on 3gp phones.

BIBLE RADIO PODCAST IN A YEAR

click on the following links for getting podcasts for mac or windows. The last link is especially useful for downloading iTunes.

click on the following for the audio bible
AUDIO-BIBLE
[BIBLE-TASTIC...MATE!-Ed]

ALLELON [cooor, that's a bit feel-logical...-Ed]
and/or this for short (32mins) preaches from my Bristol home from home:

BRISTOL-VINEYARD DOWNLOAD iTUNES from the left-hand side of their website for mac or windows.

[e's alright..until e's off 'is notes...((-;-Ed' ]

BTW

da neighbors

above is the davis' journal


btw, pls dont infer i'm using a credit card as 'temporary financial solution'. the only reason i'd use a credit card is for online transactions, and with PAYPAL by EBAY being as good as it is, I don't really even need that .. althought online plane tickets are dab handy.

WHEN I GET THERE.. let me know..

same old money problems, getting more organised work wise thank God (literally). Getting to bed early, getting up early. Getting to bed early is often because something fffffffffffffffrustrates me to the point I j-just need to calm down with God.. I think He realises this is going to happen and may be part of a 'mysterious ways' strategy , y'know the kind.

Answers to prayer are flying around rather generously which is weird because God doesn't seem to be letting me stop at that, but rather is wanting that to be 'normal' for me, so we can move onto other stuff, which is good.

Answers to prayer; contact with Mel my cousin
Help (temporary) with finance
Accountability with finance to Rob and Traci
More organisation with lessons
No more late-night online gaming




Rob's feeling ill, his dog threw up.. sympathy pains and all that.



for more on Rob and Traci
da neighbors

CASH CARDS AND CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS ...EVIL!!!!

START OF POST-
BUT CHECK THIS OUT COS IT'S FUN

Today

THIS IS THE HEADER OF EVERY POST, SO IGNORE IF READ:
due to the high number of businesses using my blog comments section to advertise you must be a member of my blog to comment. i will review your subscription. everyone who knows me is VERY WARMLY welcome to comment/subscribe.

START OF POST-
CONFUSED ABOUT DINOSAURS AND DRAGONS AND STUFF? click back there then...


as long as the Spirit says 'Today', do not harden your heart.


init...

THIS IS THE HEADER OF EVERY POST, SO IGNORE IF READ:
due to the high number of businesses using my blog comments section to advertise you must be a member of my blog to comment. i will review your subscription. everyone who knows me is VERY WARMLY welcome to comment/subscribe.

START OF POST-

cartoon4

THIS IS THE HEADER OF EVERY POST, SO IGNORE IF READ:
due to the high number of businesses using my blog comments section to advertise you must be a member of my blog to comment. i will review your subscription. everyone who knows me is VERY WARMLY welcome to comment/subscribe.

START OF POST-

cartoon3

THIS IS THE HEADER OF EVERY POST, SO IGNORE IF READ:
due to the high number of businesses using my blog comments section to advertise you must be a member of my blog to comment. i will review your subscription. everyone who knows me is VERY WARMLY welcome to comment/subscribe.

START OF POST-

WORKING FOR THE MAN

THIS IS THE HEADER OF EVERY POST, SO IGNORE IF READ:
due to the high number of businesses using my blog comments section to advertise you must be a member of my blog to comment. i will review your subscription. everyone who knows me is VERY WARMLY welcome to comment/subscribe.

START OF POST-
ORKUT is a community online, lots of Brazilians .. Bilians in fact. Bilians of Brazilians. Yes I am on holiday as you can tell from the rambling. Soon I\ll be back to work . working at the Zambler institute. some of the hours are kinda late. They are no more organised than other schools. I really need to put some time in over the long bank holiday. gotta get new stuff done for the documents that have gone walkabout in my scarpered wallet.

Recently went to visit the church in Padova/ Padua. that was cool. we walked into an African service afterwards, which was in italian being translated from French.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

work is sorted, THANKYOU SO MUCH for your prayer.
without it the Devil would be the Peter Cook to my Dudley Moore re BEDAZZLED, no not the remake, the original.

now need to pray for sorting out bits of health

-shoulder
-knee
-big toe right foot
-verucas [yuck i can;t believe you blogged that-Ed]
-lump in back..wot is it.. an ear?!

shoulder is ok but doesn't feel right. badly twisted rugby 11
knee is ok now, but can't run, this is the most urgent thing. ligament play fighting 29
big toe bloomin' 'urts in the cold, broken cycling 19.
verucas need freezing. there are 2 and they want to start a family
lump in back- a mystery, had since was, gosh, 16/21 ? doesn't hurt.

then of course i should get a blood test for alergies cos i have perenial rhynits / blocked nose year-round, as did my dad. he went to sea and it cleared after 1 year. i find mine clears after praying alot, and when i sleep well (lack of sleep is bad for synuses)

going back to the knee, i lost some ligament, then some more, a few times, then the meniscus started to sublocate..a few times, and now i think its gone on one side which means it's not sublocating (so it doesnt get stuck and bloomin' 'urt) but it's not there on one side which means it could just be bone on one side..putting more load on the other meniscus making it more urgent to get somthin done.

solutions-

(divine) intervention.

I know What I did Last Summer

my folks moved from their apartment in spain to
england. i helped them, they spent a year there this
time, probably to help support me i have my
suspicions this is the case bless.,

it was a nice trip, by car, i helped drive, dad did 1
third of driving pretty good for gettin on 80!!

we stopped off in lerja and somewhere in the
mountains in the north of spain, it was beautiful,
family is extreme, we know the buttons of pain and
pleasure and push both.

dad loved the ferry cos he adores french cuisine, mum
used the pool and played with some kids in there with
a beach ball, i joined in. we had a lovely meal,

while waiting to board the ferry dad and i had to
show our passports to use the loo!! trip to
skiptotheloo.

dad's health picked up when he knew i was coming out.
it goes up and down but the key seems that he feels
useful as well he is. recently mum bolstered him with
extraspecial vitamins. his grip was weak, and his
thumb kinda froze, so i think they will just soak up
the sun as they are in spain again to sell the
apartment

spiritually they are ok, and going along to either
the scottish church (a new guy, John was hassled out)
or baptist church in spain (Don, south african i think)

they don't really know where to settle, but they are
working it out and making some good decisions.. keeps
them busy. mum's eye was a bit bad tho, she was doing
too much. she stays up so late at night packing when
she is preparing to move house, till 2 or so. then up
really early. i think she realises she can't/

i was a bit down recently, letting doubt get to me i
guess. not really looking for work, lost my voice at
one point after a cold. now have a bit of work but
need more. need more vision really. i was playing a
computer game online (against real people all over
the world via the internet) it is a war game and very
addictive. thankfully i'm choosing sleep now and
feeling better for it.

could go on but best send this now. we got your
letter and read it in the car on the way out of
spain. probably won't buy on that coast again.. b ut
possibly elsewhere in spain, but my parents are
beautifully unpredictable.

ciao for now, mark

Y KNow Eh?!

Canadian thanksgiving t'other day.

Transferred stuffing from Turkey to my good self

Lots of stuffed birds and Turkeys around Missionary Carman's table as a result.

Sam came, also Stefania please pray for her as she starts to know more christians in this area.

turkey
stuffed spinach bread..or summit like at
er, some eggy bake thing with corn suspended in it which the girls liked
meat!! which the boys liked
you dip little crouton biscuits into the spinach, it's really tasty
picked petits-pois which Carman's sister brought, they tasted like what they are.
er,
dessert
(which i only managed cos i made a trip to put sam and stef on the bus and escort camila home)
apple pie..homemade
pumkin pie..homemade
sponge cake things..homemade

muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
it was good.

couldn't eat breakfast tho, and body woke me at 5a.m demanding hot water to aid passage.

did you know,
clare, student on a year break here, is , altho very Inglish innit.. is really Canadian.. SCANDAL!!!!

carman.. altho Canadian.. is..hmm, promised i wouldnt tell.

next door neighbour is canadian, invited her and her thing, but they couldn't come.

from the Edinburgh Fringe

from a good friend



Excerpts from the Edinburgh Fringe 2005

I realised I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as goat.
- Marcus Brigstocke at the Assembly Rooms

Cats have nine lives. Which makes them ideal for experimentation.
- Jimmy Carr

The right to bear arms is slightly less ludicrous than the right to arm
bears.
- Chris Addison at the Pleasance

My dad is Irish and my mum is Iranian, which meant that we spent most of
our family holidays in Customs.
- Patrick Monahan at the Gilded Balloon

The dodo died. Then Dodi died, Di died and Dando died... Dido must be
Pretty paranoid.
- Colin & Fergus at the Pleasance

My parents are from Glasgow which means they're incredibly hard, but I was
never smacked as a child ... well maybe one or two grams to get me to
sleep at night.
- Susan Murray at the Underbelly

Is it fair to say that there'd be less litter in Britain if blind people
were given pointed sticks?
- Adam Bloom at the Pleasance

You have to remember all the trivia that your girlfriend tells you,
because eventually you get tested. She'll go: "What's my favourite
flower?" And you murmur to yourself: "Uh, I wasn't listening..
Self-raising?"
- Addy Van-Der-Borgh at the Assembly Rooms

The world is a dangerous place; only yesterday I went into Boots and
punched someone in the face.
- Jeremy Limb, at the Trap

I saw that show, 50 Things To Do Before You Die. I would have
thought the obvious one was "Shout For Help".
- Mark Watson, Rhod Gilbert at the Tron

Got a phone call today to do a gig at a fire station. Went along. Turned
out it was a hoax.
- Adrian Poynton at the Pleasance

Employee of the month is a good example of how somebody can be
both a winner and a loser at the same time.
- Demetri Martin at the Assembly Rooms

A dog goes into a hardware store and says: "I'd like a job please". The
hardware store owner says: "We don't hire dogs, why don't you go
join the circus?" The dog replies: "What would the circus want with a
plumber?".
- Steven Alan Green at C34

Hey - you want to feel really handsome? Go shopping at Asda.
- Brendon Burns at the Pleasance

I like to go into the Body Shop and shout out really loud "I've already
got one!"
- Norman Lovett at The Stand

It's easy to distract fat people. It's a piece of cake.
- Chris Addison at the Pleasance

I enjoy using the comedy technique of self-deprecation - but I'm
not very good at it.
- Arnold Brown at The Stand

If you're being chased by a police dog, try not to go through a tunnel,
then on to a little seesaw, then jump through a hoop of fire. They're
trained for that.
- Milton Jones at the Underbelly.

International Rules of Manhood

thanks to Lotte for this one

International Rules of Manhood

01: Under no circumstances may two men share an umbrella, unless at the
footy, and your pies are getting wet, then for the eating period only,
it is permissible.

02: It is ok for a man to cry under the following circumstances:
a. When a heroic dog dies to save its master.
b. The moment Angelina Jolie starts unbuttoning her blouse.
c. After wrecking your boss' car.
d. One hour, 12 minutes, 37 seconds into "The Crying Game".
e. When she is using her teeth.

03: Any Man who brings a camera to a stag night may be legally killed
and eaten by his mates.

04: Unless he murdered someone in your family, you must bail a friend
out of jail within 12 hours.

05: If you've known a bloke for more than 24 hours, his sister is off
limits forever, unless you actually marry her.

06: Moaning about the brand of free beer in a mate's fridge is
forbidden. However, complain at will if the temperature is unsuitable.

07: No man shall ever be required to buy a birthday present for another
man. In fact, even remembering your mate's birthday is strictly optional.

08: On a road trip, the strongest bladder determines pit stops, not the
weakest.

09: When stumbling upon other blokes watching a sporting event, you may
ask the score of the game in progress, but you may never ask who's
playing.

10: You may flatulate in front of a woman only after you have brought
her to climax. If you trap her head under the covers for the purpose of
flatulent entertainment, she's officially your girlfriend.

11: It is permissible to quaff a fruity alcopop drink only when you're
sunning on a tropical beach... and it's delivered by a topless
supermodel...and it's free.

12: Only in situations of moral and/or physical peril are you allowed to
kick another bloke in the nuts.

13: Unless you're in prison, never fight naked.

14: Friends don't let friends wear Speedos. Ever.
Issue closed.

15: If a man's fly is down, that's his problem, you didn't see anything.

16: Women who claim they "love to watch sports" must be treated as spies
until they demonstrate knowledge of the game (can explain offside or
LBW) and the ability to drink as much as the other sports watchers.

17: A man in the company of a hot, suggestively dressed woman must
remain sober enough to fight.

18: Never hesitate to reach for the last beer or the last slice of
pizza, but not both that's just greedy.

19: If you compliment a bloke on his six-pack, you'd better be talking
about his choice of beer.

20: Never join your girlfriend or wife in discussing a mate of yours,
except if she's withholding s*x pending your response.

21: Phrases that may NOT be uttered to another man while lifting weights:
a. Yeah, Baby, Push it!
b. C'mon, give me one more! Harder!
c. Another set and we can hit the showers!

22: Never talk to a man in a bathroom unless you are on equal footing:
i.e. Both urinating, both waiting in line, etc. For all other
situations, an almost imperceptible nod is all the conversation you need.

23: Never allow a telephone conversation with a woman to go on longer
than you are able to have s*x with her. Keep a stopwatch by the phone.
Hang up if necessary.
24: The morning after you and a girl who was formerly "just a friend"
have carnal drunken monkey s*x, the fact that you're feeling weird and
guilty is no reason for you not to nail her again before the discussion
about what a big mistake it was occurs.

25: It is acceptable for you to drive her car. It is not acceptable for
her to drive yours.

26: Thou shalt not buy a car in the colours of brown, pink, lime green,
orange or sky blue.

27: The girl who replies to the question "What do you want for
Christmas?" with "If you loved me, you'd know what I want!" gets an
Xbox.

End of story.

Cartoon2

Personally been gaming alot recently with the release of Halo demo for Mac. gaming name 'mac' which i used when i was a kid.. when videogames were still a cross between daleks and teletubbies... those were the days. (which is something one shouldn't really say.. now is the closest to God) back then it wasn't as real. Halo is bloodless.

Random observations:

Blue vs Red
When a Team plays as a Team it invariably wins
There is a Code
Those who break the Code are unpopular
Compliments and kindness go a long way
Its incredibly addictive.

Another free download is for America's Army

Rob mentioned the cut-off age for those with Gaming interest is about 35 years of age.

My fear is that whatever form it takes, war is unGodly
my hope is that it's ok as teamplay non-violent game.

My thought is to the scripture that refers to being covered with violence as by a woman, but that's my prophetic side.

Cartoon

ring any bells?

illness

what is it all about ..

a drive to pray more..

a time to reflect..

consequence..

an opportunity to give glory to God through healing..

part of life..

part of death..

an indication to an exit from this mortal coil..

the shadow of a brighter sun..

a choice..

an experience..

a time to discover the need for support..

a time to discover our limitations..

thanks

all prayers answered with a yes!

volvo is back , had a great time coming back across
spain then stuffing ourselves on the ferry.

mum and dad are now working out what to do in uk.

dad is ok, but his grip is quite weak. got him a squeezy ball thing to work on his grip. he's 80 this year.

i'm back in italy in the house with nazario.

camila is in a different place nearby, was nice to see camila again. she's sorting out her visa papers. please pray for that, the rules changed this summer to make everything harder. at the mo she is in a flat and may be joined by claire another christian which will be great. now camila is back, her breathing wasnt great in the morning, this is i think because the apartment is a bit humid/cold. she used her inhaler. she's read 'the dating game' curse you josh harris!! i take it back.

i'm looking for work, miscommunication and uncertainty is a bit rife at the moment, i'm looking forward to finding a routine.

good new i heard from an old friend martin the other day.. he's been reading the blog.. unbelievable, it inspired me to update! HI MARTIN!!

there is that 'virgin snow' feel to the start of a new academic year, and i have that kind of fear of walking out on the snow cos once you do.. it's not virgin snow anymore and there are footprints everywhere, but hey, only one way to enjoy the snow, and if you stay still watching, you just grow cold.

on the move

Dad isnt too well at the moment, please pray.
Traci's Dad (Rob's wife) also is unwell after a mini-stroke.

It isnt all bad out here, guess I should blog more of the good stuff.

i think my parents are moving back from Spain to the UK.

please pray

THAT DAD GETS STRENGTH TO MAKE THE MOVE

THAT I FIND TIME TO HELP THEM

THAT WE GET THE VOLVO BACK O.K.

THAT OUR RELATIONSHIPS GROW DEEPER THROUGH THIS

Thankyou to all of you who read this, whether you leave comments or not, we value your prayers muchly.


Basic News

i need to be thankful to God and see what I can do for him.
sorry if thats not total disclosure but its about as open as i get on a blog.

Tree Times

REVELATION OF ST JOHN

I INVITE PEOPLE TO COMMENT HERE on their knowledge of the number 666

What a dodgey topic.

Today i heard the number 666 mentioned in 3 different ways.

once in the supermarket, a woman in Italian said 'no I got three sixes' don't know what she was talking about.

again, Camila put a random number as her postcode to subscribe to a newsletter, there were two boxes for the postcode, in one of them there was room for only three digits.. strike two.

Just now, surfing, I checked out a rumour about a certain Software Mogul buying out software. this led to an unofficial site which pointed out that the first and surname plus 3 of this person (as they are a III) added up to a certain number.

http://web.tiscali.it/luigibocci/barzellette/bill/bill.html



I'm calling it a coincidence, but it did happen, and it is weird.

Rules to you fake Bloggers

Having put some links on my blog, some guy leaves a comment linking to their 'blog' which has nothing at all to do with blogging but rather ceiling fans. Huh?? A note to hackers who put commercial links on this site.. don't.

update

the Davis' are coming back tomorrow, please pray for them as they settle after a holiday, especially Ryan and Sarah.

I feel like I've got nothing done since they've been away.

I know this is an exageration, and I have a tendancy to put myself down, but I feel a bit down in the things I wanted to get done.

This month Camila has moved house which took up time, and there are deposit payments to be returned and papers to sort out for her visa which is a cause for prayer.

John Lennon 'Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans' (Tim Summers passed that on)
I feel a bit like events have carried me along, but I'm also aware of my lack of getting off my butt.


So pray for the next blog to be full of positive reports of plans made and done/altered but carried out with enthusiasm
pray for me to get out more and decide what kind of work I want to be doing next year.

Work has been great in the areas I've planned and prepared ( I had help of an experienced person for the college stuff, but the elementary school stuff was left to me and lacked preparation). It isn't just me that has been disappointed with one language school in particular, it seems to be a trend but I think they will improve as they recover from the loss of a key member.


ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
So much has been achieved this year..speaking a new language, learning how culture/work works out here. Living with a family that has it's arguments but they're 'not serious ones', and they're not.. I think I used to think that every disagreement in a family was a huge problem, even if it was arguing about something small. Does that make sense?

RELATIONSHIP
Despite some arguments we (Camila and I) have had fun these past 7-8 months. I may even miss her while she's away. BTW please pray her papers come through before she leaves for Brazil for 6 weeks. It's a delicate time.

Please pray for wisdom in my friendship with Camila's brother who hasnt been to church for a while. I also don't want to be judgemental of either myself, Camila or him, I just want us to get on with being church together. Think I got too involved as these Brothers and Sisters seem to have a relationship that I don't (as an only child) quite understand.


A BIG ENCOURAGEMENT

It was a big encouragement to have a teenager ask her aunt to say bye to me, she visited her aunt who goes to church here (marghera italy), i signed her up to ucb word 4u 4today, the youth version. I'm happy to know it will be coming through her door, pray for her, her name is Amber and this is a critical time for her.

--------
just read 2 kings 29, an encouragement also.

I need a clear head to plan more what I'm doing here so I can be more effective. oac Open Air Campaigners doesn't have any official 'ownership' of me (although I'm sure I'm in their prayers) which is a little disappointing but understandable. Being around the Davis family has been an encouragement and a formation/training in itself, and they have been looking out for me (and they are part of OAC, so in fact OAC is looking after me huh).

I tend to just drift along with no express plan to change until I decide I'd be more useful elsewhere/God is calling me elsewhere and there are people to replace what I was doing.

I probably just need a holiday so I can face things with a fresh perspective and renewed enthusiasm. I'll be in Italy for at least another year.


O.K. I'm going to go out and givem all Heaven. Next blog will be on objectives for this year.

I am wondering about working for a bit in the UK to boost my income but it seems too short-term an idea and a bit fluffy.

CHURCH HERE
has been skeletal but good during the estival [summer-Ed] months. whoa! where've you been Ed? [on holiday-Ed]

HOUSE GROUP
despite certainty of low numbers, after receiving a call from Francesco to ask if housegroup was on I decided to say yes to fellowship, it was a good time, we discussed how we read the bible.

sweat

useful stuff sweat, helps you get things done.

Having had a great relaxing Sabbath ( At RockonTheRock music festival - separate post)
I have an overdue busy week ahead.

1. Lesson Plan proposal for work overdue
2. Camila moving house, may well be staying at Davis house for about 2 weeks then again when she returns from Brazil to find a flat.
3. Dr's appointment. I must make one as I now have a week ankle, knee and big toe all on the same leg.
4. Think and plan seeing parents in Spain.
5. Writing out the evangelism message for Friday.
6. If I sit here and think any longer, the list'll get longer!

Please pray for my personal growth and control with work and with my relationship with Camila. I need wisdom in helping her move stuff, and giving myself time to do the things I do. We do enjoy eachothers time. Lots. I need to be independent of my parents and keep my identity within my courting.

Did I mention Jack? Naz my flatmate and I looked after him for a couple of weeks.. he is now off again to satisfy his 'wanderlust'.

Butterfly Thoughts

not really using http://www.xanga.com/butterflythoughts so I'll focus on this site.

I guess I thought of that name based on what John Wimber said re. hearing God's voice and obeying his will.

So lets dedicate the Summer to that huh?

doing more than

just thinking about the evangelisation that i'll be doing Godwillin in the main square in our neighbourhood Friday week..
heads down please..

the pastor (Paolo) and Mark, (an Elder of another church.. Nazario's Church) and Nazario my housefriend, and myself ..are meeting to discuss on Tuesday.

In the meantime I'm typing out my message so i can email it to Rob and get it rubber stamped.. he's been in Italy too long.

guffaw.

And the Rest

need to rest more, which sounds daft cos i'm on holiday at the mo'.
keeping myself busy tho'
may go to Boston for a family reunion with people I've never met....
going to Brazil with Camila seems a wee bit expensive.. maybe next year, or if I win the lotter (he he Amanda re your blog on www.bristolvineyard.com)
Um, church seems fine, although down in numbers. A coulple of friends of mine need encouragement in the heavenlies to show up: Allesandra and Leandro.
Sam /Samol our Bangladeshi friend also needs prayer to come.
Katia was attending regularly, but there was a bit of a fallout, so please pray that is fixed and she comes and grows in her faith.
Hey I need prayer too of course.
I tend to leave summer plans so late.. cos I find sitting down to plan hard.. that I find I end up picking up things over the Summer that other people can't do cos they're not there. (-:
Rob is giving me some training to do Open Air.
Last night I dreamt I was playing my guitar and some old lady said 'you've been dreaming of doing that seriously for a long time haven't you?' 'Yes ' I replied.

Went to an interview the other day. pretty good.
Also saw my current boss. I need to prepare a proposal for her for next year.. perhaps I'll ask if she can do the same.

Have now got a VOIP line (Voice Over I-P) it gives incredibly good rates to landlines worldwide.. Camila likes it alot!
I am waiting for my parents to set up a landline so they can receive cheap calls.

Jack, a retired Brit of Jewish descendance, is staying here for a couple of weeks. Please pray he will find what he is looking for, and that he looks for what he's trying to find.
The Davis' are off soon.. I'll feel a bit lost without them around. So pray with regards that.

God is good and it's interesting to be here and see what he's doing

PLEASE PRAY I WOULD HAVE EARS TO SEE AND EYES TO HEAR...OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.. TA!

And now.. well not quite now..

Not sure what to say. So straight to topics for prayer.



Camila is having a tough time with her boss and with sorting out her trip back to Brazil. The deposit is 2 thirds in her name and it's loads which isn't good. She also works for her landlady. Go figure.
Mum and Dad seem to be fine in Spain. They are eager to see me. Mum's mum died recently.
My Admin is pretty dire at the moment.
The heat here is a disincentive to work but it's o.k.


& Lets not forget thanks for prayer:

Lots of tings. Dad and Mum went to ISRAEL had fun!

Summer Plans

watch this space

venice tourist event

2005

Re: the Religious Hatred Bill, what do people think? Here follows a friend's email and some links I've added to broaden reading. Do please add opinions, reading list suggestions, article links. Planit.



Hi Mark - here's the info re the religious hatred bill.

K stayed up last night so she has written a note to me saying
that it's passed it's first hurdle in the Commons :(

D.

- -------- Original Message --------

From: D F

Please pray about this Bill as it goes through it's second reading in
the Commons tomorrow, it's third reading in two wesks time, and then
it'll be passed on the Lords.

The Bill, although seemingly created to protect faiths from persecution
by others, may in fact do the opposite, as there is great ambiguity in
what exactly constitutes incitement to religious hatred, and the law
may
be abused by some groups to persecute others who don't hold the same
views.

For example, in Australia, a pastor was found guilty of religious
vilification for highlighting the dangers of fundamentalist Islam and
Sharia law..he is currently awaiting sentencing.

The proposed law will have a severe impact on freedom of speech and
serious religious debate, as it will inhibit people from saying
contraversial things for fear of such comments being mis-quoted and
then
used as evidence against them under the guise of inciting others to
hatred.

Existing race laws deal with ethnicity, whereas this new Bill focusses
on beliefs. It is possible that this law could be used in courts to
adjudicate in the fundamental beliefs of Jews, Sikhs, Muslims and
Christians alike. This is a potentially disastrous bill in terms of
freedom to preach the gospel.

Please pray that God is merciful to this nation and His church, and
that
He doesn't allow the Bill to become law.

Best regards.

D.
that was the email.
I've added some random links to broaden reading if so desired. None of these links necessarily reflect my opinions or the opinions of Bristol Vineyard. They are simply a rough attempt at giving a broader reading.


Wikipedia

BBC

E.A.

Guardian

jihadwatch

The Muslim Weekly

Telegraph

Guardian

Home Office

Pluralism.org

1984 & related books

And now... for something completely relevant

Prayer Requests

'People-on-my-heart-stuff'

My Mom and Dad get to check out Israel

I get to check out Brazil

Camila gets to return back to Italy.

Sam sorts his residency legally at Camila's house.

'church stuff'

New songs come in, are accepted, and impact the people here.

I learn the 'touchy feely vocabulary' for worship in Italian.. i.e. ' if you want to put your hands out to receive .../ if you'd like to spend time thanking Jesus in your heart for the week' etc. ... sorry to package it, I know that's impossible, just giving an example.

that the churches here work together if only to let eachother know of up-and-coming events that can build eachother up.- I could be wrong, but there seems to be an alarming level of de-centralisation here in Italy.

That there is some kind of Godly reconciliation between the old Baptist church and the new one (I go to the new one).

Recently I went with Rob as guests of our pastor Paulo to the Evangelical Alliance in Italy, Verona. It was really good. There was this one guy who felt inviting people to dinner would work really well.. I'd say this was pretty
Alpha-ish.. wouldn't you? He was thinking , perhaps principally , about catholics.... I chatted with him,. told him about Alpha, and took his card.. please pray about this, that his idea would bear fruit. it wasn't exactly accepted warmly.
Paolo made a comment which suggested he was still hurting from the church split, which is only natural, if I may say so.. no judgement of any kind intended or inferred.

For Myself

Quiet time.. hmm, what's that? when I duck under the water in the bath?
Yes I need to spend a little more time on that one.

Accustomed
please pray I do not become accustomed to anything, but rather I keep the Lord central and keep him as my comfort.
At the same time if I am to find comfort in others.. (probably thinking principally about Camila here) that I do so according to his will. inter-dependency not co-dependency.

Parents

That when I speak with my parents on the phone and in person, that the Lord gives me patience and compassion to listen.. I mean really listen to them and hear where they're coming from and ask them the right questions, and where God is using them to speak to me that I would listen to them and not dismiss them.

Next Year/ Work

I think my dream job would be to work for Oxford School, and finsih my TEFL, but Trinity has been good to me in many ways. That I'd do a good job

Vision/Mission

Is an elastic thing.. with shiny bits..
uh, mission here has been slow, for extremely good reasons.. the Davis are here for the long haul, and are in a period of transition.. a similar missionary family .. the Crooks.. are in the same boat and are also taking things easy, so to speak. When there is a family involved i think the thinking is more in depth, i.e. enter deep into the culture. I just want to go out onto the street and turn some noses. This will happen in the Lord's timing (an expression my Mum used recently.. it's great huh? we need to hear it more often in our getafix quick society eh?)

In the meantime I should not forget that I was asked here on the premise of writing songs in Italian for the church. I would add to that the necessity to centralise the songs which have been written so they can be shared.

Nazario

Nazario is my housemate and he's great.. really can't keep the bathroom clean [hang on.. he has improved.. take it back!- Ed] hmm, still looks like someone..ok, stick to the point.
Nazario is my housemate and he's great.. speaks English but has faithfully been speaking Italian with me, correcting me now and then, and being a great help in so many ways.
Prayer is needed simply in ensuring that Satan doesn't get his foot in.. and here I am not saying anyone is to blame..
we haven't yet tried to write something together, we haven't really spent a lot of time worshipping together. We have had some great times at the youth group meetings that have taken place in our house.
I'd pray for more Lord.

Sam and Prayer Requests

A little more about Sam:

One day, me and Nazario, my flatmate, were shopping at Auchan, as we were waiting for the bus, with WAY too many shopping bags, there was this guy sitting next to me, and I sensed in the HS that maybe we should talk.. and on this occasion I WENT WITH IT. Interestingly the first part of the conversation was a beat on the mini-djembe which I felt I should play.. well, not felt but, hey,.. sometimes you have to let the skin ring out and say 'here I am world..be upset if you're square..join me if you want..ooh, can you dig the vibe.. yeh baby.' or as Baloo the Bear would say in the middle of his polemic with Old King Louis 'Hmm...yeh...well man.. what a beat!!' and that's when your grass-skirt/disguise falls off.. worship has that affect I think: In the midst of loosing ourselves in worship we lose our composure and let loose our grip on our disguise'...there.. I think I said something sensible.

Better quit while I'm ahead. But first just to finish off what I was saying;

so Sam was smiling and into the djembe and we chatted a little, exchanged where we were from, looked at eachothers mobiles.. [now that's connecting - Ed]. He helped us with our bags on the bus, he was an angel sent in disguise.. so often the people who (it would appear) are going to mess up our housegroups or complicate our lives to an uncomfortable extent as we stop to commune with them are the very ones who carry a message to take us deeper into what Christ wants us to do.. that's what I think the verse is saying that talks about looking after strangers, because you never know, one might be an angel.. by angel I think that means messenger, and I think that when ever we stop and help someone , God places in them some hint to help us.. then again there is a limit where family becomees more important. Am I waffling.. is it the red.. or am I making sense.anyway. Sam...

Sam came back and the three of us ate together, this was back in Winter. Since then Sam and I met a couple of times to study the bible. That was quite hard goind as Sam's English is fair but not great. More recently I discovered the Bengali Bible online and printed off Ecclesiastes, the first few chapters of Matthew, and the book of Romans. I also lent him my English bible and encouraged him to read the Psalms and proverbs and balance it a bit with the New Testament. That was a while ago and we have been meeting sociably and through bible study and youth group every now and then [youth group deserves a separate blog but not now - Ed] but I don't think we went to the depth that we went to at our initial meetings where although it was hard going, it was very detailed study and Sam got a lot from it I think.

Boy , this is what happens when you're promised ADSL will arrive 'in a couple of weeks' for 6 successive months but for various immemorable unholyinspiring reasons it never happens. Blog-backlog... yeh.. anyway..

Recently; Sam and I met today, and spoke about the possibility of him doing his residency at Camila's (my girlfriend's) house [Camila deserves a separate blog.. but not right now - Ed]. 'Residencia' is one of those magic words in Italy.. to be found in the company of 'Permiso' and 'Codigo Fiscale'. These 3 documents make one optimally eligable for employment. English equivalents would be 'Residency' 'Work Visa' and 'Inland Revenue Number/ N.I.'. Please pray that everything Sam does will be 'by the book'. There is a real cultural acceptance to do some things under the counter e.g. 'black' i.e. not declare tax.. which I need to be careful of with my private lessons. A driving licence can actually be bought for about 1000euros in the South of Italy to put it into perspective. Residency can be bought for about 400euros.

Sam thinks about London a lot, and hopes to have his own shop here in Italy possibly. I pray he will continue in his discovery of the Holy Scriptures, and find deeper truths as will I Godwilling. Sam is supporting his family (Mum and Brother) back in Bangladesh. He has a bit of a stomach problem for which he is taking Gavalscon or something like that. I was delighted when he was called today with a job offer by a former employer, but as Rob said, if it's just temporary it may do more harm than good keeping him from further job hunting in a more permanent capacity.

Sam is great at church and always pitches in to help.. which blesses me no end. I don't care if he hasn't been baptised.. he's hauling several kilos of plastic, and that's got to count for something.. umm, is that Calvanistic or something?.

So it's Good night from me.. and it's Good night from Him.. Goodnight!

Below follows a Lengthy Blog that I know I wouldn't read.. so just skip to the prayer requests blog and then maybe read the rest when you need something to help you sleep (-:P

I'm at the Davis'.. they're all in bed.. time to blog..

Dad:
I wonder if any readers recognise this blog title from the Two Ronnies ? A show that ran back in the 80's and early nineties.... Why do I mention it all? Perhaps because it's a hmmm, not sure what the word is... it's something I had in common with my Dad, something we would watch and have a good laugh over. I think we share the same sense of humour, it's one thing which has crossed the generation gap of 49 years that is between us.

A Grave State
Dad is 80 in November, and has been a little weaker than usual these past 2 weeks. He can still get up and walk, but his left arm has been giving him some trouble. God has been mighty gracious in giving him 10 years 'overtime' as I like to call it, or perhaps 'extra-time' is a better term. He's been through a quadruple heart bypass, a couple of ankle operations, that was quite a few years ago. Recently he was on steroids, but in spite of it all, he keeps going and is quite bright mentally, and has a hunger for the bible I have seen in few Christians. His historical knowledge is also pretty huge.. I urged him to do a degree in it but he's happy to have his own course of study!

Israel or Bust
8th June.. yes, this month, Mum and Dad are due to go to Israel. The National Lottery paid for a 'Hero's Welcome' the idea being that veterans of WW II could return to a spot in the World where they fought. Dad decided to swop it for a trip to Israel with Mum. In the light of Dad's recent poor health however, there was doubt as to whether they would be able to go. Camila, my girlfriend, suggested I go with my Mum and she (Camila) stayed with my Dad.. a plan which in essence is great, but has some minor flaws i.e. Camila doesn't speak English, and doesn't have any holiday.. still, not an impossibility. Recently however Mum and I are feeling fairly optimistic that Dad will be o.k. to go. He has travel insurance through his Credit card, and he hasn't yet asked the airline what help they can offer. ( my family is quite slow to ask for help). so that should come up with some positive encouragement.. like hopefully they will provide a good service for the semi-invalid.[or whatever the correct phrase is for that now - Ed]. It could be a big pink Elephant that goes horribly wrong and puts unnecessary strain on my parents.. but then again it could be the break that my folks need, and a lovely time.. so lets pray for the latter.

Place in Italy and bake slowly..
Hey, dig this.. there is an Italian housegroup happening at my house.. is this fastracking or what?!! There are about two regular attendees other than me and the pastor who runs it. It might be a culture thing but I feel we need a little more variation of topic.
The study seems to be more a mini sermon with questions that we have a stab at and less of a forum for discussion. However when we get off the topic we have some great discussions! I like the pastor Paolo who is very intense about everything.

Work
is slow.. and I need to find more of it.. but what I really need to do is to treat jobseeking as a job in itself. I get up pretty late by my ideal standards, so it would be good to get up with the chickens.. know wot i mean..
I've got a couple of weeks at the end of September lined up, teaching intermediate level. Then there's my faithful client once a week (20 Euros), I must start thinking about tax for private lessons to stay legit.. too legit to quit [sorry..Hammer takin over there - Ed ] then there's the possibility of doing a kind of Summer Camp school.. I could really reap a bit there.. through a school I've been teaching in called Giuglio Cesare which means Julius Caesar. The idea is to do a Summer English School, I simply have to pick up the phone and work out some details to make this a reality.. but I keep getting distracted, and I don't think it's the HS distracting me, so time to just do it. Other possibilities are my agency Trinity and an Agency I bumped into through my Bangladeshi friend Sam who has been to both English and Italian housegroup..bless 'im, we met on the bench at the bus stop for Mestre's biggest-ish supermarket 'Auchan'. I sensed in the Spirit that for some reason we could or should talk and this time I went with it .. funny though that the first sentence was a mini-djembe beat... what on earth am I talking about? ok, I think this deserves a separate blog, I'll finish this update first. yeh, so, anyway.

Knee
The knee is greatly improved, thankyou so much for all your prayers, I value them so much.. lookin beyond the knee, it seems just some physical glitch that draws attention to weakness and my need for the Lord and for prayer. I don't want surgery, and I'm not convinced God is into Doctors.. however if that's the path I should take, I hope I'm not too proud to do it. I love Doctors, and I love their desire to help and to heal.. I just wonder if pain is meant to be a loudspeaker to drawer us to God (at its best) at its worst pain is a demonstration of mess man has got himself and others into..and if man (Doctors) can do something to get himself out of that then so much the better. I guess pride is the thing we need to keep an eye on.. both if its to keep us from saying we're above help from an agent of God i.e. a man, or if we are above saying God is best i.e. 'the better Physician' as I think ..ooo, what was that guys name..begins with P... said.

Love, Future plans, and Money.
Camila and I are having fun, lovers' tiffs, sometimes I avoid thinking about the future cos it's all a bit complicated.. or then again not. Money [Language!! this is a family show - Ed] creeps up and rears its ugly head.. and yet money's not ugly really is it? No, tis a lovely creature to be carressed and harnessed.. it's the harnessing and caressing that's the hard part.. getting a handle on money is sooo hard. or is it just me ? [NOPE! - Ed]. My money management tends to take the shape of 'o my Goodness..what shall I put in my wallet? sliced cheese? no.. that will melt.. I know, junk mail, that should fill it out nicely' to 'ah, finally, I've paid it off, I'll never let that happen again!!'. Near future plans are to go out to Brazil to check out Camila's culture and family and church an' ting. ['an ting' is Trinidadian for 'etc' - Ed]

Miss ya.. wouldn' wanna be ya..
At the same time as missing you and wanting to walk further into what God has for me here, oops, I've run out of syntax..

So it's Good night from me.. and it's Good night from Him.. Goodnight!

Lightship

TimSummers231@aol.com
timsummers231@aol.com

Lightship people,

Time for another open floor arts party in Montpelier.... So here's the customary six weeks' notice. Get the above date in your diaries!

And as ever, here's my off-the-shelf description of what it involves. My apologies to those who have been on my list a long time: you must be bored of these paragraphs by now. (If you still read them, that is.) But there are plenty of newcomers, thankfully.

It's a party, but with a bit of a difference. IF you want to (it's not mandatory), you can bring something artistic to read, perform, show, sing... in any medium at all. At some point in the evening, not too far in, the floor will be opened - for poetry, stories, songs, dance, acting - or a painting, sculpture or film shown or discussed - whatever you like. It can be your own work or someone else's.

We have a piano, but subject to that if you fancy playing then bring your instrument, and ideally (lest there isn't enough to go round) some amplification. Small risk of neighbour complaints round here. Oh, and if you are a visual artist or want to show a film - we need to talk in advance, to show your work to its best advantage! So get in touch.

I always want to emphasise: there is no pressure to do anything at all. Spectators welcome. In fact vital. Whether or not you want to "do" anything, come and join us. And bring friends, whether Christian or not.

The party is at 7:30pm, 142 St Andrews Road, Montpelier. I'll send round some directions and information about parking nearer the time. Bring a bottle. As to food, there'll be ... nibbles! (Aaargh! There, I said it. How I hate that _expression.)

My number is 0117 924 6239. Drop me a line or give me a call for more information. Otherwise... watch this space and I'll be further in touch.

Tim

Bomb Site

somehow amidst the rucus of children (rucus is a west-indian word) I succeeded in temporarily wrecking Rob's p.c.

didn't have enough time to finish the job though..

ah well, maybe the guy that did Harry's p.c. over could give me some tips.

psycho.

Bible Translations

if you need a bible in a foreign language.. recommend this site. wbtc.com

Brief hI

\HI THERE! rOB OOPS is off in England again, miss ya Rob.
please pray just for a time of sorting stuff out, saying no when necessary, saying yes when necessary, and spending time with big G.

that's God btw. tata, mark

Bengali Bible

please pray for my friend that the Holy Spirit will guide him as he begins to read the bible in his own language. I'm printing it off the net. not all of it, just 7 pages.

Tickle Test..

What are you looking for in a relationship?

the trouble with being planit

hmm, i might have this

News

my knee is much better, but i still need to take it easy
the church here is ok, needs prayer for its strengths and weaknessess.
my role here is worship organising .. sung worship that is.. please pray for when i rally the troops i.e. other musicians, .. i always find this really hard, partly cos its just easier to do it solo, and partly cos it does my head in when they come up with alibis, even if they are verifiable (-;

my parents hope to come here to visit me, this needs prayer cos firstly i take forever to book flights.. all those forms and sites and possibilities, and secondly cos dad is fragile and needs consideration and medicine.

rob and traci are ok, ryan and sarah too.

camila is ok, please pray for here accomodation here as she needs to find a new place for july.

nazario is ok, please pray for continued unity between us as we share a house. we are good at different things and need to learn from eachother.

please pray i get more work and adsl. and eventually voip which is dirt cheap pc telephone service.

work is ok, need to get up earlier and spend time with God, and read more and start up my journal again.

had a nice day with camila yesterday.

tata for now.

ps pray for people on the periphery, sam, charlie, serge. pray for my witness to them and my relationship with them.
in a similar way continue to pray for my relationships with the kids i teach.
ttfn. planitm

Flickr

Flickr profile has some photos now, someone randomly picked me as a friend or something through Jon Morgans stuff I think.. cool.

any relation...?

Krzysztof Penderecki

see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krzysztof_Penderecki

:-)

mc

Net Worth

just foumnd a great internet cafe, you may be hearing from me a bit more, but for now, just pray i catch the bus.. ta

Q

a bit Q ... thanQ that is, to all you guys, I know you think about me , smiley,
btw her name is Camila, and I don-t mean the one you think I mean.

Sarah, could you tell Julie C how I-m doin now an then or Tim, cos i rarely blog or email now i dont have email at home. will do soon tho.
pray, value it guys, Mark

Appy Heaster

Reading 'the Heavenly Man' at the moment. And I thought I had it bad (;P

And now.. the News

Nothing as exciting as what happened in Georgia..
Headlines..
-my folks are in Spain still. Must get them over here soon. they're going to do something very -interesting soon which i will divulge later!
-a friend of mine went to prison for something he didn't do. his lawyer made a mistake.
-I missed church for the first time
-my Gran's out of hospital.

LIFE

hi, not much to report,
my knee's ok. at some point I could have some deep thoughts, wait and see eh?
working in schools, teaching English.
Life has changed a lot.
haven't blogged for ages, a bit too much to say and not enough time.
A series of lows and highs strung together in the complex web of the divine spider..
am i allowed to say that?...

Pink Floyd said it best* in 7/8

Some thoughts/ random scriptures triggered by Mark dM's blog on BV

Mary Magdalene 'wasted' money on Jesus. Her 'savings' represented by expensive perfume (used in her former trade) were poured out on Jesus. Judas suggested the money could have gone on the Poor (he said this not because he cared for the Poor but because he helped himself to the Disciples' money as he was in a position to do so as church treasurer.) but Jesus' reply was that the Poor would always be with the disciples.. they had plenty of time for that later. whichever way you look at it, what resulted was not something material e.g. a car or p.a. but something spiritual, a lesson that could only be learnt by 'wasting' that thing of value in that particular way.

There was a huge transfer of wealth from Egypt to Israel when they left bondage. It was meant to be a loan, but they ended up not having to pay it back.

Where your treasure is, there is your heart.

the old testament said tithe ten percent, and give a free will offering, so thats maybe another 10 percent.. who knows..

Jesus was asked to pay tax to enter the synagogue, something that didnt apply to him, so what does he do.. he gets a fish and inside the fish is a gold coin.

smelly wallet. call it a mullet.

the Magi, or wise men, came with gifts, not at Jesus' birth but later. could this have been a source of saving. gold ,.. i mean, you gotta wonder how much. might have come in handy during ministry.

when the disciples were faced with an impossible material situation, their response was dismay at the amount of money it would take to resolve the situation. it was not money but a miracle that was the solution.. the JESUS solution.

work with your hands so you can have something to give the Poor.

money can be a crutch. it can stiffle thinking outside of the box.

seek wisdom more than..

the manna in the desert could not be saved. it turned into worms the next day. however people still tried to save it.

you have much be thankful you have much, you who have little be thankful that your reward is in heaven.

the parable of the coins shows that there is wisdom in multiplying what we have been give.. but then when Jesus was talking about yeast, was that a message to bakers? No, not you simon.

dunno.. whatdyatink?

*Jesus did it best, and he did what he said.

Prayer

1. for venice and the church here
2. for my relationships with people here.
3. for stewardship.

Lord thankyou for relationships, help us to value the people we know.
Help us not to make idols of those we love but to put you first and so live a fuller life.

ps. internet phone that Rob lent me is down cos i've got no internet right now.
pps. folks are back in spain, henry is much better.

ppps. knee still needs sorting out. i'm being slow on this and continuing to work.
p4s. secret, ask me.

News, as time ticks away..

Knee:
Went for an MRI scan on my knee today, normally I wouldn't know the results till the 14th, but the guy graciously indulged my request to see the pics he took. The meniscus on the inside of the right leg isn't good, the one on the outside is fine. This is exactly what the Italian Doctor suspected.

The 10th I have a visit with a GP
The 14th my results come through
but tomorrow (5th) I'm going to a private specialist to ask him if I can work. Work for Teachers starts on the 6th but I'm only expected back on the 10th.

Me:
Ok.

Other News:
May ask if Mum would like to visit. Dad probably won't be up for it as he is pretty old. It won't be a 'let's do the City' visit, more a 'I haven't seen you for months' visit. I do need to work out how to listen to this wav. file from my Dad though, as, knowing him and phones, he is probably panicing in some way which is understandable given the plethora of phonenumbers I was reachable on. He communicates brilliantly through written letters.

Please pray for:
work.. do I, how, if not, then what?
a Helper: how to discern in choosing a partner, if yes, how to proceed, if no, then how to proceed?

Please for the church:
First youth music group meeting this Sunday gone. Went well. Please pray against any attack it may come under.
Generally to receive the message preached this Sunday by Pastor Paolo: to take on the new year in God and for God.

Please pray for the lost:
That in as much as I can I would host them, invite them, model for them the principles of the kingdom (a long way from that in lesson preparation),advise them, act honestly (oxymoron),to be authentick tock tick tock..

TGSNT (PG CERT)

Mini-Ball

I'm Still Loving You - Jino KANG

I'm Still Loving You!

True..

Impact

Found this source:

© Jason Butler, 1998. All rights reserved.
Jason Butler, Diretor/Director, CCI-BrasilRua Gago Coutinho 14082510-230 Curitiba, PR, Brasiltele/fax: +55-41-256-3573e-mail: ccibrasil@xc.org

Every Knee Must Bow

Please pray for our New Year's Eve party, that it will help network evangelicals in Venice and maybe even be a point of contact with 'not yet believers'.

New Year's Day I was going to fly to Bristol, then to London on Monday to help my parents, but I don't know if that can happen now in light of the following:


The evening before last I hurt my knee.. again. I hurt it originally playfighting with a friend who's been French Boxing since he was 8. God why do we feel pain? I know I'm not the only one.. look at Asia right now. So much pain, death. Is this meant to increase my sense of 'now' or is it cos I was dumb?

Whatever our pain, God knows, he also knows the problem.

Lord, help me to be wise and navigate through this problem in the right way. Amen.

please pray for an old friend of mine who had to go to court recently.

Just a Minute

My Uncle Russell sent me This:

‘Today...I wish you a day of ordinary miracles-
A fresh pot of coffee you didn't have to make yourself.
An unexpected phone call from an old friend.
Green stoplights on your way to work or shop.
I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in...
The fastest line at the grocery store.
A good sing along song on the radio.
Your keys right where you look.
I wish you a day of happiness and perfection-little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you
the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you,
holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.
I wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an
hour to appreciate them,
a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
Send this phrase to the people you'll never forget .
It's a short message to let them know that you'll never
forget them. If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in too
much of a hurry and that you've probably forgotten your friends.
Take the time!
Wishing you the very best for 2005’

Then I thought, you know what? You could add:

‘I wish you an attitude of praise for the daily drain-
That when you’re low on coffee, you enjoy water,
That when noone calls you and you’re low on credit, you call on God
That when you’re stuck in traffic your roadrage subsides to Grace
That when you’ve had enough with shopping and there’s no near end in sight, you don’t complain in your heart and realize for a moment how rich you are, and check you’re spiritual account.
That when you can’t find your keys, and there just isn’t time, you quiet the rasping whisper of Rush, and make space for a Still Voice to inspire you as to just exactly where they might have got to.
I wish you a day of traveling through frustration and discontentment with the status quo to reach what you seek with all your heart on the other side of Despair.. which is Hope,
And to share that with someone else, well that’d be a bonus!’

Blog for Venice

I've been asked to create a blog for the church here, so please pray I do that and stop spending so much time blogging on my own and others' sites. ta, mark

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing. mine is available now, click here

Brave New World

Grommit made an interesting comment Thursday Dec 23rd about Aldous Huxley's quote which he'd surfed up onto: 'The third clause of the Lord's prayer is repeated daily by millions, who have not the slightest intention of letting any will be done, except their own.' (Aldous Huxley)

This got me thinking about Huxley's book 'Brave New World' [henceforth BNW] which I read in 89 (it was a choice between that or George Orwell's 1984 for English GCSE)

These two authors gave us a picture of a future world which had tried to create a paradise on earth, but failed. Orwell's world seems more Communist-based, whilst Huxley's seems more Consumer-Capitalist-based. Both point to mankinds inability to save himself through either science, possession or policing.

This many bloggers know, in their own words and from their own experience. What they may not know is the degree to which these worlds are continuing to pervade our culture and society.. feel free to disagree. But look at the 'Soma' equivalents we have, our shopping therapy, and the way a police state is becoming less threatening and more acceptable.

BLTC Reasearch

don't seem to fear God. Their reading of Huxley's 'BNW' appears reasonable in so far as they admit it is fictive not prescriptive..i.e. they say it's make-believe and not a manual of how to create a real 'perfect world'. However they appear to state this only in order to correct 'mistakes' in Huxley's 'paradise engineering' [a turn of phrase that should apply to the Engineer of Paradise alone in my opinion, and not to The Engineered.]: You can't have mistakes in a hypothetical situation, it's make-believe! Once one does so, it gives the fantasy a reality it does not credit and probably has not solicited. It turns Huxley's work from fantasy to prophecy, and not a prophetic warning to run from the vision presented (as he intended) but a prophetic incitment to action the vision presented, but to action it in a more researched way. If you wish, you can read the BLTC review of BNW.

Don William's book 'Jesus and Addiction' would be good reading if you can afford it. There is a huge reading list here that could be handy,
the Holy Life pge 43,44,45 to bring the spiritual counter-argument to BLTC's stance (which if we are honest many are practising today, if not by label then by proxy i.e. if we don't believe it, but we're doing it under a slightly different name, then actually we do believe it).

There's alot of semi-disseminated thought here, so sorry if i waffle. The crux of the matter it seems to me does return to Huxley's original statement. Here it is again.
'The third clause of the Lord's prayer is repeated daily by millions, who have not the slightest intention of letting any will be done, except their own.' (Aldous Huxley)

You can read 1984 online.
as well as Brave New World.

I'm gonna blog this now then edit it.
As an afterthought

planit-cam

Mark, just thinking about you popping up on BBC local news the other day... as I mentioned, the funny thing was that it didn't seem at all unusual for you to appear on-screen in my living room, commenting on a news story; no, in fact it seemed quite apposite, and reassuring too. A friendly face, a wise comment, a 'planit' angle on the story.

Which got me thinking... maybe there's a demand for a service you could offer here. In these days of interactive digital TV 'n stuff. 'Press Red', and the next caption is Mark Pendered. What do you reckon?

Truceless Warfare

I am shocked.. pleasantly, to find I am in fact part of the following organisation:

The New South Wales Evangelistic Prayer Band

New Details having moved

you can call me dead cheap on a British number that rings in whatever country you point it at, weird huh? But its only 5 p per minute when you call from the UK, not bad. If you have any doubts and think I'm gonna jack up your phone bill, check out what Skype says on this.. Number is 08700686904

Couple a Links 4 u'r Hols

just a couple of links

Discover the TRUTH about Santa Claus!!!

The Wimbles or if the link isn't working The Wimbers

ship of fools

stupid videos

miniclip

accuradio

radioy

flashkit

Homestarunner

Tucows

and last but by no means least,

Yeti Sports
[please note, those who love penguins may find this site offensive,
please don't try this at home, not that you have penguins at home..
er, no, don't try it at the zoo either-Ed]

Enjoy, courtesy of a certain Crooks family's websurfin'

to keep ya going like, over the hols. t'ra 4 now luv

++thankyou Lord for animals, thankyou for games, please don't let a spirit of violence
however innocent pervade our conscience, let a spirit of violence against evil be measured
and seasoned with your grace and mercy.
++ Could you guys pray I get stuff done over Christmas, I may go to London to be with my folks, or I might put that off till after Christmas and spend Christmas itself with a friend o' mine.
Laters. Marko.

Translocuto

What does this word mean.. electrocution on a tram line? going loco in Transilvania ? NO
It means to move house [in Italian-Ed] and that's what I've now done. Thankyou for those who prayed for me hearing God's will and staying close to him over the past few days. I think that kind of prayer [for people] is more important than praying for things. Read the end of Nehemiah, it's interesting to see how he moved in the musicians.
Where does Nehemiah mention musicians? Levites are musicians, in fact I believe it is because writing good music is so time consuming that Levites were given a tithe, so they could work on the music. The approach I'm taking is kind of a Vineyard 'Bi-vocational' thing where you work and have a ministry separate. This is a big topic, perhaps I'll blog on it separately.\\ Anyway , guys, thanks for all your prayers!! Planit Mark.

Hairy Catmess

I love Cats and Dogs alike.. but THIS is funny man

Burnin the Midnite oil aint that Brite

having gone to bed 4am on Monday and 3am on Tuesday I am finally refinding my 'Bounciness'. Moving tomorrow into the new place, so pleez pray for that.

I am often surprised when God brings me back to a sensible place of Diurnality (diurnal is the opposite of nocturnal-Ed) and always grateful. This time he used a strategy ?which I could never have guessed' to quote a certain friend of mine.

I actually work extremely well in the early morning, especially when I wake up in the early morning having gone to bed around 10pm. Each hour before 12 does count as 2 hours sleep for me, and I can be up at 4 quite happily, it's just getting into a mindset where that is acceptable to my brain. So, with a reasonable margin for the odd social event, please pray for me becoming an 'up with the dawn chorus' kinda guy.

He gives his beloved sleep
For him we endured .. late nites..
On my bed I worship you

There's a huge amount to be said for Beditation btw.

Prayer

Can you guys all pray. I will be moving to a bigger place soon. Things are starting to happen, people are interested in Jesus and what he means today. But stuff aint never easy. We value your prayers. Ciao

random guest blog

...from Marktristan

Mark thanks for inviting me to publish a random guest spot on your blog. Something from last night - we celebrated the first night of Chanukkah, (as a housegroup with one Jewish member). We tried to celebrate it in as authentic a way we could, with the thanks-giving and feasting (fried foods e.g. matzo-meal latkes), candles, dreidel games and even music (thanks Julie Cole for the CD!). In the midst of all this we discussed the hows & whys of the feast, (q. is it something Jesus would have celebrated too?, I assume so?)- and it came up that Jews don't really have a word for 'secular'. ..cos what struck me was how every part of the celebration was significant, as I was frying these delicious latkes and thinking how the oil used for frying is to remember the oil that burned in the lamp for 8 days...they really do have a heritage of remembering God in all of life's details... (I heard about some more surprising ways too.... ) would love to get more into that mindset....

Attraverso i Loro Occhi

Attraverso i Loro Occhi

Venice has a 'Women in the Middle East' Rights Awareness Event, details follow

click above to link to their site.



Officina Sociale di Venezia invita tutti alla conferenza







"Attraverso i loro occhi - esperienze di associazionismo femminile in Medio

oriente",



giovedì 9 dicembre alle 19 presso l'Aula Magna IUAV Tolentini.



Sarà un incontro incentrato su alcune testimonianze, il più possibile

dirette, di associazionismo e movimenti femminili attivi nell'area medio

orientale che si occupano di educazione, aiuti umanitari, assistenza e

aiuto a donne in difficoltà. Pensiamo che questo approfondimento sia utile

per dare spazio ad un "altro Medio oriente", quello delle lotte per i

diritti civili o per i diritti delle donne.

Multi-Appartamental Housegroup

Yes! We are Multi-Appartamental, and I don't think many Appartment Groups can say that!

Last meet was a social at Lozza and Francesco's. Gazza had cooked an amazing meal.. just like my Mum cooks, but then he's from Jamaica and Mum's from Trini'.. [so figures - Ed].

Pazzo tried at great lengths to stick to English, bless 'im.
Pazza had a great time and we were all so glad that she came.

Guys.. all you who prayed for Housegroup last time I requested it here, your prayers were answered ! Now please pray for a guy - a Bolivian English student of mine, a bit of a Dandy [Player - Ed] who is my age and needs to come to housegroup or church but doesn't know it. He works nights.

++ Thanyou G' for the time we had tonight.

The Fox

unlike the 'Volpi' [Italian for foxes - Ed] and indeed Jesus in his ministry years, it seems I'll soon have a place to lay my head and call my own together with potential co-writer Nazario.

++Thankyou Lord for your provision and for your timing. Thankyou that you are my Shepherd, and You are in control. May it be a place where the misfits can get refitted if they are ready to benifit from the gift that replaced deficit with profit.

[o.k., He getsit, now stopit - Ed-it]
[verse ' be anxious for nothing but in everything present your requests, with thanksgiving, to God]

sWord

Did you know..
God blesses us when we put his work first.. before ours (Haggai 2.5, 2.19)

Picture this..

Well, if it works that is. Photos

Appartment Group

Appartment Group (well it's not a house is it?..we're on the 4th floor) went well last Wednesday I think:
the song books had arrived, so Gary in particular was looking at the many songs he didn't know. We picked ones that we all knew. Someone (who has just started to get to grips with the bible) gave a word from Isiah which really blessed people, and tied in with a word which is for the whole church 'A House of Prayer for All Nations'.

Please pray for someone who really wants to come to housegroup, but their parents are making it really hard for them. I reckon their parents should come as well! They'd love it!

Next Wednesday is a National Holiday - of the Immaculate Conception, the plan is for a Meal. I also hope to meet the parents of the musician-friend who will probably be my flatmate.

I may need to appear to testify against an old employer who was conning people. This will mean travel, so please pray they plead 'guilty' then I don't think I'll need to travel.

I hope to see my folks this Christmas.