Recently in faith Category

Alice tagged me on a Biblical type thread. My reply below and feel free to consider yourself tagged if you'd like to blog this one

1 What translation of the Bible do you like best?

Er, the NIV (and particularly the one with ALL my notes in) for study, The NLT when I'm working with Teens, The Message for it's idiom and energy and the KJV for using the word "dung" in Philipians (the NIV loses marks here IMHO for translating the word as "rubbish")

2. Old or New Testament?

Difficult to understand one without the other (he remarks in a slightly piously theological smart-alec way) but on balance it has to be the NT as there's less that just plains weirds me out)

3. Favorite Book of the Bible?

"It's all good" quote Rev Lovejoy ..... but if pushed, John!

4. Favorite Chapter?

John 1

5. Favorite Verse? (feel free to explain yourself if you have to)

Not sure I'm comfortable anymore with lifting verses out of their context so my answer to this one is the same as above, John chapter 1

6. Bible character you think you're most like?

Timothy (apart from the obvious chronological non tie-up, i.e he was young)

7. One thing from the Bible that confuses you?

The Old Testament and Revelation

8. Moses or Paul?

Both

9. A teaching from the Bible that you struggle with or don't get?

The trinity (I mean I kind of do but at the same time I'm convinced that anyone who says they REALLY gets it means that they don't)

10. Coolest name in the Bible?

Habakkuk (which I seem to remember can mean "embraced" or "garden vegetable")

"Let the world retain in memory
that mighty tongues tell mighty lies
and if mankind must have an enemy
let it be his warlike pride"
Bruce Cockburn

Am very struck by this piece of reflection from Steve Lawson and this from Mark Berry.

Chortling muchly ......

This version of Footprints in the Sand is fantastic! Managing to make me laugh and actually be more authentically inspiring than the cheesy original (like the example to the right), top top stuff!

From The Gaffney Journal
via YSMarko

I've always kicked against the cheesy triteness that some seem to represent Christianity as. Re-visiting 'Footprints' put me in mind of a fantastic song by All Star United, called La La Land that they played at Greenbelt.

"The question isn't whether it's true
The question- "Is it working for you?"
Marshmellow Skies
And custardy pies
And nothing's too hard to do

You can name a blessing yourself
Stake a claim on power and wealth
And strong healthy teeth
A spot at the beach ......... "

I am SOOOOO looking forward to Greenbelt this year. Having reflected on the various conferences I find myself eating christian lasagne at, the events where I participate (or struggle to participate) in worship, the seminars where I debate with Youth Minesterial bretherin and sisterin, the VERY limited number of gigs I get to and the churches I find myself adrift in ...... I have decided that Greenbelt is the most fulfilling and enriching thing I go to by far. It's the event where worship, gigs, debate, church, faith and learning all combine and I feel at home, my faith and my soul part of something bigger. It's a funny thing as Greenbelt is a massive bunch of imperfect people (I include myself) who don't all agree BUT somehow it's a taste of the kingdom that's really real. There's fun and faith, doubts and longings, hopes and dreams, creativity and dance, tears and laughter, a search for shalom, the mystery of Christ, the passion of the Spirit, the father heart of God ........ oh and the Tiny tea tent!

Interestingly I probably bump into more youth ministers I know at Greenbelt than anywhere else (Soul Survivor included) so I'm not the only one who finds it pivotal in terms of what events they commit to.

See you there :-)

Below is the Press Release concerning a three part BBC TV series called Miracles of Jesus, it looks fascinating

"The Miracles of Jesus, BBC One, SUNDAY 30TH JULY, 18.35

A BBC Manchester Religion and Ethics production"

My mate Cris runs a quote blog called My Small Boat which I call in at each day as he tends to unearth quotes outside of the staple fodder of most quote sites, in the last couple of days I've really loved these two:

Elwyn Brooks White
"I wake up every morning determined both to change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day a little difficult"

Matt Cartmill
"As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a meaningful vision of human life - so I became a scientist. This is like becoming an archbishop so you can meet girls"

Fascinating article by Roy Hattersley in yesterdays Guardian in which he, as an athiest, looks at the response to Katrina, then explores why faith groups are at the forefront of relief work. He considers his own position intellectually superior but admits that it's faith that makes people admirable.

"Civilised people do not believe that drug addiction and male prostitution offend against divine ordinance. But those who do are the men and women most willing to change the fetid bandages, replace the sodden sleeping bags and - probably most difficult of all - argue, without a trace of impatience, that the time has come for some serious medical treatment"

Filing this as encouraging! Read the full article.

While I'm flagging up interesting articles, this piece on the iphone is interesting. It looks at why, in this case, previous innovation has made innovation untennable.
It has got me reflecting on how you maintain innovation/risk et al in Church or Youth ministry approaches to mission. What is it that stifles innovative outreach even when that's how something began?

I used to have this picture up in the Youth Building as my antedote to the Sunday-schoolization of Jesus.
It still inspires me!

"Little Round Planet in a big universe
Sometimes it looks blessed
Sometimes it looks cursed
Depends on what you look at, obviously
But even more it depends on the way that you see"
Bruce Cockburn

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else"
CS Lewis

Following on from yesterday, I was at a service recently where we were encouraged to use the "modern" form of the Lords prayer! Not sure that "sin" and "trials" is anymore understandable culturally!

It's been around for a while now but I love the txt version of the Lords Prayer and really enjoyed being at a Youth Led service once where the whole congregation were led together in saying:

dad@hvn,ur spshl.
we want wot u want
&urth2b like hvn
giv us food
&4giv us
lyk we 4giv uvaz.
don't test us!
save us!
bcos we kno ur boss,
ur tuf&ur cool
4 eva!ok

And lets not debate how it fits into a liturgical framework!

Supplemental: Over at Coyote Mercury you can see the Lords Prayer's English translation in both Old and Middle English.