Monday 24 December 2007

So this is Christmas...?

So we arrived, and there's no snow (not unexpected)...

but also no suitcase!

So we're in a really festive house with lots of lovely decorations waiting to enjoy Julafton, only we have no clothes, no toiletries, no presents...

BA promised the bag would arrive later and be with us yesterday... its not here, their agents haven't reponded to calls, emails or faxs... so its not going to be a nice Christmas later this afternoon...

On the plus side, my hearing is back (my ears were agony on the two flights- very unusal for me), my throat's getting better...

and it really does look very nice with all the decorations, the tree and the lights...

So to everyone

Gud Jul

Friday 21 December 2007

Music of the Day (Christmas Series)

In 1982 one of the nations favourite Christmas TV programmes was first shown. Every year since then Raymond Briggs The Snowman with its classic song "walking in the air" has been shown on TV as a tradition...

But, the best version is this one. Made as an advert for IRN-BRU it features some of the best known places in Scotland...

Enjoy

Thursday 20 December 2007

Music of the Day (Christmas Series)

OK, this might be embarrassing to admit, but I had a thing for old Bob Hope films when I grew up...

moving swiftly on...

Every time I hear this song I think of the film it was written for (The Lemon Drop Kid) and my mind goes back to my childhood... and I can't help trying to sing along...

So here is Silver Bells


Wednesday 19 December 2007

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year



This is where we'll be spending Christmas... only it probably won't snow, and I doubt we'll see the fat man in red!

Music of the day (Christmas Series)

Christmas Music is normally dire...

Apart from Carols and Classics, contemporary attempts are normally banal fluff (Fairytale of New York Excepted!)

But... back in 2000 XFM (UK based radio station) asked some (then) leading indie and alternative bands to either cover a Christmas song or write one. The result It's a Cool Cool Christmas raised money for charity and finally produced a Christmas album worth having...

I went into the Glasgow church one Christmas to prepare it for a Christmas program. After the service we were going to have a big "Christmas dinner/potluck/international food fest" and then after sunset games, etc. A few of us went in on Friday to get the hall decorated, etc (I even made a gingerbread model of the church) and I tool the CD in to play on the sound system... however, I forgot about it in the CD player. The next morning the head deacon arrived and went to switch on the sound system in order to play the CD he had left in from the week before... It wasn't the Bach he was expecting... luckily I managed to get my CD out before it got embarrassing!

The problem is finding any videos from the album,. It has little gems which were never released anywhere else...

So here is (because I can't find any thing else from the album on youtube...The Dandy Warhols and Little Drummer Boy

Tuesday 18 December 2007

Music of the day (Christmas Series)

Over the next few days I'm going to post some of my favourite music from the festive season and open up a bit and tell you the story behind them...

I used to find it very hard to get into the Christmas season. For me it was a busy time. I had all the normal church programmes, visits, and activities to plan and deliver. On top of that were the special gatherings, church, community, charity, etc. Then there were the extra visits, the extra services to plan (and normally nominating committee ran on into December too!). I was often too busy to really feel as if I was grasping the reality of the time, and was struggling to pass it on.

So I used to go to another Christmas service. You see, I really couldn't worship in my own, after all I had probably planed it and was too busy ensuring it went to plan to get to worship properly.

So I would find another Churches service. I would look for an Episcopal (Anglican) church as I felt at home there, and go to a traditional service of nine lessons and Carols. I went to the cathedral in Glasgow a few times and then when I moved to Edinburgh I went to St John's.

2004 was my first Christmas in Edinburgh and my first year on my own in the church (in Glasgow I worked with another minister) and I had only just arrived at the church. So on top of all the usual business I was trying to settle in.

The Scottish Mission had its Christmas Dinner in Crieff at the Hydro and then when it finished I shot down the motorway to Edinburgh and got to the church just in time to find a seat. Desperately needing to rediscover the meaning of Christmas I waited to the service to start.

And there at the back of the church, the single voice of the solo began and the choir processed singing this hymn.

And all at once the glory of the Advent was rediscovered.



"Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" Ar. Elizabeth Poston
(This is the only version I could find... It wasn't a male voice choir at St John's... but you should still get the effect)

More Tests Yesterday...

I had to go into Edinburgh for some breathing tests yesterday. It appears that I "over breathe" or hyperventilate. When I breathe I expel to much carbon dioxide which can lead to dizziness, light headedness, cold extremities, pins and needles, etc.

Although this is only part of my overall package of symptoms, this one is supposedly easy to cure and hopefully in the new year I'll see someone about this. This is probably;y an issue because I used to be very active, and now that I'm not because of the CFS my body tries to over compensate...

Still, if I can get this under control and continue to make physical progress, things might look up for the future!

Friday 14 December 2007

Thursday 13 December 2007

The future of the Church... is already here

I’ve been watching a few conversations develop online and thought I’d comment on one of them.

Over at Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight was looking at the subject of “EGens”: some recent research from the US (see his post post for the links to relevant articles) argues that the current generation of 18-30 year olds threatens the future of the church. He highlights 4 social forces which it is argued will effect this generations decision to attend church.

The four social forces are
1) A growth in higher education, which most if not all will take up
2) Delay of marriage (in the US the average for a male is 28)
3) A changing economy, no jobs for life, many career/job changes
4) Parents extending support to children for longer

These, it is argued will lead to a fall off in church attendance (see the articles for the explanation as to why, but they include: an unstable family life, EGens missing out on church for 15-20yrs, “sexual serial monogamy”).

Yet as I read the articles I didn’t get a feeling of aha, or a sudden sense of seeing the light. Instead I kept thinking, “what’s new about this?” Because these are the social contexts that I’ve grown up in here in western Europe... (in fact here in the UK- as I blogged on my old blog several years ago- we are even further down this path, the average age for marriage is 32 and rising, more than 50% children are born out of wedlock, etc...)

When I went back to the Scot McKnight's blog I saw several others from Europe make the same point.

So maybe Americans shouldn’t look across the pond and sneer (the cathedrals of Europe are “so inspired... so grand... so empty..."), instead maybe they should eat humble pie, and instead of trying to export church growth programs, they should be coming here to try and learn from us in Europe. Maybe its time for a reverse, instead of all the Europeans going to see Willow Creek, Saddleback, etc, Americans should come here and see Holy Joes, Grace, Ikon, Greenbelt, etc...

(and whilst they’re here we’ll also use our history to show them the error of their ways when it comes to church and state!)

That Romney Speech...

I’ve watched several online conversations following Romney’s speech last week. And yet I find it hard to join in enthusiastically. I think its because I look at things from a European context.

Such a speech would not be made here. Our former prime minister has since gone on the record stating that he didn't talk about his faith because he would be viewed as a "nutter". Whilst it made an amusing soundbite, I think the real reason is deeper contemporary European resistance to the role of religion in public life.

We resist for several reasons; secularism/multiculturalism, the decline in religious practice, historical precedent.

We in Europe, unlike the United states have either had wars of religion, or conflicts which used religion to further secular/political causes (unless you count the Governor of Missouri's 1938 Mormon "extermination order"). These wars have affected pretty much every country in our continent over the last thousand years, so you can see why we are weary of people in power who argue theta religion and freedom are inseparable- that simply hasn't been the European reality. We also look back and see examples of where the state has co-opted religion. Hitler's first speech declared that he saw that "both Christian denominations the most important factor for the maintenance of our society". The German church was largely subverted by the Nazi regime (the church was used by Franco in spain too).

We are also weary, because historically our rulers claimed a divine right to rule. This led them to act, often in the interests of a small minority without accepting dissent. It was the abuse of this claim that led to the down fall of several of Europe's ruling dynasties (through revolt or rebellion) and the beginning of constitutional secularism. So you can see why we get shivers down our spines when someone like Franklin Graham saying G W Bush was president because "God wanted him to be" (I thought he was president because the supreme court wanted him to be) or when Mike Huckabee tried to claim, God was behind his recent improved poll showing last week..

Europe is also a continent where religion is in decline. In Western Europe (even in the few countries which still have established churches) church attendance averages between 3-15%. So we recognize we are in a minority and so Christianity can't claim to be a dominant tradition anymore. Within the 27 EU states religious discrimination (either negative or positive) is illegal, so Europe is a de facto secular or multicultural continent. (This also leads to some interesting questions about popular Adventist eschatology, for example how can one envisage a universal Sunday law in such a context?)


We also worry whenever anyone tries to use a Christian "tradition" as an argument is that in Europe this is often code for nationalism/neo-fascist/"white" supremacy movements.

For all these reasons, we Europeans find it hard to believe that Mitt Romney not only said what he did, but that he felt he needed to in the first place. We find it hard to believe that a country which claims it is so advanced and is an example to the rest of the world would want advocate a medieval view of church and state. We understand that the USA lacks the history, but we hoped it would look to Europe and see the problems we had.

I'm not convinced (as many in Europe are) that faith has no place in politics, however the contemporary, evangelical US example does little persuade me that European lessons have been learnt.

Arghhh... or The Secret



One of my biggest frustrations at the moment is that I've been unable to walk, climb or just get out and enjoy the outdoors since I got Ill in April. For those of you who know what I used to be like (2-3 trips to the climbing wall a week, climbing trips to Mexico and Europe to climb, winter walking/climbing, about to get involved in instructor training, etc...) will have some idea what it must be like. Every time I see the local quarry through the now leafless trees I just go mad... something so near and yet so far...

But, I am getting better and the desire to climb is getting stronger.

So every time I see something I have a feeling of inspiration, tinged by a feeling of deep regret.

But, on Monday, in a great early (for the Ben) start of the Scottish Winter Climbing Season, The Secret was climbed. The story of what is probably the hardest onsight winter lead in Britain can be found here.

Now there's no way I can claim to climb anywhere near this level, but you got to find it inspiring...

(This video of the ascent Will give you a taste of the day)


(this video sums up Scottish mixed climbing beautifully... a lot of hanging around, trying to trust your placements and your gear, trying to Psyche yourself up for the move, and finally a move.... this is why it takes so long to climb!)


Please, I don't have to be able to climb this hard, but please just let me be able to feel the touch of rock and ice again, please, please, please...

Wednesday 12 December 2007

Music of the day

Ok, so this one's almost 3 years old, but its still a little newer than my usual choices!

So here is Athlete and Wires



(next will be an (old)new version of a classic Christmas song)

Tuesday 11 December 2007

Music of the day

I know I promised an newer song... however, it is almost Christmas, and it is my blog...

So, with one of the greatest Christmas songs ever, here is The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl and Fairytale of New York

Gratitude

I want to thank everyone who drops by with encouraging words, or who calls or e-mails. I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry that I'm not very good at getting back to people at the moment- I still have good and bad days. Hopefully I'm on the road to recovery and will get back to normal (although I wasn't the best at keeping in touch even then...)

I also want to thank an old friend who I'm afraid I've not kept in touch with as I should, who somehow found my unadvertised amazon wishlist and sent me a book from it. Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to reading it when I travel at Christmas.

Thank you all very much

Sermon Update

Thanks to everyone who posted encouraging comments or who e-mailed or spoke to me last week.

Somehow a sermon(ette) came together (the first three words survived, but not at the start), and despite a few little complicaions on the day, everything seemed to go well.

Thank you.

Friday 7 December 2007

Tomorrow's sermon

I'm supposed to be preaching tomorrow- it's the first time I've done that in year. Here's the problem. I'm having difficulty preparing. I'm not able to get into my old routines, I'm not in touch with any of the issues in the church...

But to make it worse, this hasn't been a good week. I've been struggling to concentrate, I have been getting headaches, etc... so at the moment I have an order of service, a title, and the first 3 words...

To make matter worse, my mind isn't working so well and I can't trust my memory, so I need to have it all written out...

This is not looking good.

Tuesday 4 December 2007

Holocaust Memorial Day

Yesterday the Muslim Council Of Britian voted to abandon its boycott of Holocaust memorial day. It had previously argued that the focous should be wider, the day should not just focous on the holocaust but also on other acts of genocide (such as Darfur). However, this position has been misinterpreted as anti-semitism so they have decided to support the day.

Interstingly, on the same day the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust released some results of a survey. It says that although 53% of Britons know that genocide is taking place in Darfur, only 17% will do anything about it...

Maybe the Muslim Council of Britian had a point...

(Christ/X)mas

A few stories in the press have got me thinking about christmas/securalism/”christianophobia”.

The first was a story in the “torygraph” which was picked up by the BBC. It claimed that in a survey of 100 schools, only 1 in 5 was having a nativity play. This was, it was claimed (with no quotes from the schools/local authorities/etc to back their propaganda up), “because schools don’t want to upset non-christians” and held up as an example of political correctness gone wrong.

Sorry but the rag has got it wrong.

Thinking back to my primary school days (over 20 years ago) even then we only had 1 nativity play in 4 years. The rest of the time it was plays based on fairy tales, or classic children's stories. This wasn’t due to political correctness either (the only non white was a Sikh classmate of mine...) no it was because school found it boring to produce the same play every year and wanted to mix it up a bit...

next...

Tory MP Mark Pritchard is calling for a parliamentary debate on what he is calling ”christianophobia”. He wants the country’s “Christian tradition” protected (oh yes he quoted the bogus nativity play “research” as evidence...). He went on to say "It's gone far enough. If there are those who want to see the Christian church reduced to the margins in this nation they should have the courage to say so, rather than using the rights of other religions as an excuse."
Well maybe he should check out the facts... less than 6% of this country goes to church on a regular basis... the church IS on the margins... and whilst I’m not happy about this I don’t think attacking multiculturalism is the answer (unless you’re a tory who is frightened that the BNP are getting your votes...)

But (before you write me off...) I was saddened on sunday to go to a christmas shop. There were over 20 different snowy town scene you could buy, but only one crib set... yep, we’ve forgotten the origin of christmas...

Monday 3 December 2007

Music of the day

Another 90's indie (I think I still have the single somewhere...)

I think I'll have a break and post something a little more up to date next,

but first here is 3 Colours Red and Beautiful Day

Friday 30 November 2007

Music of the day

As part of my ongoing campaign to get 90's indie the respect it deserves I'm highlighting another classic today...

So here is Monaco and What do you want from me

Swedish Word of the day...


I've been having fun watching a goat being built on a webcam...

OK, I know that doesn't sound too savory, but over the past few days the Gävle Goat has been built in the centre of Gävle. Its been quite entertaining. Last year was the first time the unofficial tradition of burning the goat failed due to the fact the straw was treated with special fire retardant chemicals...

If you want to watch the fun you can view the live feed here (don't forget to call the fire brigade if you see anyone trying to set it on fire!

So today's SWOTD is Julebock or "Christmas Goat"

Thursday 29 November 2007

Music of the day

Time for some real old fashioned indie...

So here is Mansun and Wide Open Space

Swedish Word of the day...


Because I seem to be catching any bug going around (the CFS seems to lower my immunity), and because these bugs tend to exaggerate my CFS symptoms, I got a flue jab from the doctor when I had my monthly check-up on Tuesday. Which means that instead of a week, I just get a few days feeling rough!

Anyway I seem to be getting over it and back to (for me) normal (thankfully the sinus problems have gone too!)

So today's SWOTD is vaccinera or "vaccinate".

Friday 23 November 2007

(family friendly) Music of the day

(to make up for the adult rated song I posted earrlier, here is Mitch Benn & The Distractions and Everything sounds like Coldplay Now)

Oh, the irony...!


This is Edinburgh's farmer's market, set up, like other farmers market's to supply local (low food miles), in season, fresh produce to the public at a fair price to the farmer (by cutting out the middle man- often a supermarket which depresses the price a farmer receives).

So why does Heinz insist on calling one of its new soup ranges "farmers market", when it goes against all the ideals of a real farmers market?

Swedish Word of the day...



I was sitting in the lobby/cafe of an expensive hotel yesterday waiting for a meeting. At the next table, a group of "businessmen" (with what I can only think to be lawyers or accountants) were discussing how they could "collapse" a company so avoid paying any tax on it. Honestly. They were going through all the "mistakes" that they knew others had made which made them liable for taxation...

I'm sorry but I see taxes as the subscription fee for belonging to a civilised society.

Which brings me to another interesting point. In the UK the torries have floated the idea that we should copy some aspect of the Swedish school system, but unlike Sweden they don't want the taxes to pay for it... nice try Dave the Chameleon.

So today's SWOTD is Skatt or "tax".

Music of the day


Time to get political...

It might lack the class and sophistication of the old protest songs...

If you are offended by strong language, best not play it (honestly, I'm not just saying it)...

So here is Jarvis and Running the world

Wednesday 21 November 2007

Car (still) for sale


I put this advert up when I thought I was going to Denmark, however as I haven't driven the car since June, and I can't really afford to run it, Its still up for sale

03 SmartCar

68,400 Miles. Full service history, Taxed (only £35/year) until May 2008, 50-60 mpg (depending on how heavy your right foot is!), easy to park! low insurance group (group 1a)...

£1000 (minus the cost of an MOT)

(Sorry this is the only picture of the car I could find & I'm too lazy to take another one now...)

Reality Check (update)

A week ago I saw specialist in Edinburgh. It was good- he clearly knew his stuff and was sympathetic to the problem. He wants some more tests done and wants to chase up some of the previous tests, but was hopefully that my improvement should continue. On the plus side I had some blood taken and for the first time in ages it went OK (no collapsed veins, no standing with my hands in a basin of water trying to get veins on the back of my hand, etc).

However, for a week I've had a really bad problem with my sinuses (which doesn't help my condition at the moment). I saw the doctor on Monday (it seems as they take me seriously now) who decided that as I've had it over a week and because it is making my CFS symptoms worse, that I should get some medicine for it. Yesterday was better, however today is really bad. I'm in pain, my head aches and I really feel bad...

hopefully the meds will kick in soon.

Music of the day

I feel like getting political so for the next few days I'll post some more radical songs.

So here is Gene and This is as good as it gets

Monday 19 November 2007

Music of the day

Another of the oldie but goodie indie’s...

Catatonia

The problem is finding videos...

My favourite song- Strange Glue is only available as a video for another film which I don’t liket... (if you close your eyes you can listen to it here)

My second fav- Londinium is available as a bad live show... here

So it has to be...
So here is Catatonia and Mulder and Scully

Friday 16 November 2007

And you wondreed why people don't go to church anymore...

I laughed... untill I remembered a few ministers who make this guy look like a red cross volunteer...

Music of the day

Time for another goose bump producing song from the Manics ...

If this doesn’t make you come out in bumps or want to jump up and down then you’re not alive...

(and these guys are great live...)

Wiki has the story behind the song
So here is The Manic Street Preachers and A design for life

Thursday 15 November 2007

Tech support

At least the tech support wasn't a guy on a mobile on a train...

Music of the day

I decided it was time for some more classic indie ...

So here is James and She’s a Star




(If you want more, why not try his old classic sit down or a his newer Just like Fred Astaire)

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Music of the day

Another more recent one (but hopefully off the radar for most of you)

Its time for some more british indie

So here is British Sea Power and It Ended on an Oily Stage

Monday 12 November 2007

Remembrance Day Reflections...

Remembrance Day Reflections...

As I watched the Cenotaph Ceremony on TV yesterday I was struck by my mixed emotions and reminded that I’m not sure what to think about Remembrance Day.

Firstly, I can’t help but think of those in the forces, those who died and those who returned, some whole and some broken. My family has strong ties to the forces with members of both my immediate and extended family having served. So I feel the burden of the “covenant” the country has with those who risk their lives for us, and yet I struggle with the idea of war and violence.

I suppose this is reflected by my understanding of war- I am torn between espousing the peaceful non cooperation of Gandhi on one hand, and the desire to fight for justice of Camilo Torres on the other... complicated.

So here are some of my random thoughts...

Although a staunch republican, I do respect the fact that members of the royal family have themselves served in the front line.

I do believe that many have made sacrifices, I do believe that the struggle against Nazism for example was necessary- but why don’t we remember those who volunteered to fight against the other fascist dictator- Franco?

How do I respond to the fact that soldiers are dying in a war I did not support...

What about those who did in the struggles against injustice but who didn’t wear a uniform?

Where is the place for remembering the conscientious objectors (there wasn’t always the option for them to serve in a non-combatant role like stretcher bearing)? There were those who were incarcerated in the most notorious prisons.

Do the politicians who place their wreaths actually realise the gravity of their decisions to send their countries to war?

So as you can probably tell, I’m a little uncertain how I feel.
If any question why they died

Tell them because our fathers lied

Rudyard Kipling

The hand that signed the paper

The hand that signed the paper felled a city;
Five sovereign fingers taxed the breath,
Doubled the globe of dead and halved a country;
These five kings did a king to death.

The mighty hand leads to a sloping shoulder,
The fingers' joints are cramped with chalk;
A goose's quill has put an end to murder
That put an end to talk.

The hand that signed the treaty bred a fever,
And famine grew, and locusts came;
Great is the hand that holds dominion over
Man by a scribbled name.

The five kings count the dead but do not soften
The crusted wound nor stroke the brow;
A hand rules pity as a hand rules heaven;
Hands have no tears to flow.

Dylan Thomas

[Sorry about the formatting... blogger just can't get it right. grrr...]

Music of the day


If I had to choose the best group in recent history The Verve would have to be up there. Their Album Urban Hymns could even be one of the best of the last century (well its my blog I get to choose!)

What song to showcase?

Everyone has heard bittersweet symphony and whilst it is good, I think its over exposed.

The drugs don’t work (video/(live)- class!

I like “space and time” and “velvet morning”... but as I couldn’t get a video, my next favourite will have to do.

So here is the verve and sonnet

Sunday 11 November 2007

Music of the (Remembrance Sun)day

The Manics are one of my favourite bands...

I’ll come back to them again, but this one is here because today is Remembrance Sunday.

This song is about the Spanish Civil War, so I thought (along with the other posts today) I’d highlight a less commonly remembered conflict.

So here is The Manic Street Preachers and If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (their first UK No.1 Single)

Remembrance Sunday

If you have enjoyed walking, climbing or simply visiting the Lake District, you have been part of a memorial to the members of the Fell and Rock Climbers Club who died in the Great War.

In 1923 the Lingmell, Great End, Allan Crags, Green Gable, Great Gable, Kirkfell and some other peaks were bought in memory of the fallen walkers and climbers and handed over to the National Trust.


Afar in foreign graves they lie,
Not here where they could wish to be,
"Under the wide and starry sky,"
Upheld by British crag and scree.
And yet we felt their spirits dwell
Amidst the circumambient air,
Above the heights they loved so well,
Austere, enchanting, cloud-capped, bare.
For those who bravely die, 'twas said,
Their tomb is the wide earth's extent,
And Gable is for these, our dead,
Their playground, and their monument.


You can read more about that day here

Swedish Word of the (Remembrance Sun)day...







Today's SWOTD is vapenstilleståndsdagen or "Remembrance Day".

Saturday 10 November 2007

Music of the day

Ok, so it gets a bit personal here...

If anyone tells you that being a minister is easy they are lying.

I’m not a big fan of “contemporary Christian music” mostly because it (in my opinion) isn’t usually contemporary, and usually isn’t that good. I also don’t particularly like “worship” music (buts probably down to my worship hang-ups...), So I normally found my “inspiration’, etc in “regular music”.

However this song cuts through that... I times when I put this on in the car on repeat as I drove to church, or as I sat outside trying to psyche myself up to walk through the doors...

So here is David Crowder Band and Deliver Me (the music is their's, the picture's are someone elses)

Friday 9 November 2007

Requiescat in Pace: Rev Dr Chad Varah (founder of the Samaritans)



You can read an obituary about this man who made a difference to many thousands of lives here.

Thursday 8 November 2007

Swedish Word of the day...


Today I posted about the Swedish band kent and posted some music videos. Sadly their most recent single is only in swedish... I can’t translate the song, but here’s the title...

So today's SWOTD is ingenting or "nothing".

Music of the day (updated)

In 1998 the Swedish group kent released an English version of their album Isola. It had the “feel” of Radiohead and got decent airplay on the alternative and indie radio stations.

Its hard to pick a favourite track, as most of them are pure class, but “lifesavers”, “if you were here” and “things she said” stand out. However the only track i could find on YouTube is the airplay edit (i.e. short version) of the final song on the album... I won’t complain, it might not be the best but its still good.
So here is kent and 747 (named after the length of the album version, which is infinitely better!)



To see their latest single (in Swedish I’m afraid) click here

UPDATE: I found some more vids from Isola!!
Things she said
AND YES I FINALY FOUND If you were here although it sounds better in swedish (on du var här)

Music of the day

Here's a song from last year... Its from a live performance so lacks the depth of a studio recording, but makes up for it with its raw edgy-ness...

I heard this last year (those who read my old blog might remember how it made up for the lack of coffee one early day...) and its still a great driving song...

So here is The Raconteurs and Steady, As She Goes



(Ok after the initial treat of two songs in one day... I'll stick to one a day and try to find some more good but old ums)

Music of the day

I didn’t really get into music until my late teens, early twenties, so it was british music of the 90’s that shaped my tastes...

I remember hearing a song on the radio back in, I think, ‘98. I quite liked it but as it was on an indie label it was hard to get hold of (sorry this was pre-itunes for you kids out there...). Now it wasn’t great, and when I did track it down I really didn’t want the whole album, so I never bought it. However I came across it on YouTube my accident, so even though my tastes have changed somewhat, here is Electrasy and Morning Afterglow

Swedish Word of the day...


A few years back I was sharing a suite in a hotel in budapest with some swedish colleagues and one complained about the bed- he'd just got a Tempur mattress so the one in the hotel was killing him. I'd never heard of this so he explained that it was a memory foam mattress. Later on, Katarina explained that they had been developed for NASA and I was given a pillow. I have to tell you, as skeptical as I was, it works. Now I hardly ever have neck aches, and if I do, its because I wasn't using it.

So today's SWOTD is kudde or "pillow".

Why do I blog?

(I’m really setting out my stall here...)

I started my old (typepad) blog for several reasons; I wanted to share some pictures of my Mexico climbing trip, I wanted to keep in touch with friends, I I needed a virtual church noticeboard as our church was going through a rebuild (I used to post pictures to keep members up to date with the progress), I wanted to get in on some conversations online. So on the old blog I had a regular “thought for the day” and I got into theological/ministry issues, along with some personal stuff (music of the day, etc).

I stopped the old blog when I couldn’t afford to pay to keep it up (long story- I left ministry to do some more PG study, funding fell through, difficulties finding work, them I got ill) but wanted to keep online so I moved to blogger.

For a while I didn’t post much- mostly because I wasn’t feeling well. As I introduced here my illness even affected my ability to concentrate (read/blog/etc). Now I’m beginning to feel better I’m starting to blog again. This accomplishes several things- I’m stuck at home, either bored or ill so it gives me an outlet. However, if you’re looking for deep theological insight, we’ll I’m afraid you’ll really need to shift it to find the pearls. Its not that I’m not into that any more- Its just that its going to take a while to get back into reading and thinking... so if you can put up with all my junk, please stay and read...

So in short, this blog is really becoming a sort of journal covering my life’s ups and downs. It focuses on my health, my interests and my journey... so maybe the title wasn’t too far off

Wednesday 7 November 2007

Swedish Word of the day...


After a feeling quite good over the weekend and ito this week, today I'm not so good. I've a constant low level headache [UPDATE: Its more like a constant sinus headache that increases when I move my head...], I'm a litle lightheaded and dizzy too... Oh well, lets hope its just temporary and I continue to get better.

So today's SWOTD is vacklande or "groggy".

"Economist" on religion & public life


The The Economist(yes I do feel strange and sullied) have a cover story about religion in public life and politics. What makes it all the more interesting is that (although there's no way you'd know as the "forget" to mention it) 7 years ago they published an obituary for god as they thought he (sic) was irrelevant...

Tuesday 6 November 2007

Swedish Word of the day...



The post office has released this year's Christmas stamps (and ignited a bit of a controversy... but I can't really be bothered by that right now).

So today's SWOTD is frimärke or "postage stamp".

Edinburgh

When I was a kid (no, don't stop reading...) I found a stack of old Look and learn magazines in a charity sale (for Blue Peter if I remember correctly), so when I found some of their images on the web it brought back memories... Anyway, here is their guide to Edinburgh.

Monday 5 November 2007

"Holy tipple may take priests over the limit"

In honour of this story in this weekends Grauniad (if you don't get it leave a comment and we promise to only laugh for a bit before explaining) I'm posting one of Jon Birch's Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus

All Saints Day/All Hallows/All Souls Day

I bet that if you attended a Seventh-day Adventist Church last weekend you wouldn’t have heard much about this day in the Christian Calandar. This isn’t just to do with adventist aversion to a liturgical form, but more to the belief in “Soul Sleep”. However, does this mean we throw the baby out with the bathwater?

After all, isn’t it worthwhile spending time remembering the lives of those who have are no longer with us? A time to collectively say thank you for all they gave us, a time to reflect on grief, on bereavement and on death?

You can change the name, you can reject the theology behind the traditional Calandar, but that doesn’t mean we can’t address the subject, does it?

Swedish Word of the day...

(As a bonus- due to my lack of activity recently- you can have two SWOTD today...)

One of my learning methods involves watching films- Swedish films with subtitles so I can hear how the words are pronounced, and English films I know with Swedish subtitles... (Ok I'm also using a language course produced by a reputable educator not just watching TV!).

So today's SW'sOTD is Du ska ju bara spränga bort dörrarna! or "You're only supposed to blow the bl***y doors off" (at least that's how Charlie Crocker's famous words are translated in the subtitles!)

Swedish Word of the day...

I'm not quite sure what Jimmy thought when he popped by to visit last week... The flat must have smelt like bar and I had a haedache... OK, the head ache was real, but the smell came from my experimental mulled "wine" receipe and from the pot that had been boiling away earlier... (yep I know that I shouldn't have let it boil...)

So today's SWOTD is glögg or "mulled wine"

Tuesday 30 October 2007

Trick or treat (or how to run a protection racket...)

Its that time of year again...

(I think one of the best blogs about the religious/pagan implications of Halloween is this one, however I want to focus on trick or treating)

I can remember... (oh dear I’m slipping into old phogey mode here), I mean, when I was a kid (no, that’s just as bad), oh just get on with it....

Growing up in the Uk Halloween wasn’t really a big deal. Today you can’t go into the supermarkets without tripping over costumes and mask, all so the little “dears” can go and pretend to be gangsters, Yes thats right, they little “dears” can go and run a parent sanctioned protection racket. “Give us a treat (sweets/money/etc) or will put eggs through your letterbox/window/etc”

I don’t really care that kids want to dress up, I don’t really care that people give them sweets. What bothers me is that society is telling kids that the threat of violence is profitable.

(On my old blog I did point out that if you were into winter climbing, this is the perfect time to get your gear out and prep them for the coming season. Somehow kids don’t stay at the door for a long time if you answer it holding a file in one hand and an ice axe in the other...)

At the Docs...

I saw the doctor yesterday for my monthly check up... not a lot to report as everybody seems to be waiting for me to see the specialist. I'm seeing him in two weeks time, only almost 3 months after being referred! To be honest I’m feeling quite good at the moment. i still have difficulty sleeping and I get tired out easily, but at least I’m not getting really bad headaches or dizzy spells at the moment (hence the inane blogging...)...

Fingers crossed I’m starting to get a bit better...

Preaching...

Yesterday’s SWOTD reminded me that I’ll be preaching (assuming I’m well enough) in Edinburgh on 8th December.

Its almost a year after I last preached (although thats not actually true as I led out in worships/devotionals at the camp in summer) and its strange to think that I used to do this every week.

Funnily enough it was actually easier to prepare for when I was preparing a sermon almost weekly than it is annually! I must have used every approach- I went from preaching from a complete text (actually quite useful as I printed out a copy in font 16 for a deaf member!) to using notes to keywords (once a member couldn’t believe the piece of paper he found in the pulpit with 6 words on it were my sermon notes...).

I think the secret was the fact that I used to live with the text for a week. I’d be reading it on saturday and sunday after church, then after a day off on Monday i’d be back with it. I’d read around it, I’d ask questions of it, I’d look for answers, during the week my visits and bible studies would impact on it and by the time i got to look at other book/commentaries by the end of the week I would normally have a handle on it. Thursday it would be coming together and usually by friday it was there...

Now without that routine I’m kinda lost! I have a title though (but I find that I forget my ideas as they are spread out over weeks not days!) so if you’re in the area hopefully I’ll have “beginnings and endings” ready by December!

Monday 29 October 2007

Swedish Word of the day...

Listening to Swedish radio yesterday I understood (guessed) that they were trying to give out an email address.

So today's SWOTD is snabel or "@" (or trunk!).

Swedish Word of the day...

Katarina was reading a book over breakfast yesterday, when I asked what the title meant I was told to look it up. which I did...

So today's SWOTD is predikanten or the preacher.

Sunday 28 October 2007

Swedish Word of the day...


I had to go to B&Q to get a few things to finish off the skirting boards... I had to stop and ask what one of the items was on the list though...

So today's SWOTD is spik or nail(s)

Friday 26 October 2007

Swedish Word of the day...

I was browsing the website of a climbing club in Sweden and came across the word for guide (or topo). As I hope to do a bit of climbing there one day I'd better start learning the word.

So today's SWOTD is förare or guide

Thursday 25 October 2007

Swedish Word of the day...

(As some of you may know, in order not to die of boredom, and for future practical, and present personal reasons-wow I really murdered the English language there- I'm trying to learn Swedish... So when I find a new word thats interesting, or if I just feel like I need to be reminded, I'll post it up here)

On sunday we went for a short walk along the cliffs near here, we noticed that the ferns/bracken were starting to go brown and die off... so today's SWOTD is ormbunke or fern

Friday 19 October 2007

Reality Check (update)

Thanks again to all those who commented on the last post- I do appreciate it!

I thought I’d let you know how I am at the moment.

I am better- I don’t get headaches as often and I can walk/be active for a bit longer before I get tired out. Also I recover quicker- It doesn’t take me days to get back after some exertion.

I still get bad days- this week I was quite tired and useless around the house for a few days and this morning I feel rather bad- I haven’t slept well for the past few days and this morning I feel tired- both physically and mentally.

I’m also bored as there is not a lot for me to do to keep occupied... I’m trying to get back into reading as I can concentrate a bit more. I’m also trying to up the pace on my language course... I want to have made noticeable progress by Christmas...

oh well, thanks for listening...

Wednesday 17 October 2007

The Noble Peace Prize (or... why didn’t they complain last year?)

I read on several sites/papers/blogs that the IPCC & Al Gore don’t deserve the this year’s prize. Whilst I disagree with those who doubt climate change- I believe the science is mostly sound, I can understand why people might be asking why the “peace” prize...

But where were they last year when the same prize was won by an economist (Muhammad Yunus) and a bank (Grameen) in Bangladesh “for advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor, especially women, through their pioneering microcredit work”.

So why didn’t they complain that this wasn’t a “peace” prize but an “economic” one?

I think that many either have an axe to grind against either Al Gore or climate change itself, or simply don’t share the Noble committee’s wider understanding of peace.

Peace is not just the absence of violence or conflict, it is also the presence of justice and rights, and dare I say it, an environment to live in too...

(incidentally the 2004 winner, the kenyan Wangari Maathai was an environmental activist before a political one and her prize was partly for her contribution to “sustainable development”)

Another Wrongful Execution?

A story in todays Guardian argues that Dr Crippenmight not have been guilty of the murder he was charged with. It appears that recent DNA tests show the body which was found was not his wife’s...

Tuesday 16 October 2007

Anglocentric viewpoints...

I saw this story about an Alzheimer's blood test on the BBC yesterday. It claims the research is based at Stanford University in the US.

However, listening to Swedish Radio's English broadcast yesterday I heard that the research was a collaboration between 3 universities- an institute at the University of Göteborg, Malmö and Stanford... 2 Swedish Universities and one US...

Strange how that wasn't mentioned on the BBC!

Monday 15 October 2007

Former Chief of Defence's & Defence Civl Servent's take on the "Just War"

Max Hastings has a good column in todays Guardian about Lord Charles Guthrie and Sir Michael Quinlan' book on the Christian Just War principle

Although not entirely happy with the theory (I side more the non-violent civil disobedience/pacifist view... most of the time- I'm complex, aren't we all?), It was one I used in sermons in the run up to the Gulf war as it had a history and was understood by members. As this column mentions, even on these criteria the current Gulf folly failed to find merit.

Wednesday 10 October 2007

40 years ago...

Seeing as its 40 years since Che was killed in Bolivia, I thought I'd repost the story (from my old blog) of the Seventh-day Adventist minister who saved his life when the Cuban revolution started...

In the darkness before dawn on November 25, 1956 82 men, along with their equipment, crowded onto the 60ft yacht Granma and left Mexico for Cuba.

The voyage was an unmitigated disaster! The boat was originally designed to hold 12 people and the journey took 7 days instead of 5 (which meant that the diversionary attack in Santiago had been and gone- along with their reception party of men and trucks, and of course Batista had now put his troops on full alert...), and their arrival in Cuba was more of a shipwreck than a landing (trying to find the Cabo Cruz lighthouse their navigator fell overboard, they used up the valuable darkness trying to rescue him, then when they headed for land they crashed into a sandbank)! And of course, they'd been spotted and so when the reels waded ashore (having abandoned most of their equipment on the sinking ship) and managed to eventually regroup (which took 2 days!) they were ambushed (it didn't help that their guide went straight to the nearest soldiers to report their position). In the ensuing melee Che was shot in the neck and the Castro brothers ordered a retreat; fortunately the wound was only superficial, however when they finally managed to regroup, only 22 of the original group were left alive.

Che ended up in a group of five with only a litre of water and a tin of milk. Over the next days they tried to evade the army and survive- before long they had spilled the milk and were desperately trying to share the water! A week after the ambush they found a peasant's hut and were about to go in when they heard a military toast coming from inside! They ran away, and the next day, by now tired, exhausted, and fearing that the rest of their colleagues (including Fidel) were dead they decided to knock on a farmers door and take their chances.

It turned out that the owner was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor and they were received warmly. Even more good luck awaited them. The pastor was a member of Fidel's July 26 movement and so was able to connect them back into the revolutionary network (in fact the next day church members started showing up bringing more news of the rebels and their whereabouts)! Sadly Che and his colleagues weren't such good guests: having eaten nothing for more than a week, all the food they'd kindly received had the effect that ‚"the little house that sheltered us turned into an inferno. Almeida was the first to be overcome by diarrhea; and in a flash, eight unappreciative intestines gave evidence of the blackest ingratitude."

The network of church members/July 26 managed to reunite Che with the Fidel and the rest of the revolutionaries and the rest is history.

So, lets all raise a glass of Che's beloved Mate, and light up a habanos, to the unnamed pastor who saved his life.

(from John Lee Anderson's Biog)

Update

Thanks to all those who stopped by and commented on my last post. Thanks for the encouragement. I just thought I'd let you know that the last week has been a better one for me- I'm not feeling so bad and am able to be a little more active... hopefully things will stay that way...

Friday 14 September 2007

Reality Check

A number of people when hearing about my health problems have said things like, "hope it hasn't stopped you getting out/climbing/walking/etc" because they know how much a part of my life that is/was.

However this I think shows that many people do not know what the reality of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is. You can read a leaflet about it here, however I thought I'd share with you what it is like for me...

I have a lot of pain in my joints and muscles- spending too long at the keyboard or simply holding my electric shaver is enough to give me pain/discomfort in my arm for several hours. I can't walk for more than a few hundred meters without getting tired. My legs then either get heavy and don't want to move or my muscles scream in pain. If I overdo it I can feel this for days. My sleep is disturbed- I go through phases of being unable to sleep at night for days. I get dizzy spells or feel disorientated (it can feel as if I'm drunk for hours). I get dizzy when I stand up. I get really painful headaches. My neck muscles twitch when I lie down. I keep having a sore throat. I get pins and needles in my fingers and toes- my hands and feet get very cold. I can find it difficult to concentrate and think clearly. My stomach gets bloated and I suffer from wind, my legs and arms are losing muscle because I can't exercise like I want to. I get depressed easily and very nervous and worried about things. And that's before we get to the matter of not being able to work since April (admittedly at first they thought it was a virus and they kept telling me it would get better and that I could work again soon... not anymore- my week in Denmark looks like it set me back months- if I know it was CFS I wouldn't have done what I did) and the fact that as of yet I haven't managed to get a penny of sick pay from my 'employers'.

So no, I haven't been climbing for a while (I went bouldering in Feb/April... nothing since), I haven't being going out for a while either.

Please I'm not trying to complain about how bad I have it, I'm trying to get through this. I have been so lucky with the support I receive from those closest to me- I really do understand how hard its been to have to live with me living with this... I just want to put this out there so that people understand what Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is... after all its only been a few years since the medical world took it seriously.

Wednesday 29 August 2007

Its been a while... and its not all good...

I haven’t felt like writing much recently- I’m sure you’ll see why if you choose to read on- but this is what’s been happening since I last checked in.

I went to Denmark to take part in a children’s camp (run the climbing wall, meet & greet, etc), and had a really enjoyed it. It was fun and good to meet some old friends too. However, I started to feel ill- I was very tired all the time, felt dizzy and had difficulty concentrating and even went to see a doctor. The following week in Sweden I was still ill, my coordination suffered and I started getting pins and needles in my fingers and toes- I saw two doctors, was admitted to hospital and stayed overnight.

When I came back I saw my specialist again and they changed their opinion about what was wrong with me. Before they had said that I had had a bad viral infection and that time would heal me- now they say that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as M.E.).

This means that I’m in no position to start a new job, especially one which involves a lot of physical exercise, so the pathfinder position in Denmark is having to be rethought. It also means I have to look at ways of altering my lifestyle and trying to build up my strength over time. It means that I’m still not working (and therefore not earning anything).

I’ve good days and bad days... I’m trying to stay positive, but its not easy to do...

I’ve got an appointment with a new specialist (there aren’t any in Fife so I have to go elsewhere) in November! and have been told that I’m on the (very) long waiting list for the ONE nurse in my area who is trained in this area!

I’ll leave it at that for now...

Friday 29 June 2007

Anyone for a Swedish climbing roadtrip?

I found this trailer for the new bouldering Film "Swedish Meatballs"



As I'm going to be a little closser in the future, anyone care to join me on a trip...

(if that's whetted your appetite try these:
More bouldering from Kjuge
trailer for earlier film
diary of a road trip

climbing longer routes in Goteborg
Svanvik sports routes
Tjornbro sports routes
Svanvik sports routes
Viks Kile routes )

So when I've finished tidying the flat I'll have to start getting back into climbing fitness!

Wednesday 27 June 2007

Car for sale!

03 SmartCar

68,400 Miles. Full service history, Taxed (only £35/year) until May 2008, 50-60 mpg (depending on how heavy your right foot is!), easy to park! low insurance group...

£1000 ono

(Sorry this is the only picture of the car I could find & I'm too lazy to take another one now...)

New Job!

I'm really excited to announce that I'll soon have a new job.

I'm going to be the new Danish Pathfinder Director.

You can read the full details here

We're still working on the details, but I should be at some of the camps in the summer and then I should start in the Autumn.

So its going to be a really busy couple of months, going to the camps getting reday to move (selling the flat, the car, packing, etc), starting to learn the language, etc, etc,

another step on the journey!

(now where did I pack my old pathfinder sash?)

Monday 25 June 2007

phew...

I can breathe again...

The reason behind my european odessy last week and for my stressfull waiting can now be revealed...

but won't till at least tomorrow as I want to relax and enjoy myself for a bit first.

the unbareable art of waiting...

I'm not the most patient of people, so today, after a sleepless night I'm runing a little ragged!

I'm waiting, waiting, waiting,

...for what?

Well when I find out I'll let you know... sorry can't say anymore right now...

Friday 22 June 2007

Update

...Ok I'm feeling better after the journey!

I felt dizzy and had a headache a few times yesterday, but feel alot better today. The knee still hurts, baut at least I can bend it!

So hopefully I'm fully on the mend now, and the short trip away won't have put me back.

Anyway... full service will resume shortly and I'll keep you up to date with all the events going on...

Thursday 21 June 2007

Note to self...

don't run to catch a plane (at least until I'm 100% better)

I made it with just one minute to spare... almost coughed my lungs up afterwards though.

Where was I flying to/from?

Well, that will have to wait a bit longer!

Anyway I'm feeling better- I haven't got my CT scan results back yet, however I'm not feeling dizzy at the moment; but I do still get tired. So I'm not 100% yet. Also something happened to my knee yesterday, it might have been the running or cramped filghts or the transfers, whatever. Its quite painful when I try to bend my knee. Oh dear, I'm falling to pieces!

Friday 1 June 2007

So how are you then...?

A few people have been asking, so here's the answer... not good.

I've been off "work" for 7 weeks now, which is not doing my sanity or budget any good.

The specialist has found that my throat hasn't healed properly since I had a virus back in the end of October last year. This would explain why my throat has been bad for a while!

However they still don't know why I'm suffering from dizzieness, lightheadedness, headaches, fatigue, muscel tiredness, etc- so I'm waiting for an MRI scan to show up if anythings the problem there.

So, aplogies for not being "out there" more- I've just not been up to it...

Wednesday 11 April 2007

You've reached Andrew's new blog page...

ok, this is the holding page for andrew willis's blog...

when he has the time/inclination, he'll be back...

please leave a message after the beep...