Music of the day

I went for a short walk yesterday morning with my ipod (I'd forgotten it was portable- it spends most of its time docked to some speakers!) I ended up sitting on a wall looking out over the dockyard and onto the firth of Forth.

I was lost to my thoughts until they were interrupted by the words to the song I that came on.

I wouldn't describe The Manic Street Preachers as religious in the traditional christian sense (in spite of their name!). Spiritual maybe... (one of their gigs I went to did feel more like worship than some churches I've been too, though!)

However this song just spoke to me, particularly the lines, "With grace we will suffer, With grace we shall recover"

So here is The Manic Street Preachers and There by the Grace of God

“neither a borrower nor a lender be...”

As I’m packing up my things I keep coming across books and videos that aren’t mine and searching for books and DVD’s that I’m sure I had...

If I’ve borrowed anything from you, please drop me a line or call to make sure I’ve put it aside and haven’t packed it.

And if I’ve lent you anything can you please remind me...

By the way has anyone seen my copy of:
Finding Darwin’s God by Kenneth Miller
Mountain Navigation by Peter Cliff (no really!)
or these DVDs:
Layer Cake
National Treasure
Sex & Lucia
The Hunting of the President

This makes me want to cry...

(nicked from ukclimbing.com

Arghhh...

It's not been a good week.

First the physio on monday (more later) and then I cane down with a cold/(fluey)thing for a few days and got confined to bed (yep just like last week...) and then I saw a program about hillwalking in the Lake District yesterday. The weeks been almost too much to bear.

I have walked/climbed(summer and winter)/driven through most of the mountain/hill areas of Scotland. I used to climb 2-3 times a week. I would think nothing of long (12-14) hour days on the hill. And yet now I find a walk around Edinburgh tiring. I used to lug a heavy pack filed with climbing rack, ropes, food etc and not worry about it. I could support my weight on my fingertips as I climbed or pull myself up on a pair of ice axes. And yet U get tired doing 5 reps with 1kg weights with the physio.

So You’ll forgive me for wanting to curl up in a ball and cry after watching a lakeland walk last night.

I have a love hate relationship with climbing websites/books/magazines... I yo-yo between two extremes. I get inspired and say, “I’m going to get better, I’m going to go climb this, I’m going to be a climbing instructor, etc.” And then it just reminds me that It’s been a year since I “climbed” (over a year since I went to a climbing wall and almost a year since I bouldered a bit at the local quarry) and I just want to give up. Everything.

So I’m going to jump in the shower, and then try and walk around the block (and not get blown over- its still almost a gale out there... wimp you’ve been almost blown off the top of Ben Nevis in a winter white out before... argh... you see what I mean) and tell myself that I will get better. I will move and get healthy. I will climb. I will climb. I will climb.

(I just need to start believing it...)

thus far and no further...

Over the last year and a half I’d like to think that I’ve grown to appreciate different aspects of swedish life and culture (both from my UK viewpoint and from the trips we’ve taken there)...

So... I enjoy inglad sil (pickled herring), learnt to eat jam with meat (lingonbery, etc), enjoy crispbread, drink blueberry and rose-hip soup (although I can’t yet take nyponsoppa cold...), I will (under duress) own up to having a pair of “plastic shoes” or croc rip-offs, I enjoy Swedish crime novels (still only in English), (I could go on)...

However, I’m afraid there is a rubicon that I just can’t cross...

Watching the weekend’s Melodifestivalen (song for europe/eurovision song contest trials) I was reminded that I just don’t get swedish europop. (Ok I get their indie and alternative rock scene... just look at some of my old MOTD’s). And I’m afraid that I’ll have to admit to the cardinal sin of not liking ABBA.

There I said it. I’ve admitted it out loud...

Which is why I’m going to post this classic Not the Nine O’Clock News clip of “ABBA”

For all my old colleagues... (sad but true!)

Another one of Jon Birch's excellent Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus

As you try and juggle these roles and your family life, here is a prayer for you:

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, give all ministers your spirit of humility;
Jesus, poor and worn out for souls, give all ministers your spirit of zeal;
Jesus, full of patience and mercy for sinners, give all ministers your spirit of compassion;
Jesus, victim for the sins of the world, give all ministers your spirit of sacrifice;
Jesus, lover of the little and the poor, give all ministers your spirit of charity.
Amen

Music of the day

We had a good day out on Sunday...

We started with sung Eucharist at St. John's Edinburgh in the morning, which was a nice start to the day. This was followed by a short walk into up through the Royal Mile and into Grassmarket where we had coffee at The Lot before having a birthday Lunch (not mine...) at The Petit Paris (excellent, as always- they are also happy to change the dishes to suit dietry requirements-and remarkably good value)

But back to the music...

I noticed that in the Lot, playing away in the background was Semisonic's 1998 album, "Feeling Strangely Fine"... Which took me back a decade to studies, part time work in hotels, and off course the title song...

So here is Semisonic and Closing Time

Law & Faith

Here's a video of an interview with N. T. (Tom) Wright, Bishop of Durham, talking about law, faith, democracy, secularism and fundamentalism, politics and religion. (I know I promised myself not to prop up the Times religious correspondent, but on the plus side, she only asks the questions...)

A (brief) Update

Well here's the news at the moment...

I'v had a mild cold this week (except that at the moment, for me a mild cold almost means being confined to bed!)

However I've had to try to keep going because someone from the agents are coming to see the flat tomorrow so that it can be put on the market...

So I've been trying to finish off some simple (is it ever? especially if you're not well) DIY and clean a bit... well most is done, I'll have a another go tomorrow and I'll have to admit defeat and finish over the weekend.

I've also been trying to get removal costs, etc...

Basically I need a quick sale (possibly selling just below its full value in order to do so- another flat in the block went this way last week, if I get what he got I won't be too disappointed as long as its quick), as I can’t afford to keep paying for it.

So, please, either keep your fingers crossed or say a prayer or two (depending on your preference!)

And then what... well I’m taking it slowly, once I get an idea of any (potential) interest in the flat I’ll know wether I need to move out sooner (to cut down on bills) or can wait till its sold.

And then? Well keep posted, I’m working on that too!

Oh, don’t forget to look at the stuff I have to get rid of!

SO that's me. I think I'll try to finish off here, have a shower and collapse with a book!

what on earth is this?

When I first went for a walk in Falkenberg over a year ago I saw several of these dotted around the park. What were they? Was it a straw holder to feed animals in spring? Was it a place where you could tie your kids up and let them play whilst you left them for a while?

Well no... today on the TV I saw a news story and all of a sudden I shouted out, "that's what they're for!"

See if you can guess! Leave your suggestions in the comments section and I'll let you know who gets it right!

(New Stamps)

Before Christmas I blogged on the Royal Mail's Christmas Stamps... well as a service to my philatalicly interested, dog loving, non UK residing reader(s) (yes you! you know who I'm refering to!) here's the next special issue... "working Dogs"

Dialogue at Davros...

Over at God's Politics Brian McLaren has a reflection on (inter)religious dialogue at the recent Davros World Economic Forum.

Its worth the short read... You can find it here. Please go check it out.

Poor Old Rowan...

I feel sorry for the Archbishop of Canterbury. ++Williams always puts a lot of thought into what he says and his words are well chosen and nuanced...

Sadly that doesn't make for good sound bites.

So it’s not surprising that his latest comments about Sharia law are causing controversy.

If you actually looked at what he said, he was saying that it should be introduced in only certain areas- notably family law and some financial cases.

The funny thing is this... despite all the claims that the courts should not be based on religion, or that the laws shouldn't be varied, etc, etc, what the commentators are forgetting is that in the UK we already have faith based courts which routinely rule on these matters and which are binding in English law. They are called the Beth Din and they serve the UK's orthodox Jewish communities.

If it works for one (smaller) religious community in this country, why not with Sharia? And if the politicians, community leaders and journalists really have a problem with the principle of religious based jurisprudence, surely it’s hypocritical for them not to call for its abolition- or are they just Islamophobic (or worse)?

Got to go...

Sadly, It looks like I’m going to have to sell my flat and move on…

There are a number of items that I’m not able/want to pack up and move so I’m offering them for sale (got to pay the bills somehow before the flat sells...). If you see anything that you like the look of please get in touch. I haven’t put any prices down- just make me an offer and arrange to pick it up (obviously some of the items are ready for immediate collection, others you can reserve and pick up when I move out!).

Also- if you need (or know anyone who needs) short-term temporary accommodation, maybe you’d like to “rent” the flat whilst its on the market… again if you’re interested get in touch for a chat.

I'll update this list here on my blog when an item is gone (and keep an eye on the main page for more information about my plans...

2 bedroom flat in Rosyth!
03 SMART fortwo car
fridge freezer (old but in working order)
2 seat sofa
5 CD/DVD/Video shelf units
coffee table
CD storage unit
3 drawer bedroom dresser
XXXXXTV/DVD combi unitXXXXX
2 DVD players
VCR
Digi box (sony)
4 beach/blue fabric dining chairs
2 plain dinning chairs
double bed & matress
plastic swivel office chair
corner computer desk unit
ironing board
weight bench
electric mixing machine
microwave oven
classic style radio (BUSH)
kettle
toaster
10 cup filter coffee maker
XXXXXwood wheeled kitchen/serving benchXXXXX

various:
plates
bowls
glasses
cups/mugs
pots
cutlery
kitchen utensils
mixing bowls
towels (hand/bath)
bedding (sheets/duvets/pillows/duvet covers/pillowcases)
extension cables
electrical/AV/Scart cables
lamps

Ett Ögonblick

(or just a moment... normal service will be resumed shortly... a few things more important than this blog are taking up time...)

I don't believe it... snow!

So I go to Sweden and all the snow I see is 3 flakes on Sat and some left over flakes I saw from the train on the way to the airport yesterday...

Now I get home, and outside huge flakes are falling, some are even settling!

I don't believe it!

(Bag & Break) Update

So the bag which was promised us on the 23rd arrived on the 26th!

You can see its journey on the map!


View Larger Map

(despite arriving in Copenhagen later on the 22nd, it stayed there until it was flown to Stockholm on the 25th, then onto Halmstad on 26th and couriered from there that evening!)

Anyway we arrived back in the UK last night.

I'll post some photos a little later.

So wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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!

The Real Meaning of Christmas

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...

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)

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