Excited over Alien Blues

Posted on December 2, 2010 by robryan65

I’m very excited as I have bought one of Nigel Adam’s works which I completely fell in love with when I saw it in Deaf Cat the other day. It may not be obvious from the photo, but the alien is clay on board, painted with acrylics. Have I said I love it?!

The piece is called Alien Blues, and the more I look at it the more I really do love it. The others at home really enjoy this too, so that’s a bonus as well! My only problem now is to decide where to hang it so that others can enjoy it too.

Nigel is exhibiting in Deaf Cat until Christmas Eve and you should get yourself down there and have a look. You won’t be disappointed.

great advent resources

Posted on December 1, 2010 by robryan65

Everyday Liturgy has linked to some great Advent resources here. They are well worth checking out and making use of – too often we zip through Advent and lose the opportunity to reflect that is right here before us. Some of these resources might help you – I particularly love this downloadable booklet from Evan Curry.

Go look and use!

(the picture comes from the booklet)

nativity on BBC1

Posted on December 1, 2010 by robryan65

This looks like it will be worth letting people know about.
It may well give lots of opportunity for discussion in the run up to Christmas.
I hope Christians use opportunities to chat that it may present, and not get bogged down in the ‘accuracy crap’ that some love to do … this is not a piece of theology, it will be a drama that people will enjoy watching.

I particularly like this piece of advice:

We suggest that local churches don’t hold screenings of The Nativity in churches and public buildings. They may be illegal. In any case the series is already being broadcast into almost every home in the country! It might be more useful to cancel existing events to allow people to watch the series.

Keep a look out for it.

World AIDS day

Posted on December 1, 2010 by robryan65

Today is World AIDS Day and I hope to be able to get to the cathedral tonight to take part in the World AIDS Day service. This is a powerfully moving service and a time that I want to stand with my fellow human beings who have been affected in some way by the cruelness of AIDS – not because I understand, but because I care.

Unfortunately another group of churches are, in my opinion insensitively, using this day to launch a campaign encouraging Christians to stand up for their rights – a non activity in my mind as we never see Jesus doing that in the gospels.

Today is not a day to stand up for rights … today is a day to stand with those who are hurting.

World AIDS Day Prayer 2010

God of the living and the dead
We hold before you all those who are affected by HIV
We give thanks for the lives of those who have died
Remembering the gifts and grace that they brought into our lives.
We pray for those who continue to live with HIV
For those who struggle to take their daily medication
Those who have inadequate access to medication
And those whose lives have been transformed by life saving drugs.

As we prepare for another World AIDS Day
We are reminded that to live with HIV is to live with stigma and secrets.
We remember especially the young people whose lives are affected
Those who are beginning their adult lives, living with a stigmatising virus
Those whose parents are infected and who find themselves caring and worrying
And those who put themselves at risk of new infection.
May your church be a place that welcomes people living with HIV
A place of safety and refuge; a place of love and healing.
Amen

advent waiting

Posted on November 30, 2010 by robryan65

We are now into Advent, which is about waiting and preparation.

I feel that I know a little bit about waiting, although I also feel I need to learn a lot more as I am still pretty impatient. At times I still miss the fast moving YFC world where I had to think on my feet, make quick decisions and run through various task lists. But waiting is what I now do a lot of the time.

Over the last few years I have come to love the season of Advent. This may be partly due to selfish reasons in that, for this month at least, I don’t feel alone in my waiting. In Advent, the whole church waits in expectation and I grab loads of support from that. The other reason being that this season reminds me that waiting is something. It is a valid task. It is not just idling of time. Waiting has a purpose. Waiting is seasonal, and that means I won’t always have to wait! Waiting is not a permanent state!

Waiting is an interesting task.
Waiting can de-skill.
Waiting can cause you to question yourself.
Waiting can cause others to question to you.
In our culture of instant where we can buy anything now and pay later there is always a pressure to jump, to act. to be seen to be positively doing something.

Waiting can be difficult to understand. It is easy to avoid. It’s easy to cram up time with ‘doing’ rather than spend time ‘waiting’.
When I wait I think; I analyse and God seems to bring up stuff that I’d rather leave hidden.
Ideas arrive that I’d rather avoid; ‘stuff’ surfaces that I’d rather leave buried and undealt with.
Waiting eventually insists I act purposefully, often not in a way I would have guessed!

Waiting can bring pain. It can bring memories. Thoughts of inadequacy and past hurts can rush in to the void. It’s not nice, but it does force you to confront and do something. waiting is good preparation for stuff ahead.

Today, throughout this season … I look forward with anticipation to the wait.
Maybe, this advent, something will arrive.

good honest discussion

Posted on November 29, 2010 by robryan65

I enjoyed pub theo tonight – a good turnout and a good discussion about a lot of stuff, although I think we were a lot more focussed around a couple of issues than we have been in previous get togethers. WE spoke a fair bit about the Dawkins’ ‘religion is evil’ stuff although I am not sure whether we came to any consensus. Some would be worried about that … but we don’t meet to agree …. we meet to challenge, argue and discuss.

I particularly love the mix of people and views we get along to this. I enjoy pulling ideas apart with people; even when I find myself in a position where I quite strongly disagree with a point of view – and that did occur tonight for me over the issue of sexuality … but I’m not going there as readers of SHP are fully aware of my thinking there!

Tonight was good honest discussion to thrash out issues with the absence of any hidden agenda … love it!

pub theo tonight 7pm

Posted on November 29, 2010 by robryan65

The months seem to zip by and we are at the last Monday of the month again which means it is Pub Theology night.

I am assured the tables will be reserved and tonights starting question will be:

Is religion a force for good or would we be happier without god?

I think tonight will be an opportunity to discuss more fully the stuff of Dawkins that we started looking at a couple of months ago.

So … if you are in the area, why not pop along to w/spoons in Rochester High Street from 7.00pm for a beer and what is always a good debate! (you’ll find us in the raised area called the ‘bandstand area’ on the left as you enter the pub)