England rugby win again - oh crap!

Can't believe these cloggers have penaltied their way into another final. 14-9 against France.
Please South Africa give these guys a last minute DEFEAT for a change.

Worship Services

I don't want to harp on too much more about modern Church worship, but this is a great quote.

“People at worship services close their eyes and, as ecstasy spreads across their faces, begin to rock rhythmically, arms out, mouthing the lyrics. It’s more than a little sexual and a tad uncomfortable if you’re sitting next to an attractive person who’s been overcome by the Spirit. Worship tunes tend to evince an adolescent theology, one that just can’t get over how darn cool it is that Jesus sacrificed himself for the world… Moreover it’s self centred in a way that reflects evangelicalism’s near-obsession with having a personal relationship with Christ. It’s me Jesus died for. I just gotta praise the Lord.”

This review was written by Andrew Beaujon after he had attended a worship service at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville in 2005. Beaujon was researching his book Body Piercing Saved My Soul, which he wrote after spending a year researching the Christian Music industry.

Lesser known Dylan pt. 1 - Nashville Skyline

As another Bob Dylan compilation hits the shelves I started to dig out some of his old albums that I started collecting a few years ago. Sure everyone should own Highway 61, Blood on the tracks blah blah blah according to rock critics. But I think some of his lesser known and less critically acclaimed work has its merits. Nashville Skyline is one of them.

How long should an album be?I used to think it should be on average forty four minutes. Or is it based on number of tracks? Love Over Gold by Dire Straits only has five songs but one of those is fifteen minutes and the other four 7 minutes each.

This is a short album clocking in at just over twenty-seven minutes. I think it got a bit of a mauling at the time of release in 1969 for being a bit too insubstantial time-wise and lyrically, plus he veered straight into unfashionable country and western territory. Bob's delivery is pretty odd as well, adopting a strange nasal drawl. I think it works. it's a fun album that doesn't overstay it's welcome in a way unlike an album like Blonde on Blonde that drags on a bit to be honest.

Me, Rick and Gaston listened to it in the car three times in a row one Saturday in June 2006 while stuck behind a herd of cows in Kilkenny. We were on our way to see Bob Dylan play in Kilkenny town with the Flaming Lips and Ray Lamontagne also on the bill. The whole album made sense sitting there in a way I can't explain! The drunken duet with Johnny Cash on Girl from the north country, Nashville Skyline Rag's instrumental shuffle contrasted nicely with our lack of movement, and Tell me that It isn't true mirrored our frustration at arriving late for Ray Lamontagne's set.

There were rumours that Michael Jackson was in town with his kids, having flown in specially to see Bob. It was an odd day - Flaming Lips were a blast - everything that's good about music. As for Mr Zimmerman, it was a curious performance. Strange listening to the crowd singing songs word by word perfectly, only for Bob to sing over them however the heck he liked. Great to say I'd seen him play. At least I think it was him. His on-stage movemenst were a bit "Weekend at Bernie's" at times.

Atonement

Saw the film Atonement last week with Lisa and was glad I went.

Ian McEwan's books haven't yet made their way onto my (long) reading list but this film has gone some way to hopefully changing that.


It's not a Keira Knightley vehicle at all. Hers is a key role but just one of a trio of characters whose intertwining stories ask plenty of questions about the implications of telling (or not telling) the truth. Lisa grasped the intricacies of this discourse within the film better than me though!


The scene that won me over (see the picture above - I can't believe it was filmed on Redcar beach!) was Robbie Turner's (James McAvoy's) arrival at Dunkirk hoping for a swift escape from France back over the channel to England only to encounter thousands soldiers swamping the ruins of the town. The panoramic shot of the town is absolutely breathtaking - taking in all walks of life who fought in that war in all their ragged glory squeezing the last drops of pleasure from their painful lives - singing hymns in a male voice choir, riding dilapidated fairground carousels, drunken singalongs, card games, reading the last rites, it was a depiction of the human cost of war that moved me more than any of the overtly war-themed films that I've watched over the years.

Getting on with Church

I was reading a blog by a local theologian/writer. In it he talked about being "in exile in the church" - the idea that being part of a fellowship of believers is even more of a challenge than being part of this world.

I thought about this tonight walking home from an outreach event arranged by my church (this was one was aimed at men). I can't bring my friends to these things, it's a non-starter. We don't have conversations or encounters anymore that will come to a nice clean ending at a church service. I used to think I did in my teens when I was a fired-up wannabe evangelist type. Back then I never saw my friends as what they should be..just friends. They were targets, notches on a belt rather than caring individuals whose acts of kindness and selflessness meant more for me than I ever did for them. I still believe that becoming a Christian is an idea that's worth sharing - but it's one that's worth sharing. You learn to share -and I'm learning it's a two way thing between me and the other person.

We have yet to find a niche or a ministry, as they call it, since we moved into the area and decided to attend the local church. Lisa and I are involved in bits and pieces of work in our spare time that don't seem to fit directly into these categories. I'm starting to think that good gifts are just gifts, when did they stop or start being "spiritual"? Every good gift comes from God after all.

I've realised I have a huge list of social, political, even musical grievances against the established evangelical church, but that I need to get over myself. God has shown me more than enough grace to get by and I need to show more of it too. Despite the frustrations the blessings are still abundant inside and outside the four walls of that building. Church is a struggle - it's meant to be that way but thank God there's more to faith than two meetings on a Sunday. I need to realise this before I start hightailing it somewhere else at the first signs of getting pissed off with something.

Good lyric from Zimmerman

A lyric jumped out at me yesterday while listening to John Wesley Harding, probably my favourite Bob Dylan album.

From 'I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine:'

"Now go your way accordingly and know you're not alone.."

Simple, being given the independence to go your own way - yet safe knowing it's not a solitary journey.

Spurs 4 - 4 Aston Villa

Sometimes you have to be experience the depths before you see something really special!!

Faith in premiership football (partially) restored after tonight's result. You can keep your predictable top-four results if the rest of the games are like this!

Yes we were still pretty awful (especially the 'keeper) but what a comeback. We're going through the doldrums this season but experiences like tonight remind me why I decided to support this club.

Whatever happens to Spurs in the future as the game drifts away from the fans and becomes a millionaire's plaything - I have had some great years of ups and downs, laughs with friends and family, frustration and anger at throwing games away, relief holding onto one goal leads. Dreaded Monday mornings in school after drubbings, had my head held high after (occasionally) scalping the big teams. I know it's only football but it's a big part of your social life, and you make friends and build relationships through shared relationships over football teams. How to handle defeats with dignity after getting raked by your mates in school has been good discipline!

Thanks Spurs. Happy 125th Birthday - football is changing, please (please) don't you change too much.