isthisbiblical

Yesterday I made my annual pilgrimage to the gathering of Speak, a prayer and campaigning movement which I love dearly.  The annual conference, Soundcheck, is a marvelous explosion of youth, activism, art, fun and deep thinking.

I arrived at the Synergy centre and was immediately at home.  Large fluffy white clouds decorated the hall, cardboard trees and team members in angel wings were scattered around.  We heard about Speaks latest campaign on Corporate accountability through words, video, poetry and song.  Around the hall, ‘pods’ explored different values of Speak.

I had two seminars to do, which I loved.  We delved into theology with ‘Campaigning and the Sovereignty of God’ and then in the afternoon I did a small workshop for those wanting to integrate prayer into their local groups.

In between times, I attended an Advisory Board meeting ( I represent 24-7 on it), chatted to old friends and even had some time to meet Ronald Sider, author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.  Ron was there as speaker, and he spoke brilliantly.

What a great day.

It’s been a frantic month, so apologies for the lack of posting.  I’ve actually gone a bit web crazy this last month - working on the Christian Socialist Movement website, writing sports articles on Bleacher and even thinking about Tweeting and Twittering.

In terms of family; David is working hard on A Levels and Jonny on GSCE’s.  David has an offer from Warwick University which he is shooting for.  Jonny is drumming all over the place, but mostly in two worship bands.  Lucy is installing an art project at school - very prestigious.  Jess is taking part in a Maths Challenge thing tomorrow, and has been compared to Einstein !! Daniel had his 6th birthday and is in love with all things football.Karen continues to work with CAP, Kidzone and lots more too.

For me this month meant lots of speaking - teaching on 247’s Springboard course, preaching at New Hope, speaking at Tearfund, Speak’s Souncheck, an Anglican conference in Bristol and Reading School CU.

This month I’ve made my first Dentist visit in 20 years.  Agreed on a college to attend in September (St.Mellitus), I’ve been exploring social justice and 24-7 prayer and preparing for a really important Boiler Room leaders gathering in September.

I’ll try and fill in some of the blanks in later posts !!

I woke early this morning with an element of dread.  Murray vs Verdasco was worrying me.  This match felt like a banana skin and proved to be.  As I switched on my radio, Verdasco was streaking ahead in Set 4 and we were heading for a 5th set.  I made a mug of tea and listened intently.  Here I thought is where we’ll see if Murray has the ingredients of being a champion.

Some people just have it.  Tiger Woods.  Muhammed Ali. Pele. Michael Phelps. Champions all.  They have the ability to rise above situations, to find a gear that they have no right to have.  They keep winning.  Champions are not impregnable.  Very rarely do champions like Ed Moses come along, who win and win and win.  But champions regularly rise above circumstances and perform.  Roger Federer is such a man in Tennis.

Two sets down to Berdych on Sunday, Federer dug deep, he won the big points and came through in 5.  A match that could have been a deep hole becomes a building block, which I believe will result in the Australian title on Sunday.

Andy Murray is a great tennis player.  He’s gifted, intelligent, purposeful.  He’s a winner.  But a champion tennis player?  Not yet I fear.  Indeed in the back of my mind, a nagging doubt, is the World No.4 position that a certain Messrs Henman and Rusedski made it to.  Has Murray found his summit?  I hope not.  Murray, given his age and talent should win a Grand Slam one day, but right now he wasn’t good enough.

Two moments from the 5th set hit me.

Firstly, in game 2, Verdasco’s first service game of the 5th set.  At 30-30 Verdasco was wobbling.  If Murray had broken for 2-0 I think his aura of invincibility would have returned.  But 30-30 and Murray lets another painful, paralysing drop shot go … and predictably loses the point.  Murray’s drop shot is his achilles heel, or rather his bad addiction.  It wastes points and it wasted a key game here.

The at 3-2, Murray pushes and pushes and gains 5 deuces and 2 break points.  Verdasco kept holding on but Murray kept pushing.  A break here would have been close to game over.  Yet it seemed on the key points the Spanish giant had just a bit too much.  I listened imagining Federer bashing a forehand down the line or conjuring a break from somewhere.  With Murray it just didn’t happen.

So Australia is over for Murray.  Is there to be a Slam breakthrough for Murray this year.  The pessimist in me says the French and Wimbledon won’t work out, but watch Murray in New York this September.  I hope and predict that Murray’s breakthrough will happen then.  But by then, I expect Federer to be back at World No.1.

There’s a line in the current Frost/Nixon film, where a character reflects on the legacy of Frost and Nixon.  Whilst Frost continued to have a high profile TV career, Nixon’s legacy, he reflected, is that every American political scandal is called ’something-gate’.

Nixon epitomises corruption and disgrace in high office.  The only president to resign in office, he admitted, as Frost drew from him, that he had let down the American people most of all in damaging young people who should be going into political office, but saw in Nixon that all high office was corrupt.  ‘I regret that’ he concluded.

British news is covered tonight with ‘Peer-gate’; four Labour Lords who took money for raising issues or lending weight and influence.  Sleaze it seems is alive and well in British politics.

My son is keen to be involved in politics in the future, so the words of Nixon have a ring to me.  When we will we get things cleared up ?

When will British politics have clear rules about donations and gifts ?

Will there be a time again when politics seems clean ?  I hope so.

Barack Obama’s inauguration is an interesting contrast to the Frost/Nixon release.  Obama promises to reinvigorate belief in the Presidency - but would that all crash down if sleaze or dishonesty came out in the office of the President ?

It does seem though that Obama has re-lit a political fire, particularly in the young in the States.  In Britain it feels like we need an Obama too …. where are you ?

1. Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow
Deserving of the Mercury Music prize, this masterpiece made me wonder why Elbow weren’t a much bigger band than they are.  Now they seem to be getting the recognition they deserve.  Wonderful.
Favourite tracks - Mirrorball, The Fix

2. Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endaluast - Sigur Ros
English translation ‘With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly’.
Another incredible album, so layered, so diverse, so deeply spiritual.
Favourite tracks - Festival, Ara batur

3. Bloc Party - Intimacy
Bloc Party go up another level with this album.  Their live show at Reading was excellent.  Looking forward to seeing them in April next year.
Favourite track - Signs

4. Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
2008 will be the year I fell in love with Kings of Leon.  I’d always felt they’d flattered to decieve a little, but this album is brilliant and a regular listen right now.
Favourite tracks - Be Somebody, Revelry

5. Stay Positive - The Hold Steady
The band from Minneapolis St Paul get better and better.  Another substantial offering from Daniel Radcliffe’s favourite band.  Suggest you listen for them.
Favourite track - Lord I’m Discouraged

6. Foals - Antidotes
Wow.  Just a quirky, rocky, sometimes beatsy sort of album which I really love.  They are supporting Bloc Party in April - happy days.
Favourite track - Olympic Airways

7. The Hawk is Howling - Mogwai
The Mog return with a brooding, thrashing, moving album.  Love this.  Really love it.  Great prayer room music.
Favourite track - I’m Jim Morrison I’m Dead

8.Third - Portishead
Portishead returned in 2008 after 10 years was it ?  Great album.  Got me listening to their old album Dummy too, which is a good sign.
Favourite track - Machine Gun

9. Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends (Prospekts March EP version) - Coldplay
This has been the ‘grower’ album of this year for me, and wouldn’t have made this list but for their excellent Prospekts March EP.  If you haven’t added this to your Coldplay selection I suggest you do.
Favourite tracks - Lost, Glass of Water

10. Santogold - Santogold
Got into Santogold after Reading festival and keep going back to this excellent album.  This reminds me of good Ska music from the 80’s with loads of different influences and twists.  A very talented woman.
Favourite track - Lights out

I’m staggered by this idea sometimes … truly I am.

‘The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood’ John 1:14.

Wow.

At Lazarus tomb Jesus broke down and wept.  He cooked breakfast for the disciples.  He asked a Samaritan woman for a drink.  He lived, slept, ate, breathed.  On the cross he felt pain, sorrow, agony.  Yet he lived that life to span the gap between people and God - he reconcilled us (2 Cor 5:18).

‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ John 10:10.

Given the way we approach the theology of Christ and how we relate to Him - it must be pretty clear that if He brings us life to the full, he must have lived it.  Brilliant.  Life to the full - no money, no possessions, no home for a while, an outcast, a refugee, from a backwater, in an occupied land - thats life to the full.  Hunger, thirst, joy, laughter, tears, silence, friendship, mission, spirit filled life to the full.  Wow.

And even suffering - I have no clue about suffering sometimes.  Why ?  Why at this time God ?  Why in this way ?  Why does it happen to him, or her, or me ?

But suffering was part of the ‘life to the full’ that Christ lived.  It brings colour and breadth and depth - its God’s way of salvation in our world - its life to the full.

I want to pray that I might grasp this life that Christ offers once again.  To span the depths and heights of his love.  I’d love to live more and more of the life to the full in Jesus.

This week has had some fun times with my three boys, Daniel (5), David (now 18) and Jonathan (15).

Last Saturday Daniel and I took a tour around the Emirates Stadium, the home of the mighty Arsenal.  It was a fun trip, taking in the Directors box, changing rooms and player facilities, the media centre and then the stands and the pitch.  I love that Daniel loves footie so much.  (Was only spoiled by the result against Stoke later that day).

On Sunday David turned 18.  We had a great day.  Got him an engraved pen and a trip to hear Tony Benn speak amongst other things.   He is a great lad and we’re very very proud of him.

On Wednesday I went to Jonathan’s parents evening.  He’s a good student, doing well but most of all I loved hearing every teacher say how kind, caring and dedicated he is.  Jonathan is like me in that he has to work very very hard to get results - he can’t breeze in and get all A’s - I admire him and am so proud of him.

Hey everyone.  Just wanted to say thanks for the varied reaction to the open letter I posted yesterday.  Had a mix of feedback, as expected I guess and just love that there’s some debate going on.

A few of you suggested I write the letter direct to the leader concerned, so I’ve done so.  I’ll let you know if I get any response.

Be blessed

Andy

The other day I received a letter from a prominent Church leader about the US elections.  It was an open letter on a wide distribution list.  I felt compelled to respond.

If you’d like to read it, do read on, but please be aware that these are my opinions only and not the opinions of my church, 24-7 prayer or anyone else I might somehow represent.  I have many friends in the US and I love them and their country dearly.   Many friends are Republican, many friends Democrat.
So here’s a few thoughts.  Read on if you’d like.

(more…)

Penned this in our last prayer room.  It still needs some work though…

WAIT 

You’re holding court in our tent of meeting,
My words form mists around the room,
From inner depths come words of grieving,
You turn to me and here my cries

Wait.
Won’t you watch with me one hour?
Wait.
Life’s inexorable rush is banished here.
Wait.
I command the minute hand to stop once more.
Wait.
Love’s breath come’s slow but deep to you.

I stumble, my whispers bringing strength.
Symphony sings from left to right,
Concerto writ by loving Father
Brings me close into Your breast.

Wait.
Won’t you watch with me one hour?
Wait.
Life’s inexurable rush is banished here.
Wait.
I command the hour hand to stop.
Wait.
Love’s breath come’s slow but deep.

I want to run to great assembly,
To shout Your name amongst the kings,
My greatest praise the simplest voice
The anthem that my silence sings.

Wait.
Won’t you watch with me one hour?
Wait.
Life’s inexurable rush is banished here.
Wait.
I command the hour hand to stop.
Wait.
Love’s breath come’s slow but deep.

Like infants, my words lack true expression
My heart’s sonata’s truer song
A new song rising from the ashes
Conducted in Your waiting room.

Wait.
Won’t you watch with me one hour?
Wait.
Life’s inexurable rush is banished here.
Wait.
I command the hour hand to stop.
Wait.
Love’s breath come’s slow but deep.