The enigmatic Dr Cornel West discussing writing his memoir with Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show... and quoting the words of one of my favourite old hymns!
P h/t @iancron
Showing posts with label spiritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual. Show all posts
Rational certainty versus Blessed assurance...
The enigmatic Dr Cornel West discussing writing his memoir with Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show... and quoting the words of one of my favourite old hymns!
P h/t @iancron
Chariots of Fire... Let the Athletics commence...
This a re-post from way back in January 2010 of my Drama selection for the Art and Christianity meme commenced by Jonathan Evens. With the start of the Athletics at London 2012 today and the re-release of an enhanced version of the film it just seemed the right thing to do ;-)
Artwork: Antony Gormley - 'Field for the British Isles'
Drama: Film 'Chariots of Fire' (1981)
Music: J S Bach - St Matthew Passion
Novel: Victoria Hislop - The Island
Poem: Wilfred Owen - The Parable of the Old Man and the Young
Drama: I have chosen the film Chariots of Fire - Pleased to say I saw it way before the Oscar nominations and other plaudits poured in, so I was an early 'adopter' of this great period piece set around the 1924 Olympics (so expect to see it on the box a few times over the next couple of years!).
There are many issues tackled in the film which revolves around the counterbalance of ambitious Englishman Harold Abrahams, who is Jewish, and Eric Liddell, an instinctive Scottish sprinter who, as a devout Christian, makes the wonderful statement 'I believe that God made me for a purpose (i.e. supporting his mission work) but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.'
The story doesn't end with the film, Eric went on to become a respected missionary in China and despite his athletic physique still died at a young age during incarceration in the Japanese Weihsien Internment (read concentration) Camp from a brain tumour. However, it was the film that nudged my interest to read more about him and Sally Magnusson's excellent book, The Flying Scotsman, was where I turned first in those pre-web days.
This film has so many resonances for me and refreshed me when the church simply didn't or couldn't. Athletics was the sport I was best at plus I had a relatively strict upbringing which meant we kept the Sabbath (Sunday!) holy. Creatively I love the daring combination of a period drama with the symphonic and quirky synthesiser music soundtrack composed by Vangelis on devices I know my way around. However, it is the example of Jesus that Eric clearly was that is so moving and challenging that gets to me everytime.
He did not get out of China when he could because it would desert friends and family. For example he was able to support his exhausted brother in a rural mission station. He was also fiercly anti-class and to demonstrate the importance of equality shared out some extra food with everyone that had been bought by oil company inmates who'd bribed their guards.
His example was remarkable and sacrificial, despite much personal hardship he never stopped putting others first and whilst passionate about his faith he led by example rather than proselytisation or seeking any glory for himself. This was highlighted in a recent revelation that when he was offered, as a former high profile athlete, an opportunity to take part in a prisoner exchange he gave his place to a pregnant woman. During his time in the camp he even took part, as referee, in a football match on a Sunday to prevent the teams from fighting because he was trusted to be completely impartial...
You are what you Tweet... #openingceremony
Just in case you missed it... some great appearances in my tweetline:
@memorybanks: It's the taking part... Volunteeer actor Neil Smith reveals all: http://t.co/UYhNjYom #olympics
@kesterbrewin: Really spot on review of Olympic #OpeningCeremomy by @sarahlyall: http://t.co/AEzgXOtv < first sentence nails it.
@dpcmike: For those who'd like to understand the the Opening Ceremony a bit more… a superb & quick explanation! http://t.co/ghqWlZD2
@SimonGCutmore: Los Angeles Times review "it was bloody well wonderful.. part Charles Dickens, part Benny Hill". http://t.co/3R3C5k3J
@CityFaiths: Danny Boyle Olympics opening ceremony and Britains cultural landscape http://t.co/mqpsplax via @guardian - Good piece on amazing ceremony
@simonmayo: "Danny Boyle wins the Gold": The New Yorker's brilliant verdict on the humour & generosity of the opening ceremony http://t.co/84KrIIQV
@MartinWroe: 'Bespoke both destiny of Christian elect and pagan air of festival - elegiac, rejoicing.' #openingceremony http://t.co/v0vajpk5
@gtomlin: "A great empire, gone. Military might, ebbing. Sense of humor, very much intact" (Washington Post) #olympics
@dianabutlerbass: Beijing celebrated conformity; Britain celebrates creativity. #OpeningCeremony
@pmphillips: Danny Boyle: "Our show was the volunteers' show. If you want to judge us as an island, these people are the best of us" http://t.co/2iaKtO2W
@maggidawn: This is great: last para of Boyle's programme notes. http://t.co/Cj39Xnt4
@BBCBreaking: In pictures: The Olympic opening ceremony - the fireworks and the flames, David Beckham and Usain Bolt http://t.co/UOCZxcld #bbc2012
P
Sunday Service...
For all those that need nurture after another typical Sunday at church... thank you Mike Scott of The Waterboys and the stained glass works of Irish artist Harry Clarke.
h/t David Di Sabatino
Bruce Springsteen from boy to Soul and Spirit...
An insightful (and rare) interview with 'The Boss', who talks about the influence of his childhood house and Catholic upbringing in relation to his brilliant Wrecking Ball album. For Apple viewers here's some text but video may still be Flash :-(
P h/t Martyn Joseph
Advent music with The Killers
The Killers invite Elton John and Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant to provide vocals on 'Joseph, Better You Than Me' with wonderful lyrical and theological insights. Note the subtle change in the refrain as the song develops:
From the temple walls to the New York night: Our decisions rest on a child
When she took her stand did she hold your hand?
Will your faith stand still or run away? Run away?
From the temple walls to the New York night: Our decisions rest on a manAnd my favourite line linking the 40 years and 40 days wilderness times:
When I take the stand, When I take the stand, Will he hold my hand?
Will my faith stand still or run away?
And the desert, It's a hell of a place to find heavenP
We remember them - may angels lead you in
May angels lead you in,
Hear you me my friends,
On sleepless roads the sleepless go,
May angels lead you in.
From the song Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World
P
Loving your neighbour...
But I know, as we all intuitively know that the solution is all around us and it isn’t political, it is spiritual. Gandhi said 'Be the change you want to see in the world.'Read Russell's full article here.
In this simple sentiment we can find hope, as we can in the efforts of those cleaning up the debris and ash in bonhomous, broom-wielding posse’s. If we want to live in a society where people feel included, we must include them, where they feel represented, we must represent them and where they feel love and compassion for their communities then we, the members of that community, must find love and compassion for them.
PB
Chords for Contemplation...
The four pieces are instrumental versions without the voiceover yet retaining the same title as each of the 'spaces' they were written for.
P
A Musical Missionary?
This little gem I picked up from Shane Hipps' Twitter stream. Shane is now partnering Rob Bell at Mars Hill, I first came across him as the author of one of my favourite books Flickering Pixels
. Formerly he was at Trinity Mennonite Church in Phoenix, Arizona, a church I was privileged to offer some musical advice to recently...P
Paul Simon makes inspiration blossom...
Oh, oh, what a nightFuller story here on NPR Music
Oh, what a garden of delight
Even now that sweet memory lingers
I was playing my guitar
Lying underneath the stars
Just thanking the Lord
For my fingers,
For my fingers
P h/t @solobasssteve
The Gospel of the Blues...
Film trailer of acclaimed Canadian blues singer Rita Chiarelli's journey of discovery within the intimidating walls of Louisiana State's maximum security prison entitled Music From the Big House. Stunningly shot with an intriguing mix of both Gospel music and the Blues... official wording reads:
From acclaimed director Bruce McDonald, teaming with an Emmy and Oscar nominated documentary producer, comes a rare and exclusive musical journey. Rita Chiarelli, an award-winning recording artist, has decided to take a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues - Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary a.k.a Angola Prison. She never imagined that her love of the blues would lead her to play with inmates serving life sentences for murder, rape and armed robbery.
In what was once the bloodiest prison in America, inmates relatives will be invited to listen alongside other prisoners, to hear remarkable voices singing stories of hope and redemption. Let yourself be swept away by one of Blues' most soulful pilgrim daughters who is finding out if music really is an escape.
P h/t The Wedlocks
Rob Bell in his own words...
Am grateful that George Luke, writer and radio presenter, recently chose to post this mini-interview he recorded when Rob Bell spoke at the Greenbelt Festival in 2009. It struck me both how prophetic it was back then to have predicted some of the grief Rob is getting now over his new book Love Wins and also what grounded perspective he has...
There have been some excellent blog posts in defense of Rob from both sides of the Atlantic:
Maggi Dawn's blog
Julie Clawson's blog
Sojourners' Blog
and one that made me smile:
Is Rob Bell a Universalist?
PB
And the greatest of these...
LOVE WINS. from Rob Bell on Vimeo.
PB
In the words of the rebel Jesus...
Re-post from last year - still listening and admiring Jackson Browne nailing it...
This amazing song from Jackson Browne is one of my fave Christmas pieces with so much truth and depth compared to other commercial stuff and what we sing in church. Verse two is really hard hitting linking 'Temple Trading' to both the church and environmental issues way back in the early nineties:
Ah, they call Him by the "Prince Of Peace"In the last verse he apologises for appearing to be judgemental (which I wonder if that's another sideswipe at the established church!) before closing the song with the fantastic proclamation:
And they call Him by "The Saviour"
And they pray to Him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor
And they fill His churches with their pride and gold
As their faith in Him increases
But they've turned the nature that I worship in
From a temple to a robber's den
In the words of the rebel Jesus
So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus
P
Creative Covenant Conclusions...
Richard Twiss (above) of Wiconi International was one of the speakers at the recent Emergent Village Theological Conversation which evoked an incredible blog post from Julie Clawson. This paragraph jumped out at, giving me a gentle sense of joy with its resonance to my concerns for the church, particularly all the turmoil over the Anglican Covenant:
The speakers had led us to see how the Bible is used as a colonizing text and how the rituals and trapping of the Western church have colonized the minds of indigenous peoples. Their dream is to find ways to do distinctly indigenous theology and develop spiritual practices that are native to who they are. They pleaded with us to stop seeing Western theology, philosophy, academia, and liturgy as the norm that all others must aspire to or at least subjugate their spiritual language to. And above all to not just allow native peoples space to pursue those paths, but to join in with them valuing their voices just as much as we value Western voices.Let's face it, The Anglican Covenant is simply an ecclesiastical straight-jacket, therefore I support and endorse the #nocovenant campaign.
It will be interesting to see what 'action' comes out of the Emergent Village Theological Conversation... At Greenbelt 2100 Richard Rohr said 'The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better'.
P
So Human, so divine...
How cool is it that the Chilean Navy torpedo experts went to work to design and build the capsules? How special is it to see rescue teams using lifelong manual skills working in conjunction with some basic Newtonian Mechanics restoring families and stimulating prayers of thanks and joy?
May the process continue in safety and reach the conclusion that everyone longs for.
The Deadly Diarrhoea Song...
Nope, this is not just blokey toilet humour, it is a serious campaign creatively tackled by WaterAid with the byline: Dig Toilets Not Graves...
Something to donate this weekend?
PB
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