Lazy? Efficient? Or something altogether more sinister?
I've noticed a strange tendency among sanctus people that I haven't noticed anywhere else: to sign emails and text messages with just a lower-case initial rather than their whole name. Now, txt msgs, where space is everything, I can understand, but emails? Really Eyan, how much time do those extra three letters take?
So I wondered whether this could be some weird move towards a society where everyone fits into one of 26 categories, each marked by a letter of the alphabet. In some weird way, Ruthie and Richard would be THE SAME!!!
Or is there a nore ordinary explanation that has somehow passed me by?
So I wondered whether this could be some weird move towards a society where everyone fits into one of 26 categories, each marked by a letter of the alphabet. In some weird way, Ruthie and Richard would be THE SAME!!!
Or is there a nore ordinary explanation that has somehow passed me by?
PostSecret
From the Observer blog: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/observer/ (thanks Ruth!)
It's what the internet was invented for. Anonymity.
It's a funny business, wanting to be public and secret at the same time.
Check out Postsecret - internet confessional booth as art. Poignant and diverting.
It's what the internet was invented for. Anonymity.
It's a funny business, wanting to be public and secret at the same time.
Check out Postsecret - internet confessional booth as art. Poignant and diverting.
New Blogs...
Just added a couple of people to our Blog links...Paul Roberts have recently started blogging, about time to...I've also added COTA in Seattle who seem to be doing some fantastically creative things. It's interesting the two emerging churches that are most similiar to S1 are COTA and Moot in London, I wonder if this is because of their both part of the world wide Anglican community or whether there is another dimension to it?
Sanctus1 Service: 3
As De La Soul reminded us...it is the magic number.
A service celebrating the trinitarian nature of our God.
Date: Sunday 22nd May
Time: 8pm
Location: Sacred Trinity, Salford
Hope to see you there.
A service celebrating the trinitarian nature of our God.
Date: Sunday 22nd May
Time: 8pm
Location: Sacred Trinity, Salford
Hope to see you there.
Is life lived mainly in misery?
Cheerful title, I know...
I have noticed a tendency in some of the films I've been watching and the music I've been listening to that suggests that real and genuine life is what happens when you are miserable. All this happiness is OK but for a real experience you need to be unhappy. For example...
"I saw your flag on the marble arch, love is not a victory march - it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah" (Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley).
The idea, I think, is that if you love someone, it's the painful bits that really count. While I think you do learn a lot about relationships when it's hard, I suspect this sort of sentiment has led to some of my more melancholic and pessamistic tendencies.
So, is it that lots of artists are miserable and write miserable songs? Or is it that I am miserable and look for films and songs which make me feel better about that? Or is a real and genuine life one with mostly dark bits? Is it better to be a tragic heroine with real feelings or one of those shallow happy people?
And if you can answer all those questions, can you also tell me why all the emails I get at the moment are angry German spam?
Cheers.
I have noticed a tendency in some of the films I've been watching and the music I've been listening to that suggests that real and genuine life is what happens when you are miserable. All this happiness is OK but for a real experience you need to be unhappy. For example...
"I saw your flag on the marble arch, love is not a victory march - it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah" (Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley).
The idea, I think, is that if you love someone, it's the painful bits that really count. While I think you do learn a lot about relationships when it's hard, I suspect this sort of sentiment has led to some of my more melancholic and pessamistic tendencies.
So, is it that lots of artists are miserable and write miserable songs? Or is it that I am miserable and look for films and songs which make me feel better about that? Or is a real and genuine life one with mostly dark bits? Is it better to be a tragic heroine with real feelings or one of those shallow happy people?
And if you can answer all those questions, can you also tell me why all the emails I get at the moment are angry German spam?
Cheers.
God's iPod
As selected by members of the AlternativeEmerging Yahoo Group.
I'm particularly proud of my suggestions...
I'm particularly proud of my suggestions...
Happy Birthday Surprise to Martha and me!
So, as a surprise last night, Mark took me to see Martha Wainwright!
And what a great night it was. Three pints in Academy3/ the union during the course of 3 1/2 hours... a great support act (Johnathan Rice - who barely looked old enough to be out by himself, let alone up that late, but was very fine nonetheless)... and the wonderful lady herself. And it was her birthday! Champers on stage, the crowd singing to her, and the set being damn near perfect. AND I was allowed to buy a T-shirt on the way out. I managed to avoid the "would you rather have this than a U2 one next month?" question that Mark posed as I handed over my £15. Bet THEIR T-shirts won't be that price, and I'll still want one of those.
The best sort of day all round. Thanks Mark! Anytime that you want to surprise me again, feel free...
More of this sort of singing-songwriting gubbins later in the summer when Steve Earle, Thea Gilmore, Shane McGowan, Kathryn Williams, Martyn Joseph, and more, come to town as part of the Swap Festival - www.swapfestival.co.uk
(PS Check out her very fine website - www.marthawainwright.com)
And what a great night it was. Three pints in Academy3/ the union during the course of 3 1/2 hours... a great support act (Johnathan Rice - who barely looked old enough to be out by himself, let alone up that late, but was very fine nonetheless)... and the wonderful lady herself. And it was her birthday! Champers on stage, the crowd singing to her, and the set being damn near perfect. AND I was allowed to buy a T-shirt on the way out. I managed to avoid the "would you rather have this than a U2 one next month?" question that Mark posed as I handed over my £15. Bet THEIR T-shirts won't be that price, and I'll still want one of those.
The best sort of day all round. Thanks Mark! Anytime that you want to surprise me again, feel free...
More of this sort of singing-songwriting gubbins later in the summer when Steve Earle, Thea Gilmore, Shane McGowan, Kathryn Williams, Martyn Joseph, and more, come to town as part of the Swap Festival - www.swapfestival.co.uk
(PS Check out her very fine website - www.marthawainwright.com)
post-pub musings...
Well, I seem to recall promising Rev Cris last night that I would post something that would bump Gay Alpha off the top of our blog (oops - mentioned it again!), and it seemed to be something to do with Richard, accidental lunches and other things that are now v. hazy, so instead I'll post these reminders...
Film night - tomorrow (Fri) - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - 6.30 for 7pm
Sanctus2nds serivce - Sunday - 4pm
Both at Sacred Trinity.
Oh and there's a small thing called a general election happening today - you may have heard someone mention it in passing... PLEASE vote. I don't care who for, just do. (Here endeth the sermon...)
Film night - tomorrow (Fri) - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - 6.30 for 7pm
Sanctus2nds serivce - Sunday - 4pm
Both at Sacred Trinity.
Oh and there's a small thing called a general election happening today - you may have heard someone mention it in passing... PLEASE vote. I don't care who for, just do. (Here endeth the sermon...)
Gay Alpha...
Whilst in LA I heard of something that blew my mind: Two churches in the LA area are running Gay Alpha!!! I’ve gotta horrible picture in my mind of Nicky Gumble in rubber…I don’t think that it will make it into Alpha News!
Initial reflections from Fuller
Had a fantastic time in LA, really good to connect with people from all over the world. For the pictures of the event see the ones that Paul Roberts has posted on: http://www.proberts1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html
It struck me once again how different Emergent US is to what is happening in the emerging church in the UK. Emergent US is essentially a brand and it seems to be working in that context, however, I’d have major hesitations if that brand were exported to the UK. I also found out that the brand trademark is owned by Rupert Murdock; another good reason to avoid it!
There’s a bit of controversy at the moment regarding some forthcoming criticism of Emergent US from Don Carson. I can fully understand that his criticism is hurtful to people involved in the movement, but on the other side of the equation I want to say does it really matter? A child wants praise off their parent but there also comes a time when a child needs to mature and accept the criticism, listen to it, evaluate it and judge it accordingly. It is then a question of what we do with our evaluation, do we go running back to the parent and try to change their mind or do we accept that the parent is part of the past culture and has a worldview that is blinkered by that culture.
I would listen to the criticism, take it on the chin and then forget about it because quite simply it doesn’t really matter what Don Carson thinks…
My question out of this is how indicative is this of the maturity of the movement? I think that there are some fantastic people in Emergent US but question why the criticism is causing so much pain. I wonder if part of the reason is that emergent US seems to have far closer ties with the evangelical wing of the church and the criticism is coming from an evangelical. Whereas the emerging church in the UK is broader and will be criticised by catholics as not being sacramental enough, evangelicals for not being biblically based and liberals for being too mission focused….I’m polarizing, but my point is that when you are from a broad church you’re used to living with difference and celebrating diversity.
I'm off on holiday now...
It struck me once again how different Emergent US is to what is happening in the emerging church in the UK. Emergent US is essentially a brand and it seems to be working in that context, however, I’d have major hesitations if that brand were exported to the UK. I also found out that the brand trademark is owned by Rupert Murdock; another good reason to avoid it!
There’s a bit of controversy at the moment regarding some forthcoming criticism of Emergent US from Don Carson. I can fully understand that his criticism is hurtful to people involved in the movement, but on the other side of the equation I want to say does it really matter? A child wants praise off their parent but there also comes a time when a child needs to mature and accept the criticism, listen to it, evaluate it and judge it accordingly. It is then a question of what we do with our evaluation, do we go running back to the parent and try to change their mind or do we accept that the parent is part of the past culture and has a worldview that is blinkered by that culture.
I would listen to the criticism, take it on the chin and then forget about it because quite simply it doesn’t really matter what Don Carson thinks…
My question out of this is how indicative is this of the maturity of the movement? I think that there are some fantastic people in Emergent US but question why the criticism is causing so much pain. I wonder if part of the reason is that emergent US seems to have far closer ties with the evangelical wing of the church and the criticism is coming from an evangelical. Whereas the emerging church in the UK is broader and will be criticised by catholics as not being sacramental enough, evangelicals for not being biblically based and liberals for being too mission focused….I’m polarizing, but my point is that when you are from a broad church you’re used to living with difference and celebrating diversity.
I'm off on holiday now...
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