I've just heard that the BBC will be screening a new dramatisation of "The Nativity" story in the week before Christmas. It will be broadcast on BBC1 in four, 30-minute episodes at 7.00pm, beginning on Monday 20th December. This is the slot usually occupied by "The ONE Show". The Church and Media Network has produced a website with information about the series.
Visit: www.nativitydrama.info
I've left the first review! - Well, a kind of preview really. Anyway, worth a look.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Hope in the face of death
Many (well some) of you have asked for a summary of my recent thesis. He is a very short abstract that may give just the hint of its flavour. Full versions are filed in the Unversity of Wales library and the National Library of Wales (and in my office). Happy reading!
Meaning to Life in Death: A theological reflection on changing rites of passage at death in a late modern context whilst exploring the possibility of bringing hope and meaning in the face of death through Christian faith.
Spring 2010
Abstract:
With the introduction of civil funerals through the Registry Office in England, together with the rise in popularity of individualistic ‘life centred’ funerals, significant questions are being asked of the Church’s traditional role in helping people assimilate their experience of death into their worldview. Without the Church’s representatives communicating the Christian view of death with its hope of life beyond the grave, how do people keep the terrors of death at bay? What do people think happens at death? How do they face their own mortality?
Over recent years the so called taboo on speaking openly about death has diminished and yet it is still frequently sequestered into the private realm of life; funerals are much more likely to be private affairs than community events. There are significant exceptions to this trend and they tell us great deal about where people seek comfort at the time of such disruption to their everyday lives. Yet it is at the vast majority of funerals that people think about the meaning of life within the context of death.
Historically the Church has had something of a chequered history in its performance of this rite of passage, at times providing a very brief, utilitarian and impersonal service. Whether this was for sound theological reasons or simply poor practice, it had the effect of alienating the bereaved and at times denied dignity to the deceased. And yet the majority of funerals undertaken in the England today are still conducted by Christian ministers.
With the falling numbers of people attending Church either frequently or with any regularity, this is perhaps the greatest opportunity to communicate Christian hope to them, bringing to them meaning to life in the face of death. These themes are explored in a local and wider context.
Meaning to Life in Death: A theological reflection on changing rites of passage at death in a late modern context whilst exploring the possibility of bringing hope and meaning in the face of death through Christian faith.
Spring 2010
Abstract:
With the introduction of civil funerals through the Registry Office in England, together with the rise in popularity of individualistic ‘life centred’ funerals, significant questions are being asked of the Church’s traditional role in helping people assimilate their experience of death into their worldview. Without the Church’s representatives communicating the Christian view of death with its hope of life beyond the grave, how do people keep the terrors of death at bay? What do people think happens at death? How do they face their own mortality?
Over recent years the so called taboo on speaking openly about death has diminished and yet it is still frequently sequestered into the private realm of life; funerals are much more likely to be private affairs than community events. There are significant exceptions to this trend and they tell us great deal about where people seek comfort at the time of such disruption to their everyday lives. Yet it is at the vast majority of funerals that people think about the meaning of life within the context of death.
Historically the Church has had something of a chequered history in its performance of this rite of passage, at times providing a very brief, utilitarian and impersonal service. Whether this was for sound theological reasons or simply poor practice, it had the effect of alienating the bereaved and at times denied dignity to the deceased. And yet the majority of funerals undertaken in the England today are still conducted by Christian ministers.
With the falling numbers of people attending Church either frequently or with any regularity, this is perhaps the greatest opportunity to communicate Christian hope to them, bringing to them meaning to life in the face of death. These themes are explored in a local and wider context.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Take That!
Did anyone see the concert for heroes at Twickenham last week? A good cause and some good acts. But what I found heart-warming was a very practical display of forgiveness. Not to do with the service men and women but with one of the acts. Very publicly Robbie William and Gary Barlow, the two main creative forces from the boy band Take That fell out when the band split 15 years ago. They hadn't spoken of their grievances to one another privately over this time, they communicated by statement through the medium of television – throwing verbal rocks at one another. After these years of animosity, they met up and spoke of their grievances to one another and then sought one another's forgiveness. The result is that they have released a joint song which speaks of the futility of the years of conflict. To their obvious delight, and that of their fans they then performed the song together.
How telling it all was. The acknowledgement that these had been wasted years in friendship and joint creative endeavour lost, not to mention the heart-ache, was salient.
We waste so much time, emotional energy, and frankly miss the opportunity to work together and live harmoniously together when we harbour grievances rather than seeking to forgive and be forgiven. The Devil loves this tactic to frustrate our efforts to serve God and see His kingdom come among us, here and now. The Church is kept week not by external pressures but internal division. Instead the ethos should be one of love, forgiveness (because we do sometimes tread on one-another's toes) and support.
This is what the Apostle Paul addresses early in chapter 4 of his letter to the Church in Philippi. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, have fallen out. He speaks a public word to them to sort it out (I assume he knew what he was doing in this – a risky strategy - more often shuttle diplomacy is the better option) but it shows how important it is for us as individuals to sort out our disagreements quickly for the good of the whole body of the Church, and before resentment solidifies.
Keep short acccounts of wrongs and actively seek reconciliation seems to be the message; what wisdom for today's blame culture.
How telling it all was. The acknowledgement that these had been wasted years in friendship and joint creative endeavour lost, not to mention the heart-ache, was salient.
We waste so much time, emotional energy, and frankly miss the opportunity to work together and live harmoniously together when we harbour grievances rather than seeking to forgive and be forgiven. The Devil loves this tactic to frustrate our efforts to serve God and see His kingdom come among us, here and now. The Church is kept week not by external pressures but internal division. Instead the ethos should be one of love, forgiveness (because we do sometimes tread on one-another's toes) and support.
This is what the Apostle Paul addresses early in chapter 4 of his letter to the Church in Philippi. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, have fallen out. He speaks a public word to them to sort it out (I assume he knew what he was doing in this – a risky strategy - more often shuttle diplomacy is the better option) but it shows how important it is for us as individuals to sort out our disagreements quickly for the good of the whole body of the Church, and before resentment solidifies.
Keep short acccounts of wrongs and actively seek reconciliation seems to be the message; what wisdom for today's blame culture.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
A New Hope
It has been something of a feast for journalists over recent weeks with a general election, hung parliament and then an emerging coalition government finally settling in to govern the country. But it has been much more than that. Out of the depths of economic recession, or at least an enormous debt hanging over the country, whose electorate will ultimately have to make good, and the perception that the Labour government has run out of steam, a new hope emerges in the form of a new government. Whether this is ‘new politics’ or simply a marriage of convenience is yet to be told. Yet with every new government there is a sense that the problems of the past will be addressed and the future will be brighter than it was a few days ago.
There is something wonderful in the human spirit that enables us to persevere through adversity to emerge into a brighter future; we are able to hope. Sometimes we do that blindly – it can be a bout of wishful thinking that is not based on any reality, and this type of hope may lead to great disappointment. Or it can be real hope, based on available evidence. This is not to say that hope is based on inevitable outcomes, but on a good possibility. In any case we are looking for a better future than our present or past reality.
This kind of hope is at the heart of Christian faith. No matter what our past may have wrought, there is a brighter future promised to us if we place our trust in God’s governance in our lives; as we find peace with God in the present, laying our past before him and offering our future to him. It is not based on blind hope, but on events that have shaped our human destiny over millenia - most importantly, in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. We need not be slaves to our past or imprisoned in our present, we can have a truly bright future - and that brings hope into our present. We all need new government - the higher the authority, the greater the possibilities...
There is something wonderful in the human spirit that enables us to persevere through adversity to emerge into a brighter future; we are able to hope. Sometimes we do that blindly – it can be a bout of wishful thinking that is not based on any reality, and this type of hope may lead to great disappointment. Or it can be real hope, based on available evidence. This is not to say that hope is based on inevitable outcomes, but on a good possibility. In any case we are looking for a better future than our present or past reality.
This kind of hope is at the heart of Christian faith. No matter what our past may have wrought, there is a brighter future promised to us if we place our trust in God’s governance in our lives; as we find peace with God in the present, laying our past before him and offering our future to him. It is not based on blind hope, but on events that have shaped our human destiny over millenia - most importantly, in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. We need not be slaves to our past or imprisoned in our present, we can have a truly bright future - and that brings hope into our present. We all need new government - the higher the authority, the greater the possibilities...
Thursday, 11 February 2010
A tale of two Christians
Somehow 'famous' Christians always seem to be the butt of someone's joke or discredited for being wildly hypocritical. Either way they attract negative publicity like a magnet does iron-filings; someone is always trying to put them down.
And so in stumbling across (using the normal means of flicking through all the channels in search of that elusive programme of worth) the interview of Cliff Richard by Piers Morgan, broadcast last night, I watched with some trepidation. Yes, Piers asked all the predictable questions in a probing but polite way and Cliff answered with exemplary good grace. To my mind he came across as a mature person with Christian conviction but with a humility that saved him from falling into the trap of being judgmental of others, even if he does not share their world-view or their morality.
Contrast this with the recent minor political furore in Northern Ireland, where the previously little known (at least outside the province) MP, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and a local councillor to boot, Iris Robinson has made headlines for her affair with a man much younger than herself. This would not have made headlines for long had she not been married to the NI First Minister, but even that may not have sustained the media frenzy; so what caused it? I suspect it was that she had been named UK bigot of the year 2008 for her remarks about homosexual people and their lifestyle, motivated by her ardent Protestant faith. Oh dear, here we go again, another Christian caught in hypocrisy.
She and her family will be well familiar with Jesus’ advice to the Pharisees not to throw stones at others if they themselves were less than perfect (John 8:7) – a truth which always comes back to haunt those who ignore it. What I loved about Cliff Richard's interview was the clear application of this principle; and contrastingly found disappointing in Mrs Robinson was her lack in this department.
So what do we say? In the words of the song: ‘Here’s to you Mrs Robinson – Jesus loves you more than you will know’. And that's true for us all.
And so in stumbling across (using the normal means of flicking through all the channels in search of that elusive programme of worth) the interview of Cliff Richard by Piers Morgan, broadcast last night, I watched with some trepidation. Yes, Piers asked all the predictable questions in a probing but polite way and Cliff answered with exemplary good grace. To my mind he came across as a mature person with Christian conviction but with a humility that saved him from falling into the trap of being judgmental of others, even if he does not share their world-view or their morality.
Contrast this with the recent minor political furore in Northern Ireland, where the previously little known (at least outside the province) MP, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and a local councillor to boot, Iris Robinson has made headlines for her affair with a man much younger than herself. This would not have made headlines for long had she not been married to the NI First Minister, but even that may not have sustained the media frenzy; so what caused it? I suspect it was that she had been named UK bigot of the year 2008 for her remarks about homosexual people and their lifestyle, motivated by her ardent Protestant faith. Oh dear, here we go again, another Christian caught in hypocrisy.
She and her family will be well familiar with Jesus’ advice to the Pharisees not to throw stones at others if they themselves were less than perfect (John 8:7) – a truth which always comes back to haunt those who ignore it. What I loved about Cliff Richard's interview was the clear application of this principle; and contrastingly found disappointing in Mrs Robinson was her lack in this department.
So what do we say? In the words of the song: ‘Here’s to you Mrs Robinson – Jesus loves you more than you will know’. And that's true for us all.
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