Books

JoBloggs asked me to do this. I'm very pleased to reply. I'd love to hear your answers too.

1. One book that changed your life.
John Chapman, A Fresh Start (I was converted through this book)

2. One book you've read more than once
I figure, if it's not worth reading 20 times it's not worth reading at all. So I tend not to read too many books, just the same ones over and over again. Recently I've been re-reading:
Charlotte Bronte - Shirley
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Prison Poems

3. One book you'd want on a desert island
Like Jo, Psalms.

4. One book that made you laugh
I've just finished reading Harry Potter to the kids (the first one). Our favourite line is from Peeves the ghost- "Ickle firsties, out of their beds at night. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty!" We laugh alot.

5. One book that made you cry
Is there any question? L.M Montgomery, Rilla of Ingelside.

6. One book you wish had been written
Emily Bronte, Anything Else.

7. One book you wish had never been written
The Poky Little Puppy

8. One book you're currently reading
Peter Brain, Going the Distance.
The Best Australian Poetry 2005

9. One book you've been meaning to read
The Best Australian Poetry 2004. (I need to have read it by 5pm today. Haven't bought it yet. Oops.)

10. If you are a blogger, why not post your responses on your blog. Otherwise, comment here.

Pet Peeve #3 : Emoticons

Don't know how to express your feelings to that special someone? Are you emotionally repressed and want to create the illusion that you're not? Then insert some emoticons. :-D

For the uninitiated :

"Smileys (also known as "emoticons" for the more tech loving people) are used in e-mail, chatting, and posted messages, and are a short sequence of keyboard letters and symbols, usually emulating a facial expression, expressing a feeling that supplements the message. Most of these emoticons use several symbols to create a small face with an expression such as a smile, wink, or turned-down mouth. To read these you can either tilt your head or turn the monitor on its side."

AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! [sorry, :-(( ]

Can all human emotions be reduced to 15 different symbols? Can all of our feelings be expressed in a few quick key strokes?

Smiley says 'YES!'

Join me in saying "NO!"

Death to smiley and co. :-)

A Message to the USA

"In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately."

Here is an open letter to the citizens of the USA. You'll love it.

Never Alone 2

Since posting this a month ago, its had a rewrite and been given a pretty tune. If all goes well it will be recorded in August. Last chance for comments - and I'd really appreciate them. People (ie. you) might actually have to sing this one day...

• Do you understand what I'm talking about?
• Are there any bits that don't make sense?
• Do any words 'jar' or seem clumsy?
• Do any bits seem trite or too rhymey?
• Would you feel okay about singing this (and not jusy okay - good!)

Thanks heaps.

Never Alone

We’re not alone, for Christ is here
Immanuel our God come near
We’re not alone, for to our world
Jesus has come, eternal word.
And as he speaks, our souls laid bare
Naked, ashamed, sin is made clear
And yet he clothes us in his love
Never alone, Christ is with us.

The longest walk, earth’s darkest day
Noise from the crowd and mounting pain
His heavy load of grief and shame
Breathless that we should breathe again.
“Lord, it is finished,” comes his cry
Blackness descends filling the sky.
A creeping dread in every heart
Lost in the world now God departs.

The dawn will come, the sun will rise
Out of the grave we’ll see hope’s light.
Tomb opened wide, stone rolled away
Morning has come, a brand new day.
“He isn’t here,” the angel said.
“He is alive no longer dead.”
Our hearts are lifted, souls raised high
Christ is with us, Christ is our life.

Never alone is now our cry
In joy, in grief, in lonely sin.
Never alone for Christ is ours
He lives in us, we live in him.
And up until that final day
With all our fears cast far away
We live secure, trust in his love,
Never alone, Christ is with us.

SAR 2006

Scot McKnight on Zealotry

This essay is really worth a read.

McKnight outlines a problem that many evangelicals have with zealotry. To sum it up "Zealotry is conscious zeal to be radically committed, so radically committed that one goes beyond the Bible to defend things that are not in the Bible." McKnight argues that this is similar to the old rabbonic tactic of making a fence around the Torah "..the Torah says not to work on the Sabbath. So, let’s specify every kind of “work”, they say. So they come up with 40 or so kinds of labors that are “work.” These various kinds of works are the “fence” and the Sabbath command is the Torah. If one does not do such “work” a person does not violate the Sabbath working law."

Evangelical zealots can do similar fence building. He gives the example of drinking - the bible says we're not to get drunk. An evangelical fence can be "don't ever drink and you won't get drunk." Drinking in moderation soon becomes not good enough. We must not drink at all.

The problem with such zealotry is that it creates a feeling of "immunity" in the zealot - that they are immune from criticism because unlike others they are going above and beyond what God requires. Ultimately, McKnight argues, it demonstrates a fear of freedom and a lack of belief in the sufficiency of scripture.

I really recommend that you read this article (and parts two and three). Are you a zealot? In what areas of faith and life are you tempted to be? How can we be radically committed to obeying God without imposing more rules on ourselves and others than God does?

Hot Girls

Lots of talk lately about what makes girls attractive.

Check this out. It's worth it.

[nb. Really guys. It's okay. Your godliness will not be compromised!]

Cow Abductions

By aliens.

Seriously.

check this out :-)