Elders, Age and Respect

I’ve been spending some time reflecting on age, wisdom and life over the last couple of weeks. As young-ish people, we are often accused of lacking respect for the old, writing off our seniors as obsolete, and ploughing ahead with our own ideas without respecting tradition. Other cultures don’t seem to share our youthful arrogance; they look to the past in order to find a way forward. Here is a great quote from a book I am reading at the moment,

‘The destination component of ‘walking with God’ offers a metaphor of progress for describing a disciple’s old age and death. The life of the old person is approaching its ‘natural’ outcome, an even closer relationship with God than has characterised the whole journey. This metaphorical perception of the final stage of the journey with God can and does function to transform self-perception, enhance dignity and offer some comfort for ageing mortals.’

I want to add that it also transforms the perception of the young. It exposes our experience and knowledge for what they are, wisdom in waiting.

Update

This week has been tough, my grandmother passed away on Sunday night. I've wanted to stop, take time and try to adjust, but life has carried on at its usual pace. I've found this difficult. This week has seemed unreal. Through all of this, I've found the words of Thomas Merton to be a source of comfort. While words desert me, and conversation with God feels pointless, he looks to something that transcends my understanding of prayer.

'The ever-changing reality in the midst of which we live should awaken us to the possibility of an uninterrupted dialogue with God. By this I do not mean continuous "talk", or a frivolously conversational form of affective prayer which is sometimes cultivated in convents, but a dialogue of love and of choice. A dialogue of deep wills.'

And Finally......

From June 2004 - June 2005, I was studying for an M.Phil in The University of Birmingham, researching into the area of using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels to provide for humanity's energy needs. During that year, I became increasingly aware of the dire situation that the human race finds itself in. With global temperatures increasing significantly, and the frightening possibility of a 'point of no return', things aren't looking good. As a result of this revelation, I began reflecting on my own personal actions and contribution to the wider problem, hence the inclusion of 'Our World' in my spirituality plan. Since moving from Birmingham I've failed to continue many of the practices that I started. Only recently have I begun to revive things.

Our World
Only use a car when absolutely necessary
Use a renewable energy provider
Recycle as much waste as possible
Buy locally produced food where possible

Let me know what you think, what you do, and what you would like to do (I'm expecting big things from the Scrivners).

Light a candle, say a prayer

As someone who struggles to pray, I found this to be really helpful. It takes about five minutes and is worth every second. Thanks to Maggi for the link.

Spirituality II

Of the three areas of spirituality I mentioned in my last post, Our Neighbour is the one that I find most difficult to plan for. There are so many needs, both local and global, that I find myself paralysed by the enormity of the task which usually leaves me doing absolutely nothing. The list below is a work in progress. Since coming back to Swansea I have begun to tackle the first and the last practices, but am still struggling to fit the middle two into my routine. Let me know what you think.

Our Neighbour
Use ethical banks
Buy ethical clothes
Volunteer on a regular basis
Give some money away

Spirituality: Plans and Proposals

One of my lecturers used to say ‘Spirituality is an external manifestation of our internal desires, or more simply, how we live in the world’. On the basis of this, I have been periodically reflecting on how my internal desires (the ones that reflect God’s kingdom that is) are being played out, if at all, in the world of everyday life.

One of my central motivations in joining this whole ‘blog community’ thing was so we could begin or continue (depending on how well we knew each other before) to encourage and motivate each other to live lives that reflect that higher purpose (I think even the Scrivners can include themselves here) that we all want to be a part of.

My spirituality reflections tend to come under three headings, Our God, Our neighbour and Our world; and they detail various practices that I feel will help me live out my internal desires in the immediate future. Given the current state of my journey, I thought I would begin with Our God (I’ll probably post the rest over the next week or so). Please let me know what you think, offer me advice or even better, post your own spirituality plans.

Our God
Immerse myself in the sacred narrative of Christianity
Study and learn from the history of the Christian tradition
Keep a prayer journal
Repeat the Lord’s prayer daily
Pray the rosary
Follow the traditional Christian calendar

New Zealand 41 : Wales 3

Outplayed, outclassed and overpowered. Gutted.

The main mitigating factor was the absence of seven first choice players, but then losers are often found making such excuses. While Wales may be the current dominant force in Northern Hemisphere rugby, the South appear to be in a league of their own.

Are New Zealand the best in the world? Only after the 2007 world cup will we know for sure. In terms of the current tour though, it is difficult to see anyone beating them.

It's been a while

Life has been busy recently. A stag night, a fantastic wedding and the busiest week at work so far has meant blogging has taken a back seat. Anyway, back to buisness...

Halloween came and went and not one trick or treater graced our doorstep for the second year running. Maybe all the kids were out at Halloween parties, or maybe they just heard that I am tight.

All the Halloween festivities on television have got me and Becky thinking about what role Halloween will play when we have kids. Will they be allowed to celebrate with the rest, or is there something more sinister lying beneath it all? When I was younger, my church used to put on Christian parties to compensate; looking back now it just all seems a bit 'Ned Flanders' to me.

We ended up coming to the conlusion that we probably would let our kids celebrate Halloween. What do you think?

Interpretation, a shining example

A few of us have recently been having a discussion about interpreting the Old Testament. Interpretation is always a difficult task, whether we are dealing with ancient texts or contemporary cinema we always run the risk of missing the point. This problem is brilliantly illustrated by a slightly different take on the film 'The Shining' (thanks to Si for the link). You can view the trailer here.

Wouldn't you just love to have a foster father like Jack?

The Journey: Destination and Process

The last six years have proved to be fairly complex in terms of my faith and spirituality. I have had many highs and lows, and the sheer pace of life has turned what could have been a pleasant stroll into a rollercoaster ride that is difficult to get off. From being a happy clappy ‘God is cool’ Christian, I became an angry bitter self-righteous cynic and am currently located somewhere in-between the two.

As a result of these experiences, I have found the concept of ‘journey’ to be a useful metaphor for my spiritual life. It has provided me with a framework to cope with my ups and downs. Whether I am taking on new beliefs or rediscovering old ones, I am able to see myself as heading towards a destination.

I have been reflecting this week on the differences between destination and the process of the journey itself. In my case, the destination is God; that is where I am heading. However, the manner in which I am getting there is not so straightforward. When I lost my faith, I focused all my energy into sorting through the mess myself. While I had significant conversations with those around me, the majority of progress took place within my own mind, on my terms.

The journeys in the biblical narrative not only have God as the destination but also as co-traveller. While I may have the former, the latter is alien to me. I do not know what it is like to ‘walk with God’. To journey with God is to lose my autonomy, something I find very difficult to give up. It would mean a walk characterised by obedience, a life beyond my own control. Maybe this is what it is to know God.

Any thoughts or advice?

Individualism and Consumerism

Kiera e-mailed me the other day to point me to this article written by a guy called Mark Sampson. It’s a great piece and highlights individualism and consumerism as the two big problems that face the church in our day. However, while Mark highlights the issues well, he doesn’t give us much advice on how to deal with these two behemoths (not a criticism, just an observation; probably not his intention anyway).

Andy Crouch has written an excellent article on how the sacraments themselves (particularly baptism and the Eucharist) are potent resources for those wanting to follow Christ in the world. Here are his main points:

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, it is clear that baptism was central to the self-understanding of the early Christians. Paul argues that when we present our bodies to God (the same bodies risen from baptism), we are one body, not many (Romans 12). As we begin to ‘live out’ our baptism, we are offered a model of true community living.

While baptism aids us against individualism, the Eucharist offers us a way past consumerism. At the table we consume the simplest of foods, the meal does not nourish us and yet is the ‘bread of life’ and the ‘fruit of the true vine’. Nobody gets preferential treatment, all have the same meal and there is no menu with a hierarchy of products.

Many of us from low-church backgrounds tend not to practice the sacraments much, if at all. Are we missing the point?

The Soap Opera: Opt-out for the socially stunted or Valid moral forum?

I’ve had some interesting conversations over the weekend with Rosie, James and Ben that have got me thinking again about the worth, or lack thereof, of soap operas. I used to hate them. As far as I was concerned, they were for people who preferred to spend their time following fictional creations rather than getting involved with real people and communities. I don’t think that anymore. After spending a year or so living with my wife’s Eastenders addiction, some of her arguments have begun to persuade me otherwise.

The soap opera can be an effective forum where ethical issues that would otherwise go un-discussed invite comments and opinions from all who watch. In a culture like ours, where morals and values tend to be ignored in much public discussion, the soap opera provides an opportunity to contemplate the good and the bad in life. Fair enough, there is a lot of rubbish around (anyone who saw Peggy Mitchell throw Chrissy into the grave of twice dead Dirty Den will agree), but many serious issues are also covered (e.g, Adoption, terminal illness and child abuse to name but a few).

What do you reckon?

Knitting Update

Well, as promised, here is a picture of my work in progress. It's not very big, I know, but then I've been a bit busy over the last week and time has been a bit limited. The measurements are 6 inches from left to right, and 1.5 inches top to bottom. There's a long way to go.

Rosie and James are coming to stay with us this weekend. Really looking forward to seeing them again. As a result, blog will be quiet. Until Monday.

Old Testament Interpretation II

The same lecturer who made the analogy I used in my previous post, has some interesting thoughts on this issue. Below is my understanding of his main argument.

The Old Testament was written, read and then re-read by communities down through history, up to the present day. In fact, it was the re-reading and re-appropriation of many of the Psalms that led to their collection and eventual canonisation. For example, Psalm 2 starts ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’. This was probably used originally at successive Judean king’s coronations. However, it was likely collected and canonised due to eschatological re-readings surrounding hope (that is re-readings appropriating the language to the Messiah), after the exile to Babylon. And more recently, the passage has been re-read christologically (that is with Christ in mind) by the New Testament writers (e.g Heb 1:5). The process of re-reading and appropriation is therefore intrinsic to much of the Old Testament.

Jesus also partook in the tradition of re-reading the psalms. His beatitude about the meek inheriting the earth is a re-reading of an ancient Hebrew idea expressed clearly in psalms 25 and 37 (amongst others); the idea of land. In his appropriation, Jesus stretches ‘land’ to refer to the whole earth, he stretches the chronology of the passage to refer to the Age to come, and his promise includes all followers of Jesus, not just the nation of Israel.

Jesus constructs a trajectory of meaning that arches across time, cultures and covenants. The pillars of this trajectory include Deuteronomy and psalms 25 & 37. This allows us to bridge the chasm between author and reader without denying it’s existence.

What do you all think, a solution or not?

Old Testament Interpretation

Tim has recently been making some noise, both on and off his blog, around the issue of authority and the Old Testament. I have been struggling with the problem of how the OT text can be interpreted today. While I like the idea of reading the OT within a narrative context (see Tim’s post), I don’t see how setting it in the context of a story makes interpretation any easier. There is still a gap between the then and now that makes appropriation difficult. If we read the text as it’s contemporaries would have read it, then we lack application today; yet if we read it with today in mind, we run the risk of distortion.

One of my lecturers has used the analogy of a young couple looking to rent a flat to describe the dilemma. There is a tension between the original state of the property as the lease agreement was signed, and the degree to which the couple may alter the flat to make it their own. A subjective reading of the OT takes the view of the tenant, but when does the re-decorating of the original become a distortion and not an enhancement. A more objective reading would take the view of the landlord; that the apartment should stay as originally designed without any alterations or modifications, leaving the tenants without a homely environment.

In fact, this is not a problem only for the OT. To a lesser degree, we have a similar appropriation gap with the New Testament texts. What are peoples thoughts on how to solve/ live with this problem?

Knitting as a spiritual discipline

It is time to come out of the closet. I knit in my spare time. But, before you judge me as some kind of effeminate weirdo, bear these points in mind.

1. Knitting helps develop patience (a fruit of the Spirit, I believe).
2. Knitting an item of clothing helps develop commitment.
3. Making your own clothes helps develop thankfulness for the clothes we already have and take for granted.
4. The rythmic repitition involved in knitting can be a useful prayer aid.
5. Knitting can be a further step on the journey towards a sustainable life.

After a few weeks of practicing on small pieces, I have just begun my first attempt at an adult scarf. I will be posting photos as I progress. If there are any kindred spirits out there (unlikely I know) then I can recomend this site for learning.

Off to Gregynog

Will be away for a few days in mid-Wales. Blog will therefore be quiet. Until later.

Fuel protests

So, after all the fuss, nothing really happened. Gorden blamed the oil producers and the oil producers blamed Gordon. A few farmers caused havoc on the M4 but the expected fuel crisis never really materialised. It seems to me like most of the discussion in the media misses the point.

At the end of the day, we are running out of oil (therefore it is bound to get more expensive), and our excessive use of it is killing the planet (raising taxes helps to reduce this). I wish that we would leave behind all the guff about expensive fuel and start to act positively. On a government level this means serious investment in alternative technologies, and on a personal level this means using public transport and generally cutting down on the amount of energy we use.

Rant over.

Welcome, new bloggers

After sending out emails asking a bunch of mates to start blogs and join the conversation I have already had three positive replies. No women yet though (come on ladies). All the new blogs are listed on the left under 'Amigos'. Lets hope we can use this as a forum to encourage each other in our faith and lives in general. God bless bloggers!

New job started today

Today I began my new job as a trainee probation officer. For the next two years I will be learning the ins and outs of what it takes to stop offenders reoffending. First day went well, all the other guys doing the course seem friendly enough and the 9-5 hours didn't kill me. I have a residential three day course in mid-Wales starting on Monday, where I will be introduced to the academic side of the trainee role. Let's hope I don't end up sleeping in any randomn train stations after too much wine (eh Rob).

1st Year Wedding Anniversary

Well we have made it through our first year, and what a day we are having to celebrate. Starting with a cooked breakfast at my Mum's for 10, church for the rest of the morning, a boat trip round gower in the afternoon and fine dining at Oxwich (the hotel we got married in) this evening.

Harry Potter VI

Recently finished reading the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series. Wow! what a book. This one is definitely the best of the first six, much darker than the other five. Harry really comes of age, and the stage is set for the final chapter when Harry must face the Dark Lord for the final time.

I've heard some great ideas for possible plot themes in the final book. Harry the horcrux, Dumbledores resurection and Snape's vindication to name but a few. Whatever the outcome, a painful two years awaits us until the final book is released.

Too busy to blog!

Wow, what a busy month it has been. Trying to find a job, house and new car have all taken up the time that I would normally use to blog. Coupled with the problem of intermitent internet access, the result has been virtally no blogging for at least a month. Once we find a house and set up the internet then things should get back to normal.

Just relaxing in the sun

Malta is wicked. Lots of time to relax and read all those books I've been hoarding for the last year or so. It is very hot (a local told us it was 38 degrees on tuesday), but I have managed to avoid getting too sunburnt so far.

Looking forward to Monday when we are off to swim in the blue lagoon where some of the hollywood blockbuster 'Troy' was filmed. We have been warned that at least one tourist gets stung per day by jellyfish, what are the odds it will be me on Monday.

Returned to the promised land

It has finally happened. After five years away, Becky and I have returned to Wales. We are delighted to be around old friends and family once again. Will be off to Malta for seven days as of tomorrow so this blog will be very quiet.

Lions Destroyed

Enough said. Gutted.

Revamped Lions side looks good to go

Clive Woodward has made many welcome changes to the test side that was defeated by the All Blacks last Saturday. Wilkinson returns to fly-half with Henson and Thomas linking up in the centre. A brave choice from Sir Clive to solve the outside centre conundrum, lets hope Thomas is up to it. Shane Williams finally gets a run out at 11 with Robinson on the opposite wing and Lewsey at full back. A renewed back row consisting of Easterby, Moody and Jones should add that element of youthfulness so lacking at the breakdown in the first test. Another key area for the Lions will be the lineouts, lets hope the addition of O'Callaghan and Thompson to the front five will ease the problems. If any Lions XV can do it, I reckon this team can.

Lions 109: Manwatu 6

It wasn't even a contest, although not suprising given that many of the hosts were only part timers. Shane Williams was man of the match and he certainly deserved it, he was everywhere. Whether finishing, supporting or creating, he was always involved. Worryingly, Woodward chose to take Robinson off early in the second half suggesting he still favours the english winger over the dazzling talent of Williams for a test place on Saturday.

The commentators also mentioned that Greenwood was rumoured to be starting outside Henson in the second test. The rumour had better just be a rumour. Greenwood was rubbish last Saturday (suprise suprise) and shouldn't even make the bench. My Lions XV for Saturdy's test would be as follows,

Forwards:
White, Thompson, Jenkins, O'Connell, O'Callaghan, Easterby, Jones, Corry/Owen

Backs:
Peel/Dawson, Wilkinson, Williams, Henson, Smith/Horgan, Thomas(c), Lewsey

Last day at the office

Today is my last day as an M.Phil student at the University of Birmingham. I have cleaned all my equipment and cleared out my desk; all that remains now is for me to leave. I have mixed feelings about going. On the one hand I will be leaving friends behind, turning my back on the efforts to prevent environmental catastrophe and saying goodbye to the possibility of ever being called Dr. Matthews. On the other, I am going back to live in the greatest place in the world, face new challenges as a probation officer/teacher and get back involved with the faith community I grew up in. A strange mixture of sadness and excitement.

All Blacks 21 : Lions 3

What a disaster! The Lions were outclassed in all areas of the game and never looked like a team that could beat the awesome All Blacks. Losing O' Driscoll to a dislocated shoulder in the first minute was a massive blow, one which the Lions never really recovered from. Aside from the first 10 minutes, there was no creativity in the Lion's back line.

The kicking game wasn't great, with both Jones and Wilkinson failing to find touch on numerous occasions. Couple this with Shane Bryne's inability to hit his lineout jumpers and disaster was the inevitable result. The most positive Lion's performance came from the welsh flanker Ryan Jones who made a huge impact when he replaced the injured Richard Hill (not a moment too soon either).

Henson has to play at inside centre for the next test, his playmaking creativity and ability to offload in the tackle were seriously missed. If Shanklin is fit, he is the only real option for outside centre now that O'Dricoll is out (Greenwood was awful, and shouldn't even have been on the tour let alone the starting XV). Robinson was poor and needs to be replaced by someone with a little more flare. Shane Williams is the obvious choice given his past form against the New Zealanders (check him out for yourself here), Geordan Murphy would also be a good choice.

With regards to the forwards, sorting out the lineouts must be the key priority. It would seem that Grewcock and Thompson are more reliable than Byrne and O'Connell. Ryan Jones should start along with Simon Easterby as neither Back nor Hill made a significant contribution.

Whatever happens, Woodward has to face up to the fact that he made a disasterous mistake in choosing experience over form. He needs to stop forcing a style of rugby on a team that needs to be free to express itself in a way that we all know it can.

My suggested XV for the next test would be as follows

Forwards
Jenkins, Thompson, White, O'Connell, Grewcock, Easterby, Jones, Correy.

Backs
Peel/Dawson, Jones/Wilkinson, Williams, Henson, Shanklin, Thomas, Lewsey.

The day of reckoning awaits

So, Saturday is nearly upon us and all will be clear in around 14 hours. Whether Woodward was right to stick with a side that has not played great rugby in the last 18 months is yet to be decided. All I hope is that for the rest of the tour he will select players in great form, not players with great reputations. The day of reckoning awaits.....

It is finished

After 11 months and 22 days I have just finished the first draft of my M.Phil thesis. Whoot! Whoot! I will be handing it in to my supervisor later this morning and then wasting the rest of the day because I can. The title is 'A Novel Borohydride for Hydrogen Storage'. It is basically looking at the problem of onboard hydrogen storage in fuel cell powered vehicles.

You must be joking Sir Clive

The Lions team who are to face New Zealand on Saturday was announced this morning. Can't say I 'm too suprised by the selection, Clive has stuck with what he knows best. Unfortunatley, I think he's overlooked some cracking talent in the process. Why on earth is Jonny Wilkinson playing at inside centre, Umanga is going to eat him alive. Nothing about Wilkinson's game has looked awesome, whereas players like Henson and Shanklin have really shown promise. And Robinson back at full back? Josh Lewsey has been excellent in that position, why give it to Robinson who has had a bad season and looked pretty average in the one Lion's game he played. I think putting either Shanklin or Williams on the wing and Lewsey at full back would be much better selection. I know everyone thinks that Shane is too small, but it didn't bother him when he devestated the All Blacks defence in both the World Cup and the Autumn tour. Anyway, enough of the ranting, Clive has made his decision and I just hope the boys can pull it off. COME ON THE LIONS!

Camera got nicked; Aaaaarrrggghhhh!

The stag night was awesome, lots of fun had by all and the stag wasn't punished too badly. Unfortunately, my camera got nicked halfway through the evening meaning all the photos got lost. Gutted.

Doing us proud

The Welsh contingent in the Lions Tour are playing beautiful rugby (okay maybe I am slightly biased). With four of the last five trys scored by welshmen, Clive Woodward had better take notice and select accordingly. My particular favourite was Shane Williams skipping round the Otago defence for the third try this morning, magic. My Lions XV for the first test would be as follows;

PR- White
HK- Byrne
PR- Jenkins
SR-Grewcock
SR- O' Connell
Fl- Back
Fl- Easterby
No8- Jones

SH- Peel
FH- Jones
WG- Williams
IC- Henson
OC- O' Driscoll
WG- Shanklin
FB- Lewsey

Bring on the All Blacks!!!

Stag night, bring the chaos!

Off to Harpendon tonight for a mates stag party, should be lots of fun. Will be good to catch up with friends that I haven't seen for a while. If you are reading this Jon, BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!!!!!!! Photos will follow.

Theological worldview quiz

Just tried the theological worldview quiz here. I came out as emergent/postmodern.

'You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.'

Emergent/Postmodern 89% Neo orthodox 75% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 64% Roman Catholic 54% Classical Liberal 36% Modern Liberal 32% Reformed Evangelical 14% Fundamentalist 14% Charismatic/Pentecostal 11%

I have eaten of the apple and it tastes good!

Well, after weeks of careful deliberating, researching and soul searching, I finally made the switch from PC to Mac. My first ever ibook arrived just this morning. Already I have recieved a torrent of abuse from my PC using friends and a hearty welcome from other mac users. Whether I have made the right decision or not will only become clear with time; until then, I will be basking in the glory of the ibook with my new smug mac-users grin on show for all to see.