Spelling competition

It's a late arrival, but just in time for the worst spelling mistake of 2008 contest. Regular readers will have seen my pictures of spelling and grammar errors around where we live - most within a mile. The easiest way to view them is to enter "spelling" in the search blog box to the left on the top of this page.

Well, for this one I had to travel about a mile and a half, but it was worth it! Click on the photograph to obtain a larger image.

I have to say I think it wins the prize!

Carolling away

In my previous entry (below), I mentioned the lack of carol singing. I must admit, however, that there are some carols I dislike. Take Once in royal David's city which, to me, goes on rather with six verses. And then with lines like:


Christian children all should be,
Mild, obedient, good as He.


- my reaction inside is "yuk!" Sorry if that offends anyone.


It ends with:


When like stars His children crowned,
All in white shall be around.

- my reaction is these are the last two things you do with children - dress them in white (because they'll get filthy immediately) and then get them to "wait around"; I can hear the "I'm bored" protests getting louder by the second!

Then there's another stalwart, The first nowell. Again, it goes on rather with six verses (although there was at least nine originally). But it says, concerning the shepherds:


They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;

- no they didn't! The angels appeared to them (as the first verse says) and the magi followed the star (as the third verse says). When our carols actually get the story wrong, I tend to shy away from choosing them!

And, by the way, why is noel spelt nowell only in this carol?

And then, Away in a manger (attributed to Martin Luther) tells us that the baby Jesus wakes up but "no crying he makes". Why not? In my experience all healthy babies cry! And Scripture says that Jesus was like us in every way, except that he didn't sin. And I don't rate a baby crying as sin!



Well, that's my commentary on some Christmas carols. But they are great tunes and somehow they make Christmas. So, next year, let's hear them all again (but if we can cut down the verses of the six plus ones, I would appreciate it!).

Christmas comes ... and goes

From a spiritual point of view, it was an odd Christmas. By lunchtime Christmas Day I'm usually "carolled out" as I've sung the most popular ones a number of times by then. But this year, with a combination of not being in a pastorate and having a cold that lasted two and a half weeks, I felt I had hardly celebrated Christmas at all. For the first time in 23 years I was not taking part in Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services; instead, we went over to my sister-in-law's. Now we thought we would go to a late night service on the Eve, but listed locally were only Anglican churches, plus the Methodist church which was doing communion.

Now I've led Christmas Eve communions and I know they can be special times (in Barnet, it was always by candlelight). However, I'm afraid the Methodist service was just as Anglican as C of E churches, if not more so! I realise this is just our preference, but it didn't do a lot for us. Especially as it seemed to be 'karaoke' carols, as we think the organ music was being played from a CD, rather than the organ keyboard. It was a case of keep up or else! Plus, of course, a carol that we didn't know, but it was by Charles Wesley, so that's alright then!

So a slightly odd Christmas for us. I hope next year I will have a church and I promise I will be grateful, even when I've sung "O come all ye faithful" for the sixth time!

Creating about creation

On Christmas Eve eve (i.e. Tuesday), there was an article in the paper reporting on a survey that said 73% of science teachers agreed creationism should be discussed alongside evolution in science classes. Of course we immediately got some arrogant blustering from dear old Richard Dawkins, who is reported to have said it is a "national disgrace" and that we are "failing to in our duty to children if we staff our schools with teachers who are this ignorant - or this stupid."

First of all it is shades of emperor's new clothes, in that anyone who disagrees with Prof. Dawkins is either ignorant or stupid. Secondly, it really does illustrate that people like him are running scared of those who actually believe in a God who created the universe. If this notion is so ridiculous, as he would have us believe, then let it fade away by itself,as surely it must.

But then again, maybe there is something in it. And that's why he's so against open discussion in schools - people might realise there is a reasonable alternative worldview to his.

I got for Christmas the book Creation or Evolution - Do we have to choose? by Denis Alexander, a senior scientist. I'll let you know what he says.

Christmas Eve

To all my blog readers:

A Joyful Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

We remember at this time of year, "When the right time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman, ... to redeem us." (Galatians 4:4) That's the good news we hold on to. The Hope of the World has come - and that must bring hope to all who believe in Jesus as the Son of God become a human being for us.

At the present time I am still unemployed but I know the Lord has something up His sleeve. In the meantime I intend to enjoy celebrating Christ's birth with the family. And then in the New Year - well, we trust God for that.

Revealed - Santa has a false beard!

In our local paper, more Santa mayhem! It was reported that whilst children were waiting to see Father Christmas, the very man came out of his grotto, took his beard off and said he'd be back in a few minutes! Children were, apparently, 'shocked' at this behaviour!

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will already know my thoughts about Father Christmas, although I see no harm in going to see one of the father Christmas's around if the children want to. Just don't be too disappointed if his beard comes off!

Another local news item of non-joy at Christmas is that EDF have scheduled a power cut around the High Street this Sunday morning. They are reported to have said they timed it for a Sunday given the number of business premises in the area. Presumably no-one twigged that many of them were shops, and the Sunday one and half weeks before Christmas is probably one of the few Sundays most of them will be open.

Still where would we be without our wonderful privatised utility companies?

I should add that the power cut will not affect us - Sunday trading and all that!

More news on the whereabouts (or not) of Father Christmas

A few days ago I blogged about why I thought we shouldn't bring up our children to believe in Father Christmas. I find it is quite a hot topic. In The Guardian Annalisa Barbieri defends the stance of encouraging this belief. One of my three arguments against is that it is lying to our children. Annalisa defends this by quoting a psychotherapist who suggests we should not think of it as lying, but "about stimulating the imagination, creating fantasy and not always making the world concrete. We all need to know how to do this in order to have an imagination and to explore our own creativity." That's great! Kids must do this. They will catch on quickly. When they deny hitting their sibling or taking sweets from the shop, and are found out, when they say, "I wasn't lying, I was just using my imagination and exploring my creativity," that will be OK then.

Actually I think many grown-ups have difficulty telling the difference between reality and imagination. So just as a help, concerning television:

Eastenders is not reality.

I'm a Celebrity... is reality, but not as we know it.

The News is reality mixed with confrontational interviews and opinions of the reporters.

In the Night Garden - well, I can't make head nor tail of this on the few occasions I've watched it with my two year old granddaughter. Why does the roundabout go round and bits grow up out of it? What is the point of the Pontipine family (have I spelt that right?). Why does that little train shoot round every so often? Why does Maccapacca have a zimmer frame? And how did they persuade Derek Jacobi to do the voice over?

Maybe this is reality and somewhere in darkest rural England is a wood where it all actually happens. If anyone is wandering in a wood and sees the airship, do let me know.

Credit Crunch bites

My newspaper says Tesco's have issued "an unusually gloomy quarterly trading update". You see, horror of horrors, their trading for the last quarter was only up by 2%! That didn't include gains from new stores - so I assume to include them would mean their sales up more than 2%.

So let me get this right - we're in a recession, but their profits are still UP! And that's 'gloomy'?

A bit of reality here would be nice ...

More attempts at Humour ...

When our Bible Study group met, someone asked, "If a tin whistle is made out of tin, what is a fog horn made out of?" All I could say was that the answer was not at all clear.

What's that got to do with Bible study, you may ask. Probably nothing. But we did get to looking at those maps at the back of one's Bible. And the same person found "Well of Harod" on one map. This caused various questions to be asked, like, "Is it near to Al-Fayed?" Last week I said there's another place. Previously it was Harod's Well, this week it's "Woolworth's Ill".

We do also do Bible study when we meet, honest!

A free lunch?

My wife went to the gym cafe early this morning and thought she'd buy herself one of the sandwiches in the cold cabinet but was told she couldn't have one as they were yesterday's. He hadn't taken yesterday's sandwiches off the shelf or made today's yet. She offered to pay him half price. No, he said but she could have it for free! That meant they couldn't be liable if she was ill after eating it.

That's health and safety, of course. But my wife did a risk assessment - it was made yesterday and wrapped in cling film. It had been in the cold cabinet all day and night - so she decided it was OK took it.

So there can be a free lunch after all - as long as it's stale!

You'll never guess ..

A few weeks ago we found an offer of buying discounted vouchers to redeem at a well-known High Street store. You got 10% extra free. It seemed a good so we got some and were going to spend them next week when we went Christmas shopping.


You'll never guess which shop! Oh, you have! Yes, Woolworths! It's been going 99 years and the week before we go to spend there they go into administration. Still, the branches are still open at present, so the radio says. So must sign off, we're nipping down to Basildon Woolies today...

Life - Past, Present & Future

Today I came across a poem that I wrote when I passed the milestone of 50 years old. Of course that was 10+ years ago now. Anyway, I thought you might enjoy it. Perhaps doggerel is a better description than poem!

Life - Past, Present & Future

Shout hip hip hooray, I'm 50 today!

The prime of my life has now come my way.

No ageism here, 'cos 50's OK!

But casting my mind back to my youth if I may -

With no tele to watch, then games we would play;

A packet of sugar - one and threepence you'd pay

And decimal coinage was miles away!

And if one was happy, one said one was gay.

But back to the present, for here we must stay;

The legs start to ache, the hair's really grey

And even my suit is starting to fray!

But if from the subject I'm tending to stray

Let's look to the future; to stand, come what may;

Keep contact with Jesus, your fears he'll allay.

Whatever comes to you, just follow his way.

Now to misquote the advert, I'll finally say,

The Spirit each day, helps you work, rest and pray.

(Eric Baldwin, July 1997)

Dishonourable discharge for Sergeant?

So John Sergeant has bowed out of Strictly in case he wins it! It doesn't matter how the great British public vote. What if Lib Dem candidates at the next election worked on the same principle? [Just think about it!]

But the BBC have shot themselves in the foot. I won't be watching Strictly on Saturday now.

No need to unblock the chimney after all ...

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I often am at the lengths some parents go to ensure their children don’t find out the terrible truth the father Christmas doesn’t actually exist. No, he doesn’t! Sorry if I’ve shattered your illusions but it had to happen sometime! You don't have to unblock the fireplace for 24 December!

Actually, I think we should not bring up our children to believe in Father Christmas and here are three reasons why.

Firstly, the fact is that we are lying to them. We tell our children not to tell lies, and then by stringing them along about Father Christmas we are in fact lying to them. It doesn’t seem to me to be a very good example to set to our children

Secondly, what about Jesus? When they find out that Santa is only a myth, what about the other story that comes out at Christmas, the one about the baby Jesus born in a stable? Isn’t that a myth also? If Father Christmas doesn’t really exist, why should Jesus? As I’m a firm believer that Jesus did and does exist, I don’t want children’s beliefs prejudiced by the mythical Father Christmas.

Finally, we give our children presents because we love them. Why do we assign away our love to an imaginary figure from Lapland? Our children need to know in as many ways as possible that we love them. So tell them the presents you bought them are from you!

End of rant! But do think on …

A cat conundrum

My sister in law wants to get rid of the thing she had for the cat, a kind of activity centre. If I remember rightly, it's a sort of wooden post that's matted, so the cat can claw it, and has things hanging from it for the cat to play with.

Anyway, she called it a cat playstation. Which made me wonder if there's a cat wii (this might make more sense if you say it out loud!).

I'm back.

It's been a long time since I last blogged. My apologies to all out there who read my musings. Excuses include a week's holiday in Spain. And may I say at this point that the rain in Spain actually falls everywhere, but especially Malaga!

It's all been happening here though. No, not the credit crunch, rising unemployment and all that, but the fact that John Sergeant is still in Strictly! The judges are appalled that the public are voting off better dancers, and Cherie Lunghi's partner James Jordan definitely wasn't happy!

But actually this is what the BBC wants. Even I may watch it next time, just to see John! So while everyone's rowing, the viewing figures are up and it's proving what the BBC knew all along, this isn't so much a dance show as how to get good ratings on a Saturday evening.

But I ought to say something about the parlous state of the economy. Today a CBI report came out saying things are worse than they thought. More doom and gloom ... But hang on a minute! What they are saying is they got it wrong in September when they thought things weren't too bad. And, of course, they got it completely wrong as they didn't see the credit crunch coming anyway. So as they've got it so wrong so often, why does this latest report snatch the headlines? My report on CBI's reports says, "C-, try to do better next time." But I don't hold out a lot of hope.

The best advert in the world? Probably not!

It was reported yesterday that the atheists are starting an advertising campaign on buses. It reads, There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life. An interesting idea that religious people worry more. For a good article on this see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/22/religion-anglicanism


Well done to the Methodist Church who have welcomed Richard Dawkins' "continued interest" in God! When Dawkins is on TV he comes across as arrogant and very often angry. If that's the result of not worrying for an atheist, thanks, but no thanks!


He is reported to have said, "This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion." The usual lies from him. A lot of my time is thinking through my faith, especially as I prepare for a sermon, talk or study. And I encourage my listeners to think also! I want them to own their faith, not because I say so, but because they have worked it out for themselves.

The tragic case of the death of Gayle Williams at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan illustrates the passion many Christians have for helping people and trying in some small way to make the world a better place, rather than the atheist who is just out to 'enjoy' his life.

Although Gayle was killed for "preaching the Christian message in Afghanistan", she wasn't, she was just helping disabled people. But that is the real threat to the militants. Not so much the preaching of Christianity but the demonstration of it through loving service to others. That is a most feared weapon to those against Christianity, the sharing of Christ's love to others.


But back to that bus advert. Alpha has been advertising on buses for years - interesting that the atheists are trying to catch up!

Christmas is, of course, coming ...

I went with my daughter and granddaughter to a Spanish restaurant for lunch yesterday. And, guess what, you can now book your Christmas dinner! What's more, you can receive 20% off your party's food bill if you hold it before 25 November (yes, November!). Is it really a Christmas dinner over a month before Christmas? Come to that, is it really a Christmas dinner as there isn't roast turkey, brussel sprouts or Christmas pudding on the menu? You can't really have Christmas without them can you? (on second thoughts you could jettison the sprouts!)

Banking Crisis

It's difficult to know when to write anything about the current financial state of the country as it changes day by day. But today we have the news that the tax payer will bail out banks to the tune of £37 billion. Also announced is that chief executives and chairmen of both RBS and HBOS are to resign. But don't shed too great a tear for them. According to an article I read recently, the CE of HBOS was due to be paid £2.337 million this year and the CE of RBS a whopping £5.375 million!

Some are saying the current situation is the death knell of the "Thatcher era". Do you remember her "trickle down" theory, which said when the rich get richer, the wealth "trickles down" to the poor? Well, the minimum wage stands at £5.73 an hour. For someone working a 40 hour week and being paid for 52 weeks a year, they receive just under £12,000. Contrast that with the above figure of £5,375,000. "Trickle down"? I don't think so. From my observation, when the rich get richer, the rich get richer - full stop.

But, hey! If the person on the minimum wage works for about 450 years, he, too, can earn what the CE earns in one year! Oh, and by the way, again according to those figures, that CE was paid £1.916 million in 2003. This means, according to my calculations, an increase of 180% from 2003 to 2008. I haven't got the figures in front of me, but does anyone know if the minimum wage went up by 180% in that time?

Proud parents and grandparents

Last Sunday was even more special than the prevoius Sunday I wrote about below. It was the occasion of the thanksgiving and dedication service of our two granddaughters. Those regular readers of the blog will know that earlier this year we had the joy of both of our daughters giving birth to baby girls. So on Sunday I led a special service when both families came to church to give thanks for their safe arrivals. I'm pleased to say that all six grandparents were there, along with many other family, friends and members of the church.

I'd like to share with you two things I mentioned in my talk. Firstly, I said that I think we are in danger of losing that sense of wonder - of nature in general and of the miracle of birth in particular. We live in a scientific age and the fact that life is happening all around us means we can so easily forget how incredibly complicated even a single cell of our body is! Not only is it immensely complex, it also has the ability to reproduce itself! And within each one is the complete blueprint for who we are in the DNA.

3,000 years ago a Psalmist said this to God:
You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-14)

This wasn't a scientific statement – but an awe & worship statement. And that’s what we’re in danger of losing.

The second thing is a reminiscence of when I was about 13 years old. The house next door to us had been bought by a charity and was used as a hostel for single mums and their babies. We used to chat to some of the mums and I remember one mum saying that when she told her parents she was pregnant (and not married), they completely disowned her and would have nothing more to do with her. This was, of course, getting on for 50 years ago now. But I remember vowing to myself, if I ever had children I'd never give up on them.

Well, all those years on and I'm pleased to say our two daughters have never done anything that might be considered a "give up on them" offence! And I just wanted to encourage them to never give up on their kids.

For all our children are gifts from God to us, entrusted to us for a time. Then they leave home. But it's always a joy when they return to visit! And it doesn't take too long to clear up afterwards!

Back to the past

The weekend before last I was back at the first church I pastored, in Barnet. I was there to take their anniversary services and also I had the privilege of performing a baptism. Let me explain that in baptist churches we don't baptise babies. Instead we wait for a person to make their own decision about their faith, so we baptise believers. Some call what we do adult baptism but that isn't really right. The requisite for baptism is not that you attain a certain age, but that you believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and who died for your sins. So it's believers' baptism.

But back to the Sunday. It was a great time and as I knew the person being baptised, it was even more special. He had started coming to the church when I was Pastor but had only just recently decided he wanted to be baptised.

Also special was I was able to use the new baptismal pool. As we baptise "by immersion" we need a reasonable sized pool. Unfortunately (believe it or not!), when they built the Baptist church, they didn't plan in a baptistery! So it was a kind of afterthought, very small and shallow and with a sort of step ladder to get in.

Although the new pool was being installed when I left the church, it wasn't until last week I was able to use it. The picture shows a number of us ten years ago manhandling the new pool into the church! The picture comes from the church website http://www.underhillbc.org.uk/ .

So, thank you to the church for making us so welcome and we pray many more baptisms in the future!

Newcastle

I hear that a Nigerian consortium has put in a bid for Newcastle Football Club. Presumably all the club has to do to receive the £420m is to send off £10m, to pay the necessary taxes ...

Signing On

As an unemployed person, I now have to go and sign on each fortnight. I am in the process of finding a new pastorate, but these things cannot be rushed! The young lad I see has his questions he has to ask me (I think they are on his computer screen on front of him). However, as he realises, "Pastor" is not a run-of-the-mill job. The previous time he said that he had to look up their website to see if they had any vacancies, but sad (though unsurprisingly!) to say, they didn't have any for a Pastor.

In times past I've heard some horror stories of people who have come into contact with a job centre (or one of its previous incarnations) but I must say the staff here are pleasant, and last time they kept apologising because we were kept waiting.

So, it's not a bad thing to go through what many people have to go through when they find themselves redundant. But I, like many of them, hope it won't be too long before we have to bother the staff no more at the job centre!

Miscellany

It's been a while since I've blogged and a number of things have caught my eye, so thought it was time to update all of you out there.

My wife had an appointment to go to the "Ophthalmic Department" of Orsett Hospital. When she arrived and asked for the Ophthalmic Department, she was told to follow the signs for the eye clinic! Is this another case of dumbing down? Or maybe it's just a way of cutting the cost of those signs!

-----------------------------------

On the one hand I don't want to go on about misuse of apostrophes, but on the other hand ... Painted on the window of a nearby pub that does food are the words, "All your need's catered for!" Clever use of 'catered', pity about the apostrophe. I want to ask, "What about my needs to read correct grammar?

Then, again within a mile of home, I found this wonderful sign up on the window of a shop that was closing down. It's pictured here, but you will probably need to click on the picture to see a larger image in order to read the all important small writing on the green poster.


It's pretty rotten really. It means if you buy a left shoe, you have to buy the right one as well!

Put your fingers in your ears!

Yet again, following on from the previous blog, if scientists actually recreate in the LHC what happened at the Big Bang, will we be able to "Listen Again" on the BBC website?

If so, my advice is turn your volume down first!

LHC again ...

Following on from my last blog, I've heard a number of people asking why the LHC particle accelerator was actually built, seeing it has cost so much, and will continue to cost so much. Well, according to the BBC, "the Large Hadron Collider will re-create the conditions just after the Big Bang in an attempt to answer fundamental questions of science and the universe itself. "

It reminds me of a quote from a book entitled God and the Astronomers by Robert Jastrow, founder of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The book was published in 1978 and Jastrow described himself as an agnostic. This is the quote:

The scientists' pursuit of the past ends in the moment of creation. This is an exceedingly strange development, unexpected by all but the theologians. They have always accepted the words of the Bible: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth" ... For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.

I like it!

God is in Control!

As you may know, at 8.30 am this morning the massive particle accelerator in Cern, Switzerland was due to be switched on. This enormous machine (a 17 mile ring buried 100 metres down) is designed to give answers to questions about the origin of the universe, among other things. Some have said it might produce a black hole which will go on to swallow the earth. One scientist even lodged an EU lawsuit to try to stop it happening.

However another scientist has said that fears have been 'exaggerated' and the possibility of it happening are 'miniscule'. Even a 'miniscule' chance of ending the world doesn't seem like a risk worth taking, or am I missing something?

Anyway, I was going to write something erudite about this, but my wife rang me this morning. She was on her way to work and at 8.30, when the machine is supposed to be switched on, she turned a corner and there was a beautiful rainbow. It only lasted a few seconds and then it faded. She said it made her cry.

You see, the Bible says that God gave us the rainbow after the great flood as a sign that he wouldn't destroy the earth like that again. God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." (Genesis 9:17)

You see, God is in control! He decides what happens when in our universe. It is safe in his hands.

No prizes!

Congratulations to whoever has just looked at my blog! If you skipped down to the bottom of the page you are the one thousandth visitor! No prizes, though - just the joy of reading my rambles!

More English Misdemeanors!

You may remember my examples of poor punctuation found on signs within about a mile of where we live. See
http://ericgreymatters.blogspot.com/2008/03/im-fan-of-lynne-truss-who-wrote-eats.html

Well, I've been out again for some more English misdemeanors. Here are two, still within a mile of where we live. Click on the picture to obtain a larger image. First of all, we need to remember we aren't living in America! We spell it "Centre" over this side of the pond.

And then the troublesome apostrophe. I don't particularly like contracting 'and' to the single letter 'n', but if we must, it needs to have an apostrophe before to signify the 'a' is missing and after to signify the 'd' is missing. In other words, it should read Fish 'n' chips. Having said that, the fish and chips the shop sells are brilliant! So I don't hold the slip-up against them!

Even as I walked down the road before I took the pictures, what should be coming towards me but a car towing one of those mobile food outlets you often find at open air fairs, etc. We saw it earlier this summer and I took this picture.

If you haven't worked it out, it's 'confectionery'. Never mind, I'm sure the sweets are very nice!

That's the end of round two of my one-man attempt to improve the nation's English. Well, it's worth a try!

Back to the country ...

Although we feel at home in Brentwood since we moved here last year there's one thing we do miss from living in Suffolk. And that is, watching BBC's regional news Look East. Here on digital we get London news. However, we can get a very snowy Look East on terrestrial.

As we were in the 'depths' of Essex recently and saw Look East again, we thought we'd watch it tonight through the "snowstorm".

And we were rewarded! Instead of the gritty London stories we heard about:

• a miniature railway where the steam engine had been derailed due to vandalism, even though it was only travelling at 5 mph (no injuries to passengers);
• the growing of different strawberry varieties to see which taste best (complete with a colour card to see when they are the correct colour to pick);
• a fire in a village called Cold Norton (perhaps it should be renamed now!);
• a teenager who has taken over as landlord of a pub in Thornham Magna.

Oh the joys of rural life!

A New Era ...

Well, today is my first day 'unemployed' (for more information about this, see my July blog "The Reason Why" - http://ericgreymatters.blogspot.com/2008/07/reason-why.html ).

Yesterday in church I spoke of the fact that the church has been going through difficult times and that it was a spiritual battle that God had allowed. I quoted Luke 22:31 where Jesus at the last supper said to Simon Peter, "Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

So the church must remain faithful through this current time and be encouraged that Jesus is praying for us! And, when we are through all this, God wants to use the experience to strengthen others! I then challenged people to be part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed". *

So it's a new 'era' for me. I've never been unemployed as such before. But, as I've said earlier, I'm going to use this time to do some study that I've not as yet had time for and, of course, setting the wheels in motion to find a new pastorate.

I read Psalm 71:17-18 recently:

Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

I believe there's still work to do, declaring God's love and power!


* See http://www.godswork.net/inspiration6.htm (although I removed & altered one or two bits).

Beauty for Brokenness

The above is the title of a song from Graham Kendrick, which we sang in church last Sunday. We were on holiday, so we tried the local Baptist Church. After we'd sung the song, the preacher asked us which line of the song particularly spoke to us, although he didn't give us opportunity to share it. By the way, the words can be found at: www.grahamkendrick.co.uk/songs/lyrics/god_of_the_poor.htm

When my wife and I told each other the line that had spoken to each of us, it was the same line! It was, Make us content with the things that we need. Spooky or what? Actually, not spooky! Just God speaking!

More Olympics

Following on from my previous blog, have you noticed that Usain Bolt and his compatroits in the relay had JAM all over their vests!

Olympics

Well, we're on holiday on the Isle of Wight and, as you might guess, the weather is not good! So I'm in the local library. The holiday has given us time to watch a fair amount of Olympics and hasn't it been fantastic? Well done Great Britain! (I hate "Team GB")

I was watching the women's beach volleyball, actually because I enjoy volleyball, although no-one believes me. My wife pointed out that the Brazilian team had "BRA" across their tops. She wondered what the team from Nicaragua had on their briefs.

But back to the medals. Or at least that grating misuse of English, turning medal into a verb, which it isn't (except, perhaps, in America). You win a medal in a sport, you don't medal in it. That is something different and spelt meddle.

This doesn't, of course, detract from our athletes, congratulations to all of them! Even those who haven't won any medals, because they had to be brilliant to qualify for the team in the first place. It's interesting and heart-warming to hear so many of them saying how much they owe to their parents. At a time when we hear so much of gangs and knife crime, it's a timely reminder that there are an enormous number of good families out there, with kids not getting in to trouble. And just a few of them go on to win medals at the Olympics.

Don't Stand for Sats!

The dreaded Sats result continue to come out with tabloid headlines. The latest is that 1 in 5 children didn't reach the standard in English. Actually that means 4 in 5 did reach the standard, that's 80% !

I wonder how many journalists would pass the Sats in maths??

The deluded rich

That was how a disturbing article described wealthy people in the UK. It seems the gap between rich and poor is ever widening, and not just in financial terms. The wealthy have little idea of how the rest live. They have an inflated idea of their own contribution to the economy and when asked what annual salary would put someone in the top 10% of earners, they put it at £162,00, when it was in fact in 2007 around £40,000.

They disliked paying taxes and their great defence is the government is inefficient and public money mis-spent. A group said that the admin costs of paying tax credits was astronomical, when in fact it is 3% - whereas the office costs to turnover for an average city bank is nearer 8%.

But the rich are paying more tax - or are they? An estimate by a tax consultant firm was that in 2006 at least 32 of the UK's 54 billionaires paid no tax at all.

You don't have to prejudiced to be rich, but it helps enormously.

Article in The Guardian 4.8.08. See www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/04/workandcareers.executivesalaries

Our Plans vs. God's Purpose

This verse in Proverbs (in the Bible) has come to my attention a couple of times recently:

You can make many plans but the Lord's purpose will prevail.

It can be viewed in two different ways. One is that whatever we plan to do, God will frustrate it and ensure his purpose happens, which will in turn make us frustrated.

The other way to view it is that even when we make plans that are outside of His purpose, he doesn't just wave us goodbye and let us get on with it. Instead he turns it around somehow. This, then, is encouraging and reassuring!

Which way do you look at that verse? I suppose it depends whether you're a "cup half empty" or a "cup half full" person.

What's even better is to only make plans when you are sure they are in God's purpose. Then you'll be a "cup running over" person!

The Reason Why ...

I said a few blogs back that I'd explain why the blogs were coming less frequently. The reason is we have been a bit preoccupied as I will be leaving my post as Associate Pastor at the end of August. This is basically because the church cannot afford to pay me. In other words the finances of the church have come to a point where at least one member of the staff team had to go.

So, where does that leave me? Well, I will be doing two things. One will be actively seeking a new post and the other will be taking the opportunity to do some study. Not for any diploma or certificate, just some Christian based study in some areas that I particularly want to look at.

In all this, there are two things that I'm sure of. One is that we didn't make a mistake coming to Brentwood almost a year ago. It was God's calling, which we obeyed. The other is that God has a plan for our lives and that will be revealed in the days to come.

In all this I have to say that my wife and I are at peace about it. This is most definitely God's peace that "surpasses human understanding" and not just us!

A happy birthday

Last week was my birthday. My wife agreed to buy me some clothes so we went shopping at Lakeside. Then we had a meal there at Cafe Rouge. It was later that I suddenly asked myself, "What's happening to me? I've spent my birthday evening by choice at Lakeside of all places!!" When we were in Suffolk they talked about getting Suffolkated if you get the pun. I don't know what the equivalent word is for Essex (and I don't think I want to know!), but it may be happening to me!

By the way, have you heard this joke (it loses a little in it being written rather than said). Name a favourite Essex wine. Answer, I wanna go to Lakeside!

On the news again

Once again, I must apologise for my lack of blogging, but I'll tell you the reasons for that soon. In the meantime I was watching the BBC evening news last week - the night it was reported that the proposed 2p increase on petrol duty was not going to happen.

You know they have this fixation on sending reporters to stand outside a place that has some relevance to the news item, even though it would make much more sense (especially in the winter or when it's tipping down with rain) to have them sitting in the studio. Well, true to form Nick Robinson was in a petrol station to report on the aforementioned item. And, what was he doing? Putting petrol into a white van! Nick Robinson, BBC's own white van man! Now we have a clue to his day job! Is it plumbing, plastering or just odd jobs around the house?

Our hearts' desire

I was pondering on Psalm 37 verse 4 recently. It reads:

Delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I've sometimes thought that it sounds a bit dangerous! For instance, will he give me that new car I desire? But it occurred to me that it might mean he will give us the desires he wants us to have. Then there will be no problem for God to then give us those things that our hearts desire, as they are in line with what he wants us to desire. If that makes sense! It does to me!

Blisters and cut hands

You know those so-called "blister packs" that stuff like printer ink cartridges come in? The ones that are almost impossible to open and you normally end up with cut hands on the sharp plastic edges as you try to rip them open? As we get our printer inks from WH Smith, I wrote to complain about the packaging when they changed to these packs from a simple box. Of course, they have done nothing about the packaging, but now we always ask a member of staff to open the pack for us! The ink is still securely wrapped. This, I have to say, they happily do. I suggest you try it there and anywhere else they sell stuff in those type of packs. Just ask the member of staff how you are supposed to open it, and could he show you.

Anyway, it's full marks to WH Smith and less marks on my hands!

On the News

I've just watched the 6 o'clock news. David Cameron was on giving his view of a Conservative NHS. One item was to enable someone to go to any hospital in the country for their treatment. That's interesting because as I understand it, that's what we were able to do before the last conservative overhaul of the NHS. Then because of 'contracts' and goodness knows what else, that became no longer possible.

So the good news is we are back where we were 30 years ago! Will Mr. Cameron admit they got it wrong?

Then it was reported that Sir Alan Sugar may stand as labour candidate for London Mayor in 2012. So could we possibly hear those words, "Boris, you're fired!"

What's in a name?

A couple of months back I blogged about the late night London News and the fact that Louisa Preston ends with, "Enjoy the rest of your evening" (see http://ericgreymatters.blogspot.com/2008/04/nights-no-longer-young.html )

I've noticed of late she doesn't say that anymore. Do you think she reads my blog??? Well, she might just type her name into a search engine and see what it comes up with!

Actually, have you done that with your name? Go on, admit it! I did and found I was a character in a Star Trek (TNG) novel! I am a famed exologist! I actually went & bought a second hand copy of the book off the internet for 1p (plus postage of course!) But then I am a bit of a Trekkie...

Where do we go?

My apologies for not having blogged for such a long time. At least one person has complained - so that's good!

A week or so ago at our Sunday evening worship service, a phrase that came up on the screen caught my eye:

"Help me to go to the cross & not to go with the crowd."

It ties up with other recent blogs of mine. When something goes wrong, or life becomes difficult, it's easier to go with the crowd and have feelings of bitterness, resentment, jealousy or even revenge. The challenge is to take those feelings to the cross, give them over to Jesus and leave them there. Otherwise those negative feelings master us and change us for the worse (look up Genesis 4:6-7 in the Bible). It's always ourselves who are the losers!

Bank Holiday Bunkum

Heard this on Radio 2 a little while ago. This is what you do. Whilst sitting, raise your right leg off the ground and move your foot in a circular clockwise motion. As you are doing that, 'draw' a number six in the air with your right hand. As you do that, your foot will automatically start going anti-clockwise! Try it and see!

This reminded me of something else. When you put on a pair of shoes, do you always put the same shoe on first? I always put the left shoe on first. I only found this out when once I accidentally picked up the right shoe, realised it wasn't the left, put it down & picked up the left, and then I thought, "Why??" I still don't know! Anyone any ideas?

At the Start of the Day ...

Yesterday God reminded me of a verse from a Psalm, which reads:
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

The Lord is always before us, yet it is good, for me at any rate, to "set" him before me in prayer each day. In other words, to acknowledge his presence with me for the day. And to remember that as he is with me each and every day, I need not be 'shaken' by whatever comes along.

The Psalm continues (Psalm 16:9-11):

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

New Name - New Demeanor?

I saw my first Civil Enforcement Officer yesterday! In case you hadn't realised, from April this year Traffic Wardens are no more. And in the tradition of coming up with a silly new name (like dustmen becoming refuse disposal engineers) they are now Civil Enforcement Officers. Actually I'm encouraged by this. In the past I remember meeting a very uncivil traffic warden!

Sin-defeating Grace

The sermon title was "sin-defeating grace" and the Bible reading was Romans 5:12 onwards. I read it from "The Message", a modern language paraphrase. There were some great "sound bites"! For instance,

When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down.

One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong;
one man said yes to God and put many people in the right.

All that sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us to life - a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.

Hope you like the quotes!

Motorboat or sailing boat?

I was leading a session at a church weekend away which was entitled "Transformation not Conformation", based on the Bible verse Romans 12:2. It was about the importance as Christians not to be conformed by the world's way of thinking and doing but instead allow ourselves to be transformed in our minds by God. The world's pressures and standards try to squeeze us into their mould.

On the other hand, we need to be open to God's Holy Spirit to work in our lives. This is sovereignly the work of God, but we need to be willing to allow him to do it in us.

The reason for telling you all this is that I had an illustration (pinched, of course from someone else - all the best illustrations are!) which I shared. I said it is like a sailing boat rather than a motorboat. If you take out a motorboat, you switch the engine on and you are in complete control of where you are going. But being transformed by the Holy Spirit is like a sailing boat - you hoist the sail, but you must wait for God to provide the wind!

Someone from the church added a bit more to the illustration. He said when you go out to sea in a sailing boat, you are often battling against the tide. That's the world trying to conform you. But you must ride the tide in order to go where God wants you. And sometimes it can be a bumpy ride!

Best before ... but what about after?

The staggering news today is that we in England and Wales throw away 3.6m tonnes of food each year. Now I know this is awful, but what I immediately asked myself was, did hordes of people really go through the bins of 2,138 homes?

We even throw away 5,500 whole chickens each day. Well, we never have, so who's throwing ours away? Of course it's these "best before" dates. We have three simple tests if something is past the date:

1. Does it look OK?

2. Does it smell OK?

3. Does it taste OK?

If the answers are all "yes", then we eat it! Mind you I was roundly told off by a nurse who works with elderly people, who said that bacteria start multiplying before you can smell or taste them. But we're not worried at the moment. A week or so ago we opened a horseradish cream bottle. It must have been stuck at the back of the cupboard as its date was July 2007. We had visitors that day so I gave them a health warning about it! They weren't worried - but then they were our generation, not the younger generation that seem to venerate these dates!

The Price of Petrol

We heard this week that BP and Shell have made huge profits. It is due to the price of a barrel being very high, so as oil producers, they get a good price.

But hang on a minute! Why are their prices at the pumps so high? Because of the high price of the cost of petrol, they say. How does that work? Am I missing something?

Rhythms of Life

In John Ortberg's book The Life You've Always Wanted he talks about rhythms in life. There are natural ones like day and night. It's interesting, by the way, that the first thing God created was that rhythm. The first thing God did was to create light and so day and night began. The rest of creation was then based on that rhythm (see Genesis chapter one).

But back to Ortberg. He's talking about the spiritual life. He says:

There will be times of consolation and times of desolation. In times of consolation we like to pray because God seems close, the Bible seems alive, sin looks bad and stoplights all seem green. Times of desolation are just the opposite: The Bible seems dry, prayer grows hard and God is far away. ... When we forget the law of rhythm, we assume that whatever phase is current will last forever. In times of consolation I mistakenly think that I now have spiritual life mastered. In times of desolation I assume I must have done something wrong, or perhaps God is punishing me. In truth, both seasons are inevitable, and both seasons can bring unique growth.

I hope you find Ortberg's words helpful.

Why do I do it?

Up to the previous blog, I hadn't written for over a week. But someone said they missed my "pearls of wisdom / insanity".

I'm taking that as a compliment - thanks Clare!

Dying to move?

We have a residential home near us, Winifred Dell House. The private contractors who now run it got planning permission to extend it and increase the number of residents. Then they put in for permission to demolish the whole lot and rebuild, for (I think) the same number of residents. That means that now, all the existing residents will have to be moved out of what has become their home, away from other residents who have become their friends and away from familiar staff. Moving is stressful when you are young and are moving because you've decided to! What will it do to very elderly people? Well, some of them will probably die because of the strain, but of course you can't prove it.

Anyway, in the local paper this week, one of the ladies who lives there who is 87 years old has threatened to chain herself to the railings! And she did, symbolically, this afternoon and it is on ITV "London Tonight" even as I type!

The whole problem of 'privatisation' is illustrated so well here, where 'profit' is the most important thing. We've been told things should be privatised because the private sector can run things better than the public sector. And this is how they do it - by throwing the elderly out of their homes - the unacceptable face of privatisation.

The night's no longer young ...

We often watch the BBC news at 10 pm followed by the London news, from Louisa Preston. Why is it that at at 10.34 pm the lovely Louisa says at the end of the bulletin, "Enjoy the rest of your evening"? By that time I've already fallen asleep once in the main news and all I can do is struggle up the stairs to bed! It must be my age ...

Emotive embryos?

Professor Sir Martin Evans urged MPs voting on embryo research legislation to ignore "emotive arguments" from religious groups. But what exactly is emotive? The professor says the research is needed to develop lifesaving treatments. That sounds pretty emotive to me! Especially as there's no proof or guarantee that the research done will actually produce these treatments.

So 'emotive' seems to mean disagreeing with him. And so the message is, ignore all disagreements!

Sorry, but I'm not going to. The "religious groups" he refers to are an important part of the few who are actually asking the hard questions about ethics and morality in these areas. And the questions need to be asked!

It shouldn't happen to a dog

You know that car advert with the dog singing with confidence in the car but whispering it whilst he shakes elsewhere? Well I'm pleased to tell you that VW has explained the dog was not mistreated during the making of the film. This was in response to (according to one source) 286 complaints from viewers. I also heard that the advert has been withdrawn and I certainly haven't seen it recently.

I haven't heard of masses of complaints against violent video games that are also advertised on TV. Of course, the excuse is they are only fantasy, so that's OK. There again, the dog on the advert didn't actually sing! That was fantasy as well!

My conclusion is it doesn't matter about blowing our fellow human beings to smithereens as long as no animal is hurt. Sometimes I wonder about our culture.

By the way, an RSPCA spokesman is reported to have said, whether or not the dog was harmed, it ought to be in the back of the car and wear a seatbelt (Arrggh!)

A nice meal

Yesterday we went to The Ship at Harwich for lunch. See www.theshipatoldharwich.co.uk It was a very pleasant meal, reasonably priced and friendly service. I had the lamb and potato stew, which came with a chunk of warm bread and my wife had fish and chips. The 'fish of the day' was red mullet. They cook their own food and source it 'ethically'. One thing that means is no cod! So if you are passing, it's worth a visit, and their menu changes each month. The trouble is, no-one passes through Harwich, unless they're on their way to the Hook of Holland ...

Post 'flu ramblings

If you've wondered where I've been, I'm recovering from 'flu! First of all my wife had it, then on Good Friday I went down with it. However, I'm over the worst now and looking back at what's been happening in the world.

Well Mr Mugabe seems still to be trying to hang in there in Zimbabwe. After all, with inflation running at 150,000% (have I got enough zeroes?), most people jobless and very little food in the shops, what's the problem? Give the poor bloke a chance! It was pointed out years ago that Mugabe backwards is e-ba-gum. The Zimbabwean equivalent of that must be being said quite a lot over there as they wait and wait for the election results ...

Then there's terminal five! It has been said that people make mistakes, but it takes a computer to really cock things up and T5 seems to be the best example yet of that! I think it was Michael Flanders who said, "If God had meant us to fly he wouldn't have given us the railways." I think it must have been the devil that added, "As they do want to fly I'll give them BA!"

Apparently the terminal had to be evacuated yesterday because the toilets blocked and flooded. That must be quite a relief after tens of thousands of bags to sort through!

I was thinking, maybe the baggage computer system has a virus. If so, I think the prognosis can't be good - even Terminal!

Good Friday

As I was thinking about what I might say in church today, I was reading through the passion story in the Bible. I got to the point where Pilate sees no reason to have Jesus executed and wants to release him. As it was Passover time, a prisoner was allowed to go free. He thought he'd release Jesus, but the crowd shouted for Barabbas who was in prison for plotting against the Romans and for murder. So that's what happened.

It struck me that the guilty party (Barabbas) went free, and the innocent party (Jesus) was put to death. Yet that's exactly what Jesus' death is all about. Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God who never did anything wrong, yet he willingly went to the cross, not for his misdemeanours but for ours, so that we can be reconciled back to God, our heavenly Father.

The idea that Barabbas was an 'illustration' of what Christ's death means is not, needless to say, an original thought. I was talking to someone in our church who had just come from doing a school assembly on this very topic. Details for the assembly can be found on http://www.hope08.com/ website. So, guess what? We had a "school assembly" in our Good Friday service! No point in re-inventing the wheel!

Let's hear it for the apostrophe!

I'm a fan of Lynne Truss who wrote "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", subtitled "The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation". This is a guide to proper use of punctuation, with plenty of examples of its misuse! She tells that she found out some time ago there is an Apostrophe Protection Society. However, they are too courteous for her. She says she would be a member of their militant wing if they had one!


I, too am one of those people who want to preserve the correct use of English. So I tend to spot signs that are grammatically incorrect, or in some other way offend my sensibilities!



I suddenly realised that within the space of under a mile I had spotted five errors! Admittedly one was chalked up on a pub blackboard - "potatoe". Ouch! But now they've changed the menu, thank goodness! I've taken some photos, as you can see, and you may like to try to spot where the incorrect use of the Queen's English has taken place (click on a photo to see a larger image).


Let me say that I haven't included the sign at our local Somerfields which tells us that at the one checkout the maximum in your basket must be "6 item's".

In case you need explanations, here they are. First of all, of course, the apostrophe. It should be "Members' Car Park" (unless it only has one member, then the apostrophe is before the 's'.)

Next up, oh dear! "License" is the verb form, i.e. "to license" but "Licence" is the noun and should be used here. Unless, that is you are in America, then either will do.

Next is an interesting one. CCTV stands for "closed circuit television". The circuit isn't close as opposed to far away, but closed as opposed to open.





Admittedly the antique shop has been closed for quite some time and I'm sure it didn't close because of the incorrect use of quotation marks! However, suffice it to say that "bric-a-brac" actually uses dashes.


Finally, let us end on the famous "greengrocer's apostrophe"! Perhaps they did it on purpose to encourage people to go in. Can I say that it's a brilliant shop and you should go in!



Well, there we are. I'm sure I will find more devastating debasements of English. If I have my camera with me, I might even take a picture!

Carbon fast again

Some of you may have been missing my carbon fast missives. Well, nothing very exciting to report. Many of the things suggested we do already. For instance day 22 says re-use an old envelope or print double sided. As to the former, we have a stock of 10 used padded envelopes and about 50 used envelopes (I stopped counting after 20). As to the latter, I regularly use the 'other' side of A4 sheets as scrap paper and have quite a hoard of that.

Day 24 was "counsel your local council" about recycling facilities. Good old Essex County Council obliged with a questionnaire to fill in about their recycling in their free magazine! The rest of the magazine got recycled!

Oh yes! Day 25 was to de-ice the fridge ... Must do that!

Are you alright there?

Why has the phrase "Are you alright there?" become fashionable? In particular, when it was used on me recently. There I was queueing up at a well known bakers for a cheese and onion pasty. The queue was long and it moved slowly. Two assistants were serving. When I got to the front and one assistant had finished serving the previous customer, she looked at me and said, "Are you alright there?" I wanted to reply, "No I'm not! I've been queueing up for ages! I'm far from alright!" But of course, I didn't. I just politely ordered my pasty.

But whatever happened to phrases like "Can I help you?"

Cheap meals taste better!

After our trip up to London yesterday (see previous blog) we went to a local restaurant for a celebratory meal! The main reason was that we'd got vouchers to spend there from Tesco's. Let me explain.

When we've received our club card points, up to now we've always changed them into cash off our next shop. I've always viewed with suspicion some of the so-called special offers you could exchange them for. But here was one that seemed straightforward. Exchange a £5 voucher for £20's worth of vouchers for the restaurant! Can't be bad, we thought, and it wasn't bad at all! It enabled the both of us to have a nice meal out without breaking the bank. I don't say this very often, but thank you Mr. Tesco!

The Terracotta Army

Today we went up to London to see the Terracotta Army exhibition at the British Museum. In spite of the gales and torrential rain, we went. Well, we'd had to pay for the tickets in advance! It was well worth going to see. Although the museum has only a few of the 7,000 soldiers found, they are quite amazing. There are also many other exhibits to see and plenty to read about.

The king who had this incredible complex holding his terracotta army built around his tomb was ruler of the state of Qin. And when he had conquered the surrounding six states he declared himself the "First August Divine Emperor of the Qin".

On the other hand it was slightly sad to think he had this massive army built to protect him in the afterlife, so he could rule for ever. But as Jesus said, if we store up treasures on earth, moth and rust corrupt and thieves break in and steal. In fact, early on thieves had broken in to the underground complex and stolen much and the army pieces have deteriorated over time and many were smashed and are being put back together again. What the Emperor omitted to do was to "lay up treasure in heaven", which is what Jesus has exhorted us to do. That's the only way to be sure of a good afterlife!

At the Cutting Edge ...

Yesterday our evening service theme was Finding Balance in Wealth, one of our Living Today series. I spoke of the dangers of money, remembering Jesus' warning about not being able to serve both God and Money. He is saying that we can 'promote' wealth to godlike status in our lives and worship it. And when we do, we demote God because we can't serve both.

That was yesterday, and today I read that the Vatican has announced seven more 'deadly sins' of which "accumulating excessive wealth" is one. As far as I know, there were no Cardinals listening in to my sermon, but, hey, when Eric preaches, the Catholic Church responds!

Actually there were other interesting new sins in their list including social injustice and environmental pollution. Maybe some more topics in our Living Today series ...

I think, at least I think I do

In my sermon yesterday I quoted Rene Descartes' famous line, "I think, therefore I am". Then I went on to tell the following joke I heard on Terry Wogan last week.

Descartes is in a bar and has had a few drinks when he says he's going home. The barman says, "One for the road, Rene?" to which Rene replies, "I think not," and then disappears.

It took a few moments for some to get the joke and I even noticed someone explaining it to the person next to them! What interests me is, given that the Descartes' quote was not given as a preamble to the joke on Radio 2, how many listeners got the joke?

Monk is back!

The television detective Monk is back on BBC2 Saturday afternoons! This "defective detective" as he has been billed has OCD, but that helps him to solve crimes. It's been a great series (well, it appeals to us, anyway!), let's hope the latest run is as good.

It's normally on BBC2 at varying times on Saturday afternoons. But now we have a HD recorder we have set the "series link" so we won't miss any! What did we do before all this technology? Oh, I remember, we bought something called Radio Times each week.

Another proverb ...

IN my reading a proverb or two a day - from the book of the same name in the Bible, that is - I came across this one:
Disregarding another person's faults preserves love;
telling about them separates close friends.

It's interesting to read the idea that, instead of 'going on' about someone else's shortcomings, we're told to ignore them. It's what our American friends might call 'counter intuitive'. We think we ought to point out the other person's faults! "It's for their greater good!" we think. But is it? Is it rather to make us feel better?

We want to change those we love. Why? If we're honest, because it makes for an easier life for us! We don't have to live with those niggling faults! But disregarding them 'preserves love', rather than trying to change the other person. And maybe, if I disregard other people's faults, they might disregard mine!

Around the House

My daughter and son-in-law define jobs around the house as either "blue jobs" or "pink jobs" and that (if you haven't already worked it out) defines who is responsible to do that job. For instance, cleaning the house is a pink job because the lady of the house would find fault if anyone else did it!

I don't know whether putting out the bin is a blue or pink job, but when I was there last I ended up putting it out, so maybe it's a grey job ...

Proud Grandparents ...

Part of my reading the Bible is to read one or two verses from Proverbs each morning in the office. I found this morning that I was up to Proverbs 17:6 which begins, "Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged". I thought it was a really great verse to read when our latest grandchild is but two days old. Except, of course, for the "aged" bit!

Great News!

We are very pleased to announce the birth of our latest granddaughter, Ruby May, who came into this world yesterday weighing 8 lb 9 oz. Mum and baby are at home and doing well! My profile spoke of an increasing number of grandchildren; well that has come to (maybe temporary) end! We now are very proud to have 3 grandchildren, all girls. In the picture she is about five hours old.

For Men!

Yesterday at our church we had a men's breakfast, the first of a series of occasions for men of the church. I had the task of bringing the "talk". I spoke on "Why men hate church". Some months ago a man from my previous church came up to me and said why can't we have songs with words that men can sing! David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church complains that church has been feminised and that the Christian message has been changed from "Follow me" to "Have a relationship with me".

In other words, the challenge of the Christian life to follow Christ wherever he may lead has been watered down. Of course, we do need to cultivate our relationship with Christ, but we must not forget the challenges to follow him. Remember when he challenged those fishermen to follow him and he would make them "fishers of men"? They rose to the challenge and left the security of home and a job to follow after Christ. We have demoted that song to a children's song sung in Sunday School, "I will make you fishers of men if you follow me". What's even worse, we've even changed the words! Jesus didn't say "If you follow me" as a kind of polite suggestion, he gave them a command, "Follow me!" And they did! Illustrating that men do respond to a challenge!

Carbon Lent continued

You may be wondering why it's gone silent on the blog about Tearfund's carbon fast that we're following. Well, most of the things this week we do anyway. i.e. turn off lights when not in room, take a shower not a bath, snub plastic bags, only fill kettle with the water you need (always have done that - it saves money on electricity!).

But we have started our own project. putting refective material behind radiators. Well, we've done one so far. You can buy stuff to do this, but we cut up a large cardboard box and fixed tin foil to it. Then attached it to the wall behind the radiator with blutack. It fell off a day later, so more thought needs to go into fastening it to the wall! But the idea is sound.

Next idea was to be radiator shelves to stop the heat going up behind the curtain (the radiator being in front of the window) Then I read "Incorrect Energy Efficiency Advice" (see
www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=22426 ). So it's back to the drawing board for that one!

But good news! my electicity supply company wrote to me today to remind me that as I'm on a fixed tarrif, my energy prices won't increase! Until October this year, that is, when the contract runs out. So now I'm dreading October ...

Post Office closures

Post Offices along the High Street are being proposed for closure. But in the programme "London Tonight" (last night) they were asking, is the solution to open up Post Offices in gyms and in libraries? What??? So the elderly who need the Post Office can always be found in the gym! What is the point of closing down Post Offices where they are needed - in the local High Sreet - and opening up others off the beaten track like gyms and libraries?

There must be a hidden agenda here because it doesn't make sense otherwise!

It's all in the mind

That phrase came to me quite strongly recently, "It's all in the mind". I have been thinking about "discipleship", or how we grow in our Christian faith. Americans call it "spiritual formation". The Bible calls it "transformation" and "the renewing of the mind." We become more like Jesus Christ as we act more like him and in our communication with others. But our actions and words are governed by our mind. We think of something and then say it or do it. If we can sort out our mind, then our words and deeds will follow on. It's all in the mind!

Table Lamp Installation

We bought a table lamp recently. Half price for £6 at a well known high street chain. It's "faux leather". That means it's plastic looking a bit like leather, but not smelling like leather.

You had to remove the plastic wrapping from the lamp shade and put a bulb in it. But no worries! There were full instructions - seven steps to do this, the last one being "Connect to the mains supply". Well, I suppose some people may think it runs on air.

In addition to these there were the "Important Safety Instructions" - 18 of them! Including the blindingly obvious (to me, anyway) "never allow the appliance to come into contact with water". But also "Never leave the appliance unattended when connected to the mains power supply." Does anybody really go round unplugging everything when they go out to post a letter?

So, not only 18 important safety instructions, but also seven additional safety precautions! I'm so glad we live in a nanny state. Otherwise I'd never feel safe turning on a table lamp again.

Now if only those flat packed furntiure items came with so many instructions, instead of just pictures! But life just isn't done that way.

Sitting in the tower ...

The Psalmist calls God a "refuge" and Proverbs says,

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower,

the righteous run into it and they are safe."

These verses made me think this morning, once you've got to the tower, what can you do? Not a lot, I decided, except rest! And then I thought, "And that's ok!" There's a song to Jesus we sometimes sing,

"To rest in your presence, not rushing away,

to cherish each moment, here I would stay"

The trouble is, I don't want to rest in his presence, I want to 'get on'! So I was forced to pause for a few moments and 'rest' in the tower of Christ's presence, and appreciate that time - not wanting to rush away to do all the things I think I need to do!

Carbon fast is slowing down ...

The continuing saga of the carbon fast. Day 6 says turn your heating thermostat down by one degree. I remember someone saying when they've heard it suggested they turn their themostat down one degree, they've done so. It currently stands at -7 degrees C! We do hear this suggestion rather often and beleive me, I've always turned it down as much as I can, to save on the gas bills!

Day 8 is not keeping your phone charger on all the time. Never have done, so that's sorted!

Day 10 is give your dishwasher a day off - hang on! This carbon fast idea could be going a bit too far!