iGod

X Factor - pantomime

I woke up to find the UK not unexpectedly twittering about X Factor. The Twitter Trends Map showed the that 'Jedward' and X Factor have become national talking points.

Last night's judges' decision saw John and Edward and Lucie Jones go into 'Deadlock', which meant the public got to choose who would stayed in the talent competition. It  was nothing short of pantomime. We have a rags-to-riches story, songs, some dance, something for the kids, something for the adults. We have a goodie, two baddies and a fairy godmother in the unlikely shape of Simon Cowell.

However, unlike all good pantomimes where the fairy godmother is seen as light and beauty our fairy godmother, ours turned a little bit cynical and showed a dark side. 

Of course, before we all throw our remote controls at our television in disgust we do have to remember this all about entertainment. And the entertainment business is all about ratings. Quite simply you can't have a pantomime if you see off the villain half way through. It would suddenly become quite prosaic and dull.

Sometimes I wonder if the Christian life isn't more panto than serious life drama. It was mooted by the authors in God is Back that the Church is more powerful when it has opposition. When it doesn't it becomes complacent and weak. In other words, 'ratings' go down.

While we in the Church might complain against the wicked stepmother of Secularism or the evil old old witch of Other Religions, it is undoubtedly part of the story of the Church. We have our songs and script for this narrative and know ultimately it will have a happy ending. Meanwhile, it is all about perspective.

Although Church is not in the business of entertainment, perhaps it should learn to not take itself too serious and take an opportunity laugh at itself once in a while. After all, didn't the writer of Proverbs say something about laughter being the best medicine? (Proverbs 17:22)

ASD

What are friends for?

I wonder how many people you count as true friends. There is no doubt a difference to being friendly to having friends. To be friendly is to extend the experience of being warm to someone as if they are a friend. It relaxes someone and makes them feel special. No bad thing.

Apparently, if the sociologists are to be believed, we are in trouble as a society. They say that we are becoming more isolated as we often find ourselves working longer hours, travelling further away to find employment, which leaves us with little energy to anything else.

Some of us may boast a couple of hundred friends on FaceBook, but even the internet through its online social networks is, ironically cutting us off from meeting real people. Watching Friends reruns on TV is also a poor substitute to actually having friends to say “Hey you!” to.

In America a piece of research showed that people’s close circle of friends has dropped, on average, from three to two. That is a 50% deduction in people they can confide in. I suspect the picture in the UK is little different.

In contrast, I have noticed that people in the Bible seem to have a lot of friends. Jesus had a circle of 72 that followed him around. But there was a much closer relationship with 12 men, his disciples, whom he called his friends.

And there were three that he was especially close to - Peter, James and John; and one, the apostle John, with whom he seemed to be closer with than anyone. But Jesus, who modelled for us perfect humanity, had a substantial network of confidantes with whom he could disclose the things that were most important to him.

I wonder if that makes you envious. Why not take a moment to reflect upon your own quality of relationships?  Are they fulfilling, giving, equally weighted towards each other’s needs?

The Greek philosopher, Aristotle said, “Without friendships no one would choose to live, even if they had all other good things in life.”

CS Lewis, the Christian author and Oxford don wrote, “I have no duty to be anyone's friend and no man in the world has a duty to be mine. No claims, no shadow of necessity. Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”

It’s these last words that get me, friendship is key to getting through life. That’s why in our church context we want to be more than a ‘friendly church’, but a church built on deep dependable friendships. Friendships that are there through thick and thin.

Over the years I have learnt that the best friends are those that love what you love. In church that love starts with Jesus. Out of that place he enables us to love others that, well, perhaps, we would not be friends with otherwise. That is a powerful thing, isn’t it?  

There is a maxim that says a friend in need is a friend indeed. People say to me the church is full of needy people. I hope so, because there is a lot of need in the world today. If the church cannot meet their needs, we are in trouble.

The truth is we are conditioned by our individualistic society to shun the public recognition of neediness because it is considered weak. Yet, it has been my experience that those who acknowledge their neediness move on in life quicker and get healed emotionally and spiritually along the way.

ASD

All Seeing - new song from The Alarm.

Now here is something I didn't expect to be blogging about in 2009, a new song by 80s group The Alarm.

One of my best buddies Steve 'Smiley' Barnard has been drumming with singer/songwriter Mike Peters this year and, on hearing this song, I had to tell him that I thought this sounded like a worship song to me.

Maybe what gives this song some of its strength is the experience of Mike himself being diagnosed with cancer and finally being given the all-clear this year.

Although, to my knowledge, he has never talked publicly about his faith, I think this song speaks volumes. In some ways it reminds me of some of the Trent stuff. See what you think. It seems a far cry from '68 Guns', but like a good bottle of wine, the writing has undoubtedly matured to produce something beautiful.

ASD

Church-Tank - a scary thought.

 

Hm...I wonder if this is how other religions see the church?

Sculpture by Kris Kuksi.

When faith is tested, others notice

 I spoke earlier this week of my uncomfortable conversation with a non-Christian who thought Christianity should stand for something and make us different from others. His experience was not great.

Today I heard Prince Edward talk on the radio on how the Duke of of Edinburgh Awards holds a ‘chance of death’. It seems to have caused no small ripple in Australia. He went on to say, of course, he hoped no-one would die, but it has happened. Has it put people off? Far from it. It has only added to the experience

The truth is Christianity is exciting, but sometimes it can be dangerous. At this point everything that we proclaim to hold dear is tested.

Perhaps it is humility that stops us saying how different we are to people.  Sometimes it is because we just don’t feel that different!  Our being a Christian can be seen as ineffectual.  It is only when faith is tested that we find out if it means anything or not.

Last night the faith of a 41-year-old man was tested in south London.

In today’s Evening Standard on page 5, tucked away in the top right-hand corner is a story of a church volunteer who was stabbed repeatedly by a load of youths in Deptford outside a church-organised meeting. The event was aimed at trying to keep teenagers away from crime.

He is now fighting for his life in a south London hospital. It was also reported that a 16-year-old boy stepped in to try and stop it and found himself being stabbing.

It was a church’s initiative to bring peace to the streets of London. They did not have to hold such a meeting, but they did. 

It was a man’s own initiative to go and speak to the gang. He did not have to get involved, but he did. 

It was the 16-year-old boy’s initiative to try and help this man, more than twice his age. He did not have to, but he did.

It is all too common nowadays to just look the other way or walk on the other side of the street.  The man is now fighting for his life. What could compelled someone to do such a thing other than Jesus?

These are the kind of Christians I would like my non-Christian friend to meet. 

Please join with me in praying for that man and boy in Deptford, and that God’s peace may break out in this part of south London with young lives being transformed and given hope.

Today I feel privileged to be part of this beloved thing we call the Church.

ASD

I’d like to share an uncomfortable conversation with you

I had a difficult conversation with someone who is not a Christian, which made me feel deeply uncomfortable and incredibly sad. I was asked a simple question: “Doesn’t being a Christian mean living your life in a different way to the rest of us?

Er...yes,” I slowly replied.

Behind this question there was a whole heap of stuff kicking off. Their experience of Christians has been far from a good one. He has seen them blatantly lie, be foul-mouthed, lewd, be two-faced, put the proverbial knife in the back of others. The list goes on.  In short, he has seen them at their most pious and their most duplicitous.

In a not too gentle way, he was telling me that Christians’ ethics seem confused and leave a lot to be desired. Furthermore, it was not attractive to him.

And if that is not enough, let me now tell you that part of that picture was formed by working with Christian organisations.

How does this sit with you?  With me, it makes me want to squirm.

Now please hear me, I don’t write this from a sanctimonious attitude or am I about to suggest that Stour Valley Vineyard Church is the one getting it right, but my motive for sharing this is because someone else has been denied access to the real Jesus - and that just breaks my heart.

To be honest, I found it hard not to go on the defensive. I said some things such as people will always do people stuff, whether they are in or outside of the church.  I also said that Jesus held his greatest judgement on the religious people of the day who lived by the letter, but not by the spirit.

What would you have said?

At the end of the day I recognise that we are all hypocrites at one time or another and used to being hoisted on our own petards, but the main thing is to recognise this and repent of our ungodly attitudes, and work towards living a pure and holy life in Christ.

My heart’s desire is that people come to know the real Jesus and experience authentic Christianity. The trouble is authentic Christianity has a habit of showing up our worst features to ourselves and those around us.  It exposes us and makes us feel naked.  (If you are not a Christian and reading this please don’t give up looking. It is out there. It really is!)

However, we can’t hide the truth that with God’s mercy comes judgement. The Bible says clearly that all who profess to know Him and live in Him will be called to account for their actions, as much as those who reject Him.

 Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthian church to beware of those who water down the gospel. He says, in effect, that they preach a false Jesus, a false gospel. He goes on to say ‘their end will be met with what it deserves’. Sober stuff!

I am of the firm belief that becoming a Christian is nothing short of a miracle, because left to only us we would make a right old hash of it. Sometimes I think too much blame is put at the convenient door of secularism, when really the problem is inside.

We live with the dialectic tension that we are the body, hands, feet, and voice of Christ, but without his perfection. Yet, by his grace, he still continues to use us.

And what an amazing grace it is too!  It stops me feeling condemned by uncomfortable conversations. However it is a grace given at a price – God’s own son tortured and murdered for you and me. That makes me want to value it not cheapen it.

Following Jesus has got to be a way of life, not a convenience, surely.

ASD

Why X Factor has the Ah! Factor

Unless you have been on holiday in a remote part of the world where electricity is still an aspiration, it will not have escaped your attention that  X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are back on our screens.

Much like last year my family and I have become full goggle-eyed X Factor addicts, even though my disdain for TV in general continues to grow weekly. But I do have to concur, it is the best escapist TV around - and in more ways than one.

I hear from a friend who knows how the X Factor producers work that the best way for your act to be seen by millions of people on national TV and YouTube is: a) be able to sing and b) have a sob story ready. Being talented and from a stable middle-class simply doesn’t cut it.

I have lost count how many times we have been introduced to a single mum wanting to re-kick start her life with a new career in music.

Last year you may remember we had Daniel who lost his wife to a terminal disease and sang at the audition in memory of her. The hardiest of us were caught out dabbing our moist eyes on the sofa.  However, the show painfully never allowed us to forget for one minute his loss and subsequently the media turned on him, accusing poor Daniel of using his wife’s memory to manipulate the judges’ decision. It felt quite uncomfortable.

There is a new film out this week called Fish Tank. It is the story of a girl  called Mia living on a rough council estate who is socially trapped. She drinks heavily and has problems with her mum’s choice of boyfriends. All she wants to do is become a professional dancer and find a way to escape the ‘fish tank’ that is her life. She goes for an audition only to find out that they want lap-dancers, not street dancers. Your heart sinks for her. It is not a happy film and has no Disney ending.

I wonder if the attraction of X Factor is that it is a people’s show. It gives hope that anyone of any social background has the chance to escape a unhappy and desperate life. It is the ultimate rags-to-riches TV show. No wonder the Americans love it.  The huge queues seem to bear witness to this theory.

Sometimes the naked desperation in people’s faces of wanting to be loved is almost too painful to watch. Surely some of them must know they can’t sing for toffee before they go on. Why doesn’t a friend stop them?

You have to also ask: what it is that drives people to risk making a public fool of themselves?

This may explain why X Factor has a higher viewership than BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, which follows ‘D List’ celebrities that have already had their own fair share of fame and fortune, regardless of what they have done with it.

A teacher friend of mine in our church said recently that she asked her class of teenagers what they wanted to be when they grew up. More than one of them said “to be famous”.

It is easy to be cynical and dismissive of this response, but knowing something of the challenging school she teaches in the answer is not as shallow as you might first think. If you had your mother's boyfriend hitting you what would be your ideal situation?

Youngsters are more disconnected, confused, mixed-up than ever before. With the erosion of community life, and the cheapening of the currency of long-term loving relationships it is not hard to see how teenage depression has become a national phenomenon. They simply want a way out!

In my limited experience I do not see the same aspiration to be famous from children from happy homes who are blessed to have a mother and father. I am not sure either this is always to do with social hardship. Life can be living hell coming from a broken privileged background too. Sometimes it has very little to do with money.

As a Christian I wonder what the best response might be. At the moment I sit on my sofa on a Saturday night and shed a tear over some stranger's story. I know I have to do more. I must. Jesus’ words about “loving your neighbour” have never been more pertinent.

ASD

Job positions available

"I am leaving the brilliant world where I occupied a high position, and now…. I am about to ascend into a much greater world, the world of the poor."

St Elizabeth Feodorovna (1864-1918)

I have been wondering this morning on what it is to live as an imitation of Christ's humility (Philippians 2:1-11).  

For a lot of my working career I have had it drilled into me that I needed to aim for the top (advertising and marketing is a meritocratic culture. Only the fittest survive).  It is a message that I have heard constantly through the aspirations of some pretty smart people around me. It has also resulted in the breakdown of marriages, family life and ill health. A great ad, indeed!

To be quite honest, for ages I could find no attraction whatsoever in taking on the 'nature of being a 'servant'. As a concept it did very little for me.

So becoming a servant must mean more, right? It must have a spiritual dimension...

For someone who has been a Christian for a while I am now starting to get it: sharing our lives with one another and serving others is not about winning points to get a better place in the heaven. We know we can't earn credits in the Kingdom (see the older brother in the Prodigal Son story to be convinced.) It is about oneness with God, or being in constant communion with him, and experiencing his presence through the spiritual discipline of encouragement to others.

The Bible is beautiful is full of wonderful contradictions. To a world that does not believe, it appears folly, even plain stupid that we should be seen to throw away our careers, job prospects and social status to follow Jesus. But sometimes when we do we can get it given back 10 times fold over.  This is because it is It's our hearts he's after, not a contract. The money is irrelevant. Being rich and successful is not a crime!

People like St Elizabeth Feodorvna , Mother Teresa, Jackie Pullinger and Shane Clairborne show me what it is to serve others. And I am grateful for their godly examples.

So is there any joy in being out for number one in life?

Well at a totally non-God level - absolutely! What else have you got to live for, apart from yourself? It is just unfortunate that this kind of joy is temporal. Otherwise, flawless!

Maybe Paul is saying to the Philippian Church that a true understanding of our purpose and existence comes not from isolated personal development, but by outward-focused living and serving others. It calls for love to be tested to be valid.

Perhaps once we can move from that begrudging mindset that complains every time we are asked to serve to one that sees serving as an absolute privilege, we'll get a further glimpse of heaven.

Maybe we can grasp something of the mind of God and what it means for the divine to appear in human form.

ASD

Ever wondered why we're not liked?

And we say 'God is love?' Hmmm!

ASD

Living simply to give generously – now there’s a revolutionary thought!

I have been reading how the new Evangelical Alliance director Steve Clifford and his wife Ann have signed up to the organisation’s new project called Simplify by trying to live on just £5 a day.

It has as its strapline: ‘Live small, think big’ and is part of its response to the current economic crisis regarding personal debt and financial loss. They have a blog up and running talking about their experiences.

Until recently, I must admit I have not really lived on a self-imposed tight budget, but since we have gone through the CAP Money Management course recently at HOME group I have revised my thinking towards the old readies.

My wife and I have now made the decision to live on a payment by cash only basis wherever possible. The result has been that where we would not have been aware of how much we were spending each day - because everything goes on a debit or credit card - we are now more in control of our finances.  Not good news for the banks, I suspect!  It also allows us to be more generous in other outward-focused areas in a more thoughtful and planned way.

Is it possible to live on £5 a day?  To be honest, not everyone has that choice. Some I know often have to live on less , so we should be careful not to make a spiritual virtue out of it.

But here’s the important thing – because we choose to live modestly within our means it is not an excuse to stop showing generosity towards others.  In fact, our simple Acts of Random Kindness in serving others can have even greater, more profound significance.  Besides, we give without condition.  I believe the Bible calls this grace!

This is why with Storehouse, our compassion ministry to the ‘harassed and helpless’ (Matt 9:36) we come each week to our small groups and Sunday gatherings armed with the sort of food we ourselves might like to eat. We don’t go the supermarket and buy the best for ourselves and second best for the poor. This is not a generous act, this is just looking to fulfil our minimal obligations; much like with the 10% tithe thing which we so often get all hung up about.  This is a religious attitude. If anything, when there is a choice we should be the ones eating the cheaper food and the poor enjoying the best!

Remember how Jesus created the best wine out of the water at the wedding of Cana for the happy couple and their guests?

The master of the banquet’s  said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 1:10 NIV). Wow!

Living on a chosen minimal amount each day will undoubtedly makes us think twice about the cost of living.  And if it makes us think twice again about our own attitudes to the poor that has got to be time well worth spent too.

ASD