hazy clarity

Young people's challenge to the church

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:54:50 -0700

In her new book, Visualising Hope, Dr Sarah Dunlop explored the values and spirituality of students in Central and Eastern European countries. She wants to know what makes them tick, what their hopes are, and if the church is meeting them. In a very creative way, by getting students to respond to and take photographs of things that are significant to them over a period of time, Dr Dunlop gets underneath the pat answers and stereotypes to discover their real motivations.

This blog has moved...

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:00:23 -0800

to...

http://onliving.wordpress.com/

see you there...

How would you like to be remembered?

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:05:22 -0800

"As someone who did the best she could with the talent she had."
- J.K. Rowling in a interview on 'A Year in the Life' ITV2

... and with the opportunities she was given.

That's not a bad epitaph to aspire to. I've always liked the single-line summaries that Kings and Chronicles gives to the few good kings of Judah...

"Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God." 2 Chron 14:2

A glimpse of beauty

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:13:44 -0800

I went to a school Christmas carol concert last night. Amongst the squeaky recorders and the slightly sharp violins was a glimpse of beauty. A short, unassuming girl, with glasses and a flower in her hair walked to the microphone. The organ began with the familiar notes of a Bach prelude (in C, I think), and then she sang - Ave Maria - Gounod's melody which sits on top of the Bach prelude. I dont think I was quite ready for a perfomance which filled the church, reduces everyone to a reverent hush, and lifted our eyes to the beauty of God. It really stood out amongst the "Winter Wonderland"s and "Santa Claus" songs.

On Learning

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:57:55 -0800

I found a quote I liked and decided to share it with you. I think it's quite pertinent for our 21st century mostly middle-class evanglical churches, even though it was written in the 15th century:

“A humble knowledge of oneself is a surer road to God than a deep searching of the sciences. Yet learning itself is not to be blamed, or is the simple knowledge of anything whatsoever to be despised, for true learning is good in itself and ordained by God; but a good conscience and a holy life are always to be preferred. But because many are more eager to acquire much learning than to live well, they often go astray, and bear little or no fruit. If only such people were as diligent in the uprooting of vices and the panting of virtues as they are in the debating of problems, there would not be so many evils and scandals among the people, nor such laxity in communities. At the Day of Judgement, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how eloquently we have spoken, but how holily we have lived. Tell me, where are now all those Masters and Doctors whom you knew so well in their lifetime in the full flower of their learning? Other men now sit in their seats, and they are hardly ever called to mind. In their lifetime they seemed of great account, but now no one speaks of them”

AboutLife and Safari/Mac

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:08:04 -0800

I'm having trouble adding Rich Text blog posts on my Mac (using Safari). The site deletes my content from the RichText box before posting - thus posting a blank box. Anyone else having this problem? How do you get around it?

Kylie and Social Networking

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:01:43 -0800

So Kylie is launching a social networking website called KylieKonnect. See this BBC News article.

The idea is that fans who join will be able to connect with each other as well as have some sort of connection with Kylie. THey will be able to hear about latest releases and tours, etc, as well as upload personal stories, pictures and fun onto their own profile page, much like Facebook or Bebo.

Tailpipes

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:32:05 -0700

I'm not sure that's the best place for an exhaust!

Need to do better.

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 07:01:39 -0700

7% is not very good.

A word of wisdom.

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:12:35 -0700

Spoken by a good friend of mine, for people who don't know where to start when it comes to evangelism.

"Find out what you like doing and do it with non-Christians"

Spoken by Miss Tickle.

Run Lola Run

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:28:02 -0700

Run Lola Run is an extraordinary film. Is life fate? Do split second choices matter? and do they actually change anything? Run Lola Run explores these questions..... MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

New product from Apple

Thu, 31 May 2007 08:21:23 -0700

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=xcjLEwZqcQI

I particularly love Steve Job's entry.

Make money from celibacy or monogamy!

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:44:32 -0700

Yes, that's right! The good people at www.cheatneutral.com will pay you to stay faithful to your spouse or to stay faithfully celibate. The basic idea is tis: there are many people in the world who cheat on their partners. They can't help it. It's just how they are. However, just like the rest of us, they feel and give out guilt and pain when they cheat. Now, those unfaithful people can offset the guilt and heartache they are adding to the world by financially supporting groups and individuals who pledge to stay faithful.

Anyone heard of Anslem?

Sat, 12 May 2007 10:28:55 -0700

From http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=44116
Which Theologian are you?
You scored as Anselm. Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?'

I just bought a mac.

Sat, 12 May 2007 05:06:22 -0700

I just bought a mac. I'd been getting more and more frustrated with the Windows way of doing things - the constant freezes - how the system clogs up and slows down so quickly. How nothing is straight forward. So i bought a mac - a product designed with the user in mind. Everything is supposed to be fairly stratight forward, and easy to use. My mac hasn't arrived yet, so I'm yet to find out about how it lives up to its promise, but I'm looking forward to finding out.