Saturday Supplement

After the brief triviality of last week's supplement, here are a few beefy posts for this Saturday. Two of the most controversial items in the contemporary church are evolution and homosexuality. One of my favourite bloggers, Rachel Held Evans, pointed to posts on both in her own weekly round-up last week: first a superb series on biologos aimed at helping us to understand evolution, which are both scientifically and theologically literate, and then a heart-rending piece in the Huffington Post by Maria Burnham about the time she "came out" to her Bible Study.
In evangelical (and Methodist) circles, the only thing that could run evolution or sexuality close on the controversy stakes is alcohol, which is perhaps why I, as someone who enjoys the odd pint (some of them very odd) also enjoyed this piece from Hull concerning a Beer and Cider Festival hosted in a church that ran out of beer... It reminded me of a certain story in John's gospel concerning a wedding that ran out of wine...
But as April comes to an end, I came across this page of images of April from across Northern Ireland. BBC Scotland have a weekly photo site, but this is the first time I came across something of the same sort from our own wee country. Some stunning photos among them.

And finally, also from our wee country is this video piece about our current obsession with the Titanic... this clip from Downfall has been used many times... but this is one of the funniest... Though it comes with a "guaranteed to offend many" warning.

Cheers

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Living under the Empire... (2) Where is Babylon?

We were driving back from school last week, talking about books that we had been reading and my younger son, Ciaran, asked me "Where is Babylon?" I have to confess that my history is better than my geography, and I said that it no longer exists as an inhabited city, but its ruins were to the north west of the current capital of Iraq, Baghdad. When I checked however, I discovered that it is actually about 50 miles south of Baghdad and the modern town is the administrative centre of the province of Babil... But just as the modern city is but a shadow of the historic capital of 2 ancient empires, first under Hammurabi in the 18th century BCE and then the "Neo-Babylonian" empire (under Nebuchadnezzar etc) in the 6th century BCE, so the earthly Babylonian empire/s was/were fleeting in comparison to the enduring metaphorical idea of Babylon. The original Empire under Hammurabi was probably the ultimate origin of some of the early Biblical stories, including the ...

A Woman of no Distinction

Don't often post other people's stuff here... But I found this so powerful that I thought I should. It's a performance poem based on John 4: 4-30, and I have attached the original YouTube video below. A word for women, and men, everywhere... "to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known." I am a woman of no distinction of little importance. I am a women of no reputation save that which is bad. You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances, Though you don’t really take the time to look at me, Or even get to know me. For to be known is to be loved, And to be loved is to be known. Otherwise what’s the point in doing either one of them in the first place? I WANT TO BE KNOWN. I want someone to look at my face And not just see two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears; But to see all that I am, and could be all my hopes, loves and fears. But that’s too much to hope for, to wish for, or pray for So I don’t, not anymore. Now I keep to myself And by that ...

Psalm for Harvest Sunday

A short responsive psalm for us as a call to worship on Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday, and given that it was pouring with rain as I headed into church this morning the first line is an important remembrance that the rain we moan about is an important component of the fruitfulness of the land we live in: You tend the land and water it And the earth produces its abundance. You crown each year with your bounty, and our storehouses overflow with your goodness. The mountain meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are filled with corn; Your people celebrate your boundless grace They shout for joy and sing. from Psalm 65

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