Virtual Methodist

It's confession time again. Yes... I publicly admit it. Every year at Christmas my wife and I add to the unnecessary slaughter of trees by sending round a circular letter to all the people we haven’t managed to catch up with the previous year… We’re not the only ones who do it. I’m sure you send or receive them yourselves. Well last Christmas, someone (perhaps as a form of revenge) bought us Simon Hoggart’s book entitled “ The Hamster that Loved Puccini ” (Don't ask...), a second volume of extracts from Christmas Round Robin Letters… Extracts that do not show such letters in a very good light… And which reveal how much many of their recipients dread them landing on their doorsteps in the run-up to Christmas. It has made me seriously rethink sending ours again this year… especially when I read the chapter devoted to specifically Christian round-robin letters. Full of pious platitudes and glib answers to difficult questions, the examples quoted from do not reflect the proud tradi...

Back to Conference then, and further reflections on Martyn Atkin's challenging address on "Sharing Faith Today". Moving on from the assertion that, in the words of Donald English, lives and lips need to be in agreement, he quoted the words of Minucius Felix , a church leader from the mid second century, who reputedly said: 'Beauty of life... causes strangers to join the ranks... we do not talk about great things; we live them.' Minucius Felix c160ad Not terribly familiar with the writings of Mr. Felix, but it does chime well with the Elvis Presley song, sexed up for Nike's 2002 World Cup Ad, A Little Less Conversation ... a little more action please... Now, on the whole, this is a sentiment I heartily agree with. I want to see a lot more action. But I don't want us to stop talking... I believe we can actually talk and act at the same time. The problem is that we don't EVEN talk about great things, never mind live them. We talk a lot, be it in Conferenc...

I generally go to the Methodist Conference every year with the same joy that I go to the dentist... It is an important discipline, but can either seem to be time wasted, or extremely painful. I certainly don't go expecting to have the President of Conference, recommend a song which includes a naughty word in it!!! But this year The Rev. Martyn Atkins, President of the Methodist Church in Great Britain, and hence President of the Irish Conference (more on that arcane arrangement another time) was speaking under "Pastoral Efficiency" (don't ask) at the Ministerial Session of Conference last Friday, and he referred to a line in a song by his favourite singer Joni Mitchell (I wonder how many Irish Methodist Presidents have had Joni on their ipods? I wonder how many Irish Methodist Presidents have ipods?). It was a throwaway line referring to some of those who claim to proclaim the good news of Christ "spitting in the loving cup." Colourful image. Yet that is wha...