Virtual Methodist

Could there be a more appropriate story for advent? The wife of the second in line to the British throne is going to have a child, and, because of agreement over changes in the law of succession whether the child is a boy or a girl they will, all things being equal, inherit their father's throne... The news media on this side of the Atlantic has gone potty over the news, and to judge by the magazine cover on the left, I suspect it will get a fair amount of coverage in our former New World colony... And whilst I am happy for the royal couple and hope that Kate feels better soon, I doubt that I will read much of what the media has to say about the progress of her pregnancy in the months to come (just as I gave their nuptials a by-ball)...  But the great joy around the world that has greeted the announcement of Kate's pregnancy made me think of the contrasts with an announcement made to a frightened young girl in Nazareth 2000 years ago... Could there be a more appropr...

Just incase I didn't give you enough to read yesterday, here's a round-up of some of the interesting links I came across during the week that were too substantial to simply pass on via facebook... Carrying on a them from last week, there have been a number of lent-related posts, and many turning their backs on the "self-denial" discipline for various reasons. One of the more interesting reflections, was this piece by Mark Galli on "Giving up self-discipline for Lent."  But if you are still looking for resources to help you through this season you could do worse than check out Rachel Held Evans' "40 Ideas for Lent" . Meanwhile, a lot has been made recently of another attempt by Richard Dawkins and his atheist acolytes to demonstrate that the UK is not a Christian country, on the basis of a half-baked survey asking people basic Christian facts like "What is the first book of the New Testament?" Giles Fraser memorably derailed that...

Today, being the Sunday closest to the feast Day of St. Luke, is celebrated as Health Care Sunday in certain churches (I'm endebted to my friend and colleague Derek Johnston for the St. Luke's Day factoid). However, my thoughts about health care are currently coloured by a number of factors: My participation this week in a major consultation among hospital staff in our Health Trust about the future of Palliative Care. The controversial death, by assisted suicide of paraplegic rugby player Daniel James. The death of a "parishioner" last night in the local Marie Curie Hospice. My continuing ministry to a lady who is visibly fading before our eyes and yet who still seeks to minister to others through prayer. The fact that today is the anniversary of my own mother's death 17 years ago. Death is, as Benjamin Franklin pointed out, together with taxes, one of life's unnegotiables, yet we live in a death-denying, if not defying, society. We do all that we can to avert...