Virtual Methodist

For a few months there has been a story bubbling away concerning Papisse Cisse the Senegalese striker who was refusing to wear his club Newcastle's strip with the name of its sponsor Wonga emblazoned on it because of his Muslim beliefs, which strictly forbid the charging of interest. Not all Muslims take such a strict approach, and indeed Cisse's Muslim team-mates Cheick Tiote, Moussa Sissoko, Massaido Haidara and Hatem Ben Arfa didn't seem to have a problem with wearing the shirt (although early reports did suggest that Tiote had some reservations ). Cisse received a lot of unsavoury abuse for his stand ... although many suggested that it was more to do with engineering a lucrative transfer away from Tyneside than any religious scruples. This seemed even more the case when photographs appeared of Cisse gambling in a casino (also against strict Islamic law), and in the wake of the exposure of such seeming hypocrisy, it was predictable that he came to an agreement with Ne...

In a few weeks time Sally and I are heading over to London for a bit of a break and while we’re there we hope to take in an exhibition in the British Museum on the Egyptian Book of the Dead … It may sound a bit dull or maybe even slightly creepy, but I am fascinated by Egyptian culture… I was particularly frustrated not to get to see the Tutankhamun exhibits at the O2 in London a couple of years ago… Maybe I’ll just have to arrange a wee trip to Egypt to see them… The name of Tutankhamun actually means “The living image of [the god] Amon” although it is thought that he actually changed his name from “Tutankhaten” meaning, The Living image of Aten” when there was a religious revolution which meant that Aten, the god of his father, the heretical monotheist Akhenaten, fell out of favour and the older deity Amon became the national god again… While he was said to be the image of one god or another, it is ironic that we only know what King Tut looks like insofar as his image is reflected i...

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...

Just listening again to some Divine Comedy stuff this morning while working on Sunday's sermon on Zacchaeus, and came upon this gem. For the uninitiated Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon's father was an Anglican clergyman in Northern Ireland. He certainly knows a thing or two about church given the following lyrics: They say that you’ll hear him if you’re really listening And pray for that feeling of grace. But that’s what I’m doing, why doesn’t he answer? I’ve prayed ‘til I’m blue in the face. The cars in the churchyard are shiny and German Distinctly at odds with the theme of the sermon And during communion I study the people Threading themselves through the eye of the needle. I know that its wrong for the faithful to seek it But sometimes I long for a sign, anything. Something to wake up the whole congregation And finally make up my mind. The cars in the churchyard are shiny and German Completely at odds with the theme of the sermon And during communion I stare at the people S...