Virtual Methodist

Its been a while since I posted one of these, but then again it's been a while since I posted anything at all, so here goes: Sing joyfully to the   Lord , all you his people; Let his righteous people praise him as they should. Praise the   Lord   with all the instruments you can muster. Sing to him new songs and use all your skills to honour him. For the Word of the   Lord   is trustworthy and true; H e is faithful in all he says and does. The   Lord   loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full to overflowing with his unfailing love. from Psalm 33: 1-5 Shalom

I had one of those incidents this week of remembering something that didn't happen. Don't fear, I haven't developed false memory syndrome, although I am sure we have all experienced a variety of that where an event when we were young has been talked about so vividly that we are convinced that we actually remember it ourselves even though it is unlikely (or perhaps even impossible as we weren't actually there)... No, in this instance I was convinced that I had been to the previous production of the Lyric's "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme" only to find out subsequently that I couldn't possibly have been as I wasn't in the country at the time! However, I know I DID see a production of it (and I don't think it was the Abbey's original production in Dublin) before early 1987. I also know I didn't see it alone, as I was never sad enough to go to the theatre on my own, so if there is anyone out there who accompanied ...

It's been a while since I posted any sort of theatre review on this blog. That's for a couple of reasons. First: lack of time - that's part of the reason my general blogging output has decreased over the past couple of years, and as I have prioritised my leisure time I have decided that sitting in a corner typing on a keyboard late at night is probably not good for my mental health! Second: a bit of perspective - my blogging has always been primarily for an audience of one (which has been pretty close to my readership level at times) and I'm no longer fooling myself that anyone is really interested in my rantings about plays, that are frequently over or moved on before I have had time to "review" them... where I have enjoyed something I have generally said so on social media... Where I haven't I have (more recently) kept shtum.  But last week I had the pleasure of going with our church theatre group (a group dedicated to watching rather than performing t...

Whilst preparing for a service tomorrow I stumbled on this dialogue I posted at this time 2 years ago... it is again pertinent (with a slide amendment) in this Ascensiontide, in the wake of elections this past week and thinking about issues of sovereignty that will be thrown up by the European referendum next month. I'm not entirely convinced by the fetishism of democracy, especially given it's tendency to be subverted by tribal interested or the undue influence of those with vast amounts of money, although I would probably somewhat cynically agree with the idea that  “ democracy  is the  worst form of government , except for all the others” (whether or not Churchill ever said it).  But it is probably as dangerous to identify one form of government with the Kingdom of God as it is to identify one nation with it.  As I said before thanks (or should that be apologies) should go to John Bell and Graeme Maule of the Iona Community for the format if not the cont...

This week is the actual centenary of the Easter Rising in Dublin, and as part of our response to that and the other centenaries being marked in Ireland from 2012-22, tonight Rev. Dr. Johnston McMaster gave a lecture helping us to make "God-Sense" of it all, in the different world that is Ireland 100 years on. In it he asked a number of questions including "Does violence ever bring peace?" challenging the place of the myth of redemptive violence in Christian thinking. As a partial response to that I thought I would post this Litany for Peace from  yesterday morning's broadcast Service on Radio Ulster when we were reflecting on Jesus' challenging promise: "Blessed are the Peacemakers..." Prince of Peace deliver us From those who use violence to impose their will on others. From those who stir others up to use violence to achieve their ends. From those who turn a blind eye to violence and injustice because it doesn’t affect them directly. ...

Over recent months in Belfast South Methodist we have been thinking about the implications of Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5, and in this morning's broadcast Service on Radio Ulster we were reflecting on "Blessed are the Peacemakers..." and as part of it we contrasted the words of Jesus with common attitudes in the world at large: VOICE 1:          Jesus says: VOICE 2:          "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." VOICE 1:          The world says: VOICE 3:          "Blessed are the materially wealthy, because theirs is the kingdom of the here and now." VOICE 1:          Jesus says: VOICE 2:          "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." VOICE 1:     ...

The second of our two Easter Eye-Witnesses, bringing to a close a series of 7 monologues delivered by various friends as part of our Holy Week Services at the Agape Centre. It was half a world away from here and half a lifetime ago, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. The day that changed my life forever, even though I didn’t realise it at the time… the day that changed the world, even though the world hasn’t yet woken up to the fact… I had barely woken up… The cock had just crowed, bringing the memories of two mornings before flooding back… The shame at being proved a coward… Realising how hollow all my brave words at the dinner table had been… That he knew… he knew everything… He had been warning us for ages that it would happen, but none of us believed him. “If anyone would follow me he must take up his cross and follow me...” I didn’t think he meant it literally… “I’ll follow in your footsteps wherever you go… even to death itself!” I said… And all the others said ...