by emma | Jan 16, 2007 | Photography, Words
Originally uploaded by emmaboyd.
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
We were young and world was clear
Young ambition disappears
I swore it would never come to this
The average, the obvious
I’m still discontented down here
I’m so discontented
If we only got one try
If we’ve only got one life
If time was never on our side
Before I die I want to burn out bright
So a spark ignites
In time and space
To make it through this human race
You fight and crawl your way back home
But you’re running the wrong way
The future is a question mark
With kerosene electric sparks
There’s still fire in you yet
Yeah there’s still fire in you
If we only got one try
If we’ve only got one life
If time was never on our side
Before I die I want to burn out bright
[Burn Out Bright – Switchfoot]
by emma | Jan 15, 2007 | Books
Over the Christmas period I read The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre. It was an interesting read, and the more I think of it, quite appropriate considering the Soliton Sessions theme of ‘Dangerous Living‘ next month. (Jesus of Suburbia is subtitled ‘Have We Tamed the Son of God to Fit our Lifestyle?’) Here are some of my thoughts from it:
“Daniel waited three weeks for an answer to his prayer because the angel sent to answer Daniel was opposed for that time by demonic forces.” (From Daniel 10:12-13)
Maybe sometimes unanswered prayer isn’t that God is holding off, but that the devil is attacking harder? (Not always I know, as Mike notes, but sometimes we under-spiritualise stuff) Puts a new twist on the verse ‘God is not slow to act as some understand…’
“If somebody asks me, “Hey, how’s your walk with Jesus?” I immediately want to tell them about my prayer life and quiet times, but I don’t want to talk about my driving or how I talk with my wife when I’m angry with her.”
Our whole lives are influenced by who we follow. Jesus is just as interested in my driving and how I react to my little brother as he is in my prayers. Makes me think of the concept of shalom – the presence of wholeness, completeness. Jesus is interested in it all.
“The critical issue today is dullness. We have lost our astonishment. The Good News is no longer life changing. It is life enhancing.”
(M. Dawn)
How true this is. Oh that we would see a glimpse of God as he really is. Oh that our hearts would be awakened to the glory of a God who is so beyond our comprehension, so beyond our imagination, so beyond… just beyond. Beyond us.
Mike Erre also made this comment:
“One of the most fundamental mistakes many commentators make in understanding the book of Revelation is forgetting that the book would have made sense to it’s original audience. Its symbols, imagery, and hundreds of Old Testament illustrations would have been readily understood by Revelation’s first-century hearers.”
Can anyone shed some light on this for me, is it true? Would the imagery in Revelation have been so easily understood in their culture?
by emma | Jan 14, 2007 | Faith
Been thinking about the phrase ‘half-right’ recently. Jenni posted recently on it here. I guess I’m looking at it from the perspective that I’m reading a lot of “emerging church” stuff these days, and I’m aware that I want to have a balanced perspective on it. I’m kind-of coming from the same perpsective as Jenni, in that some of the stuff I’ve been reading is really helping me incredibly to get new perspectives and the likes, and yet some of it I’m not so sure about. As I’ve been thinking about this, the first thing that tends to pop into mind is Jesus’ words in …
“…whoever is not against us is for us….” [Mark 9]
Then my mind wanders back through thoughts I’ve had, similar to Jenni’s, that if I disagree with some of their teaching, how trustworthy is the rest of it? I don’t think we can write off everything good someone says on the basis of one bad thing they say… everyone’s human, right? We all stumble and fall. We have to test everything.
The philosopher Arthur Holmes once said “All truth is God’s truth.”
I love this truth (yes, I believe it’s truth). When Paul is speaking to the people in Athens, he quotes their own poets and philosophers. It’s important to realise the context here – the Athenians were very learned people, who were always debating the latest theories and philosophies, so the emergence of this new, knowable God that these followers of The Way were speaking about would have been intruiging to them. For Paul, anybody is capable of speaking truth. He takes it and claims it for himself, using it to turn people’s hearts and minds to God.
So I guess my conclusion at the minute is that it’s ok to take and claim truth wherever I find it. But I’m still wrestling. Anyone else got thoughts to share?
[I do not guarantee that this will be my final thoughts on the topic either!]
by emma | Jan 13, 2007 | Everything Else
Shaun has got a great conversation going on via his post ‘Greek To Me’, about how translation influences our understanding of Jesus’ words. This post focuses on translating the Greek word ‘eirene’.
by emma | Jan 13, 2007 | Books, Words
So Pete Rollins book How (Not) To Speak Of God arrived in the post this morning from Amazon. Pete is one the guys who will be speaking/facilating/conversing/being at the Celtic Soliton Sessions in Feb, and I was keen to read the book before the conference. It’s a pretty deep, heavy book I have to admit!
In the introduction Pete gives a really useful definition (the best I’ve heard so far) on what the emerging movement actually is…
“The term ’emerging Church’ has also been used to describe this diverse community. While it is a useful term, the word ‘Church’ can be quite misleading, since the movement is not so much developing a distinct religious tradition within Christianity, but rather is re-introducing ideas that help to both revitalize already existing religious traditions and build bridges between them. It is not then a revolution that is in the process of creating something new but rather one that is returning to something very old.”
I also very much like this quote from the first chapter:
“The only significant difference between the aesthetic idol and the conceptual idol lies in the fact that the former reduces God to a physical object and the latter reduces God to an intellectual object.”
It helps me to understand why God would say in Ecclesiastes that “much study wearies the body”… theology and thinking and discussing are important… but living it out is more important! Is it possible that all our theorising about God could actually just be trying to put him into a box, one into which he does not fit?
OTHERS:
Andrew Jones, Jonny Baker, Scot McKnight, Adele
by emma | Jan 12, 2007 | Everything Else
Last night I got a very pleasant suprise to see a couple of comments on the blog from some friends I met in Delft in 2005. Kyle Holland and his family were the founding pastors of Levend Water, the church that my Exodus team were working with in 2005. We had a blast hanging out and serving with the guys then. Kyle is currently in the USA working on a project called theunheardchurch, before he and his family move to Dublin in June to pioneer some church plants in Ireland.
He has a video on his site about Ireland, particularly how Irish youth view the church these days. Very humbling to watch. Check it out here.
RELATED:
It’s Been Too Long
Lightbulb Ministry
by emma | Jan 11, 2007 | Everything Else
UPDATE: I booked my flights for Soliton last night, excited about heading over for what looks to be a few days of stimulating conversations! Will be good to meet some bloggers I’ve been reading for a while now, like Andrew Jones, Jonny Baker, and Si Johnston. As far as I know there is still space if anyone else wants to come!
ORIGINAL:
I wanted to put a conference up on your radar for next month…
The Celtic Soliton Sessions are taking place in Belfast/Portrush from Feb 1st – 4th.
Here’s the blurb from their site:
This year our theme is dangerous living.
Our traditions are stories of dangerous lives: prophets critiqued dangerously, apostles spoke dangerously, and the early church fathers lived dangerously. Jesus inspired life practices that launched a new society both critical of and dangerous to the present order. 2007’s Soliton Sessions are an invitation to rediscover this alternative society.
Check it out, I will hopefully be making it.
by emma | Jan 10, 2007 | Uni
So I made it through my mini blog break, to attempt some exams. Funny story… Monday’s exam (Maths) was ok, but yesterday, I was supposed to have a Biblical Studies exam… didn’t quite make it…
I got up in the morning and was feeling all that great, but wasn’t bad enough that I was going to miss my exam. Started heading down to uni, began to feel a bit light-headed, but carried on anyway! Got about half way there before I had to stop and throw up! (Yes, I use the phrase literally here, as opposed to my figaritive ‘throw up a post’ use). Needless to say I got in a taxi and headed back to my flat, thus missing the exam. Joy. I feel fine now though, I think I may have ate something a little dodgey! Had been looking forward to that exam actually, because I’m really interested in the subject! Have to sit it in August now.
by emma | Jan 7, 2007 | Music, Uni
I have returned to Glasgow! The extra few days in Northern Ireland (when I was bored/stuck in the house/procrastinating revision) were completely worth it when I got to see Foy Vance play at Black Box yesterday afternoon. Quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard him!
The gig was sold out, but managed to get my name on a list at the door and sneak in anyway! The auditorium was jam packed, with just enough room to move. The atmosphere was great, the crowd was silent while Foy played, and cheering rapturously in between. A superb folk band by the name of The Winding Stair supported. Then, in his usual understated way, Foy danders up onto the stage through the crowd, and launches straight into some quality songs, using his looping gadget thing. Sang a myriad of wonderful songs, with a few new ones thrown in there… loving this line from a new song:
“Hope deals the hardest blow.”
Quite a haunting song. Get it recorded and out somewhere soon Foy! The gig had its amusing moments of course – playing barefoot to fix a technical glitch, getting given water instead of Guinness, having a moment while we all sang along with a song… ah the beauty. There is also the fact that he played for almost 2 hours, well over what he was supposed to. Not that any of us were complaining. The man just keeps getting better and better!
In other news, I will try to go blog free for the next two days… need to revise for exams on Monday (eek tomorrow!) and Tuesday afternoons.
by emma | Jan 4, 2007 | Everything Else
Looking for some help…
I really want to take my photography up to the next level, but I’m not sure how. I’d like to find a mentor kind-of person… anyone know someone in Glasgow who’d be up for it? Or even just point me in the right direction?
I’m totally loving experimenting with my images at the minute. Hoping to upgrade to a DSLR very soon too.
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