Reading as Discipline

Methodists with a white past and a black future

2010-03-07T16:28:00.000+02:00

I have just finished the book, 'Methodists with a white past and a black future' by Simanga Kumalo - having borrowed a copy after my own 'went missing'! Simanga Kumalo led our synod devotions last year and I first heard the title of this book when they introduced him to us. I was already feeling quite insecure being in a very small white minority at synod and the title of this book really made me want to give up and go home. There was clearly, in my mind, no space for white people in the Methodist Church. However, it might have been better if Rev Kumalo had put a question mark at the end of the title of his book, because if his book is an answer to that question, then the answer is 'No'. Methodists are not a people (in South Africa) with an only white past or an only black future. Both people have been active throughout Methodist history in Southern Africa. The first half of the book is basically a history of Methodism in South Africa, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. The second half is the history of the Central Methodist Church in Durban from about 1960 until now. The first part is interesting as a summary of Methodist history and particularly as it details the struggles around apartheid. The second part is a really honest look at black/white dynamics within the Methodist Church - and also at black dynamics. For anyone who is interested in the Methodist Church or in doing 'multi-cultural' church this is a very good book to read.

'Chaos' - James Gleick

2010-01-26T11:13:00.001+02:00

One of the things which most struck me about James Gleick’s book Chaos was its age. In part, writing conventions have changed over the two decades since it was written. More significantly, though, I wondered why I knew so little about the exciting new science he discusses. Why hadn’t I been taught about fractal dimensions, universality and chaotic bifurcations? They were so interesting to read about, and so very useful – essential, in fact – to science.

In due course, I realised that it was just as well my high school teachers hadn’t tried to introduce me to chaos theory. I was still trying to figure out how a battery worked: the mathematical properties of the electrical oscillations it might produce were (and still are) years of study beyond me. This exciting new science is not a science that can be used by the everyday man or woman on the street.

What Gleick achieves in Chaos is to make it a science that I could almost understand and definitely appreciate. He exposes the mathematical structure and elegance behind measles epidemics and hurricanes; he points out the scientific background of beautiful fractals.

By the end of the book, I was half-convinced that I wanted to be a theoretical physicist. Not only would I get to understand chaos theory properly, but I would lead the interesting life of one of the book’s characters. Practically, of course, we can’t all discover new sciences and Gleick only includes the most interesting academic episodes in his book. Nonetheless, those characters do very much make the book.

Gleick may be writing about chaos, but he does it through stories of people: an awful lot of people, but real and interesting people. When the interactions became very complex, I wished that Chaos, like my copy of The Silmarillion, came with an index of characters. I was losing track of who each of the dozens of scientists were. As a story, the book would be easier to understand with fewer characters; what the broad cast certainly does achieve is to point out that the application of chaotic studies is equally broad.

Chaos is not light or easy reading, but neither is it dull. It takes the reader behind the scenes of the oxymoronic simple complexity of our world. It’s a heavy drop of water to help fill the bucket of insatiable curiosity.

"Living in Sin" - John Shelby Spong

2010-01-12T08:42:00.004+02:00

It's interesting that at a time that the same-sex debate is raging in the MCSA once again, Jenny and I both happen to be reading books on this issue. However, this one by Spong seems to be at polar opposites to the one by Webb.

I must confess that I was hesitant to read this book, given that some of Spong's views, not only on sexuality, but on the interpretation of Scripture in general, are - shall we say - "controversial". And I probably would not have read "Living in Sin" had it not been sent to me. Then again, I've always maintained that one cannot offer commentary honestly on something that one has not read/seen, so it was with this in mind that I pressed on...

So onto the book itself. One can gather from the subtitle, "A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality", that this is not likely to be a volume that reaffirms the traditional position of abstinence of sex outside of marriage, marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and so forth - and so it proved.

The book is divided into three main parts.

Part I ("The Revolution") covers topics such as "A Biblical Call to Inclusiveness", in which Spong asserts that his re-think on human sexuality is not so much about the sexual act but about discrimination against those who hold to different sexual mores than the mainstream. Indeed, with the sexual revolution in the 1960s, the spiralling divorce rate, and the increasing phenomenon of couples living together outside of marriage, those holding onto the traditional view are fast becoming a minority. Spong argues that, by continuing to "swim upstream", the Church has become a place of exclusion.

In Part II ("The Bible"), Spong turns to Scripture itself - more specifically, the misuse of Scripture to advance a particular point of view. Warning against a literal interpretation of the Bible, Spong traces our "faith story" back to its origins - about 4000 years - when the first of what is included in today's Bible was recorded, and compares this to the presence of human life (albeit in primitive form) for around a million years, he argues that since our "faith story" is so relatively young, one has to wonder "why a gracious God would leave human beings in both ignorance and sin for 99.9 percent of the time that they have inhabited the earth". It is for this reason, states Spong, that Scripture contains many passages that would appear to be in conflict with an understanding of a loving God. Given this background, one begins to understand why Spong is heavily critical of what he terms the Biblical attitude towards women, as well as its pronouncements on homosexuality, viewing these as the product of a patriarchal hetrosexual-dominated society rather than pronouncements of God. Indeed, Spong argues further that the Bible is not the Word of God, but words that lead to the Word, Who is God.

In the final part - Part III (Some New Proposals") - Spong deals firstly with marriage and celibacy. Arguing from the point of view that people are marrying a lot later in life nowadays, he sees no reason why sexual expression should be excluded from relationships formed prior to marriage. He then turns to the issue of the Church and divorce, and puts forward a proposal for an order of service in which the end of a marriage is formally acknowledged (in a similar way to life's end being acknowledged through a funeral service. The next chapter deals with the blessing of gay and lesbian commitments, which Spong is in favour of - not surprising, given what has been written in this book thus far. Also covered are sexual relationships among "post-married singles" such as those who are divorced or widowed. His argument here is that divorcees may wish to avoid remarriage because of past hurts, while widowed persons may risk losing certain benefits (such as spouse's pensions) should they remarry; however, this does not take away the need for physical intimacy. Finally, this section deals with women as clergy - something that is still not widely accepted by a number of churches.

The book concludes with an epilogue entitled "Enduring the Present to Claim the Future", in which Spong declares that today's controversies may well be tomorrow's norms, and invites his readers to endure the storms that will surely erupt when adopting a new attitude towards sexuality. Finally, included is a report of a task force (in which Spong participated) on changing patterns of sexuality and family life.

If your thinking on sexuality follows the more traditional approach, this book will be likely to jar your thinking - anger you, even. I can't say that I felt particularly comfortable with its content, and find it strange that someone who claims to have devoted his life to the Bible seems to spend so much energy in trying to refute its contents. But it is probably worth ploughing through once, even if only to get a glimpse into what the "liberal thinkers" are basing their arguments on concerning changing sexual attitudes and the interpretation of Scripture around this subject.

Slaves, Women and Homosexuals - William J Webb

2010-01-11T13:34:00.005+02:00

I've had this book for just under a year, recommended by Stephen Murray, but my Masters got in the way and I never read it. I picked it up now, thinking it would challenge my ideas about what the Bible says about homosexual relationships. I am not sure that it will - the writer seems to read my mind in terms of my understanding of a good Bible hermeneutic. It is amazingly affirming when one picks up a recommended book and finds it saying all the same things that you are! I am only two chapters into the book, so I may yet be surprised.
Chapter 1 -talks about cultural analysis. Familiar material on how the Bible was written from within a culture and that preliminary application needs to come from that understanding.
Chapter 2 - presents the idea of a 'redemptive movement' hermeneutic. In many ways this seems to be a restatement of what I have always understood as progressive revelation. Webb says that the Bible does not present guidelines to an ethically perfect Utopian society, but rather draws the reader further on into a 'better' ethic in manageable steps. For example, the Biblical teaching of slavery needs to be seen in the context of the slavery at the time. Although we see discussion about slavery as very backward, the Bible was moving people to a more humane form of slavery - and there we see the redemptive movement. We could just leave it there, or we can ask how this movement would and should progress - in this case ultimately to the abolition of slavery and beyond that to good and humane working conditions for all. So that the Biblical description is not final and what is indicative is the nature and direction of the movement away from the local culture.

Out of the Silent Planet - CS Lewis (Post 3)

2009-12-23T09:17:00.002+02:00

This is what the God-like, but not-God, character says near the end of the book.

'I see how the lord of the silent planet has bent you. There are laws that all hnau [human-like beings] know, of pity and straight dealing and shame and the like, and one of these is the love of kindred. He has taught you to break all of them except this one, which is not one of the greatest laws; this one he has bent until it becomes folly . . .'

I think one of the greatest strengths in this book is the way that Lewis redescribes some of the things that we value to show how ridiculous they can seem.

Out of the Silent Planet - CS Lewis (Post 2)

2009-12-21T07:35:00.002+02:00

I am struggling to find time to read at the moment. I am enjoying this book still, although I find it more demanding to read than more contemporary fiction (so although I may have found it escapist when I first read it, I find it less so now). Ransom has wrestled with the possibility of three dominant inteliigent species on a planet who seem to co-exist and co-operate most wonderfully. He realises that maybe human beings have got some things that they could learn. He is now on the way to 'Oyarsa' some God-like figure who is not God. Every planet has an 'Oyarsa', but not Earth and maybe this is why Earth-dwellers are more 'bent' than those who live on Malacandra.
Hopefully his meeting with Oyarsa will reveal what Lewis is thinking about the nature of good and evil on Earth.

Out of the Silent Planet - CS Lewis (Post 1)

2009-12-16T07:09:00.004+02:00

I am rereading this, as I have been meaning to for a couple of years. It is quite old fashioned in style (hardly CS Lewis' fault given that he wrote years ago). I sometimes struggle to enjoy the books that I enjoyed when I was younger (Isaac Asimov for example), but I seem to be getting into this one. I enjoy the way that the author lets us see the struggles that are going on inside the hero's head.
So far, the hero (Ransom) has found himself on the planet Malacandra and has settled in with a native civilisation and is being astounded by the fact that beings different to him can also be intelligent and civilised. Ok, not quite so trivial as that, but I guess it's the bottom line.

[Charli, I know that compared to me you are an expert on CS Lewis - feel free to comment critically!!!]

Living Oceans Apart - Delme Linscott (Post 2)

2009-12-02T14:42:00.003+02:00

I've read about another six chapters of 'Living Oceans Apart'. It's good to have an 'easy to read' book. So far, this book works by expressing how people feel. I guess it acts a bit like counselling in that recognising and verbalising feelings helps people realise that it's ok to feel like that. There are also practical exercises to help people verbalise their own feelings and struggles.

Exclusion and Embrace - Miroslav Volf

2009-12-01T12:30:00.003+02:00

I started reading this a few months ago, full of enthusiasm for the topic and hoping to come to understand something with which I struggle. My enthusiasm ran out when I found that I couldn't easily understand or follow Volf's argument. I was quite unhappy because I didn't like to think that I was 'too stupid' to read the book. At the same time I was wondering whether it was my shortcoming or whether it was perhaps that Volf was not writing as clearly as could be desired. But so many people have recommended the book. And it has won an award.
So I am trying again, but willing to be as critical and as slow as it takes. Maybe some day I will find someone to engage with me and show me where I have gone wrong. Or maybe even I will begin to understand as I read slowly and make notes. I have picked the book up where my bookmark was, somewhere near the end of chapter 2 (my page 86).
Volf speaks of how when we are confronted with evil the evil in us responds (or the beast). I can identify with that - I know that if someone loses their temper with me I want to respond in the same way. Injustice can make me irrationally angry. On the other hand, I very nearly always moderate my response and stay in control. So while evil may call forth evil, if Volf is saying that this is always so, I disagree.
On page 87 he goes on to talk about the power of evil and quotes Walter Wink. Wink says that 'powers' are essentially good, but when become 'hell-bent' on control they become a domination system (not good). Volf chooses to replace the word domination with exclusion, because, he says, domination desires to exclude the other from resources and so on. Even if this is so, the logic is fundamentally flawed because the reverse implication is not necessarily true - exclusion does not imply a desire to dominate. For example a bowls club does not usually want to control the affairs of the rugby club just because their members are excluded by their interests. Somehow from this Volf reaches the point where he sees exclusion as part or all of a "background cacophany of evil". There is an interesting article on self-determination here.
He then goes on to talk about the power of community to resist change (it is always 'they' who have made the decisions, but no one really knows who 'they' are.) He also talks about the roles of politicians and other influencers in changing a community's mind. I guess I can go along with that. He makes is sound evil, but it seems to me that it is how communities work and we need to deal with that. He then goes on to say that it is the very desires of the community for health and success that lead to genocides and destruction of the other. Again, there might be truth in this, but that doesn't make it wrong to desire health and strength and success for one's community.
This is a summary of what I found on pages 86-89. I had to look up the words 'interiority' and 'transpersonal' in the dictionary.
Man, I am disappointed. But if I struggle on, maybe I will pick up some key that will help me understand better.

Living Oceans Apart - Delme Linscott

2009-12-01T09:53:00.003+02:00

I just started reading Delme's book today, although I've been wanting to read it for a while. What he has done so well is to identify an area of real need, especially in South Africa today. A book that helps people deal with family (especially if they are your children) living overseas is very appropriate.
The first two chapters explain the need for and purpose of the book.

21 - 27 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-27T17:25:00.002+02:00

Have been reading plenty - so much so that I haven't allowed for time to blog on what I've read!

Will catch up next week (after Synod).

26 to 27 May (Jenny)

2009-05-27T07:17:00.002+02:00

Zorba the Greek: Nikos Kazantzakis. Found this in a second-hand bookshop in Jhb. So far the author and Zorba-the-philosophical-Greek-labourer have arrived in Crete in order to mine lignite.
2 Samuel 18 & 19: The political intrigue in David's time was phenomenal. Joab, Ahimaaz and David himself. Jacob Zuma and co are nothing new!

19 - 20 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-20T07:33:00.002+02:00

Bible
Continuing with the saga of Saul, who seems hell-bent on destroying David. I'm finding, though, that although the Old Testament seems filled with blood, guts, and gore, there are still many examples of grace. for instance, David had numerous opportunities - which he did not take - to kill Saul.

I've not said much about my New Testament readings, but this morning I read about how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. This account seldom fails to bring a tear to my eye, as it shows Jesus as a very real, loving person who is not only God but God in human form.

TEEC material
In the "Journeying in Faith" material, I've been reading about the expressions of spirituality as applicable to young children as well as to married couples. Not good when your family is 1000km away!

18 to 20 May (Jenny)

2009-05-20T06:36:00.003+02:00

I haven't done too well, because I can't remember what I've read over the last couple of days! Scratch, scratch think . . .
Life Together: Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Hm, this should sound impressive. Actually, it's a short book and I have only read the chapter called Community. I like Bonhoeffer's stand. We ARE the community of Christ, we don't need to create it. We are it. The way I like to put it is that we need to work on expressing it - so my Master's dissertation tends to speak of ways of expressing Christian community. Interesting how this 'old' work relates to stuff that is being written today - so-called 'third culture' thinking. I've ordered 'The Monkey and the Fish' on this. I'm looking forward to a good challenge.
Church and State: Karl Barth. It's really cheating to put this here. I read it quite a while ago and wrote up the relevant part for my thesis and was reworking it yesterday. I so like the clarity of thinking that Barth had. In a sense it is my confort zone. I don't like the fuzziness that we encounter nowadays.
You Magazine: I'm proud of this. I keep meaning to read something that the rest of the world reads. I've only read a couple of articles, but I might manage more! I also bought a Popular Mechanics. Again I've only read a couple of articles. So, I learnt about Jacob Zuma's daughters and um, can't remember. There was an ad for this sony underwater camera/ video camera that looked quite awesome.
TEE College Workbook: Still working on the same course as last week. This material is uninspiring. Almost negatively inspiring. Bringing your psychic energies under the headship of Christ - where the headship of Christ is put in almost as an afterthought. And where the word psychic is not used in a technical sense as Bonhoeffer uses it!
2 Samuel 9&10: David attempts to act altruistically in a cynical and self-serving world. Hooray for David! That's inspiring. Even if it didn't work out too well for him.

16 - 18 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-18T09:55:00.004+02:00

Bible
David is on the run from his father-in-law Saul. The priests stand up for David, so Saul kills the lot - 85 of them. I don't know about you, but if I'd fallen from favour with God and wanted to get back into His good books, I'm not convinced that murdering His priests is the way to go!

Books
This past Friday night a member of the congregation loaned me "Spud" by John van de Ruit. This is the story of a 14-year-old boy attending a private boarding-school in 1990, and deals with growing up in an all-boys school at the pre-dawn of the New South Africa. It's brilliant! Despite taking part in a "Meet the Minister" session on Saturday, finalising my sermon preparations, and doing two services plus a hospital visit on Sunday, I managed to flatten the book by this morning.

16 to 18 May (Jenny)

2009-05-17T19:42:00.003+02:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Finished this. Enjoyed it much more than the first time. JKR is really good.

Emily's Quest: LM Montgomery. An Anne of Green Gables type of book. My head was too sore to do anything constructive yesterday afternoon. Unexpectedly struck a chord with loneliness as a prominant theme.

Sticky Church: by Larry Osborne. Almost the opposite to Total Church - how to do community in a busy world (and more). I bought this book because I wanted to call my Masters dissertation 'How to Make Sticky Christian Communities'. I thought that he and I must be on a wavelength. And we are.

The Serenity Prayer: Live one day at a time. I was a little overwhelmed by the list of things that are expected of your 'one day'. But I gather you are supposed to choose one thing from the list. Something to remember - if you live all of your todays carefully, all of your yesterdays will be good.

2 Samuel 7 & 8: David gets stuck in with establishing his kingdom. For years David was a hero because of his conquests. Now this pacifist generation cannot understand how God allowed it. How we love to judge the past that we never knew!

15 to 16 May (Jenny)

2009-05-16T08:51:00.000+02:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Harry needs to decide whether to trust that Dumbledore really had his best interests at heart or not. I don't know if JK Rowling would like it or not, but the themes in Harry Potter relate well to Christian themes. We also need to decide whether we can trust our apparently absent God. Does he really have our best interests at heart?

The Serenity Prayer: The wisdom to know the difference. How to decide whether to accept or change. Ask God, look for an inner conviction, pursue the choice that seems to bring peace to your heart.

Rick Warren: I read an article from his Toolbox that says pastors should 'come clean with God'. It gives six steps that lead to confession and a closer walk with God.

Lance Witt: The dangers of ambition and self-promotion. How to avoid overdoing it.

2 Samuel 7: David becomes angry with God.

14 - 15 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-15T08:36:00.001+02:00

Bible
Getting to the "cool" stuff I read as a kid - the anointing of Saul; David and Goliath. I still remember those stick drawings I did in Standard Two of Samuel being surrounded by about a million (well, okay, ten) Israelites, who were shouting "We want a king!" Then little David going up against big Goliath - wow! Then not-so-little David decapitating the fallen Goliath - double wow!

Internet
On the DEWCOM website there is a paper presented by Ndikho Mtshiselwa of UNISA's Department of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies dealing with a thorough exegesis of Leviticus 18:22, one of the so-called "proof texts" dealing with homosexuality. To be honest, after wading through this 25-page analysis (excluding bibliography, which runs to a further three pages), it's mostly Greek to me (not to mention quite a bit of Hebrew as well), and the conclusion - which states that this text may possibly not be dealing with same-sex relationships, but is unclear on what it actually is addressing then - leaves me none the wiser. Probably because I'm still thinking like an accountant who likes there to be a credit for every debit!

Boring stuff
I got the Rules of the MCSA Supernumerary Fund this morning. 28 pages of "whereas" and "save to the extent that" and "notwithstanding" - eish!

13 to 15 May (Jenny)

2009-05-15T07:50:00.000+02:00

I have to concede that I'm not managing to note everything I read. And maybe that's good - except sometimes the stuff I read just because I pick it up and it interests me is what I want to note. But I only realise it later.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: (JK Rowling) Another reread. This is the first time I am rereading it and I think I am enjoying it more than the first. The plot was at such a pitch last time that all that really mattered was finding out what was going to happen!
The Serenity Prayer: (Trevor Hudson). The courage to change the things that you can. This being yourself. Myself.
2 Samuel 4 & 5: Are we a twisted people? In that the most studied part of David's life seems to be his relationship with Bathsheba? In 2 Samuel the love and respect that he gives Saul and Saul's family, in spite of their persecution of him, is phenomenal. We see David being a 'man after God's heart'.

12 - 13 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-13T07:25:00.001+02:00

Bible
It seems that some of the phenomena that we experience in the Church today are nothing new! 1 Samuel 2 speaks of two things we can identify with: firstly, and sadly, the manner in which some "preacher's kids" go off the rails, as Eli's did; and secondly, equally sadly, how those who claim to me God's ministers take advantage of their position for personal gain (see 1 Samuel 2: 27 - 29).

TEEC material
I'm at College at the moment so any spare time needs to be allocated to assignments. The stuff on Tozer was quite stimulating - I can buy his philosophies - but some of the other material is a bit like Greek to me.

12 to 13 May (Jenny)

2009-05-13T06:52:00.000+02:00

TEE College Course Notes: This is not my favourite course and I don't find the notes well-written. Academic material should not be written with a bias, unless that is stated or obviously expected (a Christian bias is expected in Christian studies).

Total Church: I need to get a basic understanding of this model if I want to include it in my Masters - which I do. But I don't think the book explains it enough. I will look up Crowded House on the internet. The chapter I read was about church planting. I think they like small congregations, like households, and I gather they grow by dividing the plants.

The Serenity Prayer:I forgot to record this yesterday. Accept what we cannot change - amongst others, the past Aad other people. Good point, that last one.

2 Samuel 3: Treachery and heartache. God lives in our world. How does he stay sane? I hope he has. Would I know? Yes, I think so!

11 to 12 May (Jenny)

2009-05-11T20:20:00.000+02:00

The Church's Mission and Post-Modern Humanism: I've been waiting for this - a really impressive title! by MM Thomas. His thesis is that people are able to be Christians while remaining within Hindu community and have no need of an explicit Christian community. What he says makes a lot of theoretical sense and may be possible given the flexible nature of Hinduism. One wonders how long someone could sustain a commitment to Jesus under those conditions - without a specific calling. I've read other stuff relating to this today - part of Lesslie Newbigin's response to Thomas and also a Time magazine article with a contemporary western perspective.

Chocky: Finished this. Things were somehow simpler in the old days. When people seemed less complicated. And tried to be nice.

2 Samuel 2: Bloodthirsty. This always stresses me until I am reminded that God is a real God of real situations and real life. He and his people are not disjoint from realities, but engage with them. And that was a bloody affair in certain periods of history.

9 - 11 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-11T15:46:00.000+02:00

Bible
Still working my way through Judges. Today I got to the inspiring account of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth's faith, and Boaz's compassion, are an Old Testament example of how we should live as christians today.

Books
Some light reading after my brain has been battered at the hands of the Synod Blue Book. I'm currently reading "Great British Wit - The Greatest Assembly of British Wit and Humour Ever". Note the (obviously PhotoShopped) image of Winston Churchill's victory salute! My favourite is former British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli's famous quite of distrust: "Lies, damned lies, and statistics".

Internet
I wrote an article on the use of usufructs in estate planning, for specialist tax website MoneywebTax. This is how I supplement my stipends!

I also found this gem, "100 Facts of Life". I just had to put this on my own blog!

10 to 11 May (Jenny)

2009-05-11T08:06:00.000+02:00

Chocky: by John Wyndham. Another reread. So far, Matthew seems to have an imaginary friend.

The Serenity Prayer: What actually is serenity? Even after reading the chapter, I'm not sure.

Total Church: I'm not letting myself read any more, until I've gone back and made proper notes!

2 Samuel 1: Ah, this is where the verse is that makes some people say that David and Jonathan were homosexual lovers. At the risk of offending, I would say that this is not even a proof text -more like a proof subtext. But it is part of a puzzle. Part of the journey to finding the truth.

8 to 10 May (Jenny)

2009-05-10T07:31:00.000+02:00

Witches Abroad: Finished this. The Fairy Godmother gets captured by the mirror. The sexual innuendo is too much for me in this book - it gets irritating! But it's not as bad as the next one in the series, if I remember correctly. There's funny and there's stupid. But there is plenty that is funny and clever, so still worth reading!
Total Church: I ought to be making proper notes. I'm going to have to go back over what I have read. Recently - the church's involvement with the marginalised - I'm interested to see how they take this further (so as not to be patronising). And also church is mission and mission is church. We shouldn't see either as an individual activity.
Hebrews 10-13: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we have". Yes.

7 - 8 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-08T13:23:00.000+02:00

Bible
Still wading my way through Judges. More chapters that begin with "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord". Today I was reading about Samson. Quite a petulant, bloodthirsty yob who threw his toys out the cot when he didn't get his own way. A bit like your average playground bully, in fact...

Miscellaneous
Some REALLY exciting reading (not!) these past couple of days. Our district Synod is coming up, so I spent last night wading through this 118-page tome known as the Synod Blue Book. This was followed by some research in Laws and Discipline and the 2009 Yearbook in order to prepare a resolution to be tabled by our Circuit at the Synod. I really need to get out more...

7 to 8 May (Jenny)

2009-05-08T08:22:00.000+02:00

Witches Abroad: by Terry Pratchett. Amongt other thing a trial for those who have committed crimes against 'narrative expectation'.

Total Church: The importance of sensitive, but intentional evangelism. People are often drawn to the Christian community before they are drawn to the Christian message. Very true - only that community is not often present in a meaningful way. No doubt the book will go on to explore this. The danger is that we 'create community' and do not look for ways to express the community that exists by definition in the body of Christ. This is where my Masters dissertation goes, so I have too much to say!

Hebrews 7 & 8: More about Jesus as the ultimate high priest.

6 to 7 May (Jenny)

2009-05-07T07:33:00.000+02:00

The Serenity Prayer: by Trevor Hudson. I try to keep a 'spiritual' or motivational book on the go. I was given this as a gift at the end of last year. I read only the introduction last night. Trevor Hudson says that we are all looking for peace, however we express that. I am supposed to write out the full version of the Serenity Prayer and memorise it. I ought to. Maybe I will.
Hebrews 6 & 7: I do not want you to become lazy! That fits with something I was thinking about - so maybe a word from God to me, just there.

1-6 May

2009-05-06T13:35:00.000+02:00

Brisingr: I began reading this book, very conscious of the negative reputation Paolini has in many literary circles, but I'm convinced that the book is underestimated. Although the prose is sometimes a bit stilted, Paolini deals well with any of the cliches of fantasy fiction. At a loser look, much of what appears to be unoriginal is in fact rather thought-provoking. I'm not sure I enjoyed his exploration of religion, though.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table: I'm reading Roger Lancelyn Green's version of the story. I think it is one of the most tragic accounts of the story that I've read, constantly foreshadowing Arthur's death and the fall of Logres. It does seem to be fairly consistent with the older stories, which many of the newer retellings lack.

The Science of Discworld: This book encouraged me to think more scientifically than I have in a long time. Chapters alternate between Unseen University with it Pratchettian parody of academia and entertaining explanations of science from quantum theory to biology, where Pratchett is assisted by Stewart and Cohen. I enjoyed the Discworld more than the science, partly because I am lazy and partly because at times it didn't seem entirely coherent, but I am glad I read the book.

4 - 6 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-06T07:27:00.000+02:00

I've been busy with studies, including preparing for an exegesis exam, so reading has been a bit sparse these past few days.

Bible
My Old Testament readings for the past few days have been from Judges, and it seems that each chapter begins with the words "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..." What were they thinking? Then again, we are no different. Thank God for His mercy when we blow it!

TEEC material
In the material for the course "Journeying in Faith", we are looking at the spirituality of various historical figures, and right now I'm reading about the "social Gospel" of John Wesley. Since I'm also reading a book by Tuttle on the life and theology of Wesley, and being a Methodist, I'm finding this rather interesting indeed!

Blogs
Jenny "the Machine" Hillebrand seems to have a low sleep requirement, since her blog is more up to date than stock exchange feeds from the JSE. At the moment she is reflecting on the trial service she did this past Sunday, and also on yesterday's exegesis exam - both of which she passed. Well done, Jen!

Dion Forster also has some interesting things on his blog (as always). He has recently been seconded from the Church to a position whereby he ministers to people in business, and has been reflecting recently on the sessions he is attending at business school. I find his attempts to come to terms with a transition from ministry to the business world quite fascinating, especially since I'm going through the same process the other way round (i.e. from the business world into ministry).

5 to 6 May (Jenny)

2009-05-06T06:34:00.001+02:00

Total Church: I do like this book. In my current contextual disorientation I am struggling to absorb it properly. This is challenging, "In our experience, people are often enthusiastic about community until it impinges on their decision-making. For all their rhetoric, they still expect to make decisions by themselves for themselves. We assume we are masters of our own lives" (pg 45). I think this sentence captures the essence of the difficulty that African and western traditions experience in working together.
Hebrews 4&5: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (4:13). I am glad that God knows me and that I cannot trick him or confuse him or hide from him. There is a security in that.

4 to 5 May (Jenny)

2009-05-04T20:33:00.000+02:00

Witches Abroad: 'Your average witch is not, by nature, a social animal as far as other witches are concerned. There's a conflict of dominant personalities. There's a group of ringleaders without a ring. There's the basic unwritten rule of witchcraft, which is, "Don't do what you will, do what I say." The natural size of a coven is one. Witches only get together when they can't avoid it.' Some people would say that this describes Methodist ministers. Does coven=synod?

Meet the Brown Bomber: by Simon Gqubule and about Rev Seth Mokitimi. An inspiring story about somebody who made his life count - more on my blog!

Total Church: by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. I've been waiting for the chance to read this and had it all year. I must now read it for my Masters. So I'm hoping to do two chapters a day. I like the authors' premise - we need to find a new way of doing church. I'm also starting to get a bit sceptical of all the new ways that people propose! But this comes highly recommended, so we'll see. The intro has stuff that supports my Masters thesis - church needs to be word centred and mission centred (pg 16). Having studied it a bit already, I find their argument in chapter 1 a little bit - um, not quite there. But I agree with the principle.

Hebrews 2&3: Jesus was made perfect in suffering. And Job. And maybe phase 1's. Also 'let none of you have sinful, unbelieving hearts'. Lord give me a right heart.

2 to 4 May (Jenny)

2009-05-04T05:51:00.000+02:00

Witches Abroad: By Terry Pratchett. I'm rereading this. All about 'narrative causality'. Pratchett with a unique take on 'the power of story'.
God is Closer Than You Think: How's this? 'Internally, most of us want to experience the feelings of God's presence; a deeper sense of peace and assurance, a stronger surge of joy, a clearer word of guidance. Is it even possible for the practice of the presence of God to become a thinly veiled pursuit of emotional comfort?' (Page 179).
James 5: Perseverance in the face of suffering. Oh yes.
Hebrew 1: I've just done a series of this in a Bible Study, so Hebrews is still quite fresh to me. Jesus is greater than the angels. Actually, Jesus is God. Well, Jesus is awesome!

2 - 3 May 2009 (Steven)

2009-05-03T15:26:00.000+02:00

This past weekend I've been reading some cool stuff, and some "not-so-cool" stuff...

Bible
My focus was on 2 Kings 5: 1 - 14 (dealing with Naaman being healed of leprosy), and Luke 10: 1 - 20 (dealing with Jesus sending out the seventy-two), for my services this morning. I'm a couple of days behind with my "One-Year Bible" (naughty!), but will catch up this evening and tomorrow.

Internet
Found an interesting post on the website Journey with Jesus which deals with the question of Jesus as being "the only way to the only God". While this is something we as Christians regard as fundamental to our faith, the article provides interesting information and food for thought, particularly in discussing two extreme positions of atheism (all religions are false) and pluralism (all religions are true). The article doesn't provide all the answers, nor does it claim to. What it does, however, is help us think once again of the basis of our faith in Jesus as our Lord and our Saviour.

DVD
Watched a talk by J John, a Brummie (person living in Birmingham, England) of Greek birth (presumably he has one of those impossibly long Greek surnames, hence "J John". His ancestry did little for that nasal Birmingham accent (which sticks out on me like a sore thumb as well when I speak to my parents), but the content of his message was brilliant. He describes himself as a spokesman for an international organisation that has branches worldwide and is involved in schools, hospitals, old-age homes. In addition, the organisation provides spiritual well-being that is absolutely out of this world! Actually, he is a canon in the Church of England, but this description has (apparently) opened a lot more doors, especially among people who wouldn't ordinarily enter a church building. His insights on everyday ministry, where he describes situations in locations as varied as his local coffee shop and the London Underground, are brilliant, and prove that with a discerning ear and a small step of faith, countless opportunities exist to share the Gospel with someone. I particularly enjoyed his "doughnut thief" story as well, which is probably the most enlightening illustration of Biblical giving I have heard in years!

Books
Had a squizz through three books this weekend.

The first is "The Gift of Giving: A Biblical Approach to Money, Finance and Stewardship" by George Trimble, previous Lay General Treasurer of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. One of my responsibilities this year is to plan and implement a stewardship campaign in a congregation that hasn't had too much success in understanding the Biblical principles of giving, and this book has been a HUGE help in assisting me to draw up the programme.

The second is one that I've been wading through for the past couple of weeks, entitled "John Wesley: His Life and Theology" by Robert G Tuttle. It is written from a first-person perspective, and as one reads one can imagine actually being told the life story of John Wesley by John Wesley himself. So far I've got to the part in Wesley's ministry where he went to America with his brother Charles. At this stage, although both Wesleys were ordained Anglican priests, neither of them had got to the point of having their "heart strangely warmed" by Jesus. Great stuff lies ahead!

The third is the "not-so-cool" one - I had to look up something in "The Laws and Discipline of The Methodist Church of Southern Africa, 11th Edition". Wretched book - Yes, I know that we have to have law and order, but sometimes I get the feeling that this book is used to bind people, rather than to set them free. Needless to say, I didn't absorb too much of what I read, but I know where the topic is if I need to look it up again...

Magazines
Indulged in some light reading; not too spiritual, the latest SA Cricket magazine (although some do not regard cricket as a matter of life and death; it's far more important than that!). Still, it's interesting to read how the experts were predicting a 3-0 home series whitewash after our historic series victory in Australia. Hindsight is, of course, an exact science, but we've opened our mouths to change feet before...

1 to 2 May

2009-05-01T14:02:00.000+02:00

Internet: I read a whole lot of stuff! On Boing Boing I read about how people can go insane being in solitary confinement because we need people to give us feedback. To adjust our behaviour and to have a sense of who we are.

Orphans of the Sky: I finished the Heinlein. Interesting thought that if we did not have daily and seasonal changes (such as a controlled environment) we might not think to measure time. There might be just then and now.

God is Closer Than You Think: Read about how we have a yearning to know what is beyond death and beyond our knowledge of life. Found a quote that drilled itself into my Masters, it being so exactly what I needed, and I abandoned reading for the time being.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: I very seldom watch TV. But I bought this dvd and watched 50 minutes - and then the dvd drive on my pc gave in (as it usually does).

James 4: James seems to be writing into a different context to the other NT writers. I realised recently that the Jews were businesspeople of note, even in NT times. There were communities scattered throughout Asia Minor - and they were rich. In fact, much of the persecution of Jews was in the form of taxes - not because of religious issues, but because they were rich. So I wonder if James doesn't write into the context of communities like that. But he was based in Jerusalem. I don't know.

30 April to 1 May

2009-05-01T07:26:00.000+02:00

Orphans of the Sky - Robert Heinlein. I read a few pages of this - I'm about halfway through the book. Old fashioned science fiction. From a time when people were easily shocked by things that were different (mutants, loose morals, whatever). I enjoy Heinlein (not his brain tumour era, though). This book wonders how people would be if they had grown up on a world-size spaceship, with little historical memory of how they came to be there.
Proclaiming our Faith Workbook - TEE College I have to read this for my phase one studies. Very lightweight - but there is a legitimate place for that. I read carefully those bits that pertain to culture (which could be useful for my Masters dissertation) and about funerals.
God is Closer Than You Think - John Ortberg I'm rereading this - for maybe the fourth or fifth time. It still reminds me that 'it's all about Jesus'. I read about Job and 'winter in the Christian life'.
James ch 2 & 3. I'm doing a programme that takes you through the Bible in three years put together by Tim Chester. I'd put in a link, but last time I looked the document was not there. James pulls no punches in his writing. He tells it like he sees it. That is refreshing. Paul writes in a contorted way sometimes. James 2 says that faith without deeds is dead.