The Sound Of Resurrection

Here's a brilliantly challenging quote from Lucy Winkett's Our Soul Is Our Wound (from chapter 4 The Sound Of resurrection):

Jonah's belly of the fish, the tomb of lazarus, reminds us of our own potential for living. As adults we often struggle to accept the abundant, extravagant, astonishing life that Jesus offers. As we prepare to face our own fear of the actual and unavoidable journey through our own death and resurrection, we find hints of that fear in our lives now. Through the walls of the tombs we build for ourselves bricked up with low expectations, safe patterns of behaviour that keep us irresponsible, will we hear the roar of God, the shout of Christ's compassion, Christ's exultation mixed with deep anger calling us to live in the light and in the presence of God?

Wow! Am I living this abundant life promised by Jesus? I live in a 'safe' world (here in the west). These 'safe patterns of behaviour' and 'low expectations' keep me from the astonishing life offered by Jesus.
If I listen carefully i can hear the sound of Christ's voice calling me into an astonishing life...
prompting me out of the tomb of my fears and leading me into an abundant life...
It's the sound of resurrection!

Reflections (1)

Here's a photo i took while out last Sunday afternoon at le Parc d' Héron Villeneuve d'Ascq near Lille. A beautiful cold sunny day...
by the way i didn't use photoshop - you see it as it is!

What is normal?

I've just started reading 'Our Sound is Our Wound' by Lucy Winkett - the Archbishop of Canterbury's lent book 2010...

I came across this in the introduction: "There is no normative experience against which everything should be measured, and when we recognize this, our relationship with God and our understanding of human beings will be only expanded and enriched."

So often we consider our personal experiences of God to be the norm for everyone; and if others don't fit into our experience or understanding we quickly judge their experience as dodgy!

God (and human beings for that matter) are so varied and so unique we need to give others a large space to experience God and life!

What is normal anyway??

The Shack

I'm re-reading The Shack (by William P Young). Why? Because I'm going to speak on the Icon of the Trinity by André Roublov next Sunday. (See my post on Icons 11 Feb 2010) - The Shack is a wonderful novel that depicts God, the Trinity as an inter-relational being, the three persons of the TRINITY in a relationship of love - perfect love. There is no place for 'power' in this relationship, no hierachical pyramid...the Godhead is seen in a dynamic union, active and real, in mutual submission.
This perception of God is similar to that of the Icon - A relational circle...

The Shack is a good read and will challenge your preconceived ideas about the person of God, that's guaranteed!

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

I've been listening to the new Gorillez album - Beach Plastic - here's the link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/mar/01/gorillaz-plastic-beach

I love it. it's so versatile, cool funky beats - so Gorillaz- featuring Lou Reed (yes really), RnB/soul veteran Bobby Womack, Mark E Smith (frontman of the fall), Snoop Dog, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon... what a cast! - And there's more!


Official release 8 March!

Ne le dis à Personne (Tell No One)

after the cinésoupe saturday night went round some friends who recommended a film - the french film 'Ne le dit à personne' (Tell No One) - they lent us the DVD aand we watched it on Sunday evening. It was directed by Guillaume Canet.
I really enjoyed it - the film's an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Harlan Coben - a gripping who-done-it mystery,- well filmed- great entertainment...

sometimes i just need to switch off and enjoy a good movie!