URBANarmy

For those that really think that I exaggerate about the change in weather whenever we get our tent out!

Predictable weather meant lots of reading and scrabble - happy to pass my holiday scrabble crown onto the victorious Kate (for this year). Of course the inaugural summer Kubb championship was won by yours truly! Anyway, I've just added these links to my Spiritual Formation collection to explore at some point. centering prayer The Merton Institute The Lay Community of St. Benedict finding sanctuary

It's that time again. Weather forecast seems predictable for a Cotterill camping expedition! Lot's of books and Kubb queued up. Back in a fortnight

Conversely - again stay anon if you want - but how about three reasons why...?

I've been working on a chapter of a book with another member of staff. The book is looking at the concept of Call and Commission and the chapter we were asked to write is on the Institutional Churches response to the falling away of those entering training for ministry. Stay anon should you wish but if anyone has time to comment by leaving 3 reasons why Colleges is not the route for them to fulfill the sense of God's direction in their life. Thanks

Yesterday we had a family trip to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang thanks to Grandma in Southampton. Ok - a flying car on stage was pretty good! Watching the eyes pop out of Eryn's head was even better!

Lectio -Read the passage slowly several times. Meditatio - Reflect on the text of the passage, thinking about how to apply to one's own life. Oratio - Respond to the passage by opening the heart to God. Contemplatio - Opening our mind, heart and soul to the influence of God. Proper 14, Year C Take time to read through the account slowly- possibly 2 or 3 times, then... Identify what 'shimmers' for you? Where is your focus drawn in the account ? What for you is the main point? What is your point of contemplation? Which word or phrase has touched your heart? What have you "heard" or "seen"? Only one rule - remember that this isn't a bible study more a place of contemplation of scripture, so read comments with respect and be released from needing to respond to someone else's comment. Luke 12:32-40 32 ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purs...

God's justice is not simply a blind disposing of rewards for the virtuous and punishments for the wicked I've been spending a bit of time in NT Wright's writing recently and it has inspired some new 'lost themes of mission' The whole concept of judgement seems to be a pretty loaded word. I remember as a kid watching a guy walk up and down Oxford St in London with a sandwich board informing the tourists and shoppers that God's judgement was at hand. Hell and damnation, eternal rest the destination of such judgement - the communication of eternal sentence. NT Wright points out in Evil And the Justice of God that "God's justice is not simply a blind disposing of rewards for the virtuous and punishments for the wicked, though plenty of those are to be found on the way. God's justice is a saving, healing, restorative justice, because the God to whom justice belongs is the creator God who has yet to complete his original plan for creation, and whose jus...

I love my wife! Kate and our friend Tania's surprise early 40th birthday presents worked out pretty well at the second attempt without so much of the surprise!

Having finished Richard Dawkins The God Delusion I have to say I thought I was going to have a bit more than I bargained with but I was pretty disappointed. His arguments seemed to be based around the worst that religion has to offer - so ironically I found myself not disagreeing with a lot of what he had to say. An argument based on the best of what religion has to offer might have been interesting. His arguments seemed akin to someone writing off science based on the worst that science has to offer - which of course would be a ridiculous thing to do. Incidentally, today is the anniversary of Hiroshima. This care of Jim Wallis' blog Mitsuyoshi Toge, born in Hiroshima in 1917, was a Catholic and a poet. He was in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city on August 6, 1945, when he was 24 years old. Toge died at age 36. His firsthand experience of the bomb, his passion for peace, and his realistic insight into the event made him a leading poet in Hiroshima. This poem...

“How can forward-thinking people stay creative and productive within highly bureaucratic organizations?” Joe Noland is a retired International Leader of The Salvation Army. His blog slightly irregular is one that I like to pop in and out of. He seems to be starting a series of posts where he hopes to tackle the question “What can be done to change the establishment?” with the sub-plot “How can forward-thinking people stay creative and productive within highly bureaucratic organizations?” Here is the context through which he hopes to answer these questions... As a young Divisional Secretary (Doris L.O.M. Secretary), we had had it up to here with the establishment, made an appointment with the Chief Secretary and requested a return to Corps work. We were even so brash as to ask for one community in particular, Santa Rosa, California, for several reasons: There was no band and songsters and population studies projected phenomenal growth for the future. We desperately wanted to be the Arm...

I've been trawling around looking for some Brueggemann to listen to and this site has some. The site has been a little hit and miss but I managed to get hold of some material to while away the ironing! Just discovered that Snapshots allows you to play the mp3 within URBANarmy. Introduction, Friday Evening Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Introduction to the Prophets Prophets Isaiah Ezekiel Jeremiah Introduction to Wisdom Literature Wisdom Writings Proverbs Job Psalms

Tim has an incredible youtube video here . Tim says "Prepare yourself. It’s offensive..." Tell me what you find most offensive the language or the attitude. No wonder Richard Dawkins has sold so many of his book The God Delusion .

I keep an eye on the Sojourners site, but I have just discovered the Godspolitics Progressive Christian blog by Jim Wallis and friends The monologue of the Religious Right is over and a new conversation has begun! Join the God's Politics dialogue with Jim Wallis and friends Brian McLaren , Diana Butler Bass, Becky Garrison, Gareth Higgins, Shane Claiborne, Mary Nelson, Gabriel Salguero , Tony Campolo , and others. For all those who make the trawl through different blogs to keep up to date - there is a better way bloglines . Godpolitics is about to be added.