URBANarmy

If anyone happens to suggest that you read Dostoevsky's " The Idiot " be aware that should you stick with this book it is going to be part of your life for a long time. Be aware that there are swathes of narrative that will tie you up in a knot as you have not got a clue what is going on. Be aware that the complexity of characters combined with an amazing array of Russian names that seem to change with the wind will send you scuttling back to the list of characters as you frequently find your self asking - 'who are you...?' Be aware that Dostoevsky paints a dark and unrelenting picture of depression and submerges and smothers you with the characters narcissism and selfishness. It leaves you in misery!! In places reading this novel was tortuous, but the darkness and tedium of the plot and text was worth it in order to highlight the inner beauty of Prince Myshkin . The idiocy of selflessness and the relinquishing of any need to dominate the other sparkles through ...

One of the perks of being at college is that there is always someone who has found a good resource that they want to share. Here are some good sites that give insight to Jewish culture and help unlock something of the biblical narrative. En-Gedi Resource centre Follow the Rabbi HaKacher Hebrew streams For 'a Taste of Torah' e-mail.

Despite crossing paths for over seven years, in one conversation I was struck with how little I knew Liam. I've known Liam for many years without really knowing him. Liam is often at Faith House and is the only familiar face from days in Poplar. Liam used to come into the corps for breakfasts and particularly enjoyed being family together on Christmas Day. It was fun to meet him at Faith House when I started helping out two years ago - a familar face, someone I knew. However despite crossing paths for over seven years, in one conversation I was struck with how little I knew Liam. Only now does he seem comfortable in telling me his unsurprising story of alcohol dependence, only now does he feel right letting me know how a visit to America and a bored evening in a hotel saw him make a wrong decision that has led to a ten battle with addiction to crack cocaine. Seven years on I hear the tragic tail of the consequence of that night of boredom. With a Irish lilt and a whimsical smile h...

769 Greater things Give us faith O lord we pray Faith for greater things Lead us forth into the fray One in holiness One in faith and harmony One in perfect charity Then we know that we shall see Even greater things Albert Orsborn There is a clever nuance in here that I have been mulling over since we sung these words a couple of weeks ago. One in perfect charity - I wonder what the poet General had in mind? Charity has a clear connection to agape love, a love that goes beyond self yet is more than an unselfish feeling, wow a complete and utter self giving love. I think he is onto something!

I read something like this somewhere and forgot to jot down the reference. God's dream for the world is caught up within the concept of Shalom in the Old Testament; within kingdom in the Gospels; eternal life in John; salvation for Paul and the City of God in Revelation. I liked the connections it made in my mind.

I usher the city gent into the space I was holding and realise perhaps that wasn't what a minister of religion should be saying to a perfect stranger in the reception of a brothel" "Are you queuing mate..?" "No ... no .... no!" I stammer a little too quickly, I compose myself and continue "be my guest..." I usher the city gent into the space I was holding and realise perhaps that wasn't what a minister of religion should be saying to a perfect stranger in the reception of a brothel in London's notorious Kings Cross! Did I say brothel? I meant to say sauna and massage parlour, the youngish guy looks almost as nervous as me as he looks down a price list. The bouncer helps, "that's £20 to get in and £100 for the girl..." , the £20 is rung into the till, a towel is handed over and the guy disappears behind a door to have a break in his journey before heading to the home counties hinterland to his leafy suburb. Did I say 'br...

Jesus, through "turning the other cheek, giving the undergarment, going the second mile"presents a non-violent way of standing up against that which wishes to exert self, domination or evil on the other. Walter Wink does a great exposition on Jesus' Third way as seen in Luke 6:29ff . It strikes me that not only do we have here the essence of fullness of life, but also the consequent mandate for missional engagement. We have here the means to demonstrate a self renouncing love that offers an alternative way of living that could transform the world through resultant right relationships. Jesus, through "turning the other cheek, giving the undergarment, going the second mile", presents a non-violent way of standing up against that which wishes to exert self, domination or evil on the other. Through the discourse Wink suggests that Jesus' Third Way presents a means to meet domination head on, without compromise, by catching it by surprise. He gives us a list o...

Henri Nouwen suggests that we need to learn what it is to go beyond our wants. Tragically our spirituality is so often corrupted by that inner voice that wants 'that one!" If Nouwen had ever watched 'Little Britain' I'm sure he would have said that there is a bit of Andy in all of us. As it is he didn't so he said this... "Sometimes we behave like children in a toy shop. We want this, and that, and then something else. The many options confuse us and create an enormous restlessness in us. When someone says, "Well, what do you want? You can have one thing. Make up your mind," we do not know what to choose. As long as our hearts keep vacillating among these many wants, we cannot move forward in life with inner peace and joy. That is why we need inner and outer disciplines, to go beyond these wants and discover our mission in life." (Subscribe to the email service here )