Urban Legends

There's been a bit of net buzz the last few months about the 'Frosties Kid' and the hate campaign surrounding him for featuring in the aweful Frosties TV ad campaign. Granted, it's extreemly annoying, watch for yourself...

Reports of his suicide, murder and abuse have been filling online forums, however, the poor guy is from South Africa, just trying to earn a living. His name is Sven, he's 15, and a professional Gymnast, and will be competing for the South African team in the 2012 olympics.

I don't think I even need to mention the shame we should feel when our culture can develop such hatred for a child for appearing in one TV ad.

However, I would like to step out on a limb and commend the Ad agency "Leo Burnett" for creating such a memorable ad campaign. For an agency to start an urban legend that takes the net, newspaper and media by storm they should be patting themselves on the back. Brendan Behan put it best in the early 20th century when he said "There is no such thing as bad publicity" however, the rest of the quote has got lost over the years, the actual quote reads: "There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary". And lets face it, if the Frosties kid was murdered because of the hate campaign surrounding him, Kelloggs sales would plummit.

So with such power in the Media, shouldn't we as Christians be pulling together to attempt to harness it? Much as people hate to admit it, if you put it in commercial terms, we're selling the best product possible. In a world where Bill Gates can make billions from sub-standard products, how can we possibly find it difficult to get people to even consider church?

Unfortunately I don't have the answers, but I think we should be looking to the world to see what is stirring up a response in people. After all, Jesus stirred up responses wherever he went, and turned things upside down. Matthew 9 says this: "Jesus, overhearing (the Pharisees critisising Jesus for keeping dis-reputible friends), shot back, 'Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.'" (the message).

So the question, do we use modern day marketing to promote Christianity? Or do we continue with little more than Church posters and invites to Christmas and Easter Services?

Take, take, take it all!

Well today has been rather a good day. I've been on a contract with the Department of Work and Pensions for nearly three weeks now, and my time has been spent 'on the bench'. This basically means I have been at home doing not a lot, and being paid for it...which makes a pleasent change.

Although the government have been paying me to do not a lot, I have been investing my time into my church activites, which I have found to be fufilling, I feel as if God has been blessing me with cash for doing his work.

Being blessed with cash for doing the Lords work is all to rare these days, tithing and offerings in church are at an all time low, forcing pastors to seek other venues of income, such as starting their own business. Jesus wasn't a rich man, but I don't think he was a poor man either, the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Mhyr would have been the equivillant of being given several million pounds today, as well as that, Jesus ministry was supported by his disciples, which wouldnt have been poor, and also those that travelled with him.

Although the bible doesn't comment on their financial affairs, it does pass comment that they did have stuff, that they were to leave behind to go and preach the gospel, we see this in Mark 6..."These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

If we pick that paragraph apart a little we can see that they had food, money and they wore extra tunics. Jesus also says to stay in one place per town, maybe this means that they had stayed in many different inns before hand.

I guess we'll never really know, but what I would like to challenge anyone reading this post to do, is look at where your money goes. Are you part of a gym? Generally that costs £30 a month? Do you have a hobby? Do you buy stuff that really you don't need? And does that mean by the end of the month you only have a few quid for the offering basket? Shouldnt it actually be, that we put more into our church lives then our hobbies and interests??

Maybe just for one week, we look at ourselves objectively...how much time and money are we spending on entertianing ourselves, and compare that to how much time and money we are using to serve God. I hope that you aren't too shocked at your comparison, but if you are challenged by this, then use your gifts to bless others.

God has blessed each one of us with a unique character...and Paul says this on 1 Corinthians 9 ... "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

Thats a challenge...but we really should be using what we have for the sake of the gospel, to share its blessings...that is if it has blessed you?

Playing in Worship

Me and my friend Dan playing in the Kesed Worship team on Sunday.

It's September 11th

I can't believe that it's been 5 years since that fateful day in 2001.

One of my good friends made a passing comment that stuck in my mind, and I'd like to share it with you.

Over the last few years, there has ebbn quite a few major disasters, for example...
> 9/11, Hitting the financail heart of America
> 7/7, Hitting the UK's capital
> The Tsunami, hitting a large area around Phuket
> Thew New Orleans Flood

Why is it becoming apparent that the man made disasters are hitting the rich, and the natural disasters are hitting the poor? Maybe someone who has studied Revelations would be able to inform me further about Gods views on the end of the world.

However, I would like to comment, however controversially, that the world is getting smaller, bridges between the rich and the poor are being built, and even though most only contribute money, isn't that better than nothing??!

Oxfam say "Following the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck Asia on 26 December 2004, Oxfam launched the largest aid effort in its history, thanks largely to the US$287 million received in donations, more than 90 per cent of it from the public. By the end of the first year, Oxfam spent around $123 million, or approximately 43% of total funds raised.....Ultimately, our aim is to develop what we call ‘Reconstruction Plus’, through which poor communities are empowered to escape the poverty that made them so vulnerable to natural disaster in the first place."

God works in mysterious ways.

Consumer Culture

The world we live in today is vastly different to that of only a century ago, even a decade ago...And I'm not just talking about the technological advances that we have made.

Our culture is all about consumerism, it's broke? Get a new one...Our shocking behavior and attitude of what can this product / service / person do for me is completely the opposite to the views of yesteryear.

John F Kennedy said it best in 1961 'And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country'. A mere sentence that still carries weight 45 years later. So maybe greediness isn't new, And maybe seeking perfection isn't so bad, but what happened to tolerance?

As I'm writing this, I guess you could say my financial affairs aren't in the best shape, it seems ironic that our culture encourages you to spend on your flexible friend, however your flexible friend becomes your hard friend the bailiff who wants to take all the nice things you have brought and sell them for a fraction of the price that you paid for them.

This principle sadly applies in churches today as well, so often people are challenged with churches in such a way that they quickly up sticks and leave, leaving a bitter taste in the community. I believe Jesus would have looked at the scriptures and tried to change his church, we saw this when Jesus demolished those trading in the Temple, he wasn't prepared to let his Father's house become a trading floor.

Church shopping is also becoming a trend, people who aren't committed to one church, but instead hop from place to place and having little or no accountability in their lives. Once upon a time people didn't travel far for their churches, every parish in England had a church, now we see 'communities' of 80 or so worshipping in municipal halls....Great, but how often do we offer to contribute to their ministry?

The answer is not often enough. I've seen countless churches and missions where only a few serve and many consume, and often criticise rather than critique.

So how I conclude? Well it's actually quite simple, and what ever aspect of culture you face, we can choose to apply some of the simple biblical principles....
> If it's the right thing to do, do it.
> If it's the wrong thing to do, don't do it, but say (in love) that you believe the situation isn't right, and ask for clarification.

In short, don't just eat the cake, however good or bad it may be, help the baker to make the cake better.

My Thoughts on Todays Worship

Well, as predicted today has been a challenging day. 2 Bands, no practice before, and I only knew a few of the tracks.

My previous comments about playing to a CD are relevant when playing in say a covers band, however I am rapidly finding out that playing in a worship band has many more aspects to it, such as...

> Communication - as the spirit moves, as the dynamics of the congregation changes, as other things such as the offering are taken, music often plays a vital role in bringing people to God. The communication between a worship leader and their band is essential. There are so many ways that things can evolve, and if the whole band don't know what a worship leader wants to do from their body language, things can rapidly go wrong.

> Style - Christian music is often grouped into one genre, however as in commercial music, churches are now embracing worship music in many different styles. Today the styles have ranged from Hymns to a Coldplay / Embrace style to Keene, and people worshipped to all of it. I guess that is a good example of how God moves today, how relevant he is today and how diverse we (I mean my church) are as a culture.

> Talent - Musically, Christian music can seem pretty dull, you generally get presented with a bland looking chord sheet, so you have to know the song through and through to make it sound half decent. In the occasions where you don't you obviously rely on your knowledge of keys, chords, inversions, timing and creativity. But what happens when your worship leader starts singing words not on the sheet? You then need to have a vigilant eye to see what others are playing of be blessed with pitch perfectness...Which I'm not.

In short, my days in a covers band (that never when anywhere) were far easier then playing in a worship band. There are far more aspects than I've briefly listed above to playing in a worship band...In short, you have to have the heart for it. Playing like a robot in a covers band has its place....And sometimes even in church it has a place...But on the whole I'm finding that worshiping while in a band isn't easy, sensitivity is essential, its almost like you have to play 2 instruments, one of your choice and then as much skill as your playing needs to go into your sensitivity.

Its a tough one. And maybe this blog is a bit of a rant, but I've found it interesting by just getting my feelings on screen.

Well, maybe another blog in a while, I'm sitting down to a nice long drink in peace and quiet after a tough day.

Playing on my own

If you've ever had the chance to play in a band, you'll know that however many times you listen to the CD and practise beforehand, it's never going to be the same on stage, it may be better, it may be worse...you just don't know.

Well, tomorrow will be the start of something interesting, I'm playing keyboards, which is my weakest instrument, in 2 different churches, one in the morning, one in the evening, with 2 bands that I've never played with.

I really don't know what to expect, but I'm looking forward to the Challenge.

Tomorrow I will be using a Korg SP200 Stage Piano, and a nifty little Roland SK-88, a very small keyboard, its basically Rolands infamous Sound Canvass, with a keyboard added on...smart bit of kit with some wicked sounds.

Well, its kinds 3.05 and i need to get some sleep as i've gotta be at church for 9.00am.

Ha ha.