GadgetVicar

U-Turn Or Repentance?

I saw a learner driver gingerly executing a three-point turn yesterday. It took forever in the narrow road.

Alistair Darling also carried out a turn yesterday. Some commentators are describing it as a U-turn, but I wonder whether it is more of a first manoeuver in a complicated turning process, in order to win back some of the goodwill New Labour has lost in recent years. Will there be true repentance for mistakes made? Wouldn't that be refreshing?

What other suggestions for a turn around would you make to the Prime Minister?

Sabbatical Plans

My plans for a sabbatical over the summer have changed quite a bit, but I'll still be travelling, racking up the frequent flyer miles (or carbon footprint?). I've got a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in June (can you guess when?), a fact-finding trip to Kampala and Kabale in Uganda in July, and another pilgrimage to Willow Creek Community Church, Chicago in August lined up. I also hope to visit some friends in the USA on a road trip while over there and possibly even attending Lollapalooza with GV Boy (cos Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are on the same bill).

Could there be some therapy in all this?

The Life of Christ

Why not get yourself down to Kelvingrove Park to see The Life of Christ on Friday 16th May at 10.30am or Saturday 17th May at 2pm? Thief No. 2 is a personal friend of mine. As is Pontius Pilate. The company some clerics keep, eh?

Hooray For The Delays

Off at another gig tonight. This time it was The Delays. An exuberant crowd, uplifting harmonies and some truly great songs made for a good night out. I left the ABC with a smile on my face.

Dragons' Den?

I'm off with some of my fine vestry/finance colleagues to St Andrews Church, Irvine today in order to give a presentation on Building for the Future to the Diocesan Council. My mum is a member if the Church of Scotland congregation and my dad is a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church congregation which share the St Andrew's building in ecumenical partnership. I just happen to have been baptised there.

So why do I have this strange feeling like I am making a pitch on Dragons' Den?

Beech Tree

I was climbing trees with GV Girl No.2 the other evening. Here's one of the trees we climbed. It's the Beech Tree in Pollok Park. I can't enthuse enough about the importance of climbing trees.

Stronachlachar Pier Tea Room

Because she did me such a good deal (twice!) on a bowl of soup with a bacon and brie panini, I promised the nice lady at the Stronachlachar Pier Tea Room that I would publicise their fantastic home made soup, so here we go. Cycle around Loch Katrine, or if that is too much, you can drive to the end of the B829. Recommended.

A Eurovision Turkey

It's that time of year again, when sad people like me begin to anticipate the feast of musical talent that is the Eurovision Song Contest. It will be beamed from Beograd to its millions of afficionados around the world on the 25th May.

Among the truly diabolical acts, here is the (coughs) 'gem' that is 'Irelande Douze Points', sung by Dustin the Turkey. Shades of 'My Lovely Horse'? Watch, listen and be amazed:

Episcopal Haiku

A friend sent me an encouraging card and a copy of Episcopal Haiku today (thanks, H!).

Among the gems:

Rehearsing readings,
folks fear they'll mispronounce names.
But who knows what's right?

Ever notice how
some priests gaze at your forehead,
never in your eyes?

Revival?

Since early April an evangelist called Todd Bentley has been heading up a 'revival' in Lakeland, Florida. God TV is broadcasting the meetings. The meetings have moved several times to progressively larger venues and people are travelling from all over the world to participate. Go to Youtube and do a search if you want to check it out.

Bentley shouts 'Fire! Fire Fire!' and 'Bam! Bam! Bam!' as he directs the blessing to people (the latter expression would be a great insult in Glasgow). The blessing is transferable or so it seems, with international guests getting a metaphorical hot coal to take home to their countries.

I watched a little bit of it tonight and several things struck me. There didn't seem to be much preaching. There were a lot of emotional people (not that showing emotions in church is a bad thing). There was a lot of ordering people about ('Join hands', 'Come to the front', etc).

My biggest question is this: even if ten thousand people or more are attending these twice-daily events, how is the community of Lakeland and the State of Florida being transformed by this revival? For, in classic Christian revivals like that of 1949 in the Hebrides, it's not only the believers who get blessed and transformed, but whole communities. People are convicted of, and turn from, sin. So far what I've seen from Lakeland doesn't exhibit this. It seems to be a form of charismatic Christian entertainment.

In 1994, I visited a place of similar revival, which was familiar to Christians around the world. Undoubtedly God was at work, yet at the airport on the way home, in conversation with workers there, they had never  even heard of the church where these events were taking place. I remember being terribly disappointed by that.

I long for revival to break out, yet I'm not at all sure this is the real thing.

Postscript: Having posted this two things happened tonight: First off, a Pentecostal friend emailed me to say that he has just returned from Lakeland,  'Where I received impartation – like a furnace lit inside me'. Check out his church here). Secondly, an Anglican priest friend in the USA called and shared about the problems he faces and mentioned that he hoped to visit Lakeland too, 'For encouragement'.