What's Wrong with the World ..

Responding to the printed question of a newspaper seeking opinions, G.K. Chesterton answered the question "What's wrong with the world?" in one sentence. "Dear Sirs," he replied, "I am." In our declarations of dark realities, may our own hearts not be excluded. With visions of war and brokenness around him, David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10-12).

[Jill Carattini] Slice of Infinity, 3-11-05

Have I Been Awake –It’s Almost April.

Good news on the work front. One of my colleagues returns from maternity leave on Tuesday. I have to say that its great to have her back. And this perhaps will make this week a slightly tougher one as she settles back in … but perhaps there is light, at the end of the tunnel.

Along with work there’s bunches of other excitement this week.

Wednesday night
Bible Study. With B, as our intrepid guide [and the Grandmaster of Choc-Chip Cookies] we will continue our intriguing journey through Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia.

Thursday and Friday:
I’ll be going to see one of my favourite bands of all time R.E.M.; and with Bright Eyes playing support it is even better. I’m Wide Awake Its Morning is a brilliant CD, and would be a shoe-in for album of the year to date. I’m going to the Thursday night concert on my own, and the Friday gig with J. (a school friend), and F. (from my bible study).

Over the weekend, it’s a party; celebrating my Dad’s sixtieth birthday with family, and friends in Wollongong which will be great.

This weekend has been great to catch up on some films that I’ve missed here are some comments in brief.

Big Fish: Quite a good film, about stories, story-telling. Seemed slow in parts, but all things considered worth a go.

The Day After Tomorrow: Not sure about the science, but a typically special effects driven, “light” plot Hollywood film. Did anyone think that the Ice shelf sequence at the beginning just screamed CGI? (The camera work for this sequence was great).

Shrek 2: Puss in Boots [Antonio Banderas], and Far Far Away Idol, alone almost makes the DVD worthwhile. Not sure how many will agree here, but this is better than the original.

Miss Congenitally Two: I feared that this would be the typical sequel. It had a few groan moments, and a few good moments, overall, not too bad.

The Italian Job: Quite a fun heist film, it isn’t really the type of film I’m usually in for, but found this more appealing than Oceans 11, or Oceans 12, and an easy view.

The Bourne Identity: I did read the book when I was 14, so I’m not quite able to compare the book with the film. Much better that the original movie which I found long, boring, and tedious. (cf over 2.5 hrs, with 106 minutes).

The “to see” list:
[Movie]: Enduring Love / Hotel Rwanda / Being Julia / My House in Umbria

Elsie’s Music Challenge …

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451. Which album are you going to be?
By this I guess you are asking about the perfect album or the most political? Ok I guess I’d roll up as U2s “War”.

Have you ever had a crush on a musician/pop star?
Not really.

The last album you bought was...
Quite probably the soundtrack of The Village, and if singles count, I recently brought U2’s single Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own [DVD]. Which has a great version of the song, recorded live at the bands Hanover Quay studio (Which unlike I mentioned to Joe, is a different version of the song).

I also bought: Portishead – Dummy; Wilco – Summerteeth; and The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The last album you listened to was...
Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing [Brothers in Arms]

What are you currently listening to?
Arcade Fire – Funeral.

Five ablums you would take to a desert island...
I’m going to make this tougher, by saying no to Greatest Hit CDs.

(1) Radiohead – OK Computer
(2) R.E.M. – Life’s Rich Pageant
(3) U2 – Pop
(4) Nichole Nordemann – Woven and Spun
(5) The Normals – Coming to Life

What is the next album you would procure, had you the choice?
Hm, though. I would perhaps lean toward – Arcade Fire – Funeral. If only so I can get my copy of Turn on The Bright Lights which G’s pretty well taken hostage. ;)

Which musician/singer would you most like to spend the day with and why?
A couple would stand out for me. Bono, partly because I think he is far more articulate than I think most give him credit for. He is a real astute and aware person. Michael Stipe would be another great one – if only to ask what on earth he is talking about in It’s the World as We Know It [And I feel Fine]. For a completely different reason, I would not mind spending time with perhaps either Rebecca St James, or Nichole Nordemann. Both of these seem to be very strong, and humble Christians.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Guan, Joe, and Haoran. Because they are largely to credit (or blame ;)) for my music tastes.

A Survery of Sorts

Guan has given me a “disease …” so here is my response.

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451. Which book are you going to be?
Wow. I like Karen’s answer. But I’m not going to steal it. Mentally refreshing my bookshelf, thinking over the books I guess that I’d spare from the flames, and the books that have shaped or crafted me. I wonder about LOTR, I wonder about Mere Christianity, the Ender’s Game series should of course be there too …

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Crush is perhaps to strong a phrase but I reckon you could add Eowyn to the list. Perhaps even Sephrenia from David Edddings’ Elenium/Tamuli series.

The last book you bought was...
Two books looking at Religion in Australia – the Griffith Review 7, The Lure of Fundamentalism, and one about the place and role of religion in the Australian Liberal Party – God under John Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics (Marion Maddox). I also bought a book of quotes from Saint Antonie de Exupery

The last book you read was...
That Hideous Strength (CS Lewis).

What are you currently reading?
God Under John Howard – Maddox. I’m also trying to read the Griffith Review, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Gospel of Matthew, and Zechariah.

Five books you would take to a desert island...
The Princess Bride
Enders’ Game
Les Miserables
The Bible
A blank tablet of paper.

What is the next book you would procure, had you the choice?
Tough. There’s so many. As always. Given the number of people who rave about Neil Gaiman. I think I need to read some of his books. I’ve also got a desire to have a go at looking at some of the classics.

Which author would you most like to spend the day with and why?
Probably Victor Hugo or Orson Scott Card. It would be AWESOME to walk through the streets of Paris with Hugo.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Well the majority of my blog friends are infected. So I’m going infect via email and publish the results ;) Though Joe might want give it a go..

Good Friday - Easter Weekend.

At bible study last week we talked of our plans for the weekend. I have to confess that I am very glad that this is a four-day weekend. I am very glad for the break from work. And seriously, at this point it hasn't really entered into my mind _why_ we have this four days. I was not looking forward to Easter so that I might contemplate the reason for our hope.

:: Aside :: - Guan - a disease infected post is to come.. ;) :: End Aside ::

Deb posted a brief excerpt from an article that appeared in The Age during the week, about a church in Melbourne that was using an alternative worship styles to present the Easter Message. Thought I'd expand on my reflections a touch here, I think that there is perhaps some merit here - (IF, and only if it is framed properly)~ I think that emotion can play a valuable role in the expression and growth of our faith.

For example - the movie The Passion of the Christ, can provoke a deep a personal response to the death of Christ as an innocent. (Aside: If you were redoing the movie the Passion of the Christ - how would you emphasises the "spiritual/psychological" suffering of Christ to appease the Evangelicals?)

But there is a danger in not framing the emotional response, without giving a context, or a realisitic view of the struggles and pains of the Christian life?

Perhaps noone disputes that emotion can and should be used as servants, but if we are ruled, governed or lead solely by our emotion, this is a dangerous thing.

This was illustrated perhaps at the service I went to with my parents (at their church) this morning, didn't have a passage "preached on", or explained from the pulpit. John 19-20 was read, in stages. During the service, people came up to a wooden cross which had words - Hope, Joy, Faith, Love, and Peace, written on paper, and burned them, as they describes responses you could imagine the disciples would have had on that first Good Friday. I am sure that I couldn't sit through a service like this every Sunday, but I often think I need to hear the story afresh, anew, each Easter. Oh I intellectually know the story, but I think I need the Spirit to work that it might reasonate each year. That I would hear that wondrous story, that God became man, that God entered His creation and died, that we would not, as if for the first time.

Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald, some reflections on Easter, and Good Friday.

Hugh Mackay.

The Radical Challenge of Easter - Editorial Good Friday, 2005.

Some Verse

Been a while since I shared some poems. So here's one for you all. By way of background, I was sitting under a tree during the recent weekend away, a tree which perhaps I identified with a little.

the leaves, orange red,
tree, marks a heart,
weary, thirsty, frail.

Spirit.
faded, failing, futile threads.
plowing, pruning,
in season,
out of season, yeilds fruit
fruit, promises much, but brings tears.

on the waters edge, but parched
well fed, well nourished, the heart unsatisfied
the sheets won't stretch, the beds too small

oh for the stagnant stream to flow.
the dam is mine.

++

The News in Brief

• No change really with work. Well I should say, that God is teaching me patience ... and that takes time.
  
• We recently had our Graduate (and Student) Bible Fellowship weekend away - great food (for the soul - thanks to our teachers, and study leaders, and body - thanks Haoran, and MD), great fellowship, and great fun (a particular thank you to among many the Scotish-Asian-Martin Luther - yes .. you did have to be there).
• I caught up with an old school friend over the weekend which was great. I can't believe I've been out of school for 10 years. And for those interested - Good Friday marks the 15th year since my family and I moved to Australia.
  
• My sister and I now have tickets to see U2 in Miami and New York (November this year).
  
• The Netball season starts after Easter, we had our first trial run on Thursday - and with a few prime draft picks, we expect to take each game a half at a time, and our season a week at a time, and give our all, win, lose, or draw.

Pain will follow Greed..

We are witnessing the first signs of the pain that will follow a decade of unprecedented greed and luxury fever in which large numbers of Australians have bet their futures in order to meet grossly inflated lifestyle expectations. They wanted it all and they wanted it straight away. This is illustrated by the fact that interest payments on household debt as a proportion of disposable income have now reached their highest level ever. ...

The Government will be under intense pressure to bail out wealthy households in financial difficulty, and it will be the prudent who will be forced to pay for the mistakes of the reckless. This should be resisted at all costs. Not only would it be profoundly unfair, it would send a message to the imprudent that government will save them from their mistakes and they are free to repeat them.

Clive Hamilton from today's Sydney Morning Herald.

The Motorcycle Diaries

went to the Dendy Monday night, and saw this film. Quite enjoyed it. But was left with a few questions.

I am not very familiar with Che Guerava. Never studied him in History, and haven’t read about him in leisure. The film gives a relatively sympathetic, positive view of his character. This is idealism? The film provides glimpses of the journey that would create a revolutionary. In particular, a resonating line for me was is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world you never knew.

Did Che betray his youth? What happened to the revolution he sought to create? Why are people passionate about him today?