A Word On The Web-Site Of The Moment

I felt it would be worth having a brief word on the web-site of the moment.

A voice crying out in suburbia has the tag-line the random thoughts of one saved by the sovereign grace in God, in gratitude that He chose me when I would never have chosen Him.

I’ve probably been reading Arthur’s blog on and off for about seven months now. What I like about it is the basis he starts from as one who evidently doesn’t fit into the mainstream institutional expression of church even as part of a reformed mind-set. His commitment to living out his beliefs to the point of wanting to see church be the church rather than sustain methods and forms that stifle its identity is very appealing to me.

What I find impressive about Arthur is how this is just one a number of blogs to which he contributes and that he finds the time to put so much mind-engaging material on shows just how intelligent and gifted the man is. He certainly doesn’t use his views as a platform for a superiority complex and is at pains to portray himself as just another follower of Christ making his way through.

He also 8 children (that’s right eight as in one more than seven, as in a healthy household) and is all about the home-schooling a path I am seriously considering meself. I love reading his range of entries on the issues that spring to him mind. He endeavours to let his views be marked solely by the word rather than being a fan of a particular well known preacher or teacher.

I strongly suggest you read his stuff and see for yourself why I highly recommend him.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

September Update

Do you think I enjoy these gaps? Really? I mean back in the day when I wasn’t so fussed about getting stuff done on the blog it wasn’t such an issue. Now, in the light of a good run in July and August I was all set for September to continue the trend. Yet with a number of pressing assignments and engagements I’ve not even had the opportunity to make as many notes as I’ve been used to making anyway.

With that in mind there have been a few thoughts brewing to blog about. There were some that I could have considered blogging about like – what is the difference between Christians and non-Christians in an age where the behaviour of both doesn’t differ that much? What would a church look like if people knew what it was to be submissive to each other? How has America affected the way we live?

I finished reading the Diana Ross biography on Friday and it made for fascinating reading. Today in fact I was all caught up her most memorable song of my lifetime; the Barry Gibb inspired Chain Reaction. I’m Coming Out has also been in my head for the majority of the day today. I know it’s been adopted by the non-heterosexual community to express their freedom of sexuality. I hear it in a completely different way where it is actually the emergence of the finished product from the cocoon state. From a theocentric perspective it is good to be in the position where after so many years of living within yourself you’re able to discover what you’re meant to be and flourish in expressing it.

Currently the books I’m working through are an analytical view on Hugh Hefner that I’ve had from the library for at least three months now and I haven’t got round to making my way through it, the Oona King diaries and of most interest to me is Stuart Murray’s Post-Christendom. What Murray proposes really has some serious implications for our perspective on life as Christians today. I am looking forward to making a more detailed review of the book on completing it.

Still, just a short one for today to let you know I miss you and I’m glad I’ve posted today.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Addressing the Diva Mentality

Recently I’ve been looking after Deborah and Abigail. Deborah and Abigail as you are aware are the daughters given to the responsibility of Authrine and I by natural birth. Deborah is 4 and Abigail is 3. In two weeks’ time they’ll be going to the same school – Deborah will be going there next week and Abigail starts the week after such is the system of the school.

Now sure these girls are but mere babes, but already their characters are emerging and one thing can be said for sure they can bossy, demanding little princesses. Authrine and I endeavour not to spoil them – that is not love and has never been love the way either of us have seen it. There are ways in which both girls take on personality traits of their parents and they can be incredibly caring and sensitive souls, but trust me on their day when they want they can be right madams – right divas if you will.

What is it about that diva mentality that afflicts women from time to time? I’m sure men have a similar disability – we can get all bossy or heavy-handed when we want to be. I’m sure there are habits and characteristics that we have that are downright obnoxious, demeaning, cruel and beyond reproach. That blog is for another time, though, I’m on a diva mentality thing at the moment.

This is particularly the case having recently watched The Bodyguard where Whitney Houston plays a pop diva whose life is under threat by a weird stalker. Now I’ve seen the movie before and didn’t have that great an impression of it, but I wanted to watch it again, especially with Authrine to give it a reappraisal to see if it was as bad as it was cracked up to be. The undoubted highlight is seeing the man who plays Pop Walton – Ralph Waite in the movie.

Anyway in the movie Houston gives a fairly good portrayal of the insecurities of someone loved for their talent and letting that fame leave them devoid of crucial things they will need like a decent character. Watching the movie as well is also fairly scary almost 20 years after it was made (can you believe it?) and seeing at least the media portrayals of the life and slides of Whitney Houston. Whether the marriage to Bobby Brown or infamous outbursts and misguided real-tv ventures, it just appears as though Houston has played her part in the long line of divas.

As you already know I’m making my way through Taraborrelli’s unauthorised biography of Diana Ross and in as much as it is unauthorised even if you were to take a dim view of media reports Ross does not come out smelling of roses. Indeed she’s never come out smelling that way ever since she was a part of the Supremes.

What’s worse about both portrayals of Houston and Ross is their links to church and the gospel tradition. Somehow we are meant to believe that women who conduct themselves in selfish, domineering, preening manners are equivalent to the models of femininity that Jesus would endorse. For as much as grace abounds and forgiveness is a key element of the faith, that is not an excuse to go on portraying an attitude that shall we say is inconsistent with WWJD,

This is not to have a go at either Houston or Ross. It is to carefully note how precious we are and how important it is that we grow in Christ-like character for the sake of our daughters so that they can see what it is to be a modest woman. It’s not about being prudish or a frump, but it is about focussing more on the character of a woman who brings honour to Christ in humility. It’s about how Abigail and Deborah can see good examples of that in Scripture and their day-to-day lives. It’s about how I can protect and guide these precious princesses in the fear of the Lord and allow them not to confuse being talented for anything other than being a recipient of God’s grace and so giving Him credit by living a grace-filled, sacrificial, thankful life.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

September is for Seekers

I wonder if it’s safe to say you’re desperately seeking God? Things go in swings and roundabouts in my life and one of my greatest requests has been for a level of consistency. Still, I’m aware that as with nature we go through various seasons and it’s just about making the most of those seasons and seeing how you are to behave and learn from each. So for example like the Joseph principle to the Pharaoh it’s about saving up in the time of plenty for the inevitable time of lack.

Ever since April, as you may have gathered, it’s been a season for me of at least looking to have a more conscious awareness of the part Jesus plays in my whole life. I’m very much more interested in Him and following Him in the frail way I manage and His grace allows.

Recently I’ve posted about Audio August and how one of the things in that came out of the experience was a desire to focus more on God. In among all of those considerations I came across two familiar verses. The second one (in the order in which I got them) is this one,

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

The real deal about the ASK model is almost an invitation to join God on a journey to discover Him and how that quest informs you on all that you need in life, especially when it’s clear that the main goal – the means and the end is Christ. The first part of the ASK model is verbal and conversational, but the second part takes it to active mode, where almost like a treasure hunt we look at the clues of what we’ve been instructed and we go looking. Because we are not looking for health, wealth, fame or those kinds of things, but something far greater – of eternal value, then we are assured that we will always find what we’re looking for. (That must be good news to U2 who apparently still haven’t found …)

This is not something to take complacently, but something to proactively engage in and move with, even as Jesus’ ministry was about movement. Just like the children of Israel who were guided by the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, we are always on the move being led by God into the eternal rest we can only find in him.

So motivated by the Spirit of God, every day we go seeking. Where is He today? What is He doing today? What are we invited to witness Him doing and engage with Him? Is it a kind word to a friend? Is it taking care of the children with a trip to the park? Is it by being diligent and attentive at a business meeting? Is it sharing a meal? Is it being patient in the middle of trying circumstances? Where is He? That doesn’t just go for the small stuff, but the bigger stuff as well. In all this as we search for Him, He assures us we find Him, however, this is where the first scripture comes into its own and this is the key verse that I intend to meditate on throughout this month and see what emerges in it as I do some serious seeking of my own.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Now the KJV puts in a word in this verse that I love a lot and that word is diligently. Now why is that so important, well as I’ve mentioned before sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down and it’s not always possible to sustain that mood. This verse, though, and the concept of diligence says that not so much despite, but through these ups and downs I am still required to keep searching. In the searching the wisdom emerges. In the searching the peace settles any troubled mind. In the searching a sense of holy contentment is found in the sufficiency of Christ and holy discontent is there in the absence of Him in the lives and situations we come across daily. All in the searching.

So this month is about the seekers. Not airy fairy searching for something quaint spiritually to salve that sense of incompletion. Not the seeker who just wants to find out practical solutions to practical issues. This is about seekers who know that life is about Christ and that if we’re meant to be following Him it would help if we knew where He is on any given day at any given moment.

I hope to note down some of the findings in the search over the month and share them with you here. In the meantime feel free to conduct the search in your own way and see what comes up – this kind of seeking wasn’t designed to be a strictly individual thing especially if the fullness of Christ is to be found in His Body. Let’s go seeking together and see where He is today.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

500 Up, 500 Down

Farewell August and hello September.

When I was at university I was introduced to radio and b that I mean actually having a go on radio. I had never considered it before although I did enjoy listening to radio growing up at home. I remember especially Saturday nights with the radio on and listening to smooth tunes in the night. I also remember listening to Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman’s Pick of the Pops.

I am so grateful for Lloyd Clarke. He was the first person I met at university and I knocked around with him quite a bit in the first year. He took me to the university radio station as he had a show on it getting to play the tunes that he was so obsessed about at the time as well as develop his love for music. I went along with him and eventually was allowed to talk on it to provide a few links from one track to another.

Before I knew it I was really into the whole radio thing. Not so much the music side, although that was a great education, but the production values and creative opportunities radio provided. I absolutely loved it – all that preparation, research and thinking on your feet involved with it. I eventually got to produce and present my own programme on a weekly basis and I think I had a daily show as well. Absolutely loved it – what should go in it, what regular features, what thing to say in between, who to have on it, what creative pieces to include in terms of sound effects and the like.

I don’t pretend to be any great radio genius although with a name like Chris and the success of Chris Morris, Chris Evans and Chris Moyles I’m sure I was supposed to be good! I liked the whole concept of ensuring there was enough to keep a programme going keeping people informed and the like without ever lagging or becoming boring. Never got brilliant at it, but loved practising it. So much so that it’s still a desire today to be doing radio shows – not music based but with music in it.

All that to say that sometimes when I consider blogging, it’s the nearest I get textually to a radio show – again like the radio, not that I’m brilliant at it, but I like the challenge of putting something together, maybe on one subject maybe on more than one that will at least keep the reader interested.

This is poignant as this is the 500^th post that I’ve blogged on this my first ever blog. Now when I say it’s the 500^th that doesn’t mean there’s only been 500 that I’ve ever posted, it means that there’s been 500 that’s made it online. There have been a fair few drafts that stayed in draft mode and eventually got deleted and a couple of posts that stayed for a bit but eventually got deleted. For all of that I am so grateful to make it to such a significant landmark. I mean if you would have told me back when I wrote that first post in 2005 that I’d stick at it over the next four years and 500 posts I would have been mildly surprised. Yet here we are having covered personal, spiritual and whimsical issues covering the ups and downs of life as well as the issues that have been pestering me. Sure, I’d like to have been more consistent over that time and perhaps would have hit this landmark earlier, but I’m sure you’d agree that this year in particular business has picked up in terms of regularity and I’m hoping to hit the big 200 posts for the year before the end of the month which can be seen as progress.

What matters, though, is not just hitting targets, but being committed to doing what that radio experience was all about so long ago. That is having ideas, exercising the passion for words and communicating ideas and thoughts for people to consider. Not is it an issue of doing that, but doing it to the glory of God from whatever angle and concerning whatever issue.

Thanks for reading this blog – whether new or old. I hope it has made some impression on the thoughts running through your head wherever you are in life. In the meantime my heart’s desire is to get better at this blogging gig, and hopefully a bit more consistent. Here’s to 500 down and who’s to say there’ll be 500 more at a quicker rate? Only time …

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd