All You Need To Know About Everything In Seven Minutes

It’s worth providing a personal update before getting into the beef of the thought that inspired a return to this type of blogging for the better part of a month. Well since last I blogged I’ve had to deal with a number of traumatic issues in settling into the new place that we’re in. I had expected it to take a while to settle, but did not take into consideration the extent of the overhaul that would be necessary in the change.

Last week I was on a residential in North Wales with the bright young sparks of the YMCA where I work (under Danny Flynn pictured, tee-hee). It was an eye-opening time away and I learnt lots from it, which I’d love to share … but perhaps not for the time being. I came back from that on the ill side and although I attended a brilliant conference hosted by Jim Ford on Saturday the whole physical and mental exertion of the last week in particular caught up with me and hammered me body down especially with the breathing. So I’ve had to take these first three days of the week off in a bid to get the medical experts to offer their diagnosis of my plight as well as to recuperate somewhat.

There are still outstanding big picture issues to be resolved in the short term for the health and safety of those concerned, especially me, but it would be good if I was healthy to be able to deal with these issues, so I have to relax a bit more, take things a bit easier and pace myself. One of the things that’s obviously suffered in all this has been the blogging which is a pity as it’s one of the things that I’ve enjoyed the most, so being able to blog now has been a huge relief and over at Among Friends (AF), I’ve been picking things up slowly but surely. I expect it to take a few more weeks before I can really get a settled rhythm of life going in the new order and that’s not taking into account the impending family changes as exams, holidays, moves and other changes loom large on the horizon! Oh the fun of being Christopher Dryden – to be fair I wouldn’t have it that different, only thing I would change is … well I’ll leave that for another blog entry.

So although I’ve not been able to blog as often as I’d like – and I never appreciated what effort is really required for this type of blogging until recently – I have been able to keep up a steady pace of reading which has been a saving grace for me in these tricky times. I hope to be able to post some of the reviews of that over on AF in the weeks and months to come.

Right onward with the topic at hand. Once again I’m struck by something whilst watching CBeebies. Come Outside features Aunt Mabel as played by Lynda Baron who I’m sure was also famous for being somewhat of hot crumpet from some leering middle aged guys back in the 1980’s. Indeed thanks to the power of the InterWeb I can confirm that yes she was that bit of crumpet in the ever ‘funny’ Open All Hours. (She was in Eastenders as well, apparently, but who cares about that?)

Of course in this programme she does not play any crumpet of any kind, but bizarrely a middle aged upwards lady with a dog who goes on adventures by plane, because obviously just because you’re middle aged upwards and have a dog doesn’t mean you cannot fly a plane … or own it … or live in a place that requires you to make the majority of your journeys by plane. I sometimes wonder what the inspiration behind these children’s programmes is.

Oh and as a quick side note, as a secular reference to a spiritually deep issue I just want to give a shout out to Prodigal Jon’s ace blog entry on this issue. Read it here to find the best excuses to watch funny programmes and keep your halo on!

Anyway, Come Outside doesn’t have the place in my heart that Thomas the Tank Engine or Balamory have because basically it is boring most of the time. (If I have just committed sacrilege with such an outrageous statement, by all means join the Facebook Appreciation Society and start the petition against me.) Indeed I only turned it on as a set up for Deborah once she got changed, as CBeebies is their channel of choice.

In any case, as I turned it on Aunt Mabel was concluding her explanation of the marmalade making process. She finished with something along the lines of ‘that’s all there is to know about making marmalade’. I’m not being super-critical, after all this is a programme aimed at people around Deborah’s age and it is of some educational value for children to appreciate what goes behind the things they may take for granted.

Yet I was there thinking to myself that here is a programme that can be no more than 15 minutes, some of which is spent on introduction, closing, a story and the routine shots of Barron and dog being clipped into their plane for the ride. So let’s generously give them 7 minutes and in those 7 minutes they’ve been able to explain everything there is to know about the process of making marmalade. I got the impression, however, that there might be more to it than the time given and if it did only take seven minutes to explain everything there is to know about making marmalade then maybe it’s not worth the hassle of consuming the product.

That got me thinking then about the way we read the Bible especially in terms of things like creation. Now I’ve read Genesis 1 with a group of people before and I reckon it took less than 7 minutes, maybe a bit more, but it’s not that long a chapter to read at all. In there I’m led to believe is all there is to know about Creation, yet I look outside my window up the road where there’s greenery and in the sky with the various cloud formations and the promise of more rain (this is England, after all). I then think to myself that even if I were to indeed spend six days and six nights gazing at what forms creation I still wouldn’t be able to give all there is to know about creation.

Millions of words and images have been dedicated to the cause of explaining it. Billions of pounds have been invested in scientific exploration to eek out the secrets that lie within and without this curious star in space as to how on earth it came about. Entire lives have been consecrated to finding out and sharing with others what exactly it took to get to where we are. In all of that we still haven’t been to explain all there is to know about creation. We are still very much at the tip of the iceberg and all us believers are left with is seven minutes worth of reading to get us started in wonder and amazement as to how God put it all together.

Keith Green shares a wonderful sentiment in I Can’t Wait To Get To Heaven that if God took six days and six nights to put this universe into being imagine what it will be like to experience the new heaven and earth that he’s been working on to date over 2000 years! Or better yet, don’t bother trying to imagine something that is so mind-bogglingly beyond human comprehension and rest in the contentment of the hope of something even more wondrous than this fascinatingly complex ecological structure that provides our habitation.

All of this to say faith doesn’t stop us from fact finding, neither does it offer something simplistic to explain everything, what it does give us though is an extended hand from the Creator to begin exploring how amazing our planet is and how it reflects His creative heart and even in its fallen state there lies within it the keys to its eventual redemption. That should take considerably more than seven minutes or even seven days.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Thomas Teaches Me Lessons for Life

So God has only gone and done it again. You may recall my whole bit on Balamory where God taught some valuable lessons by getting me engrossed in the weird aspects of the television my daughters watch. (You got to remember PC Plum, Suzie Sweet, Josie Jump and the rest, don’t forget that wonderful opening.) Well recently He did it again.

Now I’d retired to my bedroom after 2:30am so I was more than prepared to have to slowly drowsily get out of bed some six hours later and then get my carcass to get washed and the other stuff in preparation to make my way to work possibly getting here well past 10am in line with the recent state of events. However in the morning the wife got me out of slumbers a lot quicker than scheduled to get me to get the bin out ready for collection. If I was really still that asleep it would have been a grouchy experience, but for some reason I was just of a determined mind to just get the bin out and then get myself ready for work already. Much to my surprise it was only 8am so I’d barely had five hours sleep! Who would have thought?

In any case I get the personal hygiene stuff sorted and am just about to set off. The daughters had also rose and shone pretty early and had made their way downstairs to watch the television. In the absence of proper channels they were stuck with Channel Five. (God must love us to show us something even through Channel Five.) There was a bubbly black female presenter on, so that caught my attention straight away, what with the Josie Jump character and the Floella Benjamin standard it’s as though black female children’s presenters only come in one type. So after she did her spot – and let’s face it you have to be on something to present like that at that hour of the day – she led into a golden oldie.

Now at that time I could have still left and gone to work, but as usual something got my attention. I loved Thomas the Tank Engine. Not a huge favourite back in the day but a distinct favourite all the same. I would sit through an episode in waiting for the programme I wanted to watch afterwards back in the day. As with a lot of programmes from back in the day, one of the attractive, memorable features of the programme was the theme tune – a jaunty melancholy and upbeat track at the same time. That seemed to fit the whole Ringo narrating bit to a tee.

When I caught this latest manifestation of the programme what should hit my ears but a new theme. Now you know I’m getting old when I make a big deal of a new theme. What’s in a new theme – it’s for a new audience, Abigail and Deborah have absolutely no idea about Thomas from the old days and they are not bothered either. Oh but it bothers me, so I give the new theme a hearing heavily critical of the fact that they’ve besmirched me programme with a frivolity of a new track. (Geddit? Thomas the Tank Engine? New track? New track, eh? Geddit?)

I eventually gave the new theme a pass – it was not a gross transgression of human rights, what didn’t help though was the fact that the feel of the programme was the same as the old especially in retaining Ringo as the narrator. That was a minor issue, however, as I stuck around to catch what was going on with Thomas and Friends on this occasion.

Percy (the green one for those who know … and for those who don’t know), was getting late and got a berating from his driver for being late far too often. On returning to the shed where he rests he overheard his driver and the Fat Controller having a chat and hear FC mention the fact that the next day he’d be sending Percy to the scrap heap. Hearing this sent Percy into a state of heightened anxiety and a sleepless night. No word of assurance from Thomas in the morning could help.

So with renewed haste, Percy tackled the new day looking to hurry to get things done. As a result of his haste he was in too much of a hurry to ensure some pipes were secured to his carriages and at the speed he was travelling they fell off and onto other rail tracks unbeknownst to him. Then he had to transport some hot sticky tar and although he was told to take care in transporting it, his rush caused him to go far to quickly ending up with him colliding the tar slap bang into Gordon (the tubbier blue one for those who know … and for those who don’t know) spilling the contents all over the brother. Obviously not best pleased Gordon said that FC would hear about this which sent the already anxious Percy over the top and so he did a runner. (I wonder the rail equivalent is of a runner?)

As FC on Thomas came looking for Percy after being informed by Gordon of the accident, Thom informs FC that Percy might be making an effort because of hearing what he had to say about the scrap heap. FC immediately asks all the trains to go on the look out for Percy as there had been a terrible misunderstanding. Having done a runner, however, the trains had a difficult time tracking him down. (Geddit? Thomas the Tank Engine? Tracking him down? Tracking him, eh? Geddit? Hold on have we been here before? Don’t suppose there’s any chance of me back-tracking? Geddit? etc.) Then because the programme’s named after him, Thomas has a bright idea of where Percy might be hiding and so goes to the secret location – alright it’s hardly that secret if someone else knows about it, but you get me, the hiding place.

Once at the hiding place where they see a fretting Percy awaiting his fate, FC gives Percy the fuller picture that in actuality he understood that the reason for Percy’s lateness was because he was working too hard. So all he’d said about the scrap bit was to get some stuff down there, then after doing that he could chill and just do the mail run for the rest of the week and relax. Having received this glad tidings and being relieved of the worry of being scrapped, Percy goes about his business (or leisure, if you like) resolving never to get caught up in following silly stories, especially ones made up by himself.

God’s grace says that it’s not because of anything we have done or that we can do that earns us favour with God. Indeed our best efforts at the right thing fall way short of His standards. Paul has that graphic way of conveying the sentiment with filthy rags, which apparently if we read the Greek wasn’t referring to the messy dish-cloths in the kitchen but something else, that women dispose themselves of on a cyclical basis. So our relationship with God is all grace – we are who we are because of grace, so there’s no need to struggle under the weight of legalism, perfectionism and the demands of others be it society, peer-group, media, church, work or whatever. Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and experience rest as we learn of Him is one in which we truly discover what it is to work, rest and play without the weight of the world on our shoulders.

What particularly gripped me though was how the episode reminded me of a particular theme I’m on in personal application on context, content, concept and conclusion. Percy’s actions (or conclusions) were based on a faulty understanding (concept). Not taking the time out to take on board Thom’s assurance which gave the wider context in which his actions were to be viewed, Percy chose to act on those wrong conclusions and thus ended up in a sticky situation. (By the way if you’re looking for an article without puns, I’m sure you’d have gathered by now you’re on the wrong track. Geddit? etc.)

A lot of us are coping, dealing, enduring, living with bad conclusions because of the inability to follow the principle of getting the context, content and concept right so we can get the right conclusion. One of those is me. This is why crucial decisions for the future have to be made wisely because in this season of emerging from the shadows it will call for applying that process in new ways that stretch my faith but does make it clear that my intentions are to follow Jesus Christ in the call in which He has called me, rather than being a man-pleaser.

Whilst reflecting on this truth on the journey walking to work it struck me again in the light of the story of the Prodigal Father how both sons had blatantly got their dad all wrong based on either licentiousness or legalism – wrong concepts leading to wrong conclusions and thus how it is important for us to reflect again consciously the context of the relationship with God. It’s initiated by God for the glory of God founded on reflecting His image on the earth those key characteristics of holiness and love to rightly manage that which He has entrusted to us. There’s no pressure as it were to produce.

The initial plan was for it to be a delight to produce and the fullest expression of humanity, but there’s nothing like rebellion to get in the way of that spoiling everything and never allowing us to get a grip on the content and concepts of that which we live. So we’re messing up conclusions all over the shop. We see wrong conclusions with God from atheism and secularism to idolatry and false religions; we see wrong conclusions with others – in abusive relationships of all hues and colours; we see wrong conclusions about our world – manifest in exploitation, manipulation, corruption, pollution and devastation of ecosystems and resources given to replenish the earth.

On the one hand it’s so obvious and on the other it is such an impossible cycle to break especially from the understanding that our rebellion against God is in our system – it is a part of our Adamic nature. That’s what makes this old story in the Bible so compelling – it’s the bigger picture issues – where we’re coming from – what is the context. The bigger picture helps us to make sense of the smaller picture – that’s why context is so important in reading our Bible and reading our lives and the lives of those around us. That context is not about doom and gloom alone it is one of hope, restoration, reconciliation and joy in new life in Christ that sees us re-establishing union with God in Christ.

We are then journeying towards the great day of the culmination of all things and the resplendent manifestation of the eternal kingdom wherein all is right with the world made new. That impacts how we do what we do in all of life now.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

The Not So Little Hobo Keeps Moving On

Memories of television programmes are a blessing and a curse. It’s a curse in the sense that surely I should be able to remember something that was worth something to someone. It’s a blessing in the sense that I’m able to remember something was worth something to me. I’ve got to find out whatever happened to Terry Bush. He’s the fella responsible for the classic theme tune to The Littlest Hobo. That theme along with the Lonely Man theme linked to television series The Incredible Hulk, has really bugged me for at least the ten years.

So anyway I had some days of vacation outstanding before the end of the year (April to March) so I was excited to take a couple of days last week and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the week just gone to spend some quality time getting things straight in my head about what I wanted to get done in life. Tragically the two days were spent overcoming illness and then these three days have been spend helping my wife get over illness as well as preparing for a move. So not at all as I’d hoped, but that’s typical dmcd – make a plan, get excited about plan, plan no work out, and get to learn new stuff about God whilst grumbling about plan not working in classic Muttley fashion.

I’ve talked about moving before, but just to reiterate I hate moving. I like being settled in one place for an extended period of time. I’m sure you could psychoanalyse it from the trauma of moving from the first home of Minerva Way to Albert Road and going from sun shining days at the back to grim days along Mill Road. Whatever you want to put it down to there’s a distinct element of ‘oh no I have to pack up all the stuff and lug them into a suitable transport and then unpack them’ syndrome. Although my Dad showed me the ‘just-in-case’ mentality that ensures I don’t leave the house without at least a notepad and pen or a book of some sort to keep me occupied, he also showed me the concept of travelling lightly. I’m sure when they were packing to resettle in Jamaica it would have taken my Mum a day or so and it would have taken Dad half an hour. With all the moving I’ve been doing in the last ten years I often wish that I could be in Dad’s position.

So what’s the reason for this the umpteenth move? First it’s worth reminding yourself of my feelings on moving which also gives a history of the travails of dmcd. So here I am settled in Stoke (the area called Stoke, not the city in general which is referred to as Stoke-on-Trent) for nearly two years. I haven’t resided in the same location for two years since leaving home, so it was looking to be a time of celebration, perhaps I had settled. Perhaps this was it. We were comfortable with where we were, it was convenient for Deborah’s school, the location provided outlets for community engagement and it was brisk stroll to wherever I needed to get to. It was almost ideal in every way and so I was looking forward to finally settling in a property to bring up children in a settled environment and set my roots in a place. If you’ve been keeping up with my life, though, you’ll know that just when you think it’s safe to settle up pops another issue. So up it popped and having popped the only response was to take advantage of the new opportunity that arose and that called for moving! So before April begins we’ll be resettled in the tenth move I’ve made since moving up to Stoke-on-Trent almost ten years ago.

Again it’s a great opportunity to swallow stuff and reaffirm that I am only ever settled in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Through all the changing issues of life, changes in relationships, changes in social circumstances, changes in style and weight, I am only ever content in knowing Christ and being known by Him.

I am as ever in desperate need of your prayers (or positive thoughts if you cannot stretch that far). This is a good move for us in a number of ways despite the sadness of leaving this locality. I’m trusting to carry across some of the lessons learnt from the 20 months we’ve spent here in the area. With every move there’s been improvement in community engagement and I want that to continue where we go next. I also want our family to settle well in the area and to be a beacon to our area of the ups and downs, joys and challenges of family life in Christ. You should get the impression that if it was left up to me we would be moving to stay for at least five years so we can try this thing called laying down roots as our children blossom and we look for some sort of stability. Yet in as much as that’s the desire of my heart I don’t want to allow that to cloud my judgement and desire to please God first and foremost.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to settle down, until tomorrow I’ll just keep moving on.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Balamory, Suzie Sweet, Keith Floyd and our Heavenly Father

Some things happen in life to assure me that God speaks and that Jesus is coming soon. This morning was a time for one of those things.

I am becoming more and more convinced that children’s television is a device used to infiltrate the minds of the impressionable and sow things into them of a subversive nature. Sometimes the subversion is good, sometimes the subversion is just weird. Take, for example Balamory. If I haven’t informed you before this programme has the temerity to be pitched to my two and four year old daughters and yet have elements in them that would only make sense to someone far older. They have some songs attached so some characters that mark them out clearly for a notable aspect of who they are and what they can do – whether it’s Josie Jump’s athleticism or PC Plum’s dogged determination to find the clues to solve the case in serving his community.

This morning, however, for the first time I came across Susie Sweet’s particular niche - she is as a cook. Nothing wrong with that you may think, but then all of a sudden on my television screen I get this 50-plus year old woman coming across with some hip-hop hybrid of a track explaining how she’s good at cooking and not only that but there’s a significant cameo appearance from Keith Floyd cook extraordinaire who is most frequently associated to his indulgence in wine. (A good time to be reminded of Proverbs 20:1 in word and music, eh?) Just see it for yourself! Well check all of the subliminal and subversive messages being relayed to my daughters there! Thankfully they had already been shipped out to their educational locations for the day, so it was just me watching aghast in bafflement and bemusement.

It was so bizarre. I mean the one that they do for PC Plum is such a spot on spoof of Bohemian Rhapsody it’s untrue and that already got me thinking that they really are pushing the boat out on these children’s programmes to get some things in their head. If you don’t believe me, you check Deborah (the four year-old) out on a good day and the ability to nail on mimic the songs she sees on the television is unerring. And if that’s the songs, you can consider the messages that are already being relayed. There is a reason why I can still remember the theme tune to Button Moon you know!

Thankfully my heavenly Father did not just want me to spot the subversive tendencies of an abnormally cohesive multi-cultural island located presumably in Scotland. Spencer is the (token) black American guy who’s an artist/musician and all that and on today’s episode it wasn’t a day when the people were at school and work, but one of those play days that sees Miss Hoolie do a musical number with top hat and tails and the works. So as part of the fun day away, Spencer was supposed to be organising things and he didn’t. Thankfully Edith was able to sort out the transport side of things and Susie – for it is she – was able to sort out the … yes you’ve guessed it, the cooking side of things (sans alcoholic beverages supplied by contacts of Mr. K. Floyd … well none that were shown anyway, I’m sure afterwards the crew perhaps needed to get plastered to recover from such a weird episode).

So in all of that, the lesson learnt again was the importance of being organised and in doing so recognising that it takes the best of others to ensure things get organised. We cannot do it alone, getting the job done takes a team and ensuring you can depend on them to help out at any occasion. In my case, for example, I am blessed with a supportive family and relational network that means when I’m feeling low and run down with a heavy cold working its way off my chest through vigorous coughing and the bringing up of phlegm (you’re welcome), there are a loving group of people taking it easy with me and likewise prayerfully supporting through this time with words of assurance and healing. Plus as today’s LJN highlights there are other lessons to be learnt in the experience. There you go, clear proof that a loving heavenly Father who yearns to save us all and lift us from the fall communicates these intentions even through Balamory.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd