the greatest song ever

I had been planning to take a break from the lofty thinking and compose a top ten of the year. But it got annoying. And I've still got Bon Iver and Kate Rusby on repeat from last year anyway. So, in lieu of being able to make any kind of decision, I have at least come to one realisation recently.

The most perfect song I've ever heard? It's not Crash Into Me. Nor is it bluegrass or acoustic-alternative. It's not even at the other end of the spectrum in rock-land. Instead, oozing passion and soul from every pore, plus a kick-ass bassline, it's this.

doctrine #4 - humanity

What does the meaning of ‘Original Sin’ imply for Christian engagement with the societies we inhabit?

The biblical truths that we are created by God, both imago Dei and imago trinitus* logically lead us to perfect examples for us to aim toward – both in the perfect man (Jesus), and the perfect relationship (the Trinitarian Godhead.) We therefore have, according to Kevin Vanhoozer, three ethical imperatives: to aim for righteousness, to work and steward creation, and to rest and feast (Gunton, 165.) However, in realising that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23) surely we must also accept that this is a hypothetical – and one we are doomed to miss.

But consider the Pelagian controversy (McGrath, 362-8.) As humans we are used to choice: what to wear, what to eat, who to talk to, what to buy. Choosing how to act or to relate to people falls naturally into the linear stream of decisions we make – and so, when society keeps inconveniently plumping for the most negative option every time, as Christians we find ourselves either peering down from our ivory towers in despair, or - if we dare admit it – languishing in a pit of self-pity, beating our chests in realization that surely we will never be good enough, different enough, strong enough. Pelagius taught that choose equally between good and evil. However, Augustine of Hippo disputed that this is simply not the case. Because of Original Sin, we are beings limited in our free will by our inherently sinful natures. We cannot, as Pelagius believed, just choose goodness – our stained hearts are not capable. In truth, as Luther insisted (McGrath, 374) “God is active, and humans are passive, in justification.” We are justified purely “by grace through faith” – a perspective, which when applied to how we view society around us, might not only aid us in relating to those we would seek to save, but might just help us save ourselves.


Bibliography
Holy Bible, New International Version (London: Hodder & Staughton, 1998)
K Vanhoozer, ‘Human being, individual and social’ in C Gunton, (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, (Cambridge: CUP, 1998) pp. 158-88.
A McGrath, Christian Thelogy: An Introduction, fourth ed. (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007) pp348-74.

----

*Editor's note: I couldn't find a succinct enough definition of this to link to, so I will quickly highlight that this term refers to "the image of the trinity" - and therefore, that we are not only created in God's image, but furthermore in the image of the trinitiarian relationship. So although human relationships cannot compare, through the process of sanctification our relations to each other, and more fundamentally to God, will grow to reflect how the three 'forms' of the trinity relate to each other - that relationship being perfection.

doctrine #3 - creation

Question: How does a Christian’s understanding of creation affect her/his relationship with the created order and their efforts to understand it?

Creation can often be seen as the single most divisive doctrine between rational, contemporary society and the outmoded, misinformed Christian faith. However, my most focused point of reflection this week is that this division itself is a misconception. On examination, the simple theological truth is that Christian creation gives us the Why, but never actually lays claim to the How. (Although, it should be said, history shows that the church of the past and present may have claimed to have all the answers, but digging itself into this particular hole was perhaps as much precipitated by the rush to defying heresies and threats to growth.)

However, though the Bible cannot give all the answers, it can still claim to proclaim the truth – a truth manifest in all things. For all that God created was good – a statement at odd with everything from ancient Greek philosophy to Gnosticism, which recognized matter as inherently evil (Gunton, 143.) The Hebraic creation story** differs greatly from its contemporaries: here, we have a single deity creating order out of chaos, whilst simultaneously remaining both unconfined and entirely separate from it. This is not an enforced, dualistic separation though. Yes, God created and did so from nothing: but again, Christianity differs from other faiths. God is not withdrawn and absent from His creation; no, our God is in relationship with, transcendent over and immanent in His creation – with Christ as the ultimate proof of this relationship between God and man, according to T.F. Torrance (Gunton, 154).

Moreover, the concept of ex nihilo enhances further this sense of purpose, for if God created something from nothing as an action of personal will, it must logically therefore have a purpose. Any issue between persons and/or creation must therefore be viewed in light of God’s purpose in redemption and perfection of all creation, and so - to paraphrase Spiderman - from that great power comes great responsibility for all of us as part of that created order.


Bibliography
C Gunton, ‘The Doctrine of Creation’ in C. Gunton, (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, (Cambridge: CUP, 1998), pp. 141-57.

---

** Editor's note: I was going to link to Wikipedia here for 'Hebraic Creation', but discovered that Wikipedia, like many sources, makes an assumption which I believe to be mistaken - that Genesis 1 and 2 are part of the same narrative. Many theologians would argue that the first and second chapters are, in fact, different versions of the same story - evidenced by how much they seem to overlap. Therefore, the first account ends at Gen. 2:3, and the second begins at Gen. 2:4 ("This is the account of the heavens and the earth..." (NIV)) It has been put forward that as the Old Testament canon was put together by Hebrew leaders, this first account was actually a late addition, a prologue added for clarity, as it was felt that the Gen. 2 account did not emphasise strongly enough God's hand in creating every single individual part of creation (it focuses mainly on the creation of man.)

---

doctrine #2 - the trinity

Question: How has the concept of the Trinity in Christianity affected relations with other monotheistic faiths?

In considering and reflecting on this question, it seems prudent to identify the two other major monotheistic faiths as Islam and Judaism – both of which consider Christian Trinitarian doctrine heretical, and therefore a severe stumbling block to relations at this level.

Islam apparently focuses on Deuteronomy 6:4 (McGrath, 247), where the Hebrew God clearly indicates that the Lord is one. The assumption is, therefore, that by proposing that Jesus and the Spirit are both God also, Christians accept a tritheistic stance. However, this assumption is obviously flawed and counter to accepted theology: Tertullian, in particular, hammered out the axiom that the Trinitus is made up of three personae with unius substantae.

For Judaism, the Christian Trinity has an immediate heresy: that of recognizing Christ as the Son, and therefore the Messiah. Interestingly though, the Law and the Prophets – that is, the Old Testament Scriptures – lay down firm foundations for Trinitarian Doctrine (McGrath, 248; De Colle, 122) through three personifications of the God of the Hebrews: the personification of Wisdom (especially in Job, Proverbs etc.), active in creation; the Word of God, going forth into the world to confront man throughout the OT; and the Spirit of God, His presence and power within creation. If only Judaism paid heed to the Johannic Logos – where that very same “Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us” (John 1:14) they might recognise Jesus for what He was – begotten of the Father, who with that same Father and the Spirit make up our triune, paradoxical Godhead.



Bibliography
R De Colle, ‘The Triune God’ in C Gunton, (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, (Cambridge: CUP, 1998), pp. 243-71.
A McGrath, Christian Thelogy: An Introduction, fourth ed. (Oxford: Blackwell 2007) pp. 243-71.

---

doctrine #1 - scripture

Since September I've been dropping in at Belfast Bible College once a week, invading a degree course module called Framework of Christian Thought. It's been a bit mind-blowing so far: a rapid fire journey through the histories and philosophies which modern churches hold dear/are founded on/denounce each other over (delete as appropriate.)

Anyway, as part of the study we're required to submit weekly reflections on each topic. Rather than trying to condense down an overall reaction to each week's tutorials, I decided early on to make the personal reflections exactly as described - a personal reaction, where I would reflect primarily on the points which had struck me the most, on a heavily personal level. I was a little concerned that I might be off down the wrong path completely - but happily, the tutor marking them has been giving great feedback so far.

To make up for the lack of meaningful blogging of late, I thought it would be interesting to begin dripping these online every few days - I do like a good stir. They're obviously heavily contextual, but I've attempted to include as much linkage as possible to allow the discerning reader/debater/firestarter (delete as appropriate) to get involved. I'm calling the series doctrine, but not in an attempt to bear any relation to the Mark Driscoll tome of the same name (though it might end up counterpointing that one as much as complementing. Certainly, this'll be an awful lot more succinct!)

One further note: the set texts for the course are cited and linked to at the bottom of this article. The Colin Gunton book is a bit dense, but Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister McGrath is a fabulously easy-to-read textbook covering all the major aspects of Christian doctrine. I heavily recommend it to anyone wanting to ever debate anything with me ever again, believer or otherwise.

As will be apparent, these reflections are incredibly short. More space for arguing in the comment section afterwards, I reckon.

---

doctrine #1: scripture

Question: What role does Scripture have in God’s ongoing revelation to the world?

Francis Watson indicates (Gunton, 65) that the primary access to testimony of God is through his revelation in Scripture - and, therefore, that the reading and interpretation of Scripture must be theology's primary task. Whilst this makes a lot of sense, there is also an immediate danger in setting this thinking up as rigid parameters in isolation - namely, that our understanding of God will rely entirely on text. I therefore believe that John Wesley was on to something with his eponymous Quadrilateral (McGrath, 146): that our theology must be sourced on a grouping of Scripture, tradition, reason and personal experience. And though I would hold that Scripture takes a strong primacy, we should not attempt to explore it in a manner divorced from the other three.

In constructing our personal theological hermeneutic (Gunton, 71) it really is important to avoid the traditional OT/NT divide in interpretive structures. I personally hope to angle towards the “new hermeneutic”, attempting to read Scripture through the magnifying glass of Christ, and therefore the idea that the entirety of Scripture is therefore Christocentric. A reassuring implication of this to me is that it offers some relief in the challenge of interpretation. That is to say, if Biblical hermeneutics is concerned with using the light of the clear to interpret the murky, one can now approach the whole of Scripture using the testimony of the Gospels to illuminate God’s ongoing revelation through the canon.

Bibliography
F Watson, ‘The Scope of Hermeneutics’ in C Gunton, (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, (Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 65-80.
A McGrath, Christian Thelogy: An Introduction, fourth ed. (Blackwell 2007) pp. 121-152.

breaking the mould

At the moment we're going through one of those (suprisingly frequent) times of upheaval at the moment; the family homestead is being vacated and I seem to be spending all waking hours working at wardrobes/drawers/shelves/light fittings/loft flooring (delete as appropriate); I've started a day a week at BBC (no, not that one) - more on that soon; and, after a stall on funding at my previous post, I've been back freelancing for a month on and off. And it's the latter of these things that is in my mind tonight, as I clear out much of the clutter in what has been our home office for the best part of a quarter century.

On the back wall, above a bookcase full of my VHS collection, remain stuck three pieces of paper, which were assembled during my PGCE year as mementos. One is a thank-you card from a secondary school class, the other a picture drawn for me by a seven year old - deluded people, perhaps. However, the third is maybe more unusual: a small, yellowed rectangle of newsprint, torn from a copy of The Guardian I had picked up in a cafe.

From a column called My Mentor, the Children's Laureate Michael Rosen - he of the legendary We're Going On A Bear Hunt - recalls a teacher who inspired him.

The secondary school I went to was a pretty dull and staid place until Barry Brown, a new English teacher showed up. He was just out of university and can't have been more than 22, which made a change. He came from Manchester - this was Harrow in the 50s, we hadn't even heard of Manchester - and he wore dark brown suede shoes, had longish hair over his ears, put his feet up on the desk and walked down the corridors with his hands in his pockets. There were all these rumours flying around about affairs he was having, which added to his kudos.

My parents were both teachers and so I'd been read to a lot and taken to the theatre so I wouldn't say that he sparked a love of literature in me, that was already there, but he felt dangerous and subversive. He would start off a lesson quite conventionally, perhaps reading round the class but would interrupt us, encouraging us to read with expression. Then you could see him getting bored and he would suddenly throw the book at someone. He was provocative and off the wall. He would pace the room and use it like a stage.

He would come into the classroom and, like all teachers of the time, be wearing a gown, except his would be all wrapped up around his shoulders like a shawl. Schoolboys were always complaining about how cold the classrooms were but teachers would tell us it was good for us, made us healthy. Barry Brown would come into the class and say, "This room is freezing!" and kick the radiators, which made it feel like he was on our side.

I remember once he was on the way out of the class and stopped and said, "Oh homework tonight, write a ballad about Robin Hood," and left the room. We were all left looking at one another, shrugging our shoulders. I went home and my mum and I sat at the kitchen table writing this ballad about Robin Hood and it was just great fun. I was desperately keen to please him, to write things and show him them and he was enthusiastic in his response. He put on plays in the school and encouraged us to join in, even taking parts himself and just generally creating an excitement in us all.

It wasn't that he was imparting great pearls of wisdom, but simply that he presented himself in a way that was completely different from anyone else I'd ever met. From him I glimpsed that there are different paths in life you can go along, that you don't have to plod along the well-trodden path, and at 11 years old, that was hugely exciting. Looking back, there are lots of people who go into the mix, who influence who you eventually become, and he stands out as someone who sowed seeds and helped me grow.

(Taken from Guardian.co.uk.)

For many people of a certain age, it would seem everyone had that one teacher like this - the maverick guy who seemed to rail against how he was supposed to do it, and instead won loyalty through the inspired, or random, or compelling methods they used combined with their unique personalities. At the time, this was exactly the kind of teacher I wanted to be.

A few years on now, and every time I find myself at an employment crossroads, the inevitable is asked: why not give teaching another stab? I fumble through several, reasonably honest, excuses: I found the curriculum, particularly GCSE English, mind-blowingly pointless and stressful; the workplace politics in some schools a little intimidating; difficult pupils hard to relate to. Fundamentally, I was frustrated with the paradox that yes, many teachers do little and get on fine, but that in order to be a great teacher, you needed to work your ass off. "But if you're this stressed, just do enough to get by," some might say. But I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do the best I could.

However, tonight I sit and wonder if all of these do, in truth, pale in comparison with a realisation I have had as I reread Michael Rosen's tale from above. Barry Brown sounds like exactly the type of teacher I wanted to be - but after a year of teaching, I think what I discovered most was that in our society today, this would never be possible. And for all that is changing in life and our culture today, I cannot think of many things sadder.

above and beyond

I used to complain profusely about my vertigo when required to go and fiddle with cables and such in the gantry at the Odyssey Arena. This guy, on the other hand...

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

sudan365

In January, the people of Southern Sudan go to the polls, in a referendum to decide whether the war/poverty-torn country should remain as one, or become two separate recognised states. It could bring peace; but it could equally end up in even more violence. Very few people are really informed enough to know, and the Sudan365 campaign is an attempt to rectify that by drawing attention to the (still) ongoing plight of Africa - and the Arab world's - largest country.

As always, it's questionable how much impact lots of middle-class Westerners wringing their hands can really have on a situation where tensions - political and tribal - remain so high. But at least we can keep pressure on the UN to do the right thing and be ready to deal with whatever outcome early next year.

And to keep it in the public mind, here's one of those videos where lots of musicians from lots of places do something funky. John Bourke would approve this message.

what i am

I have a rant about BEP's megahit I Gotta Feeling. It's the same as the Transformers one, only with less Shia LeBoeuf (Even Stevens was his peak. Should've retired from acting after that.) Ironic, then, that I'm about to applaud marketing genius Will.i.am for doing a great thing, and in this instance, selling an incredibly important message to d'kids. Well done, sir.

it's a book!

I haven't blogged since May. There are various, pointless reasons for this. But instead of letting me bore you with that, enjoy this instead. (h/t to @commentisfree and @heathercorinna.)

things i learnt #2: overarm bowling

Again age 12, but this time Games (separate from PE!) and Overarm Bowling.

Now, you might think, hold on - I thought you said we were discussing things used on a regular basis? But bear with me.

So, part of my current profession is to teach children useful things. The joy of working in the voluntary sector when approaching this, as opposed to my previous deviation in the teaching one, is that these things are actually Useful Things (as opposed to observing osmosis in rods of potato, or how to read the top quartile of a bell curve.)

This year, it has included everything from Where Plants Come From, through How To Make Paper Airplanes, to How To Climb A Wire Fence To Get To The Football Pitch. (Don't ask, don't tell.) And so, since Easter I've been turning up weekly at a local primary school (which, I must say, is arguably one of the best in all the land) to play Kwik Cricket with the P5-P7s. And in last week's session, I began passing on, almost verbatim, the principles of overarm bowling, which have stuck with me since third year of secondary school.

Now, it may surprise most people to find out that I'm not much of a sportsman. However, the joy of turning up to a school with the Children's Worker hat on is that it is automatically assumed you are an expert on everything. But let me tell you - whilst this might facilitate easier ways to get out of arguments ("Why?" "Because.") it does come with the caveat that you need to make sure you actually are right - for it shall come back to bite you on the backside. So, as the self-appointed cricketing guru, I've been relying mostly on the fact that I can, at least, bowl a decent fast-medium ball over a good length. And there's a couple of tricks, learnt all those years ago, that have helped ensure this - both at the start of the movement.

Firstly, get that second arm up. As you wind up and release, that arm needs to go straight down the line where you want to bowl, and you need to be looking behind and through it before you release. This makes a massive difference when you uncoil, as it makes sure that your shoulders are in line as your bowling arm comes over the top of your head.

Secondly, "bite the apple", as the original teacher in question insisted again and again. Don't hold the ball somewhere around your chest before your unwind - get it right up beside your mouth so you can smell it. That initial push forward your bowling hand makes whenever you release will therefore add power as the ball makes its journey down past your waist.

And thirdly, release at two - o'clock that is. A lot of the kids I've worked with so far let it go whenever their arm is perpendicular - possibly as an unfortunate product of one of the drills I've been using for fielding, which resembled something for tennis ball boys. Alternatively, you don't want to be releasing too late either, or it'll go straight in to the ground - a problem I'm having currently as I try to learn how to bowl right handed (being a natural southpaw). Two o'clock, at full stretch when you release, and that ball is going right down the batsman's throat. Howzat?

things i learnt #1: twelve-bar blues

Recently, I've been reflecting a lot on my school experience. With that in mind, I've been inspired to try and specify knowledge or skills learnt which were not only major, but life-changing - things which are still used regularly.

Of course, reading and writing are pretty obvious, so I've ruled those out along with basic mathematical and scientific knowledge. I've still managed to compile quite a list so far, so it occurred that perhaps I should spout about them online and see where we go.

And so we come to age 12, Music class, and Twelve-Bar Blues.

Junior school music can be a pain for everyone involved. For non-musical pupils, it's something close to torture. For pupils who have been learning an instrument up to a certain level, they are often frustrated by the lack of any new knowledge. For the teacher, it's something you have to endure - trying to cater for both groups, whilst actually keeping yourself sane.

My secondary school music teacher was pretty adept at this. There were, in no particular order, xylophone, drum, comprehensive theory, CD design, rapping, and cinematic music lessons. But the one which, on reflection, had the biggest long term repercussions, was when we got to basic song writing, and the twelve-bar blues.

Now, outside school, I have been learning piano four about five years, so there was nothing new in playing chords. There was, however, the shock of the new when it came to playing something I actually gave a toss about. So the sudden revelation of just how simple it could be to play basic songs was life-saving. Three chords, the most basic theory, and you're away (and probably ready to be a stand-in member of Status Quo.)


Taking the key of the music (say C) and take the tonic - 1st - major chord, which is C; the subdominant - 4th - chord, which is F; and the dominant - 5th - chord, which is G, and you're almost there already. Structure around a a walking bass rhythm, and voila! You're like a slow-learning Ray Charles.

The knock-on effect of this may not have been obvious, but it was there. A year later, I started to learn guitar, and from that point painful, PAINFUL song-writing became a viable option. I would claim to be an outstanding musician, but subsequent learning and the ability to play by ear would, I am certain, never have come about if my enthusiasm had not be saved by the sudden, drastic appearance of the twelve-bar blues.

---

POSTSCRIPT:

Whilst searching my school files - yes, I kept them all (a decision to be vindicated by this series, perhaps!) - for the scanned piece of work above, I came across possibly one of the greatest exam answers I have ever made. I have, obviously no memory of giving the following answer, and so can only hope I was being funny. (As the answer to the question above referenced Keanu Reeves's acting, I'm willing to believe that I must've been on a roll that day.)

Enjoy.



---

predestination

It's the biggie: the make or break one for a lot of people; the theological hot potato that no-one really wants to discuss. Many a sleepover/retreat/overnight has been ruined by it; heck, countless churches have been torn apart by it. But for the first time ever, I have an answer that satisfies me. So although I would usually shy away from expressing an opinion on most theology on record, I think it's interesting enough to share.

Having taken a wee bit of time to study it this week, I came across this sermon from Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church, Seattle. Mark, referred to occasionally times in this blog, has a good ministry and good teaching. I feel he can often be OTT or "a little too Calvinist'. A bit like John Nixon. (But without the glorious facial hair or winning smile..) But he absolutely nailed this one. Out of the park, with one a couple of seconds in the whole thing which I might choose to disagree with.

So I decided to share what I'd learnt, in the form of what I've called a "stream of discussion" - what was one massive bit of meandering photoshopping, which I've carelessly now lopped up into six. You can access the Picasa gallery below - I recommend slideshow mode or download for reading.

Predestination: A Stream Of Discussion

I shall await your wrath with great anticipation...

---

jennifer knapp: coming out and letting go

It's the hottest, and arguably most divisive, topic of Christianity over recent years: homosexuality and what place (if any) those who come to it could find in an increasingly tumultuous Christian sub-culture. And let me tell you: I've already encountered the debate three times today alone! It is one that I dare not express an opinion on, because I genuinely don't know where to fall. On one hand, it seems so black and white; on the other, Christ, whilst on earth, showed love and embraced everyone who came to Him. Absolutely everyone.

I'm not ashamed to highlight that members of my extended family are gay, and interestingly their experiences are hugely different. But it is a debate I would rather leave God to continue to reveal love and solutions in and to, as time passes. Not that I don't recognise the damage the same debate causes; I was listening to an old Mark Driscoll sermon from a couple of years ago, where he mentions that the moment when he decided to get out, of what would go on to become the Emergent Village, was the moment whenever cemented, solid doctrine was being questioned casually. He highlights some examples: things like Jesus' divinity, the reality of hell, and the Biblical response to homosexuality.

It is that big a struggle.

Huge respect, then, to Jennifer Knapp for her heart-rendingly honest and open interview with Christianity Today for the April issue, available online in its entirety. I knew a bit of Knapp's work, most notably her duet with Mac Powell for the song, Sing Alleluia, which has the dubious honour of being a worship record that I don't completely hate. (Because I'm so cool, so I hate all you weak Christians and your poorly-structured, rambling choruses. Joke.) However, I wasn't previously aware of her disappearance, seven years ago, off the face of the earth, burnt out from touring and in need of a long break. But in the sudden peace and solitude, with time to deal with having a personal life and relationship with God again, this inspirational, multi-award-winning, hugely popular Christian singer-songwriter revealed she had an even bigger struggle to work through: she was a lesbian.

And while it had not factored in her decision to go on hiatus, she knew when she came back it would have to be dealt with - and she does so openly and honestly. I won't comment on her personal journey in faith, but I admire immensely the volume to which she refers to God's grace and mercy as she discusses it in the interview. To have returned to the Christian culture in the States with such a sack to drag around, she has also demonstrated huge courage.

To be Christian, and a Christian in such a public area of ministry as performance, and to have to cope with such a hindrance (for others, mind you, not her) could arguably give her an incredibly important testimony. But we can be sure that for many evangelicals, particularly in the States, she might as well have become a Jihadist.

The machine rages on.


(Massive hat-tip to the great @JesusNeedsNewPR for the linkage to the article.)

---

a power to change

If you looked back over the last couple of years, you could be forgiven for thinking I'm getting obsessed with Dr. Paisley. In truth, I'm definitely fascinated; in particular, his interview for The Today Show with John Humphreys this week, where, among other things, he tries to explain forgiveness to Humphreys - who doesn't get it.

Click here to listen to the BBC's interview.

Paisley also comes very, very close to expressing real contrition for some of the rhetoric he was responsible for 40 years ago; but for me, that he can explain and express true forgiveness for Sinn Fein after his personal conflict for decades, speaks volumes - the number of times he in fact, defends the reformed republicans to Humphreys questioning is something his former followers would do well to pay heed to.

"But (Martin McGuinness) has never repented...."

"But you are not God! You do not know..."

or also

"I'm just a sinner saved by grace... (and changed by God)."

"Why didn't God change you earlier?"

"You'd better ask Him that when you see him!"

---

a song for sao paulo

The great Andrew Neill reflects on his time in Sao Paulo, Brazil, two years ago. His reflections resonate greatly with my own!

Massive kudos for Summer Madness for getting this project, Tales For The Unexpected, up there. And all the better for having got the awesome design skills of Studio Stereo on board (responsible for that brilliantly-coloured promo for RCE's 'Movements' a few months back) and even throwing a bone to friend of this establishment, Dave at infinity21.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, however, Andy is undertaking a wee bit of fundraising at the moment. CAF, the Brazilian foundation which founded the orphanage we worked in, have come to the end of their link with Tearfund, and due to the global financial situation, are finding themselves very, very stretched. Neiller has decided to try and raise a bit of dosh for them, through his project fivetofivehundred. Take a whole minute of your life and find out how you can help with just a couple of clicks!

---

next steps

Whilst it's no big secret that yes, myself and herself are now formally engaged to be married (as an alternatively to the previous arrangement, whereby we were just planning to be!) it hasn't been dominating my thoughts this week as much as it should - to the end that, whenever someone congratulated me before a church service this morning, it took me a minute to realise what he was talking about!

However, after all the fuss this morning, it was one quiet moment that really hit me hard. It being Mothering Sunday AND therefore Mother's Day (Two separate holidays from two separate origins! Blame the Americans) after the family service in Maghera this morning, we decided to buy in a consignment of potted primroses, "one for everyone in the audience" style.

As the mums were picking and choosing on their way out of church, one lady picked up an extra one to give to an elderly gentleman coming behind her - a small gesture, as his wife has passed away. Almost wordlessly, he stood for a moment and then proceeded around the side of the church, in the sunshine, to set it on her grave. As someone I would regard as an elder statesman of the parish, it was humbling to see his small action weighted with huge emotion, as he privately illustrated where his thoughts and heart still lie. For me, the challenge in such an act is immense, and it's a moment that, I hope, will stay with me throughout the upcoming madness.

---

this too shall pass mk II

In the aftermath of the astounding 'This Too Shall Pass' promo from OK Go, (featured below) it's worth reading this interview at Gigwise with bassist Tim Nordwind reveals just how hard it was to pull off the massive Rube Goldberg machine featured - including the admission that it took sixty attempts to get just three that worked!

---

save 6 music?

Apart from the Adam & Joe podcasts, I've never listened to BBC 6 - and yet I felt a bit irked this week at the news that Auntie is pulling it, along with the specialist Asian Network. Personally, for what it's worth, I think they maybe would have been better (remit wise) pulling 1Xtra, but that's just because it really, really annoys me...

Anyway, Paxman tore Mark Thompson (his Director-General) several new ones on Newsnight during the week, and those clever people at the Chance Collective did the appropriate thing and got Malcolm Tucker, Ollie et al in on the action.

this too shall pass / you bled

I've seen two music promos this week that I've loved. One is ridiculously complex...



...the other beautifully simple...



...and both were breathtaking!

---

i 'ate them!

I know I know... this was the big skiing in-joke, from one of my favourite DVDs of all time. I love that Dylan Moran himself has trouble keeping a straight face delivering his French sketch. Go on... watch it one more time...


---

kids, (please) don't break my heart

Might get in trouble for saying this but... had seen the trawl for extras for the video for A Plastic Rose's 'Kids Don't Behave Like This' last week, and then today caught a shuftie of the latest Bandwidth 'In Stores Now', wherein Will basically took advantage of everyone coming down for the APR shoot to nab a good crowd for The 1930s to perform to...

...the 1930s one is a much better video! But perhaps I'm just not down with it anymore - judge for yourself. (They're both great tracks anyway.)

The APR sequence perhaps just suffers as an ambitious, creative concept that is let down by some particularly crap filming and post-production. I wanted to follow, but kept skipping forward. And the audio's really off with the miming in a lot of places - unless you can get it accurately folks, don't bother, please. It looks like someone's Moving Image Arts (that's an A Level, kids) coursework.



Whereas the 1930s one is an aging concept, but looks like the dog's unmentionables, despite being a one-take joyride.

IN STORES NOW#31: THE 1930s from Bandwidth on Vimeo.

Yer man should perhaps stick to the (undeniably kick-ass) photography.

---

there is a green hill...

Listening to a fascinating conversation between William Crawley and the Rev Dr Ian Paisley, hosted at Queen's this week past which Crawley has blogged about on his BBC page. Having just returned from a week far from these complicated shores, I nonetheless find myself picking up a train of thought that I hung up before I went; a further reconsideration of the legacy of the Big Man.

A couple of weeks ago, I did the unthinkable, and sat on YouTube for a while listening to sermon snippets from Dr Paisley. The man has, over the years, irriated and yet interested me; and now, at a point in his life when he is only heard from publicly in reflection, it seems to be a legacy that continues to become more and more favourable. I still find some of his past politics completely implorable, and his methods harsh; but the man is brutally honest, and seemingly more Christ-centered as the years roll on (in a way that resembles the Christ of the Bible, as a contrast to the Christ perhaps mirrored by uber-conservatives.)

I wonder, if the Reverend Doctor had remained an independent or Presbyterian preacher right up to this point and was only now to found a church, how it might differ from the sometime-divisive Free Presbyterian model. I await with anticipation what might happen if Big Benny XVI himself rolls onto these shores in the next couple of years; will Paisley be there, bellowing at the 'Antichrist?'

Perhaps, in the end, powersharing politics went some way to take a firebrand of a man and calm the flames enough that we could all stand a little closer. Or perhaps it is only now he is letting us see him for his true persona, and not what he would have presented to stir and encourage the inclinations of his disciples. There's certainly no denying that, re: the Chuckle Brothers, the Deputy First Minister seemed to find a man he could come alongside - and who of us ever really thought we would see that to begin with?

You can jump straight to the full interview here.

---

YES! YES! YES!

A-Team teaser trailer is online... and it's freaking AWESOME! Watch it here.

---

playing for change

Amazing - even with Bono involved!

War/No More Trouble - Song Around The World from Playing For Change on Vimeo.

Find out more about Playing For Change here.

---