unpublished material

a post I wrote a while back, but never published:

he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now...

the closing lines from the new batman film I went to see yesterday with a few friends and a couple of two-for-one vouchers...

as batman is chased off into the darkness by the cops of Gotham city, Lt. James Gordon utters the last few words of the film.

without wishing to spoil the film (especially for Gareth - happy birthday for tomorrow buddy) too much, I was left reflecting on the justice of batman, and couldn't quite bring myself to understand some of the things he did, or didn't do. I almost found myself siding with the crowds and wanting him gone - after all, he showed up the criminals in Gotham and only made things worse...

got me thinking a bit about Jesus, my hero...

rock

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

sin and chocolate

I think sin is a bit like how I'm eating chocolate at the moment... everywhere I look at the moment, the temptation to eat chocolate is there... I know it won't be good for me in the long-term, but I see a bar of chocolate and think to myself "well, if I eat it now I'll get it out of the way and it won't be there to tempt me..." fool that I am!

"who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24)

"praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people." (Luke 1:68)

this is a good poem... I'm trying to memorise it

faith

seeing without believing,

acting without knowing,

expecting without tangible guarantee

KJ-52 - fanmail

creating God

"you know you have created God in your own image, when you find that your God hates the same people that you do"

Lois Wilson

Jesus alone 2

imagine if the end of Luke 2 (the bible) was like the end of home alone 2 (the film)...



Jesus: oh no. my family is in Florida and I'm in the temple... [gleefully] my family's in Florida... I'm in... the temple.



Joseph: Jesus! you spent nine hundred and sixty seven dollars on room service!



Jew: has he ever been in a situation where's been on his own?
Mary: as a matter of fact, this has happened before. It's become sort of a Barjoseph family travel tradition.
Joseph: funnily enough, we never lose our luggage.



Temple teacher: [seizes a brick] SUCK BRICK KID!



etc.

from a text I received

"Hi sory I dint tb **** had a holy spirit expierence
last night n i totally 4got to tb!"

I'm gay

"I'm gay, am I still welcome here?"

said our pastor this morning at church.

he's married, with kids.

fortunately for them, he was introducing the title/topic for next week's service. it should be interesting - you should come. I'll give you a lift if you want, just ask!

Steve and I said...

"if God is a god of second chances,
we must be people of second glances"

...there's a preach in there somewhere. ask me


this day, I have been mostly struggling to convert a coaxial signal to RCA. whatever that means (it's not a euphamism)

best church service ever

this morning, I awoke in good time, had a shower, then found as I left the house that it was 10:33, and the service starts at 10:30. this wasn't too bad at all, though, as they usually start a little bit late...

I turned up, and was somewhat surprised at how full it was - but then I usually arrive in good time.

I was shown to a seat, where I stood as one song was sung. then was the church notices, and I thought "that's a remarkably short amount of singing, hurrah".

and then was the sermon, and I thought - this is going to be a good service; less 'blah, blah, blah', more God. that's when I realised I'd missed an hour of church 'cos the clocks had changed. winner...

more quotes

following in the tradition of fight club quotes:

our fathers were our models for God. if our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God?

...and from a book I'm reading:

[on abraham...] he had everything, but he posessed nothing. there is the spiritual secret^[1]

_{1. I don't like the phrase "spiritual secret", but you get the idea}

not necessarily biblical

you know, if God had been given the world as flatpack because connexions was chucking it out, then he realised he needed to move it upstairs but it wouldn't fit, had to take it to pieces, remove a door frame, carry it up with Ian and have to put it back together again without instructions, I reckon he might have taken more than 6 days. on the other hand, Ian was a big help. with the flatpack, not creation. *muddled*