BeachcomberFX

Category: Sunday@thePub

  • Isaiah 58… What can we do? How?

    Isaiah 58… What can we do? How?

    Hi Folks, how you doing, this weeks reflection comes from Pauline. Because of added restrictions, we will be meeting on Zoom at 7.00pm, if you would like to be part of that discussion and rant in our other group, then please let me know and I will send you the link on Sunday.

    Pauline writes I would like to try and share some thoughts if I can, prompted by this mornings Lectio 365 App based on Isaiah 58: 6-9a

    “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

    to loose the chains of injustice

        and untie the cords of the yoke,

    to set the oppressed free

        and break every yoke?

    Is it not to share your food with the hungry

        and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

    when you see the naked, to clothe them,

        and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

    Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

        and your healing will quickly appear;

    then your righteousness will go before you,

        and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

    Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

        you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

     

    Tom Wright asks three questions in his book ‘God and the Pandemic.’

    They are:

    Q Who is at risk?

    Q What can we do to help?

    Q Who can we send?

    There may be just more questions, I may not be making sense but here

    goes! It feels like we are waiting…. Filling time in till things change, putting ‘on hold’ things we had planned… But… Now is the time… What can we do now? Can we do anything?

    We will begin on Sunday night by each sharing one good news story from the summer.

    In relation to Pauline’s thoughts and the bible passage…

    What are you currently waiting for in this time of uncertainty?

    What have you had to put on hold and how do you feel about that?

    Thinking about Isaiah 58, how could we do each of these things:

    * Loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yolk, set the oppressed

    free & break every yolk?

    • Share your food with the hungry?
    • Provide the poor wanderer with shelter?
    • When you see the naked clothe them?
    • Do not turn away?

    Peace.

  • Messy Spirituality

    Messy Spirituality

    Hi folks, I trust you are doing ok in the midst of these strange times. If you need someone to talk to and feel alone then please do get in contact with me, happy to chat!

    This is the first blog I have written in a while as we have been meeting in other ways… but here we are again!

    If you would like to be included in one of our socially distanced garden groups locally then please do let me know ASAP… We will be meeting at 7.00pm.

    We are also in the process of working out what we do after this Sunday since the rules change and it will allow us to meet in small groups in pubs, our hope is that we can do that.

    These last few weeks and months as we have emerged from lockdown I have been pondering on my own spirituality. I have realised how messy and fragile it is. As a result I have picked up a book by Mike Yaconelli called Messy Spirituality. I’m not that far in to it, but early on he quotes one of the Peanuts cartoons: Lucy is sat at a 5 cent physiology booth, Charlie Brown stops and asks for some advice about life… she says ‘life is like a deck chair on the cruise ship of life… some folks set it up at the back so they ponder on where they have been… others set it up at front to think about where they are going’. Lucy ask Charlie Brown where his deck chair would be? Without hesitation Charlie Brown replies ‘I’ve never been able to unfold one!’

    The more I think about it that’s a little bit like my spirituality… I can never get it unfolded… I think most of us feel like that… we don’t really know what we are doing! We seem to plod around trying to work it out the best we can, making it up as we go along… every now and again we have ‘help’ along the way when people say things to us, or we read or hear something, but even some of the most spiritual people I know often still say… ‘who knows?’

    I think in these strange times this confusion can be heightened and even put to the test, this is what i have found… I have said a few times that I feel lost… In the initial stages of full lockdown I was noticing things around me in a new way… it was like everything was turned up to 10… I was experiencing beauty everywhere… but now as the uncertainty kicks in life gets more fraught. We see more people, hear more noise and although there have been moments even in the last week when my soul leapt… the overwhelming sense is that of angst, this reverberates around my soul and I cry out… how long Lord, how long!

    So, some questions…

    What has been your favourite moment of the last few months?

    What have you enjoyed about lockdown easing? What has been difficult?

    Describe your ‘spiritual deckchair’? (If not a deckchair, what else does it look like?)

    What does messy spirituality mean for you?

     

    Peace, Rob

  • New Normal…

    New Normal…

    Hi folks, I hope that you are well, as things begin to ease in relation to lockdown, the leaders will be meeting on zoom to start to think about how we might be able to arrange ourselves over the next few weeks.

    This Sunday we will meet on Zoom at 8.00pm and i’ll post the link later in the week in the BFX messenger group. If you aren’t part of that but want to be involved in the conversation let me know.

    With that in mind, Pete Johnson sent me an email a while back after a phone conversation we had, that talked about the resurrection and post lockdown and how things might look and what if anything BFX (BeachcomberFX) could begin to think about for the future…

    So here are some of Petes thoughts…

    Spurred on by Beachcomber songs for Holy Week (this was a playlist created on Spotify each day of holy week) I began to think about what resurrection might mean, not only for me but also perhaps for society, particularly at this moment in time amidst all the turmoil of the corona virus pandemic.

    My thoughts were further shaped by some words sent to me on facebook: 

    ‘Nothing should go back to normal- normal wasn’t working. If we go back to the way things were we will have lost the lesson. May we rise up and do better.’

    That phrase ‘may we rise up and do better’ really stirred me up.

    I felt a desire to rise up by trying to ensure I was part of the solution rather than the problem- to do whatever I could to ensure things did not go back to normal. Out of the ashes of despair and suffering brought about by the second world war arose those beacons of hope-the NHS and Welfare State.

    So too with the pandemic-too many people have lost too much and given too much for us to just return to the way things were a few months ago. So much good has also arisen out of the crises – things like appreciation and care for health service staff, care home staff, shop assistants and people who empty our bins, people volunteering to help meet the needs of the lonely and vulnerable, firms once involved in cut throat competition now working together to develop a vaccine or build ventilators etc,etc.  

    Resurrection for me would be about ensuring these don’t become short term relics of history. So that led to the question:

    What can I do to ensure a return to status quo doesn’t happen.

    What could Beachcomber FX do?

    We can certainly pray about it but faith needs to be matched by action, so how about collectively putting our thinking hats on and coming up with ‘suggestions for  good practice’  for those who think the same.

    I feel lockdown of some sort will be with us for a long time- the ‘new norm’- and it is essential we do whatever we can to ensure that this retains some of the good which has developed.

    Furthermore, given the damage to our economy there will likely be a critical shortage of funds and extreme competition for available resources that at least some strands of the new norm will be highly dependent on volunteer provision if we are to avoid a great deal of collateral social damage.

    Furthermore I feel politicians in particular will wish to go back to where we were as quickly as possible because it is the safest option but of course not the best option.

    For me there are three strands to this:

    • What can I / we do as individuals?
    • What can we collectively do as a group?
    • How can we bring pressure to bear on decision takers at both local and national levels.

     

  • Untitled post 776

    Greetings! I hope you are keeping well in these strange and uncertain times. We are really missing our Sunday nights at the pub. Conversely meeting virtually makes the world a much smaller place – it’s great that those from further afield are able to join us on Sunday nights. We will share the zoom link nearer the time.

    I’m going to let you work out which famous person we’re thinking about this week…

    • She owns an elephant, two giant turtles, a jaguar and a pair of sloths
    • She became a homeowner at just six years old
    • Her birthplace is now a fancy Cantonese restaurant
    • She’s the only person in the UK allowed to drive without a licence
    • She was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 and has been married for 73 years

    Can you tell who it is yet?

    Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history. She was just 25 when she took the throne in 1952. No matter what you think of the royal family she is arguably one of the most iconic figures in world history and one of the reasons we get so many tourists in London.

    IMDB tells us that she has been portrayed by around 100 actors in various films and TV programmes. If you haven’t seen ‘The Crown’ we would thoroughly recommend it. It really opened our eyes to the challenges she faced in the early years of her reign and the impact her position has on the rest of her family. I even felt sorry for Prince Charles at one point (he is the only royal I’ve ever seen in person – he drove past my high school one sunny afternoon). One of the most memorable episodes from The Crown is when the queen waited a week to visit the town of Aberfan after the mining disaster in 1966 that killed 116 children and 28 adults. Those close to her still refer to this decision as one of her biggest regrets.

    Some questions…

    1. Royal family – love them, hate them or indifferent? If you’re a ‘lover’ who is your favourite and why?
    2. Have you ever seen or met a royal? If so who and where/why?
    3. Boris Johnson is her 14th Prime Minister. If you could be a fly on the wall and observe a meeting between her and one of the 14 PM’s which PM would you chose and why? The Crown does a really good job of showing her relationship with Winston Churchill.
    4. Thinking about the Queen’s decision not to visit Aberfan straight away, are there any significant decisions you have made that you wish you could go back and change? Obviously only share what you are comfortable with.
    5. What did you make of Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal life?
    6. The Queen is known to have a strong faith. Her Christmas Day broadcasts have become ‘more Christian’ in recent years and in 2014 she said her faith was ‘the anchor of her life’. Things are really tough for all of us at the moment. Does your faith feel like an anchor currently? In what ways?

    Peace, Karen

  • Che Guevara – ‘Influencer – Prophet’?

    Che Guevara – ‘Influencer – Prophet’?

    Hi folks, i hope you are doing ok… the weather is helping me stay sane!! We will meet on zoom on sunday night at 8.00pm, i look forward to seeing you.
    If you would like the link then let me know. For those of you in the BFX messenger group I will also post the link in there sometime on Sunday early evening.
    This weeks blog is written by Glenn, we continue with our theme of ‘Influencers and Prophets’ today looking at Che Guevara.
     
    Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, known as “Che” to his friends, is most famously known for his role as a commander in the Cuban Revolution, helping Fidel Castro depose the US-backed dictator Batista in 1959, and being the subject of possibly the most iconic photo of all time.
    What is less known about him is that his full title is Dr Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, having qualified as a medical Doctor in 1953.
    Part way through his studies he embarked on a tour of South America with a friend on a 1939 Norton 500cc motorbike – all the cool kids ride motorbikes. The trip took them through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and to Miami, before returning home to Buenos Aires. While in Peru they volunteered at a leper colony. Their constant companions on the road trip were poverty, oppression and sickness. This view of South America was a wakeup call for the privileged Guevara and started the radicalisation process of his politics. This is told in the fantastic film The Motorcycle Diaries – borrow it off me, watch it.
    In addition to the Cuban Revolution, Guevara got involved in the struggle in Guatemala between the democratically elected left-leaning President and a US-backed future dictator. He then fought in the Democratic Republic of Congo and finally in the unsuccessful attempt to start a revolution in Bolivia.
    You could say he was an evangelical revolutionary.
    His desire to change the lives of the poor and oppressed, for the better, stemmed from his motorcycle trip where he recognised the commonality of all people and the injustices caused by capitalism. He is quoted as saying “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.”
    That desire to change things, inspired by love, is why I admire Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
    Guevara’s death in the mountains of Bolivia was lonely, shambolic and ultimately futile. He wanted to inspire the people to rise up and improve the lot of the common person. What he failed to do was ask if they wanted that. There was no preparation, no sowing of the seed, no changing of hearts and minds before he rocked up with a few mates and a couple of machine guns. He was hunted down and executed.
    Questions:
    For what principle or cause would you metaphorically die for? (try not to be serious – more along the lines of being willing to die for the cause of custard creams being declared the best all-round biscuit)
    Is love the best weapon we have?
    If we want to make followers of Christ, should we employ a tactic of winning hearts and minds or all out revolution of the soul in a Damascus road type conversion?
    Guevara is known to have ordered and carried out a number of executions during and after the Cuban Revolution, to protect the people and the gains made. In general, can the ends justify the means?
    As you may tell I’m a bit of a Che Guevara fanboy, so if anyone wants to borrow any books or dvd’s let me know.
    Cheers – Glenn.
  • St Paul – Prophet, Influencer

    St Paul – Prophet, Influencer

    Hi folks here is this weeks blog… This weeks blog comes from Noreen, looking at St Paul:

    All of you, I’m sure will have some insight into the life of St Paul, and his influence on the early Christian church. Travelling around Europe it’s difficult to avoid him, in the statues and references to his presence there. In Rome his statue stands-together with St Peter-on top of the Vatican, and I remember feeling dizzy attempting to look at it, so high up, and St Peter’s square so vast. On a sea cruise off Malta I thought we were going to replicate St Paul’s shipwreck there! My most memorable ‘encounter’ was at the ancient church of Agia Kyriaki in Paphos which is also known as the place where St Paul was whipped by the Jewish leader Elymas (there is a stone column outside which is supposed to have been used for this). There is an active congregation at the ancient church which is shared by both Greek Orthodox and Catholics for separate services which must make it quite unique. So, I’d found out the times of the services and made my way along the mosaic pathway to the church. The door was open (it was at least 30 degrees outside!) and I went in, to find myself standing in what felt like a cool, dark cavern, lit with candles. Despite the service being in Latin, a language I barely understood (sadly there was no ‘Pentecost fire’ giving me insight into what was being said) it felt a really holy space. There was definitely a spirit moving in that place.

    Bio notes

    Paul was likely born between the years of 5 BC and 5 AD. The Book of Acts indicates that Paul was a Roman citizen by birth. He was from a devout Jewish family based in the city of Tarsus, one of the largest trade centres on the Mediterranean coast. Tarsus was the most influential city in Asia Minor, renowned for its university.
    Modern theologians agree that Paul was educated under the supervision of Gamaliel in Jerusalem, and spoke both Hebrew and Greek. It was reported that he was present at the stoning of St Stephen after his trial by the Jewish Sanhedrin court. Paul (or Saul as he was then) held the coats of Stephen’s executioners. He then went on, as a representative of the Pharisaical community, to be responsible for persecuting ‘Followers of The Way’ as the early Christians were called.

    Then everything changed for Saul and according to the book of Acts, Chapter 9 it took place on the road to Damascus, where he reported having experienced a vision of the resurrected Jesus. The account says that he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’ Saul replied, ‘Who art thou, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom thou persecutes.’

    According to the account in Acts he was blinded for three days and had to be led into Damascus by the hand. During these three days, Saul took no food or water and spent his time in prayer to God. When Ananias (a Christian of Damascus who had been led to Saul through a vision) arrived, he laid his hands on him. Saul’s sight was restored. He got up and was baptized. (Acts 9:18). It is often thought that Saul changed his name at that time, but scholars have disputed this. In Acts 13:9, Saul is called ‘Paul’ for the first time on the island of Cyprus—much later than the time of his conversion. Luke indicates that the names were interchangeable, and as Paul was a Roman name he may have chosen to use it when meeting with the Roman leaders. Adopting his Roman name was typical of Paul’s missionary style. His method was to put people at their ease and to approach them with his message in a language and style to which they could relate.

    Writing and Influence

    Thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to St Paul.
    There are many famous quotations attributable to Paul, perhaps the best known is in 1 Corinthians 13, verses 4-7 which is often used in Christian marriage services—‘Love is patient, Love is kind. Love is not boastful or envious or arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.’

    He also wrote about one body having many parts (1 Corinthians12 verses 12-27) saying that in the church everyone-whatever their talents and skills-have a part to play. Also in Corinthians is my own favourite spiritual inspiration verse about running straight for the finishing line (1 Corinthians 9 verses 23 to 27).

    Some of Paul’s writings have caused controversy, particularly with regard to the role of women in the church. ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.’ (First letter to Timothy, Chapter 2 verse12,). However supporters of giving women power in the Church most frequently cite the letter to the Romans, Chapter 16 as giving the opposite view. In its list of nearly 30 active early Christians, at least eight are women. Some commentators stress the fact that one, Priscilla (Prisca in the original Greek), is named before her husband Aquila.
    Much of Paul’s output in terms of letters to the early church gives very specific advice on how to run it. In the final verse of Timothy 1 Paul says, ‘Timothy keep safe what has been entrusted to your care. Avoid the profane talk and foolish arguments of what some people wrongly call ‘knowledge.’ Good advice now as then! Over the past few weeks our understanding of what is church has been upended. I wonder if Paul’s views will be revisited in the near future and his ideas for organising a church community renewed?

    Questions
    1. Have you ever been handed a daunting task that you felt inadequate about tackling. Did you feel spiritually guided in this task? How did it feel?
    2. Over his lifetime Paul wrote letters to many different early Christian communities (‘Followers of The Way’ at that time). What is the most important letter /email/message you’ve ever received? Did it change your life and how do you view that moment you received it in hindsight?
    3. Paul travelled widely and met many people, setting up small churches as he went. Is there somewhere special you have travelled to which has influenced your faith?
    4. Timothy was ‘mentored’ and befriended by Paul. Have you ever mentored/nurtured another person to encourage them to become a Christian, and how did it go?

    St Paul Image – Public Domain – Painting by Diego Velazquez

  • William Wilberforce – “Influencer – Prophet”?

    William Wilberforce – “Influencer – Prophet”?

    Hi folks, i hope that you are doing ok, even though life might be tough right now, We will be meeting on Zoom on Sunday night, so i hope you can join us… If you would like to be part of that evening could you let me know.
    This week Naomi has written this weeks blog on William Wilberforce:
    So, what feels like a lifetime ago, well before terms like “self-isolation”, “social distancing” and “lockdown” were the most common words in our vocabulary, I agreed to write a blog for Sunday@thepub as part of our “prophets or influencers” series and I was given William Wilberforce. As I know next to nothing about Wilberforce apart from the obvious reference to his work in abolition of the slave trade, I have had to rely on facts gleaned from the internet…so forgive me for any inaccuracies.
    In short, William Wilberforce was a British politician and philanthropist who became an independent MP for Yorkshire from 1784-1812. Whilst championing many worthy causes in his life and professional career, his most noteworthy achievement was his contribution to heading the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. Whilst this act did prohibit the slave trade in the British empire, it did not abolish the practice of slavery. In later years, when Wilberforce had retired from parliament due to ill health, he continued to support the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery. That campaign led to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire. Wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the passage of the Act through Parliament was assured.
    So, now the history lesson is over… what are my thoughts about this man?
    Firstly, it is interesting to note that it was Wilberforce’s conversion to Christianity in 1785 which is attributed to the changes in his outlook, lifestyle and lifelong concern for reform, and thus his involvement in abolitionism.
    Secondly, to us in our modern-day society, slavery seems abhorrent, but at the time it was a very accepted practice and one which generated a lot of wealth. It may seem an obvious thing to oppose now, but at the time Wilberforce would have been seen as controversial in his views and actions, especially by many of his peers and colleagues.
    Thirdly, from the time he joined the campaign for the abolition of slavery to the time the Slavery Abolition Act was passed, 46 years had passed – that was nearly two thirds of his life!
    I can’t comment on Wilberforce as a person as I haven’t read about him in that much detail, but I can see how the actions of his lifetime were admirable and have impacted society as a whole for the better. So, my questions below relate to the thoughts I have mentioned above:
    1. If we assume that Wilberforce would have put “Slavery” into Frank Skinner’s Room 101, what would your nominations for the following categories be?
    – Food
    – Music
    – Nature
    2. Just as Wilberforce and Paul’s conversions to Christianity brought about great change in their actions and lifestyles, have you ever experienced a dramatic turn around in your thinking, or behaviour? If so, what was the catalyst for this change?
    3. As with so many “influencers” before and after him, Wilberforce’s opinions and actions were seen as questionable, controversial and counter-cultural at the time.
    – Who do you think we can see demonstrating these traits and actions today?
    – What causes are there that stand out for being “counter-cultural”?
    – Should Christians be “counter-cultural” – if so, in what way?
    4. Finally, it is evident that Wilberforce’s journey to see the abolition of slavery was a long one – taking 46 years to come to fruition. Do you have any examples of perseverance in your own life? What did you work/wait for, and was it worth it?! 
In Hebrews 11:13 it says “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance…” 
What are you still living in faith for?
    Peace Naomi
  • Harry Potter – Prophet, Influencer?

    Harry Potter – Prophet, Influencer?

    Hi folks, I hope you are keeping yourself safe at this difficult and confusing time. This week we start a new way of working by using Zoom software, to meet for SUNDAY@HOME! So If you haven’t got your favourite tipple sorted for Sunday night, why not pop along to your local independent shop and purchase something lovely!

    If you want to join our zoom gathering please do let me know, by sending me your email address or mobile number. We have a good number of people who are joining us, some for the first time. There is a Zoom app that you can download if you want to access it through your phone. All you do for both lap top or phone is click on the link!

    When you come on everyone will be muted so we can control how it works, but if your video is working you can wave at people and the chat function is also available for banter, when we have a few folks accessing it we will explain how it will work…Please though bare with us as we are learning as we go!

    On to the blog which is written by Karen! she has entitled it:

    Harry Potter (my hero)

     My Harry Potter journey started in 2000. I vividly remember reading the first book on a sunbed in Portugal. Since that time I have read all the books at least twice and watched all the films more times than I could say. I have copies of all of them if anyone wants to read or watch. I’m currently working my way through the audiobooks narrated by Stephen Fry by listening to a chapter every night in bed. It helps me focus on something other than what’s happened that day which is especially important right now. It doesn’t matter if I fall asleep as I know the books so well I can just start with the next chapter the following night.

     I remember reading and rereading all the Enid Blyton boarding school books (St Clare’s and Mallory Towers) when I was a child and Harry Potter is all of that and more. I love the magic, the mystical creatures, the ongoing battle between good and evil and the way the main characters and their relationships develop over time. We visited the Warner Brothers Harry Potter studio a couple of years ago and whilst I loved it I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the lack of magic – the props and scenes were interesting but it’s the story that brings them all to life.

     There was a backlash from some Christian groups when Harry Potter first came out. Some believed the series’ depiction of witchcraft was dangerous to children and there were at least six book burnings in the US. Others felt that Harry Potter promoted the religion of Wicca, and that keeping the books in public schools violated the separation of church and state in the United States. Education attorney Victoria Sweeny said that if schools were to remove all books containing reference to witches, they would have to ban Macbeth and Cinderella.

     So some questions…

    1. Harry Potter is definitely my literary hero – who is yours?
    2. Describe your Harry Potter ‘journey’.
    3. If you’re a Harry Potter fan who is your favourite character and which is your favourite book/film?
    4. In this time of social distancing I will be immersing myself in Harry Potter and all my other favourite films – what’s your staying at home top tip?
    5. If you had an invisibility cloak for a day what would you do?
    6. What did you make of the Christian backlash at the time?
    7. What are you currently doing to help you switch off from all that’s going on in the world?
    8. Would you describe Jesus as magic?
    9. Personally I don’t think of prayer as a superpower, what do you think?

    Peace Rob and Karen

  • Michelle Obama: Influencer – Prophet

    Michelle Obama: Influencer – Prophet

    Hi folks, we are living in difficult times right now and we need to look after each other… at the moment we will continue to meet, but if you have underlying health issues then please consider staying away. If any of you want to talk or need specific help because you are self-isolating, then please do contact me and if we can help we will.

    This week we are meeting at the Crescent Club in the upstairs lounge overlooking the bay, it would be lovely to see you if you are able, meeting at 8.00pm.

    This week as we consider our latest ‘Prophet or Influencer’ we are thinking about Michelle Robinson, or Michelle Obama as we know here. She grew up on Chicago’s South Side. She studied sociology and African American studies at Princeton University before attending Harvard Law School. Returning to Chicago, she specialised in intellectual property law. In 1989, while at the firm, she met Barack Obama, who had been hired as a summer associate. Seeking a more public-service-oriented career path, in 1991 she became an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. The following year she and Barack, then a community organiser, were married. From 1992 to 1993 Michelle was the assistant commissioner for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, and in 1993 she founded the Chicago branch of Public Allies, a leadership-training program for young adults; she served as the branch’s executive director until 1996.

    Barack was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, and that year Michelle became the associate dean of student services at the University of Chicago, where she helped organise the school’s community outreach programs. In 2002 she became the executive director of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago. Two years later Barack was elected to the U.S. Senate and came to national prominence with a speech he gave on the final night of the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In 2005 she became vice president of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Centre.

    When her husband announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Michelle took a prominent role in his campaign. She took leave from her position at the University of Chicago to devote herself more fully to campaigning. Her openness on the campaign trail and in interviews, often humanised her husband by discussing his faults and implored observers not to “deify him”—endeared her to many.

    On November 4, 2008, Barack was elected 44th president of the United States. As first lady, Michelle was involved in various causes, notably supporting military families and ending childhood obesity. In an effort to promote healthy eating, she planted a vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House in 2009.

    During the 2016 presidential race, Michelle supported the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, and her speech during the party’s national convention drew widespread praise; noting the coarse tenor of the race, Michelle stated that “when they go low, we go high.”

    They attended a Methodist church before being elected and at the 49th African Methodist Episcopal Church’s general conference, Michelle Obama encouraged the attendees to advocate for political awareness, saying, “To anyone who says that church is no place to talk about these issues, you tell them there is no place better – no place better, because ultimately, these are not just political issues – they are moral issues, they’re issues that have to do with human dignity and human potential, and the future we want for our kids and our grandkids.”

     

    Some questions

    Ultimately Michelle became First Lady, what is the most unexpected thing you have done?

    One of the areas of her life that struck me was her support to her husband during the campaign… How can we be supportive in complex difficult times, particularly at the moment?

    How do you feel about opening up about your own faults and failings?

    I love the phrase “when they go low, we go high” what do you think it means and how does it link to being a follower of Jesus?

    What areas of your life does “when they go low, we go high” mean for you today?

    What areas of life do you think ‘the church’ should be more proactive about?

    Peace, Rob

  • Rich Mullins – Influencer or Prophet?

    Rich Mullins – Influencer or Prophet?

     

    Hi folks, I hope you are well, this week we are meeting at the Kittiwake, It would be lovely to see you is you are able to join us… This weeks Blog is written by Aaron.

    If you’ve never heard of Rich Mullins, but you’ve been around churches for more than a few years, the chances are that you have sung one of his songs. One of his most well known songs is “Our God is An Awesome God.”

    Rich Mullins was many things – a musician, a poet, an entertainer and a prophet to his generation – all things which he felt uncomfortable being, because he was also a very reluctant Christian celebrity.

    Before he was famous, one of America’s biggest Christian singers in the 80’s (Amy Grant) had picked up that he was a gifted songwriter and frequently asked him for permission to record his songs. Most musicians would have jumped at the chance to record with a bestselling artist, but he always declined her request. He simply wanted no part of the Christian music machine that he saw growing further and further away from the roots of Christianity and all that Jesus stood for. After many years of resisting however, through the encouragement and discernment of his friends, he began to be open to the fact that God could be leading him into it and he finally gave Amy Grant permission to record one of his songs. The result? That song instantly made him famous and his life never looked the same again. Opportunities to record and perform soon came rushing in and before he knew it he had become the celebrity he never wanted to be.

    His music career would go on to last over 15 years but sadly, Rich Mullins’ life was cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1997. He was 41 years old.

    Though his songs continue to be sung and listened to around the world, for many it was his life and not his songs, that spoke the loudest. One Christian artist called him the “uneasy conscience of Christian music.” What were they speaking of when they said that? Well, they could have been referring to a number of things, because Mullins certainly lived life counter-culturally compared to most people with his level of fame and fortune. In particular, two things stand out…

    Firstly, inspired by his childhood hero St Francis of Assisi, who promoted the idea of forsaking wealth and pursuing a life of poverty, Rich Mullins gave up the millions of dollars he earned through album sales, royalties and performances and instead throughout his career chose to receive an annual salary equal to the average American salary at that time (which for most of his life was around $24,000 a year). The rest of the money he earned, he simply gave away to charities.

    Secondly, after years of performing in churches and at events around America, he eventually grew tired of seeing how different the Jesus in the Scriptures was compared to the Jesus being talked about in churches. Although he occasionally performed concerts in the last few years of his life, he ended up walking away from all that his life and ministry had become and spent the last two years of his life living on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico teaching children how to play music. When asked whether he was there to evangelise and share the gospel with his new community, he replied, “No, I think I just got tired of a white evangelical middle-class perspective on God, and I thought I might have more luck finding Christ among the pagan Navajos.”

    Rich Mullins is known as someone who never shied away from pointing out uncomfortable truths and living counter-culturally. Through both his words and his actions, he spoke prophetically to his peers and the Christian music industry that he was a part of about the things that needed changing and correcting. Over 20 years after his death, his words and actions can still speak to us today.

    And the questions…

    1. When Rich Mullins was growing up, his hero was St Francis of Assisi – who was yours when you were a child and why?

    2. Rich Mullins lived a counter-cultural life compared to those in his community and industry –  what is the most counter-cultural thing you have done that you are proud of?

    3. Are there areas in life that you want to be counter-cultural in now, but aren’t yet? If so, what stops you?

    4. Rich Mullins walked away from the institution that he was a part of because he disagreed with the hypocrisy he saw within it. Do you think it’s better to try and change an institution or system from the inside whilst being a part of it or from the outside once you’ve left?

    5. Rich Mullins left the comfort of his own community to “find Christ amongst the [so-called] pagan Navajos.” Where is the most surprising place you have experienced God?