Ecumenicalism

This month the churches in my little town are mixing it up a little bit. Our normal midweek Bible study groups are being replaced with inter-church groups. Its an opportunity to learn from other types of Christians, but brings with it a natural mutual wariness.

Augustine is supposed to have said: "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love", so the assumption is that our churches are united in the essentials. But I do wonder if that really is the case.

Unity in Christ is a great goal, but how many of our differences may be we put aside without risking the integrity of "The Truth"? If we gloss over our differences, are we really united?

Never mind, only 3 more weeks of this enforced "unity" and we'll be able to go back to our camps and continue viewing each other with doctrinal superiority.

I spy

When my children were at preschool age, we once took a trip up to London on the train. To pass the time we played "I spy" so I began with "B" (for book). Josie, my youngest couldn't spell so I helped her out by saying "Booo-boooo-booo..." Suddenly her eyes lit up and she shouted at the top of her voice (in a very crowded and oh so serious commuter train): "Booby!!" (i.e. breast)

The whole carriage collapsed with laughter.

I love this memory for so many reasons, but mostly because its full of goodness, or should that be Godness?

Fulda

Spent the week in Fulda (Germany) with my wider family and went mad with the camera.

Away

I will be away for the next week or so in Germany visiting my folks with my family so even less blogging from Mulled Vine.

Back soon!

Job update

Its finally materialising: my first offer! My agent rang me today and said that one of the companies I've been interviewing for will make me an offer today. I was counting my chickens before they hatched in my last post on this subject because the company wanted me to come in one more time and speak to their Chief Architect, but this time its for certain.

I have no idea whether the package or amount of travel involved is what I want, but its so nice to be asked.

I wanted to talk a little about something I've been doing recently. Its called NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming and basically involves reprogramming your subconscious mind. So in my case, I associate speaking situations with fear, so one would use NLP to change that association to something more positive. If you're skeptical about this, have a go at imagining a lemon, a really juicy, sour one. Can you see it? Now bite into it. If you've bothered to do this, your mouth will be watering. Similarly, imagine a place where you were truly happy. Really feel it. Be there in your mind. Hear the sounds, smell the air, feel the wind or ground. You might be smiling now? Now think of a horrible memory and you will end up feeling completely different. Yet your circumstances have not changed! Only your perception has. So you are largely in control of how you respond to situations.

Basically I use simple self-hypnosis to get myself to a deeply relaxed state, imagine myself in my "happy place" and then start to change the associations. I imagine myself speaking calmly and confidently, communicating my message effectively. I imagine that I am like Moses, a hesitant man who was used by God to lead His people and do wondrous things. I imagine myself standing tall, my family standing at my side, hugging me, man of God, facing anything! I remind myself of my many positive qualities and thank God for making me just as I am. Then I associate this with a word (and optionally a gesture). I do this for about 20 minutes, then take myself back to a more conscious state. The process is repeated daily if possible.

Then when I go into my interview, I recall the word and gesture and the associations flood back into my mind so that I really feel on top of the world! I still stammer, but you know what? I don't care. I am me and they can take it or leave it.

Breakup

It had been a bitter divorce. Joe had left her for another woman, and Elaine didn't even get to keep the house. She decided to spend her last evening in celebration and opened a bottle of fine champagne and bought a take away of succulent King Prawns and egg-fried rice.

Elaine spent the evening in front of a log fire, mulling over the treachery of her husband. She finished the champagne but not the prawns - these she decided she would leave for her husband, hidden away in the hollow curtain rods!

The next day came and Elaine moved out, while her husband moved in with his new girl-friend. Elaine and Joe did not speak to each other.

After a week, Joe and his girl-friend began to notice a rotting smell about the house. They opened all the windows, spring cleaned the house, got the carpets and curtains cleaned, but to no avail. The stench got worse. They resorted to replacing all the carpets and curtains but still the house stank. Eventually they had to move out!

The house remained empty for many months.

One day, Joe bumped into Elaine at the shops. They inquired politely after each other and Joe happened to mention that the house was empty. Elaine said she missed the house immensely so Joe offered to sell, knowing full well that the house stank to high heaven!

The deal was done and Joe and his girl friend stripped the house of all their possessions: the furniture, the carpets, the lamp fittings, the kitchen appliances, the toilet roll holder, the curtains, and even the curtain rods...

Thou shalt not steal!

It strikes me as very interesting that many of us Christians find no contradiction in following this commandment and making illegal copies of software, DVDs and music.

There seems to be an unwritten rule that because it involves stealing from big, "corrupt" corporations who have too much money anyway that its somehow ok.

Yet my voiced worries about this echo alone in the wilderness within the circles I move.

Is this an area where we Christians have conformed to the pattern of this world?

Ladies

Today my wife's ladies group is coming around for Bible study, coffee and biscuits. I was asked if I'd like to join them! After much deliberation (1 millisecond) I kindly declined. This morning I will be going on a long reflective walk ... in the pouring rain it would seem.

Now why would I choose getting miserably wet over spending a morning which a bunch of delightful ladies?

Its hardwired. Man go hunt. Man leave women and children at home.

I'm just kidding, of course.

Now where did I put that umbrella? ;-)

Drama: The Arrogant Customer

Context:

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9 – 14)

Cast:

Trick shop owner
Arrogant Customer
Humble Customer

Props:

Last Fire Sword trick in the shop


Script:

[Owner potters around the shop]

Owner to children: Phew! What a day its been! I don’t think its ever been so busy in here. Most of my best tricks are gone - just a few left over.

[Humble Customer comes in and looks around. Spots last trick and picks it up and looks at it with awe]

HC: Is this the Fire Sword trick?
Owner: Sure is. Its good isn’t it?
HC: Oh yes, I’ve been saving for ages, and was worried there wouldn’t be any left because I was so late.
Owner: Did you want to buy it then?
HC: Oh yes! I’m trying to learn how to do tricks and wanted this….

[Suddenly Arrogant Customer strides in talking very loudly]
AC: Good afternoon! I hear you do magic here?
Owner: Er... no, this is a [with children] TRICK SHOP.
AC: Whatever. Do you have the Fire Sword trick?
Owner: Yes, I was just going to sell my last one to this gentleman over here.

[AC looks at HC and grabs the trick]
AC: Thanks, I’ll take that.
HC: But…
Owner: Excuse me, but he was first.
AC: Do you know who I am?
Owner: No
AC: NO???
Owner: No
AC: I am Counselor Reginald Ulysses Nuts.
Owner: Reginald … Ulysses … Nuts… R. U. Nuts?
AC: Are you trying to be funny?
Owner: Sorry, it just that your intitials…
AC: Never mind about my initials! How much is the trick?
Owner: I can’t sell it to you – this gentleman was first
AC: What??? WHAT????
HC: Look, its ok, Mr Nuts obviously wants it very badly.
AC: Darn Tootin’ I do! Its for my collection!
Owner: Collection?
AC: Yes, collection! Are you deaf??
Owner: No, just wondering.
AC: Wondering what?
Owner: Whether you do tricks yourself?
AC: No, no, I have a man to do that. I can’t be bothering with such menial things myself! I'm too busy and important for that.
Owner: I see. Well I can’t sell you the trick.
AC: What??? WHAT????
HC: I really don’t mind…
Owner: No, my mind is made up. This is a trick shop for people who love tricks. I won’t sell you this trick.
AC: YOU WON’T SELL ME THIS TRICK?
Owner: No.
AC: Do you know who I am?
Owner: R. U. Nuts
AC: That's not funny. I am a very important man and so deserve to have this trick.
Owner: No, I’m giving it to this gentleman over here. He was first and he is a trick lover.
AC: I love tricks!
Owner: No you don’t
AC: I do. I get my man to dust the boxes everyday!!
Owner: My mind is made up. Goodbye!
AC: [Leaving] You will regret this!! I have connections! I am SOMEBODY. This fellow here is a worthless nobody.
Owner: Goodbye!
[AC leaves]
HC: Are you sure you want to sell this to me. He looks awfully important and I’m just me.
Owner: In my shop anyone who loves my tricks is important to me!
HC: Oh, thank you so much. I’ve been waiting so long for this trick.
Owner: My pleasure!

[They shake hands. Close to theme music]

Home

I am still here folks and thanks for the concern. I am in fact at home, and have been since Thursday last week, and find myself rather surprisingly with less time to blog than before. That's the beautiful thing about being redundant: there just isn't any work to do so there was ample time at my desk to do anything I cared to.

Being at home is not a holiday as I still have to get a job. I have still to hear from those two expected offers I mentioned before - "anytime now" says the agent - and its a time of waiting and if I'm honest a little self-doubt. Am I ever going to get a job? Am I good enough? I also worry about how picky I should be about work, and whether I should even take the first job that comes along even if its imperfect.

In order to remain sane, I have tried to structure my days so that mornings are spent helping out my wife with the school run and stuff around the house, and then when she goes out, to do a couple of hours of job hunting, and the odd couple of minutes on one of my guitars. I have bought some technical books which I plan to read, and have a cool little software project I plan to start on soon.

The best thing about being at home is that the kids love having me around and my wife and I have started going for long walks together.

The worst thing is the lack of interaction with people and the boredom which creeps in. I miss my routine and my tasks.

So its a real mixed bag of emotions at the moment, and whilst initially I was feeling really bullish, today I'm a bit down. Tomorrow will be fine I'm sure.