I'm a big fan of music. I have very varied tastes and I have a big "Christian" music collection but in recent years have become far more discerning.
There are just one or 2 Christian artists I will go out of my way to get. Glen Kaiser and his many projects, Darrell Mansfield and the legend that is Larry Norman. I never did get the oportunity to see Larry in concert having once travelled by train & ferry from London to Belfast for a concert that was cancelled at last minute due to his health - he was replaced by Phil & John who I have seen more times than I care to remember!
Larry Norman struggled for the last 10 years or so with heart problems. He lost the fight last Sunday and is now in a much better place. I hope I meet him sometime when I get there, he was after all "only visiting this planet"
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Saturday, 2 February 2008
Encouragement or truth?
Whilst staying home suffering severe man-flu (that's the lowest form of flu for the uninitiated) thinking that it would have been far more sensible if I'd taken a couple days off sick this week, I got watching Ironside on TV
I often like watching cheesy 70's detective dramas, although no-one comes close to that all time detective hero Columbo.
There was one line that someone used, I can't even remember the context but it's been running through my head all day. Ironside, our brave but wheelchair bound detective was discussing a predicament with a colleague. He made made it clear that the situation wasn't good, to which his colleague replied
It made me think of the way that attitude is lived out in our lives, including those of us in Church. For some it's the insistance that they want it all to be very simple which can often just descend into intellectual laziness (Jesus did say to love the lord with all your mind Matthew 22 v 37).
Often we just block out the stuff that makes us uncomfortable even when we know it's true. Instead we want to be encouraged, to feel good about ourselves, have a little bit of self belief no matter what it may be based on. It reminded of a verse in 2 Timothy (4v3)
I often like watching cheesy 70's detective dramas, although no-one comes close to that all time detective hero Columbo.
There was one line that someone used, I can't even remember the context but it's been running through my head all day. Ironside, our brave but wheelchair bound detective was discussing a predicament with a colleague. He made made it clear that the situation wasn't good, to which his colleague replied
"I was hoping for encouragement - not the truth!"
It made me think of the way that attitude is lived out in our lives, including those of us in Church. For some it's the insistance that they want it all to be very simple which can often just descend into intellectual laziness (Jesus did say to love the lord with all your mind Matthew 22 v 37).
Often we just block out the stuff that makes us uncomfortable even when we know it's true. Instead we want to be encouraged, to feel good about ourselves, have a little bit of self belief no matter what it may be based on. It reminded of a verse in 2 Timothy (4v3)
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires"
I hope that I will look for the truth, even if it's uncomfortable, even painful.
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