Neil Hudson's Blog2008-11-21T21:07:37ZNeil HudsonCopyright 2008, Neil HudsonSPHPBLOGFootball and Faith: What's so beautiful about the beautiful game? I watched the film, Fever Pitch, as preparation. Highly recommended for blokes into football!
Here are the questions. What would you have said?
By the way, it struck me that there doesn't seem to be a good book tackling some of these issues (pun intended!)
Getting the Tackles In
Wearing the right kit:
1. What team do you support? Why? What’s the story that lies behind your support? Why does it seem to matter to many that they still have a team to support? It’s obviously not just about men, but why does this seem to apply to men more than women?
2. Would Jesus support any team? If not, why not? If so, who and why?
The Perfect Pass 1. Where do you see beauty in the beautiful game? What mars the beauty?
2. Why does football produce so much adulation and disappointment? Why does it never feel like it’s ‘just a game’? Do our reactions tell us anything about ourselves?
Oi ref, are you blind? 1. John Charles, great footballer of the 1950s accidentally flattened the opposing centre-half as he charged towards the goal. One to one with the keeper, he kicked the ball into touch and went to help his opponent. What would the headlines be if that happened now? What would your reaction be? Why?
2. Why do we find it hard to accept that people make mistakes? What does grace look like in footballing terms?
‘You only sing when you’re winning’ Football is ‘war without guns’. Do we need an enemy to live healthy lives? Do we need a sense of battle? Do we project this into supporting our teams? What’s your battle?
The bung How do you react to the amounts of cash that surrounds football? Is it immoral? Would you ever get to the place where you wouldn’t be interested in watching because of the amounts of money involved?
Abide with me Can you pray that God will help you or your team win a game? Does it work?
Full time What does football teach us about ourselves, God, faith and discipleship? ]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry081029-1440542008-10-29T00:00:00Z2008-10-29T00:00:00ZSt Bruce!! Seemed to link in with a quote from Joseph Campbell, a scholar of mythology, who commented, ‘I don’t think people are really seeking the meaning of life. I think we’re seeking an experience of being alive’. Might change how we think about communicating the mysterious wonder of faith if we took this seriously. We don’t need mathematical equations proving the point of it all, as much as we need models of people who are fully alive.
‘The gospel according to BS’ ends with this paragraph: ‘The essence of Springsteen’s good news is not just that there is a power which moves through human history transcending differences, liberating that which lies captive, and healing all wounds. His even better news is that this divine power lives and moves through indisputably common, fallible, imperfect people like us. Through the words and music of Bruce Springsteen may our ears be opened to the Spirit’s song all about us, may our eyes be opened to the Spirit’s gifts deep within us, and may our hands and hearts be opened to do the Spirit’s work here in the midst of this confusing, conflicted, mysterious, amazing world.’ Amen ]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry081010-1750082008-10-10T00:00:00Z2008-10-10T00:00:00ZThoughts from Uganda Came back with all sorts of thoughts knocking around my head:
It was good to go and labour for the teams of builders there. Hauling sacks of cement, shifting sand around and carrying bricks from one area to another loses its attraction after a while (about 30 mins!) but does give you the feeling of getting fitter. Loads of people walking by the site just stopped and watched the site of these middle-aged men and women doing heavy work. Mind you, we did look odd.
It was interesting to be in church and for it to begin with the same choruses we would use and to realise that this is the globalisation of worship!
It was heartening to hear the woman who told of us her pride in Uganda and in God who has provided them with all that they need: cassava (a root vegetable), potatoes, and maize. It was also challenging.
It was moving to hear of an 18 year old’s hope that there would be a new generation of non-corrupt officials.
It was odd going to the supermarket in Kampala and hearing a soundtrack of Christian choruses being played over the tannoy.
It was unnerving driving through Kampala on Friday night past teeming markets and horrendous traffic jams.
It was good to be home.
No doubt the photos will be up soon ]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080805-1241272008-08-05T00:00:00Z2008-08-05T00:00:00Zlakeland, Florida Try this one - hopefully it will be more successful: http://charismamag.com/articles/index.php?id=17378
The article is from the www.charisma.org site and can be found by typing Lakeland Florida in to the search box. there are some thoughtful blogs on the forum sites as well.]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080621-0941152008-06-21T00:00:00Z2008-06-21T00:00:00ZFlorida Revival?I found this reflection by the editor of Charisma magazine helpful. For those who have not come across Charisma, the magazine reports on, and teaches about, all things charismatic. In other words, it's normally on the side of the 'manifestations' people. That's why I thought the article by the editor was helpful.
The rest of us will have to wait and see what happens next. ]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080523-0829072008-05-23T00:00:00Z2008-05-23T00:00:00ZGod's Odd 'uns On the platform I was wondering about which train would be best to catch and asked an older woman there. She chatted away (she didn't know about the train) and into the conversation dropped 'the Lord' in. It's like belonging to the masons because you soon come to recognise other believers but I said nothing.
We got on - I went to the left and she went to the right.
Half way through the journey she cam back to chat to me and showed me a book on Revelation (in French!) by JWs she'd found and in which she'd started to draw Jesus into the pictures. She asked if i had read revelation and I said I had. She chatted on and eventually asked if I was a Christian. I owned up and told her what I was doing whereupon she offered to pray for me. So she did. Quietly at first and then she stood up and started declaring God's good things over me - much to my amusement and the rest of the people's bemusement.
Fortunately (?) we were then at Victoria.
Telling the story next mroning it was strange that Tracy had an experience on the Tube that morning with someone welcoming everyone to the carriage and offering to read the Bible before they went to work, to pray for them and then to lead some worship!
Is it just London?
Or is it that some people just are not afraid what others think and get involved however uncool it may seem.
And am I just a spiritual wimp?
I hope her prayers are answered by the way!]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080508-1351122008-05-08T00:00:00Z2008-05-08T00:00:00ZGreat Quotes But a couple of quotes grabbed me: 'Life conquers death and the past is overcome by the future'. Can sound trite in the wrong hands, but written by a man who has spent many years in the Soviet gulag has a ring of authenticity to it.
Then one from the old Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins,(an old favourite target for evangeliicals) who wanted to put some more life into the old creeds and so condensed them to: 'God is. He is as he is in Jesus. So there is hope.' Not bad in 13 words. What would you have written?
And then one last one from metropolotan Anthony - a Russian Orthodox archbishop: 'Tradition is the living faith of dead people, and traditionalism is the dead faith of living people.'
I like smart use of words.]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080508-1343012008-05-08T00:00:00Z2008-05-08T00:00:00ZBirthdays What I found quite odd was the fact that so many sent me greetings on Facebook. People I'd not been in touch with for ages. It was nice - and then I began to think it was odd. Am I the only one who can get spooked quite easily? Like when your bank manager knows who you are? So all these greetings - only later did I realise that it was listed and the clever people at facebook make that available for others to see. They think of everything, don't they? For a time I wondered what was going on - sad that acts of kindness make us wonder what's going on - where's the conspiracy? Paranoid? What do you mean? Tell me you'd be different.
About to buy a new book by Garrison Keillor, a radio show host (old-time style)in America, 'Pontoon'. The first few sentences begin:
Evelyn was an insomniac so when they say she died in her sleep, you have to question that. Probably she was sitting propped up in bed reading and heard the brush of wings and smelled the cold clean air and the angel appeared like a deer in the bedroom and Evelyn said, “Not yet. I have to finish this book.” And the angel shook his golden locks, which made a skittery sound like dry seed pods, and he laughed a long silent laugh and took her pale hand in his. He’d heard that line, “Not yet,” before. He was always interrupting people who were engrossed in their work or getting ready for a night at the opera or about to set off on a trip.
I like that first sentence a lot!
Birthdays - make you think of mortality!!!! :-)
]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080328-1432552008-03-28T00:00:00Z2008-03-28T00:00:00ZWrong Coffee; Wrong SeatTook over 4 hours to get home. It was crowded, hot and frustrating.
But not as frustrating as the moment when the guard looked at my ticket after 3 hours and told me it was a first class one! I was suddenly delighted in the bargain price I had paid but miffed that I had sat for the past 3 hours in the wrong seat. Decided not to move - it was one thing for the couple opposite me to laugh, another to walk to the other end of the train and have to explain again.
I just looked in the wrong place...
Like last Saturday when I stopped at the service area and saw a coffee machine that I knew would dispense rubbish coffee and yet.... thirst and caffeine-need won. And it was rubbish. And annoying when I went to the counter to pay and saw a proper coffee machine there dispensing cheaper coffee!
I just looked in the wrong place...
We can be more than we think. We can have more than we expect. Life can be fuller than we fear.
Just depends where we look.....]]>http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/blogs/neil/index.php?entry=entry080319-0922392008-03-19T00:00:00Z2008-03-19T00:00:00ZPeople of Faith? Sometimes..... This Sunday we got to Genesis 16 and the story of Abraham, Sarai and hagar. Instead of a traditional preach we looked at the story from 3 perspectives.
I think the way the Bible works is not as some manual of teaching but as something that draws us so that we ask - well what would I have done? What do I do?
These are the perspectives. Might help for you to read the story first. Then let me know what you think.
My name is Sarah and I can’t have children.
My name’s Sarah. I’m tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of my husband telling me to be patient. Tired of waiting and wondering each month. Tired of my hopes being dashed again. Tired of hoping. Tired of praying. Tired of believing. I’m tired of facing him again. I’m tired of seeing his hopes crushed.
My name’s Sarah. I’m frightened. Frightened that time will run out. Frightened that my barreness will be to blame. Frightened that what they think about me is true. Frightened that I‘m cursed. That I’ve sinned. Frightened that we will have built our hopes on rotten foundations. Frightened that all this journeying will have been for nothing. Frightened of being old. Frightened of being childless. Frightened of dying full of regret.
My name’s Sarah. I feel guilty. Guilty that somehow, somewhere I did something wrong. That I am being punished for my sin. Guilty that I can’t bear my husband a son. Such a simple thing. Anyone can do it. But I can’t and I feel guilty. Guilty that there is a reason for this.
My name’s Sarah. I ache. I ache for the emptiness I feel. I ache when I see my sister’s family growing. I ache when I see my staff fall pregnant. I ache when I see what they are all feeling. I ache when I sense their pity.
My name’s Sarah. I’m a woman of some influence. I can make things happen. I’ve had enough of waiting. I’ve had enough of hoping. I’ve had enough of believing. I’ve had enough of promises. I live in the real world. I’m going to make something happen here.
It’s just not sensible to keep on waiting. We could be in this situation forever. It’s not sensible to go on believing – at the end of the day you have to be sensible. Maybe it is true that God helps them that help themselves.
I’m not going to live a life of regret. I’m going to take some action. I’m going to make something happen. I live in the real world. I’ve had enough of promises. I’ve had enough of believing. I’ve had enough of hoping. I’ve had enough of waiting. I can make things happen. I’m a woman of some influence.
My name’s Sarah.
My name is Abraham and I’m waiting for a promise to come true.
I’m married to Sarah and I know you will not think I come out of this situation well. By now you will have heard what happened.
Sarah told me to sleep with her maid. This may surprise you, or shock you, but it’s not what it sounds like to you. Where I live, at the time I live, it’s allowed. No one blinks an eyelid at this. It’s what anyone would have done. So we didn’t think it was wrong – well, not very wrong, it’s what anyone round here would have done.
The only problem was that nagging memory of God promising that we would have a child – naturally. No surrogate mothers involved. Just me and Sarah, together.
But we are getting old. We are getting concerned. She is not getting pregnant.
So Sarah brought me her maid. A strange moment. An awkward moment. Not my finest moment.
I slept with her. An act of necessity, not love. She meant nothing to me. We were just using her, there was no love. A necessary act. A pragmatic act. A calculated act. Not my finest moment.
But it worked. The maid got pregnant.
But with pregnancy came cockiness and rudeness to Sarah. And Sarah got angry. Sarah raged at me. Sarah complained to me. Sarah appealed to me. Sarah reminded me that I had had the woman in my bed.
So I told her to do what she thought was best. A woman’s problem. I didn’t want to get involved.
I watched through the window as the maid was beaten. I watched as the maid ran away into the desert. Alone. To die.
Not my finest hour.
Why did this man of faith act like that? Had I got tired of waiting? Was I intimidated by my wife? Did I wonder whether God was ever going to do anything? Did I begin to think I had been fooling myself? Did I give in to Sarah who lives in the real world?
Maybe.
But then, what would you have done?
My name’s Hagar and I’m just a maid.
I was used and abused.
You may have noticed, they didn’t even use my name. To them I was just the Egyptian. Just the maid. Just nobody.
But I showed them – at least I could get pregnant.
I was beaten, ill treated, I was nothing.
I ran away.
My name’s Hagar and I’m just a maid.
I was in despair. I was far from home. I was close to death. I was in the desert. I was visited by an angel. I was given a promise for my son’s future. I was spoken to by name. I was seen by God. I was known by God. I was found by God. I was strengthened by God. I gave God a name. I knew God.