When I was searching the internet looking for youth work resources to help 'celebrate' Halloween, I found an order of service especially for All Hallows Eve, from a book called The Book of Uncommon Prayer. I stuck this book on my wishlist for Christmas, and fortunatly I received it.
A couple of weeks ago we were starting to plan a service where we would be looking at the effects of the Indian Ocean tsunami. In the book, was the outline for A Service for a National Tragedy .
We're doing the service this coming Sunday evening, so I may well post about how it went. But if you're reading this, and you have an interest in prayer, youth work, or both, then can i strongly suggest you check out this book. It looks to be a really useful resource.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Friday, January 07, 2005
what should we be campaigning against?
It's been hard to miss the coverage of one of the biggest tragedies of recent times. But at least we've got a sense of perspective and are all
campainging for the things that really matter in life.
Ok. I'm sorry, but I can't help feeling that there are a few mixed up priorities here. First, lets deal with Jerry Springer: The Opera. Are people entitled to free speech? Or can they only say what they want as long as it doesn't offend others. In which case, are there certain people, including some in Christian circles, who need to be censored? I don't particularly like Jesus being presented as one who approves of greed and self-centeredness. Maybe we should get ourselves a dictator, who will force us to share the same opinion on everything?
If we're going to talk about declining morals in the world, ought we not direct a little more criticism in other directions? $1.5million. Are they having a laugh?
So what ought we be campainging against then? Is this TV show really the most important thing that needs campainging against at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I approve of the opera, I think it may (and I say 'may' because I haven't seen it yet - obviously all the other campaingers have) be pretty tastless. But surely there are other things that matter just a little bit more.
One thing that has struck me, and others I have spoken to, in the aftermath of the Indian ocean disaster, is that as horrendous as the devastation has been, and as preventable as many of the deaths have been, as great as it is that people are giving loads of money, we could be preventing that many people dying every week, if only we would be so active about Third World debt and the ludicrously unfair trade rules. If you're wondering how to go about campaigning, may I suggest you start here.
campainging for the things that really matter in life.
Ok. I'm sorry, but I can't help feeling that there are a few mixed up priorities here. First, lets deal with Jerry Springer: The Opera. Are people entitled to free speech? Or can they only say what they want as long as it doesn't offend others. In which case, are there certain people, including some in Christian circles, who need to be censored? I don't particularly like Jesus being presented as one who approves of greed and self-centeredness. Maybe we should get ourselves a dictator, who will force us to share the same opinion on everything?
If we're going to talk about declining morals in the world, ought we not direct a little more criticism in other directions? $1.5million. Are they having a laugh?
So what ought we be campainging against then? Is this TV show really the most important thing that needs campainging against at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I approve of the opera, I think it may (and I say 'may' because I haven't seen it yet - obviously all the other campaingers have) be pretty tastless. But surely there are other things that matter just a little bit more.
One thing that has struck me, and others I have spoken to, in the aftermath of the Indian ocean disaster, is that as horrendous as the devastation has been, and as preventable as many of the deaths have been, as great as it is that people are giving loads of money, we could be preventing that many people dying every week, if only we would be so active about Third World debt and the ludicrously unfair trade rules. If you're wondering how to go about campaigning, may I suggest you start here.
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