Every so often I look at the Church Times job adverts, and I see a dream job come up…
NB I have no plans to apply for this or any other job for a great many years yet, if ever. I still think I’m in the place that God wants me to be 🙂
Author Archives: Elizaphanian
Some James Bond novels
Just a note that I’ve been re-reading some James Bond novels, which I haven’t read since I was a teenager. They are much, much better than I remembered (possibly because I was too young to appreciate them). I find Bond a much more plausible, interesting and sympathetic character and it is fascinating to contemplate where and why the films differ from the books (or even transplant entire scenes from one film to another). I’ve read the first three so far (in a single volume edition) and have now started the next three.
(Should also add: I’m a fan of the movies – watched Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace again over the Christmas break. Still don’t fully understand the plot of the latter, but Daniel Craig makes an excellent Bond.)
Killing Monsters (Gerard Jones)
A very interesting polemic against all the scare stories saying (eg) ‘video games make children violent’. Jones’ argument, if I manage to summarise it fairly, is essentially that children require “violent” fantasy in order to process the very real extremes of emotion that modern life puts them through – and that removing fantasy violence makes them more emotionally crippled. I found it a very plausible analysis. Recommended.
TBTM20100103
Some glorious music.
Jim Kunstler’s 2010 forecast.
Living without money – some lessons there for all of us.
Transition culture and social justice.
One day, every home will have one of these.
Avatar
Highly enjoyable with a lot of great visuals, but I’m not sure it’ll go down in history as a great film. I think 3D is overrated too. 4/5
Movie notes
Chaos 3/5 Statham was woefully miscast; it needed someone much older like Brian Cox.
Halloween (2007) 4/5 Much better than I had been led to expect; the first 1/3rd was excellent.
Body of Lies 4.5/5 Tremendous and lingers in the mind.
War, Inc 2.5/5 Everything that Body of Lies wasn’t. Cusack really should be ashamed of himself for helping to produce such dreck.
Quarantine 3/5 the occasional good moment glinting like brass in a sea of muck.
Yesman 3/5 Jim Carrey doing his thing.
Bedtime tales 3/5 Adam Sandler doing his thing.
The Tale of Desperaux 4/5 one of the more assertively Christian films I’ve seen in some time, and the kids loved it.
So that was 2009
2009 will undoubtedly go down in the memory as dominated by the consequences of a particular decision I made in the parish, viz: to ask the Director of Music to retire. This led to a very great deal of unpleasantness which has taken a long time to work through. I haven’t said much on the blog about it as it didn’t seem appropriate, but I’m getting to a place where I might be able to say something. It clarified and revealed a very great many things.
Other things from 2009:
I started psychotherapy, and I think I’ll be seeing some of the first fruits of that process next year.
I had a much-needed sabbatical which was healthy in so many ways.
I came very close to finishing my book; more excitingly, the ripples from that process have already started to reach out.
I became much more sceptical about global warming specifically, green politics generally, and much more conscious of the distinctive contribution that theology can give to our present crisis.
I did no sailing, but I spent a lot of time on the boat and learnt much about boat management. Maxim from the year: I must recharge my batteries.
I found someone to play squash with. This was the year that I discovered that, for the first time ever, I weigh more than my brother. I expect to weigh less at the end of 2010!
Although I purchased the bike in 2008, this was the year I learnt how to ride a motorbike (haven’t passed the test yet though – the present set up is bonkers and I’m waiting to see if the Parliamentary select committee recommend some changes).
I watched too much TV and junk movies – to the extent that I have had enough of the same and am switching back into my historical mode of being a book junkie.
I caught up with the family, and managed to readjust my priorities, for the first time in about six years.
Is it possible….
…to be in a position of institutional authority in the church and also to be holy?
Just something I’m thinking about at the moment. Reading this (pdf file; h/t Maggi) helped to clarify the question for me.
I’ll probably write something more substantial on the question in the next few days, DV.
Hauerwas on Leadership
Found here; two key quotes:
“It was a bad innovation when the revivalistic structure overtook the church’s primary liturgical form in a way that charismatic preachers replaced the centrality of Eucharist…”
“People called to administrative positions have to undergo a deep ascetical discipline. You’re dealing with people who have possibilities and limits, the limits sometimes will drive you crazy, and you cannot take it personally.
…You do this to provide space for the different gifts of the community. I’m very Pauline in this. Communities have diversities of gifts. Part of your responsibility as an administrator and leader is to help members of the community own them as contributing to the overall good of the community. To be in a position of power means that you recognize how fragile the power is. You wouldn’t have it otherwise. And you have enough confidence that you don’t have to win all the time. That’s a real ascetic discipline, a discipline of the ego, which is absolutely crucial for being an administrator and to allow the institution to go on once you’re no longer there…
… For any person that wants to be in leadership, if they try to lead in a way that means they don’t have to deal with people, they automatically defeat community. It is everyday interactions that make it possible for there to be people who tell the truth to us one at a time in the hopes that in that process we will be a truthful community…”
