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Magazine
– Features & Articles |
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Methodist minister pioneers chaplaincy on commercial radio The Rev. Tony Miles, Methodist minister and broadcaster, has been pioneering a chaplaincy role within commercial radio. Prior to that, he presented a Saturday morning breakfast show for Premier Christian radio. He aims to show that the Christian faith is relevant in a pop culture. He is the first ecumenical radio chaplain working across a complete region (London and Essex) and is engaging with an industry where the church has little involvement or presence. His strategy is to build working relationships with newsrooms through informal networking. He visits stations by appointment, and aims to become a recognised Christian presence in the communications industry. "At the moment it is extremely difficult to communicate the Christian message through commercial radio. These listeners don’t expect to hear Christian comment, but we must ‘keep the rumour of God alive’ ", he said. |
Mobile Phone-call Jammer At the most solemn moment of a funeral service, someone will so often add their special contribution: a 'musical' ring tone – set at an outdoor volume level of course. But now salvation dawns: a signal jammer, developed by Israeli electronic-warfare experts, that blocks all calls round a building.
The device is on trial in Monterey, Mexico. "Before we had the system, it was very uncomfortable to have to listen to calls during the celebration of mass. |
At a time when half the world’s population do not read, Megavoice is a new solar-powered tool to communicate to people in the developing world. Nicknamed the ‘GodPod’, Megavoice Ambassador can store and play back the whole Bible in spoken form. Applications are virtually unlimited: ranging from spreading words of hope, help or comfort; to discreet information about AIDS or critical health messages. [From
World-Vision] |
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Now it's 95 per cent quiet" said Bulmaro Carranza, from the Sacred Heart Church. "We are getting calls from all over the world to see how it can be installed in other churches – but only when the services are over!" [From The Ship of Fools] |
Two members of Trinity church, Douglas and Hilary Parker, spoke of their visits to a children’s orphanage in Romania. It was a moving account of the effects on people’s lives, living at a level of poverty we would not conceive of in Britain. Douglas and Hilary are returned to Romania in time for Christmas, with over £3,000 to support the orphanage. As Douglas said, it’s not just the money and the gifts that are welcomed it’s the friendship. |
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“I hope to show in imaginative ways that the Christian faith is relevant in a pop culture. My wish is not to ‘Bible bash’ or preach. It’s much more about showing people that we care, are interested in them, and have a relevant message.” [from
methodist.org.uk] |
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Child
Poverty
[See World Vision] |
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When The Labour Party came to power in Britain in 1996/7, around one-third of children were assessed to be poor. More than seven years later, the figures showed that the UK had improved. It had become 'only' the fifth worst in the EU, compared to 1998 when it had the worst child poverty in the EU. The Government's report, 'Breaking the Cycle and Opportunity for All', said it was on track to reduce child poverty by a quarter in the next year, with 600,000 fewer youngsters living in relative income poverty since 1997 (before housing costs). |
A 'Remembrance Exhibition' raised some money for this project and a cheque was presented to Douglas and Hilary for £165. A retiring collection at Trinity Church in November boosted this to approximately £450: a practical demonstration of the hope Jesus brings into people’s lives. |
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Why is Christmas on 25th December?
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[from www.christmas.com] Whether Jesus was really born on December 25th, no one can say for certain. It was chosen because it was already a holiday in ancient times: a pagan feast. Around the third century AD there was an attempt to fix the day of His birth by tying it to a festival of the Nativity, observed in Rome in the time of Bishop Telesphorus (AD 127 - 139). |
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It was believed that the Nativity took place on the 25th day of the month, but just which month was uncertain. During the time of Clement of Alexandria (before AD 220), five dates in three different months of the Egyptian year were said to be the Nativity. One of those corresponds to the December 25th date.
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New Religious Education framework
The Church has rarely had a more direct invitation from Government to play a major part in developing sustainable inclusive communities than was received from Secretary of State for Education and Skills Charles Clarke with the first national framework for religious education (RE), according to Connexional education officer Kathleen Wood. Miss Wood seized on Mr Clarke's assertion at the launching of the framework that "the future success of this country is dependent on religious education". Faith groups were urged to develop resources for classroom use, to support the work of their local Standing Advisory Committees for Religious Education (SACREs), to build partnerships with local schools and to commit themselves to the encouragement of teacher recruitment for this "front line subject". [Methodist Recorder] |
Violence
'in the Name of God'? |
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Some argue that faith is rarely the cause of violence. What religion does is absorb the violence of the society in which it finds itself. The Qur'an, for example, reflects the brutal tribal warfare that afflicted Arabia in the early 7th Century. Jewish settlers in the occupied territories of Palestine can find plenty of textual authority to kill all non Jewish occupants of the Holy Land. Christians have no problem using their 'violent God' traditions to justify going to war, killing Jews and persecuting gay people. The Christian right-wing in the USA has absorbed the violence in American society: they oppose the reform of gun laws and support the death penalty. They seem to base their xenophobic and aggressive theology on the book of Revelation whilst keeping very quiet about the Sermon on the Mount. However, what looks like 'religious' violence around the world is very often about something else. Current Islamic fundamentalism seems in part to be a rejection of modernity and economic globalisation. It is also a reaction to the political arrangements in the Middle East and the presence of US troops located there to secure their access to oil. And it is a protest against corrupt, Westernised elites in their countries and a lack of democracy. Despite its religious trappings, the Israel-Palestine conflict is really a conventional struggle about land and nationalism. Researchers from Bradford University in the UK have done an audit of 'war and religion'. They have concluded that there have been few 'genuinely religious wars in the last 100 years'. They give as an example the Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 which are judged to have been orchestrated by the then Chief Minister (a Hindu) to boost his prospects in the state elections. see also 'What's behind the Darfur Situation?' |
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Israelis and Palestinians work together for peace
Judging by much news reporting in the UK you might think that only religious fundamentalists call the shots in Israel and that Palestinians all support suicide bombing. Yet, almost hidden from our view, Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers are working together, persuading, publicising, demonstrating. The Quakers support and facilitate such initiatives. ***********************
Challenge is a Jerusalem based magazine covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict plus other Middle Eastern affairs. It provides an Israeli perspective refreshingly different from that of the religious fundamentalists in Israel and elsewhere. |
A group of Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed rabbis have helped Palestinian farmers on the West Bank bring in their olive harvest. They travelled to the village of Sinjil, between Ramallah and Nablus, after they learnt that the impoverished Palestinians had been forced out of their groves by armed settlers who said they were a security risk. Arik Ascherman, Chair of Rabbis for Human Rights, thought their action was the 'just' thing to do. He said: ‘If we both continue to teach hatred there is no incentive to move forward.’ Yehoshua Engelman, a London-born Orthodox rabbi who grew up in Jerusalem, said: ‘I hate the idea of the Torah being connected to cruelty, racism and the profanation of God's name.’ [World
Vision |
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The Shape Of Things To Come
All the churches in Congleton Circuit have been discussing some questions from a paper produced by the Circuit Leadership Team called 'The Shape Of Things To Come'. There are numerous challenges we face, from the shortage of ministers and local preachers to smaller and sometimes older congregations. The challenge has been to examine our strengths and weaknesses and take some steps of faith. In a few years time, it is unlikely that the shape of the Circuit will be the same as it is now. Some churches may come together and others may pursue closer ecumenical links and partnerships. A number of positive developments have already arisen from these discussions and we trust and pray that through it all we shall discover the prompting and direction of The Holy Spirit. Philip Berry |
Saving the rural church | |
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Religious leaders and politicians have come together to support ‘Presence’, a new handbook that will shape the way the Methodist Church will work over the next 10 years. |
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‘Presence’ was launched at Methodist Conference , to outline how an effective Christian presence can be sustained and promoted in rural areas. Unless things change quickly, there are going to be huge areas of rural Britain without any effective Christian presence. The Revd David Emison, Chair of the Cumbria District of The Methodist Church and editor of ‘Presence’, said “New patterns of worship will be encouraged. There is a growing demand for simple rituals to help people express the sorrows and joys of human experience. An effective Christian presence is not necessarily building-centred or Sunday focused. The Government is increasingly recognising that faith communities have a role in creating ‘cohesive communities’ in which no one is excluded. The Methodist Church is equipping its churches and its members to serve and support rural communities through times of change and uncertainty.” Stories abound where Christians in rural areas have already taken these messages on board, for example
‘Presence’ recognises that an effective Christian presence in rural areas will always be ecumenical. The Anglican-Methodist covenant provides a new and exciting context for ministry in rural areas. Rev Ken Howcroft, Team Leader of 'Formation in Ministry', said “We need new initiatives to fire our imagination, channel our commitment and release new energy. Greater flexibility is called for. An effective Christian presence in rural areas will be essentially local and lay led." [from www.methodist.org.uk] |
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Magazine : Page 1 |
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