The blog of Richard Hall, a Methodist Minister in Wales.
From the monthly archives:
In the context of the crisis in the Lebanon, Amos 1-2 makes instructive reading.
Amos, remember, comes from Judah, but he goes to the northern kingdom of Israel to preach. He is a child of the covenant - and yet an outsider. A bit like an ex-pat. But that is by-the-way.
The [...]
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ReliefWeb is an “on-line gateway to information (documents and maps) on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. An independent vehicle of information, designed specifically to assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides timely, reliable and relevant information as events unfold, while emphasizing the coverage of “forgotten emergencies” at the same time.”
Excellent.
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under the acacias reports that cotton farmers in Burkina Faso and other West African countries may sue the USA over agricultural subsidies which have depressed cotton prices on the world market.
[tags]wto, cotton, Burkina Faso, trade[/tags]
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Ian’s Messy Desk points us to this very positive review of the ESV Bible - Journaling edition
Inside the paper is of a good quality and a nice light creme colour, it certainly resembles the paper found in a moleskine journal albeit a bit thinner. The pages are still slightly transparent, as in most Bibles, so [...]
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Break thou the bread of life,
O Lord, to me,
As thou didst break the loaves
Beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page
I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit longs for Thee,
O living Word!
Thou art the Bread of Life,
O Lord, to me,
Thy holy word the truth
That saveth me;
Give me to eat and live
With thee above;
Teach me to love thy truth,
For thou [...]
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At the end of June, Israeli troops re-entered Gaza in a campaign to force the release of a captured Israeli soldier. Since this time, Gaza has been under siege, leaving its people with regular military attacks, lack of freedom of movement, water, food, electricity and fuel, and with rising unemployment and poverty. Over [...]
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Who’d have thought it? Apparently, knitting has gone “urban” with a new craze for graffiti knitting.
…Knitta - a gangsta crew who “tag” public monuments and objects, just like graffiti artists, except for one difference: they do it with knitting.
…the Knitta taggers are wrapping trees, street lights, car antennas and door knobs in knitted coverings. The [...]
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This post will not be fair and balanced. I believe that Israel’s present actions are contributing to the instability of the region and are further endangering her own citizens. That is not to say that I believe that Hezbollah are innocent victims. But I don’t see how anyone can look at the history of that [...]
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I was very sad to learn of the death of Prof. D. Z. Phillips on Tuesday. He had an exceptional mind and was surely one of Swansea’s finest scholars. As well as being the Rush Rhees Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at Swansea, he was also Danforth Professor of the Philosophy of Religion [...]
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As Britain’s Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett prepares for her annual caravanning holiday, The Guardian offers her Special Branch minders some advice
A caravan site is not the place to get trigger happy. “Caravanners are very sociable people,” says Nichol. “They’re all ages, come from all walks of life and they’ll all give you a warm welcome [...]
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Following on from yesterday…
Slayed? - Slade
Has any band ever been more fun than Slade? They were part of the soundtrack of my childhood. Noddy Holder screaming “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” had every kid in my class wanting to be on stage screaming with him. Superb!
In the Wind - Peter, Paul and Mary
There wasn’t a [...]
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My friend Andrew Careaga is inviting bloggers to share 10 life-changing albums. This is as good an excuse as any for breaking my recent near-silence here. So here are my 10 life-changing albums, in this particular order.
A Night at the Opera - Queen
I know - Bohemian Rhapsody is probably over-rated, but this is an album [...]
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Regardless of one’s position on Israel’s attack on Lebanon, the need for humanitarian relief is undeniable. By many reports, up to 700,000 Lebanese have been driven from their homes. Food and medical supplies are running low. There are also claims that as much as 95% of Lebanon’s bridges have been demolished and [...]
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O what shall I do my Saviour to praise,
So faithful and true, so plenteous in grace,
So strong to deliver, So good to redeem
The weakest believer that hangs upon Him!
How happy the man whose heart is set free,
The people that can be joyful in thee!
Their joy is to walk in the light of thy face,
And still [...]
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The Revelation to John, aka Revelation, is notoriously difficult. It is also widely abused. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This simple introduction will get you started with Revelation: don’t be put off by that reputation!
1. Recognize what you’ll be reading: inspired preaching to a church in trouble. You may not be persecuted [...]
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Over the last few years, I’ve become convinced that one of the major weaknesses of Christianity as practiced is that most Christians consider Christianity to be centered in Christ. It shouldn’t be. Rather, Christianity should be centered in the Church, of which Christ is the head. Christianity centered in Christ results in [...]
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About eighteen months ago I was diagnosed as having an illness which is serious but not mortal, and for the past year I have been taking medication for it, the side-effects of which have been an absolute bitch of an itch (it’s like having ants crawling through your veins) and chronic insomnia (in the morning [...]
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CBC.ca profiles a Christian magazine that sounds like it might be worth reading, the irreverently titled Geez.
Geez’s mandate is to have some fun with faith, to mix it up a little. One page in the premiere issue was set up as a boxing card, with televangelist Pat Robertson’s right-wing Jesus duking it out with Venezuelan [...]
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