We held a Bible fresh event in Bristol today a variety of things going on, disappointing crowd (though 2pm onwards on a Sunday afternoon is not exactly designed for ?).
The service in the Cathedral was good though - many good things, but Steve the juggler was the highlight! What does it say about my spirituality when, in a service designed to celebrate the Bible, this is what I focus on! That said, I thought Ann Holt preached well and felt her message was thought provoking - not an easy wicket to speak on the bible on such an occasion. She mentioned Rowan Williams' quote about the best translation of the bible being that of life, which does it for me. However, she also alluded to the trend - more and more Christians are reading the Bible less and less. I have no reason to doubt either, but it is an issue I fear will undermine my hope of a re-calibration of the Church around the mission of God as embodied by Jesus. Getting your hands dirty, as the picture suggests, needs the soil of the word of God to get under your fingernails.
I was 'off' today and was pleased to catch Simon Woodman at Counterslip - excellent sermon Simon and a good example of making deep truth understandable to everyone. I checked this out with Malcolm so I now I'm right! I do wonder sometimes whether as Baptists, who are renowned for the place we give to the Bible, we are not more guilty than most at dis-empowering people at being those Bible translators into life. I have a concern we re-equip people with confidence to hear for themselves and wonder how many sermons preached today did as good a job!
Carlo Ancellotti got sacked today by Chelsea - despite finishing second, which tells you something about the place of 'success' and the state of English football. Shame Blackpool went down - especially sorry we'll lose Ian Holloway from the airwaves. Come back soon!
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