Goading Out the Goats

Maybe I - and possibly more than just me - need to be reminded of The Parable of the ninety-nine

If one sheep is with the shepherd and ninety-nine aren't, who's really the stray?

Cat -again!

Hecate enjoying the warmth from the dryer -

- click on the picture for a larger version!

OTT Churches

Not sure how I got here but I was musing on churches that strike one as being different - sticking in the memory, I hope this isn't a call to ignore the diocesan architect! Ones that occur to me are:

• Middleham Church, with the Richard III connections and the stained glass of the strangulation of St Akelda, can't find a link...
  
• S.Maria della Vittoria Rome - principally for the Bernini!
  
• Santa Maria della Spina Pisa - ornate outside - have never seen the inside
  
• Birtles Church Macclesfield - somewhat closer to home - tiny place with lots of wooden carvings inside - can't find a web picture. I believe the carvings were brought back from Holland
  

Wrestling with maths

matematical crochet...! well I suppose it would fill in some time. Apparently - at least so I was told a long time ago crochet is very popular with wrestlers.

Didn't get that job I had an interview for, a bit of regrouping necessary and debating what avenues to follow. My cv is still where it was!

Oh an in an attempt to smoke out readers(!) if anyone wants a gmail invite I have half a dozen spare!

Nice photo need to look at creating a blackbox style for but there's competition!

Gathering pace?

Well a new week, sermon yesterday went pretty well, borrowed a few things during it, part of a Trevor Dennis meditation on the Baptism of Jesus from Imagining God, see Christis for an adapted version of one of his stories. Googling reveals that St Marks's Broomhill has a condensed version of the tale I used. I also quoted

Those of us who have had the privilege of loving know that we do not look into the eyes of our beloved, of our children, of our friends and say `What are you for? To what moral edification or theological revelation can you be put?' We say `I love you' and if the angels cheer so much more fun for the angels. Now as it happens if we love we will gain moral edification and theological revelation and the angels will cheer, but I know that as sure as hell that is not what loving is for. I do not want God whose love is less generous than my own pale imitations of it.

from Sara Maitland's Big Enough God. Maybe - being where I am the words of others help to crystallise things for me - and hopefully for my hearers!

Today various things - as far as work - might be coming together! A revision of my Java knowledge is looking necessary, as well as revising the links, for Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java appears to have moved and I'm using an oldish print of that document.

Chichester Psalms

I was listening to Bernstein's Chichester Psalms on the radio yesterday and I remember clearly when I first heard the work back in 1989 - a 50 years since WWII concert with the composer. I was getting on for 40 then but that work had somehow managed to pass me by strange as I'd loved classical music for 20 years before then. What other works have I never got around to listening to? Space still for exploration I hope!

Hecate's Christmas present

- click on the picture for a larger version!

Hmmmm

Oh good grief with a PhD in Astronomy.....???!! It's a joke isn't it?

Into manchester..

Into Manchester for an interview - seemed to go fairly well, we'll see! Then to the HMV shop for an inspection of the sale, some interesting stuff bought. Anyone want to illuminate me as to where the Virgin Megastore in Manchester has gone?
Discovered from the local paper that another Macc maths teacher has died - also at 89 this week - Marjorie Rose - of the High School(?) - I see that Jack was also 89, I didn't get to the funeral with the Manchester trip.
Preaching on Sunday and a Changing Attitude meeting on Saturday, a busy weekend beckons!

Ugly Christmas lights

Ugly Christmas lights and I thought the ones around here were bad!

Maths and memories

Get back from spending New Year away to discover that my maths teacher - Jack Rushbrooke - from school (back in 1970) has died. Many memories - got to know him more personally as a result of attending a Church home group that met in his and Winifred's house back in the 1980's.

Remembering his life with gratitude