Awards for Methodist Bloggers?

Exciting news.

The Original Christian Web and New Media Awards meet this evening. In line for awards are blogs run by some key Methodists.

In the 'Best Small Church' category we find Wellspring Methodist Church. Their website features a calender, blog and podcasts in a well designed and accessable site.

In the 'best blog' category we find the current chair of lincoln and grimsby. Rev Dr David Perry runs 'Daves District Blog' and we readers are in for a treat. Using well taken photography and his love for his locality, we find a range of worship resources and personal reflections that give you an idea of all that goes on in his world.

Finally in the category of 'Best Leadership Blog' we find our very our President and Vice-President. In their co-authored blog we get an idea of their diary, their photography skills and their personalities. Since its inception with Martyn Atkins and Ruby Beech this has become a firm staple of the Methodist year. As a blog whose authorship alters each year it doesn't have a definitive style. However the cycle of visits mean different people, places and buildings are stressed in this online eye into the world o f Methodist leadership!

Outside of the Methodist world it is good to see 'Church Mouse Publishing' in the running for best newcomer.Church Mouse Publishing has always presented a very sharp view of the goings on in the Anglican world. Unlike some critical blogs, it manages to mix criticism with praise - and always a faint hint of disbelief at events - in a very readable and accesable way.

This is a very exciting evening for Methodism so lets hope for some silverware...well proberbly it'd be glassware....or at least a wee banner for their blogs or websites! Best of luck to all entrants.



Take Care Y'All

John

They came, saw - then waited and waited and waited

Hello patient reader.

This blog has fizzled to an ungainly halt. This is because I'm unhappy with many aspects of it.

The plan is simple - relaunch, re-freshed and revived around Pentecost 2009.

Why? Because Pentecost was when the Desciples found ways to communicate to a wide variety of people in multiple differnt ways that everyone understood...

Warm Regards

John

Dan's Story - Our Story?

The above advert was recently released by Action for Children.

What do you think the key message is?

What impression does it give?

What issues does it highlight?

With Regards

John

(Will respond in three days with reasons why this is listed)

Bye Bush : Ola Obama!

Bush


Bush n Blair


Hello Obama...


Let's get ready to see what the land made for everybody can deliver...one day at a time.

Take Care Y'All

John

Sunday Song

Performed at last weekends demo by 'Lowkey', Free Palestine is a fascinating exposition of frustration and anger. Focusing not on the massacre - but our own place in supporting it - he gets to the nub of the issue.

Take Care Y'All

John

Sunday Song

Song: He Was My Brother (Simon and Garfunkel)

Saturday saw over 50,000 people take to the streets to demands Israel out of Palestine

Sunday has seen tens of thousands flood the streets again - this time supporting Israel but calling for peace.

Both sides see brothers (and sisters) stand up willing to be killed to set each other free.


Take Care Y'All

John

Enemy of Apathy

There is a point in paying interest.

There is a point to taking action.

Without action others die - others that you could have saved.

Take Care Y'All

John

Sunday Song

Donovan - Universal Soldier
by America13

Universal Soldier song by Donovan

This one is dedicated to all those who fight for peace. Not with weapons, but with words and actions and dialogue.

As Israel unleashes merry hell upon the Palestinian population once again may we all begin to push for peace.

Take Care Y'all

John

Sunday Song

(Apologies about the lack of Sunday Song for a few weeks)



Of Course I believe in Santa...because Santa's a true man of the people.

That's right '

too many pies, not enough exercise, that's why he's one of us

' Santa's a Scotsman!

Take care Y'All

John

Archbishop challenges building blocks of ecomomic growth

J.Humphries: Is it wise for a cleric to advise the economists?
R.Williams: It's suicidally silly I think because I'm not an economist by any stretch of the imagination but I want to ask where these moral questions are in the economic discourse..."

Rowan Williams, current Archbishop of Canterbury, raised serous questions he felt were being unanswered about the cause, impact and solutions to the current financial crisis. In a wide ranging interview, broadcast live on BBC Radio 4's Today program, he questioned, and was questioned on, a wide variety of economic questions and the nature of his answers illustrated a clear moral, rather than economic mindset.

J. Humphries:The problem with your position is that if you are one of the Woolworths workers with no job just before Christmas they are going to disagree with you?
R.Williams: I wonder, I think the thing a woolworths worker will want overall is job security and knowledge that their savings are safe...

J.Humpries (interrupting)...they want a job....

R.Williams..yes they want a job and, the economy has to be orientated, as I said earlier, to making things to production and making things that allow people to have that security

The Archbishops answers were a fascinating mix of economics and theology. What became clear was his compassion for the individual, yet at the same time his passion for community. His underlying analysis appears to be that the nation has destroyed local communities while trying to build an economy built on false credit. Once our false economy begins to crumble everyone needs to examine the way the economy is being r

R.Williams: My fundamental concern is what makes a society wealthy, in terms of taking everyone's welfare seriously built and what principles this new growth is based upon.

Throughout the interview the Archbishop was at pains to illustrate he was not trying to be an economist. He was more forthright about his views on disestablishment (no different from what he said before), the Iraq War (it was wrong) and the need to put international pressure on to remove Mugabe.

Reaction to the interview has been mixed. The morning press briefing at Downing Street issued a cautious response which clearly distanced the government from the Archbishop's statements without outright condemning the man, instead choosing to say the Archbishop 'chooses his own words' while the government gets on with doing what it thinks is right.

My personal view is that the Archbishop is right. We cannot get out of debt by getting into more debt. We cannot also continue on a purely service based economy that doesn't include providing for this country the basics. We cannot continue to look to the same old solutions -we need to be looking for new solutions to the current problem.

A wide range of NGOs are currently calling for Gordon Brown to 'call time on Global Greed' and to listen to the people, not the Bankers. While the economic establishment has a key role in providing answers, as well as being accountable for previous actions, the fundamental cracks appearing in the economic system mean we have a chance to listen to those currently excluded and build a new inclusive economic system. If we don't we have wasted the opportunity of a lifetime.

[Note: If you wish to read an 'outraged from tonbridge wells' reaction to the interview then, as ever, head over to the Methodist Preacher blog for David's latest thoughts]