December 9, 2008
I came across this short video of Richard Rohr recently. What caught my attention was the opening story he uses, it’s one I often used on school retreats . It’s a great story and metaphor that challenges tired churches, governments etc., to rediscover their original mission…..have a listen.
September 15, 2008
J
Jim K. a friend of mine from Scotland rang me tonight. In the course of the conversation he began to speak, with great enthusiasm, about a religious song he heard recently. He has shared it with other friends and family. I liked it ….. judge for yourself…….click on the URL below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud0kaWLHEd4
He was also deeply impressed with a Christian Speaker called Louie Giglio he and Chris work together on occasions. Any way I have included the link so that you can have a quick listen to Louie….he is a fine speaker and has important insights to share….have a listen
July 22, 2008
Whilst we all rejoice in the great gathering of the youth in Australia, lets not lose sight of another significant gathering of radical Catholic activists – The Catholic Workers Movement.
The National Catholic Reporter writes: In the 75 years since Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin began feeding the destitute men of New York’s Bowery and speaking out against militarism, the Catholic Worker has grown tremendously. It now includes at least 180 communities, among them dozens of small, organic farms growing food for community pantries and hungry neighbors, an art gallery, scores of houses of hospitality offering long- and short-term shelter to undocumented immigrants, women fleeing domestic violence, people exiting prison and those without a place to sleep or belong. It has produced four generations of Catholics living gleefully in opposition to a dominant culture of consumerism and violence.
For more info try googling catholic worker movement
July 4, 2008
This has to be one of the biggest flags yet! I want to wish all my friends in the US a happy 4th of July celebration. I know for many of them they find a certain uncomfortableness celebrating independence and freedom whilst US troops. along with the British, occupy Iraq.
The peace and justice movements continue to draw our attention to the horrific human cost particularly to the women and children of Iraq. We pray for the day when Iraq too will celebrate its own Independence day in the not too distant future
June 26, 2008
June 7, 2008
As we wave goodbye to the Paisley dynasty, in steps the Robinson dynasty to take it’s place. If anyone expects that this one will be any more enlightened or humane, then the statements of Iris will dash those hopes. On the very day we received a harrowing report of a young man being horrifically beaten because he was gay, instead of supporting this young man’s right to be himself, Iris contributes to the horror by exposing her own prejudice. Referring to Homosexuality as an abomination, she revealed that her top medical adviser, a Christian psychiatrist, believes he can change gay people’s sexual orientation. Why is he wasting his time on something that is not a mental health issue in itself, isn’t he aware that In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association concluded there was no scientific evidence that homosexuality was a disorder and removed it from its diagnostic glossary of mental disorders. The International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation followed suit in 1992.
Maybe he’s going down the road of some kind of Christian cloning……….
I can just hear the perpetrators of the horrific beating saying …….there you see, even politicians agree that these disgusting gays….these abominations, shouldn’t exist….they should be modified…..changed……into heterosexuals like the rest of the population.
May the God of Creation, who created such diversity and who rejoices in it all.….may He help us to embrace difference that we too may rejoice in the complexity and beauty of all His creation…..without exception. AMEN
June 5, 2008
The Power of Song is a social history through the life of one of America’s significant folk artists of our time: Pete Seeger. The film takes us through the turbulant formative years of the 60’s – 70’s and includes interviews with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tom Paxton to mention but a few. It testifies to the prophetic voice of the peace movement and the courage and commitment to building a better world not just for the few, but for all. As well as all that, it’s just a celebration of great folk music, which many of us will recognise as the soundtrack to our own growing up.
Click below for a real treat!
June 3, 2008
I contributed this short comment on a Christian Psychologists web-debate it’s about the churches recent condemnations re: stem cell research
Christians I believe have both a right and a duty to participate in the great debates of our times. However down through the years many of the churches interventions have been overly authoritarian with the effect of causing many people to react to the policing aspect of the message as opposed to seeing some merit in the content of their contribution. The challenge, particularly for Church leaders, is to inspire rather than shame people as they express their concerns. Instead of the language of condemnation they could emphasise the areas of joint concerns, and praise the scientific communities efforts to alleviate human suffering. Promoting the sacredness of life is a noble cause lets acknowledge that we in the Christian Churches have no exclusive ownership of it. In taking this stance we open ourselves up to the possibility of genuine dialogue and may place ourselves in a better position to facilitate the search for truth.
May 21, 2008
Was asked to include some more of my wild west photos so here they are……as our American brothers and sisters would say…..enjoy!
This photo is of the Great Salt Lake in Utah
The mountains were a welcome sight after the flatness of the salt desert
May 19, 2008
Fr Martin, a Passionist Priest, was arrested by police as he was writing: Remember the Innocent; Stop the War and other captions on the wall of the MoD. Six other protesters were also arrested.
Fr Martin was found guilty of criminal damage at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court, Westminster and ordered to pay £660 compensation to the MoD.
Before sentencing Fr Newell stated: “I work with refugees. I see the effects of wars daily. Jesus said ‘whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do to me,’ and the war in Iraq is killing our brothers and sisters.”
In a statement Fr Newell said: “Herod had the innocent killed in order to maintain his power and control. This US / UK led war is about exactly the same thing: protecting our national interests,, which is to say, keeping control of oil resources, maintaining power and deterring others who may seek to go their own way. And the innocent suffer in ever greater numbers. The latest estimates are of a million people dying and child malnutrition rising fifty per cent since the invasion.
“In the past governments and armies needed young men to go to war for them. But with today’s high technology warfare, all they need is our silence and our taxes. We should refuse them and withdraw co-operation. This is why we have refused to pay our fines. We are calling for an immediate the end to the occupation. We are calling for a step up in protest to and direct resistance to this war. And we are calling on the Catholic Bishops and all church and faith leaders to be at the forefront of the campaign to end this unjust, inhuman and un-winnable war.”
Fr Martin Newell cp, 39, is a member of the Passionist order, and has been missioned to work with the London Catholic Worker. He is 39, and has been a priest for 10 years. He lives in Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House in Hackney.
John Friel C.P.
