Mayb2day

Nun other than technology:

http://doiop.com/rollingnewshabit

‘A 13th century order of nuns who never leave their convent or read newspapers is now able to pray for victims of tragedies across world after being given purpose-made handheld device that flashes up news headlines.’ (Daily Telegraph)

My interview with ‘comedy virtuoso’ Tim Vine on Premier’s Big Breakfast on Saturday:

http://doiop.com/timvineint

My interview with Sally Leigh, about living off the land and the Food Security Conference, on Premier’s Big Breakfast on Saturday:

http://doiop.com/sallyleighint

On Premier’s Big Breakfast (Sat): Sally Leigh (the future of food); Tim Vine (Comedian); & World Cup (Dan Walker, keeping Sunday special)

O Lord Jesus Christ,
take us to thyself,
draw us with cords to the foot of thy cross;
for we have no strength to come,
and we know not the way.
Thou art mighty to save, and none can separate us from thy love.
Bring us home to thyself, for we are gone astray.
We have wandered: do thou seek us.
Under the shadow of thy cross let us live all the rest of our lives,
and there we shall be safe.   AMEN

A prayer of Frederick Temple (1821-1902)

Brian Draper has a new book out.  It’s called Labyrinth: Illuminating the Inner Path.

If you don’t know Brian, he is a writer, thinker and speaker who seeks to ‘provide an inspiring presence in the business world for leaders who truly wish to be part of the solution, not the problem’.  He is the author of Spiritual Intelligence (Lion), and ‘Searching 4 Faith’ (Lion), and presents BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day on the Today programme.

He describes his new book as being ‘short, but sweet enough … Beautifully illustrated by the designers at Lion Hudson, it’s an evocative exploration of what it means to walk a labyrinth.’   Brian has been using labyrinths as a form of creative, spiritual reflection and meditation for a long time.  His new book is a guide to the literal act of walking them, but also stands alone, as a reflection on the art of walking the metaphorical path of life and faith.

It’s a hardback book with full-colour photos throughout.  I am looking forward to receiving my copy, but knowing Brian and his insights in this area, I can commend it before even reading it.

To order signed copies: http://www.spiritualintelligence.co.uk.

Otherwise, Amazon is cheaper:

http://doiop.com/draperslabyrinth

Apparently, Jesus was spotted on Google Earth:

http://doiop.com/Jesusinafield

Many Christians will say, ‘Of course it isn’t Jesus … it’s just a coincidence … or photoshop … or whatever’.  But … it is interesting that people think they see Jesus in the strangest of places.  Perhaps more people are subconsciously looking for Jesus than they’d like to admit.  Or perhaps we should expect to see Jesus in the strangest of places … whether it be a field, or not.  Or just perhaps … there’s a Creator God just has a sense of humour!  Who knows?

Thanks to the ENews sweep from the Baptist Union of Great Britain for bringing to my attention this photo in the THE TIMES OF INDIA.

My interview with Tony Anthony on Premier’s Big Breakfast on Saturday:

http://doiop.com/TonyAnthony

On Premier’s Big Breakfast (Sat): Tony Anthony (Avanti Ministries); Becky Cross (21 & sailing UK, Fellowship Afloat); & World Cup’s legacy.

Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves this day.
Let thy presence be with us to its close.
Strengthen us to remember that in whatsoever good work we do we are serving thee.
Give us a diligent and watchful spirit,
that we may seek in all things to know thy will,
and knowing it, gladly to perform it;
to the honour of thy name.  Amen.

Source unknown

So that’s why we didn’t score!

http://doiop.com/ywedidntscore

There had to be a reason.

Premier’s Big Breakfast (Sat): Steve Clifford (EA, Biblefresh); Karen Bulley (Creative All Age worship); World Cup evangelism; & Radiothon!

Hey, apparently, Methodists live longer than the average Brit!

Lead Media Officer, Anna Drew, sent out a Methodist news release that made it a bit easier to swallow yesterday’s announcement that we’re all going to have to work longer before we draw a state a pension.  I’m not sure that this is the reason why Methodist ministers will be expected to wait until they are 68 before they can draw their Methodist pension:

Last Sunday, Stanley Lucas of Cornwall died aged 110 (born on 15 January, 1900).  Stanley was thought to be not only the oldest male member of the British Methodist Church, but one of the oldest men in the world.

Is this sort of longevity characteristic of Methodists? Seemingly, yes. An analysis of family announcements printed in the Methodist Recorder carried out by British Religion in Numbers, hosted by Manchester University, shows that in 1973 the mean age of death for Methodist laity was 77.9 years for men and 83 for women. By 2008 these figures had risen to 83.9 and 91.1 respectively – well above the life expectancy for the UK population as a whole (77 for men and 82 for women).

Dr Richard Vautrey, GP and Vice President of the Methodist Conference, said, “I’m sure there are many different factors at work for Methodists to attain these numbers. But I would guess that our emphasis on caring for our spiritual as well as physical health, avoiding excess, engaging with people in our communities and being good neighbours all help.”

The position for male Methodist ministers is similar, with a mean age of death of 83.4 years for those whose obituaries appeared in the 2009 edition of the Minutes of the Annual Conference and Directory of the Methodist Church. Since the Methodist Church began ordaining women in 1973, too few Methodist women ministers die each year to draw any meaningful conclusions.

And this is not a new pattern. Clive Field’s unpublished Oxford DPhil thesis of 1974 revealed that, until the beginning of the twentieth century, the death rate per 1,000 among lay members of the various Methodist denominations in Britain was appreciably below the national level, especially in Wesleyan Methodism. Published studies by Kenneth Brown (‘A Social History of the Nonconformist Ministry in England and Wales, 1800-1930’) and Tim Allison (‘An Historical Cohort Study of Methodist Ministers Examining Lifespan and Socioeconomic Status’ – University of Manchester MSc thesis, 1995) demonstrate similar trends. More information about the research by British Religion in Numbers can be found at http://www.brin.ac.uk/news/?p=361.

Methodist commentators, both in the Victorian era and since, were quick to point out that the longevity of Methodists was not accidental. They posited a clear link between a religious, ‘clean’ and virtuous life on the one hand and a long one on the other. The avoidance of physical and moral excess was especially advocated.

The Church’s annual governing body, the Methodist Conference, is currently meeting in Portsmouth, and begins every year with singing “And are we yet alive?”, a hymn by Charles Wesley.

For more information contact Anna Drew.

Anna Drew
Lead Media Officer
Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR
Tel:      020 7467 5191
Mob:   07881 783 812
Fax:    020 7467 5229
Email: drewa@methodistchurch.org.uk

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.   Amen

St. Ignatius of Loyola

My interview today with Peter Ruck on Premier’s Big Breakfast:

http://doiop.com/peterruck