Showing posts with label no faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label no faith. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 March 2013
At Last: Atheists say believers are right!
Here's a great image - and a great opportunity to defend (or otherwise) one's position (with a smile)"
Happy Saturday people
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Tamworth - An offer you can't refuse
For a few years now I have wondered how best we can serve the people of our town and one exceptionally valuable (and effective) way we can do this appears to be by getting out on the ground and getting involved with those who come into our town to enjoy a social life in the evenings.
And before anyone gets on their soap box - It's not one of those 'Christians Only' (or even just a 'certain type of Christian') things - there are no monopolies and there's nothing about the ghetto here for all are welcome to help in what will be a collaborative effort between volunteers and other agencies (including the police and other statutory bodies).
So - if you are an adult (18 or over) living in, or around, Tamworth and would like to help listen, support and provide care for those coming into the town to enjoy its great social life then now's your opportunity. Training is given and all we will be asking is that you commit to a minimum of one night a month, usually from 10pm to around 2am.
The role is varied and a typical evening might see you handing out water (or chocolate), talking to angry, confused or disorientated people; perhaps you'll be arranging a taxi (or a lift from someone at home), taking shopping trolleys back to somewhere safe so they don't end up going through a window or used as a weapon when tempers flare (and they do from time to time). Sometimes it's giving out space blankets or tea, coffee or another hot drink and other times it's something you've never thought of before.
Whatever the problem, we're on the streets to make the evening run smoothly and to keep the incidents and incidence of hurting people to a minimum.
And if you don't live in Tamworth?
Why not take a look at:
And before anyone gets on their soap box - It's not one of those 'Christians Only' (or even just a 'certain type of Christian') things - there are no monopolies and there's nothing about the ghetto here for all are welcome to help in what will be a collaborative effort between volunteers and other agencies (including the police and other statutory bodies).
So - if you are an adult (18 or over) living in, or around, Tamworth and would like to help listen, support and provide care for those coming into the town to enjoy its great social life then now's your opportunity. Training is given and all we will be asking is that you commit to a minimum of one night a month, usually from 10pm to around 2am.
The role is varied and a typical evening might see you handing out water (or chocolate), talking to angry, confused or disorientated people; perhaps you'll be arranging a taxi (or a lift from someone at home), taking shopping trolleys back to somewhere safe so they don't end up going through a window or used as a weapon when tempers flare (and they do from time to time). Sometimes it's giving out space blankets or tea, coffee or another hot drink and other times it's something you've never thought of before.
Whatever the problem, we're on the streets to make the evening run smoothly and to keep the incidents and incidence of hurting people to a minimum.
And if you don't live in Tamworth?
Why not take a look at:
And find out what there is going on in your community (and if there's nothing - start something)
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Military Chaplaincy - Another pace (the role)
Having established that our forces are not in the business of murdering, we now turn our gaze towards the role of the Chaplain in a military setting.
First and foremost the Chaplain is there to provide moral and spiritual guidance and pastoral support to ALL members of the armed forces, and the service in which they serve in particular. The Chaplain is present for those of ALL religions and those of NO religion. Regardless of the who or what, we engage with them and bring the otherness that we, as minister of the Gospel, have in this setting.
The Chaplain teaches and reinforce the values and standards of the service of which they are a part and will also find themselves engaged in the teaching of LOAC (Law of Armed Conflict) and engaging in some extremely challenging conversations regarding RoE (Rules of Engagement) and the reasons for our presence in places (and the jobs we are doing). Alongside this we have the field services, communions and other 'church' services, which include vigils, acts of remembrance, sending off of those who have died in combat and the receiving of same back here in the UK. We do funerals (military and civillian), weddings, baptisms and the other stuff normally associated with the parish/pastoral roles.
There is the joy of sharing Christ and seeing men and women in uniform accept Him and come through in their faith to a place where they themselves are selected for training. There is the precious ability to discuss with those in uniform the philosophy and theology of faith and to help ALL with their journey along their chosen path (one of my joys has been to help a young Buddhist grow in their faith such that they are now becoming a leader of others).
We are not in the forces to excuse or justify wrong, for this is not what our faith requires (Micah 6 - humility, justice, mercy says it all). We NEVER glorify war and do, in our acts of remembrance, accept the folly and failures that bring us to conflict - honouring the dead of all sides and those who were non-combatants too.
If anyone wants to be fully engaged in the pastoral role and have before them the opportunity to share their faith and to display it in their own life and attitudes, then look no further than the military Chaplaincy roles - full on and for christ - always
First and foremost the Chaplain is there to provide moral and spiritual guidance and pastoral support to ALL members of the armed forces, and the service in which they serve in particular. The Chaplain is present for those of ALL religions and those of NO religion. Regardless of the who or what, we engage with them and bring the otherness that we, as minister of the Gospel, have in this setting.
The Chaplain teaches and reinforce the values and standards of the service of which they are a part and will also find themselves engaged in the teaching of LOAC (Law of Armed Conflict) and engaging in some extremely challenging conversations regarding RoE (Rules of Engagement) and the reasons for our presence in places (and the jobs we are doing). Alongside this we have the field services, communions and other 'church' services, which include vigils, acts of remembrance, sending off of those who have died in combat and the receiving of same back here in the UK. We do funerals (military and civillian), weddings, baptisms and the other stuff normally associated with the parish/pastoral roles.
There is the joy of sharing Christ and seeing men and women in uniform accept Him and come through in their faith to a place where they themselves are selected for training. There is the precious ability to discuss with those in uniform the philosophy and theology of faith and to help ALL with their journey along their chosen path (one of my joys has been to help a young Buddhist grow in their faith such that they are now becoming a leader of others).
We are not in the forces to excuse or justify wrong, for this is not what our faith requires (Micah 6 - humility, justice, mercy says it all). We NEVER glorify war and do, in our acts of remembrance, accept the folly and failures that bring us to conflict - honouring the dead of all sides and those who were non-combatants too.
If anyone wants to be fully engaged in the pastoral role and have before them the opportunity to share their faith and to display it in their own life and attitudes, then look no further than the military Chaplaincy roles - full on and for christ - always
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