Wednesday, May 31, 2006

I'm famous - I can retire now

Wow - my picture is on the front page of The Dimension, and its not even for something bad... pitty there's no sexy pic of me in my lingerie on the back page.

Bummer.

Anyways, now that I have been on the front page of the dimension - for no other reason than the fact that I sat in the front row I can move churches and see if I can get to the front page of their paper!

Yay.

(Don't tell anyone, but I am posting this from my palm... I am supposed to be paying attention - I look like I am taking notes.)

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Pentecost Year B - To conspire

Dassie, I must thank you for the idea - conspiracy... I've taken it on a slightly different tour.

This is the sermon I conspire to preach for my trial service on Monday... published as a pdf, because - lets face it - who wants to read a sermon?

Here is the sermon

PS. If you see any charges of heresy coming my way - or you have any suggestions, please let me know before I expose myself to the College!

God Bless
Gus

Getting into hot water...


I avoid trouble. (I have found that it only causes headaches.)

I was reading a horsey book (I am not a horsey person) but it is quite inspiring besides the cheesy horses on the cover (Run with the Horses by Eugene Peterson). And I came accross another good quote from one of the most quotable Christians who ever lived - GK Chesterton. Here it is:

"I believe in getting into hot water, it keeps you clean."



One of the things I struggle with in the church (particularly the seminary) is the sometimes and often reluctance to get into debate. When there is debate - the water boils. The subjects of debate are always too hot or too close for comfort. (I am one of those who boils too soon.) I worry that the 'cut and thrust' of classroom debate might be a bit more 'hack and shove.'

I guess to change the world we start with ourselves... so I'll work on it.

But wouldn't it be nice if debates in the church didn't run so quickly to boiling point but just remained hot enough to keep us all clean.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Saw this on someone's blog, apparently it's a real billborad up in Missouri...

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Easter 6 B

Sermons are long - and sometimes boring, so I wont post the whole thing here, but I here is a link to this one.

Easter 6B

God Bless

PS. The full text of The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams can be found here.

There are two kinds of members of the church



I received this e-mail from a friend... who will remain anonymous.

Charles Hodge wrote: "There are two birds in the California desert ... the
humming bird and the vulture.
The humming bird looks for the sweet blossoms in the cactus flower;
The vulture looks for rotten meat.
Both find what they are looking for.
There are two kinds of members of the church.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Sometimes I would rather not think about it


After reading theology for most of the day, I realise why I wab... Just when you think you got it, you grasp it, you read an essay that makes you think some more.

Now I think I'm getting some sort of sense of how he feels.

I think they might have "nukular" weapons - lets get 'em.

And so I launch an attack on my bookshelf.

Sleep tight.

Confessions of a true wabber

Sitting at my desk sometimes makes me feel like washing the dishes. So far, in a concerted effort to avoid thinking I have...
  • Washed the dishes
  • Hung the washing
  • Fixed my neighbours computer (it was making a horrible noise - which made concentration difficult)
  • Surfed the web
  • Gone to the post office to fetch the post - my wife's graduation photos
  • Checked my bank balance

Things I will still do before engaging my brain...
  • Tidy my desk
  • Maybe I will make the bed
  • Right now I am just writing this on my blog for the hell of it.

The saddest thing about it is, I really enjoy what I study. I think I just have a natural aversion to doing any work. (That is constructive that is.)

Oh well, I guess thats why I am training to be a minister - I hear they only work on Sundays anyways.

God Bless - and enjoy Synod (I'm not at Synod because I am studying!?)

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Chicken saved from drowning...

Lucky Chicken escaped drowning thanks to the heroic action of Angus the human when Angus dislodged the offending piece of cutlery from the sink hole.

Chicken will celebrate his dramatic escape tomorrow by making scrambled egg... Posted by Picasa

Near Drowning

Chicken the egg whisk, nearly drowned today as a result of a partially blocked drain hole in the kitchen sink. The washing machine poured water into the sink before considering the possible consequences. Chicken could not swim - obviously, because he has no arms. Posted by Picasa

Monday, May 08, 2006

I am offensive (sometimes)

I have two categories for offending people. One is intentional, the other is by mistake.

Sometimes it is intentional by mistake and other times it is by mistake intentional. (huh!??!) I'll explain later.

The root of my offensiveness is the admiration I have had for the great iconoclasts of our past, those who have ridden the sacred cow in and out of the proverbial abbertoir... My favourite bit of art is sometimes Marcel DuChamp's Fountain. (For an interesting interpretation check this out.)

A signed urinal, exhibited as art and I saw it at the Tate Gallery. Didn't smell it though.

What got me thinking about this is the thought that I might have offended some people at the college chapel this morning. Someone found a clerical collar outside, I announced it, asking if anyone had lost their collar, when no one claimed it I threw it down; as if someone was leaving the ministry - taking it off.

Well apparently I offended some people - and this falls into the 'by mistake' cattegory of offenses. This kind of offense makes me feel really bad for a while - I like people, so I don't want to offend them. In fact I am so sensitive about offending people - making them angry - that if I cut someone off in traffic (by mistake) I feel bad for about a week.

(Tell me Dr Phil; am I OK?)

(Psychotic I think.)