Money our sick relationship,


Over the last few months I have heard the term "credit crunch" more times than I care to think about.And every time I hear it it has "bad news" tagged alongside it.


Politicians,bankers ,economists and the media are trying to convince us that what is going on right now is indeed bad news.I have no reason to believe that this is bad news.The fact that all of these people are being found out as greedy incompetents is in fact good news if the rest of us can wake up and see what is going on.


Over the years many great industries have disappeared because they were not profitable or were inefficient.That seems to be the capitalist way just think about the miners or the shipbuilders those industries were allowed to go under and nobody could do anything to save them.Here we have banks and insurance companies buying and selling debt good and bad to each other packed up and sold on most of that debt has now turned bad(toxic) and they want you and me the taxpayer to take it over.In the UK this has happened with Northen rock the taxpayer has taken over .The bank of England continues along with others to pump cheap money into the system to keep it moving .All of this money belongs to those of us who earn it and we will never see it back.


So why is this good news?


If we can take hold of this opportunity to change the way in which we relate to money and to put the pressure on those in power who are supposed to represent us we could see lasting changes that will help us to have a better relationship with money.


1 Try something new,write to your MP and tell him you don't want your money used to bail out a failed system that you don't want your money to reward greed.Ask him to vote against any of these measures ask him to be accountable to you.


2 Get involved in a different system.Look for new opportunities to use your money to build a new system .A system that involves relationships and trust one that is small and can be trusted one that has a face and a name .Try your local Credit union for starters have a look online and begin to discover the other ways you can use your money instead of having it sit in a bank.


Try these sites for starters.











Now I may seem slightly Evangelical on this but its about bloody time we fought back against a system that is killing us all slowly but surely.


Micro coursce


So I started to work on my course this week I felt a bit nervous about trying to study again and was worried that the course may be to academic for me.But the first week has gone well and I found the course challenging and encouraging there some good papers about real examples of MF working in communities.

My biggest challenge was about the assumptions I have made about how the poor handle there money .And this week the challenge was to see that the poor can and do save.Something I would never have believed.

The structure of the course on message boards should lead to some good interaction with the other folk doing the work and seems like a good way of learning . I will get some feedback from the lectures on Monday so I will let you nkow how it goes .


PS hope you like my photo snapped on my phone while out walking with Gazza

Open door update 2

We had our development day last week which was well attended with about a dozen people there.The day was to help us to begin to put together a clearer plan for the project.The outcomes for the day have still to be written up and I will put them up here when they are finished.
I felt that we began to get some clearer direction for the project and the needs of the project came into focus a bit more.Things are going along well and its good to be building a foundation that will help us in the future.

She left me for Jesus

A good friend told me about this song the other day and I though you might like to have a listen too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyxEO9dqi44

Thought I would add my own little country ditty by the Flaming lips called Plastic Jesus.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oZYAmmy4dlU

We are not sectarian part 2




So the story grows.The stupid tit for tat my dads bigger than yours where will it all end.Now the DUP from Northern Ireland have got involved.There Mp and sports minister has written to John Reid the Celtic chair.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7626038.stm.




This will only serve to show the small mindedness of some people and to fan the flames .The two clubs should be left to get on with trying to stamp this out as they have been doing over the last few years instead of this over the top "I'm telling on you".




Now you should note that in order that I don't get reported to somebody bigger than me I have put a picture of Celtic on this page OHHHH!!!!


Although the one on the right of the page is my favourite.

Brian Mclaren in Scotland

The network church's Scotland http://www.networkonline.org.uk/ which our church is part of, together with EA Scotland are bringing Brian Mclaren to Scotland he will be speaking in Perth,Edinburgh and Glasgow the dates are Dec 5-9 and details can be found here.http://www.eauk.org/scotland/brian-mclaren-in-scotland.cfm

We are not sectarian.


So we have another chapter in the sectarian battle between Celtic and Rangers following a BBC report last night.



This story for me highlights two things.The first is no revelation there are Rangers supporters who are sectarian the second is that this reporting of songs to the authorities is like a slow creeping death to peoples free speech.


This may seem like a contradiction .But in the context of football it makes sense.Go along to any football match and you will hear things shouted and songs that will be offencive.But that is the nature of the game its all in the banter.If we were to ban all songs and chants that offend then we would watch football in silence.If we were to ban everything from the airwaves and tv or movies then again we would live in silence(which might not be a bad thing).I go along to the games and like to think I can control myself and behave but football supporters are passionate about there team and so I like to sing and shout does that make me sectarian .If the people who know me told me I was sectarian I would listen to them but not to some pundit on the tv or radio.


It is impossible to go through life and not be offended it is even more impossible to go through life and not be the offender even when you are not trying to you can offend people.My wife has often said that my face offends people so what chance do I have.


Leave people alone and grow some thicker skin or just ban supporters all together.

Open Door Update


This week we move to the next phase of our open door project.On Saturday we will hold our development day we have invited people from the church and from the community to help us think about the way forward and to see if we can form a board of directors for the ltd company.


This is a big day for us as we are now committed to taking the project forward and we want to do that in partnership as much as possible.At the moment we can finance the project for about 6 months from the church funds from then on we need to attract funding.I don't want our worker to have to spend all there time chasing this so we need a strong board who can take that forward.


Please pray for us as we meet on Saturday that the right people will step up to the plate and that the finance wills start to be released .Pray for Anne the worker that she continues to feel confidence in what we are doing and also hat we don't lose sight of what God is calling us too.

RECONSTRUCTION


Though I would put these links up .They are from the Scottishnetwork church conference this year.The are very helpful in thinking about the place of the church in

this post modern world.The first is by Alistair Macindoe from the Rock church in Dumbarton and the second is by Stuart Murray Williams of UE








Overcoming


This week there was a great football story involving big Kirk Broadfoot.He played for St Mirren before Rangers signed him last year and everybody said Kirk Who.Coming to a bigger club like Rangers is sometimes to much to take for young players and they quickly disappear.But the big man has stuck at his job and despite being on the wrong end of some abuse from his own fans played far more games for Rangers than he thought he would.

So many people at Ibrox gave him stick but I couldn't bring myself to do it to the big man,I could see an honest player giving his all and that's always enough for me.So this week he gets picked for the Scotland squad what a boost!! until the manager decides to tell the world that the big man has "limited ability" what and idiot.That's going to boost your confidence and make you want to play for the manager "not".

So how does the big man respond?Well first thing is he gets picked to play gets booked in the first 10 minutes then scores a goal that sends Scotland on the way to victory.He must have been tempted to run over to the manager and ask him if that was good enough for someone with limited ability.I would.

Its just a great story of a guy who has been given the chance and has risen to the challenge unlike some others with more ability but a shit attitude.Go on the big farmer!!!!


Pics






Top down.
Luke and Gazzza the dog
Craig
Stephanie the Queen of karaoke

mardibum

The spelling is differnt but I couldnt get that name for my blog.So here you go the words to the song and the link to you tube.

Well now then Mardy Bum I've seen your frown And it's like looking down the barrel of a gun And it goes off And out come all these words Oh there's a very pleasant side to you A side I much prefer It's one that laughs and jokes around Remember cuddles in the kitchen Yeah, to get things off the ground And it was up, up and away Oh, but it's right hard to remember That on a day like today when you're all argumentative And you've got the face on Well now then Mardy Bum Oh I'm in trouble again, aren't I I thought as much Cause you turned over there Pulling that silent disappointment face The one that I can't bear Can't we, laugh and joke around Remember cuddles in the kitchen Yeah, to get things off the ground And it was up, up and away Oh, but it's right hard to remember That on a day like today when you're all argumentative And you've got the face on And yeah I'm sorry I was late well I missed the train And then the traffic was a state And I can't be arsed to carry on in this debate That reoccurs, oh when you say I don't care but of course I do, yeah I clearly do! So laugh and joke around Remember cuddles in the kitchen Yeah, to get things off the ground And it was up, up and away Still, but it's right hard to remember That on a day like today when you're all argumentative And you've got the face on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcI5-nOEsYM

Enjoy

Microfinance and Microenterprise Development

Ok here we go.Its study time and I feel the fear and excitment all at once.For while now I have thought about how to encourage to think about running there own small buisness.Along with a few friends we came up with the idea of having some buisness mentors and some finance that would enable people to have go.

Along with Neil Young and Paul Ede I have got some people and some money(small amounts) to try and start a local project.While doing this I got the opportunity to do a distance course on Microfinance and Microenterprise Development .This course is running by the Chalmers institute.It will take me 6 months at 8 hours a week.Its over 20 years since ive had to study like that .I hope that my study will better place me tomake a vision a reality

I have some vision and heart to see it happen so Im hoping that will carry me through.I do believe it would be a great blessing to the inner city area I work in if they had more examples from among there peers of people who have took the risk and went out on there own.I believe God wants us to have the confidence to achieve everything we can in life,I also believe this is a real missing to the inner cities where people struggle to look beyond the life there parents or grandparents had.

My own father has been and continue to be my inspiration .He took the risk 25 years ago and is now handing all his hard work over to me and my son.

http://www.chalmers.org/site/cedi/tre2_new.php

Emerging in Scotland.


I only recently found out that I was emerging.By that I mean that I knew I was going through some ch ages in the way I thought about God/Jesus and the church.But had no understanding of what those changes meant or how to manage those changes.

I understand that to emerge means to come forth to come out of to arise and all of those things were going on in me at the same time.I was emerging from a way of life that had more to do with church and everything surrounding church than it had to do with the message of Jesus.I was emerging from the disappointment of failed revival and messages of coming revival.

I was seeking something that would give some meaning to the message of the kingdom of God that Jesus left us something that would go beyond converts and church growth in fact church was leaving me depressed.I had some frustrating conversations with good friends and leaders they were frustrating because my language was one of condemnation for the church and frustration with what we were doing.

I have been able to find my way because of those close friends willingness to stick with me and walk with me on that journey.I have been able to come to some understanding of whats going on because together we have tried to stay faithful to God and the relationships that he put us in.

There is very little opportunity in Scotland to work this out in a safe place and trying to find some people that can help is difficult.But yet I find myself encouraged that God is taking us to a new place of blessing and challenge with him.There seems to be so much more grace about from others that makes it possible to get to where we are going.

I have found that its me who lacks the grace needed to stay in fellowship with those who are part of the church that I find it difficult to relate to .It is of great concern to me that this emerging journey makes me face up to some of the hurts of the past.And recently I have failed to be able to do that.
If we are to emerge and have the impact God wants from us it must be with grace for those who are happy and blessed to remain part of the church that sees no need to emerge or who even see it as a danger there needs to be amazing grace shown by all so that the fellowship of the saints remains secure.

I believe in reformation I believe that the emerging church is part of that reformation and I hope Scotland can see that change brings about the arrival of the kingdom of god in new and exciting ways .