This Is No Longer Important

Well, the death knell sounds for That Theology Student. Thank you for all your support, love, kindness, and comments.

However, I promised I wouldn't leave you without a helper - or, another blog in which to read the things I think about stuff. Clicking here will take you there, and here's a pretty little screen shot of it:

Thank you once again. It's been fun.

The Wrong Buttons

This was genuinely thought up somewhere between sleeping and waking this morning. How my mind thought that giant foam hands were a good punchline at that hour of the morning I've no idea.

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In some more serious news, I didn't get into the finals of the Christian New Media Awards. I wasn't expecting to, considering the majority of my output has been drawings of stick people of late.

But this, I think, is the catalyst for change. Change that will probably mean the end of That Theology Student. However, do not despair! I shan't leave you without my words of wisdom or inane crappery. There are some exciting new blog plans afoot, so keep your eyes peeled.

Or, just, y'know, watch out for when I next post something. No need for peeling eyes, I guess.

Influenced by the ever-linking and -delightful Phil Groom, I read a poem today on another blog. I don't know where he finds these things, but I shan't complain. It's a particularly unique take on being a vicar, and I enjoyed it a lot. Find it here.

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The Christian New Media Awards have rolled around again. If you've a blog, enter. Why not, it might be fun?

I promise I won't whinge this time.

I'm Not A Racist, My Best Friend Is A Stereotype

In conversation with an American friend of mine, she said that I use stereotypes on this blog a lot, particularly when it comes to Americans. In the same conversation, she also said that she only rarely reads this blog, and even then, it’s out of pity. I was surprised that a casual reader would give such a critique, as I didn’t know Americans could grasp irony…

Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Unjust, perhaps. Unrepresentative, maybe. But British people will always moan about the weather, Americans will always be fat/stupid/cultural Philistines, and the French will always be cheese-eating surrender monkeys.

Of course, I jest.* Yet a lot of humour is based around the idea of stereotypes. When Omid Djalili comes out on stage and starts his comedy routine with an Iranian accent, he plays to the stereotype. The humour is found in what we recognise, or think we recognise as an Iranian. When he then breaks into his natural Home Counties accent, the joke accentuates itself, as we have to laugh to rid ourselves of discomfort at the slightly racist joke we’ve been part of.

Of course, I never set out to offend, and I often think carefully before I post something. But, as I hope you have realised over the time you’ve been reading this blog, I’m just as willing to laugh at myself, before I laugh at anyone else. However, other people’s mistakes are far funnier than mine.

I recently heard a quote from Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sachs (for all my lefty Jewish readers, I still think he’s a dude), which went something like this: “Righteousness always has a sense of humour. Self-righteousness never does.”

Amen to that.


*Aside from the bit about the French. That’s true. And the British. And I wouldn’t like to say about the Americans – I know some, and they own guns.**

**I am, of course, joking. Apart from the guns. That is entirely true.

Church (Behind The) Times?

Perusing the Church Times this week – yes, I know, it is hard being this cool – and I saw one of the comment sections was from a blogging Bishop, Alan Wilson. Bishop Alan blogs about all manner of things, but his comment section in the CT was about new media in general.

I thought it was a great article. It laid out clearly the different varieties of social media: social networking, content-based, and blogs. He then described the challenges that these forms bring about, particularly for the Church. Your average CT reader would have found it helpful, informative, and probably quite baffling. But the essence of the piece was to tell the Church to get in on the act – there is a wealth of possibility within Web 2.0.

I commend the article, and I think Bishop Alan pitched it just right. However, I find it sad that we’re in 2011, and the CT gets round to publishing an explanatory article about new media. Sure, it needed to be done. But it’s a little discomforting that only when the ball is well and truly rolling, and very much in danger of rolling away, does the Church think its time to get involved.

Of course, there are your fringe types, who have always been involved. Krish Kandiah, Johnny Baker, Bishop Alan, and others. There are others who have seen the bandwagon, and successfully jumped upon it because they saw the need and importance of engaging with the internet. And then, unfortunately, there are still a whole host of people who decry the internet as a passing fad. This third group make up the majority of the Church.

Perhaps I’m being unfair to both the CT and the Church, and my opinion is coloured by experience with a variety of Luddites I have known over the years. Not necessarily people who are stubbornly refusing to get involved, but people who just don’t know how. I suspect their main fear is that any attempt to engage will be seen as half-hearted, uncool or neglecting ‘what they should be doing’. I suppose in that sense, that’s where things like Digimission, and Premier Christian Media’s involvement comes in, with their attempt to provide the church with a training ground for using new media.

I just worry that the Church has a habit of arriving to the party late, investing a lot of time and energy getting involved (or completely hammered, if you’ll follow the metaphor) then waking up in the early hours with no money and the mother-of-all-headaches, to find that everyone has already left. I hope for our sake – that is, the Church – we don’t do that. We’ve got a gospel to tell, and an internet ready to be told.

Death and Videos

I think this blog is either dead or dying. I've been incredibly busy with job applications and Easter and other inane things. I think I might create a new blog, one that isn't this one. Probably with a different focus (there's a focus, you say?) and different name. Any suggestions will be gratefully appreciated.

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Apparently, Osama Bin Laden is dead. As to be expected, we Christians have responded with a variety of responses, from cheering in the street through to getting on our high horses and quoting the Bible at people. I fell, unfortunately, into the latter. More because I look stupid on big horses, not because I think the Bible doesn't have anything to say in this situation.

I don't think killing people is ideal. No matter how horrific the crimes, no-one should die for them. My 10,000 words on forgiveness in my final year helped me to understand that retribution is not a) helpful, or b) Jesus' way. I'm glad that a man renowned for plotting evil can no longer plot evil, but that self same object could also be reached by putting him in prison.

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I don't have anything else to say, so here's a link to a video that I created for my best friend's wedding. I had fun. I hope you enjoy it, too.

You would not believe the hassle I've gone through to get vaguely humorous caption underneath a photo in Blogger. I'm thinking Wordpress beckons...

My friend Phil is a good man

I like Phil. He's funny. He has a wonderful family and cooks a mean braai. He also gave me a lot of laughs (and probably some undercurrents of wisdom) throughout my teenage years.

He also has a penchant for Stuff Christians Like - easily ranking as one of my personal 'most intimidating blogs of all time'. His enjoyment of SCL, and the way it regularly finds its way onto my News Feed, made me take a gander at it again today. It's one of those blogs that remind me what I am not. Jon Acuff, the esteemed writer of said blog, is able to list his 'top 10 blogs of 2010' by hits. He's able to post a blog every day. He's able to have adverts, proper paid-for adverts, not just some random link to 'Plumbers in Hampstead' on Google. He's able to advertise his book. On top of this, he comes across as, well, a very nice, humorous, and gracious man.

I am none of the above.

I am someone completely different, without the job description of 'writer' to justify not doing anything all day. And one day, it'd be lovely to have the kind of recognition Jon Acuff gets. But for now, I'm happy being me.

So thank you Jon, and Phil, for reminding me of that.

The Blog Of Common Fare

Blogging is a lot like liturgy.

I decided to try and blog more regularly, in the vain attempt that more people would visit this corner of the internet and love me. But I find that in trying to write regularly, some of what I say sounds forced. That's mainly because it is forced. If I am reminded, by myself, or by my darling girlfriend, to blog, it then feels like a chore, as opposed to a joy.

Blogging is a lot like liturgy.

But in blogging more regularly, I hope that something will change. I get into a rhythm of blogging. I shall begin to know what people are expecting and when, and hopefully appease the adoring public. My slightly erratic writing style will become something more solid. Hopefully others will appreciate it, as well as growing to love it myself.

Blogging is a lot like liturgy.

I hope that in this simple idea, even on days I really don't want to do it, or I feel uninspired, I can still get down to it and write something simple, or post a thought. I don't think it's going to change the world, but I do think that it might make me a slightly better person. I don't think that I'll have people flocking to my blog, but I do think that I will no longer be the point of writing this blog.

And that's why I think blogging is a lot like liturgy.