The Next Pope

It was a courageous decision for Pope Benedict XVI to resign. It is too soon to judge his Pontificate; we should all pray that he has a joyful and peaceful retirement. There is now the usual media frenzy over who should be the next pope. Interestingly Church law says that anyone baptised a Catholic is eligible to be elected as Pop, but it is usually a Cardinal!
We are in for an interesting few weeks.

10 Reasons why men shouldn't be ordained

Lifted from "The Deacons Bench" Blog who in turn lifted it from Bosco Peters an Anglican Priest and blogger.

10. A man’s place is in the army.
9. The pastoral duties of men who have children might distract them from the responsibility of being a parent.
8. The physique of men indicates that they are more suited to such tasks as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do ministerial tasks.
7. Man was created before woman, obviously as a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment rather than the crowning achievement of creation.
6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. Their conduct at football and basketball games demonstrates this.
5. Some men are handsome, and this will distract women worshipers.
4. Pastors need to nurture their congregations. But this is not a traditional male role. Throughout history, women have been recognized as not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more fervently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.
3. Men are prone to violence. No really masculine man wants to settle disputes except by fighting about them. Thus they would be poor role models as well as dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.
2. The New Testament tells us that Jesus was betrayed by a man. His lack of faith and ensuing punishment remind us of the subordinated position that all men should take.
1. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep sidewalks, repair the church roof, and perhaps even lead the song service on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the church.

Last Study Weekend at High Leigh

This past weekend was the last Study Weekend at the High Leigh Christian Centre; there are still study days at the Seminary at Wonersh;  but no more High Leigh. As always it was enjoyable and we all learnt a great deal. The photo is that of my year group - the end is in sight!

The Fisherman and the Millionaire

Sometimes we become so busy and caught up in the things of this world that we forget or become too busy for some of the most valuable opportunities of life. There’s a great lesson we can all learn on keeping our priorities straight from this short story about a Mexican fisherman.
There once was a man from a Mexican village who owned a small fishing boat. An American businessman arrived in that same, small coastal Mexican village, and happened to be standing at that same, small pier where a small boat with a lone fisherman docked. There at the small pier the American met that same, small Mexican fisherman.
Inside the boat were several large, yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the quality of the fish and asked the fisherman, “How long did it take you to catch them?”
The Mexican fisherman replied, “Only a little while, Señor.”
“Then why,” the American asked, “didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”
The fisherman replied, “God provides enough for my family’s needs.”
Then the American said, “Well, what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “Sometimes I take a day off and I sleep in and play with my children. I like to take a siesta with my wife. Each evening I stroll into the village where we have dinner and I play guitar with my amigos.”
The American scoffed! He said, “I have an MBA in business and I could help you!”
The fisherman said, “You can help me, Señor?”
“Yes, I can really help you!”
“What do you mean?”
The businessman replied, “You should spend more time fishing, catch more fish and then buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger fishing vessel you can buy several boats and hire extra staff to fish for you. Eventually, you will have a fishing fleet and a huge staff. At that point, instead of selling to the middleman, you’ll be able to sell directly to the processor. That will mean more money and more capital.
“Then guess what?” the business man continued excitedly, “Eventually you can open your own cannery and soon you’ll be able to control the market. You’ll be a millionaire!”
“A millionaire?” the humble Mexican asked, more shocked than convinced. “How long will this take, Señor?”
“About 15 to 20 years!”
“Then what, Señor?” the Mexican asked.
“Then you could retire,” the American said, “and move to a small coastal village where you can take a day off, sleep in and play with your kids. Take a siesta with your wife and stroll into the village in the evening … have dinner and play guitar …uhhh.”
So, you see, the lesson in this story is that sometimes we lose 15 years to get something we already have. And all we’ve done is lost our contentment, forsaken the life lessons along the way, and lost all that precious time.

Same Sex Marriage Bill

There has been a lot of speculation as to why the prime minister chose to introduce the Same Sex Marriage Bill; this may explain why;

An EU report due to be voted through the EU Parliament this November would see all marriages and civil contracts conducted in any EU country become legally binding in all other member states. Under the Berlinguer Report, a couple who are not permitted to marry in their home country could travel to another member state in order to wed, knowing that on their return home they would have to be regarded as married.
Paragraph 40 of the Report would mean that any member state would have to grant 'all social benefits and other legal effects' such as legal recognition, tax breaks and benefit entitlements to a married couple, even if such a marriage did not exist in their own legal system.

"If a couple were to marry in Belgium, Spain, Portugal or Sweden where same-sex marriage is possible, the EU will say that they have to be given the same legal rights in whichever member state they then chose to live – even if that state itself opposes the introduction of same-sex marriage. In essence the Berlinguer Report seeks to establish an EU-wide right to same-sex marriage.
"It's no surprise that the Prime Minister has kept quiet about this, even at the expense of cohesion in his own party. He has a hard enough time trying to force his own backbenchers to swallow both his dedication to keeping Britain in the EU and his wish for the state to interfere in the definiton of marriage. To suggest that the two issues are in fact interconnected would have caused complete uproar."

The Law of Unintended Consequences

It would appear that the Law of Unintended Consequences is going to affect the government's proposed same sex marriage bill which is being debated in Parliament tomorrow, Tuesday 5 February. It would seem that adultery will have to be either redefined or abolished as grounds for divorce the current definition is of having sexual intercourse with a person of the opposite sex with whom you are not married. The definition of "consummation of marriage" will also have to be changed.
There is also a "demand" that related closely related people be allowed to marry to gain the legal and financial advantages that go with being married or in a civil partnership. I have no doubt that David Cameron had the best of intentions when he started out with this legislation; but it will come to haunt him. It is a great pity that he does not have some experienced (old) advisers who to take a considered view on all new legislation rather than bright young things with no experience of life outside of Westminster "political village".

Hacking

Many thanks to OnlineCollegeCourses.com for this Graphic