Funny clothes

Listening to: 'Rosebud' by Ryan Adams

Most readers will have spotted that I'm off to Wycliffe Hall in September to train for ordination in the Church of England. I've been doing a fair bit of paperwork and admin for that over the last couple of days, and getting used to the idea of moving home, re-entering education, and getting on with three years of training for ministry.

This afternoon, I was at my grandma's church fete (which was lovely- barbecue, cakes, and sunshine) and they had a little group of morris dancers. I watched them for a few minutes amused at them hopping around like rabbits, bashing sticks together, and ringing bells on their ankles. I turned to my mum to make a comment about their funny clothes, when I stopped mid-sentence, and remembered the part in a letter from Wycliffe which mentioned I will eventually need to buy this outfit:



The black robe is a cassock, and the white table cloth on top is a surplice. I have to try and remember that! You'll sometimes see people wearing a little scarf as well, which is a stole which is I think only for ordained people. Coming from a free church background, then being part of an Anglican church for eight years where robes are an extreme rarity, getting used to this will be very odd indeed. So long as they don't make me wear little bells and dance, I'll be ok...

Hail Cyril!

Listening to: Nothing

This is turning into a very ramshackle historical theology blog. There was a significant historical theological day on Monday, and I am three days late in letting off the fireworks, cracking open the bubbly, and blowing a whistle or something. It was the feast of Cyril of Alexandria!

A Christological hero of mine already, despite not knowing all that much yet. That's how good he is! Renowned for headbutting his oponents, and turning up to councils with a ganag of armed monks. Can't get more fun than that can you?!

Check out his jacket!

I recently bought John McGuckin's Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy which I hope will let me on the depths of Cyril. I hear it's worth a read if you're at all interested in the early post-apostolic church...

The Unquenchable Flame

Listening to: Nothing

Dave 'Lightning' Bish has blogged this before I had the chance, but yesterday we launched the brand new section of Theology Network- The Unquenchable Flame- which is to coincide with Mike's book of the same name. It's full of resources on the Reformation, its theology, history, characters, and implications for us today.

It covers the medieval background of the Reformation, Luther, Zwingli and the Radical Reformation, Calvin, the British Reformation, the Puritans, and the Reformation today. The issues at the heart of this section are of vital importance: justification, assurance, the authority of scripture, the priesthood of all believers...

http://www.theologynetwork.org/unquenchable-flame/

Duelling Keyboards

Listening to: Nothing

This is hilarious. It made me cry.

Mat Kearney, Durham, Barnabas

Listening to: 'All I Have' by Mat Kearney

It's been a long, long time! Here are a couple of tidbits from the last couple of weeks.

1. Mat Kearney
I've been thoroughly enjoying the new album by Mat Kearney, City of Black and White.



This is seriously good melodic pop-rock: think Doves, Coldplay, or something like that. Well, well worth a listen.

2. Durham
I spent the weekend up in Durham staying with three new- but already very dear- friends, Jono, Jack, and Jonny. I already have far too many friends with names that begin with 'J', but that's not the point is it? I had a great time relaxing, enjoying the sunshine, barbecuing, and chatting about the Lord. Thanks boys.



3. Barnabas
Thursday 11th was the feast of Barnabas, which is cool. There's a letter amongst the Apostolic Fathers attributed to him, which you can read here. It may or may not really be from him, but it's worth a read as a piece of first century theology.

Justin on the Trinity

Listening to: 'Let us break their bonds asunder (Chorus)' by Handel (Sir Colin Davis)

Monday June 1st was the feast of Justin Martyr, and Sunday (tomorrow) is Trinity Sunday. So here are some quotes from Justin on the Trinity. These are great because the doctrine of the Trinity wasn't formalised really until after the Christological controversies which ran on through the likes of Cyril, Athanasius, and on to Chalcedon. So here we have a first century believer explaining his understanding of the three persons from the Bible.

Justin's main point here is to prove to Jewish people and to the gentile authorities that it is right to worship Jesus as God, yet as a distinct person from the Creator. In the process, he speaks of God's Triunity- mentioning the Holy Spirit too. Enjoy.


'The Father of the universe has a Son, who also being the first begotten Word of God, is even God.'
(First Apology, 63)

'But if you knew, Trypho,' continued I, 'who He is that is called at one time the Angel of great counsel, and a Man by Ezekiel, and like the Son of man by Daniel, and a Child by Isaiah, and Christ and God to be worshipped by David, and Christ and a Stone by many, and Wisdom by Solomon, and Joseph and Judah and a Star by Moses, and the East by Zechariah, and the Suffering One and Jacob and Israel by Isaiah again, and a Rod, and Flower, and Corner Stone, and Son of God, you would not have blasphemed Him who has now come, and been born, and suffered, and ascended to heaven; who shall also come again, and then your twelve tribes shall mourn. For if you had understood what has been written by the prophets, you would not have denied that He was God, Son of the only, unbegotten, unutterable God. For Moses says somewhere in Exodus the following: `The Lord spake to Moses, and said to him, I am the Lord, and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, being their God; and my name I revealed not to them, and I established my covenant with them.' And thus again he says, 'A man wrestled with Jacob,' and asserts it was God; narrating that Jacob said, 'I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.''
(Dialogue with Trypho, CXXVI)

'We will prove that we worship him reasonably; for we have learned that he is the Son of the true God Himself, that he holds a second place, and the Spirit of prophecy a third. For this they accuse us of madness, saying that we attribute to a crucified man a place second to the unchangeable and eternal God, the Creator of all things; but they are ignorant of the Mystery which lies therein'
(First Apology, 13:5-6)

In the News

Listening to: 'Goldberg Variations' by Bach

A few quick scribblings.


One of my very best friends, John Steptoe, proposed to his girlfriend, Jo Lacey, a couple of weeks ago. Jo said 'yes' and so they're getting married! Yesterday, John asked me to be his best man- an honour I've gladly accepted. Readers of this blog who know John and have any incriminating or embarrassing material are encouraged to get in touch...

On another note, this evening I discovered something called 'vlogging' which is like blogging but is made out of videos instead of words! How bizarre! Unbeknownst to me, this has been going on since 1995 yet only today I stumbled on charlieissocoollike, the UK's premier vlogging 18 year old. He appears to video himself doing silly tasks or chatting away to himself and gets four million views. Astonishing! Is this good fun, or is there some sort of twisted voyeurism thing going on? I wonder if Charlie gets to live a normal life, or whether his school friends mercilessly taunt him for being an internet celebrity. I wonder if he ever does his homework. Can such a thing end up being an unhealthy escape from reality, and a constructed fantasy world in which to live? Maybe Charlie will drop by and let us know. Perhaps if my blog were that famous, I could tell you myself!