Category Archives: faith

The Passion

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The Passion, BBC 1

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As Jesus is taken from the cross and buried, his disciples cower in hiding. Caiaphas, fearful that the body will be stolen, orders the tomb to be guarded. But when Mary Magdalene discovers it empty, a chain of events is about to begin that will transform the lives of the disciples and reverberate throughout the world for the next two thousand years.

I watched the last episode of the BBC production, The Passion, tonight. I found it incredibly moving. I am moved by the reality of Christ. God’s Son. Here. Dying for our sins. Rising from the dead and promising to be with us always.

This BBC series started slowly but depicted the trial, crucifixion and resurrection imaginatively and faithfully. As a believer I was challenged. I realised that those who followed Jesus as he preached in Galilee and Judea put their lives and reputations at risk. They also had far less to convince them that he was The Messiah than I do. No New Testament, no resurrection, no Holy Spirit – just a man who claimed he was God’s only Son who said and did incredible things. Their doubt was tangible, just like mine.

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Easter Day

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Outside it’s white over. Heavy snow fell in the night. So Easter Day in York starts with a chill.
New Christians are being baptised in the city today. It was to have been an open air event, but the church leaders have decided to move it indoors.

Easter Baptisms in York 2007
Easter Baptisms in York 2007

One Voice York
As Britain braces itself for predicted wintery weather, we have made the decision to move what was to be an open-air event to St Michael-le-Belfrey next to the Minster.

Candidates from many York churches are being baptised and you are invited to join the celebration with us at 3pm.

The York City Gospel Choir will be performing and Archbishop Sentamu will be talking as part of this lively unique event.

It’s a day to celebrate Christianity’s greatest event – its dawn. I know many find the fact of Christ’s resurrection from the dead hard to believe, but without it there is no faith. “If Christ is not risen we are of all men most miserable”

Miracle on the Estate

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BBC – Religion – Programmes: Miracle on the Estate
Miracle on the Estate

The Flood poster

For Good Friday, the residents of Harpurhey in North Manchester – once described as the worst place to live in Britain – join forces with a poet, a composer and a director to see if they can produce their very own mediaeval mystery play, based on the story of the Flood. In so doing they uncover a deep-rooted sense of community, untapped talent and breathe 21st century life into an ancient story of sacrifice and salvation.

It’s Good Friday. A special day for all Christians when we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. This morning we watched a truly inspirational BBC programme about the making of a community film based on the Mystery Play Noah’s Flood. The film is on the BBC Religion Website. I’ve not watched the film yet – but I recommend watching the TV programme Miracle on the Estate first.

promo image

I’ve now watched the The Harpurhey Mystery Play and it matches the promises made in the TV programme. It is truly inspiring when people who were unsure of their talents discover them and work together to create a play like this one.

Blasphemy is dead Long live blasphemy | spiked

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Blasphemy is dead Long live blasphemy | spiked

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England’s dusty, archaic and unpopular blasphemy laws look set to be abolished, but Ofcom and others are keeping their censorious spirit alive.

I think Brenden O’Neill has his wires crossed. Companies go to great lengths to protect their brands, challenging what sometimes appear to be only small infringements of the use of their precious “brand properties”. Logos, straplines, positioning statements etc. Just think of the businesses challenged for using the “R Us” gimmick. When these huge conglomerates win their case and force offenders to change the signs on the side of their van or worse rebrand their entire business no one cries “CENSORSHIP” or says that it’s an affront to free speech.
And yet, when Christians protest about the misuse of a phrase or series of words that have been hijacked by the media world you would think the devil himself had stepped up to witness box and won the day. The opposite is of course true. We have ceased the worship of God preferring to honour mammon.
If the phrase “Thy will be done” had not appeared in The Lord’s Prayer the offending splash for GHD Hair Straighteners would have been pointless. If Christ had never been crucified on a cross the symbol in the advert would have been meaningless. The ASA was right to uphold the complaint from the church.
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How many verses?

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Abide With Me Hymn
How many verses do you know of this hymn? If you watch the FA Cup Final at Wembly you would be familiar with the first, and if you’re a church goer you’ll know a few more.
At the funeral of Mike Hurley we sang the full version. Eight verses. It was noticeable that the “gusto” disappeared from the singing in the congregation as we hit the unfamilair words:

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

There followed three other little known and somewhat incomprehensible verses until the familiar words “I need thy presence, Every passing hour” restored volume to the voices.

I’ve been singing this hymn for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never waded through all eight verses before. But somehow, at Mike’s passing, it seemed appropriate. Tradition meant a lot to Mike.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.