Useful Website
I've just come across this website www.bible-researcher.com
It has a wealth of resources from some excellent writers - check it out!
Categories
Reading
Ken Untener: The Practical Prophet: Pastoral Writings
I'm getting quite catholic (and Catholic) in my literary tastes.Bob Sorge: Exploring Worship: A Practical Guide to Praise & Worship
Recommended to me by 80s worship great David Hadden!Eric Hoffer: The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Perennial Classics)
Fascinating reading. This book was written in the 1950s by a dock worker/philosopher. It examines common traits of all sorts of mass movements, including early Christianity and revivals (and Nazis and Commies!).Tony Ling: The Lion & The Lamb
Undoubtedly the best book anyone in my family has ever written.- Devern F. Fromke: Ultimate Intention
Getting to grips with the concepts of Restoration. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Black Calfskin, Journaling Bible)
This is a journaling bible with very wide margins for notes! I've decided to be liberal with my note-making and just get a new bible when this one is full!Kevin J. Conner: The Feasts of Israel
It's type-tastic!Howard A. Snyder: Kingdom, Church, and World: Biblical Themes for Today
A short book and a good introduction to some of the main themes Snyder explores in much of his writing. If you don't read "theological" books this is a good one to start on.Steve Turner: The Man Called CASH : The Life, Love and Faith of an American Legend
A fascinating story of the life of a man who really knew the grace of God!Gordon D. Fee: Listening to the Spirit in the Text
Interesting collection of essays from an important writer.Rob Parsons: The Sixty Minute Father: How Time Well Spent Can Change Your Child's Life
Re-reading this - still can't do it in 60 minutes though!James B Jordan: Through New Eyes
This book will bring the Bible, particularly the OT, alive to you.Gary DeMar: End Times Fiction
An excellent challenge to and debunking of the theology of the "Left Behind" series.J Nathan Corbitt: The Sound of the Harvest
An excellent, Kingdom-minded survey of music, ministry and culture. Out of print I believe but there are still a few around on the net.
Listening
Aimee Mann: Whatever
My original cassette (don't worry kids, it's something from the olden days) of this album was nicked out of my car 12 years ago. I've just got around to buying the CD and it's better then I remember. Jacob Marley's Chains and 4th of July are brill.Snow Patrol: Eyes Open
Been meaning to add this one for a while - it's a real grower.Blind Boys of Alabama: Spirit of the Century
Outstanding!Israel & New Breed: A Deeper Level
Not bad for a boy from a small village just outside LeicesterDemon Days: Gorillaz
Groovy, Funny, Clever. I bet Damon was good at collages at Art School. (****)Green Day: American Idiot
Who says insightful can't rock? (****)Doves: Some Cities
Just let the sound bang around inside your head for a while - great! (****)Lakewood Church: We Speak to Nations
I don't listen to much recorded worship music - but this is great! (*****)James Taylor: October Road
Some of the best BVs ever recorded! (****)Snow Patrol: Final Straw
Good old rock and roll with some 21st century production magic. Best line, "if it looks like it works and it feels like it works then it works." (****)Nitin Sawhney: Prophesy
Social comment, social observation and something to say to the global village. Musically a fusion of India, flamenco and urban soul (and it works!). (*****)Athlete: Vehicles and Animals
Better than the new album (which is also good). (****)Muse: Sing for Absolution
Lots of notes and they're all good! (****)
Other Stuff
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Kingdom Notes
For all School of the Word students, there is now a link below right called "School of the Word Notes" where you can get the long promised notes! The link will open a forum where you can access notes and leave any comments or messages relating to the course.
You can also get there by clicking here.
Blogging's better than Facebook?
Apologies for such a long absence. 2 weeks in France and a look of DIY are 2 of the reasons, the other is Facebook! Things are well in the Ling house, thanks for asking!
Having recently signed up to Facebook, and spending the first couple of weeks working out what on earth it was for, I have now been sucked in (especially because you can play scrabble online with friends!).
So is this current new wave of internet development (social networking) a good or bad thing? Well communication on the whole would seem to me to be a good thing: we do it because we are made in God's image - one of the first things the Bible tells us about God is that he is a communicator, "And God said..."
Also, as social networking (in a large part) is about been more intimately (or at least frequently) involved in the lives of people you know, there does seem to be elements on true koinonia in these virtual meeting places.
So I shall persist with Facebook (and maybe others) so long as it serves the King and his community and my part in it. PLUS - if you sign up you can see me 'oliday photos!
A Little Bit of Politics
I've just taken a test on political compass which says that I inhabit the Left-Libertarian quadrant of the political compass [Economic Left/Right: -4.50, Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.21 to be precise]. My nearest neighbour in that quandrant is Nelson Mandela - the person I seem furthest from is George W Bush!
Why not take the test yourself? I tried to answer the questions with the attitude of seeking first the Kingdom; but is my understanding of the Kingdom of God the only, or even major influence on my world-view? Let me know how you scored (if you dare!).
The Spiritual Power of Music?
On Sunday afternoon I caught a Radio 4 programme about music and spiritual experience in the Christian, Jewish and Muslin traditions.
As a firm believer in the spiritual nature of music, as something created by God to better enable mankind to relate to and communicate with him, I found it very interesting!
You can listen to it here.
Free Books
In yesterday's post I included a link to a site where A. A. Allen's book could be downloaded. Having had a further look, there are a number of interesting books available there to download for free as their copyright has expired.
Obviously I cannot personally recommend all the books there, but there are a few well known authors and interesting titles. The site is here and I will add the link to the sidebar for future reference!
Take That Are Back and Good!
I turned the radio in the kitchen on this morning and found that the baby-sitter had left it tuned to Radio One (thanks for cleaning the kitchen Jen!). I was about to turn over to Five-Live when I heard that Take That were going to be on in a few minutes for the first ever play of their new single. Now this is more than just a few nostaglic arena dates to an audience of 30-something women (my wife is still miffed that we didn't go!) - this is real new music.
The single ("Patience") is great - confirming my long held opinion that Gary Barlow is just about the best pop writer in the world. My admiration of Take That stems from having been commissioned to arrange a 15 song medley of Take That songs about 12 years ago - perfect pop in my opinion.
Anyway, I'm sure that the single will be played wall to wall and quite possibly be Christmas number 1 - listen out for the Strawberry Fields reference in the final pre-chorus.
For Christian song-writers, including worship song-writers, listen to the melody and harmonisation of the chorus and ask yourself, "why is that a great chorus?" - and when you get some insight, use those ideas!
Better Than The Original?
I found this link on Jonathan Cooper's Blog. I think it's funny!
Ladies (and guys!), how big is yours?
New (Old) Bible Translation
Well this 150 year-old bible translation is new to me, the Ferrar Fenton Bible. It is kind of available on line in the form of PDFs with scans of the pages - a little cumbersome!
I plan to speak on "The Song of the Well" this Sunday and came across this translation in my research. Anyone heard of it before?
The Old Ones are the Best - Part 2
CHH stuck this link in a comment on the previous post. It's a presentation I did a few years back on being a MAN.
Check it out!
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