Having watched Question Time on Thursday, I would like to add my voice to the Ian Hislop For Director General campaign. I’m not altogether sure I’d want him there, but I can’t think of anyone better, and the campaign could be fun.

I’ve also decided that should I ever actually get round to switching to a more advanced blogging tool, it won’t be Pivot. Blogger is great because of it’s easy update anywhere functionality. Pivot doesn’t appear to work with IE5/Win and, as someone who’s been stuck on Windows 95 for the last week and a half, I’d find that somewhat frustrating.

I was at the second of the CU’s new Brink events last night and I picked up a flyer for UCCF’s Life project. It quoted the New Living Translation of John 3:18, which I’d never seen before. I was somewhat surprised as it seemed somewhat different from the NIV, and to directly contradict 2 Corinthians 5:10, and I’d always thought of UCCF as an organisation of reasonably sound theology. Cross referencing with Bible Gateway, though, it seems that it’s a fairly common interpretation… Just something I thought was interesting.

I can’t decide whether Lost in Translation is beautiful but sad, or sad but beautiful. Either way it’s the funniest film I’ve seen with Anna Faris in it.

A few people recently have asked me why Bradford? Every time I’ve started with the story of how I wanted to go to Bournemouth and study computer animation, how I didn’t get in, how I took a year out to apply again, how I nearly went to Cumbria College of Art, how I was attracted by the more diverse course here and how Simon persuaded me that Bradford was a good place to be. A string of coincidence and bad judgement.

Of course, in reality, that had nothing to do with it. God bought me here because he had plans for me, and I realise that now. It sounds so much more exciting that way. Perhaps I should think about the way I tell my story.

For the present, I’m staying right here in Ephesus. A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. (There is also mushrooming opposition.)

1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (The Message)

If I’m terrified of jellyfish, does that mean I should dive into infested waters?

I’ve been trying to think of things I might like to do next year if I don’t re-stand. So far I’ve come up with two ideas:

1. Receive, and put to good use, giftings in prophecy and intercession so that I might be used by God to speak His will for Bradford into fruition,
2. Feed the hungry, give drinks to the thirsty, invite strangers into my home, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit those in prison.

Preferably I’d like to do both.

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Joel 2:28

OK, apart from a few issues with the style sheet, I think I’ve fixed everything I broke in yesterday’s reorganisation. I know I promised an update to the amd FAQ last June but, to be honest it's not something I really have time for anymore.

I want to try and get at least some of the remaining problems dealt with tonight, but in the meantime the IRC Bible and the Brick Testament are a couple of interesting Bible “translations” that I don’t think I’ve linked to before.

So I should have thought of putting this up here when I first got it last week…

Will you take the day off on Monday 23 February this year and come to central London for SPEAK’s annual Day of Action?

We are mobilising people to pray and campaign for an end to government support and promotion of the arms trade. The day will include a rally, a procession and a huge symbolic prayer action outside the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO). This is a government agency in the Ministry of Defence responsible for marketing and promoting UK arms exports overseas on behalf of companies. DESO often pushes arms sales in extremely volatile situations and to countries engaged in bloody conflict, such as India and Pakistan. All this comes at cost to the taxpayer of £16 million every year!

Our aim is to have 600 people there to match the number of people employed worldwide by DESO. For the prayer action we will be kneeling in a makeshift war trench to pray and stand in the gap on behalf of the land and repent of the bloodshed caused by UK arms exports (Ezekiel 22v 30). We see this as the perfect opportunity to put SPEAK’s radical ethos into practice and combine campaigning, prayer, sharing our hope in Jesus, and repentance for our nation’s sins.

We want to model a different way of campaigning that comes out of hearts of love for Jesus and others, be they victims of British arms exports, or DESO employees. Together we can bring a clear and powerful message of peace to our government, the public and the media, that we do not want our taxes to be spent helping DESO to fuel conflict worldwide.

It promises to be an exciting and creative prophetic action. Please book the day off now if you can! What would be even more amazing is if you could invite some friends - just forward this e-mail on. We need lots of help from God and you to get 600 people along, so let us know if you can help mobilise more people.

When?	Monday 23 February, 9.45am - 4pm
Where?	Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2.
How?	Pledge to be there on the website, or by contacting Beccie (020 7249 4309; beccie@speak.org.uk). You’ll need a packed lunch and to wear black clothes for the procession.
More information	www.speak.org.uk

Thanks so much for thinking and praying about this. I really hope that you can be there.

God bless

PS - SPEAK’s annual gathering, Soundcheck, exploring God’s heart for justice is happening the weekend before this (20-22 February 2004) in London. It’s always an inspiring time and it would be great to see you there as well.

Landslides happen when small stones start to move - David Alton

A friend has leant me some CDs of music by Keith Green. I’d never heard of him before, but it made me smile. I wasn’t quite prepared for the joyfulness of it.

A quick google for information on him led me to an article by his wife. It’s not an issue I’d ever given much thought to before, and it certainly didn’t make me smile, but it seemed worth linking to anyway.

Richard Kirkcaldy has posted a list of some recent search strings that found his site. I’ve never paid that much attention to that section of my stats (almost everyone who finds me through a search engine comes by way of the amd FAQ), but he inspired me to take a look. Apparently someone found me this week by typing in belle and sebastian jesus Christians. I assume this cropped up because of my post on 29^th December, though I’m quite surprised that was enough to actually get me found.

Still, feeling curious, I went and entered that phrase into Google. I did turn up, but about three pages down. Half way down the first page of results was Stuart Murdoch’s diary on the official Belle and Sebastian web site (basically a blog, of sorts). The entries from around Christmas and New Year give about as good an answer to my questions as I guess one could hope for. So, thank you, whoever made that search, and I hope you found it too.

I heard a talk at a SPEAK event once on the phases though which the modern church has passed, and into which it needs to pass in order to be effective. I don’t remember anything that was said, except for that one of the phases was characterised by large scale worship events. Now, large events, such as last night’s Prayer for Bradford Prayer and Praise meeting at Bradford Cathedral, are all very well, but there is one major problem. When the event ends the crowds disperse, and head back into the world, and to their home churches. Everyone is fired up, and wants some way of putting their faith into action. This, also, is great. The problem is that as a church we have forgotten what it means to live by faith. No-one knows how to put their faith into action. I’m praying now that God will continue to use me for something dramatic. The worst thing I could imagine, after this week, would be that I slip back into a routine whereby it is not faith that I live by.

I don’t really know how to sum up the last week. I have been privileged enough to witness some of the most incredible things, both in the prayer room and out in the city. Here are just a few:

• Old men who’ve spent their lives in Bradford crying over how the city has been destroyed over generations,
• People repenting of their part in bringing the city down,
• The innocent prayers of young children, asking for things adults would never dream of,
• People praying for the return of a world renown to Bradford,
• People prophesying of Bradford renown as a beacon of God’s glory in the world,
• Amazing ministries receiving facilities desperately needed, but which it didn’t seem possible for them to obtain,
• A divided church working together for God’s kingdom,
• Unbelievable potential for more work,
• And best of all, faith that it will go forward.

I’ve been trying to work out whether in 2 Corinthians 2:3-11 Paul is refereing back to chapters 5 and 6 of his previous letter. It would have been very helpful if the people who complied the Bible had put in an appendix of letters to Paul. One day I’ll get a comments system that allows people to leave thoughts on things like this but, for now, please let me know if you have any any idea.

If you’re in Bradford and you’ve not been to the 24-7 prayer room yet, do try and get down there before Wednesday. Directions are in last Thursday’s post. Coming up the hill, it’s about half way up on the left hand side.

Last night I was trying to make some upgrades to my computer, but I ran into a few problems and until I can get hold of some extras my reinstall is going to have to wait.

Somehow the chain of links I was following about replacement power supplies led me to 101 Ways to Save the Internet. I’ve not been following the American election primaries, so I’d never heard of Howard Dean (mentioned in number 70) before. Apparently the nature of his campaign has made him very popular with bloggers. I’m not about to take any kind of position regarding him, as I’ve read only enough to know that I disagree with him on several issues I consider quite important.

What was more interesting was an article by Jim Wallis that I came across when I followed a link about why Dean is the only candidate Christians should vote for. The article, Dangerous Religion, discusses George W. Bush’s belief that he is on a mission from God, and how he appears to have confused Christ with America. Some of the quotes cited in this article (particularly the one from Bush’s speech on September 11^th 2002) should be exceedingly worrying to any Christian, and Wallis’ assertion that they could be considered blasphemous seems something of an understatement.

24-7 is now well under way. I came home the best part of two hours ago. I was going to stay a bit longer, but someone offered me a lift home and the whole night was covered, so I figured that this way I can go back earlier in the morning and still get stuff done tomorrow. I was going to update with some informational stuff about it in the morning, but I’ve got to tell the world how great it is now (I know only about three of you are reading, but I’ll tell you). If you want to go in at all, it’s at the North Wing Building on North Wing. The building’s not very obvious but it’s only a short road. Turn up on the hour and someone should be there to let you in. They might want to know your name and church before they let you into the building.

It’s Amazing. Unbelievable. God is fantastic! And I know that’s obvious. So often I’m still unprepared for just how amazing, but not as unprepared as I was this evening. I’m blown away by everything: God’s provision, His ability to follow through His plan, the amazing transformation of the building since last week, the people he’s used, the number of people who were there, even the way walking there seemed so much safer and totally protected just because of the blanket of pure beautiful white God had laid over Bradford.