Why can't we all just be friends?

I was listening to National Radio before.  They were talking about how well Art Galleries around the country work together to make sure that when they put in the effort to curate an exhibition, it can travel around and everyone can benefit.

They plan stuff together years in advance, and everyone adapts their own calendar and programme for the greater good.

Why can't Christians do the same sort of thing?

Hmmm...

The profound irony of "self", is that it can only be defined with reference to others.

News Flash: AUS-ITA ref fired

Wynton Rufer was on National Radio this morning, and HE said that FIFA's technical advisory committee had reviewed the controversial 95th minute penalty in Australia's second round matfch with Italy, and decided it was an absolute shocker. That ref has ref'd his last international after being sacked by FIFA.

Still, cold comfort for all you Aussies out there.

Slashdot | Internet Deconstructing State Church in Finland

Slashdot | Internet Deconstructing State Church in Finland: "'Freethinkers of the city of Tampere, who advocate separation of state and church in Finland, created a Web site in 2003 to assist people in resigning from the church. The Web site soon became a big success in Finland. 39% of all resignations in 2004 went through the web site and 69% of all resignations in 2005. In the same process 22% more people resigned from the church in 2005 than in 2004. The most common reason cited for resigning from the church has been saving church income tax (1.3% on average).'"

While I would strongly advocate for a portion of everyone's income tax to go directly to my bank account (leave a comment if you'd like to do this voluntarily), it seems a bit sad that people have become so apathetic about the institutionalised church that their main reason for leaving is financial.

Still, 22% increase in people leaving the church? Makes you feel a bit better about the good ol' PCANZ don't it :)

I dunno, what do you think?

The Edge: Rory huge influence on my life

Breaking news over at www.u2.com...

Well, it's taken long enough for him to admit it, and I'm just glad that he's finally been able to share this with the world.  Although, he's left me in the cold for years now...

...it cuts pretty deep pal.

Is the World Cup ruining my life?

Maybe, but what a way to go!

Every four years I'm hooked.  The best game so far is either Cote D'Ivoire vs. Serbia-Montenegro, or Croatia vs. Australia.  For me the Aussie game just pips it because of the sheer drama of it all, with the Socceroos qualifying for the 2nd round for the first time.  They square up against the fancy-schmancy Italians tomorrow.  Go you Aussies!  Trans-Tasman rivalry be-damned.

Those dirty thugs the Portuguese were mean to my beloved Dutch team this morning.  Bastards.  They should have all been sent off.  I suppose that at least the Dutch softened them up for the English.

So who will win from here?  Far from clear.  I was Argentina all the way after the group stage, but they truly sucked against Mexico.  Spain?  Can they get past the crappy boring (Thierry Henry excepted) French?  Will the Brazilians bore us to death by looking like they're playing really badly and still winning everything easily? Maybe Ghana will surprise us all.

Go the Black Stars!

World Cup wall chart

Maybe I should have bought a crappy sports magazine, but for the lazy, the BBC have made available your very own wall chart.
Here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/spl/hi/football/06/worldcup/pdf/wallchart.pdf

Cup overflowing?

Well, the last few weeks have been a real rollercoaster.

It turns out my dad has something called large cell non-hodgkins lymphoma. It's cancer. It's aggressive. He has two tumours, one 192mm long, the other 176mm.


He goes into hospital next week to get a bone-marrow biopsy and to start chemotherapy. The doctors say there's about a 50% chance of remission, including a 30% chance of complete recovery. Apparently that's really good.

But it's still 50/50.

The glass half full part of me is excited that when the chemo works the tumours will shrink away to nothing. Meanwhile the glass half empty part of me wonders what the other 50% means.


Anne and Mart have been suggesting that as followers of Christ we are called to leave empty and full behind to become cup overflowing people. I'm attracted and exhilarated by this alternative reality, and it feels more real than the binary dimensions we're ordinarily limited to. But I'm still struggling to make sense of it.

What does it mean to have my cup overflowing as my father approaches a sick, gruelling fight for life that is by no means a foregone conclusion?