Filed under: MUSIC
Sit back and appreciate – that’s all there is to it!
"Before you turn you back on Jesus, look at HIS!"
Along time a go, in a previous blog, I vented about how I had a problem with ‘Christian’ t-shirts. Not alot has changed, but the venom resurfaced when being at Frenzy when I say some of the Tees that were being sold/worn.
Not only do I get upset by it because my faith means so very much to me and I hate to see it misrepresented by poorly designed t-shirts, but i love t-shirts too and it isn’t fair to them.
It is important that I point out I owned ‘Christian’ tees in the past. Two. One I got bought by my parents, when for some reason the decided all their kids needed to be kitted out in some kinda Jesus clobber?! It was like the Shorty’s skate logo but with Jesus rather than a skateboard. The other was a present, it said Upsidedown Kingdom on it and not alot else – eternally confusing in it’s blandness!
Despite discussions of the quality of design or what they say my main question is why bother. Why wear something with a bible verse on or a picture of Jesus bleeding on it – surely we are called to Love people and live as Christ lived, not simply wear a tee that tells of what he did – even if it looks cool or the slogan sounds witty.
Again I am uncomfortable with something that labels itself Christian yet does its upmost to be that in practice. Can it be a christain tee if it is not ethical? This is a question I asked the folks at Religious T-shirts , producers of possibly my least favourite tee in the world apart from this one. Since emaling them last Monday they havn’t had the inclination to reply to me yet. I will keep you up to date with any reply!
But to answer my question the guys at Cotton Sermon had something of worth to say about the hope they have for their tees. “It’s about making a statement, and about being proud to say it.Maybe you’ll start a conversation, maybe you’ll get someone thinking. Or maybe, it just helps you remember what you’re all about.” It is also refreshing to hear that they ensure that their Tees are pesticide free, organic and sweat shop free in their production.
My adoration of good t-shirts is deep and true and the real gold standard of T-shirts is THREADLESS. Not simply produced by a team of designers, Threadless is a community that invite one and all to take part in the production. Anyone can design a tee and submit it and anyone can then vote on it to be made or just give freedback of how they think it could be made better. In the end the most popular designs get made and the designer get a cut, their own tee and more free tee’s besides! AND their t-shirts are superb!
I urge you go have a look, vote on a tee, submit a slogan or buy one. Have a look at the slogans I have submitted here and show no suprise that none have been made into actual tees.
Honourable Mentions for other quality Internet based Tee-shirtery
80’s Tees , Busted Tees and Snorg Tees
So back to you in, what do you think about faith and clothing, do they or should they fit?
Or simply what is your favourite t-shirt? Mine has Polar Bears on!
Filed under: CHURCH, FAITH, MUSIC, YOUTH WORK | Tags: Dave Crowder, FRENZY, FUEL, Third Day
When I say Frenzy you might think I refer to Hitchcocks 1972 neck-tie-murderer movie or the cassette-tape-robot from Tranformers.
..either that of UKs largest one day Christian Music Festival that is now four years old.
Over 7,000 punters turned out to the Highland Centre to appreciate Dave Crowder Band, Third Day, Parachute Band and others you may or may not have heard of spread over 3 stages with burger vans a plenty and an indoor market place with a real menagerie of stalls. As expected I really enjoyed Dave Crowder, Third Day and heard folk like ‘The Band with No Name’ and Parachute band for the first time – Good day all enjoyed it.
BUT
What’s the point.
Is this an even to appreciate Band’s who are Christians and the music they play or is it a Worship event or is it, in my, opinion something more mixed up and directionless in the middle.
If Frenzy describes itself as a Christian Music festival, what about it is Christian, the festival itself, the music that is played, the people who play it or the people who listen.
As Rob Bell writes the word Christian “is a great noun and a poor adjective.”
Some of the the things I saw at at Frenzy I didn’t think were very Christian;
- No recycling, despite the help Christian Aid offered to organise this, resulting in tonnes of waste from one day.
- No option to eat fair-trade, organic or even healthily – burger vans aplenty and a crepe van…not good enough.
- Stalls selling T-shirts that are labelled Christian but are anything but – “God doesn’t believe in Athiests”, what a load of arse! (I will some back to the ‘Christian’ Tee thing, it really does get to me.
I think this is part of a double standard that we sell to young people or the other folk that come to Frenzy – that as Christians we shouldn’t conform to the culture of the world “but be transformed by the reknewing of the mind.”
In doing this I think we not only need to question and challenge the culture of the world, but the culture of Christianity, especially when it is so heavily influenced by the worlds culture. In hearing people describe FRENZY as a Christian T in The Park I was thinking ‘Why does Christianity have to have a T in The Park, or recreate it is a ‘Christian’ way?’ Before T we felt no need for something like this so why can FRENZY not be FRENZY and concentrate on how it can follow Christ in doing that rather than striving to be a ‘Christian’ version of something it can’t possibly match in scale or popularity. We as Christians hold very different values to the world so should measure what we do in a very different way.
Maybe the bigger question is why do we as Christians try to create this counter culture, how much is down to wanting to create a safe environment, or one with Christian values?
Are we worried that young people (or any people) will be hurt by the culture of of the world or that they will like ‘the world’ better that what Christians, church and God has to offer?
Does this not reflect how insecure we are, that we undermine God. Can we not still experiance God at as concert of a band who are either not playing music about Jesus, or don’t follow Jesus themselves. Do we not trust that young Christians cannot make the choice to follow Christ over sex, drugs and rock and roll.
I, as a Christian, as a youth worker, want to encourage young people to grow and develop a faith that is something more than a church or a youth group committment and I can’t see how creating a Christian bubble for young people will help that, expecially when they grow up and move away.
I also think that with Norn Ireland copying the FRENZY idea with FUEL, that we need to think about what we are doing, how we are spending our time and our money with events of all sorts for our sake and the sake of the young people we might work with.
I welcome all you have to say and wonder around all of this. The pros and cons of FRENZY itself and the question of culture. Come and join the discussion, please and thank you!
It’s becoming a habit, but not a good one like drinking or spinning around’ til you fall down…I was at the Opera again.
29th of May – Manon at the Theatre Royal. Scottish Opera really excell at their stage production and costume design, I saw a little when I went on a look round their Warehouse HQ and the cracked mirror back drop that shifted and changed from scene to scene was excellent.
BUT
The story, the heart of what was going on, the Story of Manon Lescaut was laughably absurd. The music with undertones of the Imperial March from Star Wars show that Massenet did in fact travel forward in time and steal ideas from John Williams. Yet the music all seems a bit of a waste when the principal character is so mind-numbingly tiresome. Her lack of direction didn’t push the plot forward just frustrate me.
But as a night I did enjoy it, for the music, the atmosphere, the visuals and the satisfaction of understanding some of what they were saying in french (a man had lost his hat and then a lady had lost her bird!)
With Scottish Opera trying hard to win over a younger audience (£10 tickets for anywhere n the house) it is well worth it, at least to try and see. Part of me is even thinking if I could tempt some of The LOUNGE to go sometime, for something different to do, rather than pizza and bowling!?
This will be an easy blog post to write as it has an agenda, a very clear one. To tell you about Invisible Children.It will also be an easy post for you to read, just follow the steps.
Step 1: If you already know what Invisible Children is, and are in the middle of telling as many people as you know about it, are already writing your own posts on it and are planning to go to the RESCUE, then you are sorted.
Step 2: If you do not know what Invisible Children and/or The RESCUE is about answer me this question;
Did you know that Christmas Day 2008 in the Democratic Republic of Congo 620 people were massacred and 160 children abducted to be child soldiers by the ‘Lord’s Resistance Army’ . At the time neither did I.
Then I watched the Invisible Children documentry ‘The RESCUE’, which tells of how the LRA, under the leadership of Joseph Kony, have destroyed the lives and communities and the future of many young Africans in Uganda, the DRC and southern Sudan. It also tells the hope-story of how 3 young californians changed this situation but there is still so much to be done!
Step 3: Go to http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/ and spend the 35 mins watching the movie to see what i’m talking about and understand why I fully intend to spend the night of 25th April outside in Princes Street Gardens.
I hope to make a change with my life and this is just one way I might be able to!
Step 4: Join us, sign up, come along the 25th, email the media, famous people, help to bring justice to the hundreds of child soldiers who are unseen, forgotten and invisible.
There is a hope to affect international political opinion- this is a global event – this is something that I feel strongly that many of us should be involved in!
Please go and watch!
This could easily turn into a rehash of eater talks but no, simply some Easter Themed movie fun. Ever the fan of a good list I am going to share two with you.
2. 20 Greatest Movie Resurrections
And why is there more flipping Mr Jingles and Doc Brown than Jesus Christ – cos in the flipping big Jesus movie ‘The Passion’ Mr Gibson wasn’t so fussed on the actual victory of Easter rather than the gory prelude!
Have a very beautiful Easter folks!
Filed under: MUSIC
Have you heard of Emmy the Great? I like her music. It’s really great! Also though the video doesn’t necessarilyvisually amazing it reflects the songs imagination and heart. And it is a very very good song!
If it’s your thing Happy St Patrick’s day and do your best celebrating the life of the man who did so much in spreading the Christian Faith through the island of Ireland by wearing a plastic green bowler hat and getting drunk on alchohols or whatever it is you young people do…
In the spirit of alternative celebrations Empire have put together a list of the very best cinematic Patricks. My very favourite Patrick is Pat Roach the big guy who beats on Indiana Jones before expiring in a problematic propellor face interface!
According to the site ‘Lovetoknow Teens‘ finding great youth group names is important. For me names of groups have raised many different issues in my thinking not simply because I can’t do it. In my spiritual gift inventory the skill of ‘using puns or acronyms to create a good youth group name’ is missing. I know, how can i possibly be a good youth worker then.
The history of my relationship with youth group names can be traced back to the ‘Sunday School’ and the ‘Friday Bible Club’; simple ‘does what it says on the tin’ kinda names. As I grew up things changes, I started Grammar School and was old enough to go to the ‘Krypt’. Due to the youth room in our church being kinda-maybe-a bit under the church halls it was called the ‘Krypt’ , also it was cool (crimes against spelling were acceptable then, it was the mid 90’s- just think Limp Bizkit)!
When I started working at Robroyston there was the name of MudfYR (Ministry under development for youth in Robroyston) but it was hardly used by anyone and never by the young people themselves. We spent time as a group trying to think of a name but with no flashes of inspiration we left it nameless. As a result it was simply called the youth group or ‘Chris and the teenagers’, which I objected to on the ground that I felt it patrionising and made us sound like a 50’s rock and roll band.
The group remained without a name for two years until we were sitting in the Botanic Gardens and the girls expressed how fed up they were with just being called the young people. “We should be called something like…Lightning!” That was it, the group had a name that stuck and was accepted by all. A lightning strike adorned our hoodies, the girls became the lightningettes and we adopted the rallying cry of “Lightning Away!” (which I had to do in church before leaving for bible class). We talked about getting Lightning Power rings, colour coded costumes, battle robots and a Lightning cave, but the budget didn’t permit.
Now in Maxwell Mearns names are an issue. The Youth Council felt the old names for the groups were getting tired and we should ask the young people for ideas for new ones. The didn’t have any, were they lacking imagination, do they not care, or does it not really matter as much as ‘Lovetoknow Teens’ think. There was one suggestion for a new name for the Lunch Club that we run from one young volunteer. “How about ‘The Cybernetic Lunchtime orgy of fun’?”…being a stick in the mud I said no…he tried again “How about ‘The Cybernetic Lunchtime orgy of fun and religion’?”
The group at Robroyston grew in many ways even though it lacked a name, but the title of Lightning added something even though the name had no signifigance to why the group existed or what it was. I think some names are utterly crap that only serve to undermine what the group is with the clumsy use of acronyms- but Lightning could be critiques similarly too. ‘Lovetoknow Teens’ says that “unique names can be a fun way to identify the group and may be enticing to others in the community.” Would a name alone really make a young person come, and in the same way does it not have the same power to turn a young person off to the group before they even go?But the will a group lack a real sense of identity if it has no name? Or despite it being one of the first things young people learn about the group are there far more important things we should be concerning ourselves with like making the group a community and a sanctuary for the young people who come.
I searched the webternet for different youth group names and simply it was not a good exercise as I aspire to be less judging through Lent. On youthpastor.com there is a list of 11,734 different youth group names.
My first question was how did anyone involved in youth work have the time or energy to compile such a list?
My second question was why, why, why would you name you youth group;
C.O.P.Y.C.A.T.S. Cathedral Of Praise Youth Christians Actively Terrorizing Satan
or
Moffett Mafia Making You an Offer You Can’t refuse John 3:16 Moffett Baptist Church
or
Delray Christian SS Delray Christian Youth Groups Secret Service We are called to serve! Delray Christian Church
The answer is probably because they liked it, it describes the group in some way and might help the young people take ownership of the group, which can often be difficult. I still maintain that using SS in your youth groups name will not make people think Secret Service initially.
What makes a good youth group name then? Is it that important?
And in your past experiances which names have stuck with you, for good or bad reasons?
It’s been over a week since, but I still felt it was worth writing about all the same. Displaying the pretence that I have some element of culture about me I took Lady Kim to the Opera…almost. We went to see the New York Met’s production of Madama Butterfly but not in New York. It may be news to you as it was to me, but CineWorld Glasgow do special Live showings in HD of the Met Opera.
Having never experiances Opera apart from through watching Bugs Bunny (What’s Opera Doc I think it’s called) so I was worried not simply that I wouldn’t like it but that I’d find some way to display my complete ignorance of the whole opera ’scene’ I like movies, movies often not known for their intellectual value. I wasn’t sure that was compatable with the opera. The works of Romero and Piccini aren’t often compared.
I like it. Not loved it, not that far- but far from loathing it or being so indifferent that I fell asleep. The overacting that I expected simply wasn’t there, the language barrier was broken by subtle use of subtitles and most of all visually it was stunning. It’s string use of colour reminded me of House of the Flying Daggers but it’s a given that there was a lack of martial arts in the opera.
Didn’t see that coming, I don’t mind opera. But deep down I know in my heart it would be made that much better by the inclusion of a slow motion shoot out and Nazi Zombies. Et vous, big fans of the opera?
