Remarcable World

Big enough to make mistakes...

2011-08-11T09:24:00.003Z

I'm big enough to make mistakes.

I know I am, because it happens semi-regularly.

But my real size is seen in how I react when I make mistakes.

And I have been found to be a small man.

I have been humbled by the bigger man, the one that my mistake and the thoughts behind it hurt.

Next time, I want to be that bigger man, and not be overshadowed by the mistakes I make.

Further to that, I will remember wisdom:

"For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths."

Proverbs 5:21

Not Religious Enough...

2011-08-08T13:47:00.004Z

I walked into Shawlands to get some lunch, and as I walked in, I found myself following a Muslim guy who looked to be about my age. Normally this wouldn't grab my attention in the slightest. Ten years ago when I lived in sleepy Suffolk, where the demographic of the population was so predominantly white, then he may have caught my attention, but in Shawlands?

So what was it that caught my attention, I hear you ask?

It's not that I've been watching so much 24 and other such programmes that I was on edge, and it wasn't out of some racial or prejudicial reasons. It was the fact that he appeared to be talking to himself.

I didn't understand what he was saying, but I got what he was doing. He was talking to his God, whilst walking down the street. He was speaking audibly with the object of his worship. I could hear the passion and the desire in his voice, in a tongue that I didn't understand. And every time he got to the end of one cycle of his prayer, he clicked the counter that was in his hand and started again. He went through 5 cycles in the short period I was following him. And then we went our separate ways.

What did I do on my walk into Shawlands? I made phone calls, sent text messages and emails, I window-shopped, I people-watched, and then I felt guilty.

I have always been proud that I am a Christian, saved by God, and loved by the maker of all. I have always loved that Christianity is about relationship, and not about religion. I am saved not because I follow certain rules, and do certain things, but because I am loved.

Today's conviction? I'm not religious enough. God calls for us to be in relationship with him, and to live with him, love him, and love others. But he gave me religion and routine so that I could spend time with him. He gave me practices so that I can better my relationship with him. He gave me prayer and worship and music and time, so that I can give them all back to him.

I wasted a walk.

I will be more religious...

Potential...

2011-06-09T11:07:00.005Z

"I could've been..."

I look back at life and think of all the things I could've been.

I could've been a teacher, teaching Maths, RE or PE.

I could've been a drummer in a rock band.

I could've been a more than proficient ballroom dancer.

I could've been anything I wanted to be!

And then I look back at all the things that I could've been.

I could've been lost.

I could've been forgotten.

I could've been left to my own devices.

I could've been unhappy.

I could've been lonely.

"I am..."

I look at what I have, where I am, and who I am and smile.

I am a youth worker and I work with amazing young people every day.

I am part of a church (and a Church) that has a passion and a drive to see God impacting the lives of the people around it.

I am a son, brother, husband and friend.

I am part of something bigger.

I am saved.

Ultimately I realise that:

I am alive! But more than that, I know true life.

I am happy! But more than that, I know true Joy.

I am content! But more than that, I know true peace.

I am loved and in love! But more than that, I know true love.

I am in Christ.

I am because people spent time investing in me, and could see what I could become.

I am because God deemed me worth being.

I am because people told me and showed me that I am worth being.

I am because I belong, because I was welcomed and encouraged.

I am ...

"I will be..."

This is where it gets harder.

I don't know what will happen, and I don't know how I will change. I don't know what will shape me into the person I am yet to become. But there are some things I am promising to be.

I will be one of those people who invests in people.

I will be one of those people who builds people rather than breaks them.

I will be one of those people who shows God.

I will be one of those people who tells of God.

I will be someone who welcomes and encourages.

I will be someone who seeks to help people belong.

I will be someone who be different.

I will be more of the person I can be.

I will help others be everything that they can be.

I will live because I am saved, not because I want to be saved.

I will be one of those people who surround the throne in Revelation giving the Glory to the Lamb and I will be singing a new song.

I will be greeted as a "good and faithful servant".

I will be amongst friends.

If you were one of these people to me, Thank you.

If you want to be one of these people to me, because I am but I can be so much more, Thank you.

I had potential, and people saw it. I had potential, and people helped me to reach it.

I want to continue to reach my potential, I want to be the best me I can be, and I want to see others reach theirs.

Join me?

"Basking..."

2011-05-26T12:10:00.003Z

This word has crossed my lips too many times this week not to blog about it.

I do it in the warm glow of the TV, as I absorb everything it throws at me.

I do it when I'm listening to music as I let the words, melody and harmonies wash through me.

I did it this week when I saved the penalty that helped my team win our last 5-a-side match, because there was a sense of victory about it.

I do it when people tell me how much they like or enjoy something I have done, because I did it and I am pleased with it.

I do it in the sun, in an attempt to look like I've been somewhere hot and to give me a different colour, giving people the impression I've been on holiday somewhere nice.

I do it a lot.

But I don't spend long enough doing it when I should, or where I should, or in the presence of the One I should.

When was the last time I basked in the "glow" or the glory of God, in His radiant presence, absorbing everything that He throws at me?

When was the last time I let the Holy Spirit wash over me and through me, His words, melody and the harmonies of His music?

When was the last time I basked in the victory of Christ and his power of death, the one victory that changes everything?

When was the last time I basked in the creative power of God, basked in what He has done, is doing and wants to do?

When was the last time I basked in the Son, letting Him change the colour of me, inspiring conversation as to where I have been?

I don't do it enough.

If I did, I'd be better at this life thing.

I'd be better equipped to act, because I know the way, and I know the power of the one who sends me.

I'd be more willing to trust in Him than to trust in my own way.

If I did, I'd reflect more of the Glory and Majesty of Him who is able to keep me from falling.

If I did, maybe other people would want to do the same.

I can't show people the Glory of God if I don't spent time basking in it. I can't show people how to bask in the Glow of the Son unless I learn how to do it more myself.

But it's a dangerous thing to Bask in the presence of God, and even though I want to do it more because it's exciting and God wants to take me and use me, I'm scared of getting burnt!

When we bask in God, He refines and purifies us, He melts us down and remoulds us.

The Old Testament tells that the presence of God is awesome: The radiance that emanated from the face of Moses upon meeting with God was enough to force the Israelites to their knees; Isaiah was convinced that having seen God he would surely die. And yet God still calls us into his presence. And he tells us it's going to get hot, and that we will emerge changed people.

God says in Zechariah:

This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say "They are my people," and they will say, "The Lord is our God."

And Malachi says of God:

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.

But then in the New Testament there's Paul's declaration that we are to bask in the Lord:

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

It's scary, but it's exciting. It's gonna get hot, but it's be awesome.

Often the only thing I end of showing people is the tainted, limited, faulty, false and questionable glory of Marc. All too often I'm guilty of basking in who I am, and what I've done, rather than who He is and will always be.

I'm sure I'm not the only one. Shall we try harder?

Coffee... The other "helper" sent by God

2011-05-10T12:48:00.007Z

Pentecost. That time where the Church celebrates, almost in a surprised manner, the fact that God kept his promise and sent someone to help us.

Pentecost isn't a Christian thing though. Pentecost was already there before Christians claimed it for themselves. It was a time when Jews would gather together to celebrate the fact that God had spoken to Moses, and given him the Ten Commandments, the rules by which the nation of Israel were to be governed and judged. Acts tells us that Jews from all over were gathered in this one place to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness in reaching out to and guiding his people.

During the first Pentecost after Jesus had left his disciples to return to the Father, God sent his Holy Spirit upon his followers, filling and empowering them, enabling them to do feats that were otherwise impossible, and helping them see clearer the revelation of God through scripture and through the life of Jesus. The Spirit descended on them, put a fire in their mouths and in their hearts, and helped them to communicate with the people around in words that they could understand and in an environment that they were comfortable in.

There was something different about their interaction, something that sparked inter

est, that both "amazed and perplexed" the people who were seeing what was happening.

In short, the disciples used what God had given them, and helped people come to know the living God, through the saving life of Jesus.

I know I'm bordering on blasphemy here, or maybe I've already crossed that line, but I want to suggest that coffee might be a good illustration for considering the Holy Spirit... Dare I say it, maybe even Holy Joe... And even if coffee isn't a good or acceptable analogy for the Holy Spirit, it is definitely a tool for us to use to reach out and share the Gospel.

Just like Pentecost, coffee has been around for a long time (insert joke with punchline of "Pente-Costa" here...) In itself it is a pure and perfect gift from a God who so evidently

loves us. It is a gift that people have taken, and used, and shared with the world, developing

it in varying strengths, flavours, and methods of percolation. Humanity has taken it and mixed it with other gifts given by our Father above to make a plethora of delectable treats to keep our mouths watering and our hearts beating.

(At this point it is also right to add that there are some people who have undoubtedly taken this gift and ruined or defaced it by mixing it with the fruit of the devil (banana), or removing the life-force inside it (caffeine). These people will be judged in the end-times, don't worry.)

But coffee is something that is appreciated by the masses. People already congregate together to partake in it, to converse and have their minds opened, in a search for something that will wake them up and give them drive and clarity of purpose.

Coffee, like the Holy Spirit, gives us a bit of a kick. It wakes us up, sparks us into life. Many people I know can't get up without it. What's more, coffee is addictive. The more you get, the more you want, and the more you need to satisfy your cravings and your desires.

Coffee's also supposed to stop us having to conform to the pattern of the law. The law says we need to rest, and to sleep, but coffee gives freedom, and enables us to move beyond what once held us back.

Maybe the analogy slips up when we come to the power given by coffee when compared with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lasts, and equips us with what we need to do the job, it gives us the supernatural that we might serve the kingdom. I guess the closest we get with coffee is tongues, and even then, that's before you even get your coffee! "Venti 1 pump caramel, 1 pump white mocha, 2 scoops vanilla bean powder, extra ice frappuccino with 2 shots poured over the top (apagotto style) with caramel drizzle under and on top of the whipped cream, double cupped. Venti, Non-Fat, No Foam, No water, 6 pump, extra hot, chai tea latte. tall iced coffee in a grande cup with extra ice, 3 pumps hazelnut, 2 pumps classic, an inch of non-fat milk, with a dome lid and a venti straw." !

So what do we need to do?

We need to be in the coffee shops with people, sparking conversations towards Jesus, towards the giver of life and purpose;
We need to bring our Church's coffee up to a level that shows how serious we are about wanting people to come in and have real conversations with us;
We need to get addicted again to the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are awake and alive in a the power of the almighty, ready for action and willing to "prophesy, see visions and dream dreams" and have a greater passion for people to "call on the name of the Lord to be saved";
Let's use the "helpers" God has given us.

2011 to-do's to date...

2011-04-11T09:45:00.002Z

You're as able as I am to go back and read what I've yet to do, and what I set out to do, but I thought 1/3rd of the way through the year is as good a time as any to update you on the progress...

I've read 11/30 books (Celebration of Discipline, The Hobbit, The Jungle Book, The Secret Garden, The Water Babies, Free Book, Children of the New Forest, Dangerous Wonder, Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia:Boxen, Just So Stories, and The Lost Symbol)

Many of the books I read this year will be children's classics, that I've been told everyone should read, and I never have...

14/52 films at the cinema (The Next Three Days, The Tourist, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Mechanic, True Grit, Paul, Tangled, Black Swan, The Fighter, Gnomeo and Juliet, Unknown, Rango, Source Code, and The Eagle)

Suz IS going to Colombia at the end of May/Beginning of June

I've recorded tracks for The Project, and for my brother -in-law (both of which are still being finished off)

And this is my 4th Blog of a predicted 26 of the year...

All in all, I'm ahead in some, behind in others, spot on with a few, but couldn't be happier with my year.

Guess that's what matters really...

Jesus... without the hashtag.

2011-03-28T18:26:00.004Z

#Jesus

I sometimes struggle to believe my eyes or ears.

If someone tells me something, I have to find out whether it was really true ("so there's such a thing as a tree Kangaroo you say?" I repeat as I run to Google... or, "don't be stupid, of course pineapples grow on tree!" as I check Wikipedia, knowing that if I'm wrong there might be an article that agrees with me...)

Twitter and Facebook are also brilliant sources of information: I know who's won the Grand Prix (not that I really care) almost before the driver knows they've won it themselves, I know which Z-lister is on the brink of never making it, and I know where people will be and when.

Constantly my twitter updates are questionning what's around me, asking whether it's just me, or anyone else that's having the same #Hashtag experience: "did you see that moon? #supermoon", "Can you believe the length of the queue outside the Apple store?!?! #iPadSchmiPad" or "I just high-fived [insert name of celebrity here]! #friendofthestars"

What did I do before that? How did I cope as a young person not telling the world in 140 characters that I was fitting up the entire AFC Sudbury team with suits for their trip to Wembley? How did I cope with not tweeting about getting a drum lesson of Status Quo's Geoff Rich? How did I cope?!

When I read people's tweets I find out what's happening, I find out what's important to them, I discover new things.

But it struck me the other day that Jesus worked perfectly well without a hashtag. Jesus' fame spread, and people knew where he was going, they knew what he was about. They believed what they heard without having to go to Google or Wikipedia (although maybe the pharisees had their own corrupted copies of the scriptures that acted as a fore-runner to Wikipedia... #blogworthwritinganothertime). People referred to the scriptures where they either believed the evidence or they didn't. Either way, people got excited, and people knew about Jesus.

Mary didn't tweet asking if anyone had seen Jesus before she believed... #deadmendontwalkdothey?

The blind man didn't tweet asking if what he was seeing was real before he ran off shouting about how great Jesus was... #sothatsthecolourblue!

We don't tweet about Jesus to have our faith confirmed. We tweet about Jesus to shout his fame, and to tell people he's here!

How would I cope if people stopped tweeting about God? How would I cope if people stopped telling me how great God is and the things that he's doing?

I'd cope. I have no doubts about that. I've seen enough that I believe. I've felt enough that I believe. What I mustn't do is stop proving to people why I believe. I need to keep proclaiming the Gospel, and sharing it in a constructive way.

But the most important thing is that we don't just tweet about it, but we live it. That people don't just hear or read about Jesus, that they see him.

#bloggedout

Hope...

2011-03-21T12:38:00.005Z

In fearful day, in raging night

With strong hearts full our souls ignite

When all seems lost, in the war of light

Look to the stars, for hope burns bright

What colour is hope for you? The DC universe embody the power of the emotion of Hope in their Blue Lantern Corps. I won't go into the geek-factor of this, because if you cared enough, you'd google it (unless, of course, you already have and that was what you were after in the first place, for which I apologise), yet blue makes sense to me as being the colour of hope.

Blue means a clear sky, be that the bright blue of day, or the dark blue of night, the point is you can see, there is a lack of cloud, and therefore likely a lack of rain.

Blue means a clear sea... and that makes me think holiday. It makes me think freedom, relaxation, and a chance to dream about what's to come.

Blue makes me think Scotland (or indeed Italy) both of which hold good memories and home good friends. Scotland the brave. Scotland the beautiful. Scotland the place where my current hope takes shape.

Sigur Ros' album Takk... is what hope sounds like to me. Hope is moving from the slow and the uncertain into the energetic and definite. It's catching glimpses of what's to come and the potential in life whilst building, creating, revealing and being part of something magnificent.

I don't understand the words, and my limited musical prowess can't tell you whether it's their choice of chords or what it is that inspires hope in me, yet when I listen to it, I see the world differently. I begin to see what it could be.

Whilst the colour blue and certain music might help me see the hope, the root of my hope is in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 6:13 - 20 says:

"When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek."

Hope is nothing without willpower..
What do we do with the hope we have? If we don't want hope to change us, it won't hope is nothing but dreams if we don't grab it by the horns. We know where we are going, and we know that Jesus has us covered, so like the writer of Hebrews says, we need to run with it. Hope is our anchor and will hold us firm, yet that doesn't mean we need to stand still...

Hope is selfless...
Hope goes beyond what we want for ourselves and moves us into a realm of service, a realm of love, a realm of potential fulfilled. Who is you hope impacting?

Hope can heal wounds...

Hope moves beyond pain. Hope sees the blind seeing, the deaf hearing and the lame not just walking, but dancing. Hope sees what we can be, what the people around us can be, what society and community can be. Hope sees what life can be.

Hope transforms our lives. No longer are we subject to the mundane, the ordinary and the run-of-the-mill, rather we are liberated to the mystery that is fullness of life. Jesus the high priest has healed the ultimate wounds and our lives have been transformed.

Are you fearful? Stuck in the darkness that seems to go on forever, unquenchable? Does all seem lost? Does it feel like you're running on empty? You don't have to be. God has given us a hope, and a certainty. He has given us a purpose and a will. When this is combined, we can move forwards and we can win.

I want a stronger, fuller heart. I want to overcome the darkness and be sure of the battle I am in. The following is my prayer, courtesy of DC:

In fearful day, in raging night

With strong hearts full our souls ignite

When all seems lost, in the war of light

Look to the stars, for hope burns bright

Not Resolute

2011-01-10T16:12:00.002Z

I'm not very good at the whole "new year's resolution" thing, so instead I've decided to give myself a "to-do" list rather than a "to-don't" list... positivity is always a good start!

So here are my "to-do's for 2011"...

Read 30 books...

These can be for work, or for leisure (30 seemed like a nice round number, and when I get past it in a couple of months time I'll feel really good about myself... after all that's what to-do lists are all about isn't it?!)

End the year at 13 stone...

So that involves losing a little, and keeping it off, but the real challenge behind this one is to at least try and lose the belly that is beginning to loom...

Sell a photo that's not a portrait of someone related to the person buying it...

I'm still learning how to take photo's properly, and I'm not expecting to make it to the Tate or to make a living out of it, but to be able to sell a photo or two to help charity would be nice. My main aim is to take lots, to learn how to take better, and to enjoy looking for that elusive "perfect photo".

See 52 films at the cinema...

That seems extortionate, but I have a card, and I might as well use it... 52 is only one a week after all...

See more of Scotland...

I live here, yet I've hardly scrathed the surface... I want to see more of it, and know more about where I live!

Get Suz to Colombia...

Suz is aiming to go back to Colombia this June to take part in a medical mission... In order to get her there we'll need to do some fund-raising. It could cost a lot, but it's do-able!

Write 5 songs...

I enjoy it and it keeps me sane. Again, I'm not expecting Hillsong or the likes to take what I write and turn it into the next big thing in churches, but I want to get things down on paper, and pour out my heart. If it helps others... great! If not, I'll still be worshipping!

Record some music...

This should be easy enough... (if I'm honest, I've hopefully already achieved this this year...), but there's plenty of scope to lay down more music...

Win a game of Risk...

Even playing Risk has been non-existant in my lafe for a couple of years now, so all I want to do is play and win... I know it's really all about the taking part, etc, etc yada, yada, yada... But my competitive side says I want to win.

Get 5 "Far From Dull" photo's...

One of my favouritest books is a photo book of the above title showing signposts for places with interesting names, ie "Dull", "Ginge", "Fry-up", etc. One of my goals in life is to copy this book, only with myself being photographed next to each of the place signs, and this year I want to visit at least 5 of the places.

And lastly, my ongoing aim to get into the habit of blogging and to blog 26 times this year...

Once every 2 weeks should be easy... all I need to do is keep you updated with what I'm reading, what I'm getting excited or angry about, and what my progress is on the above...

So... not necessarily resolutions, rather a to-do list...

The ultimate question is though: Will it happen?!?!

Some things children should not be taught... Others they should live!

2010-11-08T16:08:00.004Z

Agreed. There are.

Equally there are things that children should be taught.

And beyond that there are things that children should live, feel and experience for themselves.

For those of you (if anyone) who doesn't follow me on those networks of the social variety beginning with T and F yet finds yourself stumbling across my blog I should probably enlighten you to the point of the above statements.

I love Twitter because it keeps me in touch with people, and it highlights for me the articles that those who I follow are reading. This is especially good as I am not very good when it comes to current affairs, and would miss a lot if it wasn't for Twitter.

One such article that came my way today was from Friday's Guardian.co.uk:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/nov/05/christianity-preaching-children

The writer of this article is arguing that evangelical Christians are brainwashing "emotionally and intellectually vulnerable minors" through our teaching, the experiences offered by the church and Christian festivals. We, as evangelical Christians and presumably more-so as evangelical Christian youth workers, are accused of being overzealous, and emotionally blackmailing young people in our presentation of the gospel message, which, in Mr Prosser's opinion, is "highly questionable when considered soberly" and beliefs which "simply do not bear rational scrutiny." Obviously there is only so much I can do with such a literary art to tell you of its content, and therefore I suggest you read it for yourself, but what follows are my thoughts.

I asked the question "Does this article make anyone else angry?" of my youth worker friends, and before any "amen"'s were issued a wiser man than me suggested I first answer his question: What about it makes you angry?

Aside from the personal slight taken as one of these so-called evangelical Christians, particularly one responsible for working with young people, my main concern was for the disregard of young people and their ability to make decisions for themselves.

The statistics presented in the article were that 85% of Christians come to faith before the age of 23 (I myself am only 24 now...) and that the average age of conversion is 15. Whilst average ages have to mean there are some younger conversions (I was 10 and made a commitment at a week's residential), it is fair to assume that there are also older conversions. At what point in one's life does a young person become able to make up their own mind? At what point does their opinion count and are they not "vulnerable" to our "brainwashing"?

At 16 young people can legally become sexually active. At 16 they can leave school. At 17 they may drive a car. At 18 they can vote. At the age of 10 a child is deemed old enough to be held responsible for any crimes committed. The suggestion with each of these is that at each step along the way it is deemed appropriate that young people may partake in these things.

Maybe an answer that would satisfy the adherents to this article would be to use a certificate system for the Gospel akin to that used in our media industry? Jesus sliding down rainbows, playing with bunnies and going fishing may be acceptable as a "U". Jesus calming the storm, walking on water and making the blind man see might be more traumatic to younger listeners and therefore might warrant a "12A" certificate. Any hint of demons and alcohol, or more radical healings and we may have to consider a "15" rating. And of course Mel Gibson provided us with proof that the crucifixion can only be shown to those over "18". And this would work because we all know this system is not flawed in the slightest, and no child has ever seen a film deemed inappropriate for them, and certainly none of the young people in any of my groups have ever played Call of Duty... *cough cough* ...

Maybe we'd be better off going that way. After all, everything becomes so much more attractive when it is out of reach and deemed to be inappropriate for one's age-group. Maybe the 85% will become 90%...

There is no doubt in my mind about the life-changing experience and responsibility that comes with responding to the Gospel. There is no doubt int my mind that it is a serious decision that should impact the way we life, the way we are seen, the way we interact with those around us and the way we speak to others.

Yet it is also evident that unless presented with the reality of a living relationship with God, no young person is in a position to make a decision either for or against Christianity, and for that reason, I'm not going to stop telling the young people I work with about the power of God, the reality of the cross, and the importance of forgiveness. I believe that where the spirit of God moves, and the Gospel is presented, there we will see the young and the old turning to God.

Don't get me wrong, ever the pessimist even I was able to come up with some things I agreed with in Mr P's article.

Firstly, there is no way that any of us should be brainwashing minors, or indeed anyone else that could be classed as vulnerable. Secondly, we should be reinforcing the rights of our children and as humankind to free-will (it is a gift from God after all). And thirdly, the gospel should be making the world uncomfortable, it should be sparking a response, and it should provoke discussion.

In closing I'd like to point out a case of the pot calling the kettle black. He's got some cheek to slate my job as an evangelical Christian youth worker, when his as a journalist is all about impressing opinions, regardless of fact, many of which may be considered "highly questionable when considered soberly" upon people - young and old - who may be as equally "emotionally and intellectually vulnerable" as my young people.

My young people are amazing. They have a choice, and at every step along the way they know they have a choice. Some of them have decided that for them God makes sense. Others I have had tell me that they just don't see the Gospel as being possible. Others think that they're not in a position to make a decision yet.

I thank God for the likes of Soul Survivor and Audacious for being on the very front line, for having the audacity to share the Gospel in an ever-changing culture, to young people who are free, who know they are free, and respond in ways that express their freedom. And I pray for those who speak, those who lead, and those who respond, that God becomes increasingly real in their lives and ministries.

There is truth in the statement that there are some things children should not be taught. There are some things, the Gospel for one, that young people need to see lived, and to live for themselves.

Most Excellent...

2010-10-27T13:09:00.003Z

This is probably going to end up being a mini rant, but I think it's worth saying anyway.

As Christians we should excel at everything.

I'm not saying that all of us should be better than everyone else at everything we do, but what I am saying is that we have an awareness of several things:

We know what it is to be creative, as God is creative: Often I think we settle for something just because someone has spent a little time on something, or because we're too polite to point out that it's not actually as good as it could be. Whilst God accepts our heartfelt offerings, those things we do to represent him on earth need to be exceptional.
We know we work as part of a body: We don't have to be good at everything. Just because we've had an idea doesn't mean we need to be the one to implement it. I look around the Church and I realise that God has gifted each one of us to do things to serve him. He has given us strengths that compliment those of the people around us, and ultimately can be used to glorify his name and in the expansion of his kingdom. Perhaps more people in the church should stick to what they're gifted at?
We know a God who deserves the best: How awesome is our God? Whilst our salvation might not depend on our works and deeds, our worship is certainly reflected in what we do. Instead of doing a half-arsed job, we need to make sure that what we do is of superior quality to that we find in the world.

We proclaim that we try to live the best lives possible that show God to the people around us, yet how many times have you shuddered when you've heard someone professing to be a Christian, yet acting a different way? I often do the same with the things Christians produce. Sometimes I see Christians producing materials that are cringe-worthy and twee, music that makes my spine crawl, and literature that sucks. I don't want to be associated with that. I don't want Christianity to be associated with anything that is not the best.

Ultimately, if the world is offering better quality, better produced, and more attractive options than we are at Christians, then we are fighting a losing battle. If we care enough, we need to pull our fingers out and find ourselves excelling, with Christians at the top of the music, book and film charts, Christians on the front benches and in the premier league teams, and Christians opening more 5-star restaurants. Christian leaflets delivered on the streets or through the doors in our communities should be readable, not good only for lining the cat's litter tray.

For that reason, I shall not be baking cakes or arranging flowers this Sunday. Nor will I be telling the Pianist how they should be playing or directing the creche in their looking after the children. I won't be teaching the dance class, doing the accounts or doing any other jobs that I am not gifted in. I'll stick with youth work and drumming. I can do that, and I can excel at that. I'm not boasting and I'm not being lazy, I'm just declaring the gifts God has given me.

What jobs won't you be doing this week so that someone else can excel in your stead?

The Pretender...

2010-10-18T16:26:00.003Z

So at YF we've been looking at how God might be using the culture around us and our favourite music to speak to us...

Last week we listened to "The Pretender" by Foo Fighters, and what follows are the lyrics and my thoughts:

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in... again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?

I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense
Spinning infinity, but
The wheel is spinning me
It's never ending, never ending
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one.
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

In time or so I'm told
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one.
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another.
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one.
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Job 38 – 41, 42:1-6… Ever read it? God answers Job, he answers the calls, and he says I am God… and who are you to question me, or to think you know me? I did x, y, and z…. What did you do?

God has a write to ask: “Who are you” to question me?

“I’m not like the others”… that what God says… he does more, he has power, he made it all, he can do it all.

“I’m not like the others”… WE should be able to say these words too…

“You’re the pretender”… can God accuse you? Could others accuse you? Are you in a position to pull others up about pretending?

“Are you ready?”… to stop pretending?

“I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees…”

Have you heard the voice? Have you done what it says? Are you still standing, or are you on your knees? God is the voice we need to hear, the face we have to face, he is against what we do that is of the world, he is all around, he is all that is left and he is what’s right.

Iams...

2010-10-05T10:26:00.004Z

So that's me been in post for a month now... And it's been exciting, and slowly picking up pace and getting busier.

Looking at the picture as a hint towards what life has involved recently, you might be getting your hopes up that I have got that long-awaited dog, but alas no. Rather it happens that throughout nearly everything that I've ben involved in so far at NEC the underlying theme has been looking at who God says he is... to look at his "I am's" and what that means for us... and that because of that, "life's better".

So far I've been reminded of Elohim (God, Mighty Creator), El Roi (The God who Sees me) and El Shadday (God Almighty).

Some questions to think about, pray about, and use to explore who God really is:

God is the Creator, and I am in the image of God. Where can I use my creativity? What does it mean for me to be constantly worked on, loved, and moulded by the Creator? (Isaiah 64:8)
God Sees. God Understands what he Sees. God Responds to what he Sees. How does that make me feel? Is that a promise that I have fully grasped the meaning of? (Psalm 33:13-19)
God is the Almighty. In him I find Strength, Refuge, and Salvation. How can I use this knowledge to face today, and whatever life throws my way? (Psalm 91)

" "Because he loves me" says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him because he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honour him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." "

Psalm 91:14-16, NIV

That's an offer I'm not going to turn down lightly...

2010-09-07T12:36:00.002Z

So, here we go again.

Once more I need to re-commit myself to this whole sharing my life with you thing, and keep you more in the loop with what is going on in the Remarcable World that I live in.

Firstly, I have a new job. This week I started as the new full-time youth and community worker for Netherauldhouse Evangelical Church on the southside of Glasgow. It's exciting and we'll see what happens! No doubt further posts will follow concerning life in youth work, life in church, life at NEC, and how I fit into that!

Secondly, I'm just back from 2 and a bit weeks in Colombia working in a children's home... again more about that to follow I'm sure... All you need to know for now though is that it was awesome, it was hard work, and I want to go back...

Anywho, that'll do for now... watch this space for a better commitment to facilitating your understanding of the Remarcable World that is my life...

"I Am" ... Church?

2010-04-01T12:44:00.002Z

Recent events have got me thinking about church, what it is, what it could be, and how we do it properly.

I don't want the Church to die, but if we don't start spending more time looking at the community rather than the congregation then that's the way it's going to go.

It's not even that today's church buildings are going to be looked at and visited in the future as beautiful relics... after all more and more churches are meeting in schools, or more community friendly buildings (good things, don't misunderstand me)... one day, if we keep going the same way, the church is going to just be a blot in the history of the UK that had nothing to offer its non-members.

The quote of the moment in my curent church experience comes from William Temple:

“The church is the only society on earth which exists for the benefit of non- members.”

Then in the car on the way home this afternoon Bon Jovi summed up for me what church should be. The following song always used to speak to me about true love, about God's cry to his people. Today that became the true role of the Church in relation to the community around it.

"I Am"

How you spend your minutes are what matters
All tomorrows come from yesterday's
When you're feeling broke and bruised and sometimes shattered
Blew out the candles on the cake like everything's a big mistake
It seems you always wait for life to happen
And your last buck can't buy a lucky break
If all we've got is us then lifes worth living
And if you're in, you know I'm in
I'm ready and I'm willing

[Chorus]
I Am
When you think that no-one needs you
Sees you or believes you
No ones there to understand
I Am
I'll be there to be that someone
When you think that no one, is there to hold your hand
I Am

We're just who we are, there's no pretending
It takes a while to learn to live in your own skin
Say a prayer that we might find our happy ending
And if you're in, you know I'm in
I'm ready and I'm willing

And I aint got no halo hanging over my head
I aint gonna judge you, I'm just here to love you
I Am
I Am

The Church needs to remember that we are there to hold the hands of the poor, the broken, the desparate.

We need to be ready to respond to the community's cry for help.

We need to learn to live with who we are and use who we are to serve the Kingdom and the community.

We need to acknowledge that we haven't got it all sorted. We need to acknowledge that we don't have halos.

We need to get rid of our judgemental attitudes and just love.

We need to be there for our non-members.

The world needs to see that Church and the Gospel are about life:

Life lived.
Life shared.
Life given.
Life eternal.

Secular Worship...

2010-02-08T19:23:00.003Z

So a while ago I mentioned that I thought Muse were one of the most spiritual bands that I'd heard in a long time.

Saturday night I was Drumming for a worship event for young people, and we played some secular stuff too (a bit of "Use somebody" and "Mr. Brightside" to help some of those not used to the whole church hing feel more comfortable). Afterwards some random guy came up to me and said that young people don't recognise the difference between secular songs and worship music.

Although he may be on to something, I have returned to a previous thought and have decided that I want to compile a playlist of my favourite Secular Worship songs...

I'm gonna kick off the list with:

Foo Fighters : "My Hero"
Foo Fighters : "Best of You"
P!nk : "God is a DJ"
Cast : "Free Me"
Hot Chip : "One Life Stand"

Any suggestions of other secular songs that spark off that bit of you that wants to worship the almighty?

An Update on Life

2010-02-04T13:41:00.003Z

Hello again random peoples of the interwebs...!

Slackness has struck once again and it appears I have been neglecting my blogging responsibilities! (good job it wasn't a new year's resolution really!)

In reality I have been writing essays in order to get the Hons part of my degree. 11,500 words done on some essays so far, and yesterday saw the commencement of my dissertation.

The next few months of my life will be spent between research and the slaving away over 15,000 words looking into the presence of salvation theory within the meta-narratives we find in the films we watch in the cinema and how we interact with these meta-narratives and our young people. If the church isn't doing a great job at displaying the saving nature of God, He's going to reveal himself elsewhere, and why shouldn't that be the cinema?

We need to be in a position to help our young people and society in general to interact with what it is they are seeing. I guess what I'm trying to say is, watch this space for further progress reports and cries for help with the old research!

In other news, aside from 7 and a half months married and still loving it, I have a new camera... It's going with me everywhere I go, and giving a good outlet for my creative juices. Fun times!

Anywho, blog soon!

Wired...

2009-10-01T06:53:00.006Z

Yesterday afternoon changed from being library time to being cinema time (first day in and my brain was already fried from trying to understand Salvation and Atonement theory! - Never a good start!)

Anywho, at the cinema I took Lady Suz to go see "Away we Go" and "Surrogates". As Rom-com type films go, the first was very good, but the one that had the bigger impact on me was Surrogates.

No doubt the people at "Youthwork" magazine are already trying to piece together a clip that they can encourage youth workers to use with their youth groups (I have other issues with that, which I shall not burden you with at this particular time) but I would like to recommend you go see this film with young people, or on your own, because the whole thing is worth reflecting on.

It's one of those films that chills you to the bone, not because it is a scary film, or that there's anything particularly psychological about it, but for me it was because of the lives being lived and how possible it would be for our society and generation to think it was a good idea, it was because of what they were seeking and in seeking it how much further from the truth they got.

Adverts throughout the film advertised surrogates as being "Human perfection" and that we are to "Plug in and Live". If we take ourselves away from people and into seclusion we are in a better place to be who we need to and the best us we can be.

I don't know about you, but that scares me!

My hope though comes from the opening narration in the film:

"Get up. We're not designed to live our lives through a machine."

My laptop has found its own room in my flat now, and I'm not taking it to college. That's going to help me focus as much as anything else, but it's a great feeling to know that I am not tied to it (even if it is only 8:15 and I've already been at my computer for an hour!)

So what are you waiting for?

"Get up. We're not designed to live our lives through a machine."

Grindstone, Here I Come!

2009-09-22T13:31:00.005Z

So, it is time to get right back into stuff for college... presentations, essays, reading, dissertation, the works!

I think I could be really productive if I get down to it, but my thoughts on the subject of work can all be summed up by one man: Jerome K. Jerome.

Here's what he said of work in his book "Three Men in a Boat":

"It always does seem to me that I am doing more work than I should do. It is not that I object to the work, mind you; I like work; it fascinates me; the idea of getting rid of it nearly breaks my heart.

You cannot give me too much work;to accumulate work has almost become a passion with me; my study is so full of it now that there is hardly an inch of room for any more.

And I am careful of my work, too. Why, some of the work that I have by me now has been in my possession for years and years, and there isn't a finger mark on it. I take a great pride in my work; I take it down now and then and dust it. No man keeps his work in a better state of preservation than I do.

But though I crave for work, I still like to be fair. I do not ask for more than my proper share...

...(After all,) it is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do."

Jerome K. Jerome.

Musings on Muse and Music...

2009-09-14T15:25:00.003Z

I waited as long as I could this morning for the postman to arrive with Muse's latest offering "The Resistance" but had to leave to go to work before it turned up. Now however I am home, and it was waiting for me on the doorstep... and I am already on my second time through listening. It has to be one of my favouritest albums ever. No part of any song did I want to skip, or did I find repetitive, or did I not have goosebumps. Part of me no longer cares that I may have lost all of my other music in an external hard-drive incident last week... I could listen to this on repeat for a long,long time!

This album has reminded me of the spirituality found in music, the beauty of its creation and its design for the worship of the creator.

There are millions of people in the world more qualified than me to talk about music and why this album may or may not be a prime example of musical aptitude, but to my ears as a drummer, wannabe bassist and music lover it has it all. I struggle to find fault in it.

Also, as I listen to the words there is something so much deeper than one man's voice. The words have a message. Matthew Bellamy has took his time to write words that have a meaning, that say what he wants them to say. He doesn't pull any punches and doesn't compensate on what he means just to get in the next rhyme. On top of and in spite of that, the music he has written to go with it conveys the same messages without words. As an instrumental piece, this album would have just as much an impact on your ears, mind and soul.

Finally, this album is full of passion: a passion to push themselves, a passion to help people see the world as they see it, a passion for music, a passion for life.

Rarely, if ever have I witnessed these four elements (musical aptitude, depth of lyrics, cohesion of music and lyrics, and passion) coming together in one song, let alone one album, and if I have then I am pretty confident that it wasn't in any church environment. Oftentimes in church we skip one or more of these functions and indeed vital elements of music in order to get the music to work for us. Maybe we'll say that musical aptitude doesn't matter because it's all about the words and the heart that brings it. Or our music and our words don't quite meet because we can only use those 4 'Christian' chords. Or we don't convey the truth because we needed to get the rhyme right. Or we have lost our passion for our creator and so don't convey what we should in our music.

I write this as a drummer who can play but isn't anything great, as someone who is trying to write songs that praise my God and my King but can only play those 4 'Christian' chords and a couple more, who is often passionate but not always passionate towards the right things, and who realises that words aren't enough. But Muse have inspired me to do better...

All said, "The Resistance" is a heavily spiritual album that has been written and performed with passion and quality in response to the world as they see it. I think it provides a valuable tool for the church and our worship leaders to draw from when looking at writing worship songs and bringing people towards the creator. As Christians we should be striving to use our gifts and be a example to others in all we do as worship of and to our creator, that more people might see and know him. That means being the best at what we do.

"Vive La Resistance!" So worship may thrive and God may be seen... That's what I say!

Bittersweet Symphony...

2009-09-02T16:20:00.002Z

Get it? Bittersweet Chocolate! cos you get bittersweet chocolate, and this chocolate is a bittersweet cos it's beaten up the tooth... So you do get it? ok... then time to blog properly!

"Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve has to be one of my favourite songs. Over the past few years it's become central to one of my favourite reflective practices (thanks to the Levett...), which I last used on Sunday at Martyrs' when we were looking at Exodus 4:18 - 5:21.

So how does it work?

Thinking about at the last year, what were the moments that left a bitter taste in your mouth? Whilst handing them over to God, eat a bit of lemon.

Now, again thinking about the last year, what were the times that left a sweet taste in your mouth? Whilst thanking God for them, eat a marshmallow.

Every year it is the same... There is the bitter, and mixed in with it there is the sweet. But what we need to remember is what Paul said in Romans 8:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that:
neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers,
neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God has commissioned us to go just like he did Moses, and, like Moses, we go with the staff of God in our hands, that staff being the infallible promises that God has made to us, His Spirit who moves through us, and His word which guides us.

So... looking at the year to come, the bitter and the sweet both on their way, eat a bit of lemon and a marshmallow at the same time, and hand the coming year to God.

Bucket List

2009-08-25T12:44:00.005Z

ok... so, quite simply, this is my bucket list... a list of things that I want to do so I can die even happier than I already am... (in no particular order...)

1. have (a) kid(s)
2. have a dog and train it well
3. write a book and have it published
4. play drums or bass on an album
5. make a comedian laugh
6. drive a Ferrari
7. live abroad
8. visit Australasia
9. stand on a surf board
10. visit Africa
11. own a decent camera
12. take cookery classes
13. be proficient in a foreign language
14. stay married
15. start something big
16. have no regrets
17. have a relatively famous person on speed-dial
18. be able to give things away
19. own/run a pub - church
20. go to a rugby world cup game
21. have grand-children
22. go to Rome
23. ride a motorbike
24. complete "Marc is: Far from dull"
25. ... (to be continued)

Have you written yours?

Theological Blah...

2009-08-21T16:12:00.006Z

So... I'm coming up to start my fourth year of my BA Hons in Youth work and Applied Theology and I've just realised that when it comes to theological lingo, in spite of the last three years, and the piles of theology books that are on my book case, I either don't know it, or don't use it... When people start using too much jargon i begin to zone out and have one of those "I see your lips moving, but all i hear is 'Blah Blah Blah'" kind of moments... And if I'm being honest, that doesn't really bother me.

I think it might bother other people though, and may well affect the style and outcome of my dissertation, and this is kind of annoying when the topic of, and what I want to look at in, my dissertation is how to make the church less exclusive and more accessible for young people.

I'm not saying that the lingo and terminology shouldn't exist and that we should shelter our young people from it (after all, theologians need to share the comedy of "perichoretic interpenetration" and make the church a lighter place to be...) but rather than it being used and just talked about, I'd rather see the outcomes and application.

That was my biggest bugbear about living in ICC... The fact that I would spend the day in lectures, discussing the importance and implications of who God is and our understanding of that, and have an hour or two between that and going to work to try and live it out, and the topic of discussion everywhere I went would be theology... not the application of it, but just empty words. I really enjoy seeing theology at work, and looking for new ways of sharing God and living the Kingdom now... so I'm not completely anti-theology (would make my degree rather pointless if i did really!).

But what's the point of today's ramblings? With the implications of less jargon for the interest of other people in the church aside, I guess this is a warning to anyone contemplating talking theology with me: Don't try and talk theology with me unless you are willing to use smaller words and tell me what you mean when you use big lingo, or unless the discussion is pointing towards the Kingdom now.

Also, watch this space for a dissertation that won't get as high a grade because it refuses to use too much lingo, but that I want to make a difference.

What do I subscribe to? ... ... Huck!

2009-08-17T21:18:00.005Z

My evening has been spent in front of the tv with the wife, introducing her to season 4 of 24. She's now gone to bed as she's got an early shift tomorrow, so I'm now sat here listening to music and podcasts and reading Huck Magazine.

Huck is one of only two magazines I read regularly (the other being youthwork magazine), and it has just occurred to me that I'm not even sure why I do...

Huck is a "Bi-monthly lifestyle magazine" that contains, amidst hundreds of advertisements, articles that deal with Surf, Skate, Snow, Travel, Music, Art, Film and Fashion. Of those, I have tried and failed at surfing, I have never been able to skate, I love snow and skiing, but can't afford to do it often enough to be any good, I haven't really travelled, I can't afford to buy the clothes being advertised or reviewed, I detest art, and the music and film section (which has most appeal to me) is generally squeezed into half a dozen pages at the end of the 120 pages.

So why do I subscribe to Huck?

There's something about the complexity of life that is put across in the images that accompany the articles. There's something about the simplicity of life in the things that those being interviewed are trying to do.

There's something about the beauty of the earth and how we interact with it throughout. There's something about our response to what's around us that really grabs me.

Where else would I have found out about a catamaran made completely of recycled plastic bottles (www.theplastiki.com)?

So... What do I subscribe to? I subscribe to Huck... A magazine that makes me think about the world and how I interact with it, my responsibility to enjoy what is around me, and to look after it too.

"Huck... More than just the Ride."

getting the ball re-rolling...

2009-08-17T11:42:00.003Z

In order to make better use of this page, I'm going to start reviewing films once I've seen them, and musing more, in an attempt to get some thoughts out there rather than just in my head... Here's hoping it'll work though...

On Demand...

2008-11-18T14:40:00.002Z

I'm loving TV at the moment... but not because there's anything particularly great on, but because i can watch what I want when I want to.
This whole "on demand" thing is brilliant. Life is great when you have it all at your fingertips.

"On demand" I can order a pizza...
"On demand" I can call a cab...
"On demand" I can watch what I like...
"On demand" I can talk to whoever I want...
"On demand" I can buy what I like...

Does mean I'm turning into a lazy git though...

And what's with the word demand anyway?

I'm going to say please more... and put a bit more effort in...

ok... So the Remarcable world has been neglected a little...

2008-11-12T12:45:00.003Z

Hmm...

Hello again to all those people who don't actually read these things and instead just skim and look at the pictures...

Life has been busy, but I will be back to update more often now... promise...

Oh and I'm engaged to the most beautiful lady in the world... Yeah ya do!

Identity...

2007-07-20T12:45:00.000Z

Identity... What makes you you? Who are you? Why are you you and not me?

Was on camp last week, and my identity got broken down into a number of label... apparently, of all the people on the camp, I was the easiest person to do this for. Want to know what they were? Gonna tell you anyway because I can't hear you objecting, and besides, by the time you read this, they'll be written anyway... pointless question really I s'pose.

Anywho... I'm a musician. drummer. comic book geek. brother. son. harry potter fan. cinema goer. student. youth worker. mind of random information. christian. friend. funny man. rugby player.

But it that it? Do you now know as much about me as I do? As much about me as the people who I grew up with, the people who I talk to? I'm not convinced you do. I'm not convinced that's it.

I mean, for a start, in normal stereotypes I would be a freak of nature if i was a comic geek and a rugby player... geeks are such weedy little things that rugby players kick the crap out of. and apart from that, how can I be a musician and a drummer at the same time?

The other question that needs to be asked is am I who I am because of nature or nurture? Was I always destined to be who I am, or is it as a result of what I've experienced and who or what I surround myself with? Personally I'd like to think it was a bit of both...

All that really matters though is that I'm me... And you're not. I quite like being me really. Makes tomorrow exciting. Makes yesterday worth remembering. and makes today worth living.

I'm me... Who are you?

"All that is God..."

2007-06-12T09:02:00.000Z

Superman is great. You'll soon realise that I don't think he's as good as Batman, but Superman is great.

So two Jewish guys are wanting to give people hope in a world where persecution is all around, the Holocaust is a reality and the needs for the messiah is near its highest. So they draw someone who is going to bring hope. Who is going to fight for truth, for justice, and for the American way (I'm not so fussed about the American way though).

And Clark Kent is what they come up with. A small town guy who has the power to save the world. An alien, a foreigner to the world, who has a compassion for the people in his new home. A man whose father thinks he has what it takes to help this new world see what they can become.

Clark Kent... A.K.A Superman... A.K.A Kal-El... which translated from the Hebrew means "All that is God".

Sounds familiar doesn't it.

Superman never claims to be God though. Superman realises he has faults.

Jesus claimed to be God. He might not have had the power of flight, or x-ray vision, or super-strength, but he had the power of God. Jesus who "being in very nature God"... Jesus who "before Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I am". Jesus "Kal-El". He had no faults, which is what meant he was able to defeat sin and death, to be the rightful Messiah, the Hope.

Everyone's searching for a saviour. That's why Hollywood, comics, TV, books, etc are all so popular... I know Jesus The Saviour.

Welcome to my world...

2007-06-06T16:28:00.001Z

I can't quite understand why it has taken me this long to start blogging...

For all the years that I have been online, and done all sorts of random, and some not so productive stuff, I have never tried blogging... So this is it... This is me beginning to type my random rants and mindless musings for whoever wants to read to read.

But "who are you?" I hear you cry (or at least I would if I was in the vacinity).

That's me to the left.

I'm Marc, and I'm 21, and I currently live in Glasgow.
I'm a student, studying youth work with applied theology at the International Christian College, and I'm just finishing my first year. It's bee great... I've loved every minute of it.

There are several things that I hope to keep you updated with on here... some of which will need your input.

In the constant search for the look to go with for my hair and beard I try several different things... hopefully I'll be able to post them on here so that you will recognise me, and also for your honest opinion...

Also I love comic books, and every time I read one I am struck by how much God speaks to me through it. People here in Glasgow don't seem to understand my passion, so I'll share it with you.... even if it is only Alan and me that end up reading these...

And on top of both of those, I just plan to bewilder you all with the thoughts that go on in my head, to give you an insight as to what it is like in my world, and in my head...

... The Remarcable World