Change of blog

I have now updated our church website, which is now using WordPress, and so my blog is now incorporated into that. Please visit us at www.biggleswadechurch.org.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Social Networking

J. John sent out a very good thought-provoking email about Social Networking, and I have reproduced it here:

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Social Networking

One of the most extraordinary contemporary phenomena is the explosive rise of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook can be likened to a personal notice-board – with photos, news and comments – made visible to a circle of ‘friends’, while Twitter is a constantly updated listing of messages (‘Tweets’) open to all. Three figures give some idea of their scope: around 750 million people have Facebook accounts, around 1 billion Tweets are posted each week. Facebook and Twitter (along with YouTube) are influential and have been credited with aiding the downfall of political regimes. Births, weddings and – more troubling – suicides, are now announced on social networking sites. I am on both Twitter (@Canonjjohn) and Facebook. Yet for all their importance, the growth of these sites has been so subtle that we haven’t given much thought to how we should respond.

A longstanding test for something is whether it is ‘good, bad or ugly’. How do these sites shape up? There are many good things: Facebook has reunited lost families, broken down social barriers and allowed the sharing of joys and sorrows. It has helped the shy communicate and given the lonely friends. Twitter has permitted rapid sharing of news and views. There are many important uses for both and they have also proved to be great political and social campaigning tools. It's to their credit that both have been banned by some of the world’s most tyrannical regimes.

Yet there is also much that is bad. They have allowed cyber-bullying, online stalking and the ‘mining’ of personal information to facilitate crime. There are more subtle issues that are also troubling:

• Time: The sites can be very addictive; hours might be better spent developing real relationships in the real world.

• Unreality: Sites such as Facebook and Twitter inevitably distort truth. Safely hidden behind computers, people can post exaggerated or false information. Men boost their height and women reduce their age; everybody appears much more interesting than they are in reality. People can create an image of themselves in the virtual world (that they are wise, witty and surrounded by friends) and then slowly come to believe that this is who they really are. Deceiving other people is wrong; deceiving yourself is foolish.

• Risk: Entering the virtual world from the apparent privacy of our own computers, people tend to be reckless online, seeking attention by saying things that are outrageous or bizarre. But say something stupid online and the whole world knows about it in minutes. Otherwise sensible people may reveal more than they should (eg, ‘we are away on holiday for a couple of weeks’). Such disclosure is clearly fraught with danger.

• Isolation: Social networking can be a way of avoiding interaction in the real world. It's easier to manage relationships when the communications are lines of text and you can walk away from a conversation at the click of the mouse.

• Quality: Relationships made online are inferior to physical ones. In face-to-face conversations, the words are only part of the conversation: information is transmitted by expressions, tone of voice, gestures and other body language. On the web, these are all missing. Online dialogues are inevitably more superficial than those between flesh and blood.

As well as the good and the bad there is the ugly – the flawed or inadequate. For instance, there is no valid international legal framework to protect individuals from abuse on social networks. There should be better safeguards against data theft or misuse. And perhaps Facebook should not have chosen the word ‘friend’ for anybody to whom we give access to our pages. When Jesus told his disciples that he now called them his ‘friends’ (John 15:15) he meant something much richer than the Facebook term.

With social networking expanding so rapidly, how are we to respond? There are two simple responses. First is the optimistic view that Facebook and Twitter are an unmixed blessing that we all ought to embrace unreservedly. The problem is that sin can corrupt anything and the short history of social networks confirms that sinister motives are mixed in with the good. Second is the pessimistic view that these sites are so evil we should reject them entirely. This denies the good that is present and is also fairly futile because, whether Facebook and Twitter survive, some sort of digital social networking is here to stay. We need a middle road and I suggest five guiding principles. We need to be:

• Decisive. We should not just drift on to networking sites thoughtlessly. We must manage them and not let them manipulate us. Do we actually need to be on any such network? To go on Facebook or Twitter because everybody else does is not sufficient reason. If we decide to join online networking then what are we going to say? And to whom? What limits are we going to set? A schoolteacher may sensibly decide not to allow a pupil to become a ‘friend’. You might decide not to talk about your work or discuss your spouse. Take time to consider the issues, make your decisions and stick to them.

• Defensive. Think before we post or Tweet. Be wary about entering into relationships online. Ensure that what should be private stays private; the press has recently told of 1500 people arriving at a 16-year-old's birthday party after she forgot to set the privacy setting on her Facebook account.

• Discriminating. In 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 we read: ‘Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.’ Those principles apply to social networks. We need to examine everything to see whether it is good or bad and then uphold what is good and move swiftly away from what is not. Never use social networks carelessly. Where there is any hint of bitterness, nastiness or coarseness, then distance yourself.

• Disciplined. There is a danger of losing real friends while in pursuit of virtual ones. We must not become slaves to Facebook or Twitter. One of the Ten Commandments, the Fourth, is about ‘keeping the Sabbath’. An important application of the Sabbath principle is that there should be times when we stop doing even those things that are very important, taking a day’s break from what we do most days, otherwise behaviour can become addictive. To take a regular, break from Twitter or Facebook is similar; it ensures that you are not controlled by your social networks. Take a day, perhaps once a week, and just refuse to go on Facebook or Twitter.

• Distanced from the networks. Virtuality should never become more important than reality. If it's a choice between real, face-to-face or computer communication, then go for real every time.

We need to view social networking sites carefully. Like the Internet, they carry the potential of both blessing and curse. We need to be discriminating about them, not just for our own benefit but for the benefit of those about us. Let's engage with Twitter and Facebook but, as we do, let's appreciate the good and reject the bad.

J.John (Canon)

Fun running

This is my thought for the day from BigglesFM this morning:

On Tuesday of this week, I took part in a fun run at my son’s school, Edward Peake, where they are raising money for a multi-use games area. It was fancy dress, and there were a wide variety of costumes, including fairies, monsters, a hot dog, Minnie mouse, a diver and many more. My son Josiah, and I went as the characters that advertise a well-known directory enquiries phone number - the guys with moustaches! It was great fun, although very tiring, going on for two hours, and I don’t think I have run (with a bit of walking) that far in a long time. Hopefully the school will be well on their way to raising enough money to get this facility which will be used by the school, and by the community.

All the children had to be involved, whether they were being sponsored or not, some staff were taking part, others were logging how many laps we did, providing water and so on. Parents were also invited to take part, and so I had volunteered on Josiah’s urging. However, it turned out that I was the only parent to do it! But as I was running around the track, wearing my wig, moustache and running gear, I was overtaking some runner and walkers, and being overtaken by others. Some of the children were crawling, or had their legs tied together, or to someone else in a three legged style race. Some were obviously taking it more seriously than others, some were better prepared than others and had put a lot of effort into their costumes and some were simply happy to enjoy the time with their friends, not in normal lessons! Some runners would sprint a short while, then rest up for a while, others tried to have a consistent pace. Most people took regular stops for drinks of water, although someone did had a drink pack on his back so he didn’t have to stop for refreshments!

The thing is that there were lots of ways of taking part in the event, and the fact that we were all different, and doing it in different ways is what made it so fun. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, and I'm so glad that not everyone is the same as me, and there are probably a few people who would agree with that. But that’s the great thing about church too. There is such variety in between the church styles with the different churches in our communities, with large ones and smaller ones, more traditional to more contemporary, formal and relaxed. Even within each church community, there is great diversity, from old to young, race and gender. Like the runners in the fun run, we are all running in the same direction, but with different ways or styles of running, if you like. Also, like the fun run at Edward Peake is looking to help build something that will benefit the community, the Christian church is looking to benefit the community, as it has done throughout history. A church provides the opportunity to be part of a family, locally and around the world. When you go to a church, you should feel welcomed, otherwise, may I suggest, the church is not doing something right. It doesn’t matter what sort of person we are, the church is one place we should find acceptance, because that is what people found when they met Jesus. It didn’t matter what their background, or what they were like or what they had done, if they came to Jesus for help, he accepted and helped them.

The church also seeks to contribute to the community in a variety of ways, whether it be through debt counselling, food and clothing distribution to the poor, children’s activities and clubs, social events, community projects, running schools, education of adults and much, much more. The Big Society is already in progress in many of our churches today.

Finally, the church provides the opportunity to learn more about God, and to experience his loving presence.

And don’t forget, the church is not about a building, but about the people who follow Jesus. We aren’t perfect, but we’re on a journey, and having fun on the way. Why not come along and join us?

A sticky, lumpy problem

We had some new linoleum (lino) fitted in our kitchen last week. The old tiles were really past it, with gaps and missing ones, as well as coming unstuck. So we felt it really was time to take the plunge and replace them. So we went to the local carpet shop, chose the desired lino and arranged for fitting (I am not competent or confident to do it myself!).

So on the arranged fitting day, last Wednesday, the fitters arrived to fit the lino to the floor where we had removed the tiles. (Josiah and I had taken up the tiles over the previous few days, leaving behind a very sticky bare floor, on which we had arranged a few of the tiles to give us stepping stones over the gluey floor.) The fitters took one look at the floor and told us they couldn't fit the new linoleum as the glue/bitumen would soak through and show in a few months! They said they would fit it, if I insisted, but it was at my peril. Instead, we would need a coating of latex or something over the floor first, before the lino was fitted. And of course they couldn't do that as they didn't have the materials with them. So they left!

I then contacted the shop and explained the problem to one member of staff, while another colleague of his was on the line to the fitters who were also explaining the problem! We were fitted in on Saturday to have the floor coated first thing, then the fitters would come back after a number of hours to put the lino down (at extra cost, of course). Sure enough, that's what happened, and it all looked great, and the fitters left.

Then an hour later we discovered a lump in the lino! A small stone or something was in the middle of the floor, and would eventually make a hole in the floor covering! This was on the latex floor covering that had been poured on, then sanded down and vacuumed! So I got in contact with the shop, who said the fitters would come back on Monday, first thing.

Sure enough, that's what happened! They unstuck part of the lino and were able to remove what turned out to be a whole peppercorn!! And we don't even use peppercorns!!! Then they stuck the lino back down, and

left.

Job finally done!

I guess it just emphasizes the importance of good foundations. Just as the floor needed to be properly prepared to give a lasting result, and any issues, no matter how small they may seem, need to be dealt with.

If we are going to achieve anything significant and lasting in life for God, then we must ensure that He is able to build on good foundations, which means allowing ourselves to be covered by Jesus. This way any instabilities or insecurities we may have are then not an issue, as Jesus is the bedrock on which our lives, marriages, families, ministries, or whatever, are built. Furthermore, we must not allow small issues to go unchecked, which could then develop into major problems. We need to allow Jesus to cleanse us and help us overcome hurdles in our lives, for his glory, so that we don't later regret not dealing with them earlier.

And the kitchen looks lovely now. :)

Unity and harmony

As Psalm 133 says, it is great when family gets along! And when the Christian family can work together for the glory of God, I think our Heavenly Father looks down extremely pleased, and says to his angels, "That's my children, and I love them so much! Aren't they great when they work together like that?"

So I am really looking forward to the Family Fun Day on Saturday, as we work together with the other churches in Biggleswade, to organise and run a free day of events and fun for all ages, for our local community. The church members really wanted to do something that would benefit the people of Biggleswade, and surrounding area, and so in these times of financial instability, we wanted to put on this event, and give the visitors a great time at very little cost. So the only cost will be for food and drink! All the games, stall, events and even entry will be free!

There will be all sorts of things happening, including several bouncy castles, inflatable jousting, green bowls, archery, beat the goalie, tug of war, stocks, egg throwing (and catching), live music, the Edward Peake cheerleaders and many more games and activities. There will be prizes, including a football signed by Arsenal and England footballer, Jack Wilshire, for winning beat the goalie!

The whole reason behind the day is because as Christians, we have received the greatest free gift ever: eternal life with God. He has given us so much, life itself, a beautiful world to live in, adoption as his children, blessings too numerous to mention. God is a generous, giving God, and as his children, we should inherit the family likeness, and so be generous and giving to those around us. So that is what we are doing - running the Family Fun Day - and showing our community the love of God, and turning the other cheek, when a wet sponge is thrown at us in the stocks!!! :)

Come along and join the fun, Saturday 2nd July, 11am to 3pm at Edward Peake School, Biggleswade.

Big Church Day out

Last weekend we joined with thousands of others as we took part in the Big Church Day Out, which took place at Wiston House, West Sussex.

There was an excellent line up of musical acts on the main stage, which is where we remained for most of the afternoon and evening. The artists included Toby Mac, Israel Houghton, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, the Newsboys and the David Crowder Band.

Not only was it excellent to enjoy some great Christian music with thousands of other believers, but the sense of worship at times was awesome. All the artists were very willing to give praise to God as well as clearly enjoying themselves on stage.

It was fabulous to see many people responding to a salvation appeal towards the end of the day.

There was also plenty of other things happening on the day, with another stage for up and coming artists, as well as the Tea Tent with more sedate music to relax to. There was also a church fete happening, as well as a number of different activities to take part in, such as a climbing wall, gladiator jousting, mountain bikes and more. There was a display centre with numerous organisations exhibiting and multiple food outlets (we particularly enjoyed Chunky Chips & Wicked Dips).

We really enjoyed the day, being the third year in a row we have been (since the BCDO started), and would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience great Christian music in such a great setting.

Thought for the Day

This is a transcript of my Thought for the Day on BigglesFM:

Today is a special occasion in my household, as it is my daughter’s birthday. Happy birthday Martha! Like most parents, we find it hard to believe how the time has gone over the last 14 years. We were looking back over some past photos during the week, and seeing how both our children have grown and changed. We have also been discussing the future, with possible careers for Martha being talked about.

In contrast to our family celebrations today, yesterday I led a funeral service for a 98 year old lady. Of course, at a funeral, we think about the life of the person who has passed away, and how they affected us. But also we can think about our own mortality, and what life has left for us, what will people say about us when we are gone, and possibly, what happens after this life on earth?

This week, for possibly the first time ever, I planted some seeds. Anyone who knows me will know that I am not the best or most enthusiastic gardener in the world. But I saw the seeds for sale, and thought I would like to have a go at growing them. There were some peppers and chillies, as well as some spring onions, in order to make my own salsa sauce! But, apparently, it is not a case of simply getting the pots filled with soil, and spreading the seeds out and covering with more soil. I have to water them, on an ongoing basis, and make sure they are not too cold. Hmmmm. And when they grow, then I will have to re-pot them in bigger pots, and then finally, when they are ready, they will have to be washed and prepared before I can eat them! It is not just the cost of buying the seeds, but also the time, care and effort I need to invest in growing them. But for the satisfaction of producing a good crop, I have to be willing to pay this price.

It is the same with leaving a lasting legacy with those around us. If I want my children to look back fondly on their childhood, when they are grown up, I have to be willing to invest in them. Not simply money, for most of us, that’s just not possible – there just isn’t enough! But time and effort. You can get more money, but you can’t get time back. So it is important to be making memories together. Planting those seeds in their lives, watering and nurturing them, encouraging and helping them. But it’s not only children, but relationships with others that need working at, whether they are other family members, friends, work colleagues or neighbours, where we can invest time and effort, to show we care. We can invest in our community, our nation and world in different ways. Christian Aid week, currently going on, is one way of a multitude of ways we can invest in the world around us.

We can learn the lessons from our past, both positive and negative, but what we plant here and now, will bear fruit in the future. We reap what we sow. What sort of fruit are you hoping to see in your own life, and in the lives of those around you? Make sure you are planting the right things now, so the legacy you leave is the right one.

Now, I must be off – I’ve got some seeds to water!

Royal Thought for the Day

This is the thought for the day that I gave this morning on BigglesFM local radio station:

Everyone seems to love a fairy tale wedding.

Little girls dream of becoming Disney princesses and a royal wedding is almost the culmination of those stories. We especially love it when commoners rise to royalty. Even the ogre Shrek got a royal wedding.

And so Prince William and Kate Middleton, who will marry later this morning, have been gracing the covers of magazines all over the Western world. The wedding is a royally huge event, and not just for Great Britain. People around the world will be tuned in to see the spectacle of the wedding of the second in line to the throne. There is the expectation of the increased tourism and the patriotic fervour that such an event is inspiring.

In the Bible, there was another commoner who became queen, when she was chosen by the King of Persia to be his wife. This happened about 500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, in the Middle East. Her name was Esther, and she was one of the Jews who were in exile after a time of captivity. There is a whole book in the Old Testament about her story, entitled “Esther”. This story highlights that Esther was able to benefit from her privileged position in order to save her people from extermination. She realised that she had been placed in the palace, by God, for such a time as that great danger to her nation.

I’m sure Kate Middleton has had explained to her many of the expectations upon her, as she joins the Royal Family. Yes, she is marrying William because they love each other. And so they should! But I’m sure she has also thought about how she can bring benefit and pleasure to others, and has already started to do this, as she has joined Prince William on official visits and even by having a charity wedding gift list, where their gifts are for charities. Being in her position will enable Kate to highlight causes and issues that are perhaps important to her, just as William’s mother, Diana did. Maybe there will be a moment when she thinks, like Queen Esther, “I’m in this position, for such a time as this.”

But what about the rest of us? I’m not sure how many princes or princesses are listening to BigglesFM…. Please get in contact if you are, as I'm sure the station would love to know they have royal listeners! But we can all make the most of the situations in which we find ourselves to help others or benefit our community. Whether it be assisting or visiting a sick or elderly neighbour, giving a smile or word of encouragement to others, volunteering in different ways, contributing to what the government is calling Big Society, using our talents and resources for the benefit of others. There is a multitude of ways we can help others, and who knows, perhaps we will find ourselves thinking “Yes, I'm in this place, this situation, this position, for such a time as this.”

April Fooled!

I don't know about you, but I am rather wary about anything which sounds rather debatable which occurs on April 1st. So when my son, Josiah, came out of his room this morning, holding his stomach and declaring he had been sick in his bed, Zoe and I looked at each other in disbelief, but also silently agreeing to let him have his fun.

Now you might be thinking that he actually was sick, as a amusing aside in this tale, but no, as soon as Zoe walked into his room, saying she had better change the sheets, Josiah shouted, "April Fool!" Then he came out of his room, to give me "a pinch and a punch, for the first day of the month"!

Later, just as he was about to leave for school, I came down the stairs looking at my phone, saying, "I've had a text from school, saying it is closed today." That got him! He got all excited for a second, until I told him, "April Fool!" :)

The Apostle Paul talks about looking like a fool for the sake of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:10), and elsewhere he talks about God using the foolish things of the world to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). God is not interested in human wisdom, because that is only concerned with human affairs. Instead, we need spiritual wisdom in order to accomplish God's work, which is often contrary to human ideas. If everything God wanted us to do was in agreement with human wisdom, it would not take a step of faith. It may appear foolish to give up a career to go and serve as a missionary in a foreign land, or it may seem strange to risk persecution by standing up for what we believe it. But God has promised to work all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28).

It certainly appeared foolish to antagonise the ruling and religious authorities of his day, but Jesus knew what the purpose was ultimately in his humiliating death on a cross.

The victory that Jesus won on our behalf was most certainly not easy, but instead inspired by love. And that is certainly not a joke!

Eastenders plot from Bible? ;)

As a church, we are doing the E100 Bible Reading Challenge we have reached the story of Solomon and the decision he was faced when two women are arguing over a live baby (the other baby had died while in bed with its mother). The story reminded me of the plot in Eastenders (the BBC1 serial drama) where one mother of a baby who died, swapped it with another character's new-born baby.

Of course, the television show is looking to provide a sensational plot line, in order to win the ratings battle, and it has caused numerous complaints and even a resignation from the show of one of the actresses involved (allegedly).

But the story in the Bible (1 Kings 3:16-28) demonstrates that King Solomon had been given wisdom by God in order to effectively rule the nation of Israel. Two women came to him both claiming the live baby, and saying the dead child was the other's (they had given birth within days of each other, and lived in the same house). The King listened to their arguments, and then ruled that the child be chopped in two, so each woman could have a half each! The real mother though stated that the child should be given to the other woman, to save it's life. This showed Solomon who the mother really was.

In Eastenders, the real mother is unaware of the swap taking place, and besides, who would they go to for such a decision! Wisdom is not a common trait of the characters in Albert Square!

As Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:13-17, "Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying." True wisdom comes from God, and is available to us all, if like Solomon, we ask for it.