Just had a free breakfast and health check because I walk into work. Life is good.

Gratified to learn that my body mass (22), fat percentage (13%) and heart rate (P75bpm - that one might be wrong: difficult to read) are all hunky dory.

I'd check, with my new knwoedge of my BMI, the day that the internet thinks I'm going to die, but silly DCC internet filters think that the Death Clock is an adult site. Idiots.

Anyhow, screw Atkins and all that jazz - I am a fine physical specimen.

Oh - I only just noticed that Mino asked questions. They're not bad questions either.

A question rather general: whenever one of you disagrees with someone else, there is the last resort thing: "It's Revelation". Now, if God has written all the Bible, He did not write with his hands; I believe he used men to write it. Could these men have made mistake?
If not, when there are passages contraddicting each other in the Bible, and all the Bible is written by God, either God is incoherent or the incoherence has to be imputed to men: ho do you make sense of the incoherence?

I read somewhere that the need of interpreting the bible was born when distance in time starts got bigger.
It's here when you need Hermeneutics, which is really a "science" helping you building bridges between the Past and the Present.
What I think some of you fail to grasp is that the Judeo-Christian God is a historic God, a God living in history and that must act into history and that reveals himself fully as history goes on. If this God speaks to men (and women) He will speak to them according the historical development.
So it might be that what was not good before (like women fully partecipating to the spiritual life) is good now (maybe even women becoming priest).

I suppose I shall get a response together at the weekend, but as of this moment I can without reserve say a big "Pffffft." to the notion that in the olden days the bible didn't need to be interpreted.

Good afternoon everybody.

It's a pity no-one's been updating their blogs very much recently, as I could do with a reminde of what happened over the freaking weekend. This business of leaving off my Monday bloggin by a day isn't a very good idea.

Actually, it probably was.

It's been rather quiet considering that Ella's been here - lots of tiredness owing to hotness and examness. Much Zelda has been played. Finally actually injured my foot. Rather pleased that it nothing at all to do with broken glass though.

Oh I know! I made my (approximately) annual ludicrous purchase this weekend. How much do you suppose 8 track digital recorders start at? Well, I am now very au fait with that figure. Frugal living for a couple of months then. Been recording generic stuff - it's fun. Delay is fun. I also bought some necessaries for the concert on Friday. Taking the afternoon off for the last rehearsal, so I've got to try and get up a bit earlier - working flexitime off after 1700 is no fun, whereas getting up before the world has been superheated comes close to being a good idea on it's own merits.

On Sunday, Zosia sang James' and my psalm setting, which was very kind of her. We tried to write a Sanctus t'other day as well, but we weren't feeling very inspired.

On Sunday we went to the Cowley Bridge Inn for the pub quiz. There wasn't one. It was rubbish. Just some football game. Well, I don't mind the football so much, but I think the world of pub and sport should be separate,. because myopic nationalism in a place of enjoyment just bothers me.

O-zone never made no. 1. It's all my fault. I was going to buy myself and Norris a copy, but I didn't want to after buying an 8 track.

I finally bought some more tea - the skankage stops here. It's is not a pleasant thing to want tea and not have any. Same with most things I guess. Thanks for all the tea I've been donated guys!

Got coach tickets for trip to Pembrokeshire. Unfortunately, coach times dictate that I shall have to miss the last chaplaincy mass of the year. Shall probably go to the earliest Sacred Heart one.

Gotta remember to investigate when Irene wants dropping off at the station. Hope it's not during the day.

Best get back to work - blog more you rapscallions!

Best idea I've heard in ages:

The judges for the European City of Culture award should have been sent to Iraq before the war. If they could find evidence of culture in Liverpool, uncovering weapons of mass destruction should be a doddle.

South Manchester Amatuer Operatic Society

Thought I probably ought to blog about my new Wednesday & Thursday night entertainment.

During term time, I'm in a choir, which is great fun. Unfortunately (for me) it's a student society, so in the summer everyone clears off, leaving me with no singing to do. So after seeing them do Oliver, I've joined SMAOS (South Manchester Amatuer Operatic Society), which should see me through the summer nicely.

Next show is La Cage Aux Folles, which is set in a drag club in San Tropez. Some good songs so far, nice harmonies & stuff, and get to go on stage in drag! From what I've heard, they're going to town on the costumes. I'm also now going along on the Wednesday night (which I've just got back from) to learn the dance steps. The upside of this is that I'll be on stage for just about the entire show, the downside is that I need to learn to dance in high heels. I can't dance in trainers, never mind heels!

The other problem is that I've no idea how to look camp. Wearing a dress, makeup and heels should go some way to helping with this - Mark very helpfully said that he didn't think I'd have any trouble! - but I've a nasty feeling that I'm going to just look like a bloke in a dress.

Does anybody know what to do, or indeed if you can, help a chick that's fallen out of it's nest?

There's one on the high walkway on Cowley Bridge Road. I tried to help him up, but there's he's too young to do himself any good, and he wants feeding too, but I didn't have any dead insects on me. So he's just scrabbling at the air, which is no good, and a cat will have him soon.

Too much readin', not enough bloggin'. Probably because of all that shoving my oar in that was going on down there.

Anyway, back at work now, after da weekend, and it seems ooooookay.

Went back to Camberley for Ruth's 30th birthday party at The Old Courthouse. Very uncharacteristically missed my train by misreading my train tickets and ended up spening far too much money to travel, but there you are. Arrived rather late too. Stayed up past my bedtime.

Went shopping for presents and a card for Ruth. Got her a slide-whistle and sort of rubber finger-puppet type things - these one is meant to childishly pit against the other. Party was alright. Saw lots of people I haven't seen for a while, including Ruth's regular pub team members, grumpy Sarah and boyf, and Nicola who works as a nanny in Jersey. Poor DJ didn't have anybody dancing for quite a while, but the feat was eventually managed, though they never played "Take on Me", dash it.

Went back to Nicola's parents' to talk, staying up ludicrously past my bedtime. No issues in retiring to bed.

Up for the 0930 mass at the local church. I can't remember it's name. Two saints are involved though. Did that thing where you forget to get a song book. Never mind. Ran into the principal of my 6th form, drinking tea, and, after a few hints, he remembered who I, and my nuclear family, were. He's still principalling and is a nice chap.

Had dinner and then home. Gosh this is a bit hurried.

Won the quiz.

Yay!

Righto, holidaymakers! We've booked some accomodation. We're staying in a nice cottage in Broad Haven, a town right on the coast. It's from Saturday to Saturday, 3rd to the 10th of July, for £404. Emma paid, so let her have £81 at some point.

It's got a barbecue and decking on the second floor, and sounds pretty nice. Hopefully this link will work if you want more info.

Full directions are being sent to Emma and I, as well as things like how to get keys. We can arrive from 3pm on the 3rd, and need to be out by 10am on the 10th (easy to remember, eh!). Pots and pans and bedding and things are already there, we'll just need towels and teatowels.

Sorry, Isaiah is 1-40; Deutero-Isaiah is 40-55; Trito-Isaiah is 56 ff.

I think citations would probably be more the order of the day.

Sophia is clearly personified in it. The way in which the Wisdom of God is spoken of is very similar to the way in which the Word of God is spoken about. Sophia is generally accepted to be a personification - as is the Logos. Sirach also has this kind of imagery.

I can't say that I'm very familiar with Wisdom - read it once - but I don't think the issue is whether or not Sophia is a personification. I daresay we all agree on that. Surely the question is what said narrative device means re. the character of God. I can certainly see Wisdom as a precursor to the Logos, but I'd be very shy of making an explicit identification between the two.

I do not in any way support abortion. I really think that you took that a step too far. Before you say ANYTHING about my views on things like that, make sure you know what my views are. There is a particular "at 1 group" discussion that really should indicate to you that abortion is not something that I would give ANY support to EVER!

Quite. What the hell were you thinking?

I think you're just scared of admitting that you might just be WRONG!

Pfft. I don't think James has too much trouble in admitting he's wrong. Besides, I think fear of being wrong is a very valuable thing - don't know where I'd be without it.

It is men, FALLIBLE men, who have actually told us that Father is how God wishes to be seen, has revealed God to us. It is, therefore, at least to some extent men forming God in the image of themselves that makes God "Father" all the time, & you are just proving that.

Believe James' point was that Jesus himself as well as Scripture both strongly imply this. Tend to agree.

Are you saying that I'm not a Catholic, because I so obviously don't know God?! That's a really serious & offensive claim, & one that you most certainly do not have the right to make.

I don't think he came close to saying that.

Fisking is it? Well I don't know about that. You guys are both very overconfident to my mind. Lisa comes off a lot worse I think, as most of her reasoning is off-blog, whereas James has very much gotten used to the idea of supporting his ideas with information in a coherent way.

Because laughing and falling off my chair tends to offend[...]

Nice to see you stifling your disrespect in such a visible way James. [sigh]

OK, so maybe here God is saying that God is LIKE a woman in childbirth, but to me, this is still an image that should not be forgotten. I also find it hard to see why God would choose to be like a woman in childbirth, with the crying, gasping & panting, unless God WAS like a woman in childbirth...

Maybe? On the assumption that revelation is revelation, when God says "like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant." it does mean "like". What's all this emphasis for?

God WAS like a woman in childbirth[.]

Wholeheartedly agree, but emphasis does not a new sentence make.

Lisa: My ideas aren't actually new...They're in fact pretty old...

James So is [A]rianism.

(Arius, being a chap, gets a capital letter. Women can have capital letters too, but only in extreme circumstances.)

Worth saying I suppose, but still a cheap shot.

Isaiah: The LORD will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.

"For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.
I will lay waste the mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.["]

Lisa: I think that it can even be said that the experience of labour and the delivery of a baby is a great metaphor for God's struggle to birth a new heaven and a new earth.

Yeah, it's only a pity that the apparent context is God's victory over his enemies.

James: It is, to be frank, a shit metaphor. The Son perhaps, wholly man, must struggle when He does things as man does them, dying on the cross must have been a struggle, but as for God the father - He doesnt 'struggle' with anything, He's not in hard labour, sweating and pushing - He's God. He just gets stuff done.

Over-egging the pudding. God does use this simile (not ostensibly for the purpose Lisa intends I think), and it does imply struggle. These references that portray God in a human light might mean many things, some of which I discard because they don't do justice to my conception of God (which, while limited, I believe to be coherent). I tend to think that they emphasise God's real concern and anger regarding humanity as opposed to the apathy of, say, the Greek pantheon.

I don't recall God being described as 'like a Father' but as "my Father and your Father", its not a metaphor. God is our Father.

A misunderstanding of metaphor. To say that "God is my Father" may equally, linguistically speaking, be a metaphor or a truth statement about an objective fact of God being my Father.

Quite why I felt compelled to dive into this I've no idea.

In response to a commenter whose nom de blog is apparently Ogre.

I think we may be at cross-purposes actually. It's my fault for segueing (sp?) into a description of a retreat that I want to go to, rather than something I've already done.

12 hour prayer vigil is a different thing, that I barely blogged about really. My friend James however, who has a good blog with a sheep on it, did. (3 posts)

It's a bit epic... but then, it was a bit epic.

I've never been on a retreat as yet. I'm rather looking forward to it, although I haven't had any confirmation that I'm going so far. S'a whole new thing for me.

Hello everyone, I haven't been on here for a while have I.

Anyway the main reason I'm blogging for once is I am really really looking forward to a holiday and have been looking at things to do on the pembrickshire coast. How do people feel about a mixture of walking, days on the beach, going to somewhere like this activity centre for the day see website http://www.heatherton.co.uk/ and doing something fun like climbing, kayaking or horseriding one day (depending on price and whether they cater for beginners). I've also ordered a few brouchers off the internet for more ideas.

The activity centre heatherton or whatever it is sounds good. It was recommended by someone at work. They have all sorts there including a maze that sounds fun. Me and Ade went to one last week and got lost in it - or at least I did.

I also found this website full of info http://www.visitpembrokeshire.com/

Has anyone any other ideas as I'm just throwing them around at the moment. I'm up for a mixture of fun things to do, energetic days and not so energetic days.