The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Focus etc


Tuesday was a good full day. In the morning I drove over to Amyand Park for a fraternal with Gerard Hemmings, Robin Asgher, Peter Law, Paul Levy and others. We discussed the blind spots of our age. We solved little I guess but we aired some issues usefully. I noticed that those fresh to the ministry in London have similar gripes and concerns to those I had as a younger man (eg the way younger people are hived off to Central London churches, how to cohere as a witness to the community, etc). You learn to live with certain things.
After getting back home I headed down to Stanfords Maps where I met up with my good old friend Paul Pease, pastor at Hook Evangelical. We had a good old chinwag over some maps and a coffee. What a tonic fellowship is.
Then after returning home I headed off in the car again down to Epsom Playhouse where I saw the inimitable Focus. This was again one of these Classic Rock packages. Instead of the Groundhogs we started with the Strawbs this time. I liked the acoustic guitars but the singing didn't do too much for me. Loved "Lay Down" at the end though. Then we had (Martin Turner's) Wishbone Ash working their way through Argus. Just fine. Then into overdrive. Focus could only squeeze in an hour - a bit from the first album, a fairly long and jazzy Eruption, three more recent tracks plus the obligatory Sylvia and Hocus Pocus. Got the CD and DVD, which they willingly signed - something to look forward to come Christmas! Took an age to find where I'd parked the car but got home fairly quickly straight through London.

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