This brief video from Abebooks is interesting. Here are some examples of the phenomenon:
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
C S Lewis and the Olympics
I glanced recently at an article on the Olympics by John Piper (here) and I noticed that he has an aside about his great hero "The good Brit C. S. Lewis". He adds "(who’d be happy to see London host the games)". That struck me as a little odd so I looked up C S Lewis and sport on google and the first entry is a wikianswer to the question "What sport did CSL like?" The answer (which sounds right to me) is "C S Lewis did not like any sport very much. He was born without joints in his thumbs and was awkward when growing up, which meant that he had difficulty playing any sport and never got involved in them, either to play or as a fan."
I also noticed a journal article (abstract here) C S Lewis at the 2012 London Olympics a theological analysis of modern professional sport, in particular the modern Olympic Games which sets out to give a theological assessment "in light of some of C.S. Lewis’s writings on pride and humility."
They conclude "by suggesting that the modern professional sports institution and the Olympic movement, while possessing many positive and enriching attributes, requires “wholesale spiritual rehabilitation” due in-part to both individual and national pride. However, we also believe that the modern Olympic Games that are characterised by passionate international sports competition, has many positive and life-affirming attributes and that there is hope of a lasting “legacy”"
Isles of wonder Mike Oldfield
I did enjoy Mike Oldfield's music at the Olympic opening ceremony. There are no visuals with this video.
Lord's Day 29 July 2012
Yesterday we had the last in the series on Ultimate Realities, looking at Satan again and this time his binding by Christ from Matthew 12:29. Encouraging I hope. In the evening I took another passage about self-denial - Luke 14:25-33. Had some nice illustrations from the Tesla tower (made that too long I'm afraid) and the Battle of Leipzig. Challenging I hope. With the young people back from camp we were a better number though some are away on holiday, at camp and helping with the Olympics outreach. We sang some hymns we don't normally sing including Gordon T Booth's Hear the sound of angels singing, Plunket's Our Saviour has risen and Henry F Lyte's Jesus, I my cross have taken.
204 countries
It was a little tedious but fascinating nonetheless to see the teams of 204 countries parade in last Friday at the Olympic stadium. I was wondering if any countries were missing. Only 3 apparently - South Sudan, Kosovo (both pretty new countries) and,unsurprisingly Vatican City (although I hear the Pope is working on his pole vaulting). There are officially only 196 countries in the world, the other 11 are only territories (American Samoa, Aruba, Bermuda, etc) but have separate Olympic status. I noticed a few indepenednet athletes under the Olympic flag. Apparently Netherland Antilles is no longer a country.
Olympics Opening Ceremony
I haven't stayed up so late in ages but I did last night for the opening ceremony of the Olympics which was a total triumph. Highlights for me were Chariots of fire featuring Sir Simon Rattle and Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson), the appearance of Mike Oldfield (I'd only been playing his album QE2 that afternoon) and the gobsmacking sequence with James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Her maj (I thought it particularly clever that you saw her back first and so you thought - yeah not her but then it was!). Also enjoyed Abide with me from Emeli Sande and The Arctic Monkeys doing Come Together and not forgetting JPR scoring a try for Wales. Paul McCartney at the end was inevitable and okay but poor song choice (Hey Jude - though what else I don't know) and the poor man can't sing any more (well, he is 70). How they missed any reference to Hackney born Marc Bolan I cannot imagine (this I see despite a campaign by some). Why U2 tracks were heard during the entry of the teams is mystifying. The entrance of 204 teams did become boring but it really is quite a thing to see and a reminder to pray for the nations of the world. I think it did make you proud to be British (not a phrase often on my lips) and it was good to see the Christian backbone to it all in Glastonbury Tor and Abide with me. I'm always wishing for more though and I do see the Olympic movement as a potential form of antichrist in that it in so many ways it presents an alternative way of salvation. I think Coubertin's thing about taking part not winning is fine enough but what does it oprofit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. Ultimatley if you don't win, you've lost.
The Third Man
Still trying to read some shorter classics. I picked up Graham Greene's The Third Man from the Library the other day. It also has the short story Fallen idol (also known as The Basement room) with it (online see here). See here. Both were made into films in the forties or fifties. I seem to remember seeing some of The Third Man once on TV with its haunting zither theme (by Anton Karas). The book itself is fine for what it is, the story of a small time racketeer. I presume it was written for film. It's very cinematic. It seems to capture a now gone world and the story of a few caught up in it.
UK Summer
The weather has broken now but my boys and their cousin were having great fun
while the sunshine lasted.
Lord's Day July 22 2012
Our numbers a little low yesterday, especially in the evening (only about 12 or 13) as 8 young people are away at camps or on beach mission. One deacon is just back from beach mission. This week the subject in the morning was Satan, always a difficult subject but one we need to be informed about. We looked at the opening chapters of Job and seven New Testament texts. The evening text was 1 Peter 2:24, 25 and was again prompted by my thoughts on self-denial. We carried on with our Bible verse learning with Galatians 2:20, another great text. We had a lovely lunch and then sat in the garden of another deacon's home in the afternoon.
10 Great Welsh Olympic Athletes
1 Colin Jackson 110m hurdles – 1988 2nd, 1996 4th, 2000 4th, 1992 5th.
2 John Disley
3000m Steeplechase
1952
3rd 1956
6th3 Venissa Head Shot 1984 6th Discus 1984 7th
4 Christian Malcolm 200m 2000 5th2008 5th
5 John Ainsworth Davies 400m 1920 5th
6 Lynn Davies Long Jump 1964 1st*
7 Steve Jones 10,000m 1984 8th
8 John Merriman 10,000m 1960 8th
9 Tom Richards Marathon 1948 2nd
10 Iwan Thomas 400m 1996 5th
More here
*I have his autograph somewhere
Castrol Mahler
I think it was this brilliant advert from the eighties that persuaded me I might like Mahler. This is from his seventh symphony not his fifth.
Cassette 08 Mahler
Just when you thought this series was dead in the water ... Sorry. If you try and get into classical music someone at some point will recommend Mahler to you. I dutiful bought this cheap edition of Mahler's fifth many years ago and didn't really fall in ,love with Mahler I'm afraid.
Novelists 14 James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper 1789-1851 was a prolific and popular writer whose historical romances of frontier and Indian life in the early American days created a unique form of American literature. He lived most of his life in Cooperstown, New York, established by his father. A life long Episcopalian, he attended Yale but dropped out after three years, discontented with college life. He then served in the US Navy as a Midshipman, something that informs many of his writings. He is best remembered as a novelist, his most famous work being The Last of the Mohicans which I confess I have never read.
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