Midweek Meeting January 6 2021

https://images.knowing-jesus.com/i/1-chronicles-16-10-glory-to-his-holy-name-sage

It was back to 1 Chronicles last Wednesday and to 1 Chronicles 16. All on zoom.  It's rather a long chapter but I was able to get the material into three points on worship and a reasonable length thankfully so we had plenty to pray about plus a decent number and a good number willing to pray. We had a new person along, which is good (but based in Peterborough I believe).

10 Popular Subjects for Conspiracy Theories

1. The assassination of John F Kennedy
2. Harold Wilson was a KGB spy
3. 9/11 Attacks
4. The Sandy Hook shootings
5. The flatness of the earth
6. The moon landings
7. Adolf Hitler survived the bunker
8. Covid-19 pandemic

9. Vaccinations

10.  The Reptilian elite

For an extensive list see wikipedia here

Christmas Books 2020

 

One of the joys of Christmas is getting presents and one of the joys of presents is getting books. These eight have come to me over the last few weeks from my sons and other relatives. Inevitably, one or two I already had, which can't be helped. One or two I bought myself for my wife t give me (!). Over the holiday I have read The Hitler Conspiracies and The Chieftains and have just started on Matthew Parris's biographical work Fracture.

My oldest son often buys me books on Hitler. This one by one of the premier historians in the field is very timely in that it explores five conspiracy theories connected with Hitler (including why Hess flew to Britain and whether Hitler survived the Berlin bunker) and so inevitably discusses the whole phenomenon of such theories, increasingly a part of modern life. It also served as a reminder to me that one of the many reasons why I could never have been an academic (despite its attractions) is that you have to spend time dealing with cranks and their crazy ideas. Here Evans is very gracious as he works away what are sometimes the dumbest theories. It makes the book a little long but there is no other way of dealing with a fool apart from ignoring them. Anyway the Hitler book was great and very stimulating.. The Chieftains book is 25 years old. It only goes up to 1995. it was good to have the background, however, and to discover I am not so unusual in liking Ireland's premier musical outfit. It is an official biography so a bit pedestrian and riddled with proofing errors as all these books tend to be.

I am enjoying Moby Dick in this beautiful Chiltern edition and hope to get to the others I've not read soon. Aren't people kind.

365 Albums Notes

I have enjoyed putting together 365 albums in a list, one each for every day of 2020. This represents nearly all, but not quite all, the albums I own (one or two Jan Akkermans, one by the Van Leer Band, and two Christmas albums did not make the cut). Of course, I also own singles, EPs and Best of albums too and a fair bit of classical music, which was not included. Over a hundred album artists are included plus two by various artists from Coen Brothers films.

The albums all come from the period 1963-2020, except the 1957 album The Chirping Crickets. Most of the albums are from the seventies, unsurprisingly, with some 114 represented. There are also

30 from the sixties,

55 from the eighties,

45 from the nineties,

55 from the noughties

and another 46 in this last decade.

The most albums from any one year, again unsurprisingly (I was 16 that year) is 16 from 1975, beating 1970 by just one. The 1975 albums are by Tangerine Dream (3), Edgar Froese, Vangelis, Focus, Ekseption, Trace, Thijs van Leer (2), Philip Catherine, Camel, Mike Oldfield (2), Joni Mitchell, The Chieftains and Horslips.

In 1970 it was albums by The Beatles, T Rex (2), Creedence Clearwater Revival (2), Santana, Traffic, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Nice, Ekseption (2), Focus, Bojoura and Fairport Convention.

Childhood Anecdote 2

I thought this morning for some reason about an incident from my childhood. I was five or six years old and I was at the top of the stairs and for some reason decided to out my wellingtons on. As I did so I fell down the stairs. When I came to the bottom I remember both my father and mother rushing to see what had happened (it must have been a Saturday). I recall sitting at the bottom of the stairs and looking up at them. They were really concerned and were seeking to interpret the signs on my face as to whether I was injured, which I was not. Meanwhile, I was only thinking that I must be in big trouble for playing with my wellingtons on the stairs.

At the same time I remember them looking at my toes and noting that both of my big toe nails grow double (ie split - not because they are damaged but because of a genetic abnormality). It is the first time I remember being aware of this.  

Some Recent Pics at the Turn of the Year

 

Lord's Day January 3 2021

The first Lord's Day of the new year was rather inauspicious. There were about 16 of us in the cold chapel and four children who went out with my wife to Sunday School at sermon time. We had two hymns with the help of the EMW Aber Conference, a catechism talk on Christ the Prophet and I preached a new year message on 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18. The same number joined us on Zoom I believe. In the evening it was Zoom only and we looked at the first 20 verses of Luke 3. We had some nice chat room chats and then our ipad battery gave out, which is a bit rude but solved the question of when to leave for once. Still strange days.

Midweek Meeting December 30 2020

We often don't have a midweek meeting at the end of the year but we were able to do so this year, if only on zoom. I took a text (Hebrews 13:6) and briefly expounded it and then we spent a good time in prayer. Lots of people there and many praying. Plenty to encourage adn plenty to discourage at the moment.

Happy New Year 2021

 

Saw This pro-Vaccine take from Bhopal in The Times 

365 Albums The Final Ten in the Series

1. The Bells of Dublin The Chieftains 1991
2. Winter Carols Blackmore's Night 2006
3. Kerstconcert met dochters Thijs van Leer 2000
4. Keep Walking Emily Maguire 2007
5. El Greco Vangelis 1998 *
6. Rosetta Vangelis 2016
7. The Long Black Veil The Chieftains 1995
8. Down The Old Plank Road The Chieftains 2002
9. Focus Live in Europe Focus 2019
10. Tin Whistles Paddy Moloney & Sean Potts 1973

Midweek Meeting December 23 2020 etc

Snow 2010

Seems a long time ago but we had a midweek meeting just over a week ago. We had thought about cancelling as many of us would be busy getting ready for guests but then Mr Johnson made his announcement and it was back on. I decided we should have only a prayer meeting, in case anyone was busy. When you only have prayer it is often better than with a Bible Study too as time is easier to manage and whereas if time is tight people console themselves with the thought that there was no time to pray they feel under more pressure when it's just prayer to lead and often do so. Once again we had a good time of prayer then. it was hard to get a word in.

We also had a meeting on Christmas Day. We only had 12 in the chapel as there were no visitors hardly, although a woman who comes once a year visiting her mother was there and it was good to see her again and our fiend who has been attending regularly of late (he did ask a question during the sermon but it was a help not a distraction). There were about 16 on zoom too. I preached from Matthew 1:25. I only preached for 17 minutes and the whole thing was only about 45 minutes.

Song of The Year

It came out in 1982 but a good contender for song of the year must be this one.

John Wesley on the Radio

I enjoyed listening yesterday to a recent edition of Melvyn Bragg's In our time on Radio 4. It was on  John Wesley and Methodism and can be accessed here. The approach is pretty secular but it spotlights some interesting and important matters.

10 Christmas Songs Written by Jewish Writers

1. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Johnny Marks (also Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Run Rudolph Run)
2. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Edward Pola and George Wyle (born Sidney Edward Pollacsek and Bernard Weissman)
3. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Sammy Cahn (born Cohen) and Jule Styne (born Julius Kerwin Stein)
4. Santa Baby Joan Javits and Philip Springer
5. Silver Bells Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison) and Ray Evans
6. Winter Wonderland Richard B Smith and Felix Bernard (born Bernhardt)
7. White Christmas Irving Berlin (born Israel Baline)
8. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Mel Torme
9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin
10. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie

(also Do you hear what I hear? by Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne and Getting ready for Christmas Day Paul Simon. At a stretch Do they know it's Christmas? Midge Ure and Bob Geldof who had a Jewish grandfather).

Happy Birthday Jan Akkerman (74)

Jan Akkerman is 74 today.