Posted by: John Ager | February 9, 2010

8-9 February 2010

My first 36 of Project365:2010

It’s time for a featured photo, and here’s another one from Thomas Mathie (aka headphonaught). He (like me) has a 365 project, a photograph every day of the year. The above is a mosaic of his first photos this year on Flickr! Mine are on a WordPress blog and you can see them by clicking here! I take them on my BlackBerry and email them straight to the blog.

Posted by: John Ager | February 8, 2010

1-7 February 2010

Open University Study!

The last week was a fairly normal working week with a variety of meeting and activities. I also started my latest study course with the Open University, which you can find out more about by clicking here!

The introduction book suggested listing reasons for studing this course. These are mine:

  1. To conclude my Open University studies and obtain a BA Honours degree.
  2. To deepen my understanding of religion in the modern world.
  3. To enrich my ministry as a Salvation Army officer in today’s culturally diverse society.
  4. To improve my personal and work-related dialogue with those of other faiths or none.

I’ll be pleased to hear from anyone else studying this, or similar courses. Or anyone with similar interests.

Posted by: John Ager | February 8, 2010

30-31 January 2010

Cheque for Serendip Children's Home!

At Christmas we had a special collection for the Serendip Children’s Home in Sri Lanka. This photo shows Corps Secretary Hilary Cox presenting the cheque to Trisha Selvaratnam. If you would like to find out more or donate to this good cause, please click here!

Posted by: John Ager | January 31, 2010

28-29 January 2010

Turner and the Masters

Thursday was a fairly normal day at work, and on Friday Marta and I had a day off in London. We visited a photographic gallery, with a very moving exhibition. Spent some time at Tate Britain, where we saw the Turner and the Masters exhibition, which was worth all of the £12.50 admission charge to see paintings brought together in a once in a lifetime experience. It was then on to Tate Modern and finally a meal near Leicester Square before returning home.

Posted by: John Ager | January 27, 2010

27 January 2010

325/2009

For anyone who’s interested, here’s an article I wrote for the Salvation Army East Midlands Divisional Newsletter which was published today:

I was nearly on television the other Sunday! ‘Nearly’ being the important word. The SA Press Office had been in touch, asking me if I was willing to represent the SA on ‘The Big Questions’ on BBC1 when the live discussion programme visited Leicester. Well, I awaited the call from the producer, but it never came. It was rather a let down, especially as I had already psyched myself up going through possible answers to the questions notified in advance.

In case you haven’t seen the programme, it deals with the big issues of religion and ethics: both dominant forces in the world today. Religion is often in the news and usually portrayed negatively as a clash of beliefs and ideologies, whilst (in an increasingly secular society) people are seeking ethical codes that stand on their own merits and not derived from religious dogma.

Both these areas are of interest to me as a Salvation Army officer in today’s post-modern world. Indeed, they have featured very strongly in my Open University studies over the years. This year I am concluding these studies with a course entitled Religion today: tradition, modernity and change. It’s basic premise concerns the role of religion today, and whether secularisation means the eventual death of religious practices and institutions. It goes to the heart of our life and mission in the 21st Century, and where better to study this subject than in Leicester!

Marta and I love living in Leicester with its rich cultural mix and wide religious diversity. And it was great last month to be wished Happy Christmas by Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus – get thee behind me political correctness! There’s a thriving interfaith community here, and we have already forged some good links with other faith communities.

One particularly significant link is with the Christian Muslim Dialogue Group, where we had the privilege (in our Salvation Army uniforms) of uniting together on a stall in the city centre. This proved quite a talking point amongst passers-by, many of whom were so encouraged to see Christians and Muslims working together. A very special conversation we witnessed was between one of the Muslims on the stall talking to a fellow Muslim who had negative (even hateful) feelings towards Christians as a result of past experiences. Our Muslim friend gently led him to an position of not judging ALL Christians on the basis of SOME Christians.

We mustn’t be afraid of engaging with those of other faiths, or think we will lose our identity. And we certainly shouldn’t perpetuate the myths disseminated by certain parts of the media. To paraphrase the title of a book I’m reading at the moment, we should celebrate our difference and stay faithful.

Here’s a final question for you to think about! Religion drags us down, faith lifts us up. Discuss. At least that’s something for me to think about while I put my television career on hold!

Posted by: John Ager | January 26, 2010

24-26 January 2010

Salvation Army drum!

Sunday was a good day at Leicester Central Salvation Army, and we continued to think about and unpack the subject of covenant. You can read the latest corps newsletter here. Monday and Tuesday have fairly normal days, with visits made, meetings attended, administration and activities at the Salvation Army hall. I also managed to finish our tax returns and file them online!

Posted by: John Ager | January 25, 2010

17-23 January 2010

090110_ Motherwell_ 015

I’m pleased to have to opportunity on this site to showcase photos from friends and contacts on Flickr! This is an excellent photo taken recently by my friend Thomas Mathie (aka headphonaught) in the snow in Scotland. On Sunday we held our postponed (because of the weather) Commitment Sunday on the theme of Covenant. And we had an excellent working week, it feels that we’re starting to get back into a normal pattern of work after moving to Leicester, the busy autumn and Christmas programme, and the icy conditions of recent weeks.

Posted by: John Ager | January 16, 2010

12-16 January 2010

IMG_2366

It seemed time to share one of my daughter’s photos! Sarah is back in Italy after her Christmas and New Year holiday, and is continuing her studies. We’re really looking forward to spending some time with her, and have pencilled in some dates in July! On Tuesday evening I attended a meeting of the Leicester Christian and Muslim Group, it’s such a joy that a group like this exists and the meeting was a time of reflection and discussion on the nine years of the group’s existence. It was also good to be able to get back to normal at the Salvation Army after the bad ice and snow of the previous week.

Posted by: John Ager | January 11, 2010

10-11 January 2010

Retreating snow!

The predicted snow on Sunday didn’t arrive, and today (Monday) there is something of a thaw going on. It’s certainly not as cold, and we’re planning to have all our weekly daytime activities at Leicester Central Salvation Army as normal. We were a little uncertain how many would be able to make it for Sunday morning worship, but were pleasantly surprised that forty-four of us were there (plus one dog). Marta posted the following comment on the corps Facebook page: This morning’s worship was just great, so many people, refreshments and lots of tears and laughter! Band and Songsters were excellent. Testimonies and prayers most relevant! God’s Spirit was at work and we all responded to Him in various ways! Commitment Sunday next Sunday should be interesting!

Today we are working from home (but able to remotely access the answering machine and computer in the office), and Marta went out in the afternoon to make some more pastoral calls before an appointment at the hairdressers and shopping for the luncheon club tomorrow.

Posted by: John Ager | January 9, 2010

8-9 January 2010

Ready for the oven!

We’ve been making some pastoral telephone calls and visits to check that corps people are OK in this cold weather the UK is experiencing at the moment. To warm ourselves up I cooked a lamb casserole, here’s the simple recipe: Fry some lamb chunks, chop all the vegetables and add lamb stock – into the oven! Salt, pepper, rosemary, mixed herbs and garlic. Add mushrooms towards end of cooking. I also boiled the baby potatoes separately and added with the mushrooms! Check out the ingredients here!

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