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Music plays a very important part of my life, and I have a very eclectic taste in what I listen to. I like music for a variety of reasons: it may be the melody and/or lyrics, because it’s challenging and intellectually demanding, maybe it’s a soundscape that creates/reinforces a particular mood, or simply because it’s a perfect song (that nothing could improve) that gives you goosebumps everytime you hear it. The reasons could go on!

The screenshot above shows my top artists on Last.fm at the the time this post was published. If you click on it you will be taken to my Last.fm top artists page and be able to see up-to-date data. Why not join me on Last.fm? To see all my music posts click here! There’s also more about Last.fm on my Favourite Websites page.

It was good on the first Sunday of 2011 to be able to sing one of my favourite hymns: Lord, for the years… by Timothy Dudley-Smith. All of the words are inspiring and challenging, but I especially like the words of the last verse as it brings together past, present and future.

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world where we disown and doubt you,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us-
self on the cross, and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

It’s almost impossible to say something new about Christmas, and to speak of the true meaning of Christmas is something of a cliché. So I thought I’d go down a different avenue and allow two pieces of art speak to you, I hope you will find reflecting on them helpful. One is a piece of visual art, the other is a poem (set to music in the Salvation Army Song Book). I’ve always appreciated the artwork of Banksy, and the above piece was pointed out to me by my online friend Alex, @aldakila on Twitter. The poem is by Catherine Baird:

When Jesus looked o’er Galilee,
So blue and calm and fair,
Upon her bosom, could he see
A cross reflected there?

When sunrise dyed the lovely deeps,
And sparkled in his hair,
O did the light rays seem to say:
A crown of thorns he’ll wear?

When in the hush of eventide,
Cool waters touched his feet,
Was it a hymn of Calvary’s road
He heard the waves repeat?

But when the winds triumphantly
Swept from the open plain,
The Master surely heard the song:
The Lord shall live again!

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14 NLT

Have a very Happy Christmas as you celebrate the coming of Jesus as the Light of the World.

I’ve been reminded this morning that Advent is a time in the Christian calendar in its own right. Yes, it’s traditionally a time of preparation for Christmas, but it mainly celebrates a Christ who came into this world, and who comes into the hearts and lives of those who will receive him. Christmas has become a monster in our society, with all its pressures and unrealistic expectations! In reality, Advent is a time when we should focus on repentance, humility and prayerful consideration of our inner life. Before the ministry of Jesus, John the Baptist reminded his hearers that they needed to prepare a way for the Lord, to make a level pathway, removing the boulders and filling in the potholes!  My Celtic Daily Prayer book points out that the boulders represent the things we’ve done that we shouldn’t have, and the potholes represent the things we should have done but didn’t! Let’s make sure we enter into the true meaning of Advent, so that Christmas Day will be all the more meaningful as a result!

The YouTube video I’ve embedded into this post is not specifically an Advent one. But, with a little imagination, you’ll see a connection with what I’ve been saying.

It’s always such a joy to visit a library, and especially so when you find a new book that hasn’t been borrowed before! This happened to me recently with the book pictured, a book that I’d been wanting to read since it was published earlier this year. I’ve been interested in science since childhood when I looked into the wonder of the night sky and read The Observer’s Book of Astronomy by Patrick Moore, a book I still treasure and one that I read under the bed covers! I also followed the moon landings with great interest. One thing that fascinated me was the vast and unimaginable distances involved in the scale of the universe, as the Bible says: When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place, what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Psalm 8:3-4.

The book argues that invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe. As a Christian I don’t have a problem with this as I have always felt that religion and science address different issues, as well as attempting to answer different questions. Similarly, as a Christian with a scientific mind and a rational approach to faith (yes, that is possible), I don’t have any problem accepting that evolution is the most satisfactory explanation to life on earth, nor with an understanding that the early chapters of the Bible express the creation of the heavens and the earth in poetic form.

As I write these words I haven’t finished reading the book, but I’m over half-way through. It’s not the easiest read, but it’s well written and witty. Here are two examples. Firstly, to illustrate it’s complexity: This has the potential to solve the problem of infinities because it turns out that the infinities from closed loops of force particles are positive while the infinities from closed loops of matter particles are negative, so the infinities in the theory arising from the force particles and their partner matter particles tend to cancel out. I hope I’ve transcribed that correctly or you’ll be completely lost by now! Secondly, to illustrate its wit: Ten dimensions might sound exciting, but they would cause real problems if you forgot where you parked your car.

If you enjoy a book that makes your brain hurt, this is one for you – I can’t wait to finish it!