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Showing posts from November, 2019

On Beauty and Christian Freedom Part 1: Choosing Slavery and the Hunt for Beauty

Lust Lust Lust One of my favourite records is called Lust Lust Lust. It's a wonderful album by the Raveonettes who I once described as being like Buddy Holly in a blender. And Lust is this melodic cacophony of reverb-soaked surf guitar drenched in a sea of thick, dense, beautiful noise. Anyway, the point is, how do you feel about that? Does that sound like an appropriate admission for a Christian, let alone an elder of a church? I mean - lust. Not just once but three times. If you know your Bible, you know that lust isn't something to joke about or glory in. This is the stuff you wanna flee from - just read 1 Corinthians. On the surface, it sounds so godless and unnecessary, right? But the thing is, if it's wrong for me in principle as a Christian to listen to something named after something deadly serious and sinful, well, that doesn't stop me from enjoying it. It's music, and it's exactly my taste, and I really enjoy it. So, is that a problem? I pose t

Born of joy: recognising your image in God.

Have you ever impressed yourself? I reckon you probably have, at least once. Even if it was only in a little way. I've had many moments of impressing myself over the years. Musically, artistically, intellectually, personally. Being made in God's image, we often achieve wonderful things, even when we're not even intending to seek greatness for ourselves. And the things we do that impress us, often lead to situations that benefit other people. People have paid to see me play songs I wrote with a band I was in (not that I think it's any good anymore, mind). My artwork has been exhibited in a gallery and people have bought it to hang on their walls for their own enjoyment. If you've read this blog before, you'll notice it looks rather different at the moment. That's because I had a little go at a re-branding during my lunch break. It's starts with the concept of what might be achievable, then you have a go at the creation process, and if you feel impres