Mike's musings

Yesterday I wrote about being "born again" in a way which may have sounded completely negative, and I'm not sure that I should have done: or maybe, I misrepresented myself somewhat. A large part of my concern about the phrase "being born again" is that it's not something that I see happening to me, or not as a single, momentary, act. We must all, of course, die to our sin in order to have life in Christ - that's axiomatic if you believe Paul, and, in this, I have to say that I think he's very good. I'm suspicious of a sudden change - though, as I said, I'm sure that for some people it may feel that way. But, I suspect, for most people - for most people for whom the change "sticks" - the what feels like a liminal moment is, in fact, just the turning of a switch that turns their life from one state - darkness - to another - light. The hand that turns the switch was moving before it hit the switch, and continues moving afterwards. This I'm much happier with - a realisation and a continuing growth (with a realisation of the growth that brought the person to that place in the first place, preferably). I'm also troubled by a faith which makes the "receiver" of grace very special (my own, personal, Jesus). This, I believe, is a weakness in me: I'm prone to humility in my faith (much as that may surprise people who know me!), and working out that this is not, in itself a failing (if it's embraced and acknowledged) was a major bridge for me to cross in the journey towards ordination that I shared with my DDO (Diocesan Director of Ordinands, the man or woman who guides you towards selection for training, and keeps an eye on you through the training).

There's one more thing I'd like to say about being born again, and that is that I believe that you need to be born again in every moment. In every moment, each individual, indivisible quantum pinch of time that we live, we are of sin (not to say that we sin in every moment, or even that we are born to original sin, but that our existence is couched in sin), and, because of that, Christ dies for us. In every moment. The good news, of course, is that in dying, he rises for us too, giving us life, and a life beyond sin. We are reconciled in every moment, through the pain of the crucifiction and the glory of the resurrection.

Sorry if this has all got a bit heavy, but I thought I might as well do some deeper discussion. Sorry, as well, if the style's a bit odd: I've been reading Jean Baudrillard's "Fatal Strategies" this evening, and his writing style has rubbed off a bit.

Music Today

• Canzona In D Minor - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Praeludium In G Minor - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Herr Christ, Der Einig Gottes Sohn - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Praeludium In G Major - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Herr Christ - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Canzonetta In G Major - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Canzonetta In C Major, BuxWV167 - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Praeludium In C Major, BuxWV136 - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Canzonza In G Major - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Gelobet Seist Du, Jesus Christ, BuxWv188 - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Gelobet Seist Du, Jesus Christ, BuxWv189 - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Giacona In D Minor - Ulrik Spang-Hanssen (Dietrich Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works (Disc 1))
• Sons and Daughters / Broken Bones - Various Artists (Gardian FCD Free Compact Disk)
• Army Dreamers - Kate Bush (The Whole Story)
• World Full Of Nothing - Depeche Mode (Black Celebration)
• Nr. 5 BWV, Anh. 120 Menuett - Joerg Demus, piano (Bach on Piano: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903; Tocattas and Fugues BWV 912 and 911; from the Anna Magdalena Notebook; Capriccio, BWV 992)
• Yesterday Threw Everything At Me - Athlete (Tourist)
• I Live With It Every Day - BareNaked Ladies (Born On a Pirate Ship)
• - Glroia - Byrd, William, The Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips (The Three Masses)
• Oil Well - Jelly Roll Morton (Jelly Roll Morton (Disc 5))
• One Last Love Song - The Beautiful South (Perfect 10)
• Thursday's Child - Tanita Tikaram (The Sweet Keeper)
• Feel To Believe - Beth Orton (Central Reservation)
• I Can Dream - Skunk Anansie (Paranoid & Sunburnt)
• Night Comes In - June Tabor (anthology)
• 'Little' Prelude and Fugue in E minor - Fugue - Christopher Herrick (Bach Organ Miniatures - cd1)
• She Goes On - Crowded House (Woodface)
• Atto III - Part 1 - Brava. Quelle corna saranno la mia gioia! - Verdi (Falstaff (II))
• Wah Wah Kits - James (Laid)
• Do Right Woman, Do Right Man - Aretha Franklin (20 Greatest Hits)