Rediscovering The Shawshank Redemption

You know, I used to call this film my favourite film ever.  Then someone told me (disparagingly) that everyone says that.  So I stopped saying it.  Yes, I’m that easily influenced.

But, I had some friends over tonight – one of whom had never seen it – and we watched it.

I’d forgotten.  It really is a beautiful film.  Don’t think I’d have said that before.  Think I liked it because of the twisty-clever way Andy escapes – the satisfaction that the baddies get what they deserve and because Morgan Freeman is cool.  It was a cool film.

But tonight I discovered that its a movie about hope and friendship.  Andy brings inmates hope through beer and music and a library…  He teaches hopeless Red to hope and it pays off.

The thing is that Red’s instincts about hope being a dangerous thing is right.  Andy discovers the pain of that when the only person who could prove his innocence is removed from the equation.  And yet life without hope is no life at all.

“Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

Brilliant.

A beautiful film.  If you’ve never seen it, watch it immediately.  If you’re pushed for time, here’s the plot in a minute… 😉

You spin me right round, Jesus, right round???

I… You… But… How…?

…

What…?

Nope.  There are NO words…

http://scotteriology.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/the-worst-worship-ever/

As much as I hate to say it…

… this is a GREAT song.

Coming back to the heart (and lungs) of Worship

So, those of you who have known me for any length of time, will know that praise and worship is something that I think about a lot.  One of the things that I love to do is to help people engage with God through music and praise, and will, next week be talking about some of this stuff in a Worship Teams Stream at a CU leadership conference.  I will talk a bit about worshipping as a community and therefore the need for creativity.

You see, I am passionate that we have got to think creatively when it comes to leading people in worship.  That we’ve got to love our community well when we lead: not just thinking about what pleases us, but what might be helpful for others to lift their thoughts to God’s revelation of himself.  Creativity, creativity, creativity… That’s all I talk about.

Turns out I’m a great big hypocrite – because I think this has gone too far…

I’m sorry I promised something serious, didn’t I?  Oh well – its MY blog!

If I ruled a country… (inspired by a true story)

Its amazing the things you learn from students.

Sometimes its about Irish politics, sometimes its about psychology, sometimes its about God… But today I learnt about Sealand.  Sealand is a unique country (or principality actually – though I didn’t learn enough to work out the difference between those two terms) ruled by Prince Roy (is that why its PRINCE-ipality and not a kingdom?  Nope.  Still don’t get it.).  This guy Roy is a genius.  Let me tell you why…

Once upon a time in WW2, the British built an off-shore aircraft landing training site, 7 nautical miles off the East Coast of the UK. 

 The training base was basically big enough to house quite a few soldiers and trainers etc and its skyline included a Fortress.  After the war ended, it was basically abandoned by the British and became derelict as you would expect.

Enter H R H Roy.

Basically this guy has a few chats with some pretty smart lawyers who fill him in on all sorts of delightful little laws that he realises give him a great opportunity to go on a pure power trip for the rest of his (and his descendants) living days.  He packs up his family and belongings and sails out to this disused man-made island, pretty much sticks up a flag and flips the proverbial bird at Britain by declaring it his own.  Makes himself a Prince, creates a currency and designs passports and then starts shooting at any intruders.

Genius.

Like, seriously.  The “country” has its own newspaper.  Its own National Anthem.  Its own BAFTA equivalent awards.

Its own currency:

Its own stamps:

Its own flag:

Even its own flipping football team!

 Well, apparently its actually a Finnish team just named after Sealand, but still!

Seriously, there’s a LOT of info on this place.  What a crazy world we live in.  But it got me thinking again about what I would do if I ruled the world…  Most of the things I wrote in that first post would probably remain on there but now that I’ve got something to compare it to here’s a few more things to add to the list.

I’d make sure my small corner (ha! see what I did there!?)…

…had a more imaginative name than ‘Sealand’.

…was off the coast of somewhere more exotic and sunny than Britain.

…had more trees and pretty things to look at.

…had much more space, and many more inhabitants.

…people couldn’t buy status in my land for £20.

I’m sure there are many more things to go on that list, but frankly I’ve already spent too much time writing this post.

The good news is, apparently all of Sealand would only cost $750,000,000…