WWJD? Weddings marriage

I have just come back from the Cathedral and there was a big wedding show on I dare not contemplate one of my children getting hitched there with all the trappings. I mused Jesus bursting through the Western doors and starting to knock over a few stalls. Left dry by the sermon my mind wandered.


What can I comment? I had a full blown white wedding in 1986 costing £2,000 (I think I would have to add another 0 for inflation today). I could have saved a bit of money IF I had allowed the funeral directors cars, Rev father in law had a done a few favours.


What makes a successful marriage? I may have a few ideas, been through 25 years of the roller coaster ride. It has been financially stressful, but God has provided. The hardest, most expensive, but most rewarding part is of course bringing up children. The greatest stress like most has been financial.


A lot hinged on our wedding setting the standard. I changed the Methodist Service. I was no chattel to be handed over from one man to another, so Rev father in law said to my Dad... 'Who supports Lorraine in her marriage to David'. Both families were in this together. David gave in he never wanted the whole package, and only ever promised until death for the day.... that was 365.242 days x 25 years later = 9,131.05 promises.... and still counting, until I am dead I suppose. But we both knew exactly what we were getting with each other. 
Christ was the centre right from the start, first brother and sister in Christ before lovers, and then married. We actually took communion together, and the hymns we chose?
Mendelssohn's Wedding March
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4ldxAEQr3Q&feature=related
All Praise to our Redeeming Lord
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArgG6VwhEKE&feature=related
Jesus Stand Among us at the meeting of our lives
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpUOgAGGlus&feature=related
Let there be love shared amongst us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edOTo38pckc&feature=related
Bind us Together Lord
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emCaGJfM0gs


Trust me we have had our moments, both individually and as a couple. The need to realise when the other is needing the other and being able to give and receive that unconditionally and equally. Both blessed with the ability to recognise when we are individually needing God to move working on self as well as each other.


Starting off 

Exclusion

 http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_how_social_networks_predict_epidemics.html
Nicholas Christakis shows this connectivity with general health, and it struck a strong cord as a health professional whom had studied sociology.
I am finding it interesting where are social standing and networks can positively or negatively affect our relationships with each other.Our connectivity affects our health behaviours, it can also affect our spiritual health.
As a Christian you end up with a need for 'fellowship' to share your faith, but what if you cannot? 'Homophily' is the need to flock together you look for similarities, and you search them out. So what if your local church does not meet your 'homophily' requirements, suffering a sense of rejection you may search for like minded individuals on web social networks... ie second life facebook etc.
People who do not find themselves within the clusters of positivity within a church specifically seek out other models of fellowship.
Interestingly though these connections we make on the internet are also tainted. Christians come from different cultures, and have expectations projected onto each other of how the other should 'be'.

A specific example some Southern US Christians were horrified that my daughter sang in a Cathedral, viewing traditional worship as 'lazy and lead by satan'. They were 'defriended' on facebook. I personally have experienced other cyber-bullying by Christians who wanted to build a closed network to enforce their roles within a cyberchurch set up called the Second Life Anglican Cathedral. These are needy people needing to have a sense of importance and belonging to the exclusion of others.

This is not of the Principality of God. We are called to share love and be hospitable. We are called to focus on being like Christ not being like what we perceive we should act like a 'church'. The building and our self perceptions become the idol of our worship and that is against the First Commandment. We must blend being local with being global and not impose anything but God.
I challenge you to look at your social networks.. do you have some 'dodgy characters', and do you have those on the magins of church life? Then AMEN you are an Evangelist.

OK is there only me who thinks like this?

Pete Phillips

Getteth thy act together, Phillips! Lots to do and lots of it involves getting your head into action! WAKE UP!!!

7 hours ago via Twitter ·  · Comment · @pmphillips on Twitter

• You like this.
• • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones Coffee? Got some Kenya Peaberry to grind.... sending the virtual aroma to you, to WAKE YOU UP

    7 hours ago · 
  • 

    Pete Phillips biggest problem with online experience - no somisthesis

    7 hours ago ·  ·  1 person
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones Somisthesis? ...... Give it time

    7 hours ago · 
  • 

    Pete Phillips somisthesis - bodily sensory experience. Yoiu can't 'sense' online.

    4 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones I know what it is ...... it is only a matter of time, let me hunt some references, unfortunately I fear they maybe pornographic, and I am reticent. But I do know the chap who can recreate digital smell.

    4 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones Ohh yes he is a Christian, and involved in online ministry, and that is how we virtually met.

    4 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones OK start with cochlea implants?

    4 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones Then there is psychological soma
    http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100419

    3 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones 

    Now we work via internally through chemico-electrical stimulation and feedback mechanisms, what if they are controlled via external digital mechanisms? Already happens with say pacemakers operating the heart beat.
    What if that mechanism is o...See more

    3 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones Tell me you did not have the pre-occupation to get coffee, after I mentioned grinding Kenyan Peaberry?
    Phew I kept it clean, but the porn industry is looking at suits you wear that are remotely operated. The reverse of a kinetic suit.

    3 hours ago · 
  • 

    Lorraine Wall-Jones http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13nse_manchester-nti-3d-animation-suit_tech
    What if that translated digital information, transferred to a sensitivity suit? The tech is there for this already....

Time I did summat had it since 2007

Sat at my computer wondering to blog or not to blog that is the question. Everybody else does so?

Scripted Scriptures is waiting to get going AGAIN on osgrid, and I am not sure where it will be taken but if anybody wants to have a play in virtual reality let me know.

Getting pretty despondent about what the government are doing in pulling the plug on the funding for vulnerable people. It could just be hype, but when your family are facing redundancy issues and all they wanted to do is help people it stinks a bit.

Oh and if anybody reads this and would like a Grilli3D http://grilli3d.com/home.html
Then I have some, contact.