All posts in Life

Spooks

by Hugh on October 3, 2011 in Film & TV, Life with 2 Comments

I can’t even remember how Spooks began. I have vague memories of the deep-fat fryer scene, and of course the end of the first series with the house blowing up! We’re now at the 10th and final series, and it’s already hotting up as the CIA get involved!

Only one character has survived since Series 1… Harry Pearce. He’s a cross between M and James Bond. The smooth sophisticated political genius combined with the grit of a double-0. It seems this final series is focussed around Pearce, and it’s going to make or break his legacy.

I’m loving it already… you gotta watch it!

Chubba

by Hugh on September 25, 2011 in Life with No comments

18 months ago I introduced you to ‘Chubba’, a small boy from Lilongwe who still had his baby fat, hence the nickname. He was particularly cute, mainly because he was too slow to catch up with the football.

Anyway, I was so pleased to see him again, still in Area 50 Lilongwe. A little less fat, but now with awesome smile!

++ Hugh

by Hugh on September 22, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

It’s ok, no need to bow, curtsey, kiss my ring, look up at my mitre, be touched by my crook or any of that kind of nonsense…

But you could show a little bit of Malawian style respect…

I think there was some confusion; visitors from the UK from ‘Bishop Hannington Church’… at some point turned into ‘UK Bishops’. They were very kind, and hid their disappointment well.

I find being the “distinguished guest” slightly awkward, I’m never really a good guest, and distinguished is not exactly the first thing that I put to answer the question ‘describe yourself in 3 words’.

Strangers and Aliens

by Hugh on September 5, 2011 in Faith, Film & TV, Life with No comments

I was speaking to a group of Christian international students the other day… speaking from 1 Peter 2 about being strangers and aliens in the world.

I was trying to think of situations recently where I’d felt like an alien, completely out of place. What occured to me was a trip to Monaco on a recent holiday. Walking through the streets of Monaco, from the Palace, through the Marina, up around the shops, feeling a little intimidated by the security guard on the door of Louis Vuitton, and feeling my shorts and t-shirt not up to a bit of browsing in Armani.

Well… then we ended up outside the Casino. Bentley, Porsche, Mercedes, Rolls Royce, Ferrari… it’s at this point we’re thankful that our car is parked underground, out of sight… for all anyone else knows we could be about to get in to any one of these cars… sadly I think one look would have blown our cover.

However, I did feel slightly better about myself on the tour bus. The Americans behind us were trying to select the language of their tour commentary from the flags pictured… “Hey! There’s no American… There’s Japanese and British, but no American… Oh wait, British is English right…”. One can’t help but enjoy those moments, as much as the other American who tried to leave the bus with headphones still plugged in… is it rude to laugh out loud?

On the subject of aliens… we recently rented Paul… which was quite funny… not as good as Hot Fuzz / Shaun of the Dead… but well worth a watch.

Why I Love Pentecostals

by Hugh on September 3, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

There are a number of reasons for this. Since I came to Uni, back in 2005, and ever since I’ve met Pentecostal Christians. Some have challenged my prejudices and have taught me lots, others have confirmed my worst stereotypes. However, this is not a general comment, but rather the 2nd part of my reflections of being part of a church in Malawi.

The second church we experienced in Malawi was a more modern, independent church with a Pentecostal feel, where our hosts and a number of other ex-pats were members. Sadly we couldn’t join them on the Sunday, but were pleased to accept an invitation to a home group meeting.

In contrast to Area 50 Baptist Church, the ex-pat community have more than they need – so it was great to see the Christians being so generous with what they had. The South African family I stayed with were part of this church, they taught me 3 key lessons about the Christian faith:

Firstly, they live out their faith, their faith moves them to action, not just to principles for life, or a theory, what they believe they actually do, and really seek to put into practise. To me, the God Channel, which they often had on sounds just like “how to live the good life”… but if you actually live out some of these principles it is powerful!

Secondly, and this is an outworking of the first, they showed me what generosity and hospitality look like in practise. They put up 3 strangers for 10 days, they welcomed us into their home, they said “Don’t feel at home. Be at home.” The reason they welcomed us so well was because though they didn’t know the details, they knew it was gospel work that had brought us there. Their generosity could be seen in lots of practical ways: tithing, adoption, hospitality, offering employment, serving their church, taking in extended family, supporting their workers and those in need around. Theirs is a faith very practically lived out.

Thirdly, they have a strong sense of Spiritual Warfare. While I would be cautious about attributing events “to the devil” they very much embraced this idea, not in an unhelpful way, but in a way which sought to do good to others and to serve the gospel as a way of “fighting back”. While not all their beliefs I’d agree with, you couldn’t fault the way they actually put them into action!

Jesus in Malawi

by Hugh on September 2, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

I’m off to Malawi soon. Going back again with a colleague to support some Christian ministries there. Are work is largely focused on training and equipping Christians to handle the Bible.

Last time I went, I penned some thoughts about the Christian scene in Malawi, here they are:

In my time in Malawi I was able to experience 2 very different types of Christianity. Firstly was the Baptist Church of Area 50, the place where we had come to minister, what seemed like quite a traditional church by Malawian standards, made up from local people.

When we joined the Baptist church on Sunday morning there were some very unusual things I was not used to – for a start the service was in Chichewa, the local language. The time together began with Sunday school (for everyone), children’s groups, and Bible study for young adults and new Christians, alongside a teaching session for everyone else. As I sat and listened to one of the elders teach I realised that there was certainly some truth in the saying that Christianity in Africa is a mile wide, but only an inch deep – great passion to teach and be taught, but little understanding of how to teach and rightly handle the Bible.

There was a certain relaxedness about the meeting, people would arrive ‘late’, walk in and out to look after children. There was no printed service order, and apparently no structure. There seemed to be a slightly odd mix between old and new – the church would sing a few hymns from the Baptist hymn book, which seemed to be poorly translated and a little dirge-like. In contrast there were times of spontaneous worship, 2 or 3 would leap to the front and lead us in a song, the women’s choir would perform – no instruments, just voices singing and hands clapping were more than enough to raise the roof!

“Up, up Jesus… down, down Satan”

One of the key aspects of Malawian Christianity which was evident was their contentfulness. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the members of the Baptist church were not well off, their church building is basic, the homes in the area are pretty rustic, and the jobs of most are not well regarded. But there is a basic contentfulness. While the lure of money and power is a temptation in every culture, and clear also in Malawi, among the Christians there does seem to be a genuine feel of being content: the church building is basic, work is hard, in fact life generally in Malawi is very tough (just look at the mortality rates), but in spite of these things the Christians seem very content, even joyful. How Christians in the West could learn, as the ones with so little seem to have all they need!

The Urgency of Student Mission

by Hugh on August 18, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

I wrote a few days ago about the three types of student you’ll find on any campus. I suggested that the best way to be a Christian student is to redeem these categories for the glory of God. I hope to explain now what God says about students and why sharing the gospel with them is so vital.

The thing you have to know is that God’s wrath is being poured out against students (Rom 1:18). Woooh, hang on, I thought this was going to be a little pep talk about how fun evangelism is… Well, maybe, but first you’ve gotta see God’s wrath… It’s all there in Romans 1-2 where we meet our 3 types of student:

First we see the Idealists. They thought it better to ignore God, something in them cries out for God, their concern for justice betrays their Atheism. They suppress the truth of the goodness of God and exchange it for the lie of the goodness of community, the omnipotence of society. Look at Romans 1:18-23, Paul speaks of those who deep down know about God, but choose to replace him with their own ideals.

Second we meet the Hedonists. Look at Romans 1:24-32, we see God gave them over to all kinds of desires. People who do what they want, live for their own pleasure, be it greed, sex, lust, gossip… they seek after these things, because that’s what their depraved minds tell them to do!

Finally we meet the Legalists. Romans 2:1-11, Paul is speaking of those who pass judgement on others, who look to their own good and hard work for their justification. Their work will be marked, but not their degrees and career performance, no they will be judged on how they responded to God, how they responded to his work.

The truth is that God’s wrath is being poured out against all these kind of students. In fact against all kinds of people. God is giving students over to their desires of secular community, of life lived for self pleasure, of days worked for self glory. Yet, in the face of God’s Judgement, see Paul’s stand, Rom 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation”.

So Christian student, in the face of students living for self, in the light of Gods judgement… Don’t be ashamed of the gospel! Don’t be ashamed to name yourself a Christian during those first meetings, don’t be ashamed to befriend the somewhat uncool Christian hallmate, don’t be ashamed to be known to be at the CU meeting and going to church, don’t be ashamed to standout from the Hedonists at the pub crawl, the Idealists at the SU and the Legalists in the library… be prepared to give an answer for your hope, live and speak for Jesus.

You may look around at your new hall mates, your class mates… perhaps with envy at the ‘fun’ they have… perhaps in disdain at their godlessness… rather look on them with compassion with the knowledge that only the Gospel, only the righteousness of God, revealed in Jesus Christ is the power for Salvation in their lives.

How to be a Christian and a Student

by Hugh on August 15, 2011 in Faith, Life with 3 Comments

A while ago I reckoned that every student falls into at least one of three categories; Idealistic, Hedonist and Legalistic (Success/Work driven). Looking back it seems I never expanded on the Hedonists, but I still stand by my basic thesis of 3 types of students, and by implication 3 approaches to engaging those students with the Gospel.

Have just been on camp and shared some of these thoughts with students and those heading to Uni this year. My advice was to encourage Christian students to reach fellow students by embracing and redeeming these ways of being a student.

Hedonist

The Hedonist says “I am God”, the reason for living is pleasure… sex, money, good nights out, getting wasted, drugs, raves. In fact whatever you want… so long as it feels good. Work hard, or stay in bed… either way, play hard!

The Christian says… Jesus has saved me not to live a boring life, but to live life to the full (John 10:10), but equally not a life lived for my pleasure, but for God’s pleasure (see Eric Liddell). The Christian knows that God is creator and sustainer and gives good gifts for man to enjoy (Ps. 104).

Idealist

The Idealist says “we are God”, join a society, get involved in student politics, ban anything made by Nestle, support Palestine, pro-choice and gay rights. If we all work together then we can work for good, there’s probably no god, and religion causes all kinds of evil, so we better get on and fix it ourselves!

The Christian says… we’re not God, but I know the God who made all and loves His creation. My God calls me to speak up for those without a voice, to speak up against injustice (Prov 31:8-9). You can champion causes that many ignore; unborn children, the elderly, persecuted Christians… Christians are people who speak up!

Legalist

The Legalist says “work is God”, living to please parents, justified by my performance. I go to lectures in the day, free periods in the library, and work in the evenings and the weekend. Life outside of work is non-existence, friends don’t get a look in, all in search of the acceptance of the parents, and a high power, high money career.

The Christian says… I have a loving Father who accepts me not because of my performance, but because of Jesus’ performance. The only person I have to please with my work is God (Col 3:23-24)… so Christian, work hard but not for your own glory and acceptance, but for your true master in heaven.

If you’re starting Uni this September then here’s 3 top tips to get you started on the right foot:

Get to know your new flat mates, course mates and join societies to meet people of mutual interest. The first few weeks is the best time for meeting new people and sharing your faith. Get involved in what’s going on, go to freshers fair, go to the pub, be all things to all people, but flee immorality.
Set down the markers. Let people know to whom you belong. Don’t be ashamed of being a Christian, people don’t tend to be judgmental when they’ve just met you! Be like Daniel (Dan 1:8), let people know what drives you, who you’re living for, and when that means you have to say no.
Find a Church, that will love you, teach you the Bible, give you examples to follow, and help you to live for Jesus at Uni – you can find one here. Don’t forget to check out your Christian Union too, it’s not a replacement for Church, but a good place to meet fellow Christian students as you seek to share the good news of Jesus with your university together – find out more from UCCF.

Fantasy Football

by Hugh on August 14, 2011 in Life with No comments

It’s with great anticipation that we usher in another football season. It doesn’t seem long since the end of the last, but Saturday afternoons have been vacuous. It’s only the resurgence of English cricket, checking the BBC football transfer gossip page, and Dan Walker’s Twitter #TuesdayTeamNews that has kept sport on my mind.

It’s been a difficult time for me. The only club I’ve ever really supported (as a boy I followed Manchester United, but that’s just what you did at that age) Rushden & Diamonds decided to go bust. The reason for this essentially goes back to the former Chairman pulling out the funding, not long before the recession and collapse of football funding. I once was a regular here, a season ticket holder for several seasons, seeing the rise from non-league obscurity to league obscurity, and back again. Sadly this dreamy adventure in football lasting less than 20 years turned into a nightmare.

This coincided with the rise of Brighton & Hove Albion, my new local team for the past 6 years, who have risen from a small seaside football club to real contenders with the input of finances, the flamboyance of Gus Poyet, and the new AMEX stadium. I might have to go and watch a match sometime…

It’s better of course to have your football team’s destiny in your own hands. Enter Fantasy Football. Last year was a mess. We’d loved to play the Times’ Play the Game, now just the relic of a bygone era when Fantasy Football was so intertwined with reality that you would count passes and consider Lee Bowyer a great player. The Metro was a waste of time, this year we begin with the Premier League site.

Here’s my team:

GK: Schwarzer, Begovic

D: Huth, Brown, Clichy, Hangelaand, Cahill

M: Young, Rodwell, Muamba, Jarvis, Yaya Toure

F: Jones, Suarez, Carroll

* I already got rid of Rafael on account of injury, Anelka on chances of first team appearances/goals, Song after performance yesterday and assessment of an Arsenal midfield without Nasri and Fabregas.

My top 4 predictions are: