Recently at Cornhill we had Mark Meynell from All Souls lead some sessions on Postmodernism. Here’s a few little quotes or references which I liked…

“My secret is that I need God–that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love.”

Douglas Coupland  -  Life After God

“Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodern as incredulity towards metanarratives.”

Lyotard  -  The Postmodern Condition

The Panopticon

A heart that’s full up like a landfill,
a job that slowly kills you,
bruises that won’t heal.
You look so tired-unhappy,
bring down the government,
they don’t, they don’t speak for us.
I’ll take a quiet life,
a handshake of carbon monoxide…

Radiohead  -  No Surprises

Last term we had a reading week at Cornhill… we were given the choice to read The Unquenchable Flame by Mike Reeves, or You Can Change by Tim Chester… I had wanted to read both, but chose the former.

As it happens, I didn’t read it then anyone… I filled my week up with other things… but I did finish it soon after! It’s a whilstle stop tour of the Reformation in Europe from the pre-reformation indulgences to the post-reformation Puritans and everything else in between.

Reeves keeps his good humour and slightly zany approach to historical theology. The main players and events are introduced in a novelistic kind of way, you feel a certain attachment and fondness for Luther as he drinks beer and Calvin as he’s hounded across Europe.

For me the best bit is the chapter on the English Reformation and the focus on William Tyndale. It’s the best because I live in England, it feels that much closer to home… this man died for the sake of the gospel and that I might be able to read the Bible in English!

“If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scripture than thou doest.”

“Lord, open the King of England’s eyes”

You can buy the book on Amazon, currently for just £5.64 – Bargain!!

Ok, one more week of the first Cornhill term… and 3 more sights I’ve been to, there can’t be that many left within a 20 minute walk… They’re not really sights, but I also found a Frenchman selling giant meringues and an outdoor BBQ that made really good hot dogs by Southwark Cathedral.

Sir Francis Drake's, Golden Hind

St. Helen's Bishopgate, and the Gherkin

Monument to Great Fire of London

Bit of a longer walk this week, made it down towards the South Bank where I found a few little tourist sites… can you believe they charge £11 to get in St. Paul’s Cathedral!!

St Paul's Cathedral

Tate Modern

Globe Theatre

While at Cornhill (a Bible college that I go to, just near London Bridge Station on Borough High Street) I like to chill out in my lunch break and often go for a walk… here’s 3 interesting places that I’ve been so far this term, all a short walk away:

Southwark Cathedral

Imperial War Museum

HMS Belfast