Che Part One

Last night Sara took me to see the newly released semi-underground film Che Part One, the first installment of a 2-part movie about the legendary Ernesto Guevara, that sort of picks up where Robert Redford's unrelated movie The Motorcycle Diaries left off.

Che Part One film covers Che's rise in the revolutionary ranks and ends in January 1959 when the 30-year-old Che heads towards Havana to begin what he considers the really important part of the revolution, creating a new kind of society.

It's an interesting, if somewhat one-sided, movie, which I guess is to be expected since it's based in part on Che's book Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War.

All in all I liked the cinematography and the feel of the film, and the acting was good too. Definitely worth seeing...

Right On Rick!

If you were one of the estimated 2.5 billion people to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama (I always think his name sounds like someone who should have been in the A-Team!), or one of the 2 million standing in the freezing cold in Washington to witness the moment live, you probably saw Pastor Rick Warren lead the nation in prayer as part of the proceedings. Obama's choice was pretty controversial, with Purpose Driven Rick not always seeing eye to eye with the new president on important matters of policy, but then for me, that's the beauty of it. Others criticise Mr. Warren for "abandoning" the Republican right and being seen with the likes of the half-African "left-winger", to which I would say: it's not an endorsement, it's a prayer...and a pretty good one at that!

Here it is in full:

Almighty God, our Father,

Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone.

It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory.

History is your story.

The Scripture tells us, “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity.

Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans—united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you—forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone—forgive us.

When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve—forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.

And may we never forget that one day, all nations--and all people--will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, 'Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Campus America

24/7 Prayer's Pete Grieg and his American cohorts are teaming up to get a prayer room set up on EVERY campus in the USA by 2010. That's about 2500 colleges and universites. That's next year.

Here's the latest promo video. Go Pete!

5 Recent Reads

I like to think I'm an active reader. It makes me think I'm smart and cultured. Truth is, I don't finish half the books I start, and with 21 going simultaneously at the moment, it's questionable that I'm actually getting anything out of them! That said, here's 5 of the latest books I've actually made it all the way through.

For a book that started as a present for the author's grown kids with an initial run of 15 copies from a local print shop, The Shack has done pretty well for itself. With 5 million now in print, the story's becoming one of those worldwide phenomenons. Some doctrinal content has been challenged by some, but approach it like a personal story written to Young's children and not a handbook in apologetics or systematic theology, and you'll have a hard time not being challenged.

How I managed to avoid reading this one until now I don't know, and some would argue I haven't read it now either, since I cheated and bought the audiobook. The fact of the matter is, the iTunes version actually has loads of recordings of MLK's sermons and speeches, including the famous "I Have a Dream"-moment from Washington in 1963. Oh, and the actual book's not bad either!



This book is packed with creative psychology and paradigm-shifting (yes, I used the term!!) techniques for a new way of doing life. Written by an orchestra conductor and his family therapist wife, the book is more practical than most in it's genre, and it's surprisingly low on shallow one-liners and baseball coach anecdotes. A good book if you're stuck for solutions, ruining relationships, or just looking to learn the art of possibilty.

Shane Claiborne's irresistible revolution is attracting recruits everywhere, and this book and his other writings are inspiring ordinary radicals to deny all and take up the cross of community all the way from Sydney to Stockholm. I decided I'd resisted long enough, and once again, grabbed the audiobook. Whether a might-be monk or not, Shane's heart, authenticity and poetic passion is fascinating, and his narrating's equally impressive.

I was given this book on Thursday and had read it by Monday. Admittedly it's not a heavy read, but for me just finishing a book without starting another 5 in the meantime is an achievement, and the sign of a good read. With chapters written by all the musicians taking part in the CompassionArt project, it's up front, it's challenging, it's inspiring and it's honest.

Defiance

Last night some friends took me my wife to see Daniel Craig's new film Defiance. Now, I'm not exactly the guy's biggest fan, and the thought of seeing over 2 hours worth of Mr. Craig walking around in a Belarussian forest wielding a bad Slavic accent had me stocking up on more snacks than usual, in case things turned for the worse.

To my surprise though, the overall acting made up for the accents, and the story and cinematography had me drawn in from the opening second. Defiance is based on the virtually unknown tale of the heroic survival of 4 Jewish brothers and their ever-expanding "family", and it's as gripping as they get. So much so that the M&Ms made it all the way to the end and I was actually left momentarily speechless as the credits rolled across the screen. I guess I couldn't help thinking of the parallels between this tale and so many others I've seen and heard about, and the events playing out on the news every day as we see the turbulant destiny of ever-persecuted Jews unfolding amidst more assaults and accusations.

Definitely worth seeing...

Kamikaze Base Jumpers

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

...only in Norway!

Get RELEVANT

Yesterday the kind young mailman on the Primrose Lane round poked the latest copy of RELEVANT magazine through the hole in the door and provided me with some interesting reading on my last day off before embarking on a new year with the New Generation tomorrow! Some good slices and reviews and plenty of food for thought with articles on topics like debt, the credit crunch, US politics and New Kids on the Block.

If you're not a subscriber and you live in the UK, you'll have a hard time finding the mag now that most Christian bookstores have stopped stocking it, so why not roll into your local BORDERS and ask them to start selling it, or even better, write an email to head office and encourage them to do what loads of American bookstore chains are doing and distribute it to all their stores nationwide.

HNY!

This time last year Sara and I were on the other side of the world elbowing our way through a million sweaty Sydneyites for a front row seat at one of the world's best fireworks displays at the infamous Circular Quay. This year the experience was about 4o degrees cooler and a whole lot whiter as we joined the Uppsala crowd for New Years Eve Swedish style. Can't say I don't miss a 30 degree Christmas, but the Scandinavians do have a way with the winter, and the candles and carols and meatballs and mulled wine have a charm of their own, and it's been great to experience it all again.

Tomorrow we head back to Birmingham to embark on a new year, and I have to say that I'm expectant. I've got a feeling it's going to be a year of action and adventure...a year of unprecedented communion, cooperation and mobilisation for the body of Christ...a year of massive challenges the world over that will be met with courage, creativity and paradigm shifts; not least from God's church. I'm expectant, and I'm eager to be part of it. 09 here we come!