Sponge of Torah

The Sons Of Korah is an excellent band from Melbourne that simply writes music to the Psalms. They take a Psalm in the NIV translation, happy or sad, and sing it to their own tune. It's been a great way for Lizzy & I to memorise some Psalms, and it's a bonus we love their music - have a listen, go on!

Sponge of Torah is Lincoln's take on the Sons of Korah. I loved being at their first live performance at Synergy youth church service last month. This photo shows Tom as lead guitarist and backing singer. I loved working with Tom on TSCF Minty last year, and often heard him practicising these tunes for these Psalms. He got better and better all year, not only with Sons of Korah tunes but in leading musical worship in general. So it was great to see the full band of Tom, Ian, Jonny, Pete and Craig singing these Psalms out. Close my eyes and it sounded like the original. It would make Matt Jacoby and the rest of Sons of Korah proud, I'm sure.



Sadly, Sponge of Torah will split up soon, as Tom's moving to Tanzania soon to work with VSA. That's great for the agriculturalists and the church in Tanzania, but we lose out here in Canterbury.

As an excellent double bill, Tom was giving the Bible talk that night too. And it was great - one of the best talks I've heard in a while. He was talking about identity in Christ, and was building on a Rob Bell Nooma DVD that the youth group had watched the fortnight previously. Bell did very well in highlighting the issue of society labelling us, and it seemed he'd done everything leading up to say 'and therefore, to have an identity in Jesus is amazing' - but he didn't do that; he missed the opportunity. Not so Tom. Every few minutes during his talk Tom took off another layer of clothes to reveal another outfit - mexican; school uniform; cricket whites; rugby uniform - to show that we often label ourselves and each other. This took Bell's idea and contexualised it for Lincoln way better than Bell had been able to do. Then Tom completed it by taking us to a couple of Bible passages that tell that, amazingly, in his grace, Jesus gives us his identity at the cross. For the Christian that's where we return day after day. For the non-Christian, it's where we need to be to gain the identity of Christ and not the labels we, or society, give ourselves.

So, Tom - thanks for encouraging me to listen to, memorise, and live the Psalms. We trust the rest of the days of Sponge of Torah are filled with much laughter and much marvelling at the grace of God so evident in the Psalms. And thank you for once again pointing me to Jesus and the cross and handling the Bible so well.

P.S. Walking home that night Lizzy saw her first possums. Normally we hear them, but she'd never seen one that wasn't road kill before! And here's two!

Europe in early summer; part 1 - everything is old

We've recently returned from a three weeks in Europe. It's been a long time since we had summer in June, and it's most pleasant! We went for some TSCF supporter time, updating supporters in that part of the world what God is doing on campuses in the South Pacific; and we also had a few days holiday with family.

It's amazing what you forget; here's some things that struck us about the UK:

• It's so so green. I know it's summer, but really - it seems like everything is a shade of green. Beautiful (if you like the colour green!).
• People dress smarter than I do. I never used to be that smart in the UK, even in the office, but now I'm really shabby. Cool.
  
• People are on time - we wander along to church, where I'm preaching, at 10.25 for 10.30. Well early thought I. But no - turns out we were practically the last there! That'd never happen here in Lincoln.
  
• New cars - the cars are all so new. Our fine Subaru Legacy is 14 years old and pretty average in NZ, so that's what I've got used to. But in the UK, no 14 year old cars. What happens to them? Where are the older cars?
• Apart from cars, everything seems old. Very old buildings. Liz's parents live in a house built in the 19th century, and my aunt lives in one built (she thinks), in the 15th century. That blows my mind way more than it used to.

So here's a snapshot of old things in Europe......

Meeting old friends Mark & Laura at the Butcher's Arms, Sheepscombe. Still one of my favourite pubs. Still some of our favourite friends.

Us with Sarah (and Robin behind the lens!) by a series of locks on the Grand Union canal near Solihull, Birmingham. Liz loved this; coming from flat flat Norfolk the canals don't need locks, so she watched with awe the boats passing through these feats of engineering - 5 in total.

Auntie Dee showing me something on a neighbour's house in their courtyard. Her house with low ceilings is proper old, having being built in the 15th century! The whole village of West Wycombe has been owned by the National Trust since 1929, so it's not had the charm & character taken out of it like it might have. Must be a full time job for someone in the National Trust maintaining all those old buildings.....

Ah, beautiful, beautiful - the beer garden of the Green Dragon in Marlborough.

The town of Annecy, in eastern France near the Swiss border is near where our friends Mike & Amanda have recently moved. A beautiful part of God's world, too. The town is on a huge lake in the foothills of the Alps, and built on a series of canals - a French Venice if you will. Old buildings everywhere. And also a tabac, which is so cool and reminds me of school French lessons. I even bought some cartes postales and timbres which is all good.

This is bit of the old Norwich wall. I can just about grasp the 1175-1200 bit. But restored in 1896? Amazing.

Norwich Cathedral. Hundreds of years of people praising Jesus. Seriously cool.

Even the signposts look old!

It's been great to get reacquinted and excited about old stuff. Although it's old from a NZ perspective, it's not old in God's eyes. 2 Peter 3:8 tells us that 'With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.' God must have a great view of history, and a real perspective on time; whereas we just get a glimpse.