Seen Elsewhere: from Spare Food to Santa

Dave Walker has info on the 'Feeding of the 5000' event in Trafalgar Square, attempting to feed 5000 people on food thrown away by supermarkets.

'Regulation pop at journalists by bloggers' corner: Mark Pack suspects that Christian media outlets are perpetuating the 'Winterval' story long since the facts have departed. Meanwhile Nick Baines has a robust response to mainstream press treatment of his comments on Christmas carols, and the ides that we could think about the words we're singing.

Maggi Dawn is doing her level best to keep tabs on Advent resources and happenings. Speaking of which, here's a great Christmas poem by Gerard Kelly, 'Behold I Stand'. The link takes you to a site with several other poems, 'Christmas is Waiting', also worth a look.

When the night is deep
With the sense of Christmas
and expectancy hangs heavy
On every breath
Behold I stand at the door and knock.
When the floor is knee-deep
In discarded wrapping paper;
And the new books are open at page one;
And the new toys are already broken,
Behold I stand at the door and knock.

Abandon Image has a good piece 'Sometimes It's Easier to Worship at a U2 Concert than a Church' with the perceptive observation It hit me. A lot of U2's lyrics are words that I actually CAN say to God, whereas a lot of worship lyrics are words that I WANT to be able to say to God. While most worship songs are true, they sometimes feel dishonest.

Welcome to the blogosphere Arun Arora, who I think used to be John Sentamus comms officer and blogs at The Carpenters Apprentice

Events in Winchester diocese, with serious cuts in the diocesan budget, generated a lot of heat. Among the 'light' were good articles from John Richardson on how the CofE can deal with having fewer full-time clergy: Part 1. Part 2, Bishop Alan, and from the thick of it Dark Side of the Moon, written by Anglican chaplain Yellow, funding for whose job is one of several cut by the Diocesan budget. According to his latest post, students at Southampton Uni have already raised £1000 towards funding of the post - the money has been cut, but the post hasn't. Now that would be an interesting discipline for parishes.... If you're not a student, that doesn't stop you donating.

For the more active, good to see the churches in Taunton getting into the spirit of things as part of the late night shopping there (Ht Killing the Buddha, of all people), or if it's wet, the Ecumenism Game c/o the Beaker Folk: 'you have a monopoly on truth, go back 5'.

If you want pictures, try 'the years most amazing scientific images' (no hype then) including this one of a device to measure the methane output of a cow. Wondering about putting one on my kids...

Finally, thanks to PaxtonVic for this lovely Christmas prayer. She also has some thoughts and background on St. Nicholas, who's saints day it was yesterday (corrected - I originally said 'today', which on 7th Dec is wrong! That'll teach me to schedule posts for the day after I write them).

Walk softly, as you go through Christmas, That each step may bring you down the starlit path, to the manger bed. Talk quietly, as you Speak of Christmas that you shall not drown out the glorious song of angels . Kneel reverently as you pause for Christmas, That you may feel again the Spirit of the Nativity, rekindled in your soul. Rise eagerly, after you have trod the Christmas Path, That you may serve more fully, the one whose birth we hail.