tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355946602024-03-13T19:16:04.012+00:00Opinionated Vicar25% of what I say is wrong. The trouble is I don't know which 25%David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.comBlogger2717125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-90719956199100742862023-12-25T10:00:00.017+00:002023-12-25T10:00:00.126+00:00Christmas Day "To you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11)Image 'Christ in the Rubble' by Kelly Latimore, courtesy of Red Letter ChristiansDavid Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-44260225643314807612023-12-24T09:17:00.002+00:002023-12-24T11:56:59.194+00:00Scriptwriter openings at BBC After outsourcing the scriptwriting duties on Dr Who to Stonewall, the latest license fee announcement has accelerated the push at the Beeb to find cheaper alternatives for writing work and show production. A whole range of charities, interest groups and organisations are in the frame, and here are some of the shows under consideration. There is a suspicion that the intern who created this David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-33801361104301733822023-04-26T10:08:00.002+01:002023-04-26T10:12:38.535+01:00Warm Spaces - Look at all the (formerly) lonely people Some really fascinating research published in the Guardian today about Warm Hubs, which had over 500,000 users over the winter in the UK. We've had one running at St Peters Community Centre in Yeovil and tracked the footfall a couple of weeks ago, and had 230 adults over the 4 days we open (Mon-Thurs 9.30-3). The three top reasons for coming (each about 75% of users) were Hot meals, MeetingDavid Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-60232230215582976002023-04-10T23:11:00.006+01:002023-04-10T23:11:43.708+01:00Is China hacking Blogger? I've just had a post from 2007 (yes folks, I'm that old) for violating community guidelines. I can't see anything in the post that violates any guidelines at all, but it does contain this paragraph: Had a momentary panic over the weekend when I was told I couldn't sign in to my blog to update it. Blogger (the hosts) have been taken over by Google - you know, the people who won't allow David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-47864706062099281722022-08-31T09:00:00.002+01:002022-08-31T09:00:48.301+01:00Things I Don't Understand Audi drivers. Apologies to the good ones out there, but you do seem to be in the minority.People who drive to the gym in dry sunny weather to go on a treadmill or exercise bike. To quote Gandalf 'run, you fools!' (and save petrol)Fitbits. My wife got me one as a present a few weeks ago, and the basic data on the wrist thingy is quite good. However I've already spent valuable time trying to David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-17292586903420391552022-08-16T09:26:00.001+01:002022-08-16T09:26:11.944+01:00Superdrug theology, power (not that sort) and airports 'God is a woman' declared the Ariana Grande fragrance on the counter at Superdrug. Well, you learn something new every day. Appopriating vocab from spirituality and religion is nothing new for the perfume industry (Angel, Eternity, Hope, Amazing Grace). But now the theological gauntlet has been thrown down, how to respond? Can you fit 'Not exactly, men and women are created in the image of David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-12617779467303332392022-01-22T11:32:00.001+00:002022-01-22T11:32:17.537+00:00Westminster Bullying and Public School Culture The allegations of bullying and intimidation at Westminster don't come as any surprise. I mistakenly went to Oriel College, Oxford for university, and my teenage mind hadn't twigged how big a deal rowing was. One of my first experiences there was the Captain of Boats telling the assembled freshers, in his finely honed accent, that they would all be expected to join a rowing crew, with a David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-50581303704490352102021-12-23T20:10:00.001+00:002021-12-23T20:10:50.173+00:00If you're not vaccinated against covid, how much more of a drain on the NHS are you? According to the latest detailed Covid report and analysis, here's a simple table. The figure in each cell is how much more likely the unvaccinated are to end up in hospital overnight, or deceased, compared to those who have had 2 doses of the covid vaccine. These figures cover weeks 47-50 of 2021, i.e. 22nd November - 19th December.
Age
hospitalisation
death within David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-66615413393708859402021-12-21T15:51:00.000+00:002021-12-21T15:51:04.648+00:00My name is Inigo Montoya, you sang 'O Come All Ye Faithful', prepare to explain A few words I've sung in recent days where I doubt most of us had a clue what they meant, or thought they meant something else:Abhor
Begotten/Very God Begotten Not Created
Hark
Yon/Yonder
swaddling
Shining Throng (careful)
Troll (the ancient yuletide
carol.)
Riven
Ass
Babe
Cloven
Hither/thither
Sod
Godhead
Incarnate
Immanuel
NowellAnd that's before we've got to sin, David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-83702569497991871822021-12-13T17:19:00.000+00:002021-12-13T17:19:01.805+00:00Covid Test Kit Nativity As seen as the St Peters Church Nativity Set Festival, running Mon-Fri this week 10am-12noon and 2-4pm, at St Peters Church, Coronation Avenue, Yeovil. Do pop in, if you're in the area!David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-63712444881880107492021-10-28T13:58:00.004+01:002021-10-28T13:58:39.460+01:00£1,866,666 for a youth club?Here's another corker from the Budget yesterday: "we’re providing £560m for youth services, enough to fund up to 300 youth clubs across the country."Firstly, funding for youth services has been cut by £1bn since 2010, so this restores about half of what was taken away. Secondly, what? This is £1,866,667 per youth club. Our parish has 2 youth groups, run by a part-time youth worker, plus David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-54536322021940543762021-04-07T20:13:00.004+01:002021-04-08T14:07:05.510+01:00Random questions Q1. Would we want as our prime minister someone who can be as easily bullied as Keir Starmer? One day he is, rightly, celebrating the contribution of Jesus House in London to overcoming vaccine scepticism within the ethnic minority community, along with their food and other relief programmes. Then following a complaint from a Labour LGBTI+ pressure group he disowns them and pulls a video David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-59235559734250181532021-04-02T11:43:00.000+01:002021-04-02T11:43:04.447+01:00Good Friday - Still Happening In the 2000 years since the crucifixion of Jesus, the human capacity for inflicting unspeakable pain hasn't dimmed. We are still as broken and fallen as we ever were. David Alton writes powerfully of how the fake trial and sadistic torture and death of Jesus are duplicated across the world right now:Last weekend, on Palm Sunday, radicals acting, not for the first time, in the name of David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-22054879584146931952021-04-01T08:38:00.003+01:002021-04-01T08:38:17.681+01:00Easter Playlist Derri Daughtery & friends 'Beautiful Scandalous Night'
Mark Heard 'Lonely Road'
Iona 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross'
The Choir 'Enough to Love'
Newsboys 'God's Not Dead'
Sorry about the ads, can't even escape them at Easter!David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-67881535807248702252021-03-31T08:56:00.000+01:002021-03-31T08:56:50.546+01:00Living in Love and Faith: Please Reschedule It was an unfortunate bit of timing. The Church of England has spent several years producing a suite of resources called Living in Love and Faith, including a 450 page book, dozens of videos, a course and over 300 linked resources for further study. The purpose is to create a constructive space for this question: How do questions about identity, sexuality, relationships and David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-63574834587836437472021-03-23T17:18:00.006+00:002021-03-25T08:18:33.902+00:00A Leaf A friend of mine posted this on Facebook the other day. It's beautifully written, and very powerful, so I hope it blesses you:A story about a leaf. Today I sat in the sunshine outside my workplace. To be honest it's been a really hard few weeks,
lots of ups but also some awfully stressful downs. So anyway, I was sat in the
sunshine and enjoying the birds singing and feeding my David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-25323687986718873812020-12-24T09:17:00.004+00:002020-12-24T15:28:40.960+00:00Covid CarolsGood King Wenceslas
logged outFeeling much
dejectionAll the slots had
been booked outFor Tesco
collectionNot deliveries
there wereFor his sauce and
pastaHe would have to
fight his wayThrough the queues
at ASDA Angels from the
realms of gloryKindly stay right
in your placeWe’ve no wish to
get infectedHave you heard of
hands face space?Don’tSing that song at
usDon’t you realiseDroplets travel
David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-35414875617026932792020-12-01T11:19:00.001+00:002020-12-01T11:19:13.396+00:00Reality CheckI've just has this in an email, relaying a Zoom conversation with Christians in Madagascar. The
diocesan economic development coordinator Ialy has recently
returned from a trip to his village in the far south of the island.
Good time? Patsy asked. No, Ialy said. His aunt had been used to monthly
visits from his cousins, who live 75 km away in a village which is even
more remote than David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-67418766215819109412020-11-25T16:37:00.003+00:002020-11-25T16:37:49.025+00:00Random OpinionsThe government decision to cut foreign aid is a terrible one, and will cost thousands of lives. It's great that we've produced a low cost vaccine for the world, but pulling the plug on essential programmes will be catastrophic. The Conservatives have had plenty of practice at U-turning this year so hopefully they can put that to good use on this one. Justin Welby is perfectly entitled to a David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-90683056817523419292020-11-25T11:19:00.003+00:002020-11-25T11:19:31.033+00:00Church Growth in the Church of England - the other side of the storyAfter depressing everyone with the latest CofE membership stats the other day, it was encouraging to read some very good news in this General Synod report. Yes you heard that right. The Strategic Development Fund is a 10 year project by the CofE to invest in mission. It focuses on areas where the church is struggling to make an impact - mostly deprived urban areas, children and youth.&David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-78548956764850534022020-11-18T12:57:00.000+00:002020-11-18T12:57:07.378+00:00Government Consultation on 'Faith Engagement'The government has just launched a survey on how it engages with faith groups, with an online consultation open for 4 weeks. Here's part of the introduction:On 10 October 2019, the government announced that Colin Bloom had been appointed as the Faith Engagement Adviser at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).As Faith Engagement Adviser, Colin is leading a David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-9791608204331051622020-11-11T11:39:00.002+00:002020-11-11T11:39:28.401+00:00Review: Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings Back in the days when books were published on paper, and the literature about Fresh Expressions and emerging church could fit on a single shelf, the Church Army began producing Encounters on the Edge. Written by George Lings and his research team, they profiled the growing number of church plants and experiments happening around the UK. Lings visited, interviewed, reflected, and drew David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-40181210865708517682020-11-02T11:58:00.002+00:002020-11-02T11:58:27.837+00:00Archbishops Lockdown Letter The letter below was issued yesterday by the two CofE Archbishops, and the Bishop of London. It centres on a call to make November a month of prayer. I spotted the letter this morning on Thinking Anglicans, a few minutes after a conversation about our monthly parish prayer meeting, which we'd scheduled for Thursday. Which all now seems quite timely...To the clergy of the Church of England1 David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-54350293388777915352020-10-14T14:24:00.000+01:002020-10-14T14:24:25.935+01:00Last Chance To See...... Church of England Membership and Attendance Stats 2019 The Church of England has published its latest 'Statistics for Mission' for 2019, links to the various documents - press release, Excel spreadsheets (did 16,000 members drop off the end?) etc. can be found here. You'll find analysis of previous years stats here. The more upbeat the press release, and the further you have to go before it mentions church membership and attendance, the David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-66907622877491957172020-09-23T16:56:00.000+01:002020-09-23T16:56:03.810+01:00The 'Wedding Industry' It's a horrible time to be planning a wedding. Our last one of the year is this Saturday, which thankfully just escapes the latest revision to government guidance on weddings. Still, the couple is on something like Plan Q, having started at Plan A, for how the wedding day will work. They were on tenterhooks yesterday as they tried to work out what Boris was actually saying, and whether it David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.com1