As posted below, there is now a 'We Support Dave Walker' Facebook group, which has been accumulating since it was set up at lunchtime today (4 new members whilst I was writing this post). Click on the link to add your name. My personal experience of bullying is that it can be very isolating, especially when you're told that saying anything to anyone about the bullying will land you in even more trouble.
The idea of the group is to complement the support Dave is getting from blogs (see Blogspotting Anglican Episcopalian for a good summary from a wide range of sites over the last 24 hours). At the very least, it's an encouragement to him (which apparently it is), and with a bit of prayer it might even change things. The whole idea was inspired by Dave's setting up of the Anglican bloggers group last year. Maybe Facebook has a use, after all.....
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Dave Walker updates (updated!!)
Matt Wardman has posted a list of bloggers on the SSG/SPCK/Dave Walker libel threat story, so if you notice someone blogging about this, or blog yourself, then add it to the list at 'My Name is Dave Walker' . Bishop Alan has also posted on this, and the best way to see who else is posting is a Google Blogs search. Roughly 22 at time of this post.
If you want to register your support for Dave, there is now a 'We Support Dave Walker' group on Facebook. If you want to post messages of support there, I'll do my best to pass them on.
From what I hear, Dave is probably not allowed to say anything, which may be why the original post about Mark Brewers 'cease and desist' notice was withdrawn from his website. However, people at the Lambeth conference know what is going on, and folk are dropping in to support him. However, if he's not allowed to talk about it by the gagging order, then it's up to the rest of us to rally support.
As I've said before, it's unlikely that Dave Walker is alone in getting a legal notice, as other websites have been following the SPCK story and posting on it. One of them has suddenly become very cautious.
MadPriest has posted a batch of Dave's posts on SPCK, and recommends that you cut and paste them onto your blog. So has Elizaphanian. I'm not going to do that now, otherwise the Facebook link will disappear off the bottom of the page and nobody will join it.....!!
If you want to register your support for Dave, there is now a 'We Support Dave Walker' group on Facebook. If you want to post messages of support there, I'll do my best to pass them on.
From what I hear, Dave is probably not allowed to say anything, which may be why the original post about Mark Brewers 'cease and desist' notice was withdrawn from his website. However, people at the Lambeth conference know what is going on, and folk are dropping in to support him. However, if he's not allowed to talk about it by the gagging order, then it's up to the rest of us to rally support.
As I've said before, it's unlikely that Dave Walker is alone in getting a legal notice, as other websites have been following the SPCK story and posting on it. One of them has suddenly become very cautious.
MadPriest has posted a batch of Dave's posts on SPCK, and recommends that you cut and paste them onto your blog. So has Elizaphanian. I'm not going to do that now, otherwise the Facebook link will disappear off the bottom of the page and nobody will join it.....!!
Those SPCK Posts
Iyov has posted a list of links to the removed SPCK posts from the Cartoon Church blog. I'd never clicked on the 'cached' option in a Google search before, and so hadn't realised that past posts get stored by Google even if you delete them....
Bloggers are queuing up to support Dave Walker, including MadPriest (though we should remember that SSG is pretty much a law unto themselves, and don't represent Orthodoxy as a whole) Scatter Cushions, Metacatholic, Blogula Rasa, and Scott Gunn.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dave Walker Threatened with Libel by SPCK Bookshop owners
Dave Walker, who has been flying the flag for the beleagured SPCK bookshop chain, has been threatened with libel by the St. Stephen the Great Charitable Trust (SSG), who took over the chain last year. Since then, most (if not all) of the SPCK bookshops have closed, and there have been various questions about management practices. One former bookshop manager, Steve Jeynes, tragically took his own life just a few weeks ago.
Dave has been keeping a close eye on all of this, and providing a forum for people to share news about the chain. He has been told he'll be sued unless all SPCK posts are removed from his website.
If you want to contact Dave to support him, or offer money so that the action can be fought (don't let the bullies win!), then his contact details are here. If you're anywhere near the Lambeth conference, go to Dave's tent and give him your support.
Some of the story is at Christian Bookshop News. Phil Groom has also kept a blog here dedicated to the SPCK/SSG developments. However, as Phil is on holiday, even if he's been threatened by the Brewers (the family who are SSG), he's too busy getting a tan to do anything about it.
Update: Peter Kirk is on the case, and thinks the Brewers don't have a leg to stand on.
Update 2: Matt Wardman, a close observer of threats to the blogosphere, has posted, with a couple of links which summarise the story at various stages, and a radio interview.
and again: connexions tells you how to find the deleted posts on Google. Dave Walker has now removed the original post, so I'm not sure what's going on now!! Hopefully Mark Brewer has gone back on his threat. No doubt there will be more.
Dave has been keeping a close eye on all of this, and providing a forum for people to share news about the chain. He has been told he'll be sued unless all SPCK posts are removed from his website.
If you want to contact Dave to support him, or offer money so that the action can be fought (don't let the bullies win!), then his contact details are here. If you're anywhere near the Lambeth conference, go to Dave's tent and give him your support.
Some of the story is at Christian Bookshop News. Phil Groom has also kept a blog here dedicated to the SPCK/SSG developments. However, as Phil is on holiday, even if he's been threatened by the Brewers (the family who are SSG), he's too busy getting a tan to do anything about it.
Update: Peter Kirk is on the case, and thinks the Brewers don't have a leg to stand on.
Update 2: Matt Wardman, a close observer of threats to the blogosphere, has posted, with a couple of links which summarise the story at various stages, and a radio interview.
and again: connexions tells you how to find the deleted posts on Google. Dave Walker has now removed the original post, so I'm not sure what's going on now!! Hopefully Mark Brewer has gone back on his threat. No doubt there will be more.
Save Yourself A Week
I've been reading 'The Wild Gospel' by Alison Morgan, and stumbled across her website. If, like me, you have more books to read than time to read them, she has a superb section of book summaries.
Books covered include:
Dawkins -The God Delusion
Drane - After McDonaldisation
Hirsch & Frost - Shaping of Things to Come
Finney - Emerging Evangelism
some of the 'Mission Shaped' titles
Jackson - Hope for the Church
and so on - there's a decent selection in the fields of mission, prayer and renewal, each has a summary you can read through in 20-30 minutes, which gives you a fair idea of what the book is about and what it says. Absolutely fantastic.
Could have saved myself a lot of payments to Amazon if I'd discovered this site 18 months ago....
In the same spirit, Guildford Diocese have produced a digest of discipleship resources, similar to one already created by Southwell Diocese, which gives you a brief taste of things like Journeys, Beta, Lost for Words, START, Contagious Christian etc. Ht Start the Week
Books covered include:
Dawkins -The God Delusion
Drane - After McDonaldisation
Hirsch & Frost - Shaping of Things to Come
Finney - Emerging Evangelism
some of the 'Mission Shaped' titles
Jackson - Hope for the Church
and so on - there's a decent selection in the fields of mission, prayer and renewal, each has a summary you can read through in 20-30 minutes, which gives you a fair idea of what the book is about and what it says. Absolutely fantastic.
Could have saved myself a lot of payments to Amazon if I'd discovered this site 18 months ago....
In the same spirit, Guildford Diocese have produced a digest of discipleship resources, similar to one already created by Southwell Diocese, which gives you a brief taste of things like Journeys, Beta, Lost for Words, START, Contagious Christian etc. Ht Start the Week
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Noise - Thankyou
A big thankyou to everyone who helped on the refreshment stall at The Noise yesterday. The sun shone on Abbey Manor, though if you were out of the sun but in the wind it got a bit chilly! We must have given away about 1000 pieces of fruit, and at least double that in drinks. So thankyou to David, Tim, Sarah, Caryl, Ian, Bob, Mike, Becky, Marjorie, Shirley, Mike, Sharon and James who would have been there if he'd not been ill.
Brilliant effort from Brympton parish council, local councillor Peter Seib, and Urban Warriors to get the festival happening, and looking at some of the wounds which limped into the first aid tent next door to us, there will be some sore skateboarders today.
(If you're wondering what this is about: The Noise was a community festival on our local park in Abbey Manor, with skate/BMX/blade competitions, live music, lots of stalls, and everything free.)
Brilliant effort from Brympton parish council, local councillor Peter Seib, and Urban Warriors to get the festival happening, and looking at some of the wounds which limped into the first aid tent next door to us, there will be some sore skateboarders today.
(If you're wondering what this is about: The Noise was a community festival on our local park in Abbey Manor, with skate/BMX/blade competitions, live music, lots of stalls, and everything free.)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
What church leaders really discuss
Thanks to the marvellous Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley, we now have the daily timetable for Lambeth '08
Solemnities to celebrate the 954th anniversary of the Great Schism
8am Pointless wranglings over obscure doctrine (will continue forever)
10am Filioqui-ists to gather in the orchard for double processions
12 noon - Lunch
2 pm - Guarded peace overtures
4 pm - Political overtones
6 pm - Linguistic misunderstandings
8.30 - Unexpected outbreak of ordinations
8.33 - Tuttings and Sighings
11 pm - Anathemas
NB today is an international celebration and therefore various people may be in different time zones. For example, for members of Gafcon, all timings must be adjusted to about 1500 AD.
or possibly not.
Solemnities to celebrate the 954th anniversary of the Great Schism
8am Pointless wranglings over obscure doctrine (will continue forever)
10am Filioqui-ists to gather in the orchard for double processions
12 noon - Lunch
2 pm - Guarded peace overtures
4 pm - Political overtones
6 pm - Linguistic misunderstandings
8.30 - Unexpected outbreak of ordinations
8.33 - Tuttings and Sighings
11 pm - Anathemas
NB today is an international celebration and therefore various people may be in different time zones. For example, for members of Gafcon, all timings must be adjusted to about 1500 AD.
or possibly not.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
'A Generation Under Stress': who'd be a teenager?
A new study on mental health among teenage girls came out a couple of days ago, and is summarised in this piece from the Guardian. Here's a snippet:
According to the report, A Generation Under Stress?, two in five felt worse about themselves after looking at pictures of models, pop stars and actresses in magazines. Some teens also felt under pressure from such publications to be thin, take drugs and even have plastic surgery. Many were self-conscious about their appearance and weight, with a number citing the pressure of the "size zero" culture. The girls questioned described being put under sexual pressure from boys at school or feeling obliged to wear clothes that made them look older.
Pressures to own material goods such as iPods, mobile phones and expensive clothes are also having a negative impact on the lives of many young girls, according to the report. The perceived need to own expensive gadgets left one in five girls feeling angry or sad. "To an extent teenagers have always felt isolated but new pressures, such as the need to buy expensive gadgets and school exams, are making the situation worse," said Murray. Exams made 74 % of the girls questions feel worried, and 19% felt negatively about themselves.
You can download the full report here, and there are summary articles with comment at Shrink Rap, BBC, the Telegraph and there's a page on the Girlguiding website (who commissioned the report) with a couple of related reports published recently.
According to the report, A Generation Under Stress?, two in five felt worse about themselves after looking at pictures of models, pop stars and actresses in magazines. Some teens also felt under pressure from such publications to be thin, take drugs and even have plastic surgery. Many were self-conscious about their appearance and weight, with a number citing the pressure of the "size zero" culture. The girls questioned described being put under sexual pressure from boys at school or feeling obliged to wear clothes that made them look older.
Pressures to own material goods such as iPods, mobile phones and expensive clothes are also having a negative impact on the lives of many young girls, according to the report. The perceived need to own expensive gadgets left one in five girls feeling angry or sad. "To an extent teenagers have always felt isolated but new pressures, such as the need to buy expensive gadgets and school exams, are making the situation worse," said Murray. Exams made 74 % of the girls questions feel worried, and 19% felt negatively about themselves.
You can download the full report here, and there are summary articles with comment at Shrink Rap, BBC, the Telegraph and there's a page on the Girlguiding website (who commissioned the report) with a couple of related reports published recently.
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