A call to pray from Pete Greig, leader of 24-7 Prayer
And today I am voting in the Finnish European Parliament Elections! I love that I get to vote (to have that right, I appreciate it) - in my small way I get to say what I think, and to have a voice. It's an important spread of power that too. The option could be that we'd have no say whatsoever - that the leaders be chosen only by an elite or that there'd be e.g. absolute monarchy.
My sentimentalism could do with the fact that I have just been concentrating on studying Finnish history and in our lectures we just went through the time we got the general vote.. It's only just over 100 years old now! (1907) It is just something I appreciate.
PS Some links in Finnish on voting:
Edu.fi
Naisten täydet poliittiset oikeudet (you can get this one in English too)
07 June 2009
16 May 2009
Eurovision time!
It's Eurovision night again! I thought I'd post my most memorable songs.
First my utmost favourite, Ireland 1996 Eimear Quinn & "The Voice":
I even found the single for this back in '97 and can sing it heart out.
Poland 1997. Anna Maria Jopek "Ale Jestem" (The lyrics were really nice, though I don't the Polish ones understand, but we had the subtitles..)
There's been some other good ones (let's face it most of it is pretty camp!) but those have stayed with me the most. There were quite a few yrs I didn't watch it at all...
This is my absolute Finnish favourite though ;-)
(Vicky Rosti and "Sata Salamaa"..means hundred lightnings... :))
PS. Check out the outfits of these girls ;) Oh yes, Finland has certainly sent some "good" music over the yrs...
First my utmost favourite, Ireland 1996 Eimear Quinn & "The Voice":
I even found the single for this back in '97 and can sing it heart out.
Poland 1997. Anna Maria Jopek "Ale Jestem" (The lyrics were really nice, though I don't the Polish ones understand, but we had the subtitles..)
There's been some other good ones (let's face it most of it is pretty camp!) but those have stayed with me the most. There were quite a few yrs I didn't watch it at all...
This is my absolute Finnish favourite though ;-)
(Vicky Rosti and "Sata Salamaa"..means hundred lightnings... :))
PS. Check out the outfits of these girls ;) Oh yes, Finland has certainly sent some "good" music over the yrs...
09 May 2009
Mighty to Save
In Finland just now. This song reminds me of Glasgow and makes me miss people and all back home there! And I've only been gone a few days. Hehe :-)
I didn't know that this girl also was the one who wrote Indescribable!
21 April 2009
Recommended for me :)
I opened youtube and it recommended e.g the following videos for me ;)
Colors of the Wind
Check out this better version, it is slightly longer and with subtitle. I just wasn't able to embed this one. It could be used in the postcolonial theory course even to illustrate postcolonial thought (ps. not the best of links that one, but gives at least some image), has postcolonialism's elements (who actually is the civilized one? and illustrates the westerners attitudes..that still abide largely in us today underneath, sometimes we are not even aware how "colonial" our minds are.. Now there's some postcolonial theory 101 for you! lol..) in it! = me likes. :)
Youtube also thinks I speak Spanish.
Can you feel the love tonight
1000 things
(haha very "surprisingly" there was a Jason Mraz there, hehe)
This was also linked, it's actually quite a nice song: I'll do anything
And Little Mermaid!
Youtube also thinks I speak Spanish.
Can you feel the love tonight
1000 things
(haha very "surprisingly" there was a Jason Mraz there, hehe)
This was also linked, it's actually quite a nice song: I'll do anything
And Little Mermaid!
03 April 2009
yes please
one of the things that makes me the most sad about the world & the church is our natural tendency toward homogeneity. it is easier to hang around people who look and think and act like us.
The biggest thing that was missing in our life for a long time was diversity. diversity ...that provide texture and depth to our lives together. we really were in the “land of everyone who looks and thinks is basically just like us.
but i also believe that we are a long way off from the kind of connection and inclusion and togetherness as God’s family that would more accurately reflect the kingdom of God.”
I love diversity. And I think we are called to something so much more! "Different" can be a scary thing, because it's --different!-- but it won't be so scary once you get to know it. But you gotta give it a chance first, and be open for it.. erilaisuus on rikkautta.
yes please: to diversity and heterogeneity. aina se missä aita on matalin ei ole se mikä on antoisin.
02 April 2009
Bullying and Intervention to it
I watched an interesting programme on Yle Teema (A Finnish tv channel) yesterday about bullying in schools and how a school in Norway had tackled that problem. It was really good! They had started using Erling Roland's methods to tackle bullying. And truly all the children and the school community seemed a lot happier there! The involvement of parents and everyone sounded very good. They have zero tolerance at the school for bullying. They encourage the pupils (and parents) to tell of anything they see. And it is not labelled as tale-telling. They create an atmosphere where everyone feels they can speak up/speak out and bring forth how they feel and experience things. The adults are more involved in the children's world during break times. They mix older kids with younger ones, so the younger ones can rely on older kids and older pupils know they are needed. They want everyone to know they are important and valued.
Also, they have a rule that there is no excluding of anyone. Everyone is to be included in games in the yard for example. It is not allowed to not include someone, take someone with you. Kaikki tulee ottaa leikkiin mukaan.
When I was watching this I could not help but think about Church(es) and how those communities function in general. Or could be work places. Any human communities. In these places sometimes the school rules could still abide! I thought the communication aspect was awesome. In the small girl's groups everyone could share how they felt and how certain behaviour by other people made them feel. It was important to communicate! That way we can learn to understand and learn ways to work/communicate together. Everyone's feeling and thoughts were important and valued and listened to. (This doesn't mean in general I think that whenever someone says "i don't like that" you go and please them and do as they want - but communication gives a basis for understanding and compromises, being heard and listened to is healing and important.)
You can watch it in here: Opettaja.tv
It's in English/Norwegian with Finnish subtitles. 27 minutes.
Bullying in Schools: How successful interventions can be? (Erling Roland co-author of article)
Also, they have a rule that there is no excluding of anyone. Everyone is to be included in games in the yard for example. It is not allowed to not include someone, take someone with you. Kaikki tulee ottaa leikkiin mukaan.
When I was watching this I could not help but think about Church(es) and how those communities function in general. Or could be work places. Any human communities. In these places sometimes the school rules could still abide! I thought the communication aspect was awesome. In the small girl's groups everyone could share how they felt and how certain behaviour by other people made them feel. It was important to communicate! That way we can learn to understand and learn ways to work/communicate together. Everyone's feeling and thoughts were important and valued and listened to. (This doesn't mean in general I think that whenever someone says "i don't like that" you go and please them and do as they want - but communication gives a basis for understanding and compromises, being heard and listened to is healing and important.)
You can watch it in here: Opettaja.tv
It's in English/Norwegian with Finnish subtitles. 27 minutes.
Bullying in Schools: How successful interventions can be? (Erling Roland co-author of article)
01 April 2009
Rise Up
Prayer for the G20 meeting tomorrow in London
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV)
Father, we stand before you in prayer as the global economic crisis casts a shadow over the peoples of the earth. We have been reminded that in a world as closely connected as ours, each of our actions affects the whole. We are sorry when we have failed to act beyond our narrow interests.Help us to live as a community and care for others, especially the vulnerable and the poor amongst us.
As the G20 meet, we ask for wisdom for the leaders of the world. Where nations have pushed their agendas on others; bring partnership and love. Where people have lived their lives disconnected from their brothers and sisters in other countries; bring solidarity and compassion.Where efforts for good have been frustrated; bring breakthrough. May we see the dawning of a new world, with your values at its heart: a world of justice, mercy
and humility.
Lord,we thank you for the promises which governments have already made in the Millennium Development Goals because we know their power to lift millions of people out of poverty.May that same spirit of global partnership be evident at the G20,may the poor not be forgotten in the midst of crisis. Father, help us to rise up. For who will raise a voice and reach out a hand to conform this world more to your plan, if not us your
people?
As your Church worldwide let us rise up – in prayer, in speaking out and in demonstrating your way of life – that out of the ruins of this current crisis might rise up a hope for a better world.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
THE RISE UP PRAYER
written by Joel Edwards, International Director of Micah Challenge
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV)
Father, we stand before you in prayer as the global economic crisis casts a shadow over the peoples of the earth. We have been reminded that in a world as closely connected as ours, each of our actions affects the whole. We are sorry when we have failed to act beyond our narrow interests.Help us to live as a community and care for others, especially the vulnerable and the poor amongst us.
As the G20 meet, we ask for wisdom for the leaders of the world. Where nations have pushed their agendas on others; bring partnership and love. Where people have lived their lives disconnected from their brothers and sisters in other countries; bring solidarity and compassion.Where efforts for good have been frustrated; bring breakthrough. May we see the dawning of a new world, with your values at its heart: a world of justice, mercy
and humility.
Lord,we thank you for the promises which governments have already made in the Millennium Development Goals because we know their power to lift millions of people out of poverty.May that same spirit of global partnership be evident at the G20,may the poor not be forgotten in the midst of crisis. Father, help us to rise up. For who will raise a voice and reach out a hand to conform this world more to your plan, if not us your
people?
As your Church worldwide let us rise up – in prayer, in speaking out and in demonstrating your way of life – that out of the ruins of this current crisis might rise up a hope for a better world.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
THE RISE UP PRAYER
written by Joel Edwards, International Director of Micah Challenge
29 March 2009
Spread power, Give voice , Include
"Re-producing" from Kathy Escobar once again :)
the “power people” were nowhere to be found. i believe this is a huge call to all of us who have some form of power, whether that be as a leader, a benefit of white privilege, because of money or education or a variety of other things that give us leadership & value & voice that some of our friends don’t have. will we use our power on behalf of those who have none? i believe the world, the church, would be a vastly different place if those in power didn’t separate from those without it.
“when we are silent we stand on the side of the oppressor.” strong statement. i know that it is often no one’s direct intention, but i believe that silence is not neutral. ..their silence means that they are agreeing with an oppressive system. when we allow our brothers & sisters to live in substandard housing, be stripped of their dignity and constantly silenced and pushed down because they are victims of race, class, gender and a variety of other discriminations and obstacles against them, standing by and observing their plight instead of doing anything about it means we are actually agreeing with the system that oppresses them. that’s one worth thinking about.
but i do believe that a wild and crazy intentional movement of a spirit of generosity sparked by God’s call to love can (change the world).
as Christ followers i believe we are not supposed to keep a cool, professional, sanitized distance from pain. as God’s heart breaks for his people, ours does, too.
“the kingdom of God isn’t just going to drop out of the sky .” we are Jesus’ hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth. but to love our neighbor tangibly because he deeply loves them; his actual physical hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth are no longer here, but ours (Jesus incarnate in us) are. a spiritual thought does not bring the kingdom of God to earth, but a spiritual action does.
the sum total of lots and lots of hands and feet and hearts and eyes and ears and mouths can change the world.
the “power people” were nowhere to be found. i believe this is a huge call to all of us who have some form of power, whether that be as a leader, a benefit of white privilege, because of money or education or a variety of other things that give us leadership & value & voice that some of our friends don’t have. will we use our power on behalf of those who have none? i believe the world, the church, would be a vastly different place if those in power didn’t separate from those without it.
“when we are silent we stand on the side of the oppressor.” strong statement. i know that it is often no one’s direct intention, but i believe that silence is not neutral. ..their silence means that they are agreeing with an oppressive system. when we allow our brothers & sisters to live in substandard housing, be stripped of their dignity and constantly silenced and pushed down because they are victims of race, class, gender and a variety of other discriminations and obstacles against them, standing by and observing their plight instead of doing anything about it means we are actually agreeing with the system that oppresses them. that’s one worth thinking about.
but i do believe that a wild and crazy intentional movement of a spirit of generosity sparked by God’s call to love can (change the world).
as Christ followers i believe we are not supposed to keep a cool, professional, sanitized distance from pain. as God’s heart breaks for his people, ours does, too.
“the kingdom of God isn’t just going to drop out of the sky .” we are Jesus’ hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth. but to love our neighbor tangibly because he deeply loves them; his actual physical hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth are no longer here, but ours (Jesus incarnate in us) are. a spiritual thought does not bring the kingdom of God to earth, but a spiritual action does.
the sum total of lots and lots of hands and feet and hearts and eyes and ears and mouths can change the world.
26 February 2009
What is love? Baby don't hurt me..
:-) Couldn't help it, with the first three words ,that just started playing in my head. :) I've not been blogging much as I've not had my usual access to internet.. But stay tuned, there's plenty more to come!
This is from Ella's blog (and you can read the whole thing there), I thought it was so good that I'd post it here too.
Perfect love casts out all fear.
What is love?
To me it is all about acceptance
and commitment.
I know who you are
and I still,
and because of that
choose to love you.
I am committed to you
and would not go away
no matter what.
It's more than a feeling.
This is from Ella's blog (and you can read the whole thing there), I thought it was so good that I'd post it here too.
Perfect love casts out all fear.
What is love?
To me it is all about acceptance
and commitment.
I know who you are
and I still,
and because of that
choose to love you.
I am committed to you
and would not go away
no matter what.
It's more than a feeling.
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