www.bibleinbrief.com aoroland@gmail.com
Hi Friends
December is a crescendo of activity right up to Christmas. I am afraid that for Linda and me preparations have taken a bit of a back seat due to Brexit (Linda) and all my para-writing activities, see below:
Talk and Blog
On Monday 10th I gave a talk on
“Christmas – what’s the evidence?” Twenty five came from a wide range of people, from one of Holy Trinity Brompton’s clergy to members of St Mary Abbott’s Kensington, St Cuthbert’s, St Mary le Boltons and the HTB homeless breakfast. Everyone engaged with it; and the wine and cheese after got people staying and chatting for another hour. Then on Wednesday afternoon I did a repeat, this time with tea and dark chocolate digestives. Eight people came, again from the same broad spectrum. It was OK, but I think a more devotional approach might work better in the future with that number.
Since then I have turned the talk into a Bible blog and put it up on my website bibleinbrief.org. It is a bit long for a blog, 2,500 words, but I do think that if you are answering the question “What’s the evidence?” you have to mention all the main points. You will find it on https://www.bibleinbrief.org/2018/12/16/what-can-we-know-about-the-christmas-story-is-luke-reliable-is-it-fact-fiction-of-faction/
Posts & Tweets
Last month I announced that I was only going to put out a tweet or post on my facebook page (f/revandybooks) three times a week. Almost straightaway I had an idea which pushed me into posting virtually every day. I realised that i could do a post on Tuesdays on the topic of “Secret London”. I get excited about all the hidden and unexpected corners of London which I stumble across, and have taken photos of loads of them. So far I have posted about a) the oldest church remains in London, in the crypt of St Bride’s, b) the only city church to survive the fire and the blitz,
and c) a perfect place for meditation a stone’s throw away from Euston station. I did not have enough space to make a point about a great act of vandalism, namely the destruction of the Euston arch in 1961, using the greatest monument of the railway age (1837) as a way of infilling the Paddington canal!
The other days I aim to post something on prayer, on one of my books and on a film or TV show Linda and I have seen. Yesterday I went to morning prayers at St Cuthbert’s and discovered that it was the feast day of St John of the Cross; so I did a brief post about his teaching on mystical prayer (in English and Spanish!) together with a fascinating youtube clip of Bill Viola’s art installation about him.
On Thursdays I plan to do a series on Secret Jerusalem, as I have quite a few photos of out-of-the-way corners of that fascinating city. But as it is Christmas, i will do a few on Secret Bethlehem – the bits that tourists don’t get to.
Aid to Sales
For a couple of months I have wanted to produce a flyer for my main book “Bible in Brief”. Dave the manager of Manna Christian bookshop in Streatham said he would include it in customers’ bags if they bought something. I got the flyer designed and now printed at a cost of £37 for 500, colour and double-sided. I think it’s the business! Let’s see if it helps sales.
I also do ask folk who have bought one of my books to review it on Amazon – provided they already have an Amazon account. If that is you, please say a couple of words on Amazon.
Retreat
At the start of December I had planned to go on retreat to my favourite monastery, Holy Trinity at Crawley Down. Instead, I went to a talk by Frank Field MP, Parliamentarian of the Year. He has been MP for Birkenhead since 1979, quite a deprived area. He was firmly for leaving the EU, but aghast at what the Labour party was turning into, a totalitarian party which brooked no dissent from Momentum’s extreme left policies. It was interesting to hear him, but no substitute for a much needed break for mental and spiritual refreshment.
I managed to get to the monastery on 18th.
It makes me realise how I fill my head with music or other mental noise, and have made a resolution to come here every month. For one thing it is here that I get my most creative ideas. I am thinking about the possibility of leading a weekend retreat on “Welcoming Silence” – an introduction to Centring Prayer and using Psalms in daily prayer. If you think that s a good idea do email me at aoroland @gmail.com.
Christmas
Just two day to Christmas Because of Linda’s work on Brexit, my busyness writing, blogging and posting, and Peter’s late information about his work rota, we made our arrangements at the last moment. Linda, our friend Kristin are going to spend three days in a cottage in Devon, paying a surprise visit to Linda’s father for his birthday and then we will see them on Christmas afternoon. Peter travels down on Christmas Eve then back with us on Boxing Day. The next day we will go to Cambridge for Christmas with my brother and his family now comprising 11!
Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!
God bless
Andy