Joe Manafo

onmymind

Fiat Lux
In preparation for January and at bob’s recommendation I’ve begun reading a couple of classics on the gospel of John - Leslie Newbigin’s ‘The Light has Come’ (1982) and William Temple’s ‘Readings in St. John’s Gospel’ (1945). Brilliant stuff. Newbigin (as does Temple) breaks John down not in chapters, but according to the rhythm and flow of the writings - this is how we’ll tackle the book as well at theStory. Here’s a few good thoughts from the beginning pages of his book:

“Only when the whole story has been told will the reader be able to understand what [the opening words of John] mean.”

“The opening words of the Gospel cannot by themselves say all this but they can alert the reader to the fact that the story he is going to read has a meaning which will radically redefine even his most fundamental terms. Above all it will mean that the most fundamental of all words, the word “God” , has to be redefined. It will have to redefined in view of the fact that he –Jesus- was in the beginning with God and was from the beginning God, and that he is himself the word of God, a word which is not merely declaratory but creative and life–giving.”

“How do you begin to explain that which must in the end be accepted as the beginning of all explanation?”

On a related note, I read an article once where Chris Seay form Ecclesia in Houston was comparing the 4 gospels to the 4 major US news networks. He said something along these lines: “Matthew, Mark and Luke are like ABC, NBC and CBS, but John, John is more like Fox news.”

Martial Law

This weekend, Salvation Army sniper Pernell Goodyear is coming to share the story of the FRWY as part of our Stewardship series at theStory. This is a good thing on so many levels including the fact that even though our communities are ’separated’ by things like denomination and distance, we’re still family. How cool is that?

We Africans have Long Stories

My friend Laura from Calgary has published her first book, ‘We Africans have Long Stories’ which documents her experiences and connection to the missions work she’s been involved in in South Africa. I just received my copy in the mail! Thanks Laura!

Liberate Ex Inferis

Lately I’ve really been into Zao’s aforementioned album based on Dante’s Inferno. What an angry disc. Sometimes life just calls for angry music.

Advent

Dave Blondel from The Third Space in Peterborough put together this great flick titled ‘Nativity’. Check it out, and if it fits your context, use it!

Security

Security is a drug. By far the most sought after commodity in our culture and also a tranquilizer that dulls our souls. I’m currently in detox and it sucks.

Filed by Joe at December 6th, 2006 under Rants, People