Christmas Market 2024

May Day 2024

Wiki

Being the first of May I gathered wild flowers and green branches, picked up a garland or two and danced around the Maypole with similarly dressed strangers.  The great fire we lit kind of annoyed the neighbours however, not only was it just dawn it was dawning on them their house was on fire also.  Never mind.  Just like Rome in past times we celebrated the first fruits of Spring, bought from Tesco's clearance shelves, and danced the dawn away.

Such activity has little religious meaning, though it was added here and there, it is just that a proper Spring ought to be upon us, and Summer is around the corner.  Good times lie ahead and people naturally rejoice.  Usually they rejoiced so much the authorities had to clamp down upon the rejoicers!

During 1889 the 'Marxist International Socialist Congress,' mostly male middle class types, called for, among other things, the 1st of May to be a day of demonstration calling for an '8 hour day.'  Thus it has continued one way or another as a day to fly red flags and march with clenched fist against the oppression of the ruling classes.  

I added a red flag to my flowers, green boughs and garlands as I, with many thousands of others, marched through the town centre in the mist this morning.  We will stand up for workers rights, for individuals rights, and for a lawyer to clear up the mess left behind as we sit here in the local police station where the local Stasi have imprisoned us for 'Breach of the Peace.'  

Go celebrate...

A brief scan of the Online Mail this morning reveals just how much money is being lost there.  The page is filled with celeb stories and patched up with tales of US reports.  Actual 'news,' always slanted to suit the DM, is almost impossible to find.  The 'Daily Mirror' is of course no better, we know the writer has had his space reduced and is under orders to use 'clickbait' at all times.  

I feel no sadness at the death of these rags.  If they offered news, news with a sensible opinion it would be worth reading, however, in the desire to survive there is no chance of that, clickbait is all.  The papers that offer more reading either use paywalls and/or have dubious owners rendering their writers opinions somewhat slanted to suit the boss.  In the end I search Twitter to find the news, often from far-right or far-left organisations.  This is not always readable stuff!  

People require an easy to read fact filled open-minded free press, the UK does not have one.

 

Talking about oppressive governments I came across this the other day, a psalm/song that ought to be used at all the gatherings of the great and the good.  They consider themselves to be 'gods' even if they do not use that term, this psalm indicates their duty and their responsibility, and God will call them all to account, just as he will us.  

     A psalm of Asaph. 

1  God presides in the great assembly;

    he renders judgment among the ‘gods’:

2  ‘How long will you defend the unjust

    and show partiality to the wicked?

3  Defend the weak and the fatherless;

    uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

4  Rescue the weak and the needy;

    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

5  ‘The “gods” know nothing, they understand nothing.

    They walk about in darkness;

    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6  ‘I said, “You are ‘gods’;

    you are all sons of the Most High.”

7  But you will die like mere mortals;

    you will fall like every other ruler.’

8  Rise up, O God, judge the earth,

    for all the nations are your inheritance.

Easter Sunday 2024

Christ has risen,

He has risen indeed!  

Considering how many have taken off for the holidays we had a reasonable turnout this morning.  Several new families are appearing, all black African types, with children, which is good indeed.  We need young folks arriving, so many are not as young as they are, and those who were once young are now adolescent and have run off to find themselves.

A visiting retired speaker, whom we know and like, though he is a 'liberal' regarding theology, which is why I will not refer to his sermon as it was somewhat 'loose.'  At times I wondered what he really believes.  The Anglican church in England is indeed a strange place.  

Whoever decided to lose an hours sleep on Easter Sunday requires to be shot in my experience.  I was half asleep all morning, and even though I snoozed once I got home, I am still weary.  Lose an hour next Sunday and it would be OK!  

The weather is grey, the people I passed did not reflect joy and gladness, though dogs heading for the park certainly did.  Traffic was slow, the holidays mean people are away, Easter means chocolate eggs fill the kids hearts, and folks are visiting family.

For the most part we were happy, the visiting vicar loud and cheery which left me exhausted, and people ran for home and a large family lunch.  

I cooked mine in the microwave...

Good Friday 2024

 

Good Friday:  Richards sermon on Palm Sunday appropriate for use here today.