PUNDITS FOLLY

• Euro 2012 Prayer Guide (part 2)

  Next month 16 nations will compete to be declared football champions of Europe. Which makes for a good time to assess the state of Christianity on the continent. 

  With three weeks to go, the Pundits Folly’s guide to the State of the Nations continues. 

  GROUP B

  Portugal

  80% of the 10 million people in Portugal describe themselves as Catholic. In the North of the country church attendance is still high, though the influence of tourism in the south has led to a more secularised society. Perhaps for this reason, the country has never been seen to be a place requiring evangelism. However, EMF describes Portugal as being a country with significant spiritual needs, highlighting materialism and substance abuse as being a societal problem.

  Pray about

  The lack of full time Christian workers

  Many congregations function without a spiritual leader. This leads to strategic problems but also leads to biblical illiteracy and a lack of theological depth. Bible colleges like Portugese Bible Institute in Lisbon are trying to meet that need. Pray for Joåo Nunes who lectures there under the auspices of EMF.

  Park of the Nations 

  Since 2005 European Christian Mission has been partnering with  a local Portuguese Church in a new church plant in a new urban suburb of Lisbon which was formed after Expo ’98 was hosted by Portugal. It’s called the Park of the Nations and is seen as the new face of Portugal, with a population of 20,000, and currently no Evangelical church.

  The team is headed up by Pastor Tome Fernandes and includes ECM’ers Peter and Anna Crawford, currently in Portuguese language study, along with other long and short term missionaries from Brazil. 

  A Passion for Portuguese speakers

  The Portuguese Church has a unique role to play because of the widespread use of the language. Most churches could easily increase involvement in evangelism and in mission. Some churches and missions are active in sending. A new national sending agency (MEVIC) recently began.

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye on…

  Cristiano Ronaldo As the world’s most expensive player and unarguably the best player at the finals, everyone else will be watching him too.

  Germany

  While Germany was the seat of the Reformation 500 years ago, Christianity today is widely perceived as irrelevant and marginalized. In Western Germany post-war affluence has been one of the major factors; in the East, it was Communism. In Eastern Germany about 80% are unchurched, and are at least a generation removed from any real Christian influence.

  In both parts of the country the occult and New Age worldviews are on the rise, as well as radical groups, especially in the East. Refugees of every stripe are a growing phenomenon, as well as the increasing numbers of Muslims. 

  Pray for

  Continuing Unity

  According to Operation World, “The decline of Christianity has drawn believers together. Prayer movements are forming and spreading as are city- and region-wide unity initiatives among churches, a revitalized spirituality and an openness to a new way of “doing faith”.

  The City of Rostock

  Since 2004 ECM has been working on planting a church in Rostock, a city of 200,000, the largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which together with Warnemünde inside Rostock’s metropolitan area, is also the largest Baltic seaport in Eastern Germany.  There is one section of Rostock which has over 30,000 inhabitants without a Christian church of any kind.

  A positive Christian approach to Immigration

  Germany has countless numbers of refugees from all over the world. In the refugee camps Tamils, Kurds, Arabs, and Turks are among the peoples represented, and within these groups are Hindus, Moslems and Christians. This gives a unique opportunity to present the gospel to them and assist them in a practical way where necessary.

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye on…

  Joachim Löw Germany’s manager was widely held to be the best dressed coach at World Cup 2010.

  Netherlands

  Browsing the Operation World description of Holland’s spiritual state makes for pretty depressing reading. They note that, “Christianity in the Netherlands seems to have hit rock bottom. Less than 20% attend church with any regularity – the lowest figure in centuries. Possibly 65% of Dutch claim no affiliation with a church. Half of the nation’s church buildings have been destroyed or converted for other purposes, such as bars and mosques. The Church has effectively withdrawn from engaging society in the public sphere.” 

  Pray about

  Politics Holland is a world leader in liberal politics with relaxed attitudes to euthanasia, prostitution and drugs.

  Immigration There are almost one million people from the Muslim world in the Netherlands. Thousands of people from other nationalities also contribute to the work force and cultural diversity of the country. About 70% of Muslim immigrants are former guest workers from Turkey and Morocco, who came with their families in the 1960s and 1970s. 10% are from Indonesia and Suriname, former colonies. In the 1990s many Muslims came seeking asylum, from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Somalia.

  A Spiritual awakening ECM is recognising “a growing evangelical movement which gives hope for the future. Unlike their parents, young people in general are becoming more open to the gospel. Although this openness embraces all forms of spiritual belief, religion is now no longer automatically rejected.”

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye out for…

  Flying tackles Two years ago Holland made it to the World Cup final courtesy of some pretty nasty tackles and almost mugged the favourites, Spain, in the final. 

  Denmark

  Of 5 million Danes, less than 200,000 are Evangelical. Nonetheless Operation World has some encouraging observations. They note a marked increase in spiritual openness among Danes. The number who believe in a personal God, while still low (33%), has notably increased in recent years. New churches are being planted, new ministries are being founded and unity among believers is increasing. 

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye out for…

  Christian Eriksen Voted Young Player of the Year while playing for Ajaz, Eriksen is a hot prospect. A good performance at the Euro’s could precipitate a move to one of the big leagues.

  
  

  Most of the information for this article was drawn from the following websites and mission organisations.

  European Christian Mission

  European Missionary Fellowship

  Operation World 

• Taking children to church

  Taking children to church is hard work. 
  
  I don’t mean the looking-for-shoes-brushing-hair-“where-are-the-keys”-washing-faces-grabbing-colouring-books-“why-haven’t-you-got-your-shoes-on”-hurry-up-we’ll-be-late-where-has-the-time-gone hurricane. That’s the norm before we go anywhere. 
  
  I mean sitting with children in church is hard work. In fact, it’s enough to make me neurotic. 
  
  People say that children have minds like sponges, soaking up all manner of material. 
  
  In the case of our boys that’s definitely true. One can quote whole chunks of dialogue from Disney’s Tangled, another can give a pretty good description of the troop movements in Zulu (replete with uncannily accurate sound of the rifles loading). Even the toddler can sing the Emperors theme music from Return of the Jedi. 
  
  Because of that I need to be careful about how I behave when I’m in church and need to be clear about what I expect from them. Take these two examples from last Sunday. 
  
  1. BIBLE READING Should I follow the reading from a hard copy bible or my iPhone?
  
  Instinct tells me a paper bible is the right choice hear. A hard copy helps illustrate the physical dimensions of the volume and where the books are in relation to one another. On the other hand, if I read newspapers and novels on a screen do I want the bible to appear noticeably different and old fashioned; unlike anything else that I use (and they will use)?
  
  2. COLLECTION
  Here comes the bag. I have a coin in my pocket. I want to encourage the children to give to God but it’s meant to be from each persons own resources. If I just take a coin from my pocket and pass it to them, what will that mean to them? Should I give them pocket money so that I can then get them to tithe it back? And if they do that without love won’t they feel towards God what I feel towards the taxman?
  
  There are more examples I could give but you get the idea. Like I say, I could get neurotic about this stuff.
  
  I suppose part of the difficulty is that ours isn’t an outward religion. I could teach them creeds and confessions but ultimately Christian faith depends on a relationship to Jesus. If they’re going to have a positive experience of Christianity it will be from desiring what I have as much as mimicking what I teach. 
  
  Which impacts on you dear reader! Because if my children are learning from me the children in your church also learning from you. The way you sing, whether you concentrate in prayers, whether your offering clinks or folds. Do you think they don’t have their beady eyes on the snoozers in the sermon? They see you! Just like they hear the grumblers and the gossips, the moaners and the complainers.  
  
  If there are children in the church you can be sure they watch and learn from you. I hope you’re modelling Christ to them- not to make YOU feel neurotic!

• RM*

  You know that nightmare you have where you make a multimillion dollar animated sequel and then accidentally delete it just before it’s due to be released?

  Pixar does.

  (c/o Shawn Blanc)

• EURO 2012 Prayer Guide

  Next month 16 nations will compete to be declared football champions of Europe. Which makes for a good time to assess the state of Christianity on the continent. 

  Welcome to Pundits Folly’s guide to the State of the Nations. 

  GROUP A

  
  

  POLAND

  A country in transition. Poland’s entry into the EU triggered a huge exodus as many people migrated to search for work. At home there is disillusion with the religious scene and attendance at Mass is in decline.

  Although this is a Catholic country and so would be described as religious, Evangelical Christianity is tiny and Protestant Christianity is general is seen as a sect. 

  PRAY FOR

  Evangelical churches Many Christians have left Poland to seek a better life in the West. It has been reported that churches have already closed because there are too few members or no one left to lead the work.

  Legatio Christian Books In May 1997 the church in Wlocllawek set up a ministry for the translation and publishing of Christian books. Legatio has now published over 40 titles. With many Poles now in the UK this work is helping UK churches as well. 

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye on…

  Striker, Robert Lewandowski’s father was a Judo champion and his girlfriend has a bronze medal in Karate. Expect referee’s to give any dubious penalty calls his way…

  
  

  GREECE

  One of the best known things about Greece is its Orthodox church and 91% of people call themselves Christian because of it. However only 41,000 people in Greece (0.7%) profess an evangelical faith. The Orthodox church remains a symbol of nationalism. Attempts to share the gospel outside of that group are seen as a threat and because of this most Greeks are ignorant of the gospel message.

  PRAY FOR

  The economic situation The appalling economic conditions are devastating the nation with even professional workers like teachers and doctors finding themselves homeless. Many people are turning to substance abuse.

  Evangelism 22% of people living in Greece have never heard the gospel, pray for 

  Missionary request: Sandra, IFES Please pray that in our words and our actions, Christians will be seen to be wise, loving, contented and peaceful people whose hope is not in wealth or power, both of which are proving to be somewhat illusory at the moment anyway.

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye on…

  Sotiris Ninis The youngest player to score for Greece, he has been linked with a move to Manchester United.

  
  

  RUSSIA

  Even without its Soviet Empire, Russia remains the world’s largest nation. It extends across nine time zones. Like Greece it has an orthodox church and so boasts 93m Christians, yet only 1.6m of those are Evangelical. That statistic means only 1 in 140 people consider themselves evangelical. By contrast it is believed that almost half of those living in Russia have never heard the gospel.

  GIVE THANKS FOR 

  Ambitious and faith-filled church planting vision in many current evangelical networks which is a far cry from the insular survival mode of Communist-era Christianity.

  PRAY FOR

  A clear light in the darkness The current religious climate of Russia is mixed, both spiritually open and closed at the same time. Orthodoxy is culturally strong yet spiritually weak in the lives of most of its followers. Millions call themselves Russian Orthodox without actually believing in God. Current gloom has not led to high degrees of spirituality, and the surge of religious activity in the 1990s has all but stalled. Cults and sects, both Eastern and Western, and belief in the paranormal are common. Pray that the Russian peoples’ hearts will be hungry for and open to promptings of the Holy Spirit and the gospel of Christ.

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye on…

  Dick Advocaat. Despite leading them for five years, this Dutch manager hasn’t learnt a word of Russian. Hand motions from the sidelines will be at a premium.

  
  

  CZECH REPUBLIC

  This landlocked country in central Europe only became an independent in 1993. It is a rich country by the standards of the former Soviet bloc. Despite its role in Protestant development (Jan Hus was an influence on Martin Luther) Czech Republic does not have a Protestant history and is one of the least religious nations in Europe. In a country of 11 million people only 2 million count themselves as Christian and only 77,000 of them would profess to be evangelical.

  The Catholic Church is in what could almost be described as free-fall. Despite outnumbering all other confessions nearly 6 to 1, its influence is waning quickly. The openness of the 1990s was a window of opportunity that was passed up. Instead of offering a living faith, traditionalism (“religion for grannies”) and a failure to act decisively relegated Catholicism to a minor role in society – a strong contrast to neighbouring Slovakia and Poland. Increasing adaptation and renewal movements may not be enough to save Catholicism from declining further, since both laity and priesthood are generally quite old.

  PRAY FOR

  Mission Despite its relatively small size, Czech churches send missionaries out into Europe and around the world. 

  Watching the Euro’s? Keep an eye on… 

  Milan Baros. At 30, this is likely to be his swansong so He’ll be looking to add to his tally of 39 international goals.

  For more information on these and other countries 

  European Missionary Fellowship: emf-welwyn.org

  International Fellowship of Evangelical Students: ifesworld.org/

  Operation World: operationworld.org

  
  

• Things you don’t see anymore #22

  Tanned glass crockery.

• Neue Haas Grotesk

  Helvetica for nerds.

• Things you don’t see anymore #21

  Hacky sack’s. 

  UPDATE: The type I remember were squarer than this though.

• I Am the One Who Clicks Banner Ads.

  It had to be someone.

• Letters of Note: Permission to Land

  Remember that bit in Top Gun when James Tolkan criticises Maverick for helping to bring a spooked Cougar back to the ship when, what he should have done was land the plane?

  His criticism is that Maverick didn’t own the plane he was flying and therefore he wasn’t entitled to misuse it even if another pilot’s life was at stake.

  I was reminded of that when the website, Letters of Note recently recounted an incredible story that took place at the end of the Vietnam war.

  On April 30th of 1975, with the Vietnam War coming to a close and the U.S. evacuating as many people as possible from South Vietnam in Operation Frequent Wind, crew aboard the USS Midway were surprised to see a small two-seat Cessna O-1 Bird Dog approach the vessel and then circle above. Flying that plane, having just escaped from Con Son Island with his wife and five children — also aboard — was South Vietnamese Air Force Major Buang-Ly. With no other communication method to hand and fuel running low, Buang-Ly soon began unsuccessfully dropping notes from the plane. Before long one hit the deck, attached to a heavy pistol; on it, a handwritten request to land on the carrier.

  Noticing a severe lack of vacant runway on deck, Captain Larry Chambers made a quick decision: he immediately ordered all available crew to push as many of the dozens of UH-1 Huey helicopters into the ocean as necessary, thus giving Buang room to touch down. He soon landed the Cessna perfectly, without tailhook, to much applause. 

  Can you imagine the conversation?

  Captain: Men, do you see those helicopters?

  Crew: Sir, Yes Sir.

  Captain: We need to move them.

  Crew: Sir, Yes Sir.

  Captain: I want you to push them overboard.

  Crew: Do what now?

  How much did one Huey cost? According to one website, $4.7million. Maybe they pushed half a dozen overboard. That’s tens of millions of dollars of equipment. What would James Tolkan said about that?

  The instruction from Captain Chambers is nonsensical in every cost benefit analysis except one. The combined cost of the helicopters was less than the lives of one Vietnamese family. In 1975 even battle hardened war veterans understood that.

  Do you think a Captain faced with the same situation would make the same choice today? 

  I’m sure you’re confident that he would. But I’m not sure what you’re placing your confidence in.

  It seems to me that in 2012 life is cheaper than it was even in 1975.

  Consider the Western culture we live in.

  Intellectually we venerate those who refuse to acknowledge the uniqueness of human life, preferring to present life as a chance occurrence and the end of life as meaningless. Buying into this lie we then demand that our children be taught the same explanation for the meaninglessness of life.

  Politically we abuse and frustrate the attempts of those who try to defend the right to life of the unborn child, while promoting the arguments of those men and women fighting to allow euthanasia at the other end of life.

  Meanwhile in the material realm we consume electronic goods as quickly as the nimble fingers of Asian workers can produce them, all the while accepting that we would not tolerate the working conditions and pay they endure. Isn’t the provision of cheap goods the product of a cheap view of life?

  In 1975, at the end of a catastrophic war, one Navy Captain still had the moral character to know what was the right thing to do.

  In 2012, with a Cessna flying over head and expensive equipment all around, could you blame a man, steeped in our culture, if he weighed everything up, everything he had been taught, everything he had experienced and, like James Tolkan’s character in Top Gun, sailed on home? After all, he would just be obeying orders.

• Media Studies: Take Me Out of this Love Machine

  In the recent hullabaloo about gay (or equal) marriage one thing taken for granted was the assumption that the media should define love. 

  In the interviews, television debates, editorials and magazine features, journalists and columnists gave (with great conviction) their idea of what love is and outlined the (usually few) prohibitions that should be placed on it. The Times newspaper for example, decreed that equal marriage would “enrich the institution of marriage, enhance social stability and expand the sum of human happiness” despite “criticism from clerical opponents” which they described as misguided. 

  Around the same time two dating programmes were shown on commercial television. Sky Television launched a new dating show called The Love Machine and ITV’s highly successful Take Me Out returned for a third series.

  Both programmes fill a slot vacated by Blind Date which ended in 2003. Remember Blind Date? A contestant looking for love would ask three people sat behind a screen, three questions. The contestant would then choose one person to date according to the answers given and the audience reaction. Remember it now? Maybe you need ‘our Graham with a quick reminder’.

  While the programme grew cruder towards the end in essence it always had an innocent quality to it based on personality, charm and, if you were lucky, wit. Success depended on the personality within and meant the nice guy sometimes outshone the hunk.

  A decade on, how does ITV do dating? Well, in Take Me Out, they’ve stuck with the cheeky northerner as host, replacing Cilla Black with Paddy McGuinness That aside however, it would struggle to be less like Blind Date if it tried. Thirty (yes thirty) women stand at illuminated podiums each with a light switch. They are then introduced to a man at which point, if they don’t want to be taken out by him, they can count themselves out of contention by switching off their lights (or, to put it in the words of the host, ”no likey, no lighty”). Man is asked a few questions, more lights are switched off and then, the man is invited to pick over the bones and see whom he will Take Out.

  Not particularly edifying. And yet, if you think Take Me Out is the moment television bludgeoned romance to death you haven’t seen Sky Living’s The Love Machine. 

  Apparently set in the barrel of a gun, eight contestants are stood in the dark while a member of the opposite sex stands before them. He or she then waits for the barrel to spin around, russian roulette style, until it settle on one of the eight who is then illuminated. The contestant decides if they like the look of them. If they do they take them out on a date. But if they think something better may be in another chamber, they can ditch and spin again.

  In short, Sky Living have brought into a glitzy studio the same process that is happening on night club floors across the country every Saturday night. But that’s the point isn’t it? What passes for romance and courting today is as basic as looking at who you fancy and taking them home.

  Why would we expect a programme based on personality and charm? It is as preposterous today as the idea we used to have that a couple meeting on Blind Date might do something as quaint as get married! The dating programmes today provide what the audience expect and are used to, lust and sex.

  All of which is to be expected. Television company uses sex to get ratings is not a story it’s a truism.

  But remember the pious voices we mentioned at the beginning of this piece? Remember the television programmes pompously expounding on sex and relationships? Remember the hackneyed old accusations that the Bible is out of date and out of step with modern life? Let’s be thankful that it is! Because the media that lectures Christians on sexual ethics is the same industry that herds women into a studio to be selected by men purely on what appeals to their eyes. Seriously! The media has no greater knowledge of what human relationships should be than Saturday evening game show contestants or the girls and boys who emulate them later in the night. 

  As for Christian’s, we have to get our own lives in order. We need to stop listening to the hopeless voices in the media echo chamber. and start listening to God and His Word. We have to repent of sexual sin, and be ready to speak biblically with quiet conviction and great kindness to those who come dazed and confused out of the Love Machine.

• Ooh, look what IKEA has planned for your TV

  Nice idea plus a lovely video.

  (They still need to go some way to making up for Verdana though.)

• Grand National Day

  Just time for an update from Alan Partridge.

• Good Friday, as usual

  Wake up, as usual.
  Eat breakfast, as usual.
  Wake the men, as usual.
  Address them on the parade ground, as usual.
  Travel into work, as usual.
  Torture the criminals, as usual.
  Administration error. Last minute change, not unusual.
  Lead the prisoners to the site, as usual.
  Women crying, as usual.
  Secure the prisoners in place, as usual.
  Blood everywhere, as usual.
  Watch the men gambling, as usual.
  Listen to the crowd jeering, as usual.
  Ignore the begging and cursing, as usual.
  Surrounded by blood and violence and death, as usual.
  Everyone behaving as expected, as usual.

  Except one.

  A criminal.
  A traitor.
  An enemy of the people.
  A man who deserves to die, as usual.

  But this man is unusual.

  This man refuses to be baited. That’s unusual
  This man forgives his enemies. That’s unheard of.
  The ground shakes, the sky goes black. That’s impossible…

  Death claims the various criminals in the end, as usual.

  Except one.

  The criminal.
  The traitor.
  The enemy of the people.
  The one they say deserves to die.

  He chooses to give up his life.
  He decides when it’s time to die. 
  That’s not usual.

  Criminal?
  Traitor?
  Enemy of the people?
  Does this man deserve to die?

  Surely, this man was a righteous man.
  Surely, this man was the Son of God.

• Things you don’t hear anymore #20

  People calling it ‘Billy’ Butlins.

• Men, in this hot weather there’s one question we’re all asking

  Not sure about this answer though.

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