Now how to do it? A degree holding Christian has generally been trained for thought rather than action. Let’s think about the obstacles, the best way to do it etc, but this won’t get it done.

Like Peter, we will probably fail. I’ve written a song recently that ended up being an evangelical conversation, but is it something people will enjoy? Probably not much, since it’s my first attempt. If you aren’t convinced that it won’t be that good, just read some of the “poetry” on my page before I get rid of it in an attempt to make the web page more reader friendly.

Speaking of getting around to things, It seems like I don’t have time to do what David suggests though I want to do more.

There is no way I can do much. It is up to God.

Do I just leave it there? If I believe it is up to God, I will forget my own understanding and trust in the Lord, and He will set my paths straight.

As Jabercrow says, Johny Cash was open about the dark side of life, like David a man after God’s heart. The degree holding class have the skill, but it’s only engrossed us in academia. We’ve learned the truth of the gospel but we’ve been trained to interact by examination, and so we apply our proud skill to the gospel instead of applying it to ourselves. Living in the knowledge of our brokenness is the one thing that brings us down to earth and gives us the motivation to trust. Let’s trust God and let the world know how weak we are, and laugh at their surprise when despite our fumbling attempts, the world is changed.

I don’t believe that I will ever be a writer or that any art of mine will generate a useful reputation. I am beginning to believe that God is good and I am bad, that all things are possible and that He will grant me an unforeseen place in his victory.

His achievement is not only to critique the sacharrine (is that how you spell it) of Christendom’s cultural output, but to remedy the situation with great work that transcends the sacred/spiritual divide.

I think this presents a challenge for all of us who are in the community of the church and prone to agitated moments.

It’s 13 years since Mark Noll wrote – with very good reason – The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.

Since then we’ve churned out critiques of the loopy aspects of dispensationalism, the dangnabit craziness of prospertiy theology and the danger of allying Christianity with political agendae.

For the past decade Christian low culture has been dominated by pulpy dross, but the degree-holding class has characterised itself by what it is not.

This could be just an adolescent stage in the emergence of a more mature spirituality as a generation noisily and stroppily distances itself from its parents. But out of this indignation has yet to come a theology of what people who follow Christ are for.

I reckon it’s time we stopped obsessing about the Falwell era and took a leaf out of Mr Turner’s book/s. Let’s write books, create art, do works and share a message which is drawn out of hope and radically different to what humanism can proffer.

Just as his (and Cash’s) poetry is soaked in the divine but accessible and true to anyone with functioning synapses and a human heart, we need work that engages in the mess and beauty of creation.

you’re still a pretentious f**ker though

Enjoy the blogs by the way, keep it up.