Church notes - 28th May 2017

The church notes form the 28th May without those from the rest of the month.
A Day of Hope
50 years since the 1967 referendum on Aboriginal rights.

Sermon
Having a goal in Christ
Hebrews 11
They had a goal to move towards.

Forgiveness - very powerful.
Amos 2:6 - 16
He was showing Israel what was happening in their nation.

We need to ask Him, where we need to reconcile.

Communion
Psalm 133

All people are one in Christ - no matter what their skin colour!

Doctor Who 10.06 'Extremis' Review

Doctor Who 10.06 'Extremis' Review

The sixth episode of series 10. It is also the first part of a three part story. The Vatican calls the Doctor to come and investigate a mysterious book in their forbidden library, bringing Bill and Nardole along for the ride. That is just the start of their trouble. The blindness which the Doctor had been inflicted by in the previous episode, plays a major role here. The way he navigates with the sonic specs is well done. (my guess, the Specs induce synesthesia to produce a visual field for the Doctor. May, or may not, work only with a Time Lord brain.)

The device from the TARDIS he uses to temporarily regain vision is interesting too (borrowing from his future self? An interesting notion!). His relationship to a previous Pope is an interesting addition to the show's story also. Bill and Nardole play off well against each other. Her characterisation builds upon that established in the previous episodes. She is annoyed when the Doctor interrupts her date via materialising the TARDIS in her bedroom with the Pope (and Cardinals) in tow.

She is incredulous about what the central mystery of the episode entails even after Nardole vanishes (and the previous weirdness at CERN.) And that leads into the central plot of the episode The mystery of the book has an unexpected solution. That is, that most of the episode takes place in a simulation. Some aliens had been running the simulation as a way to predict how the Earth (and any visitors, including the Doctor) would react. It is also a great demonstation of the fact that computers don't produce truly random numbers.

Then there's the other plot. It is Missy in the Vault! (Not really surprising.) The concept of a planet of executioners is interesting (in the Chinese sense. How would a civilisation get that way?) One wonders how they would enforce the oath that the Doctor took. (Other than via Nardole?) Missy's comment about the Daleks knowing about the Doctor's 24 year sojourn on Darillium with River (although she isn't named) is also intreaging.At the end, the real Doctor finds out (via the Sim-Doctor sending a message somehow).

I certainly recommend watching it. 8.5/10.

Doctor Who 10.05 'Oxygen' Review

Doctor Who 10.05 'Oxygen' Review

The fifth episode of series 10, where the Doctor, Bill and Nardole arrive at a space station in response to a distress call. There is more going on at the Station than it appears. The intro to the episode does a really good job of setting up the situation, with the Doctor's riffing of the Star Trek intro ('Space, the final frontier. It's final, because it wants to kill you!') and the fate of various characters at the station. The visual design of the station is impressive also, like a much smaller Deep Space Nine.

Each main character is impressive, and undergoes changes in this story. The Doctor's problems get a lot worse. It leaves me wondering how this development would affect his efficacy in the future episodes. Nevertheless, he leads the investigation into the problem on the station in his usual manner, despite Nardole's objections. Although I'm not sure why he would be hiding the problem he gains from Bill at the end. Talking about Bill, she continues to be an interesting character, seemingly supporting the Doctor against Nardole at the beginning.

The way she reacts to the threats are quite believable, anyone would panic at having to go into space with limited are (more on the air situation below). She is also quite shocked at the fact that people had died. Nardole is much the same as before. It is revealed that he is following the Doctor's orders, to stop going off when that Vault needs defending (and whoever it is would know that the Doctor is injured, and given the nature of the Doctor's injury... Uh oh!). However, when problems amount, he is quite helpful in the situation.

That the Doctor is able to 'negotiate' with the TARDIS despite his injury is interesting. But there is the elephant in the room, or rather the Megacorporation that owns the station. Is the story anti-capitalist? That is a high possibility. However, workers deemed expendible is plausible given many historical precedents. Charging for air seems to be an efficient way of doing this. This is a good story despite any caveats above, albeit not as good as any anti-capitalist tales in the classic era (Capaldi doesn't quite match Baker), but still quite well recommended.

8.5/10.

Church notes - 14th May 2017

14th May
Mothers Day
Genesis 2:18 - 23
Eve is the crown of creation. His final touch.

Dedication
Duke, Broqq
1 Samuel

Sermon
Nicodemus
John 3:1 - 21
Nicodemus
- He had everything that seemed to be valued
- Sought Jesus by night
- A success by the standards of the culture of the time
- Impoverished in his heart
Hollywood - the centre of the modern variety - Stars have everything, yet drug abuse is very high.
- Emptiness, self doubt
One can appear to have it all together, and yet feel lost inside.
vs 3
Jesus says that doubts should be there.

Matthew 5:3
The poor in spirit - They know that they need to change.

We need to have a radical change
Being born again - we should have a radical change in our thinking.

Nicodemus was questioning the possibility of change.
You can't change by your own strength.
The Spirit was sent for this purpose.
vs 14 - 18
The demonstration of God's love. The object of His love is all of humanity. A broad, generous love. A love that's self giving.

John 17:39 - 40
A picture of a most unlikely victory. Nicodemus' life was changed.

Test Thread - 1979

1979
Americas
1978 was a bad year for Canada, but it wasn't the end of the Canadian Golden Age. The aforementioned year was merely a blip in the Canadian Ambition for Bringing Order to Chaos. (They wouldn't use the term 'Manifest Destiny', that was the term their cousins south of the 49th Parallel used.) And so the imperial ambitions of Ottawa continued. However, the need for modernisation of the Caribbean Provinces and Territories proves to  a drain on the national accounts...

The war in Brazil continues.

In the United States, the various infrastructure projects continue.


Europe


Africa


Asia


Oceania

Church notes - 7th May 2017

7 May
'A Wedding in Cana'
John 2:1 - 11
The Disciples hadn't comitted yet.

John 21:25

Weddings - a very big celebration.
People were yearning for more.
Jesus was saying that the old system is replaced.

vs 8
Grace is there in abundance.
- But there is a dilemma for a strict Jew - no water for cleansing.
God was doing something new!
The water of Judaism - The wine of Christianity

Thus Jesus revealed His glory.
- His diciples put their faith in Him.
- He had revealed a new way forward
- It inspires faith. It certainly did for the disciples.
vs 11
A growing understanding of Jesus and who he is.
We need to have the same sense of growth.
Not just a routine
We need to be open to what God is doing.
Transformation
- Behaviour - the Law was totally inadquate
- Genuine change is needed.
God's Grace - It has substance. One Sacrifice. Real Forgiveness.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Test Thread - 1966

1966
Americas
Reconstruction continues in the United States. In late August, Hawaii becomes the 49th State in the Union.

Mexican war weariness is growing. Even so, some progress is made in Cuba and Guatamala.


Europe
In the Workers Union of Europe, more minorities, especially in northern Italy, clamour for autonomy.

The various conflicts in eastern Europe continue.


Africa


Asia


Oceania