Reading the Everyday
John Davies on top form in Third Way this month. Challenging the seductive idea that we need to rebel against ordinariness and seek the extraordinary – in life and in faith – he looks at how, if we take the time to read the ordinary, the local, the unremarkable, there are riches of life to be found there. The link to a downloadable pdf of his article is on Urblog.
4 Responses to “Reading the Everyday”
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author musician theologian
Maggi has kept a blog since September 2003, writing about theology and faith, the arts and literature, and a little about life and random nonsense...
In an increasingly secularised society few people have a good working knowledge of the Bible. Yet a great deal of our culture is built on stories or ideas that come from the Bible. Literature, art, music, language and even the fabric of our society - such as our justice system - are built on Christian concepts and biblical references. The Writing on the Wall provides a fascinating introduction to the Bible's best-known, and most influential, stories. Each chapter gives some background to the text of the Bible, and shows how the stories have become enmeshed in Western culture. Adam and Eve, the ten plagues of Egypt, The Prodigal Son and Mary Magdalene all feature - along with how the Bible has influenced everyone from Shakespeare to Monty Python, and Caravaggio to Banksy. 
Giving It Up explores the Lenten idea of 'giving up', taking it beyond the traditional idea of simply abstaining from something, and suggesting instead that what we need to give up is our existing ideas about God. With a daily readings for each day of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, it follows the heroes of the Bible who had to give up their own too-small ideas about God.
This is Maggi’s bestselling book of daily readings for each day of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Advent is the beginning of the Church year, and marks the anticipation of the coming Messiah. These readings explore how beginnings and endings in our own lives are illuminated by the different Gospel narratives of Christ's coming.
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Thanks for the mention Maggi. The article’s an edited version of my Greenbelt talk so for those who may prefer listening the cd/mp3 is available here.
Thanks Maggi. One of my favorite subjects and John is always so articulate in his writing. Great. Looking forward to settling down with a cup of tea and reading it.
I just semi-completed a serirs on being like a child. I would love to here your thoughts on what I said.
http://pschase.blogspot.com/2006/10/child-like-faith.html
-Chase
Paul mentioned the Paul Davies article to me and was delighted to read it as it shares exactly what I have been reading, thinking and attempting to do myself. My own blog on 18th September – “In this familiar place?’follows a similar reading.
Thanks Maggi and I hope you get your T-shirt!