SIMON BURTON-JONES.com
WELCOME TO MY SITE
TO READ SLOWER RUN MOUSE OVER TEXT
THIS WEEKS ADDITION - THE ART OF FORGETTING Though we decry the loss of memory, we have to forget some of our past in order to function as God intends; but what if our environment stops us from forgetting? - Read more in JUST SEEN section
THE MEASURE OF AUTHORITY True authority is found in the integration of what people say they believe with how they live. This highlights the modern crisis of authority and sets us a compelling challenge.- Read in MY TALKS section
A GRIEF UNOBSERVED The invisible community of the bereaved possesses truths about life we need to hear. How odd, and perhaps significant, that theirs are the very voices we tend to block out.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
WHEN SIMPLE STEPS OF FAITH FEEL SO HARD Joy and prayer are a woven piece of fabric which gives us resilience in faith. The task of sewing them together is made daunting by the unfriendly climate we live in.- Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THEATRES OF THE ABSURD - Two political deaths within a day afforded a salutary reminder of the use and abuse of power - Read in IN THE NEWS section
WHEN THE MIGHTY LOSE THEIR THRONES - Mobile footage of the end of tyrants makes for compelling TV and leaves the sour aftertaste of voyeurism in the mouth - Read in JUST SEEN section
THE GREAT DIVIDE A new apartheid is forming in society which few of us see with the clarity it is calling for.- Read in IN THE NEWS
BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT - That we live in a meritocracy is so widely accepted now it is hard to argue against it. But there are subtle dangers inherent which may deny the gifting of God and the duty we owe him - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO DOUGLAS COUPLAND - One artistic voice from outside the Church is asking all the questions that need to be asked about life on earth.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
SMUG PARENTS The new battle lines between parents and the child-free are divisive and can only undermine our generation’s legacy. - Read in MY TALKS section
THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING The legacy of postmodernism is the creeping financial calculation of human and artistic value, a result of playing with the fire of truth.- Read in JUST SEEN section
QUESTION TIME It isn’t that politics and religion are separate spheres. They are two sides of the same coin. And the whole coin belongs to God.- Read in MY TALKS section
THE ADVICE CULTURE The self-help industry is booming, but its overall message is surprisingly reactionary and lacks the transformative power of grace.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
OCTOBER 2011 FAMILY NEWS
WHAT JEREMIAH MIGHT SAY IF HE WERE NICK ROBINSON Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth.- Read in THOUGHT FOT THE MONTH section
BRAND BULLYING AND THE MARKETING OF YOUTH - Britain has constructed a culture which makes children breathe the toxin of materialism. Simply blaming parents is a glib and unreflective way to let the corporate world evade their duty.- Read in JUST SEEN section
HOW TO BE A CHURCH VOLUNTEER AND A CHRISTIAN AT THE SAME TIME - Giving our spare time to the Church can be as much a challenge as it is a blessing.Careful attention to certain priorities can smooth the path.- Read in MY TALKS section
WHO OR WHAT IS TO BLAME? A society which is averse to naming Christ in public debate is not doing itself any favours when it comes to addressing deeply rooted personal and social problems.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE SECRET PRAYER LIFE - Why God calls us to be more like Clint Eastwood and less like Jonathan Ross when we pray to him.- Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
EVEN AS I AM FULLY KNOWN - Phone hacking has distracted us from a far more pervasive digital scrutiny of who we are which is changing the world beneath our feet.- Read in JUST SEEN section
THE STORY OF THE BLUES - Hidden in the middle of the Bible is a composition which speaks timelessly to the needs and aspirations of humanity.Read in My Talks section
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM - Politeness should not be deemed the preserve of petty minded people but the means to confer dignity and equality on all. The digital world has some catching up to do on this count.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE - Two trends in society and the Church empty the joyful impulse of love of its divine authenticity. Recognition is the first step to overcoming them - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
PHOBIC NATION -Fear is deeply ingrained in our culture. It is into this unpromising terrain that God speaks his word of peace.- Read in MY TALKS section
THE HAVE NOTS ARE NOT CHAVS - The so-called classless society still reserves special opprobrium for one group of people. Is there a distinctive Christian take on this development? - Read in JUST SEEN section
WHEN DOES ERRANT BEHAVIOUR MERIT PUBLIC ATTENTION? - Vindictive media make it harder to make a true moral audit of personal wrongdoing and reinforce sometimes spurious distinctions between the public and the private.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
SHALLOW GROUND - What does exposure to new sources of information do to our minds and how do we sift what is important from what is trivial? An old story gives us a clue.Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
WHAT\'S NEXT? - The relentless demands of daily work may not only impede our quality of life but also a right judgment of its purpose.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE PROPHETIC ROLE - The boomerang of prophecy aimed at society may knock out the idol we have in our sights, but it doesn’t complete its flight path until it hits the thrower as well.- Read in MY TALKS section
THOSE WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE - True healing comes when people are restored to their rightful place in the community, which should be a guiding principle in our support of disabled people.- Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
TAKING A JOKE - Are there limits beyond which humour should not go? In the absence of a consensus, the boundaries are being pushed incrementally further.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE PERILS OF ROUTE ONE IN LIFE - New thinking suggests our goals are best pursued indirectly in life. There are echoes of the Gospel in this, but unless we make some distinctions between the two, we may make a mess of our journey.- Read in JUST SEEN section
NICODEMUS BY NIGHT - The early communists talked of creating a new Soviet man, but Christianity got there long beforehand as those who trust in Christ become a new people in his resurrection life. Read in MY TALKS section
THE STROLL TO EMMAUS - Two people give up hope on the first day of the working week. It sounds a familiar story to us. Except a stranger has a different idea. Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
DOES PRETEND VIOLENCE POLLUTE OUR CULTURE? Spiralling levels of brutality in modern screen drama have desensitised us to real suffering which only the cross has the power to redeem.- read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE DARK SIDE OF FASHION - One designer’s outburst against the woman sitting opposite him spoke of more than one kind of fascism.- Read in JUST SEEN section
THE PROPAGANDA OF THE DEED - The assault on death in Bethany burned itself on the imaginations of those who witnessed it and announced the revolution to come.- Read in MY TALKS section
THE MOMENT OF CRISIS - When a time of trial arrives we can be sure of only one thing: Jesus won’t desert us, won’t deny us and won’t disappoint us. Such is the living God we worship. - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE BACKLASH - If we permit our relationships to be mediated digitally in the future, we may be drawing the kind of veil over our faces we are critical of some cultures for doing in practice. read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
TEXT THE CASBAH - Digital technology can be used to repress people as well as to help free them. This simple truth is overlooked by those who breathlessly herald the power of the internet to change the world. Read in JUST SEEN section
NO WORRIES - Social analysts suggest we are living in the age of anxiety. Few eras have seen as much change as ours. So how does the teaching of Jesus speak into this ferment? - Read in MY TALKS section
CONSIDERABLY RICHER THAN YOU - Religious self-righteousness is an ugly trait, yet in a consumer society we are, more than ever, making distinctions between ourselves and others that mimic this ancient human flaw - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
BEWARE THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER - The hot-housing of children’s education is a long way from the invitation to love and curiosity God would have us make to them. Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
OF GODS AND MEN - The most sensitive film about Christian discipleship in a generation has slipped almost unnoticed out of our cinemas. Its legacy on DVD by contrast shouldl be lasting - Read in JUST SEEN section
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD - One of the most romantic components of our faith is that we influence others for good even without realising it. Our capacity to do the reverse is probably why we do not dwell on this much. Read in MY TALKS section
THE BUBBLE - We live in a little personal bubble in the busyness of urban life and need God to pop it to see what he has in store for us outside.Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE UNSPOKEN LIMITS OF TV NEWS - Grasping the TV news’ inherent limitations is the first step to understanding the world they purport to reveal.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
HUSHING INCONVENIENT OPINION - Across the world, societies are trading basic freedoms for the right to make money.What is this doing to them and what does it mean for the Church? - Read in JUST SEEN section
IT’S MISSION, STUPID! - To understand how the world is changing is the first step towards shaping a mission which is faithful to the innovative power of an enduring Gospel. Read in MY TALKS section
TAKING THE BULLET - There were no bodyguards for Jesus, despite his status. That the uncreated God would give his life for us instead is a continuing source of wonder and awe.
TELL ME LIES - Rumours often make people miserable and yet we persist in passing them on. Understanding their structure and power is vital if we are to limit their capacity for damage.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE WAKE UP CALL - A light has entered this world that will never be extinguished. Adjusting to its power takes time, but its inescapability must rouse us from our sleep.- Read in MY TALKS section
I WAS LONELY AND YOU SPOKE TO ME - Loneliness is the stigma which dare not say its name in a connected society. We should open our eyes to the clues others offer up if we are to carry one another through life.- Read in JUST SEEN section
THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE - Being thankful is one of the most subversive gestures we can make in life. But how do we get to this point in the first place? - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE EMPTY CHAIR AT THE FESTIVE TABLE - Sometimes the more privileged among us should walk through the dark shadows of life frequented by others and not shirk this Christian duty just because we are able to. - Reaf in FAITH IN CULTURE section
DEAD MAN WALKING - One man went to a cruel and unusual death for us. How we respond to this is the measure of our life.- Read in MY TALKS section
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - The new media has more revelatory power than we know how to handle and is developing faster than the culture we need to protect us.- Read in JUST SEEN section
THE BONFIRE OF OUR VANITY - If you were a firework for God, which one would you be? - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? - What God achieves through ordinary people shows there are no limits to spiritual mobility other than those we place on ourselves.- Read in MY TALKS section
RESISTANCE IS FERTILE - How is individual moral courage expressed when a person feels uneasy with the culture or intimidated by the State?
THE ALTERNATIVE SPENDING REVIEW - Many of us allow nagging guilt to hinder the wider use of our wealth. Greater attention to some simple values can help us deal with this.- Read in MY TALKS section
THE WISDOM DEFICIT - There is no lottery about the gift of wisdom because God promises it to anyone who asks him for it in faith - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
LEBANON - Two inventive films about the 1982 war in Lebanon remind us how high the stakes remain today - Read in JUST SEEN section
THE LEVELLING SPIRIT - Have we become too relaxed about wealth differentials within both Church and society? - read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
MANAGING ANGER - With anger fast becoming the emotion of choice today, learning to handle the new volatility has become a priority for Christians. - Read in MY TALKS section
THE FREE MOBILE WITH FULL COVERAGE - We are so in love with the advances being made in technology year on year that it has diminished for incurious minds the wonder of human prayer.- Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE NEW ORTHODOXY -Who decides what is orthodox in the public realm today? No-one is quite sure but there is plenty of guilt in the air and little absolution. - read in MY TALKS section
LACK SABBATH - A day of rest is one of the most tangible indicators of the character of God. The contempt with which society treats it may be one of its deepest failings. - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
WOMAN MISUNDERSTOOD - The story of Mary Magdalene echoes in the heart of many women who have been labelled superficially without any attempt to understand them - Read in MY TALKS section
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID - Our faces tell others all they need to know about the faith. We can witness to the goodness of God in a look. - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
BARNABAS PEOPLE - No follower of Jesus is perfect, but some set a compelling high standard. What distinguishes those who are most alive with the faith? - Read in MY TALKS section
HOW TO TIE A KNOT - We value training for our jobs yet learning about private relationships is considered an optional extra we can safely ignore. Why so? - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
SUMMER READING - Help! Am I about to make the wrong choice in novels for a holiday I have invested so much in? - Read in JUST SEEN section
POP IDOLS - What do we worship today and what has it done to us? - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE WEDDING AT CANA - For some wonderful and inexpressible cause, the God who upholds the universe cares about our private worries. Read in MY TALKS section
WHY EVERY CHURCH NEEDS A MALCOLM GLADWELL - There is much that is hidden and unobserved in human life and it takes patience and vision to uncover the links that cause us to behave the way we do. Step forward a rare talent who manages this - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
ON BEING A FATHER - Many fathers feel role strain in the new shape their world is taking. What encouragement is on hand for them? - Read in MY TALKS section
THE CLOCK RUNS OUT FOR JACK - There are only a certain number of times one man can save his country. As the final screen disintegrated on 24’s Jack Bauer in series eight, what legacy did he leave us? - Read in JUST SEEN section
A LIFE MORE ORDINARY - No cash or connections or charisma? You’re just the person for the job.- Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
MESSI CHURCH - For the committed supporter, football is a form of suffering with enjoyment a bonus.This is the key to unlocking the mood of the nation at major tournaments.- Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE TYRANNY OF TIME - Who are we to judge what constitutes a waste of time? God has a different vision.- Read in MY TALKS section
GIVING OUR LIVES AWAY - Until more space is afforded staff by companies greedy for their time, the idea that we will solve social problems by recruiting volunteers remains elusive.- Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE FRONTIERS OF AID - Humanitarian aid is distributed in murky places run by the powerful. Should we accept any moral compromises made as necessary to save lives? - Read in JUST SEEN section
HOW TO WIN YOUR FRIENDS’ FRIENDS’ FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE THEM - You have a breathtaking amount of social influence without even realising - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THREE DIMENTIONAL FORGIVENESS - There is rich texture to the aftermath of Easter which exposure to the lazy storytelling rituals of today causes us to miss.- Read in MY TALKS section
THE STONE THAT ROLLED - Over ninety percent of human communication is non-verbal. Sharing the risen Christ is a similar story - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
WHY VOTE? - Read in JUST SEEN section
SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
SLOW FOOD SACRAMENT - Read in MY TALKS section
THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOLDING DECKCHAIRS - Read in JUST SEEN section
ALL I KNOW ABOUT PRAYER I LEARNED FROM THE SIX NATIONS - Read in THOUGFHT FOR THE MONTH section
STATE OF THE NATION - Read in MY TALKS section
THE GLUE THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
BREAKING POINT - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
INTOXICATING LOVE - Read in MY TALKS section
THE FAMILY THAT NEVER GROWS UP - Read in JUST SEEN section
THE WAITING GAME - Read in MY TALKS section
THOSE WHO DENY THE TRUTH - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
DO NOT FEAR, FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU - Read in MY TALKS section
THE FINGER OF BLAME AND THE HAND OF GOD - Read in JUST SEEN section
THE NATIVITY - Read in MY TALKS section
LOGOS - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
CHRISTMAS 2009 - Read in FAMILY NEWS section
THE INFAMOUS CHRISTMAS CIRCULAR - Read in MY TALKS section
APOCALYPSE PORN - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
THE TORN CURTAIN - Read in MY TALKS section
TEN FACTS TO TURN YOUR HEAD - Read in JUST SEEN section
THE GREAT LEVELLER - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
CELEBRITY CULTURE - Read in MY TALKS section
JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
DEAD AND ALIVE - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE FIST SIZED CLOUD - Read in MY TALKS section
THE LIGHT SLEEPER - Read in JUST SEEN section
LIVE AID OR DEAD AID - read in Faith in Culture section
KICKING THE DARKNESS UNTIL IT BLEED LIGHT - Read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
FAMILY NEWS and PHOTOS
BIG MOUTH OR BIG EARS - Read in MY TALKS section
THE GOD OF RWANDA - Read in Faith in Culture section
THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE - Read in JUST SEEN section
ALL GOOD THINGS - read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
LOWERING OUR DEFENCES - Read in MY TALKS section
WALKING THOSE BRIDGES - Read in FAITH IN CULTURE section
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT - Read in MY TALKS section
BEACH READS 2009 - Read in Just Seen section
HOLOCAUST AND MEMORY - Read in Thought for the Month section
THE GOOD SAMARITAN - Read in MY TALKS section
SO LAST CENTURY - Read in Just Seen section
GUERNICA - Read in Faith in Culture section
ON BECOMING AN ARCH DEACON - Read in Thought for theMonth section
THREE\'S COMPANY - Read in MY TALKS section
SABBATICAL REFLECTIONS - Read in Thought for the Month section
THE SPIRIT OF 89 - Read in Faith in Culture section
A TIME TO LEAVE - Read in My Talks section
CUTTING EDGE CHRISTIANITY - Read in Thought for the Month section
IN THE LOOP - Read in Just Seen section
BARBIE WORLD - Read in Faith in Culture section
THE RESURRECTION - Read in My Talks section
THE SABBATICAL Read in Thought For The Month
THE EMPTY ECHO OF THE DAILY NEWS - read in Faith in Culture section
HANNAH\'S PRAYER - Read in My Talks section
WHEN THE ‘BIG PICTURE’ IS MORE THAN A CLICHÉ - Read in Thought for the Month
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY - Read in JUST SEEN section
VIRTUALLY UNSTOPPABLE - Read in Faith in Culture section
THE PATH TO HUMAN HAPPINES - Read in My Talks section
THE FORGOTTEN FRUIT - Read in Thought For The Month section
THE ACCESSION - Read in My Talks section
THE OBAMA DOCTRINE - Read in Faith in Culture section
MORE THAN THE JANUARY BLUES READ in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH SECTION
SHOULD WE EVER TRUST THE CROWD read in FAITH IN CULTURE SECTION
TEN THING TO TRY OUT AT CHRISTMAS read in THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH section
THE RETURN OF CHARACTER Read in my Faith in Culture section
LOOKING ON THE DARK SIDE OF LIFE Read in MY TALKS section
BELTING UP - Most Christians suffer from a daily loss of focus in their faith. Is there a remedy for this? - Read in Thought for the Month section
RSVP ASAP Why do people reject the invitation to the best party in town? - Read on My Talks section
TRUST THE LORD OF THE MARKET, NOT THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Today\’s banking crisis has its roots in a shared culture of shallow and expendable relationships - Read in JUST SEEN Section
MATT SANTOS FOR PRESIDENT! Was this the most prophetic piece of television in our generation? Read in Faith in Culture Section
TRIAL BY WATER - How nice a Christian would you be if you hadn’t drunk water for a day?
ONLY A GAME? in Faith in Culture Section
DIGITAL DEMOCRACY - Does Web 2.0 herald a new era in human development or in human ignorance?
THE CONVICTION OF THINGS UNSEEN - If we cannot embrace the God of hope with conviction in our lifetime then the politics of fear will come to shape our common life for the worse
READ IN THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
New addition DARK KNIGHT OF THE SOUL The new Batman film is gripping thanks to a mesmerising performance by the late Heath Ledger. But what are we to make of the new era of sadism that is upon us?
THE TAMING OF LAKE GALILEE in MY TALKS SECTION
BEACH READS Stuck for a novel to pack for the summer holiday? in JUST SEEN SECTION
THE DOUBLE DESTINY OF AUGUST 6 Latest addition to Thought for the month section
WALKING UNDER LADDERS If the Church just ridicules people for being superstitious it misses one of its most important points of contact with them – over their fear of the future
Keeping Faith in Satire Christianity and comedy are uneasy friends. A new relationship harnessing irony with passion is long overdue
NEW TO FAITH IN CULTURE SECTION
NEW TO JUST SEEN SECTION - How we holiday is just the latest entitlement to be taken to task for its cost to others. What arresting phrase can we find to do for human welfare what the carbon footprint has done for the environment?
HELP! DO I HAVE TO PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING ON THE NEWS? What should Christians pray for among all the problems that command their attention
Read in Thought for the Month section
PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES - Early Christianity had to adapt in order to grow in difficult terrain. The challenges the apostles faced should strike a chord with us
Read article in MY TALKS section
THE MORAL STATE WE\'RE IN
Read in Faith in Culture Section
TEMPTATIONS OF POWER - The moment Jesus chose not to become another Saddam Hussein
READ ON MY TALKS SECTION
WHEN TWO TRUTHS COLLIDE
Making sense of the Middle East may be easier than you think
READ MORE IN JUST SEEN SECTION
Seven tips for serious prayer....and four tips for unanswered prayer
READ MORE ON THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
WHY THE CITY IS HERE TO STAY In the course of just two generations the landscape in which global mission is conducted has changed beyond recognition from a rural to an urban setting.
Read this article in my FAITH IN CULTURE section
What God is looking for in principle in our treatment of refugees is not hard to discern. We just need to give more attention to digging it out of scripture than we do to lazy media sloganeering
Donations to this site gratefully received. Click on CONTACT for details
' ////NO NEED TO EDIT BELOW THIS LINE//////////// marqueespeed=(document.all)? marqueespeed : Math.max(1, marqueespeed-1) //slow speed down by 1 for NS var copyspeed=marqueespeed var pausespeed=(pauseit==0)? copyspeed: 0 var iedom=document.all||document.getElementById var actualheight='' var cross_marquee, ns_marquee function populate(){ if (iedom){ cross_marquee=document.getElementById? document.getElementById("iemarquee") : document.all.iemarquee cross_marquee.style.top=parseInt(marqueeheight)+8+"px" cross_marquee.innerHTML=marqueecontent actualheight=cross_marquee.offsetHeight } else if (document.layers){ ns_marquee=document.ns_marquee.document.ns_marquee2 ns_marquee.top=parseInt(marqueeheight)+8 ns_marquee.document.write(marqueecontent) ns_marquee.document.close() actualheight=ns_marquee.document.height } lefttime=setInterval("scrollmarquee()",20) } window.onload=populate function scrollmarquee(){ if (iedom){ if (parseInt(cross_marquee.style.top)>(actualheight*(-1)+8)) cross_marquee.style.top=parseInt(cross_marquee.style.top)-copyspeed+"px" else cross_marquee.style.top=parseInt(marqueeheight)+8+"px" } else if (document.layers){ if (ns_marquee.top>(actualheight*(-1)+8)) ns_marquee.top-=copyspeed else ns_marquee.top=parseInt(marqueeheight)+8 } } if (iedom||document.layers){ with (document){ if (iedom){ write('') } else if (document.layers){ write('