International Conference on Computing and Mission (ICCM)

The International Conference on Computing and Mission (ICCM-Europe) takes place in the Netherlands 10-13 March, 2010.

'Engineering and Theology' matches 'Computing and Mission'.

I have therefore just booked to attend.

I hope to have opportunities to share information about Go Bible for mobile phones.

Geese in Their Hoods (Spurgeon on Romanism)

Following the recent news about Pope Benedict's invitation to disaffected Anglicans to join the Church of Rome, I bring to mind the writings of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92) that touch on the tendency (even in his day) of some in the Church of England to drift back towards Romanism.

His article, Geese in Their Hoods is well worth reading, not only for his observations during his travels in Europe but also for his candour in confronting the errors of Rome.

The nineteenth of the Church of England's Thirty-nine Articles is mild in comparison with Spurgeon's treatment of such "too-hot-to-handle" issues today. viz.

XIX. Of the Church.
The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.

As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred, so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.

You can still obtain the 1997 reprint, edited by Timothy F. Kauffman, published by White Horse Publications.

Retirement

Just a short post to inform readers that I retired four weeks ago, after over 36 years in the semiconductor industry. For most of that time I worked as a test engineer on power semiconductor devices, all at the same site in Stockport, which was under five different company names over this period:

1. Associated Semiconductor Manufacturers (ASM) Ltd.
2. Mullard Limited
3. Philips Components
4. Philips Semiconductors
5. NXP Semiconductors

Due to the current recession, there was a need to reduce "head count", and a call for voluntary redundancies was announced in April this year. I volunteered almost straightaway, was accepted in June, and finished work on 25 September.

I had already switched from full-time employment to part-time in June 2008, so I enjoyed 15 months of having Mondays free before finishing. This gave me a taste for retirement, but not for inactivity.

Now that I am the Go Bible project leader for the CrossWire Bible Society, I have more than enough to fill my waking hours. This brings the engineering and the theology even closer together than I could have imagined.

The slow death of congregational singing

The slow death of congregational singing
by Mike Raiter, Principal of Victoria Bible College
The Briefing, April 2008.

It seems like genuine, heartfelt congregational singing is experiencing its dying gasps. But why does it matter and why should we care? Mike Raiter brings us back to the Bible to inject our singing with new life.

I was at a convention recently, seated near the rear of the auditorium. The music team at the front were ‘leading’ (and I use that word advisedly) and we were singing. Well, we were meant to be singing. And so I did what I've done quite often lately: I closed my eyes and listened to the singing. The song leaders with their microphones were clear and distinct. I could identify each of the several instruments accompanying the singers. But if you blocked out the ‘worship team’, all that was left around the building was a barely audible murmur. I opened my eyes and looked around. Most folk were either standing silently, not even making a pretence of singing, or were little engaged in the activity.

I turned to a friend next to me and commented, “No-one's singing”. He looked at me as if I'd just observed that no-one was flying.

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