Dearly Beloved Evangelicals

21/05/2011 By 13 Comments

Now my dearly beloved Evangelical friends. Time for a bit of a response from you to this Rapture business. I see lots of people all over the internet going on an on about the prediction from the delightfully named Mr Camping in the USA that today is the day of the Rapture. He’s expecting all the true believers to be snatched away heavenwards and he’s predicting that based on calculations that he has made based on the Bible.

I’m betting my wellbeing today and my place in all eternity on the premise that Mr Camping is nuts.

But what do you say?

What is the Evangelical opinion on Mr Camping? Oh, I know the theology. I’ve been there. You can’t fool me. I’m not jumping on the bandwagon like all these naughty atheists and jonny-come-lately wishy-washy liberals. I know what Mr Camping is on about and so do you. Even though the defining doctrine of Evangelicals has become the extent to which one thinks that gay people’s private lives are unacceptable to the almighty, you and I both know that the Rapture matters.

So does heaven.

So does hell.

When you are not banging on about other people’s sex lives, you all know that this life is not about Graham Kendrick songs but really about salvation and that means you’ve got an opinon on this one and I’ve not heard it yet.

So, what’s your view?

  • Heck, Mr Camping might be right. Hope we’re all ready. Put on that Larry Norman track one more time.
  • What a charletan Mr Camping is, the Bible teaches us that no-one can know the date and time but it is coming one day, ready or not.
  • Oh, Mr Camping, you just can’t add up, can you, I know the date and time and it isnae today. But watch out people, it’s coming soon anyway.
  • Mr Camping and all that rapture theology is nuts, whoever believed it in the past and whoever might have believed it in the Bible.

I don’t think there are a huge number of other options are there? Correct me if I’m wrong.

Dearly beloved Evangelical friends, when you see the #rapture and #rapturefail hashtags flying by on twitter, when you see the snarky comments about the rapture on facebook, when you read about it in blogs and newspapers and hear about it on the Today programme, you know that people are taking the micky don’t you? And it’s not Mr Camping they are mocking, it’s you.

You’ll not mind that of course. You can always blame the devil or mutter to one another that a bit of persecution is not going to do the true faith any harm and that Jesus’s friends have always been made fun of and he went to cross so the least we can do is put up with a bit of banter. Oh yes, you can say that all day long today if you like.

However, that doesn’t get you out of making a judgement about Mr Camping and what he’s talking about, does it? You know that and though you may not like it, I know it too.

Now, what do you say?

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Rigoletto Review – Scottish Opera

20/05/2011 By Leave a Comment

Rating: ★★★★☆

Here’s the review that I wrote for Opera Britannia of Scottish Opera’s current Rigoletto:

From the moment the curtain went up on this stylish and beautifully sung Rigoletto, it was clear that this was going to be a confident production. We saw a dark, blank stage with only a simple door, drawn slightly carelessly as though with chalk. It was but the first of many bold visual images which punctuated an assured and very satisfying musical achievement.

This single door soon gave way to a barrier wall, upon which red curtaining had been painted, which consisted of a further series of doors, through which we could glimpse a ball in progress. What was not immediately apparent was that when we first caught sight of the malevolent chorus of courtiers, they were not in fact dancing with real women at all but with a series of mannequins. These eerie plastic figures were to recur throughout the evening in what was to prove a strong and well thought through staging. The twenty-six strong chorus themselves, when not larking about with mannequins, were in good heart and good voice throughout.

The first to shine on stage was Edgaras Montvidas whose Duke of Mantua was a force to be reckoned with. This duke was a cocky soul, strutting his stuff whenever he was on stage. Montvidas has a voice which perfectly matched the bravado which he brought to his part. This was a Duke who was arrogant, brash, conceited and vain but it was clear too that he had a great deal on offer vocally to be conceited about. His Parmi veder le lagrime in the second act seemed particularly effortless and whilst it is difficult to bring anything new to La donna è mobile, Montvidas gave an assured rendition all the same.

The Duke’s jester, Rigoletto was played by Eddie Wade.  Here was a brilliant performance. Wade’s unfortunate hunchback [Read more…]

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