Saturday 29 October 2011
Sunday 23 October 2011
Fwd: Your result from Camp Bastion parkrun, Event #8 on 22-Oct-2011
Happy with this as first time out given altitude, dust and recent birthday ;-)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <office@parkrun.com>
Date: 23 October 2011 21:03
Subject: Your result from Camp Bastion parkrun, Event #8 on 22-Oct-2011
To: mike@stcuthberts.org
From: <office@parkrun.com>
Date: 23 October 2011 21:03
Subject: Your result from Camp Bastion parkrun, Event #8 on 22-Oct-2011
To: mike@stcuthberts.org
| Hello Mike | ||||||||||
| This free event is brought to you by our volunteers and our sponsors: | ||||||||||
| Camp Bastion results for event #8. Your time was 24:31 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Happy running! Camp Bastion Team campbastionOffice@parkrun.com | ||||||||||
| Many thanks to our supporters for their vital contribution to parkrun | ||||||||||
|
Friday 21 October 2011
Thursday 20 October 2011
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Tuesday 11 October 2011
The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (Glastonbury 2008)
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GnWRjoP9mQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Just heard this playing at the services. The words of the title seem strangely apposite bearing in mind what I'm going to be doing the next 3.5 months.
Sent from my mobile phone
Mike Newman
perpetualcurate.blogspot.com
208 Granada Reports
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISOoPRvfUFA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my mobile phone
Mike Newman
perpetualcurate.blogspot.com
Minster sermon (pictures to follow)
Pre deployment sermon
Mark 10.35-45
09 October 2011
York Minster
Introduction
I always like to do a little research before my talks and so it is that I have spent time over the last few days thinking about 'counter-insurgency'. I am now able to report that my investigations have unearthed – with a steer from the Roman Emperor seated just outside – a fresh resource for the student of, what the British Army knows as, COIN. That is Monty Python's The Life of Brian (with apologies to my American friends)
They've bled us white… And what have
they ever given us in return? (Reg, a would be rebel, played by John Cleese)
The aqueduct…
…sanitation…
…the roads...
…irrigation...
…medicine...
…education...
…health...
…and the wine...
…public baths...
…order...
All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?
Brought peace!
What!? Oh... Peace, yes... shut up!
Besides amusement, that extract highlights, very effectively, one of the key problems in fighting an insurgency and that is, however much you do to win 'hearts and minds', for some it will never be enough.
For Jewish freedom fighter – zealot – read Taliban and the centuries disappear and you find yourself in contemporary Afghanistan, the place we are headed next week to support an operation against an enemy as stubborn and determined as those faced by the Roman army in the Palestine nearly two millennia ago.
Which leaves us with a question. If it is that difficult, then, what on earth are we doing in Afghanistan? A question many have asked this last week, which marked the 10th anniversary of our military involvement in that country.
Some will say, in response to the question, that we should leave Afghanistan immediately! This is the position of people like the 'Bring the troops home' movement whom I spoke with the other Saturday in the centre of York. According to them we are foreign invaders, poking our noses into business that does not concern us and making things worse rather than better.
Leaving aside the wisdom of becoming involved in Afghanistan in the first place – a purely theoretical question given where we are now – as well as regret over opportunities missed along the way - I believe that the 'Bring the troops home now' argument is both misinformed and misguided. Afghanistan would not be a better place if we simply upped and left, for our presence is not the thing that is, ultimately, causing the violence. The violence, primarily, comes from those who wish to exploit the general population, whether for political, religious or criminal gain.
What the people on the ground are saying is that the presence of the coalition is making a difference, albeit slowly, albeit in a 'two steps forward, one step back' sort of a way. Furthermore, we must vigorously refute the suggestion that it is patronising or imperialistic to do what we can to ensure that others enjoy basic human rights - such as security, self-determination, basic health care, sufficient food, clean water and universal education - that we take for granted. Rather it is an act of common humanity.
Allow me to read to you some words of Churchill –
that is, Winston Churchill, not First Sergeant Churchill – words quoted by Archbishop John, who kindly visited us at Strensall on Wednesday, in his maiden speech to the House of Lords:
'What is the use of living if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?'
What part, then, will our medical group play in this process and how can we best be prepared for the task that lies before us? For answers to those two questions allow me to turn, briefly, to our reading.
In terms of the part we are to play, I suggest to you, that we are to be the servants of the servants of the servants of the servants of the peoples of Afghanistan.
· The servants of the people are the Government of Afghanistan. They are not perfect, no Government ever is, but they are the best chance the Afghan people have.
· The servants of the Government are the ANA and ANP, who represent the possibility of law and order.
· The servants of the ANA and ANP are ISAF – the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force - which includes UK, US and Danes forces amongst others. It is their badge we wear on our shoulders.
· Finally, the servants of ISAF are you, who will provide their vital medical cover. And not only ISAF, but frequently others caught up in the conflict, whether they be the ANA and ANP, members of the civilian population or, indeed, our enemy forces!
In terms of how we might best be prepared for the task, the reading suggests that this will be:
· by having a right attitude to ourselves
and others
· by holding before us a right example
The attitude we should have towards ourselves is that of humility which, as I pointed out to some of you a couple of weeks back, is clearly present in our military ethos. Humility does not mean thinking less of ourselves, but rather thinking more of others. It is not about us! Let's remind ourselves of this, please, the next time we, like Jesus' disciples, are arguing about who is the greatest – and believe me it happens – for such talk will only distract us from the task which has been entrusted to us.
If the attitude we should have towards ourselves is humility, the attitude we should have towards others is that of service. Service, Jesus makes clear, is the way to true greatness.
I could give you a theological excursus on this, but think the simplest thing to do is to quote the words of one you reported this week in the Liverpool Echo:
I explained to my sons that daddy will not be home for Christmas, because I am going away to help make sure other dads, who might get hurt, will be able to get back home
Finally, as well as a having a right attitude to ourselves and others, we need to hold before us a right example and there are many from which to choose.
As soldiers, they are there in our collective memory, for example, the stretcher bearers of the Great War, of whom the RSM's poem so powerfully reminded us, or the XX medical recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honour in the Second World War or the XX in Vietnam.
Similarly, those medics who have been awarded the Victoria Cross, not least Noel Chavasse, whose words are recorded in the back of the Gideon's bibles on your seats
…duty called, and duty must be obeyed…
For the Christian, however, the supreme example is that of Jesus Christ. No surprise, then, that the UK's top military decorations are all cast in the shape of cross. I'm sure that the Roman Emperor seated outside would have approved! If you have any doubts, have a close look at my cap badge sometime!
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The likelihood that any of us here being asked to give our life literally is virtually zero – though for those we serve outside 'the wire' that is not the case – however, all of us are being asked to give our lives metaphorically, by serving others. May the Lord give us strength to do it. In His name. Amen.
Monday 10 October 2011
Saturday 8 October 2011
Thursday 6 October 2011
Queuing for breakfaat at 6.15am
Oh the joys of Army life! Finish 9.30pm. Up 5.45am. Queuing outside at 6.15am. Lovely starry morning though and best of all porridge :-)
Sent from my mobile phone
Mike Newman
perpetualcurate.blogspot.com
Sunday 2 October 2011
Helmand is not meant to be like this
The slow, painful progress of guerrilla warfare in one Afghan valley
Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy
The fanatic is always prey to self doubt. That is how I know we will win (I paraphrase)
The way of the fanatic never can succeed because it exceeds the bounds of human decency and tolerance, which a Christian would ascribe to the (common) grace of God. Thus the Arab Spring will ultimately prove more significant than the Twin Towers.
For this reason also the West must resist any fanaticism of its own.
The ecstasy and the agony
Managed to - unexoectedly - get some time at home this weekend.
Celebrated Teresa's Nursing degree with champagne, saw Joe play football for CH Nomads (8-4), coffee at Costa, horse riding with Lizzie, bike ride with Joe, journeys to and from the station with James, trip to Styal with Max etc. Plus a few jobs and glasses of red. Didn't see anyone from my church - sorry folks - as it would have been too complicated and disruptive all round.
This business certainly makes you appreciate the little things of daily life and, most importantly, those you love. Makes you realise too how hard it must be for those who do this sort of thing all the time, not least those who leave to lay their lives on the line.
Now headed back to York and a very busy few months.
Sent from my mobile phone
Mike Newman
perpetualcurate.blogspot.com
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