‘SPORTING SUCCESS DOWN TO FAITH’

Born-Again Cricket star Henry Olonga to speak at Town Hall Easter

Celebration in Birmingham, 26-28^th March 2010

As a number of sportsmen reel from very public falls from grace, an international test cricketer has spoken of how his faith steered him away from damaging temptations. Henry Olonga made the revelation ahead of his visit to Birmingham as part of A Passion for Life, a series of all-age events at the Town Hall for people of every faith and none, where the former Zimbabwe captain will speak about his life, sporting achievements, faith and new musical career.

The weekend-long Easter celebration will begin with craft and games for pre-schoolers on Friday 26^th March 2010 followed by musical performances from the contemporary rock band Phatfish plus the first of three Bible talks from the charismatic London-based speaker, Rico Tice.*

Saturday (27^th March) will feature a series of interactive talks looking at the sometimes confusing claims of the Christian faith such as satisfaction, suffering, and the resurrection. Sunday will begin with interactive all-age, family-friendly celebration followed by Easter Praise, a more traditional service featuring well-known hymns, an orchestra and Gospel choir. The Saturday evening will see Henry, who was forced into retirement and international exile in 2003 after protesting against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe,** will share his amazing story and be available afterwards for questions.
                                                                        Temptations
“My Christian faith has helped me avoid some of the temptations that many professional sportsmen and women are enticed into,” said Henry, now a Gospel singer and cricket commentator. “One night stands, alcohol abuse, drug abuse to name a few. I have never been inclined to walk any of those paths anyway but having a strong conscience based on my faith has certainly helped a lot. Through the highs and lows of both success and failure there was always this sense that I was never alone, there was always someone on my side regardless of the outcome.”
So why would a celebrated sportsman take part in a church-backed event in Birmingham? “A Passion for Life is a wonderful opportunity to explore the three questions I believe every person asks themselves at some point in their life – as I did when I was 16 - and find some answers: ‘Where they came from – how life began? Why they are here – what is my purpose in life? Where am I going when I die – is there life after death?’”
Although his actions brought the end to his lucrative career aged just 27, Henry has no regrets: “I have gained everything and lost nothing. When things in life get hard there is a peace that passes all understanding which God promises in His word – and I have experienced that more times than I can tell. I have witnessed firsthand God’s provision when my life was in danger. My cricketing career was cut short because of my conscience but the Lord has provided for me every step of the way.”
“We are thrilled to have someone of Henry’s stature at the Easter event,” says Dan Steel, of the Passion for Life leadership team. “He has such an amazing story to tell. We are looking forward to this being an exciting opportunity not just to hold churchy events but have some fun, engage with people, hear their thoughts and concerns and talk to them about the real differences God is making in our lives.”

A Passion for Life Birmingham is the local arm of a national initiative of the same name that began several years ago in London. A Passion for Life’s overarching mission is to organize events to help people outside the church to engage with those inside the church.

For fuller details of the weekend programme and booking details, visit www.apassionforlife-brum.org.uk or call Dan Steel on 0121 454 9444.

Mr Grainger of the Cloth
Brother Carey’s Chickens

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has become the Mr Grainger of the Cloth. Like the veteran salesman of Grace Brothers in the television comedy series Are You Being Served? he comes over grumpy and bemoaning – without too much of the grace – that things are not what they once were. His latest grouse is that Christians are “bullied” out of public life in Britain while politicians fail to stand up for their beliefs and that “politically” correct councils go to “absurd” lengths to avoid causing events to avoid causing offence to followers of other faiths by honouring the country’s Christian heritage.

At least Mr Grainger was meant to be ridiculous.

Lord Carey, a columnist for the Daily Telegraph, should look around at his media colleagues, a good number of whom write about Islam, for example, with ignorance (whether or not it is deliberate ignorance may be debated) and vindictive vitriol. A comparison with the Jew-baiting vehemence of the Voelkischer Beobachter and other newspapers of Nazi Germany is chilling. As most of these propagandists are Christian, nominally at least, should not His Grace be minded to observe the beam in the eye of his co-religionists before getting to the mote in the eye of his neighbours.

The current tendency of some Christians too shout “victimisation and martyrdom” is not only an insult to those of their faith who have suffered, and in some cases are still suffering, genuine martyrdom and victimisation, but presents a picture of pettiness which does their religion no favours. If the credibility of Christianity suffers accordingly Brother Carey’s chickens may well have come home to roost. For a belief that was once strong enough to defy Nero, the lions and crucifixion to whinge on about such perceived indignities is as unworthy as a once great football team which had competed successfully against the mightiest sides in the world to squabble about off-side infringements when they have been relegated to the Beezer League.

Christ and His Church deserve to have more credible defenders than those in the media who purport to do so. After all, it isn’t as if there isn’t enough in the world that could not benefit from some real spiritual advice. The top men in most national organisations tend to step aside once they have given up their high office – it is a practice which has much to commend it. I would be encourage if this country could get round to judging Christians, and those of other faiths, by the manner of their lives and not by niggling demarcation disputes.

Clayton Goodwin
6^th March 2010

                                         Sister Seduction

Sister Seduction

Came to me at night-time

Not Virgin Mary

Mother, wife

She was the darkness of the spirit world

The banner of true life unfurled.

And in the kiss of darkness here I found

No words of comfort, sense or sound

Just darkness, silent bare

That siphoned up all earthly care

And left me still

at peace

In heavenly release

From all that troubled me in life

The pain, the joy, the fear

The strife

She bid me rest

At her behest

Soothing sorrow

Cast out harm

In night’s placenta of her calm.

Free from night-care, nightmare, fear

The pressures that the world holds dear

I welcomed her attention

The love we dare not mention

Which rescues me to death

To stillness, cool and quiet

Sister Seduction

Stay with me to dawn

I'll start the day re-born

When Sister, dear, is gone.

But Sister never leaves

The soul to which she cleaves.

Sister Seduction

Came to me in winter

Sliding on the frozen bough

Skimming on the frosted air

And in the breath of hoar-spun stillness

I knew that she was there

To fill my heart with consolation

In my life's redemption

The price that we have paid for living

To the world we take

And giving

Something of ourselves in every breath we breathe.

She came to me at Christmas time

No Father Christmas, Santa Claus

Myrrh, frankincense or gold

No story to be told

Of angels, choirs and bells.

From churchyard towers peeling

No peace on earth revealing

No peace on earth

No God's rebirth

No feeling

Of Yuletide cheer

As in each year

The holly, ivy, mistletoe

Shows us that new life will grow

In winter cold and Christmas snow

Sister Seduction

Took me to that mistletoe

And kissed me.

In the comfort of her arms

There was nothing to alarm

In a mystery which blessed me.

Sister Seduction

Came to me in silence

When I was alone

“Come” she sighed “Please come

And I will take you home

In quietude

In still, submissive attitude”.

She mopped from my fevered brow away

The sweat of humdrum every-day

To keep, I know not what, to keep

The worries which forbade me sleep

At night

In parlous plight

I thirst, I dream

And nothing is what it may seem

“Rest a while, my brother, rest

Your loving sister knows what is best

Don't speak, don't say

The words that would make me fade away

Sh.....

I shall take you before I go

To where the crystal fountains flow

Just keep your silence, keep

And I shall let you sleep

The rest that you deserve”.

Sister Seduction

Understood my wish

To fade into the silence

Into the soundless word

Into the void of God.

Sister Seduction

Came to me

In sorrow

Joy and pain

Not caring

For tomorrow

Just to live today

And never go away

Printed pictures of a childhood

Spent in summer's solitude

Before I went to school

And learned to live by social rule

In our garden’s fragrance

Wandered as a vagrant

Through country lane

To which I shall come again

Sister told me so

She should surely know

Rather I have ceded to her will

All desire, and wants, and still

So that I may wonder

Through my childhood yonder

Never feeling conscious pain

Sunstrokes, fog or rain

In sanctuary of thought

In her care I sought

My destiny

In eternity

Sister Seduction

Soothed me

When the pain was great

Soothed with love my remnant hate

And never left again ...

... again

Sister Seduction

Came to me in summer

When the fields and the pasture

Were green - in tune with nature

She settled at a distance

Where bumble-bees hummed

And crickets strummed

Their limbs in melody

The murmurers of harmony

Through which the world would pass

As I lay down in grass

And shared with none the loneliness

Of being there alone

With none

Yet she was by my side

Taking me to realms of glory

Telling me the new, old story

Of what it was

And what it is

And what it ever shall be.

We shall not grow old

As they that are left grow old

Age will not weary us

Nor the years condemn

Honest, brave and true

Me and only you.

I fell in love with a dark girl’s charms

Found peace

Contentment

In her arms

Loved her ways

Her joie de vivre

Gave me again the will to live.

And in the autumn of my time

I doubted that one so young could be mine.

Sister Seduction

Faded, grey

Came to me no more

By night or day

She always stayed away..

My darling died

Quite suddenly.

Her heart gave out

No words

No scream of pain

No shout.

She passed away

One squally surly winter’s day

There is no love in loss

No hope in sad bereavement

Nothing sweet in death

For those who leave

Or those left here to grieve.

Sister Seduction

Comes to me in robes of mediocrity

Her charm extinct

Her allure

Her former force

Have lost their power.

Where, death, is thy sting?

Where, grave, thy victory?

The prick of death remains for only those

Alive

Who, living, further strive

To face this loneliness alone

Bereft of one they love.

Sister Seduction

You do kill not those who welcome your advance

Whose wits, and dreams, and senses

You may still entrance

For when they yield

Your dream is fulfilled.

Exit.

Dead.

And gone.

Sister Seduction

You must wait

Before I come along.