Football... it's only a game?

Hello All!

Here is my first post… at long, long last!

This term has flown by rather quickly methinks. Last time I checked it was early October, and now it’s the end of term. University life does funny things to you…

Today, we played an Ecumenical Football Tournament with ECU (and Methang, in spirit). Getting to one of the highest points on campus for 10am on Saturday morning proved a struggle for some people, awoken with a text saying “We need… your camera!” not “We need…you!” Needless to say, I jumped out of bed and peddled at top speed to the Rubber Crumb.

Arriving at half time, I saw two rather contrasting sights. 1: a team of “professionals” in their maroon kits running around practising for the second half. 2: a bunch of amateurs mid-pitch, half-collapsed, battered and bruised, but motivated by strong support and the knowledge they couldn’t perform any worse. The score at this point. CathSoc 1, ECU 9.

Watching from the not-so-lonely CathSoc goal, I saw CathSoc show desire, passion, fight, determination, madness, and a little bit of skill. ECU had the KIT, the PLAYERS, the ABILITY, and probably GOD. However, spurred on by a flock of merry supporters and their own pride, CathSoc scored 2 goals early in the second half.

Let’s just reflect on that for a moment… CathSoc scored TWO goals in 10 minutes. Last year, CathSoc scored 1 goal in the whole tournament. I think we’ve come a long way.

But it wasn’t long before ECU brought us back to reality, and caused me to become a helpless bystander as goals flew into a poorly guarded net, left, right and centre (one even went through my legs. Not good).

Yet, for all the “desire, passion, fight, determination, madness, and a little bit of skill” that CathSoc showed, ECU were always going to be the better team. Still, CathSoc continued fighting (through talk, if not through play) until the bitter end when ECU deliberately missed 5 chances before rolling the ball between goalkeeper and defender into the net, leaving half the CathSoc team laying on the ground. Picturesque. Game Over. Final result: CathSoc 6, ECU 14.

Okay, we were thrashed. Okay, half our team left the pitch with more injuries than the England football team has ever had (slight exaggeration). Okay, ECU gave us one of their players to make it FAIRER. But, we tried, we fought, we had and support… and most of all, afterwards we had cake. And it was delicious.

last couple of days....

the last couple of days:

guerilla prayer was awesome, although i really dont understand why people cant just get a freaking sense of humour... what's the problem of jesus with guns? the scripture had jesus talking to disciples telling them to sell their clothes and get a sword... (according to NIV lol)...... right... i guess the answer is that we are catholics, hence we need to be political correct all the time...

and then auditions. all i can tell you is that after two day's auditioning, adding up to a total of 4 hours (less about 45 mins), we've got 3 people showing up. bri-li-ant. (sorry guys, but i am a little bit frustrated. nononono, just a little bit, i can assure you)

then it was prayer workshop. hmm... raelly need to watch the nooma videos at some point, because two out of two episodes i watched were awesome.

friday evening i went to tessa's birthday party, which was fab! met loads of people that i've met a year ago on the exact occasion (LOL) and it was really fun!!! had a most fantastic talk with ross (tessa's brother) on the reason of us two not dancing. apparently we are just too good, and if we show off too much of our dancing skills, everyone in the corn exchange are just going to commit mass-suicide.... really, with more power comes more responsibility, and we were just doing that (or NOT doing that) for people's own good....

today's football match was awesome! cathsoc had a landslide victory before the match because of our sheer number, but when ecu turned up they beat us hard just because of their kits..... lets not talk about the score, but paul's cake was awesome.

then i need to go to work...... T_T saterday+kfc doesnt seems like the most attractive combination in the word. haha~ but i survived! i feel so fit! (2 hour football, 5 hour running and bouncing all around, never drew a deep breath!)

then i went home to watch supernatural. A-WE-SO-ME!!! i am so addicted to supernatural now!
go watch supernatural now!!!!(someone pleeeease shut me up!!!!!!!)

now.... need actually do something constructive and learn the tune of verdi..... sigh......

Seán's Update - 'Christ is the Answer MAHAFAKA!' and Evangelization, and current musings thereon

I've been doing some thinking, while I should have been doing some reading, about the nature of evangelization etc. We were talking on Thursday at Catholicism: Why? and I thought I'd share my views on it here.

I read somewhere a very wise thing. Can't remember who it was though. I'll paraphrase it in my usual way. They basically said that you can shout that 'Jesus is the answer!' until you are blue in the face - but if people aren't asking the question, they will just think that you're a nutter and walk away with a pretty negative view of Christianity.

So what is the question? Well, that's too big a question itself I reckon - and besides they don't always come in the form of questions. Perhaps things like 'how can we save the world - I feel shit, worthless and no-one appreciates me - why is it that the things that I am CERTAIN will satisfy me never do?' Things like that, you know them when you hear them.

The way I see it is that if you want to go out and evangelize using words (which I don't), you need to either wait until these questions are asked, or find some way to facilitate these questions to be asked. But I reckon it's important not to ask these questions yourselves, but rather let people ask them themselves. Else they'll think that the Church proscribes these problems in order to prescribe the cure Herself - which isn't true!

So in conclusion, don't force these answers on people until THEY start asking the questions! And even then, don't force them - offer them as your personal beliefs, the answers as you see them, and respectfully STFU n00b when they tell you that they are not interested.

manic week!

last week has been manic!!! work and work and work (including all kinds of work, not only money work...) and i have been looking forward to friday all week... you know, just some time to calm down and have a nice little chat with that Dick Head (notice the usage of capital letters LOL)

prayer workshop has been awesome (apart from the bit about the wall/screen....) first half was a bit lonely but it was alright, and it was something i've been looking forward to for a while~ the second half i went off with clarie to talk about loads of different things... to be fair i still cant link her to ecu "hail! Jesuss" thing lol

guerilla prayer!!! nice!!! next time we need to wander around as if nothing is going to happen, then sharp at 12:00 we move into the green patch, and pray for 1-2 min, and then just shoot off!!!!! btw sean, i hate you using that alarm......

LOL! cartoon coming out tomorrow/monday on expose!!! OO7 self-defeat of reasons... also lol at the graffiti campainge in the man's toilet (although it is getting quite personal... which is something i dont want to do)

as paul said, this really is not about scoring another point, or giving dear john a knock out punch!

Seán's Update

Hello there, President Goon, reporting for duty.

Speaking on presidents, I would like to register by indifference to one of the most untresting topics around at the moment - the US presidential elections. Both of those two can go chew on some gout, they're clearly the same person and it makes no difference which is in power.

In conclusion - Chris. Chris.