When God-talk is nonsense

I love the Message. I can get immersed in it.

I've been reading James recently. I love this bit from chapter 2:

Dear friends, do you think you'll ever get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything?....For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morining friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup-where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense.

Some frustrations of mine:

-I'm sick of listening to people who are full of 'holy' chat and cliches but little in the way of action.

-I'm sick of hearing people say they have a heart for Lurgan while sitting on their arses.

-I'm sick of hearing people pray for the 'young people' then walking right past them at the back of the room.

-I'm sorry for the times when I have been one of these people.

-I want to hear less talk of how to get to heaven and more about bringing heaven to earth.

-I want to hear less talk of avoiding hell and more about what we can do to resist hell coming to earth (through poverty, injustice, suffering).

LESS GOD-TALK.....MORE GOD-ACTS

please

J.Hero2

Well for better or worse he played out his show with a couple of our tunes, describing us as:

"left of the mainstream, in fact left of the underground...but fantastic"

Not sure I agree with this but I kinda like it.

Anyways check out the new website- www.neboville.com (still in it's infancy).

It comes from the multi-talented fingers of our bassist Mark. What a guy!

J. Hero

Johnny Hero is playing NEBO on his Downtown Radio show tonight.

Is this is a positive or negative indicator of the band's future?

October Musical Review

Travelled to Dundalk on Tuesday night to renew my aquaintance with Foy Vance. Twas an intimate little gig but spellbinding none-the-less. Perfect in every way (except for Harrison singing in my ear). I have been to many acoustic gigs- Damien Rice, Bob Dylan, Robbie Freeburn(!) but I'm not sure Foy can be topped. It's like all the soul from the American deep south and the negro spirituals has been packaged together into this little bald white guy for Belfast. Top notch.

Speaking of soul... The new Killers album has it in abundance. With it's Las Vegas concept it is trashy in a U2 Zoo tv kind of way but the undercurrent is soul. Sam's Town sounds huge but the lyrics are still rooted in the real world. Much has been written about the influence of Bruce Springsteen on this record and I can feel that, though in a very glam kind of way.

There are so many layers to the album. It's full of soaring guitars and pumping basslines but there is so much extra entertainment to every track. Standout moments for me are the 'higher and higher' outro to BLING and every second of BONES.

Finally you must buy NEBO's debut EP because...eh...it's good and it only costs £5.

Critical Opinion

You may be aware that I am moderating comments on this blog so it doesn’t descend into the farce that I had before. Since I made the change I’ve had all sorts of anonymous ‘friends’ keen to show the right way to live. Below are some of their comments (shown so I can't be accused of censorship). These are just a select few…I especially like the first one by some dude pretending to be me! I won’t be allowing any comments on this post so another debate doesn’t start.
Make your own mind up………


U2's Bono urges Bush to boost world Aid. Got this on CNN website. U2 front man Bono, Citing the Koran the Bible and Dire Sraits in his speech to wipe out world poverety. Hey guys it's great to see Bono using all religions to fight world poverty. I think Bono is the man to unite world religions, what you think? The man is a prophet pushing the bonderies. I think Islam, Catholisim, protestantism is all the same and Bono has forseen this, he could be the man to bring our brothers from the catholic and Islamic world together with the charasmatic churches, surely there is room in heaven for all men who believe in God no matter what way they get there, what do you think guys. Take care John


I see you are back to stoping blogs being posted. See posting a scripture and getting mixed up with sanctifcation over justifcation as you do is not a problem. The problem is you are not open to freedom of speech, and are unwilling to post most of my comments , why is this? I think it is because again the negative side of things like U2's Bono who openly quoted the Koran are seen as something that divides. Division is very much of God but you don't really seem to accept that. You seem to prefer having your ears tickled see Peter's epistle.


I hope Philippians Ch 3 V 18 to 20 amuses you. For many walk, of whom i often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is THIER APPETITE, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on EARTHLY THINGS. Matthew 10 v 34 " Jesus speaking" Do not think i came to bring peace on the earth, i did not come to bring peace but a sword. Anyone who is saved has without doubt found what they where looking for JESUS. The scipture you refer to is for those who are saved and pressing on Paul never used lanugage like I havent found what i'm looking for Paul new exactly what he had and he wanted more praise God. I expect this wont be shown on the blog


I still havent found what i am looking for. Sounds great we should sing it to the Lord i still havent found what i am looking for WHAT AN INSULT to Jesus if bono is saved, then his song lyrics should read I HAVE FOUND JESUS FULL STOP. What absoulute rubish. I guess this wont be printed on the blog as difference of opion may offend someone. I think you ought to have a blog called HAPPY blog where everyone can thibk happy thoughts and nothing REAL has to be dealt with

NEBO EP LAUNCH

We're playing in the Errigle this saturday night and using the opportunity to finally start selling our EP. Put on your dancing shoes and head down if you're in the vicinity. Purchase an EP for £5....sure you couldn't get a pint in Dublin for that!

Shooting Dogs

I watched 'Shooting Dogs' the other night. This shook me to my core in the same way three other films I have watched recently did:

-Hotel Rwanda

-Lord of War

-The Constant Gardener.

The world is so screwed up from top to bottom and often it feels that in the big picture there's not a damn thing we can do about it.

Genocide, MNC's, pharmacutical companies, gun runners, bent western politicians, evil african dictators and their suppliers of money and war........... Poverty, AIDS, drought, death, GREED, power, suicide....... the value of an african life compared to an american/british/irish.

I don't have a stage or a voice on the big picture. It seems the old 'star-fish' story of changing the world for one is the only way (and an extremely worthy way) but I want more!

Also these films have revealed my own self-righteousness in the fact that I do the exactly same thing as I berate other people for- I bury my head in the sand. I have experienced Africa. I see poverty, AIDS and death on tv, in emails and in my post everyday.

.... but to dwell on these brings me into serious darkness.... so I stop thinking and wrestling...I bury my head...until I watch movies like these which keep me awake at night in the dark.

Shine like a burning star

Found out today that U2 plan to release another 'best of' album on 20th November. This also happens to be my birthday. I don't believe this to be a coincidence.

Anyway to mark the occasion of this announcement you can find below my favourite U2 lyrics of their 30 year journey. I'm willing to accept that someone somewhere has written better lyrics than Bono...I just haven't found them yet. Any suggestions?

From 'The Fly'-

It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest,

It's no secret that ambition bites the nails of success,

Every artist is a cannibal

Every poet is a thief,

All kill their inspiration,

Then sing about their grief.

Lins

Keep praying for Lindsay Emerson. Updates on Al's blog.