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Abstract

ker71/list/rock-and-prog-lists-63ac60d5286e">often writing about prog and rock music</a>.Guisborough is a small market town in North Yorkshire where we live. We bought our retirement house here largely because my wife wanted to live near the sea — and we are only about five miles from the east coast of England.Hope Street is an aptly named street between the Anglican and Roman Cathedral Cathedrals in Liverpool. It serves as a visual reminder that when Christians will strive to work together, there is hope for the church.Ian Gillan is the lead singer of Deep Purple, my favourite rock band when I was growing up as a teenager and experiencing heavy rock and metal music for the first time. I still think he’s one of the great voices of classic UK rock music.Jesus Christ inspires me and gives meaning to my life. Churches and Christian people often drive me crazy, but I never fail to be challenged and inspired by the words of the carpenter from Nazareth.Keir Starmer is currently the leader of the major opposition party in the UK and — please God — the next Prime Minister. I’m not massively inspired by him, but at least it would mean ridding the country of the utter moral vacuum of Boris Johnson.Liverpool was my home for three years in the early 1980s when I was studying for my theology degree. Then — as now — it’s a buzzing, bustling, vibrant city filled with life, music, comedy and cultural interest.Mark’s Gospel was the set book in my theology course, for which I learned Greek to read in the original language. Its pithy, punchy narrative has been my favourite Gospel ever since, and I still love it today.Nottingham was where I completed my ministerial training after I left Liverpool. My two years at St John’s were a time of significant challenge and learning. It’s also the birth city of my wife — so I’ll always have a soft spot for the city.Omniscience is the concept that God knows all. And a reminder that I do not. The older I get the more I feel that most of the problems the church causes are rooted in people’s certainties and inability to think they might be wrong.Progressive Rock is my musical wheelhouse. Although I cut my musical teeth on heavy rock, the complex rhythms and time signatures of prog are where I eventually landed. Although never fashionable, there has been a steady stream of awesome prog produced from the late 60s right up to the present day.Quizzes entertain me almost daily. If I want to challenge myself whilst eating my evening meal, I’ll always flick the TV on Pointless, The Chase or some other quiz show. They just never get old…Rugby League — and definitely not Rugby Union. After all, I’m a Yorkshireman — so

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the gritty, working-class game of Rugby League is where I spent countless hours in my formative years, watching the mighty Bradford Bulls play at the legendary Odsal Stadium. It’s an honest, earthy game, completely free from the pretensions and money-grabbing that have ruined football and Rugby Union.Stock Car Racing came into my life in the mid-1970s when they happened at Odsal Stadium. It’s rough, tough, dirt-track racing — with too many cars on a small track, full contact is simply unavoidable. Awesome!Taize is a monastic community in France, which welcomes young people for weeklong visits that blend worship, reflection, teaching and community. I led a pilgrimage there in the 1990s and it was a life-changing experience.Unbelievable is a word I utter often when I read about the crazy things that happen in the name of Christ. I’ve taken to writing about some of them here on Medium, and it acts as therapy to make sense of the head-shaking behaviour of Christians.Viticulture means the science of making wine. It’s also my favourite board game — I can happily relax and spend a couple of hours building up my virtual vineyard. I also enjoy Roll Player, Hostage Negotiator, Jaws of the Lion and many more.Witcher 3 is flat out, the best video game ever made. It’s dark, brooding, filled with complex often horrible characters, but shot through with shafts of light and hope. I’m playing it again, my first run-through for several years.Xenon is an element in the periodic table. And a writing device to tell you that when I left school, I planned to be a chemist. In fact, before God had other ideas, I was carving out a career working as a lab technician in a chemical production plant.Yes is an English progressive rock band and one of the few remaining from the early 1970s classic era of prog. I’d always wanted to see Yes play live — and <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-went-to-see-yes-last-night-can-the-old-rockers-still-cut-it-e5f8015c13d0">only last week I finally had the opportunity</a>.Zeal has a lot to answer for in the history of the Christian faith. It inspires people to act in unspeakable ways that harm and abuse people in the name of Christ. The older I get, the less zealous and more tolerant and inclusive I have become.<figure id="d755"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*ysWGONnSuDjOF0D8z2mqmg.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="bdc0"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*pqrVJwI7ZPVeMx0jV-GU7w.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="f102"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*Clc6HkACXMtHZKt0QyKV1Q.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></article></body>

The A-To-Z of Me — 26 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Me

Find out more about the person behind Inspire Believe Grow

Author image messed about with in Affinity Photo

Yesterday was the launch of my publication, Inspire Believe Grow which means that the regular Saturday Roundup is a bit redundant.

If you missed yesterday’s post you can simply go and read it — which you SHOULD because there is FREE stuff!!

Instead, I thought I’d do something I’ve seen a few Medium writers doing recently— where people reveal stuff about themselves in an A to Z format.

So here we go with the A-Z of ME… 26 things you probably didn’t know about the person behind Inspire Believe Grow

Andrew is the patron saint of the first church I led after completing my training and curacies — and became a vicar for the first time. St Andrews in Bradford was a marvellous experience for seven years, and I learned so much about what to do and what NOT to do when leading a church.

Babylon 5 is a wonderful cult 1990s Science Fiction show steeped in culture, politics, and the richness of human experience — and packed with allusions to our reality. I’m a sucker for cult SciFi. In fact, I am currently part way through a complete re-watch of the 10-season run of Stargate SG-1.

Comic Books are not just for kids. One of my goals for retirement is to plunge back into the world of graphic novels and comic books. Maybe once Inspire Believe Grow is so popular I can run it on auto-pilot (lol)

Dice are cool! I discovered modern board gaming a few years ago, especially the idea of playing complex, thoughtful games on my own. My writing table doubles as a gaming table, and I currently have a game called Terraforming Mars out to play.

Elder Scrolls is a rich fantasy world created by a gaming company called Bethesda Softworks. I’ve been playing the Elder Scrolls series for almost 30 years — most recently the online implementation, The Elder Scrolls Online, where I can happily disappear into the engrossing world for hours. Come on Bethesda — where IS Elder Scrolls VI?

Flower Kings is a Swedish progressive rock band I discovered about twenty years ago. I’ve seen them play live a few times as well — and their latest album, By Royal Decree, is blasting from my Bose Bluetooth speaker right now! When not writing about God and church, I’m often writing about prog and rock music.

Guisborough is a small market town in North Yorkshire where we live. We bought our retirement house here largely because my wife wanted to live near the sea — and we are only about five miles from the east coast of England.

Hope Street is an aptly named street between the Anglican and Roman Cathedral Cathedrals in Liverpool. It serves as a visual reminder that when Christians will strive to work together, there is hope for the church.

Ian Gillan is the lead singer of Deep Purple, my favourite rock band when I was growing up as a teenager and experiencing heavy rock and metal music for the first time. I still think he’s one of the great voices of classic UK rock music.

Jesus Christ inspires me and gives meaning to my life. Churches and Christian people often drive me crazy, but I never fail to be challenged and inspired by the words of the carpenter from Nazareth.

Keir Starmer is currently the leader of the major opposition party in the UK and — please God — the next Prime Minister. I’m not massively inspired by him, but at least it would mean ridding the country of the utter moral vacuum of Boris Johnson.

Liverpool was my home for three years in the early 1980s when I was studying for my theology degree. Then — as now — it’s a buzzing, bustling, vibrant city filled with life, music, comedy and cultural interest.

Mark’s Gospel was the set book in my theology course, for which I learned Greek to read in the original language. Its pithy, punchy narrative has been my favourite Gospel ever since, and I still love it today.

Nottingham was where I completed my ministerial training after I left Liverpool. My two years at St John’s were a time of significant challenge and learning. It’s also the birth city of my wife — so I’ll always have a soft spot for the city.

Omniscience is the concept that God knows all. And a reminder that I do not. The older I get the more I feel that most of the problems the church causes are rooted in people’s certainties and inability to think they might be wrong.

Progressive Rock is my musical wheelhouse. Although I cut my musical teeth on heavy rock, the complex rhythms and time signatures of prog are where I eventually landed. Although never fashionable, there has been a steady stream of awesome prog produced from the late 60s right up to the present day.

Quizzes entertain me almost daily. If I want to challenge myself whilst eating my evening meal, I’ll always flick the TV on Pointless, The Chase or some other quiz show. They just never get old…

Rugby League — and definitely not Rugby Union. After all, I’m a Yorkshireman — so the gritty, working-class game of Rugby League is where I spent countless hours in my formative years, watching the mighty Bradford Bulls play at the legendary Odsal Stadium. It’s an honest, earthy game, completely free from the pretensions and money-grabbing that have ruined football and Rugby Union.

Stock Car Racing came into my life in the mid-1970s when they happened at Odsal Stadium. It’s rough, tough, dirt-track racing — with too many cars on a small track, full contact is simply unavoidable. Awesome!

Taize is a monastic community in France, which welcomes young people for weeklong visits that blend worship, reflection, teaching and community. I led a pilgrimage there in the 1990s and it was a life-changing experience.

Unbelievable is a word I utter often when I read about the crazy things that happen in the name of Christ. I’ve taken to writing about some of them here on Medium, and it acts as therapy to make sense of the head-shaking behaviour of Christians.

Viticulture means the science of making wine. It’s also my favourite board game — I can happily relax and spend a couple of hours building up my virtual vineyard. I also enjoy Roll Player, Hostage Negotiator, Jaws of the Lion and many more.

Witcher 3 is flat out, the best video game ever made. It’s dark, brooding, filled with complex often horrible characters, but shot through with shafts of light and hope. I’m playing it again, my first run-through for several years.

Xenon is an element in the periodic table. And a writing device to tell you that when I left school, I planned to be a chemist. In fact, before God had other ideas, I was carving out a career working as a lab technician in a chemical production plant.

Yes is an English progressive rock band and one of the few remaining from the early 1970s classic era of prog. I’d always wanted to see Yes play live — and only last week I finally had the opportunity.

Zeal has a lot to answer for in the history of the Christian faith. It inspires people to act in unspeakable ways that harm and abuse people in the name of Christ. The older I get, the less zealous and more tolerant and inclusive I have become.