A Song and a Reflection on NAMA DAY

It is the month of August, on the shores of the Black Sea. It is raining,
and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is
in debt, and everybody lives on credit.
Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town.
He enters the only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter,
and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one.
The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to
the butcher.
The Butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig
grower.
The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the
supplier of his feed and fuel.
The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his
debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services"
on credit.
The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note
to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she
brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so
that the rich tourist will not suspect anything.
At that moment, the rich tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms,
and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the
rooms, and leaves town.
No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and
looks to the future with a lot of optimism..
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the Irish Government is doing
business today. (Author unknown)

How others see us - Episcopalians by Bety Butterfield

The NAMA song

New from the Corrigan Brothers - The Nama song tells it as it is! We're going to pay! :-(

The God who beckons - Joan Chittister

Joan Chittister here makes a very intriguing contribution to the God & Science debate. Well worth a read: CLICK HERE

'No one has ever fallen off the floor'

This from Brian Mclaren - a very influential emergent Christian leader who takes post-modernity seriously in his theological thinking and praxis. I hadn't realised he was a songwriter.....



a new song ...

... it's called "status"

It starts out feeling beautiful: the smiles and long applause
Then pride comes like a shark attack and gets you in its jaws …
You’re surfing high on a wave of fame on a tide of high self-worth
But when pride grabs you by the leg, who will bring you down to earth?

The higher that you climb, the lower down you’ll slide
So get down off your pedestal, and dismount your pride.

They’ll give you long introductions and be proud to drop your name
They’ll stroke your ego and if you do too, then you’ll go down in flame.
Status is like a big red balloon. You find it at the top.
But when you blow it you’ll find out real soon how easily it will pop.

The higher that you climb, the lower down you’ll slide
So get down off your pedestal, and dismount your pride.

Your deeds and your opinions may be highly rated
But your heart starts shrinking when your head starts to get inflated.
It’s a sad and common story. Like tumors, egos grow …
And when you’re high on your own glory, you’ll be the last to know.

The higher that you climb, the lower down you’ll slide
So get down off your pedestal, and dismount your pride.

Guard your heart well for from it flow the vital springs of life.
Keep learning from your critics, and your husband or your wife …
And when you go to the wedding feast, take the lowest place for sure,
For no one has ever fallen off the floor - that’s why that place is so secure.

The higher that you climb, the lower down you’ll slide
So get down off your pedestal, and dismount your pride.

Look who's on Facebook now!

He obviously wasn't listening to the Archbishop of Westminster!

PaddyAnglican in the Health Supplement of the Irish Times!

Read all about it HERE