Heavy Metal Thunder!!!

Today my little face and a few ramblings are in Kerrang! magazine -the world's biggest selling weekly rock magazine, and yes, what my cat Kerrang is named after!

I was asked for thoughts on the topic of rockstars turning to God, and metal and God being a positive thing in someones life, to go alongside an article my friend Eleanor Goodman (who works for Kerrang!) was putting together on Head leaving and re-joining the band KoЯn. Some folks have asked if there was a longer piece I'd done and if I'd make it available to read. So here's a few photos of the piece for you to see and read, followed by the, only slightly, longer piece I did for them on this theme....and no, I don't know why I started talking about nuns on rollercoasters either hahaha!!!

(hint: click on each picture individually and they pop up on your computer screen bigger!)

 

I’ve never understood why Head left KoЯn...Or why people even suggest you can’t love God and love metal. Non-one’s surprized if you’re a Christian and you enjoy horror films or gory console games, but when it comes to music, we’re supposed to like dull, manufactured, unemotional, pop drivel! Why?!..especially when Christianity and metal have much in common: joining together, recognising the darkness and negativity in life, trying to move on from it by creating a culture that encourages true happiness and love experienced through the music and community.

I guess rockstars are just like all of us, searching for wholeness, for something to fill the void felt within ourselves –for some this is just metal, but others turn to God. When someone doesn’t have a faith and then suddenly does, their worldview and values are in the mist of huge change and in searching for what their faith means to them personally, many reject all they have known to re-build their lives afresh. Consequently, some reject metal, but when more confident and knowledgeable in their faith, many come back to it, realising it’s no more damaging to their faith than a nun on a roller-coaster –yes, that actually happens!

I know many Christians and metal fans, like myself, who find huge value and support in our everyday lives from a faith in God and a love of metal. Both have positively shaped me and continue to sustain me. Yes, some aspects of the lifestyle might be seen as slightly unsavoury from a Christian perspective, but from a contemporary perspective, not many really, and obviously you don’t have to indulge in them anyway. Ultimately, Christianity is about loving God and loving people; there’s nothing in metal that prevents me, or you, from doing that.

So yes I love metal, I love the music and lifestyle, I love partying in a field with a load of people, I love the thrill of the live music as the bass pulsates around your body, I love moshing, I love wearing black, and you know what, I love God!..people might think that’s a bit weird, but isn’t that what metal’s all about?!

Also in Kerrang!, back in March, my friend Rev Mark Broomhead had an article about 'The Order of the Black Sheep' (www.theorderoftheblacksheep.com) which he runs, and Eleanor asked me to write a reply to that article. So below are photo's of both of those.

Some previous posts with more ramblings on how metal has been brought into ministry and worship, including some pics and clips:

http://thegospelaccordingtogeorges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-book-of-heavy-metal.html

http://thegospelaccordingtogeorges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/rock-n-roll-angels-bring-thine-hard.html

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[I've written lots on metal and religion. I began 5-10 years ago with the idea that the metal music scene is similar to a religion and since I've noticed others have recognised this too, such as Metal Hammer magazine encouraging people to write 'heavy metal' as their religion on the 2011 census. In my MTh thesis on this theme, I explained that there's an applied theology within the heavy metal music scene, which I'm yet to see articulated in such a way elsewhere. I hope to expand my work in this area into a PhD and a book.....Soooo......if anyone reading this has the ability or contacts to offer me the chance and finance to do a PhD on this (and not just because I want to be a Doctor of metal!!!..though it'd probably be a doctor of applied theology wouldn't it?!...)  then why not get in touch so I can do this part-time while continuing to be a Christian minister. Thank you -sales pitch over!hahaha]

Times Like These...

Someone said I should share some of my facebook statuses on here, so I thought yeah I could share some previous ones which folks might be interested in/amused by...I'll post work related ones today, and another day some about my time in Africa and then some random ones!...Enjoy!!!
WARNING: This is meant to be light-hearted and make you smile, so please don't take any offence!

2013: 
Had a weird dream last night (like I do most nights!lol), which had the main theme of 'George is too small to be the Archbishop of Canterbury!' Hahaha How strange!!!!!!

Today in my Lent Group we played ‘George’s God-Words’ and in Youth Group we played ‘George’s Musical Forfeits’…both seemed to go down very well.,and I came to the conclusion that everything is better if you stick the word ‘George’ in front of it!!!....vain, me?!..I don’t know what you’re talking about…or rather, George doesn’t know what you’re talking about!!..see…it worked!!!!!!LOL

2012:
So you're a Priest and you like rock & metal music?..Oh yes, I will literally rock the hell out of you!!

Go into primary school to talk to 6 year olds about Bible stories, end up singing with the class Lady Gaga's Bad Romance.......

Some days my job is everything you expect ME to be doing –hanging out in ancient gothic buildings, wearing black, eating biscuits and chatting, praying, cheering people up, in conversations seeped with, and situations surrounded by, aspects of death, grief and pain, and looking for hope and light within the darkness, negativity and hatred in the world, AT OTHER TIMES it involves going to flower festivals!!

Reasons I'm a vicar, reason #10 -because nothing beats THAT feeling of being in a graveyard in the dark at night on your own...

*with a couple arranging a family members funeral*
Question: “Do you allow any music in church for a funeral? Cuz I want AC/DC when I go. I’m a big heavy metal fan!”
Me: “Yeah most things, we’ve had all sorts in the past. And, me too! I go to Download every year and saw Black Sabbath there this summer.”
Reply: “That’s amazing! I also play electric guitar.”
Me: “Me too. I’ve just got a Fender Strat squire. What have you got?”
Reply: “Cool!! I’ve got a Fender Strat and a Les Paul. Do you wanna see them?”
Me: “Obviously!”
*both go to the guitars*
Reply: “Have a go if you want. I’ll turn up the volume on the amp”
Me: “Turn up the overdrive too” *Pick up guitar, start playing*
Reply: “Well, before you arrived, I never expected a visit from a vicar to end up with her rocking out like this!”

2007:

looking forward to the giant puppets and Desmond Tutu tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams (are made of this)

At the weekend I went to somewhere so amazing that even photo's don't do it justice....I went somewhere so fabtastic that my tastebuds nearly exploded.....I went somewhere so amazing that I felt my whole life had been building up to that point, for that moment, for those realms of pleasure....that's right people, I went to The Chocolate Cafe!!!!!!!

I went with my fella Ian.  I had an amaretto and milk chocolate hot chocolate.  Ian had a gingerbread hot choc.  I had hot melted chocolate on brioche.  Ian had a triple bacon sandwich?!....We don't talk any more!!!...ok, we do, but bacon instead of chocolate, what was he thinking?!hahaha

Oh, and here's some photo's which hint at the magic which was experienced.......

 

P.S. I might be slightly exaggerating, but it was pretty epic!!!!!!

P.P.S. The fact it was in a place called Ramsbottom, only served to make me more entertained.....me, childish, as if?! ....Though might I draw everyone's attention please briefly to Luke 18.17 where Jesus is reported to have said, 'Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it.' Enough said!...bring on the jelly and ice-cream now please!!! :)

There for you...

It really is the little things in life :)

Let me paint you a picture...I, like most people, work hard all week, and this week is the same, though I've also had a migraine. Today I went to church at 8:30am, and have just walked in through my door home at 9:45pm. While I ate lunch, I made myself comfy on my sofa under a blanket and watched about 30 mins of TV..when I emerged from my cosy lounge, some kind soul has left me home-made biscuits and cup cakes. The timing, giving a week I've had a migrain and a day that was particularly long, was amazing. The offering, given everyone knows how much I love biscuits and cakes, was amazing. The fact the biscuits were still warm enough that the white chocolate chunks were melting inside, was just lush!!!

I do not know who you are kind soul, but thank you. I really, really, really appreciated it, and am still appreciateing it as I stuff in the last biccy!!! :) They taste delish! Thank you :)

 It really is the little things in life like this that make your day isn't it..just like the random man who stopped to help me recently after I had a car accident going around 70mph on the motorway and hit the middle barrier and another car...more on that later..for now, I will tidy up the crumbs and switch on the magic television box to watch the rest of Madagascar 3...