What is talent?

I originally wrote this in March 2008, but never got round to publishing it. So here it is.


A quote from a discussion on the BBC Sport website, referring to the reigning Snooker Masters and Welsh Open champion Mark Selby:

"He knows he is not better than Ronnie and never will be."

This was said after the Welsh Open final in which Selby beat favourite and provisional world number 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan. After the match, O'Sullivan subtly criticised Selby's slow, tactical style, which contrasts with O'Sullivans pacy breakbuilding.

For a while in Snooker it has been assumed that a slow tactical style is inferior to breakbuilding and is something a player needs to resort to if he can't compete in the so-called 'scoring department' with his opponent. The above quote says that Selby isn't as good as O'Sullivan but what it actually means is that he's not as good a breakbuilder. And that is probably true. But breakbuilding is only one aspect of the game. Tactically, Selby was stronger than O'Sullivan on the day and this made up for his 'deficit' in the breakbuilding, as shown by the fact that he won the match.
Ironically, to win a match of snooker, you still have to outscore your opponent in the majority of frames! So in 9 of the 17 frames, Selby scored more points than O'Sullivan, yet still people ridicule him for not being good in the 'scoring department'. And it's not just Selby, it's Ebdon, Dott and others too. And this is coming from a fan of Stephen Hendry, the greatest breakbuilder ever.

Which brings me to the next point. Hendry is universally hailed as 'the greatest player to ever pick up a cue'. A fair claim I say, as he spent a record eight consecutive years at number 1 in the world rankings, has won the World Snooker Championship a record seven times, and was the youngest World Champion at the age of 21. He has also won the UK Championship, the 2nd biggest in the world, more times than anyone else (5) has won the Masters more times than anyone else (6) and has the most century breaks to his name (approaching 800 I believe). I'd say that constitutes the greatest player ever.

However, many people also claim that O'Sullivan is the most naturally talented player ever. What the heck does that mean? What people mean is that O'Sullivan has won a lot of titles (19, only bettered by Hendry (36) and Steve Davis (28)), but he is inconsistent, temperamental, and often loses confidence or interest. But if he had Hendry's mental game and commitment, he would surely have won more titles than Hendry.
The problem with this argument is that it assumes the whole mental and psychological side of the game doesn't count when labeling natural talent.

To be good at snooker, you have to score more points than your opponent in as many frames as possible. At the end of the day, it's all about getting points on the board. Hendry and Davis have done this more than O'Sullivan. Simple as. Hendry is the greatest because his results show it. Maybe O'Sullivan would have been better if he could hold himself together. But he can't.

People might say here than O'Sullivan's highest standard of play is higher than Hendry's, or that O'Sullivan can also play with his left hand (as though that is relevant). No deal. If you can't judge on results it just becomes subjective.

It seems to me that when labeling natural talent, we should be aware of four types of characteristics in people. One type is purely genetically controlled. Scientists reckon there are only about four of these, including eye colour and blood group. Then there are characteristics that are genetically controlled but are affected by conditions before birth such as the mother's diet. The third type are characteristics that are genetically controlled but are affected by conditions after birth (anything from diet and exercise to personal experiences). The fourth are characteristics the are purely controlled by our environment (i.e. no genetic influence). There are probably very few of these too.
So which of these types of characteristics can be used when defining natural talent? Surely not the last two, as they are influenced by nurture more than or as much as nature. Maybe not even the second, as it is affected by the environment too. Which leaves type one, and I doubt blood group has much influence on Snooker titles. And no-one can do anything about type one anyway, so what's the point in labeling them? "Congratulations, circumstances beyond anyones control have may or may not have caused you to be brilliant at snooker". The point is that it is stupid to label natural talent at all.

I think a much more useful measure of talent is how quickly or easily a person learns to do something. I can spot 'natural' frisbee players because they're the ones who pick the game up quickly, not because they're the ones with blue eyes. What makes someone quick to pick up the game of frisbee is anyones guess. Certainly physical factors such as pace and fitness are important. Probably also spatial awareness and a logical grasp of tactics. But what controls spatial awareness? Men do have a genetic predisposition towards good spatial awareness, but it's a generalisation at best. Certainly blood group and eye colour have no effect on frisbee ability, so whether type 2, 3 or 4 characteristics are involved, or all three, there are definitely non-genetic influences. Some of these influences will be beyond the persons control (e.g. childhood diet) and some will not (adulthood diet!).

Talk of natural talent is stupid. Talent is not 'natural'. It is controlled mainly by environmental (non-genetic) factors, including personal input and hard work. There is such a thing as talent, but it is better thought of as how easily you learn to do something. And, in sport, that includes more than just the physical and technical. Every sportsperson knows that top level sport is played in the head. To be successful in sport you must be good physically, technically and mentally. To some extent, circumstances beyond your control will help you do this easily. Also you must work hard for it.

Talent isn't the only factor influencing success in sport, hard work plays a part too. I don't believe either is enough for success at a high level. But over time, we have seen that Stephen Hendry has by far outperformed anyone else, so if we took a list of, say, the top 100 players of all time, I believe he would be the most talented and the most hardworking, and these combine to produce his results. O'Sullivan might have the best technique (or whatever) but that is not talent. Talent is a lot bigger than that.

Sabio – Escape

I’ve mentioned Sabio in many blogs (here, here, here and here). I think very highly of them. However, I have only 4 friends who’ve heard of them (including 2 siblings) and only 3 who actually like them. This is traumatic for me, because if they had ever released more than 8 songs, they could have been my favourite band ever.
Yes, that’s right – they only released 8 songs. One CD. And yes, it’s that good that if they had produced more, they could be my all-time number one band.

I discovered Sabio at Spring Harvest in about 2003 when they supported Steve. I only remember one song, which may have been called ‘You came down’, and it convinced me to buy the album. The song wasn’t even on the album, but 8 other crackers were.

The album is about being committed to God. It’s an incredibly strong theme, evident from the start of the first song and continuing to the last. The album has a 4x2 structure – four groups of two songs. Two upbeat, pop-rock songs, two alternative, more meandering songs, two heavy rock songs, and two light, piano driven songs. But it doesn’t feel artificial at all – it’s an incredibly honest and vulnerable album.

So, one song at a time…

Meaning of my Life
The album opens with a catchy light-rock song of outright commitment to God with lines like ‘and just like a child, I’m clinging on to you, declaring God as the reason for and purpose of life. It’s quite guitar-focused, but the guitar is light and airy rather than crunchy. Combined with the tight drums this gives the song a bouncy feel which is very easy to listen to. It builds slightly into an anthemic chorus, with a backing choir in places. The lyrics are relentless but creative and cleverly written to give various pictures of absolute dependence on God. After the expected middle eight (which is unfortunately unremarkable), the chorus kicks in again before extending into the outro.

Dreamers of the Day
Musically similar to track one, this song is about being part of God’s plans and dreaming his dreams – ‘we’re still believing that there are greater things to come’. The overall beat is slightly syncopated, and the verses are quite low key with straight chords over the drums. Like the previous track, the music builds into another catchy chorus, though a bit cheesier than before. The middle eight at first seems like a waste, before developing briefly into and punchy and quite aggressive response to God’s work – ‘we’re moving shaking pushing breaking anything that gets in our way’. Dreamers is structured similarly to the opener but is slightly weaker, both musically and lyrically. Still, a very good track nonetheless, with a truly excellent outro that keeps developing right to the end.

Escape
The title track is the first more downbeat song on the album, with most of the song based on atmospheric synths and a wailing guitar, over electronic-sounding drums. The vocals are outstanding here, and the lyrics very deep – ‘I’m feeling like a poet, silences by his brokenness, by his broken hands’. The chorus is very short ‘let me escape again, let me escape’, but later is repeated several times. Verses two and three follow a similar theme to the first – of struggle and wanting to get out, continually getting ever so slightly heavier into the third chorus, which develops from ‘let me escape’ to ‘you are my escape’ and also changes the melody. The middle eight aches of almost despair and features some lyrics in another language (possibly Aramaic?), and then the music explodes for the final choruses, fully declaring God as the place to escape from the world.

Control
The second downbeat song is based on Matthew chapter 6 ‘and if you feed the birds of the skies, how much more will you take care of me’. It’s a simple song about trusting in God’s provision and sufficiency. It’s mostly acoustic, and doesn’t explode in quite the manner of Escape, but has some beautiful imagery such as ‘when I can’t find the song, my rhythm broken and gone, your melody will comfort me’. The title comes fro the phrase ‘you are in control of me’, part of the chorus that features Matthew 6. The middle eight extends into the outro, focusing on the idea of safety in God. This is yet another unashamed song of dedication to God.

Money Makers
Track 5 opens in a very different style – crunchy guitars and rocky drums. It’s a song about the futitliyty of working for money ‘you’re working for the weekend to fit in with the circling’. The song doesn’t let anyone get away with it however, claiming that everyone has been sucked into the ‘money-makers game’. The music stays fairly upbeat and rocky, with the lead guitar giving most of the variety, especially in the second verse. It’s not a particularly new thing to sing about, but Sabio to it cleverly and amusingly, with lines like ‘you see you work to get the money to get the food to get the strength to go to work to get the money, to fit in with this game’. It’s a solid song, and a good buildup for one of my all time favourite songs.

Mother
Mother picks up the theme of Escape, and discusses in more detail the mess that the world is in. The verses focus on the problems with technology, education, money, celebrity culture, popular music, politics, natural disasters, starvation, capitalism, selfishness and materialism. The chorus, in contrast, both wonders about and declares the existence of a place to Escape. The place is ‘Mother’ a symbol for God – who gives the escape, comfort and security needed in such a messed up world. The second verse finishes with the chilling and inspiring line ‘materialism builds a wall that blocks the cry that comes from the poor - is there a generation that will smash it to the floor in these days?’ The music itself is fast, heavy and rocky, and the melody is uplifting, despite the desperate things being sung about. The best word to describe it all is ‘intense’ – it’s relentlessly driving music, except for the third verse, where everything except for the vocals and a few piano chords are stripped away, highlighting the lyrics that summarise the song ‘spinning, twisting, turning, the world is falling on its face today. This world needs a place it can escape, oh my mother, would you open Heaven’s gates?’. The music then crashes back into an immense guitar solo, before the outro focuses on the response of dedicating life to God – the overall theme of the album.

Frozen
This is a song that makes me weep at its beauty. It’s quite a despairing song about the fear of being left alone, but deep, firm commitment to God in all situations. It’s much lighter than the previous two tracks, being driven by the piano with acoustic guitar and drums as accompaniment, which fits perfectly with its melancholic message. The lyrics are truly desperate ‘after all we’ve been through I can’t even recognise your face’, ‘whatever happened to the dreams you let me dream?’, but the song culminates with an inspirational promise ‘no matter how far away, I’m till gonna follow you, no matter how long the day, I still believe’. The music is nothing outstanding, but is the perfect platform for some of the greatest lyrics I have ever heard.

Carry Me
Another lighter track to finish the album, Carry Me sums up the themes of the previous seven songs, but rather than being about dedication to God, it’s about God’s dedication to us ‘you’ve always carried me’. It’s a very simple song, the lyrics declaring God’s outrageous faithfulness, while the music balances the album perfectly, in between the delicate Frozen and Control, the hugeness of Mother, and the accessibility of Meaning of my life. It’s a lovely ending because it brings the focus right back onto God, rather than our struggles, and at nearly six minutes it still allows for the epicness that is a feature of this album.

Tracks 1 and 4?

Recently a friend of mine claimed that the strongest tracks on an album tend to be tracks 1 and 4. Not every time of course, but a general trend. I immediately disagreed, thinking that 1 is usually strong but 4 is not. I reckoned that track 3 was more likely to be in the top two songs on an album.

I did some analysis on this. I looked at every album that I am confident enough to pick the best two songs from (i.e. I had to know the whole album well). Here are the numbers of times that each track appears in the best two on an album:

Track 1 – 55
Track 2 – 23
Track 3 – 31
Track 4 – 20
Track 5 – 19
Track 6 – 23
Track 7 – 17
Track 8 – 10
Track 9 – 3
Track 10 – 9
Track 11 – 6
Track 12 – 6
Track 13 – 2

Track 1 tends to be strongest, followed by 3. I rest my case.

However, there is something much more revealing about these numbers. Just look at the decline after track 7.
I have a theory that what makes something a truly brilliant album is a very strong last third. Most albums lack this, as partly indicated by these results.
Loads and loads of albums start well, but after the first 4 or 5 tracks (once the singles are used up!), they decline. The best albums do not decline, they maintain the high standard.

Playlist

I have a playlist that includes all my favourite songs, except for:
- Congregational worship
- Soundtracks
- Classical
- Sigur Ros

Recently this playlist broke through the 500 songs mark (as of 20th January 2009 there are 513), and I decided to find out how many there are by each artist. Here are the interesting results:

34 - Delirious
24 - Idlewild
21 - Lifehouse
18 - British Sea Power
17 - Coldplay
16 - Anberlin, U2
13 - Mew
12 - Enya, Live, Oasis, Strangeday
11 - Muse, World Wide Message Tribe
10 - Bloc Party, Killers, Feeder
9 - Easyworld, Editors
8 - DC Talk, RHCP
7 - Counting Crows, Linkin Park, Maire Brennan
6 - Bluetree, Casting Crowns, Dido, Kato, Sixpence NTR, Steve, Travis
5 - Manic Street Preachers, Rock’n’roll Worship Circus, Sabio, Santiago, Stellastarr*
4 - Athlete, Bottlerockit, Dire Straits, Greenday, Jars of Clay, Kaiser Chiefs, Quench, REM, Stereophonics, Tait
3 - 3 Doors Down, Ash, Barlow Girl, Billy Joel, Doves, Evanescence, Falling Up, Franz Ferdinand, Libertines, Queen
2 - Caedmon’s Call, The Calling, Embrace, The Flaming Lips, Foo Fighters, The Gentlemen, Goo Goo Dolls, Keane, The Kissaway Trail, Maroon 5, Matchbox 20, Nickleback, Snow Patrol, Third Day, The Verve
1 - Alien Ant Farm, Aphron, Blink 182, Blur, The Bravery, Cathy Burton, David Crowder Band, Eiffel 65, Eminem, The Feeling, Five for Fighting, The Fray, Focus, Good Charlotte, Haven, Hoobastank, Jennifer Knapp, Justin Thomas, Lostprophets, Nirvana, No Doubt, Radiohead, Rebecca St James, Roddy Woomble, Rufus Wainwright, Skillet, Starsailor, Supergrass, Tobymac, Toploader, Vertical Horizon, The Yearning, Yfriday

Delirious were always going to be top – they are one of my favourite bands and have produced a huge amount of music. Idlewild, Lifehouse and BSP are also in my ‘elite’ group of bands. Interestingly, the 5th band in my elite, Mew, are slightly lower down with 13 songs – but they are superceded by Coldplay, Anberlin and U2, all of whom have produced at least 4 albums to Mew’s 3. In addition, the brilliance of Mew’s ‘And The Glass Handed Kites’ album is partly due to it being 14 tracks blended into 1, which makes it hard to pick out specific tracks to go in such a ‘favourites’ playlist.

The other usual suspects are up there – I really love all the bands with between 8 and 12 songs.

Reading lower down shows several categories of bands, including:
Great bands who only ever produced one album (grrr to Quench, Steve and Sabio!)
Bands who I quite like, but only to the extent of getting their greatest hits album (e.g. Manics, Counting Crows, REM)
Up-and-coming bands who haven’t produced much music yet (e.g. Bluetree)

Right near the bottom come the one-hit and two-hit wonders – classics like Snow Patrol and Five For Fighting.

Overall, I think this list gives a pretty good impression of my music taste, providing you remember that I also like Sigur Ros and a lot of worship music.

Prizes (of love) to anyone who can select an artist and correctly name the songs that I have on the playlist. More love available if you pick an artist with lots of songs, but if you get just one wrong, you get no love.

Ten albums I am excited to have discovered in 2008

Last night I was asked what is the best album I have discovered in the last 3 months. This got me thinking about my favourite albums of 2008.
I don’t have time to rank these, so, in alphabetical order by artist, ten albums I am glad to have discovered in the last year (they weren’t all released in the last year):

Anberlin – Cities
Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City
Bluetree – Greater Things
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Coldplay – Viva la Vida
Delirious – Kingdom of Comfort
Heat – Can I See Heaven?
Killers – Sam’s Town
Rock’n’roll Worship Circus – A Beautiful Glow
Stellastarr* - Harmonies for the Haunted

A grateful blog

On the wall above my desk I have photos of nine people. These are nine people to whom I feel immensely in debt because of what they have done for me and given me, and just for their love, friendship and guidance.
There are my parents, my old youth leader, two people from my internship year, and four of my best friends.
I put these photos up a few months ago.

This morning I realise that, after thinking about this for literally about one minute:
I could have included three more people as well as my youth leader for the encouragement they have given me, the opportunities they have given me, and the amount they have invested in me.
In slightly different circumstances, there could have been eight more friends up there - friends who I know would have been just as good to me had I needed it at the time.
There are at least another four friends who I know would be there now if I needed them.

I am insanely lucky to have the friends I do. I'm not just talking about mates who I get on well with, even mates who I can go to for help when I need it - I'm talking about real, deep, hardcore friendships. Not transient friends who are around for a while, help you out once maybe, but then you realise they're not that important. But people who have proved themselves, and who can be trusted to do it again.

Some of these people will know who they are, some won't have a clue. But thankyou, to all of you. I don't deserve you.

Heat - Can I See Heaven?

Heat are a smallish worship band who, as far as I know, are still together. I saw them at Spring Harvest about 8 years ago and got their EP 'Can I See Heaven?'
For the last 8 years or so I've listened to the album every now and then, but in the last week I've realised how good it is. Only seven tracks, but all of them are beautifully put together. The general theme is prayer - crying to God for what we want to see in the world and in our own lives. The lyrics are fairly simple, but heartfelt and passionate. I don't know what the rest of Heat's music is like, but I expect this album to, 8 years belatedly, become one of my albums of the year.

Isn't is strange how this can happen - you listen to an album for years before realising how good it is.

For me, this has also happened with:
DCTalk - Jesus Freak
Killers - Sam's Town
RHCP - Californication
Sixpence NTR - Divine Discontent
Various Artists - Hungry

I expect there are more to come.

Danger Cake

The idea of danger cake is to make a cake or cakes, with each piece or individual cake containing a different foodstuff (loose use of this term) which might be considered 'alternative'.

I can't remember who I came up with this idea with, but my brother Simon and his friends have been working on it too.

Current suggestions for the Danger element include:
Chilli
Coffee grounds
Salt
Gravy powder
Meat
Cheese
Sand
Tuna
Grass
Herbs
Wax
Pennies
Tomato puree
Cocoa powder
Sawdust
Leaves
Hair
Twigs
Feathers
Pickle
Actual sponge
Soap
Vinegar
Banana peel
Eggshells
Garlic butter

Soundtrack of 2008

As the end of the year approaches, it seems appropriate to list my ‘songs of the year’. These are not (necessarily) my favourite songs at the moment (though most of them are), but they are songs that I have been very into this year, songs that have in some way shaped the year for me. And they’re all songs I didn’t know before about a year ago.

Click on the links to listen to the songs - they're all on Youtube, so some are official videos and some are fan made. Sorry for the awful ones - just close your eyes and enjoy the music.

Anberlin – (Fin)

I discovered Anberlin in the summer via my sister, and was addicted to their 3^rd album, Cities within about a day. (Fin) is the final track, a many-layered epic masterpiece, full of stories, honesty and truth. Immense.

Barlow Girl – Enough

Barlow Girl are very average, but their version of the worship song Enough has the most amazing 3-part harmonies I’ve ever heard, that start on entry to the first chorus and continue for much of the song. Beautiful stuff.

Bloc Party – Kreuzberg

I’ve really got into Bloc Party this year, and went through a phase of absolutely loving Kreuzberg. There’s just something about the way it builds, with the guitar and vocal parts, that I love. Especially while driving.

British Sea Power – Waving Flags

On each of their albums, BSP produce one stand-out track, one true all-time great song. Waving Flags is the latest of these, including everything that is great about BSP – truly inspiring music and wonderfully odd lyrics.

Casting Crowns – Stained Glass Masquerade

Casting Crowns are often described as ‘prophetic’, and Stained Glass Masquerade is the most insightful of all their songs. It’s one of those songs I think every Christian should hear, and then take a really good look at themselves. Very challenging stuff.

Coldplay – Viva la Vida

Coldplay have produced another very good all-round album, but Viva la Vida is the stand-out track. Just the ability to produce such a driving rhythm without a drum kit is pretty special, and then there’s that insanely addictive riff.

David Crowder Band – The Glory of it All

I only have two David Crowder Band songs, but The Glory of it All is rapidly heading towards my top few songs of all time. It’s a complete worship experience which links us into God’s story in a wonderful way that we should think about a lot more.

Delirious - God is Smiling

Delirious just keep producing brilliant songs. God is Smiling is an immensely positive song, capturing so much of what is great about knowing God. The music and lyrics are each Delirious at their best.

Editors - Weight of the World

Editors always make great music, but Weight of the World has their best lyrics too. It’s one of those songs that contains so much truth, I suspect unintentionally. A very emotionally intense song, and awesome live.

The Kissaway Trail – Smother + Evil = Hurt

The Kissaway Trail are a bit weird, and the bizzarely titled Smother + Evil = Hurt is probably their most normal song. The music has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes it addictive to listen to, and the lyrics, especially in the verses, are enchanting.

Lifehouse – Easier to be

Easier to be is the latest example of Lifehouse’s lyrical brilliance. It’s not an outstanding song at first, but its message is so uniquely beautiful, it's an idea I've never heard in a song before, and it’s become a very important song to me.

Live – Run to the Water

Live are as unique as, and better than, RHCP, and Run to the Water is nothing less than genius. The music subtly draws you in and then explodes in your face, and the lyrics are just as enticing and powerful. The combination of the two is majestic.

Rock’n’Roll Worship Circus – Blessed Tune (sorry, couldn't find a video)

You wouldn’t think that the beatitudes put to music would be so amazing, but Blessed Tune by RnRWS proves that it can be. Soothing music, very nice and remarkably honest lyrics, and a simultaneously comforting and terrifying message.

Stellastarr* – Lost in Time

Stellastarr produce the best rock I’ve heard for a long time, probably since Muse made it big. Lost in Time is a powerful and potentially painful song, with fantastic musicianship and vocals, and lyrics that really make you stop and listen.

Strangeday – Fogpilot

Strangeday are the least well-known band on this list, but many of their songs, especially Fogpilot, are actually amazing. The openness and honesty here is refreshing, and the music is completely without weakness. And the middle eight is huge.

The Best Of Delirious

Delirious are finishing as a band at the end of 2009. It seems unlikely that they will release another studio album before then. So, assuming they release no new material, here is the 'Best Of' that I would like to see.


Disc 1

God You Are My God
Now Is The Time
Inside Outside
The Message Of The Cross
Love Will Find A Way
White Ribbon Day
Take Me Away
Rain Down
I've Found Jesus
Touch
Investigate
Revival Town
Follow (White Ribbon Day remix)
Obsession


Disc 2

Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?
Love Falls Down
Sanctify
All I Want Is You
Fires Burn
Majesty (Here I Am)
God's Romance
History Maker
Find Me In The River
Our God Reigns
God Is Smiling
King Or Cripple
Heaven
Feel It Coming On


Disc 3

The Mezzanine Floor
Here I Am Send Me
The Years Go By
Deeper
I'm Not Ashamed
God In Heaven
Promise
Jesus' Blood
Alien
Wonder
Mountain's High
Miracle Maker
Thank You For Saving Me
My Glorious

Roundabouts

I love roundabouts. There are few experiences as satisfying as being part of a flow of traffic around a working roundabout. When everything just works and cars move when and where they should, it is bliss.
I get really annoyed when people get roundabouts wrong - especially when they don't move when they should, as happened this afternoon. Roundabouts are brilliantly designed, but sadly often ruined by drivers who can't grasp the simple rule: give way to the right. That means if there's something coming from your right, stop. Otherwise go! It's not hard.

Redman turns Rocker

Matt Redman, bestselling British worship leader, is actually the creative force behind glamrock band The Darkness.
The Darkness are most famous for their first hit single 'I believe in a thing called love' - see the video here. Pay particular attention to the guitar riff at 0.57, and then compare it to the opening of this, Matt Redman's 'The cross has said it all'.

The Shack

If you haven’t come across it yet, The Shack is a novel by William P Young, which has been top of the NY Times bestseller list for about 6 months and is well within the Amazon top 100.

It’s a story about Mack, a father of four, set about 3 years after his fifth child, Missy, was brutally murdered and her body left in a shack in the wilderness.
Mack receives a note from ‘Papa’ (his wife’s favourite name for God), inviting him back to the shack for a meeting. Although not particularly religious, Mack decides to return to the centre of his Great Sadness. There he meets God, in all three of his/her forms. Most of the book is about Mack’s conversations with Papa, Jesus and Sarayu (the Spirit) and his process of healing and forgiveness.

The book covers a huge range of theological topics but probably centres on the problem of suffering – Mack finds that he cannot trust a God who allowed his 4-year-old daughter to be killed.

The reaction this book has received reminds me of that received by Steve Chalke’s The Lost Message of Jesus a few years ago. Some people have been revolutionised by it, and Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, says it’s as good and important as The Pilgrim’s Progress. Other people slate it completely and hold Young as a heretic.

My reaction?

Well, I think it’s quite good. It certainly says a lot of good stuff in very clever ways, and it made me view certain aspects of God’s character and my faith in new ways. If you haven’t come across some of its teaching before, it could probably change you completely. I had come across a lot of it before, but there was still new stuff there which interested and challenged me. I would definitely recommend it because it will almost certainly broaden your thinking about God, teach you new things about him and feed your relationship with him.

Having said that, of course he is a heretic. Yes, the book is good, but yes, there’s also heresy in there. But so what? I doubt there’s ever been a book written (Bible excepted) that doesn’t contain some heresy. People, chill out a bit! Books are written by humans, they’re going to have errors in them! But that doesn’t mean all books are worthless! This book (and Chalke’s) are really good and well worth reading. Neither book is perfect, so you have to read them carefully, take the good stuff, and dismiss the misleading bits.

The problem is, it’s harder to do this with a novel than with a normal theology book, because a novel such as this can be very subtly misleading. But I guess that’s part of the fun.

Seriously – The Shack is a good book, and I’d definitely recommend it. Not everything in it is spot on, but most of it is safe. Enjoy!

Year 8 residential

This last week I have been away for a week with 36 Year 8s from school. We went to an outdoor pursuits centre in Northumberland and spent a few days doing all the usual stuff - climbing, abseiling, zipwires, teambuilding games, archery, high ropes etc.

There was also a lot of time for the kids to chill out, chat, and just build their friendships. It was nothing less than awesome to watch this happening, because at the start of the week there were clear friendship groups (that I already knew about as I teach all but three of these kids), but by the last couple of days you wouldn't know it - all of them were mixing together. And this was without our coaxing or encouraging, and without putting them in specific groups - it just happened as they spent time together, living, eating, and playing together.
I've noticed before humans' innate ability to just get on with each other when thrown together, and it was exhibited wonderfully here.

Personally, I loved having the chance to get to know these kids on a more real level than would be possible in one hour a week. It reminded me why I first thought that teaching would be a good idea - I just love getting to know teenagers. It's my instinct to gravitate towards them rather than the adults, so I spent very little free time in the staff lounge, but spent most of it playing pool or table football with the kids, or just sitting and chilling with them.

In fact, the exclusivity with which the staff were treated really bugged me - things like getting a tablecloth on our table, getting larger portions, and getting orange juice at breakfast rather than squash. It was as though the centre (which, by the way, was generally very good) expected us to be very separate from the kids. Now of course, in a way we are - we are responsible for them and sometimes have to make it clear who is boss. But to give us special treatment would just have given them the message that they were less important, which is ludicrous - after all, the week was about their personal and social development! This really, really got to me!

Other than that, it was a great, if tiring week, and another reminder of how much more interesting, fun and inspiring I find teenagers than adults (no offense to anyone over 18!). Before this week, all but maybe a couple of these kids were just pupils that I teach; now many of them are amazing young people who I want to invest in massively.

10 albums you should listen to

Having harped on about my favourite album, No Name Face, I’d like to share another 10 albums with you, and say a few words about why they’re so good. The criteria for getting onto this list included excellent music, excellent lyrics, and that ‘something extra’ that means that an album really affects me personally. So, in alphabetical order by artist:

British Sea Power – The Decline of British Sea Power
British Sea Power are one of those unique bands that sound like no-one else. This is there first album and, after the first three slightly unusual tracks disappear within 5 minutes, the next 8 are stupendous, with soaring guitars, haunting vocals that manage to combine a scream and a whisper, and poetic imagery like you’ve never heard before.

DCTalk – Jesus Freak
This album is lyrically just so blatant and unashamed with songs like 'Jesus Freak' and 'Like it, Love it, Need it', but also raw and intimate with 'What if I Stumble' and 'Mind’s Eye'. The music is so (there’s no other word for it) cool, and In The Light has probably the funkiest intro of all time.

Easyworld – This Is Where I Stand
This album is packed full of catchy riffs, exciting tunes, and solid, driving rhythms, but the thing that makes it special is the vocals, which reach notes I didn’t think even existed. This is one of those albums that has a couple of ‘good’ songs, and the rest is absolutely brilliant.

Enya – A Day Without Rain
Enya’s music is just beautiful, and this album in particular. There’s not a weak track on it and it’s actually full of variety from the Latin chant 'Tempus Vernum' to the slow 'Only Time' to the upbeat 'Lazy Days'. The genius is that she does it all herself – all the instruments and all the vocals. The only word is beautiful.

Idlewild – The Remote Part
Idlewild are one of my favourite bands and this is their best album. It’s full of hits (You held the world, Modern Way, American English, Stay the same etc), and is one of those rare albums that doesn’t have a weakness. The melodies are inspired and the music uplifting. And the lyrics are typically beautifully obscure.

Matt Redman – The Friendship and the Fear
By far my favourite worship album, although only a couple of songs have ever been picked up for congregational use. This album is rawly intimate with both introspective and extraspective songs, and it’s the rawness that makes it so special - it's far more real and intimate than any other worship album. It’s also really long at a whopping 72 minutes!

Mew – Frengers
From the opening crash of 'Am I Wry' to the final epicness of 'Comforting Sounds', this album is full of really excellent songs, both heavy and soft. It’s one of those albums that you hear, and then you listen to nothing else for a month. Incredibly addictive, with beautifully written lyrics and wonderfully arranged music.

Sabio – Escape
Sabio only ever wrote 8 songs, but they’re all immense. This is a very honest album about chasing after God, and the lyrics are very open and real, with no messing about. The music varies from electronically influenced rockiness to mellow acoustic ballads, covering everything in between. 'Mother' is one of those songs that, when listening to it while driving, I’m always surprised that I manage to maintain control of the vehicle.

Sixpence None the Richer – Divine Discontent
Sixpence always make good music – simple, easy to listen to, music that practically anyone will enjoy – but what I love about this album is how it always makes me feel good about life. It’s not all happy music, but it always leaves a positive message, and some songs in particular on this album reach the beauty usually only produced by Enya – high praise! It’s also great to have a female vocalist for a change.

Stellastarr* – Harmonies for the Haunted
This album is just full of absolute tunes. The music is solid and incredibly catchy, with no pansying about, and the combination of male and female vocalists produces a unique sound. It is not possible to not get into these songs, making this one of my favourite albums for almost any situation.