The Kitchen Tableis our new weekly vlog – each week we look at something that enables us to see God at work in the culture. This weeks is a cracker….Russell Brand did a phenomenal talk about prayer. Why are people Googling prayer? He comes so close…and yet is so far…have a look…and at the discussion afterwards. Russell wants a sacred experience…he thinks we need to learn to pray together – technology is not enough. Religion is not telling you how to think!
Please pray that we would be able to get Russell on for an interview – there is no one more I would rather interview….it will take a miracle…!
Feel free to use this video and share it with your non-Christian friends…that’s why we make them!
Warm greetings from a nicely warm UK! Nothing to do with today’s blog (vlog?? come on I’m 73 and the grandchildren aren’t here to explain) but here goes:
1) Have you been watching ‘Normal People’ which, apparently, has high very ratings here. It has fostered discussion groups. Having had a couple of brief glimpses it strikes me as not-so-soft porn set in studied teen / twenties something angst. However it seems it has great moral worth because, in the review of the second part of the series, the teen asks the girls assent in a respectful way and does he have a condom – oh yes he does, what a blessing.
2) OK, so it’s a bit of a rant (I’m 73 after all – you youngsters should be standing in respect of my white hair. Lev.19:32): Could we have your view of what’s called ‘worship’. I’m blowed if I can find anything in the NT that uses this in respect of what happens in churches. Given the prompt of Romans 12:1-3, surely worship is what believers do each day in honour and praise of the Lord in daily life all nurtured by a considered reflection on Scripture which in turn in expounded, sung, prayer-fed, nurtured in gathering regularly.
A weekly ‘high’ for me in pre-lockdown days was to ‘babysit’ our youth music group’s weekly rehearsal / practice (and wow, they’re good). I’ve tried to suggest to the older teens amongst them that their worship is in the school halls, mum and dad, annoying siblings, being ready to respond to the ‘woke’ stuff around them . . . Hmm, rather than press too hard I just trust that the Spirit will nurture their practical wisdom – our reasonable worship. PS none of them, though reminded by me frequently obey Lev.19:32, ah well; they are radiant in their faith.
May the Lord continue to grant you every resilience and steadfastness in your very blessed ministry.
Blessings,
Derek
Many thanks Derek…no _I won’t be watching ‘normal people’ – I saw the trailer. I watch too much trash already!
Thanks for your comments
David,
Thanks for positing this – its a great video to consider and critique. Brand has has influence and some say that comedians are the modern prophets. I would suggest that some might be and others could be false prophets while still others just enjoy getting up on stage, and making people laugh.
You affirm him as being right in there being something “beyond the merely material” with your fear being of him looking “for the scared without God”. I’m struggling with that and your overall critique of Brand approach to prayer implying that it being about “vague other worldly stuff” that he is doing.
With the section you quote in context of the whole video, he shows how he prays towards the end of the clip here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PajaN2nhZEQ
He says:
“God try and make me of maximum use, try and liberate me of the limited view of myself, as a vessel for primal desires and wants, just a object for economic systems that would seek to control me, God show me how I can be useful in other people’s lives. Show me the way of kindness, compassion and simplicity. Please help me to have faith that even thought I don’t know how things are going to be alright that they will be alright.”
So with the “vessel for primal desires and wants”, within this is an acknowledgement of sin, is there not, both of individual sin and corporate sin? And a desire for the “fruits of the Spirit” with evidence of faith or the desire for greater faith that in God “all things work for good for those that love God and are called according to his purposes”.
I hear your fear about Brand being off track about prayer but I don’t see evidence of him “looking for the sacred without God” or his prayer being about “vague other worldly stuff”. It seems to me that his prayer is consistent with scripture, repentance and an appeal to God for God’s enabling within him for God’s loving kindness to be manifest in him and God’s help with faith for him to trust in God working for good.
Please, “as good Christian” you say you are in the video, help me understand where there is anything in that prayer in your view that could be conceived as “looking for the sacred without God” and rather be “vague other worldly stuff” as is your fear.
If you listen to the whole interview – it is the practice of prayer, the connection with the One, rather than who we pray to that is the key issue for him. It ties in more with Hinduism than Christianity. Given that his prayer is not by the Spirit, to the Father, through Christ it is not scriptural. He comes close and says a lot of good things – but he misses the main thing.
David, your perception is not that his prayer is not “by the Spirit, to the Father, through Christ”. I’m not sure about that. I don’t see his prayer in the full video as being inconsistent with this. What is prayer if not connection with God? Could “the One” be another name for God just as “the way” be another name for Jesus? Also scripture, at least the New Testament would not have been around for Jesus’ followers. When he teaches how to pray “Our Father which art in heaven…” is there any mention of “by the Spirit… through Christ?”
And what of using different words for God in different environments? Didn’t the apostle Paul point to the “unknown god”?
OK perhaps we differ on this. Difference isn’t necessarily bad, but never differing is. What about referring to things as “truth force”, “love force” – “the best in people” “the light” “the unassailable divine spark” “the power of your divine witnessing” given that all are created in the image of God – is that not just simply and acknowledgement of this?
Didn’t Jesus say “I am the way, the truth, the life”. Didn’t God call himself “I am” to Moses? In this video the narrator claims “the truth in me calls out to the truth in you”. So what is truth if not Jesus? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCcTJjLFDE8&t=32s
When Jesus said you must be born of the Spirit what he was talking about as I understand it is not inconsistent with coming to an awareness of what already is present in you, with you being created in the image of God.
The truth will be revealed sooner or later – so what is true?
Christianity, Hinduism et al . Like Brand and his new – found Shamanism, it’s all a big nothing for people who seek Evidential Theology. Now that would be an interesting PhD subject.
David,
I wonder if you have seen this video of Brand David. At 9:30 he asserts Jesus being “God made flesh” and the “flesh” being the flaw for there to be a “comedic moment”. Peterson talks about a tragedy being the worse possible thing happening the best possible person alluding to the crucifixion and Brand talks about the resurrection being the comedic moment or perhaps that laughter at death – or “death where is thy sting”. He has, has he not in effect done what is consistent with sharing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in this? Or could we say Brand and Peterson in combination have shared this?
https://youtu.be/kL61yQgdWeM?t=540
I hope you enjoy this video. I’d be interested in any comments you have on it.
kind regards,
Adam