tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41483272011-12-15T02:53:50.866ZNews, ideas, funny stuff and random bits of inspiration from the chaplaincy at Exeter School, Exeter, UK. Maintained by the chaplain - if you'd like to post anything here, <A href="mailto:johnallan@unforgettable.com">email him</A>. Check out the <A href="http://schoolchapel.blogspot.com/schoolchapel_archive.html">ARCHIVES</A> for past postings which may still be interesting to read!Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comBlogger341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1147957314923324732006-05-18T12:58:00.000Z2006-05-18T13:04:47.710Z

This morning in chapel we played a video clip of a Chinese magician doing a karate act. For some reason it was quite a hit (well, it is funny) and I promised I'd blog it by lunchtime. Follow this link to find it.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1147212758443399232006-05-09T22:01:00.000Z2006-05-09T22:12:38.456Z

It's frustrating! Chapel radio has a really good programme to put on air... but there's something wrong with our Blogmatrix account. We've contacted their technical support team, who responded and asked for more of our account details, and then - haven't said anything since. So we sit and wait.It may be solved by the time you read this; check up here to see if the new show is up yet. To make it

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1147211996367507312006-05-09T21:52:00.000Z2006-05-09T21:59:56.376Z

What do you want to do with your life? What are other people doing with theirs? Have a look at 43 things, where you can make a list - and post it online - of the forty-three things you'd most like to do.If you can't work out what your goals should be, clicking around on other people's will give you lots of ideas. What's more, when you actually achieve something, you can mark it off as done, and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1147210563310380942006-05-09T21:21:00.000Z2006-05-09T21:36:48.266Z

Here's a little more information about the feature in this week's Chapel news sheet, about the massacre in Andijan, Uzbekistan, a year ago this week.On May 13, 2005, some of the leading businessmen in Andijan were in jail. They were accused of belonging to an illegal Islamic sect (something which they have consistently denied - and in any case, the sect in question poses no danger to the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1145983662106763162006-04-25T16:44:00.000Z2006-04-25T16:47:42.116Z

Here's a website we last mentioned a couple of years ago - but to my surprise it's still online and functioning perfectly. It's put up by the IQ Labs Personality Test Center... and it involves playing "Simon Says" online... which isn't as simple as it looks. I notice that two years ago my top score was 8, which is pathetic. I'm sure you can top that...

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1145909531768253392006-04-24T20:10:00.000Z2006-04-25T06:13:07.476Z

See if you can work out how Fido knows what you're thinking. If you find the answer, please tell the chaplain. It's driving him crazy.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1145909390567566772006-04-24T19:56:00.000Z2006-04-24T20:09:50.576Z

The big news this week (for the Chapel anyway) is the launch of Just Ten Devon. J John, an absolutely dynamic speaker and broadcaster, is coming to Devon for ten Wednesday nights with an amazing package of stuff about the Ten Commandments which has attracted critical acclaim all over Britain.The whole thing is happening in a 6000-seater marquee at Crealy Adventure Park. Will they fill it? No

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1145908047867837522006-04-24T19:16:00.000Z2006-04-24T19:50:08.833Z

If you've looked at the Chapel News this week, in the noticeboard outside the chapel, you'll see a bit of information about Nepal. Actually, if you regularly look at that noticeboard, you'll have noticed that we've featured Nepal regularly over the last few months. It's been obvious for some time that a crisis has been brewing there.It began early last year when King Gyanendra suddenly seized

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1144532010289614132006-04-08T21:31:00.000Z2006-04-08T21:33:30.290Z

Hope you're enjoying the Easter holidays!

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1144531602842191702006-04-08T21:12:00.000Z2006-04-08T21:26:42.853Z

Well, here we go again. This blog has been dormant for over two years, but at last it's showing new signs of life. It could be the right time. Many more people in school are on broadband that was the case two years ago - and even if you're not, it's getting easier and easier to get on to the Internet within the school day. So the audience should be bigger this time round!We'll be trying to post

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1057788727150149562003-07-09T22:12:00.000Z2003-07-09T22:12:07.160Z

This is absolutely brilliant! You've got to read it! (Hint: no, you haven't landed on an unavailable page. READ what it says!)

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-105753095245208972003-07-06T22:35:00.000Z2006-04-08T22:57:45.430Z

Romantic advice for you from children:THE PERSONAL QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A GOOD LOVER One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills. (Ava, 8) SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUTell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores. (Del, 6)Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1057530228982139812003-07-06T22:23:00.000Z2003-07-06T22:23:48.913Z

Things they should never have said: "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876. "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-1057180552163521112003-07-02T21:15:00.000Z2003-07-02T21:15:52.143Z

Yippee! After several weeks when we couldn't access our blog, here we are back again. This weekend I'll transfer the latest entries which are currently at our `chapelextra' blog. (I have other plans for that one - I'll tell you more later.) In the meantime, welcome home!

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-924851422003-04-12T14:39:00.000Z2003-04-12T14:39:25.390Z

How's the exam revision going? This little test won't help to sharpen you up for GCSE, AS- or A-level... but it will give you a bit of light relief... Q: What do you put in a toaster? A: The answer is bread. If you said "toast," then give up now and go do something else before you hurt yourself. If you said "bread", go to the next question. Q: Say "silk" five times. Now, spell "silk." What

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-924849042003-04-12T14:32:00.000Z2003-04-12T14:32:47.623Z

If you have the impression that Christian sites on the Internet are badly made, sentimental places full of ainmated gifs of flying angels and MIDI files playing `Kumbaya' at top volume... you're wrong. There are actually some brilliant new Christian sites starting to appear for young people. For one thing, there's Relevant magazine, recently acclaimed by major news sites (`It's young, it's hip

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-922459922003-04-08T21:29:00.000Z2003-04-08T21:29:00.420Z

Here's an interesting chance to explore the Easter story in an interactive way. This site takes you through the whole thing, step by step, over sixteen key stages - linking you all the way to sites that can tell you more. You get maps of key places, the exact route Jesus staggered along with the cross, photographs of bones of crucified people discovered by archaeologists, with the nails still

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-918702272003-04-02T22:08:00.000Z2003-04-02T22:08:18.746Z

For those of us deep in revision, here are... THE WORLD'S WORST EXAM ANSWERS Real ones from 1999 "Monotony means being married to the same person for all your life." Question: Use the word "judicious" in a sentence to show you understand its meaning. Answer: Hands that judicious can be as soft as your face... Question: What is a turbine? Answer: Something an Arab wears on his head

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-918624932003-04-02T19:51:00.000Z2003-04-02T19:51:56.090Z

One of the best and funniest preachers I ever heard was the American sociologist Tony Campolo. He's a larger than life figure who seems to end up in all kinds of interesting roles (after the Monica Lewinsky affair, he was one of the two religious advisers who were asked to meet regularly with Bill Clinton and help him sort himself out). I've just found that some of his best-known talks are up

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917952182003-04-01T21:29:00.000Z2003-04-01T21:29:34.763Z

Here's a joke I heard first from Stuart Blanch, the Archbishop of York... A young parish minister about to deliver his first sermon asked a retired cleric for advice on how to capture the congregation's attention. "Start with an opening line that's certain to grab them." the older man said, "For example: 'Some of the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917943702003-04-01T21:15:00.000Z2003-04-01T21:15:32.873Z

A novice said to a master, "I want to be a great man. What is the first thing I should do?" The master answered, "Forget about being a great man."

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917938652003-04-01T21:07:00.000Z2003-04-01T21:07:44.483Z

It's been a couple of weeks since we last posted a `Puzzle of the week' on the news sheet on the chapel notice board - there just hasn't been enough space to fit it in. So, for those who are missing the puzzles, here's an e-mail I've just been sent... Don't take it too seriously... The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whether you are qualified to be a "professional.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917348002003-03-31T22:15:00.000Z2003-03-31T22:15:01.123Z

Last week in chapel we were talking about the staggeringly different ways in which people have drawn pictures of Jesus: the Lego Jesus... the bar-code Jesus... the revolutionary Jesus... Many of the best bits came from one really good website, rejesus, which is well worth checking out. Apart from its stuff about Jesus, it allows you to start exploring spiritual ideas in all sorts of intriguing

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917331632003-03-31T21:47:00.000Z2003-03-31T21:47:30.983Z

The difference between men and women... Men are biologically incapable of letting a women light a barbecue. Men have flu, women have colds. Women do not replace tops on jars and tubes. Men put them on so tightly that they cannot be removed at all. Single-tasking men do one thing well at a time: (e.g. drink a cup of coffee.) In the same time a multitasking women can make breakfast, make the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917329812003-03-31T21:44:00.000Z2003-03-31T21:44:46.590Z

THE SENILITY PRAYER I found this on the Internet. It's funnier if you recognize the original, but even if you don't it's not bad: God, grant me the Senility To forget the people I never liked anyway, The good fortune to run into the ones I do, And the eyesight to tell the difference. (Just in case you're wondering: it's a parody of the famous `Serenity Prayer' orignally written by theologian

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-917324672003-03-31T21:36:00.000Z2003-03-31T21:36:07.326Z

Tonight the US forces are fifty miles from Baghdad. What is it like inside the city? I have a close friend in Swindon who is an Iraqui national; he hasn't been able to phone his parents in Basra, or his sisters in Baghdad, since Tuesday when the US targeted the telephone exchanges with bombs. But reports are still coming out from ordinary people, as well as newsmen. A remarkable running diary is

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-916233762003-03-29T23:32:00.000Z2003-03-29T23:32:53.153Z

This week on the chapel noticeboard you'll find a bit about our `Hero of the Week', England rugby star Jason Robinson. (Though considering what he did to Scotland just a week ago, I'm not sure I'm all that excited about him.) There's much more to the story than we managed to squeeze on to the noticeboard. If you'd like to read more about him, try these links: The Guardian interview, an old one

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-914035512003-03-26T10:34:00.000Z2003-03-26T10:34:28.890Z

While we're talking about other websites, you may not know this, but your chaplain has a little spare-time job writing a column for YOUTHWORK magazine about websites for youthworkers and young people. All of the recent columns are filed on the Web here. Then there's a site which I've put together to answer some of the objections people have to Christianity: It's Your Call. Take a look and see if

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-914034012003-03-26T10:28:00.000Z2003-03-26T10:28:14.920Z

Are you the kind of person who can't resist rearranging fridge magnets and spelling out messages with them? Then here's a site you'll REALLY like: Frosty Welcome .

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-912924942003-03-24T18:32:00.000Z2003-03-24T18:32:28.686Z

Recognize this? YO, F4th3R, wh0 0wnz h34\/3n, j00 r0x0rs! M4y 4|| 0wr b4s3 s0m3d4y Bl0ng t0 j00! M4y j00 0wn 34rth juss |1|3 j00 0wn h34\/3n. G1v3 us th1s d4y 0wr w4r3z 'n mp3z thru a ph4t |. 4nd cut us s0m3 sl4ck wh3n w3 4ct lik3 n00b l4m3rz, juss 4s w3 g1v3 n00bz 4 l34rn1n wh3n th3y r l4m3 2 us. Plz d0n't l3t us 0wn s0m3 p00r d00d'z b0x3n wh3n w3'r3 2 p1ss3d Off 2 th1nk 4b0ut wh4t's

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-912735342003-03-24T11:30:00.000Z2003-03-24T11:31:21.000Z

This morning in assembly we talked about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and thinker who was executed by the Nazis in 1945. It was a little rushed, because there were loads of announcements and awards to be given, but I'm glad we mentioned him anyway; it seems to me that his life poses some big questions that are pretty relevant at the moment, as the war goes on: When is it

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-911170102003-03-21T11:06:00.000Z2003-03-21T11:06:12.860Z

One of the most exciting initiatives of the last few weeks has been the emergence of a school `peace and justice' group, which will be linked to Amnesty International, Tear Fund, and other activist organizations dedicated to making a difference in the world. More details will appear here as we take decisions about the future direction of the group, the campaigns it's going to pursue, etc., but

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-911168512003-03-21T11:00:00.000Z2003-03-21T11:01:56.000Z

This blog has been a little slow to start because we've been busy with several other things over the last month! However, we're now ready to go. Let me tell you about some of the other things, though. My aim is to make the school chapel a real reflection of the life and creativity and enterprise and thinking and questioning of the whole school. We have a service there on Thursday and Friday

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148327.post-880977112003-01-27T14:45:00.000Z2003-03-21T11:00:49.000Z

Welcome to the Exeter School Chapel weblog. Twice or three times a week in term time, you'll find odd items posted here which I hope you will find helpful: Bible readings and explanations of them, stories, poems, whatever. The aim is to extend the work of the school chapel by giving people just a little more to think about week by week. I'm John Allan, the school chaplain. If you would like to

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842769415306028879noreply@blogger.com