In a nation known for its secularity, I really like coming across little surprises like this.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has welcomed the release of a new Police Bible, created especially for the State’s serving police officers.

The Police Bible includes information on Police ethics, service, integrity and leadership as well as police prayer, and photos of officers in the field. It is thought that eventually, the bulk of the State’s 20,000 officers will have a Police Bible in their possession. Scipione, who is grateful for his new Bible, said, “I believe the Police Bible will impact on generations of Police officers to come.
 
“Every officer who graduates from the Academy in Goulburn is offered a Bible and I would like to think an officer who receives one of these special Police Bibles will one day sit in my seat”, Scipione said.

“They are especially important in our line of work,” he added. “Our officers have a great deal of respect for our Chaplains, and what better way to build on that relationship than to share the Gospel?”

Source: Christian Today via Australian Prayer Network

Posted via web from Preposterousness

Yes, I know it’s February already…I missed it by just over a day, so you’re gonna have to extend me a little grace.

Here’s my first “submission” for the Our Creative Community accountability club (or whatever we are Thankfully, the showcase post where this will be linked to isn’t there yet, so I’m in the clear for the moment – haha! EDIT: it’s definitely there now, so head on over and share in the creativity!

For the few of you who actually know me, you’ll know that this song doesn’t really fit with much that I’ve done before…but it is probably more the kind of thing you should & would expect from me. That includes anyone who’s found my music lurking on Worship The Rock or MySpace, or (years ago), on radio in Australia and a few web stations from time to time. What’s been posted there doesn’t really prepare you for this I don’t think…though there were pointers along the way

For everyone else, including those who read my worship blog, who knows what you expected?!? Probably not this in any case…

Musically, it’s much less complicated that I usually go for…perhaps lacking in variation. The mix is also lacking a bit in bass it seems. It had way too much in an earlier version. At least it’s less muddy vocally now…

Lyrics are below, and most of you will probably recognise that they are drawn from Genesis 1 and John 1, specifically the Amplified Bible (which I read quite a lot as it’s the translation I chose for my phone). It was originally inspired by Ecclesiastes 7:8, which paraphrases to “the end is better than the beginning”. But that didn’t end up in the song anywhere, and neither did the title, which was the starting point for the song. I thought about calling it “Unchangeable Truth”, but I like “In The Beginning”, and it’s even more appropriate considering it’s the beginning of this creative accountability lark.

So, let me know what you think…the good, the bad, the ugly – even if you don’t like the genre, etc, I want to know because it’s this critiquing business that helps us (me) grow and become greater at what God’s put in our (my) hearts to impact His kingdom!

When earth was formless, when all was darkness
Life hovered, brooded o’er the waters
The Word was spoken, and all creation, was made through Light
This has been and will always be unchangeable truth

The Light shines on in the darkness
The Light shines on in the darkness
For the darkness has never absorbed it
The darkness cannot absorb it
This has been and will always be unchangeable truth

The Light shines on…

EDIT: after having some sleep, and then getting the comment from my wonderful sister Cee (nearly typed your name…lol), I’m convinced of good reasons to rename it “Unchangeable Truth”. Do let me know if you think this was a silly idea

In Australia, when you’re crossing the road you need to look to the right first because (clearly) we designed it based on being seated at the right hand of the Father to ensure you always look right first…or not, but it sounds good, hey!.

When I tried this on my first visit to New York about 15 years ago, I was nearly bowled over by a big yellow taxi. Never mind the fact looking left had the same result

Back on topic though

…if you look to the right of this post, you will see a funky new badge for Our Creative Community. It truly deserves being described as ‘fabulous’.

Click on it and you will be taken to far-away and mysterious land where people who were somehow lacking in stuff to do decided to commit to doing more in areas that really matter to them, and remain accountable to others for that commitment.

And yes, I’m one of them.

AGH!

Since this is what I was referring to in my last post, I thought I’d post to let you know that this is actually serious – we have a badge now!

Update 20 Feb 2009: now that I’ve changed my template and moved to WordPress, the badge is now in my page footer.   This may change again, but for now, looking to the right just won’t work for you…