How would you describe yourself? You may have heard of the six-word memoirs (http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords).
Hundreds of people have grappled with describing themselves and their lives in just six words. It is the ultimate in summary, creativity and precision.
So how would I describe VOX magazine in six words? In two separate 'Dream Days', people of different ages, different backgrounds and different parts of the country joined us to dream dreams about our new magazine.
Here are the six most popular words they used to describe what VOX should be...
Real, Inspiring, Relevant, Inclusive, Challenging, Surprising
We're going for it. Will you join us for the ride?
RGW (aka The Editor)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
A heaven-moment
Have you ever felt as if you saw the skies open and caught a glimpse of heaven?
It happened to me several years ago when a friend of mine was preaching on a city street. My friend is an entertaining speaker, down-to-earth, funny and real. He quickly attracted a crowd.
After a while, a homeless man wandered up. He was extremely drunk and his stench made people recoil. He was causing problems, heckling the preacher and generally annoying people. Eventually he sat down on a bench.
That was when I saw him. I never knew his name. He was nothing to look at - weedy, middle-aged, balding. Few would look twice at him. He walked up to the bench and sat down next to the drunk guy who was close to passing out by this time.
Something happened then that took my breath away. The weedy-looking man put an arm round the drunk (bear in mind that awful smell!!). The homeless man collapsed against him and slept on his shoulder. For over half an hour, that ordinary man sat with his arm around someone most people shunned.
It was heaven on earth. Light in a dark place. I left with tears in my eyes.
Have you experienced something like that? Have you been inspired by a simple act of compassion, kindness or courage? Tell us about it. Write to me (ruth@voxmagazine.ie).
We hope VOX magazine will be a place of inspiration - a place where we can share stories of the 'miniature' heros of God's kingdom.
RGW (aka The Editor)
It happened to me several years ago when a friend of mine was preaching on a city street. My friend is an entertaining speaker, down-to-earth, funny and real. He quickly attracted a crowd.
After a while, a homeless man wandered up. He was extremely drunk and his stench made people recoil. He was causing problems, heckling the preacher and generally annoying people. Eventually he sat down on a bench.
That was when I saw him. I never knew his name. He was nothing to look at - weedy, middle-aged, balding. Few would look twice at him. He walked up to the bench and sat down next to the drunk guy who was close to passing out by this time.
Something happened then that took my breath away. The weedy-looking man put an arm round the drunk (bear in mind that awful smell!!). The homeless man collapsed against him and slept on his shoulder. For over half an hour, that ordinary man sat with his arm around someone most people shunned.
It was heaven on earth. Light in a dark place. I left with tears in my eyes.
Have you experienced something like that? Have you been inspired by a simple act of compassion, kindness or courage? Tell us about it. Write to me (ruth@voxmagazine.ie).
We hope VOX magazine will be a place of inspiration - a place where we can share stories of the 'miniature' heros of God's kingdom.
RGW (aka The Editor)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Get Real
After a few minutes watching a famous preacher on TV, I found myself desperate to see any sign of weakness, humanity or reality. From the plastic-surgery-assisted face and immaculate suit to the polished one-liners and slick presentation, the preacher was effortless.
Yet the message, well sprinkled with random verses from the Bible, left me feeling completely empty. This all-too-positive picture of life and faith just didn't ring true for me.
I'm wrestling with my daily reality of life that is painful and confusing, ugly and yet sometimes breath-takingly beautiful, miserable and funny and exhilarating... and more, much more... and this message of positive thinking and self-help was simply not enough.
I couldn't relate to that perfect "Christianity" because I'm so far from perfect, I'm off the scale.
I believe that the Jesus of the Bible understands the failure, the mess, the brokeness, the I-simply-don't-know-what's-going-on moments of life and He doesn't offer me a crossword to keep my mind active.
I believe that God is way bigger than I can grasp or box or pin down or even imagine and that I will never have everything neatly sown up - or else He wouldn't be God.
And then again... sometimes I don't believe and sometimes, I'm not even sure that I want to...
Vulnerability is a painful business. It might be safer to opt for the God-show; the simple formula that answers all life's questions in the very latest seven steps to success.
I hope VOX will never do that. We want to explore faith, life and REALITY. And that means getting real, being honest, taking the risk, admitting the truth - that we don't know all the answers. It means longing to know God who is infinitely greater, mysterious, powerful, surprising and... well... more!
RGW (aka The Editor)
Yet the message, well sprinkled with random verses from the Bible, left me feeling completely empty. This all-too-positive picture of life and faith just didn't ring true for me.
I'm wrestling with my daily reality of life that is painful and confusing, ugly and yet sometimes breath-takingly beautiful, miserable and funny and exhilarating... and more, much more... and this message of positive thinking and self-help was simply not enough.
I couldn't relate to that perfect "Christianity" because I'm so far from perfect, I'm off the scale.
I believe that the Jesus of the Bible understands the failure, the mess, the brokeness, the I-simply-don't-know-what's-going-on moments of life and He doesn't offer me a crossword to keep my mind active.
I believe that God is way bigger than I can grasp or box or pin down or even imagine and that I will never have everything neatly sown up - or else He wouldn't be God.
And then again... sometimes I don't believe and sometimes, I'm not even sure that I want to...
Vulnerability is a painful business. It might be safer to opt for the God-show; the simple formula that answers all life's questions in the very latest seven steps to success.
I hope VOX will never do that. We want to explore faith, life and REALITY. And that means getting real, being honest, taking the risk, admitting the truth - that we don't know all the answers. It means longing to know God who is infinitely greater, mysterious, powerful, surprising and... well... more!
RGW (aka The Editor)
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Uncomfortable
Thankfully, it was only for two hours and 20 minutes - although it felt more like a week! I was flying from Atlanta to Houston for some meetings when I found myself sitting next to a LARGE man.
This guy had no qualms about taking up the majority of two plane seats (one of those seats being mine)! My flight proved extremely uncomfortable as I tried to squeeze myself (long legs included) into the smallest space possible.
As I was spending the flight doing research for VOX, the experience got me thinking. It is easy to settle for comfort and complacency; all too easy in 21st Century Ireland (financial crisis not withstanding).
If VOX turns into a comfortable, cosy magazine that simply makes our readers feel better about themselves and their lives, I believe we will have failed. Jesus didn't live a comfortable life. And He often made those around Him feel decidedly uncomfortable.
I hope that we make people think, and think again, as we wrestle with real life and real issues. I'd like VOX to be a great read - but not a comfortable one!
RGW (aka The Editor)
This guy had no qualms about taking up the majority of two plane seats (one of those seats being mine)! My flight proved extremely uncomfortable as I tried to squeeze myself (long legs included) into the smallest space possible.
As I was spending the flight doing research for VOX, the experience got me thinking. It is easy to settle for comfort and complacency; all too easy in 21st Century Ireland (financial crisis not withstanding).
If VOX turns into a comfortable, cosy magazine that simply makes our readers feel better about themselves and their lives, I believe we will have failed. Jesus didn't live a comfortable life. And He often made those around Him feel decidedly uncomfortable.
I hope that we make people think, and think again, as we wrestle with real life and real issues. I'd like VOX to be a great read - but not a comfortable one!
RGW (aka The Editor)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
What's in a name? (or Why VOX?)
We spent several months talking about our 'new magazine' before we finally agreed a name. (Thanks to Shane Tucker for the idea).
We'd brainstormed ideas and searched through a list of suggestions without hitting on a single "aha" moment.
VOX (a Latin word meaning voice) was the first suggestion that made us sit up and take notice. We'd already considered (and quickly rejected) the idea of calling our magazine "The Voice". The concept seemed great, but...
Then came "VOX" and the longer we thought about it, the better it became.
It was an invitation from “Vox Hiberniae” (The voice of the Irish) that prompted Patrick to leave his homeland and spend the rest of his life in Ireland.
Strangely enough, in Patrick's dream, he never read that letter from the Irish people. I've always wished he had... just so I could find out what the letter contained.
If Patrick were reading a letter from the Irish people today, what would it say? Our hope and dream is for VOX to answer that question.
We want to provide a voice for people who want to grapple with issues of faith, life and reality in 21st Century Ireland.
Bring it on!
RGW (aka The Editor)
We'd brainstormed ideas and searched through a list of suggestions without hitting on a single "aha" moment.
VOX (a Latin word meaning voice) was the first suggestion that made us sit up and take notice. We'd already considered (and quickly rejected) the idea of calling our magazine "The Voice". The concept seemed great, but...
Then came "VOX" and the longer we thought about it, the better it became.
It was an invitation from “Vox Hiberniae” (The voice of the Irish) that prompted Patrick to leave his homeland and spend the rest of his life in Ireland.
Strangely enough, in Patrick's dream, he never read that letter from the Irish people. I've always wished he had... just so I could find out what the letter contained.
If Patrick were reading a letter from the Irish people today, what would it say? Our hope and dream is for VOX to answer that question.
We want to provide a voice for people who want to grapple with issues of faith, life and reality in 21st Century Ireland.
Bring it on!
RGW (aka The Editor)
Overwhelmed but not drowning - yet!
This is it! VOX magazine is officially "coming soon" to a coffee table near you.
Suddenly the dream starts to take shape, the ideas come thick and fast and the blood starts pumping a little faster through our veins.
My name is Ruth Garvey-Williams. I enthusiastically (recklessly) jumped at the chance to edit a new magazine for Ireland. I guess living up in beautiful Donegal I know the value of something good to read on those long bus rides down to... well everywhere!
Of course the moment that "Yes" slipped over my lips, I felt that sudden sinking feeling. It's scary, even overwhelming as we wrestle with brainstorming our philosophies, pounding on the door (figuratively) of potential contributors and experimenting with layouts.
Going on 20 years (help... is it really that long?) as a journalist still doesn't prepare you for something that is way, WAY, outside your comfort zone.
But then who wants a comfortable life?
RGW aka The Editor
Suddenly the dream starts to take shape, the ideas come thick and fast and the blood starts pumping a little faster through our veins.
My name is Ruth Garvey-Williams. I enthusiastically (recklessly) jumped at the chance to edit a new magazine for Ireland. I guess living up in beautiful Donegal I know the value of something good to read on those long bus rides down to... well everywhere!
Of course the moment that "Yes" slipped over my lips, I felt that sudden sinking feeling. It's scary, even overwhelming as we wrestle with brainstorming our philosophies, pounding on the door (figuratively) of potential contributors and experimenting with layouts.
Going on 20 years (help... is it really that long?) as a journalist still doesn't prepare you for something that is way, WAY, outside your comfort zone.
But then who wants a comfortable life?
RGW aka The Editor
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Welcome to the VOX Magazine Blog!
Yes, here, finally is the first bit of web presence concerning our exciting new project - launching a spanking new magazine! I'm just going to pop this message up to get the ball rolling, as Ruth (our trusty editor) will be doing most of the writing here.
My name's Jonny Lindsay and I handle all of the operations and design side of the project - and so I was commissioned to set up this blog.
God bless,
Jonny
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