Mark Keown

Haven't blogged on this blog for a while but thought I would get back into it with a few random thoughts. 1. Go the warriors! Awesome form. 4th and rising! Woohoo. Most impressive and I hope it goes on. 2. America's Cup Fiasco: The build up to Valencia 2009 is on and the games have begun. Alinghi is playing games and working the rules to make it incredibly difficult for others to win the cup. Can't believe in today's world that people with the media reporting every aspect that blatant cheating would go on, but it does. The NZ government should get out now, it is corrupt, big boys and their toys. I for one, will not be seduced again. 3. Tour de Drug: The Tour De France is a disaster and a great sporting challenge and achievement is corrupted. No idea who is cheating and who is not. The whole thing leaves a sour taste in the mouth. 4. Weepu fiasco: What on earth are the three wise men doing? Piri Weepu should be going to France! How can one compare the performances of Ell...

I have been thinking. Do we Christians really have to do evangelism. By evangelism I mean 'tell another the good news'. I mean it in terms of the original Greek notion of euangelion or euangelizomai i.e. verbally communicate to unbelievers the Christian message. Can't we just resort to showing them the message with our Christian lives full of grace, love, mercy and good works? Do we have to tell them the good news? And if we have to tell them the good news, what is the good news? What is it that we have to tell them? I have decided to devote my blog to this question for a while for several reasons. Firstly, I am really interested in the question myself. Secondly, I think many Christians today are asking the question. They are almost embarressed by feeling that they have to share the gospel. Thirdly, I spent 9 years of my life writing a doctorate in evangelism and in the first 6 years of my life worked almost exclusively as an evangelist. Fourthly, at church today a young ze...

What is going on in league? Here we go again! NZ now has lost a coach who genuinely appeared able to get NZ up to beat the Aussies in league which historically is amazing! Yet now he is off to Leeds and the league officianados are ducking for cover to cover their tracks! League appears to me to be as poorly run as NZ soccer! Tragic. Still Leeds will gain and McLennan will be a better coach for it. Having said that, I say again, that the two sports rugby and league should combine into one global sport. The games are far too similar. Take out the break down and use play the balls. Take a couple of players out of the game would increase space. Keep the lineout for interest. Make the scrums confrontational. Keep league scoring with a 5 point try. Something like that. League flows better but needs a national profile. Rugby has a greater global impact but lacks the flow and the break down is a disaster. Let by gones be by gones and form a hybrid sport and take on the power of soccer. It will...

Went to the movie Harry Potter 5 yesterday. It is a great tale! I can see why kids are so into it. JK Rowling can spin a great yarn. It is classic good vs evil. It has kids working together to defeat evil. It has mystery in it and while it uses witchcraft, is really about spiritual power and has a lot of resonance with an apocalyptic gospel. It has touches of humour which is great. The characterisation is brilliant with the professors of Hogwarts all in their own way outstanding characters. I love the way kids have grown with the story; my kids have grown as Harry has grown. In this story Harry is beginning to realise his power and becomes teacher and trains up an army to take on the evil one. Kids are really into the idea of a group of kids working together against all the odds to defeat heinous enemies. The climax of the movie is brilliant and gripping with Voldemort seeking to take over Harry's mind. It is tragic too with Sirius Black dying which adds real tragedy to the story. ...