My Little Gnudren,

We have a new government. In this blest season of Advent we are reminded of the government of the Prince of Peace. His government is, and will be, one that is marked by justice for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable. No longer will those who have no voice, and those who are the downtrodden be crushed by poverty or oppression. We must be mindful that our new government and all those past, present and future are measured by these standards.

Whether or not we voted for our new government let us all be positive. After all the photo of Mr. Johnson jumping for joy on the front cover of The Sunday Times (15^th December) clearly showed that he drinks Budweiser and eats either Co-op Pot Noodles or Co-op Nibbles.

So there is hope. And after consuming these, Mr. Johnson went North to reassure those who had broken the very dreaded Red Wall that he was going to be nice to all those people up there.  He said that his sincere hope was that their broken wall would remain permanently broken in future years.

According to the Old Testament God used Jephthah, Samson and others who did not conform to normality – (is eating Co-op Pot Noodles and drinking Budweiser normal in 10 Downing Street?} – to do tremendous things.

Also in the Old Testament God used some very holy people, who at times did some things which leave us speechless: the great prophet Elisha, when ridiculed by some 42 children, cursed them in the name of the Lord. Forthwith two she-bears appeared from the woods and tore them all apart. [2 Kings 2:23-24….the King James Authorized Version says the children taunted him with the words: Go up, thou bald head. Go up, thou bald head (!)] The moral of that tale is: Don’t mess with an Old Testament Prophet.

I wonder what Jesus thought when he read that passage in the Old Testament as he certainly would have during his lifetime on earth.

Today Old Gnu offers you a setting of the Lord’s Prayer, in which we pray that His government and kingdom will come to our troubled world. It is written by David Fanshawe, with whom Old Gnu shares the distinction of being called an old weirdo. It’s part of his African Sanctus. This innovative work is a masterpiece. It is definitely one of the  discs Old Gnu would take with him to his desert island. His other desert island favourites are Bach’s B minor Mass, Bob Dylan’s album “Saved”, Vaughan Williams Pilgrim’s Progress, Mahler Symphony No.8, the complete cycle of 200 Bach Cantatas, [and another 10,000 discs.]. This recording of The Lord’s Prayer was recorded in June 1998. It was Old Gnu’s last album made with the brilliant singers and musicians of Christ Church Clifton. The Album of some 10 tracks was never released as all the copyright and MCPS clearances were not obtained before he left. [It would have been GNU 013.]

And now a cry for help from Old Gnu. Does anyone know of a bakery or shop that produces Gluten Free Christmas Puddings and Gluten Free Custard? Alas, this year try as he might Old Gnu has not stopped sinning, but he has stopped consuming gluten. Admittedly, the results of indulging in either of these lead to unsatisfactory results; the former, more hidden: but the latter with very apparent and with immediate effect too horrible to describe here.

Vetus Pater Gnu
Academiae Musicorum et Theologia
Turris LA
XVII Mense December MMXIX