Markus Liebherr 1948 - 2010

It was announced on Wednesday that Markus Liebherr, Southampton's owner, had died at the age of 63.

No death is timely. This is without doubt a cruel blow. His family will be shocked and saddened at his passing. The Southampton Football Club family is also saddened and shocked. There are many hundreds of tributes that have been placed outside St Mary's Stadium and a book of condolence had has been opened.

It is a cruel twist in the story of Saints rescue from Administration. There are lots of questions about what the future holds for the club. There seems to be a Trust Fund in place to cope with just such an eventuality and his daughter Katharina who now assumes the mantle of his business interests says she wants to perpetuate the direction Markus was pursuing. Another sign of this man and his family's generosity.

Markus Liebherr was not just a sugar-daddy. He was a true fan of the club and that shone through in his infectious smile. The pride on his face was evident when Saints won the Johnstone's Paints Trophy. Southampton Football Club, the city and the fans owe a great deal to Markus Liebherr. Let us all ensure his legacy is a lasting one so that his name and memory will live on.

Sad days.

New or rediscovering the old?

I value the rich traditions and heritage that safeguarded the Christian faith and generously allowed it to pass on to this generation. I also recognise that through necessity this process is backward looking and conservative. Consequently it is centred on how faith used to be and not on what life in today's world is like. How can we effectively bridge the two and ensure we hold these integrities with equal honour?

That is why I am so committed to Emerging Church and in particular Alternative Worship which seeks to create a safe-space in which to worship while nurturing faith and providing challenge to mature discipleship. It seems the whole emerging church thing is going off the boil. That might be a good thing in that it allows the focus to be firmly on local worshipping communities rather than the distraction of trying to be a part of something bigger. But what characterises these communities? I remain convinced that in searching for an adequate response to this question we must rise to the challenge of rediscovering a more authentic and engaging way of being church.


I came across this summary from Australian Paul Baggas which to me seemed to get things pretty well in perspective"

• 1. A renewed emphasis on Jesus’ teachings and ethics aka the sermon on the mount
• 2. Breaking down the false secular/spiritual dichotomy
• 3. Believe in community more than in church
• 4. Give space to outsiders and focus on similarities and relationship rather than differences
• 5. Hospitality becomes central practice of the church
• 6. Emphasis on creativity as an expression of worship to God, giving honor to the Creator by creating.
• 7. Leading is not fixed around the single leader — leaders lead, but the single leader leading all things is anathema.
• 8. The spiritual has to do with all of life and not simply with acts of devotion. Thus, there is an embrace of those pre-modern and pre-Reformation practices that recognize God’s work everywhere, not simply in the quiet time or worship service.

Seems like a call to return to Gospel principles to me. What think you?