Painswick, 2019
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Michael McDermott - What In The World.
Saturday, 31 October 2020
Thursday, 29 October 2020
Voting Your Conscience: The Role of Faith and Values
Yesterday, with our co-hosts The CEEP Network, HeartEdge presented a timely seminar on voting and how our faith and values factor into where we place our ‘X’ on the ballot. The conversation, moderated by Chip Edens of Christ Church Charlotte, was deep and meaningful. The recording is now available and may be accessed here.
Our panelists - Jan Cope, Provost of Washington National Cathedral; Robert Hendrickson, Rector of St. Philip’s Tucson; Russ Rook, Partner at Good Faith Partnership; Tricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons; and, Kim Jackson, Vicar of Church of the Common Ground and Candidate for Georgia Senate - shared their unique perspectives and important observations on how faith impacts their voting. This outstanding panel also shared what keeps them hopeful in this moment.
We invite you to watch this powerful recording as I am confident you will be inspired.
Our panelists - Jan Cope, Provost of Washington National Cathedral; Robert Hendrickson, Rector of St. Philip’s Tucson; Russ Rook, Partner at Good Faith Partnership; Tricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons; and, Kim Jackson, Vicar of Church of the Common Ground and Candidate for Georgia Senate - shared their unique perspectives and important observations on how faith impacts their voting. This outstanding panel also shared what keeps them hopeful in this moment.
We invite you to watch this powerful recording as I am confident you will be inspired.
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R.E.M. - Stand.
Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Voting Your Conscience: The Role of Faith and Values
Voting Your Conscience: The Role of Faith and Values - Wednesday 28 October, 19:00 GMT, zoom - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voting-your-conscience-the-role-of-faith-and-values-tickets-125078018721?mc_cid=426b5f0aa1&mc_eid=22b185552c.
Where you place your ‘X' when you vote is one of the most significant ways you make your mark on society. As we often hear from politicians and political prognosticators, elections have consequences. The question then is how do you choose where to put that ‘X’ on the ballot? And, as important a question is what part does your faith play in that decision?
Knowing your vote is all the more important in our increasingly divided world, our panel will discuss how to bring our faith - our conscience - into the voting booth with us. We will ask Christians with experience in politics what factors they take into account in voting. Together, we will discuss how scripture, faith, church, and values play into our voting decisions? We may not agree on who should receive our vote, but for the sake of repairing our deep divides, understanding how faith and conscience influence voting can help.
With Jan Cope, Provost - Washington National Cathedral; Robert Hendrickson - Rector, St. Phillip’s Tucson; Tricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons; Kim Jackson of Church of the Common Ground in Atlanta and a candidate for the Georgia Senate; and Russell Rook, a founding partner of the Good Faith Partnership.
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Athlete - Street Map.
Living God's Future Now: November 2020
'Living God’s Future Now’ is the HeartEdge mini online festival of theology, ideas and practice.
We’ve developed this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
The focal event in ‘Living God’s Future Now’ is a monthly conversation where Sam Wells explores what it means to improvise on God’s kingdom with a leading theologian or practitioner.
The online programme includes:
In November we have two events to introduce HeartEdge more widely; one for London (12 November) and another for West Cornwall (24 November). Find out more at:
Are we missing something? Be in touch with your ideas for development.
Want to run an online workshop or series with HeartEdge? Don't keep it too yourself. Be in touch and let's plan.
We’ve developed this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
The focal event in ‘Living God’s Future Now’ is a monthly conversation where Sam Wells explores what it means to improvise on God’s kingdom with a leading theologian or practitioner.
The online programme includes:
- Regular weekly workshops: Biblical Studies (Mondays), Sermon Preparation (Tuesdays) and Community of Practitioners (Wednesdays)
- One-off workshops on topics relevant to lockdown such as ‘Growing online communities’ and ‘Grief, Loss & Remembering’
- Monthly HeartEdge dialogue featuring Sam Wells in conversation with a noted theologian or practitioner.
In November we have two events to introduce HeartEdge more widely; one for London (12 November) and another for West Cornwall (24 November). Find out more at:
- London - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-virtues-are-called-for-in-a-post-covid-blm-world-tickets-121512018719.
- West Cornwall - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heartedge-west-cornwall-via-zoom-option-tickets-124682868817. & https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heartedge-west-cornwall-socially-distanced-at-st-marys-penzance-option-tickets-124676933063.
- Mondays: Biblical Studies class, 19:30-21:00 (BST), Zoom meeting. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOmgrTgsHt2ceY7LepLhQYqQxS1G1ix9.
- Tuesdays: Sermon Preparation Workshop, 16:30 (BST), livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/theHeartEdge/.
- Wednesdays: Community of Practitioners workshop, 16:30 (BST), Zoom meeting. Email jonathan.evens@smitf.org to register.
- Learning a Missional Practice: Dwelling in the Word - Wednesday 28th October, 14:00-15:30 (GMT), zoom - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/learning-a-missional-practice-dwelling-in-the-word-tickets-119890761495. Dwelling in the Word is a simple, but profound way of reading the bible in community, based on Lectio Divina while being subtly quite different from that ancient practice. This session will introduce the practice, enable an experience of it and offer a time to reflect together on what happened. There will then be an opportunity to take the practice away and introduce it “at home” and later, as an option returning to meet together to see what might happen next. The session will be facilitated by Nigel Rooms with Frauke Eicker from the Church Mission Society.
- Voting Your Conscience: The Role of Faith and Values - Wednesday 28 October, 19:00 GMT, zoom - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voting-your-conscience-the-role-of-faith-and-values-tickets-125078018721?mc_cid=426b5f0aa1&mc_eid=22b185552c. Where you place your ‘X' when you vote is one of the most significant ways you make your mark on society. As we often hear from politicians and political prognosticators, elections have consequences. The question then is how do you choose where to put that ‘X’ on the ballot? And, as important a question is what part does your faith play in that decision? Knowing your vote is all the more important in our increasingly divided world, our panel will discuss how to bring our faith - our conscience - into the voting booth with us. We will ask Christians with experience in politics what factors they take into account in voting. Together, we will discuss how scripture, faith, church, and values play into our voting decisions? We may not agree on who should receive our vote, but for the sake of repairing our deep divides, understanding how faith and conscience influence voting can help. With Jan Cope, Provost - Washington National Cathedral; Robert Hendrickson - Rector, St. Phillip’s Tucson; Tricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons; Kim Jackson of Church of the Common Ground in Atlanta and a candidate for the Georgia Senate; and Russell Rook, a founding partner of the Good Faith Partnership.
- Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story - Sunday 1 November, 14:00 (GMT), Zoom meeting - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspired-to-follow-art-and-the-bible-story-tickets-122769198979. Session 3 based on National Gallery’s ‘Sin’ exhibition.
- In What Do We Trust? Autumn Lecture Series: Monday 2 November, 19:00 (GMT), SMITF facebook page. Lecturer: Paula Gooder. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/trusting-in-scripture-autumn-lecture-series-2020-tickets-117242009005?aff=erelpanelorg.
- 'Being Interrupted: Re-imagining the Church's Mission from the Outside, In' – Thursday 5 November, 16:30 GMT, zoom - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/being-interrupted-3-reimagining-the-churchs-mission-from-the-outside-in-tickets-126246301085. Hosted by Ruth Harley, Al Barrett and Sharon Prentis. Session 3: 'Jesus, Interrupted' with Augustine Tanner-Ihm and Dr Jennifer Harvey. In this session we'll be exploring some gospel encounters between Jesus and his 'others', how they shape our imaginations of the church-in-mission, and where in those stories we recognize our own experiences of being gifts and challenges to others, and receiving gifts and challenges from others.
- Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up: Friday 6 November, 16:30-18:00 (GMT), zoom meeting - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shut-in-shut-out-shut-up-tickets-126480429369. Since 2012 the Living Edge conferences have held space for disabled and neurodivergent people to gather, to resource each other and the church. In this HeartEdge series we'll share some of this experience, exploring issues and ideas across current practice and systemic barriers, outmoded belief and cutting edge thinking. Come and join the conversation with Fiona MacMillan, Emily Richardson and Katie Tupling discussing Disabled people & coronavirus: post-pandemic church.
- Being Interrupted: Reimagining the Church's Mission from the Outside, In – Monday 9 November, 15:30-17:00 (GMT), zoom meeting. Explore an 'alternative economy' for the Church's life and mission, which begins with transformative encounters with neighbours and strangers at the edges of our churches, our neighbourhoods, and our imaginations. ‘Life at the edges’ sees Paul Wright and Clare McLean and Sahra Farah (two of the Street Connecting team at Hodge Hill) in conversation with Cathy Ross, Sharon Prentis, Ruth Harley and Al Barrett.
- ‘Living God’s Future Now’ - HeartEdge monthly dialogue: Thursday 12 November, 18:00 (GMT), Zoom meeting - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/living-gods-future-now-dialogue-kelly-brown-douglas-tickets-120415821965. Sam Wells in dialogue on improvising the kingdom with Kelly Brown Douglas.
- Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up: Friday 13 November, 16:30-18:00 (GMT), zoom meeting - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shut-in-shut-out-shut-up-tickets-126480429369. Since 2012 the Living Edge conferences have held space for disabled and neurodivergent people to gather, to resource each other and the church. In this HeartEdge series we'll share some of this experience, exploring issues and ideas across current practice and systemic barriers, outmoded belief and cutting edge thinking. Come and join the conversation with Fiona MacMillan, Ann Memmott and Bingo Allison discussing Neurodiversity & church: intersectionality.
- Theology Group: Sunday 15 November, 18:00 (GMT), zoom - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/st-martin-in-the-fields-heartedge-theology-group-tickets-125862461009. An opportunity to reflect theologically on issues of today and questions of forever with Sam Wells, who will be responding to questions from a member of the congregation of St Martin-in-the-Fields. That person will also chair the session and encourage your comments and questions.
- Being Interrupted: Reimagining the Church's Mission from the Outside, In – Monday 16 November, 16:30-18:00 (GMT), zoom meeting. Explore an 'alternative economy' for the Church's life and mission, which begins with transformative encounters with neighbours and strangers at the edges of our churches, our neighbourhoods, and our imaginations. ‘What would the Roman centurian do …?’ sees Azariah France-Williams and Rachel Mann in conversation with Cathy Ross, Sharon Prentis, Ruth Harley and Al Barrett.
- Learning a Missional Practice: Dwelling in the Word - Wednesday 18 November, 14:00-15:30 (GMT), zoom - . Follow-up Session to ‘Learning a Missional Practice: Dwelling in the Word’ with Nigel Rooms and Frauke Eicker from the Church Mission Society.
- God in Exile: Interfaith perspectives on welcoming refugees - 19 November, 16:30-18:00 (GMT), zoom - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/god-in-exile-tickets-126533385763. This is the first of a 4-part series that explores the themes of Migration, Theology and Community. In this interactive session, panelists Mohamed Omar, Yvonne Green, Julie Khovacs and Lia Shimada (chair) will share their insights into some theologies and practicalities of welcoming refugees – of welcoming God in Exile. Mapping Faith: Theologies of Migration and Community (published by Jessica Kingsley, 2020) brings together over 35 writers, poets, artists and practitioners, from primarily Jewish, Muslim and Christian backgrounds. Royalties from book sales will be donated to the Helen Bamber Foundation, with whom HeartEdge has a longstanding relationship.
- Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up: Friday 20 November, 16:30-18:00 (GMT), zoom meeting - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shut-in-shut-out-shut-up-tickets-126480429369. Since 2012 the Living Edge conferences have held space for disabled and neurodivergent people to gather, to resource each other and the church. In this HeartEdge series we'll share some of this experience, exploring issues and ideas across current practice and systemic barriers, outmoded belief and cutting edge thinking. Come and join the conversation with Fiona MacMillan, Naomi Lawson Jacobs and Krysia Waldock discussing Disability, social justice and the church.
- Being Interrupted: Reimagining the Church's Mission from the Outside, In – Monday 23 November, 16:30 (GMT) zoom meeting. Explore an 'alternative economy' for the Church's life and mission, which begins with transformative encounters with neighbours and strangers at the edges of our churches, our neighbourhoods, and our imaginations. ‘Resurrection from the compost heap’ sees guests (tbc) in conversation with Cathy Ross, Sharon Prentis, Ruth Harley and Al Barrett.
- Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story - Sunday 29 November, 2.00 pm (GMT), Zoom meeting - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspired-to-follow-advent-course-tickets-126549205079. ‘The Advent Wreath’ exploring the Patriarchs, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary. Session 1, The Patriarchs - Genesis 12:1-10.‘The Departure of Abraham’; Workshop or imitator of Jacopo Bassano, about 1570-90, NG2148. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ helps people explore the Christian faith, using paintings and Biblical story as the starting points. The course uses fine art paintings in the National Gallery’s collection as a spring board for exploring questions of faith.
Are we missing something? Be in touch with your ideas for development.
Want to run an online workshop or series with HeartEdge? Don't keep it too yourself. Be in touch and let's plan.
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U2 - Yahweh.
Monday, 26 October 2020
Sabbatical Art Pilgrimage: Latest ArtWay report
My latest Church of the Month report for ArtWay focuses on St Michael and All Angels Berwick:
'The murals are, like those of Stanley Spencer in the Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere, ‘a unique example of war art’: ‘They record the landscape, the people, and the way of life that was under threat. Christ in Glory depicting, amongst the three servicemen shown, Douglas Hemming who was killed at Caen, takes on a war memorial role. Their religious content reflects the belief of their patron that Christianity was the central pillar of a European civilization that was under threat from the despotic forces of evil.’ As with Spencer’s murals, the artist’s love for and use of ‘local people and the local landscape showed how the divine was a part of the everyday’ enabling them to ‘sense the closeness of God to their own lives.’ As Bell put it in his dedication sermon: ‘The pictures will bring home to you the real truth of the Bible story ...help the pages of the New Testament to speak to you - not as sacred personages living in a far-off land and time, but as human beings ...with the same kind of human troubles, and faults, and goodness, and dangers, that we know in Sussex today.’
My Church of the Month reports include: Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.
My visual meditations include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton and Anna Sikorska.
Interviews for ArtWay include: Sophie Hacker and Peter Koenig. I also interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar Rookmaaker for Artlyst.
I have reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe, and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals.
Other of my writings for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Church Times can be found here. Those for Artlyst are here and those for Art+Christianity are here.
'The murals are, like those of Stanley Spencer in the Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere, ‘a unique example of war art’: ‘They record the landscape, the people, and the way of life that was under threat. Christ in Glory depicting, amongst the three servicemen shown, Douglas Hemming who was killed at Caen, takes on a war memorial role. Their religious content reflects the belief of their patron that Christianity was the central pillar of a European civilization that was under threat from the despotic forces of evil.’ As with Spencer’s murals, the artist’s love for and use of ‘local people and the local landscape showed how the divine was a part of the everyday’ enabling them to ‘sense the closeness of God to their own lives.’ As Bell put it in his dedication sermon: ‘The pictures will bring home to you the real truth of the Bible story ...help the pages of the New Testament to speak to you - not as sacred personages living in a far-off land and time, but as human beings ...with the same kind of human troubles, and faults, and goodness, and dangers, that we know in Sussex today.’
My Church of the Month reports include: Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.
My visual meditations include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton and Anna Sikorska.
Interviews for ArtWay include: Sophie Hacker and Peter Koenig. I also interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar Rookmaaker for Artlyst.
I have reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe, and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals.
Other of my writings for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Church Times can be found here. Those for Artlyst are here and those for Art+Christianity are here.
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The Neal Morse Band - A Love That Never Dies.
Prog 50
Prog 50: Progressive Rock Around the World in Fifty Years by Maurizio Galia is an illustrated reference hand-book where the complete list of world-wide Prog artists of the musical genre are finally given their rightful place in History. A first true encyclopedia collecting over a thousand musicians, most of which forgotten, and more than two thousand images of sometimes very hard to find records, for the first time ever presented all together in the same book. The tangible proof that Progressive Rock is still alive and kicking even after fifty years.
From talking with Maurizio about this book we've shared memories of seeing Neal Morse in concert and I have discovered the music of Geoff Mann and Twelfth Night. Here are more recommendations:
Reviews:
"Even ardent fans will find artists in here he or she will never have heard about, and those not all that familiar with the genre will have a field day or decade) looking up all the artists referenced here. The book itself, and all the artists referenced, makes this production a good starting point for progressive rock fans though, and a hard copy alternative to websites such as Progarchives." - Olav "Pros messor" Bjornsen: April 29th, 2018
"Last year when we reviewed an Italian-language break¬down of the 100 best prog albums, we had one wish: put it all into English. Curated by Italian prog collector Maurizio Galia, Prog 50 does precisely that, and with five other reviewers, along with a foreword by Peter Gabriel, it gamely tackles a huge task. Broken up with artwork and photos, although all in black-and-white, the text is clear, with notable references in bold, and a discography to go with each entry. The wizard hat goes off to translator Christine Colomo for making the content highly readable." - Prog 14 June 2018
Reviews:
"Even ardent fans will find artists in here he or she will never have heard about, and those not all that familiar with the genre will have a field day or decade) looking up all the artists referenced here. The book itself, and all the artists referenced, makes this production a good starting point for progressive rock fans though, and a hard copy alternative to websites such as Progarchives." - Olav "Pros messor" Bjornsen: April 29th, 2018
"Last year when we reviewed an Italian-language break¬down of the 100 best prog albums, we had one wish: put it all into English. Curated by Italian prog collector Maurizio Galia, Prog 50 does precisely that, and with five other reviewers, along with a foreword by Peter Gabriel, it gamely tackles a huge task. Broken up with artwork and photos, although all in black-and-white, the text is clear, with notable references in bold, and a discography to go with each entry. The wizard hat goes off to translator Christine Colomo for making the content highly readable." - Prog 14 June 2018
"This book is stunning! Really recommended to everyone who wants to know everything about Prog Rock. Peter Gabriel's foreword is the best endorsement for this work. The English language is very good, modern and open to a light reading full of humour. It's almost impossible to count all the artists reviewed into this book. Groups, Songwriters and Bands from all the different corners of our planet. A fantastic 'Interstellar Overdrive' to the Prog Universe!" – Baltazar Gloves’ Reviews 2017
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Twelfth Night - Love Song.
Saturday, 17 October 2020
Windows on the world (300)
London, 2020
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Mazzy Star - Into Dust.
Review: Faith in the City of London
My latest review for Church Times is of Niki Gorick’s book 'Faith in the City of London' and her open air exhibition currently in Paternoster Square, London EC4, from 3 October to 28 October, before transferring to Aldgate Square, Aldgate High Street, London EC3, for its run from 29 October to 26 November:
'Her images reveal that faith is alive and well in the City of London; just as is also the case across the UK. In essence, her project could be repeated within parishes up and down this country, as it is based on recording the many and varied forms of engagement between churches and their local communities ...
Gorick’s book and exhibition are valuable not just for the excellence of her imagery and the interest of the events recorded, but as a challenge to the way in which the Church communicates with the wider world through the media.
Gorick’s book and exhibition are valuable not just for the excellence of her imagery and the interest of the events recorded, but as a challenge to the way in which the Church communicates with the wider world through the media.
If the true breadth of its life and engagement were to be shared as Gorick has done for the City of London, then counteracting the common view of the Church, providing reminders that faith is an important part of life, and encouraging people to push open church doors and explore our spiritual nuances might all be seen and valued.'
Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here.
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Franz Liszt - Rapsodie.
Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here.
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Franz Liszt - Rapsodie.
Sunday, 11 October 2020
Artlyst: 'Everyday Heroes' & Spirituality and Art
My latest articles for Artlyst are a review of Everyday Heroes at the Southbank Centre and a feature about the spiritualities explored in exhibitions at the Arusha Gallery, The Drawing Room and White Cube Gallery:
'These vividly rendered, emotionally articulate and imaginatively intimate portraits rendered in paint, charcoal, photography, collage, or with language (poetry), draw significantly on religious and political imagery and ideas ...
Taken together, these portraits highlight the sheer scale of the collective response to this crisis which is helping keep this country going during the crisis. Those involved are often working in extremely challenging circumstances and putting their own personal safety at risk.
‘Everyday Heroes’ is vividly imaginative and emotionally compelling; were its inspiration to foster ongoing community kindness through the valuing of immigrants and appropriate pay for care workers that might well be the best celebration of key workers imaginable.'
'Once upon a time in modernism, the interlacing of art and religion was rendered invisible. Art was not just for art’s sake but was exclusively about art. For Clement Greenberg and his followers, art that was pure and autonomous was art that was self-critical and self-defining ...
That time is long past as art critics and curators have now caught up with the religious questions and spiritual issues that inform much contemporary art. The question is no longer the puzzle of the paradox that Taylor identified, but what these spiritual preoccupations signify.'
'These vividly rendered, emotionally articulate and imaginatively intimate portraits rendered in paint, charcoal, photography, collage, or with language (poetry), draw significantly on religious and political imagery and ideas ...
Taken together, these portraits highlight the sheer scale of the collective response to this crisis which is helping keep this country going during the crisis. Those involved are often working in extremely challenging circumstances and putting their own personal safety at risk.
‘Everyday Heroes’ is vividly imaginative and emotionally compelling; were its inspiration to foster ongoing community kindness through the valuing of immigrants and appropriate pay for care workers that might well be the best celebration of key workers imaginable.'
'Once upon a time in modernism, the interlacing of art and religion was rendered invisible. Art was not just for art’s sake but was exclusively about art. For Clement Greenberg and his followers, art that was pure and autonomous was art that was self-critical and self-defining ...
That time is long past as art critics and curators have now caught up with the religious questions and spiritual issues that inform much contemporary art. The question is no longer the puzzle of the paradox that Taylor identified, but what these spiritual preoccupations signify.'
My other Artlyst pieces are:
Interviews:
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The Voices Of East Harlem - Can You Feel It?
Interviews:
- Elizabeth Kwant Interview With Revd Jonathan Evens
- Helaine Blumenfeld: Undulating Structures
- National Gallery Explores ‘Sin’ In New Exhibition – Interview Dr Joost Joustra Curator
- Betty Spackman: Posthumanism Debates
- Christopher Clack: Connecting The Material And Immaterial
- Peter Howson Artlyst Interview
- Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker On The Legacy Of ArtWay
- Alastair Gordon A Testament To His Faith
- Katrina Moss Chaiya Art Awards Interview: Where is God in our 21st century world?
- Apocalypse Now: Michael Takeo Magruder Interviewed
- Jonathan Anderson: Religious Inspirations Behind Modernism
- Caravan – An Interview With Rev Paul Gordon Chandler On Arts Peacebuilding
- Art Awakening Humanity Alexander de Cadenet Interviewed
- Michael Pendry New Installation Lights Up St Martin In The Fields
- Mark Dean Projects Stations of the Cross Videos On Henry Moore Altar
Articles:
- Of Church And The Visual Arts
- Has The Word Master Reached Its Sell-By Date?
- The People Behind Community Is Kindness Billboard Campaign
- André Daughtry: Art, Rebellion And Racial Justice
- Salisbury Cathedral 800 Years Of Art And Spirit
- Home Alone Together Twenty Five Artists
- Botanical Mind Online: Art, Mysticism and the Cosmic Tree
- Salvador Dalí The Enigma of Faith
- Art And Faith A Time For Seeing
- Andy Warhol: Catholicism His Work, Faith And Legacy
- Kiki Smith: Embodied Art
- Art and Christianity Awards A Positive New Millennium Legacy
- Arnulf Rainer: 90th Birthday Exhibition Celebrated At Albertina Museum
- A Belonging Project And Exiles Loss and Displacement
- Robert Polidori: Fra Angelico Opus Operantis
- Art, Faith, Church Patronage and Modernity
- Contemplating the Spiritual in Contemporary Art
- Mat Collishaw Challenges Faith Perspectives With Ushaw Installation
- Waterloo Festival Launches At St. John’s Waterloo
- John Bellany Alan Davie Spiritual Joy and Magic
- RIFT Unites 17 Art and Science MA Graduates At Central St Martins
- Visionary Cities: Michael Takeo Magruder – British Library
- Van Gogh’s Religious Journey Around London
- William Congdon Holy Sites And The Kettle’s Yard Connection
- Mark Dean Premieres Pastiche Mass At Banqueting Hall Chelsea College of Arts
- John Kirby: The Torment
- Underlying The Civilised Facade
- Curating Spiritual Sensibilities In Changing Times
- Homeless Highlighted: New Beau Exhibition At St Martin-in-the-Fields
- Ken Currie: Protest Defeat And Victory
- Bosco Sodi: A Moment Of Genesis
- Bill Viola And The Art Of Contemplation
- Art In Churches 2018: Spiritual Combinations Explored
- Sister Wendy Beckett – A Reminiscence
- Guido Guidi: Per Strada Flowers Gallery London
- Peter Howson: The play is over – Flowers Gallery
- Camille Henrot: Scientific History And Creation Story Mash Up
- Nicola Green Explores Recent And Contemporary Religious Leaders – St Martin-in-the-Fields
- Art And The Consequences Of War Explored In Two Exhibitions
- Helaine Blumenfeld Translating Her Vision
- Sam Ivin: Physically Scratched Portraits Of Asylum Seekers Exhibited
- Sacred Noise: Explores Religion, Faith And Divinity
- Bill Viola: Quiet Contemplative Video Installation St Cuthbert’s Church Edinburgh
- The ground-breaking work of Sister Corita Kent
- Picasso To Souza: The Crucifixion Imagery Rarely Exhibited
- Michael Takeo Magruder: De / coding the Apocalypse – Panacea Museum
- Giorgio Griffa: The Golden Ratio And Inexplicable Knowledge
- Arabella Dorman Unveils New Installation At St James Church Piccadilly
- Can Art Transform Society?
- Art Awakening Humanity Conference Report
- Central St Martins in the Fields Design Then And Now
- The Sacramental And Liturgical Nature Of Conceptual Art
- Polish Art In Britain Centenary Marked At London’s Ben Uri Gallery
- Refugee Artists Learning from The Lives Of Others
- The Religious Impulses Of Robert Rauschenberg
- The Christian Science Connection Within The British Modern Art Movement
- Artists Rebranding The Christmas Tree Tradition
- Art Impacted - A Radical Response To Radicalisation
- The Art of St Martin-in-the-Fields
- Was Caravaggio A Good Christian?
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The Voices Of East Harlem - Can You Feel It?
Windows on the world (299)
Compton Verney, 2020
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Bobby Womack - Stand By Me.
Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story' - Sin
Here's the reflection from today's 'Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story' session based on the National Gallery's 'Sin' exhibition:
Text: Genesis 3: 8-24
Image: Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart). The Virgin and Child. 1527. © The National Gallery, London
Text: Genesis 3: 8-24
Image: Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart). The Virgin and Child. 1527. © The National Gallery, London
Jan Gossaert was a French-speaking painter from the Low Countries. He was one of the first painters of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting to visit Italy and Rome, which he did in 1508–09, and a leader of the style known as Romanism, which brought elements of Italian Renaissance painting to the north. He worked most of his professional career as a court artist devoting his attention to biblical and devotional themes, mostly those of Adam and Eve, the Virgin and Child, and episodes from the Passion of Christ. What was new to Northern art of the time was his introduction of mythological themes with nude figures portrayed with heightened eroticism. His interest was in the human body exploring myriad possibilities for the interaction of figures, and pursuing a sculptural approach to them. These aspects of Gossart’s art played an important role in his paintings and drawings of Adam and Eve and the Virgin and Child.
In this small painting, the Virgin Mary is seated on a grey stone bench surrounded by a wooden frame; an altar-like space. Christ stands on his mother's lap poised for action, arms held out pre figuring the cross. The focus is his incarnation but the crucifixion is also in the frame. Mary wears a red mantle and uses both hands to gently restrain the naked Christ Child as he leaps forward with his arms outstretched. Inserted into the moulding of the arch are the gilded letters of a Latin inscription which cast complicated shadows on the concave surface behind them. The inscription paraphrases Genesis 3: 15, which describes how, after tempting Adam and Eve, the serpent was told by God that Eve’s descendant – Christ – would once day crush its head.
In the book for the ‘Sin’ exhibition, Joost Joustra, the curator, writes: ‘We can translate Gossaert’s inscription as: ‘The seed of the woman has bruised the head of the serpent.’ In the same passage where Saint Paul referenced an idea of Original Sin, he developed the idea expressed here of Christ being the enemy of evil (Romans 5:18): ‘Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all’, the latter ‘one man’ being Christ …
A … sonnet … by the Roman jurist Marzio Milesi celebrates … the hopeful message …: On account of Adam’s sin miserable humanity strayed in anger from its maker, but when God was made man, humankind was reborn, and hoped [the Saviour] would reopen for it the path to heaven. Whence that serpent who was the cause of original sin was trampled down and oppressed by the mother and the son ...’
This picture, then, is a Nativity image that connects us with the creation stories of Genesis where the serpent symbolizes the devil, temptation and sin. God's promise as recorded in Genesis is that all these will be overcome when the head of the serpent is trampled underfoot. The picture makes this connection in order to show Christ to us as the second Adam achieving this victory over sin. Christ is shown incarnate as a child, with arms outstretched prefiguring the crucifixion and, by means of the altar-like setting, as the body that is taken in the Eucharist.
All these are part of the picture and in the frame when it comes to understanding the way in which Christ conquers sin. The artist can, however, only point us to these things. The image cannot explain or interpret them and they have, of course, been understood and interpreted in a variety of different ways throughout church history.
Which model or models of the atonement we use depends, in large part, on what we understand the problem of sin to be; is it, for example, a breaking of God's law requiring penal substitution or is it an issue of isolation from God, from ourselves, from others and from creation? There are many models for understanding the atonement, but here at St Martin's, we work on the basis that the fundamental human problem is that of isolation. The Genesis stories themselves can be understand as describing the reality of our being out of relationship with God and others and don’t have to be understood as literal statements of how that dislocation and isolation occurred.
In this picture we see relationship depicted and shared. There is the wonderful relationship between the Christ-child and Mary. Christ is energetically reaching into his future but is supported and held by Mary in doing so. Mary is not holding her child to herself but giving him support while offering him to us the viewer.
Similarly, Christ is reaching out to us as we view the image. As we have mentioned Christ is offering himself in relationship to us here on a twofold basis. Firstly, as God come among us as one of us; God having moved into our neighbourhood to be God with us. Secondly, God with us in the body that we take into our lives at the Eucharist in the bread we consume; God with us in life, in death, and in the Eucharist. That is how God tramples the serpent's head and destroys sin.
In this small painting, the Virgin Mary is seated on a grey stone bench surrounded by a wooden frame; an altar-like space. Christ stands on his mother's lap poised for action, arms held out pre figuring the cross. The focus is his incarnation but the crucifixion is also in the frame. Mary wears a red mantle and uses both hands to gently restrain the naked Christ Child as he leaps forward with his arms outstretched. Inserted into the moulding of the arch are the gilded letters of a Latin inscription which cast complicated shadows on the concave surface behind them. The inscription paraphrases Genesis 3: 15, which describes how, after tempting Adam and Eve, the serpent was told by God that Eve’s descendant – Christ – would once day crush its head.
In the book for the ‘Sin’ exhibition, Joost Joustra, the curator, writes: ‘We can translate Gossaert’s inscription as: ‘The seed of the woman has bruised the head of the serpent.’ In the same passage where Saint Paul referenced an idea of Original Sin, he developed the idea expressed here of Christ being the enemy of evil (Romans 5:18): ‘Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all’, the latter ‘one man’ being Christ …
A … sonnet … by the Roman jurist Marzio Milesi celebrates … the hopeful message …: On account of Adam’s sin miserable humanity strayed in anger from its maker, but when God was made man, humankind was reborn, and hoped [the Saviour] would reopen for it the path to heaven. Whence that serpent who was the cause of original sin was trampled down and oppressed by the mother and the son ...’
This picture, then, is a Nativity image that connects us with the creation stories of Genesis where the serpent symbolizes the devil, temptation and sin. God's promise as recorded in Genesis is that all these will be overcome when the head of the serpent is trampled underfoot. The picture makes this connection in order to show Christ to us as the second Adam achieving this victory over sin. Christ is shown incarnate as a child, with arms outstretched prefiguring the crucifixion and, by means of the altar-like setting, as the body that is taken in the Eucharist.
All these are part of the picture and in the frame when it comes to understanding the way in which Christ conquers sin. The artist can, however, only point us to these things. The image cannot explain or interpret them and they have, of course, been understood and interpreted in a variety of different ways throughout church history.
Which model or models of the atonement we use depends, in large part, on what we understand the problem of sin to be; is it, for example, a breaking of God's law requiring penal substitution or is it an issue of isolation from God, from ourselves, from others and from creation? There are many models for understanding the atonement, but here at St Martin's, we work on the basis that the fundamental human problem is that of isolation. The Genesis stories themselves can be understand as describing the reality of our being out of relationship with God and others and don’t have to be understood as literal statements of how that dislocation and isolation occurred.
In this picture we see relationship depicted and shared. There is the wonderful relationship between the Christ-child and Mary. Christ is energetically reaching into his future but is supported and held by Mary in doing so. Mary is not holding her child to herself but giving him support while offering him to us the viewer.
Similarly, Christ is reaching out to us as we view the image. As we have mentioned Christ is offering himself in relationship to us here on a twofold basis. Firstly, as God come among us as one of us; God having moved into our neighbourhood to be God with us. Secondly, God with us in the body that we take into our lives at the Eucharist in the bread we consume; God with us in life, in death, and in the Eucharist. That is how God tramples the serpent's head and destroys sin.
Inspired to Follow – Autumn 2020:
Three sessions exploring paintings in the National Gallery’s ‘Sin’ exhibition (11th, 18th and 25th October). Register for a zoom invite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspired-to-follow-art-and-the-bible-story-tickets-122769198979h.
Inspired to Follow Advent Course (29 Nov, 6th, 13th
and 20th Dec). ‘The Advent
Wreath’ explores the Patriarchs, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary.
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The Holmes Brothers - I Want Jesus To Walk With Me.
Living God's Future Now w/c 12 October 2020
'Living God’s Future Now’ is the HeartEdge online festival of theology, ideas and practice.
We’re developing this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
Monday 12 Oct
Tuesday 13 Oct
Wednesday 14 Oct
Thursday 15 Oct
Friday 16 Oct
Saturday 17 Oct
Special Note
This week started with the second in the Autumn Lecture Series - In What Do We Trust? with none other than Rowan Williams - world-renowned theologian and writer. Rowan shared his wisdom, grace and spiritual insight from the Master’s Lodge in Cambridge; looking at the importance of faith, hope and trust, particularly in relation to the last 6 months of our lives and our hope for the future. If you missed it live, watch it here - https://stmartins.digital/autumn-lecture-series-trusting-in-faith/.
See www.heartedge.org to join HeartEdge and for more information.
Over the next few months we are looking at everything from growing online congregations, rethinking enterprise and community action to doing diversity, deepening spirituality and responding to social need.
Are we missing something? Be in touch about your ideas for development and change.
Please note that invitations will be sent 24hrs, 12hrs, 1hr and 10 mins before an event, mostly to minimise the chance of misuse. Thank you.
We’re developing this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
Monday 12 Oct
- It’s beginning to look a lot like a Covid Christmas - What will Advent & Christmas look like in the pandemic? Monday 12 October 2020, 16:30 – 18:00 BST, zoom. Register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-a-covid-christmas-tickets-124133995121. In this workshop we will be exploring and sharing ideas for Advent and Christmas activities and events in this time of pandemic. Hear about creative projects, think about adopting and adapting, or creating your own. With input from Martin Poole (Beyond & St Luke’s Prestonville) and Rachel Noel (St Mark’s Pennington) on Beach Hut Advent Calendar and Advent yarnbombing.
- In What Do We Trust? Autumn Lecture Series: Monday 12 October, 19:00 (BST), SMITF facebook page. Lecturer: Award winning Neal McGregor - art historian, museum director, presenter and author. ‘For Neil MacGregor, the purpose has always been to make a space where people rethink their place in the world and rediscover, richly, just what it means to be human’ (Simon Schama). Register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-what-do-we-trust-learning-from-history-autumn-lecture-series-2020-tickets-116985565977.
Tuesday 13 Oct
- Sermon Preparation Workshop, Tuesday 13 October, 16:30 (BST), livestreamed here - https://www.facebook.com/theHeartEdge/. Sam Wells & Sally Hitchner explore the weeks lectionary readings and how they could be used in a sermon, with a chance to ask questions.
Wednesday 14 Oct
- Community of Practitioners workshop, Wednesday 14 October, 16:30 (BST), Zoom meeting. Email Jonathan Evens to register - jonathan.evens@smitf.org. Church leaders join in community to explore a text, and to share and reflect together on their recent experiences.
Thursday 15 Oct
- In the Shadow of Your Wings: Thursday 15 October, 16:30 (BST), zoom. An interactive online event presented by Deus Ex Musica which is a musical bible study on the Psalms. This is a unique ecumenical event that combines new musical interpretations of psalms with small-group discussion. Register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-the-shadow-of-your-wings-tickets-120408213207.
Friday 16 Oct
- Being Interrupted: Reimagining the Church's Mission from the Outside, In – Friday 16 October, 14:00-15.30 (BST), zoom - register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/being-interrupted-tickets-122749871169. Al Barrett and guests explore an 'alternative economy' for the Church's life and mission, which begins with transformative encounters with neighbours and strangers at the edges of our churches, our neighbourhoods, and our imaginations.
- Let's Talk about Death: Practical Steps for Churches - Friday 16 October, 16:30-18:00 (BST), zoom - register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-talk-about-death-practical-steps-for-churches-tickets-121849576363?aff=erelpanelorg. Li Mills, End of Life Doula UK; Revd Juliet Stephenson, Director of The Good Funeral Company, Liverpool; Lia Shimada, Death Café, St James Piccadilly; Death over Dinner Organisation, USA.
Saturday 17 Oct
- Telling Encounters: Stories of Disability, Faith, Church & God - Saturday 17 October, zoom and facebook - register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/telling-encounters-stories-of-disability-faith-church-god-tickets-120511999635?aff=erelexpmlt. Explore stories and storytelling via talks, workshops, small groups - entirely online, partnering with HeartEdge and Inclusive Church. Includes: stories of ministry in restricted places; narrative theology; workshops on art, music, storytelling, godly play, public narrative - self, us, now; inclusive liturgy.
Special Note
This week started with the second in the Autumn Lecture Series - In What Do We Trust? with none other than Rowan Williams - world-renowned theologian and writer. Rowan shared his wisdom, grace and spiritual insight from the Master’s Lodge in Cambridge; looking at the importance of faith, hope and trust, particularly in relation to the last 6 months of our lives and our hope for the future. If you missed it live, watch it here - https://stmartins.digital/autumn-lecture-series-trusting-in-faith/.
See www.heartedge.org to join HeartEdge and for more information.
Over the next few months we are looking at everything from growing online congregations, rethinking enterprise and community action to doing diversity, deepening spirituality and responding to social need.
Are we missing something? Be in touch about your ideas for development and change.
Please note that invitations will be sent 24hrs, 12hrs, 1hr and 10 mins before an event, mostly to minimise the chance of misuse. Thank you.
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Ben Harper & Blind Boys of Alabama - Take My Hand.
Friday, 9 October 2020
National Gallery: Sin
The National Gallery's Sin exhibition brings together works of art that span centuries – from Bruegel and Velázquez to Andy Warhol and Tracey Emin – this exhibition explores the concept of sin in art.
Defined universally as a regrettable fault, offence or omission, sin is something everyone can relate to. In Christianity, it is considered a transgression against divine law and many of the world’s major religions have similar concepts.
This exhibition looks at complex theological ideas and depictions of ‘sinful’ everyday behaviour that blur the boundaries between religious and secular art.
The new series of 'Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story' also explores the concept of sin in art using paintings included in the National Gallery's 'Sin' exhibition. Register for a zoom invite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspired-to-follow-art-and-the-bible-story-tickets-122769198979.
'Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ helps people explore the Christian faith, using paintings and Biblical story as the starting points. It’s been created by St Martin-in-the-Fields in partnership with the National Gallery.
The course uses fine art paintings in the National Gallery’s collection, along with a theological reflection and a Biblical text, as a spring board for exploring these two questions: How can I deepen my faith in God? What does it mean to follow Jesus today?
Defined universally as a regrettable fault, offence or omission, sin is something everyone can relate to. In Christianity, it is considered a transgression against divine law and many of the world’s major religions have similar concepts.
This exhibition looks at complex theological ideas and depictions of ‘sinful’ everyday behaviour that blur the boundaries between religious and secular art.
The new series of 'Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story' also explores the concept of sin in art using paintings included in the National Gallery's 'Sin' exhibition. Register for a zoom invite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspired-to-follow-art-and-the-bible-story-tickets-122769198979.
'Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ helps people explore the Christian faith, using paintings and Biblical story as the starting points. It’s been created by St Martin-in-the-Fields in partnership with the National Gallery.
The course uses fine art paintings in the National Gallery’s collection, along with a theological reflection and a Biblical text, as a spring board for exploring these two questions: How can I deepen my faith in God? What does it mean to follow Jesus today?
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Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin.
Monday, 5 October 2020
Receiving from our enemies
Here's the reflection that I shared during today's lunchtime Eucharist for St Martin-in-the-Fields:
Samaritans were contemptible people, as far as the Jews of Jesus’ day were concerned. They were of mixed Jewish and Gentile ancestry, claimed descent from Jacob and worshipped the God of Israel. So, they were close to the Jews in their birth and beliefs but they were also different in significant ways, a volatile combination in any era. As a result, Samaritans and Jews engaged in bitter rivalries, which in Jesus’ day could lead to political hostilities that sometimes required Roman intervention.
For Jesus to tell a story in which a Samaritan was the neighbour to a Jew was therefore deeply shocking (Luke 10: 25-37). We can sense this in the story as recorded for us by Luke, as the lawyer in the story is unable to bring himself to utter the word ‘Samaritan’ in answering Jesus’ question. The story is doubly shocking because the Jews in the story, the Priest and Levite, do not act as neighbours to the man. And trebly shocking, because it was probably their expression of devotion to God that prevented them from being neighbours. Priests were supposed to avoid impurity from a corpse and Pharisees thought that one would contract impurity if even one’s shadow touched the corpse. It was safer, therefore, not to check than to risk impurity.
Perhaps we can get a sense of how shocking this was by asking ourselves who, in our own day, are we least likely to think of as neighbours? Who do we think of as those least like us? Who do we think of as enemies? Who do we think of as contemptible? The point of the story is that Jesus says our neighbour is not our own people but those we think of as enemies or as contemptible because of their birth or beliefs. The least likely people, the people least like us, these are the people that Jesus calls our neighbours.
They are the people to whom we should give – “go and do likewise”, Jesus said to the lawyer - and they are the people that we should love as we love ourselves. They are also the people from whom we should receive because it was the Samaritan in the story who provided help, not any of the Jewish characters. So, we need to ask ourselves how we can receive, grow, learn from and be blessed by those we think of as enemies or as beneath contempt because of their birth or beliefs.
We often protect ourselves from the need to engage with, learn from or show love to those who are different from us by using aspects of the Bible to justify our lack of contact or compassion. But Jesus rules this approach out for his followers by giving us the examples of the priest and Levite.
George Caird has written that “It is essential to the point of the story that the traveller was left half-dead. The priest and the Levite could not tell without touching him whether he was dead or alive; and it weighed more with them that he might be dead or defiling to the touch of those whose business was with holy things than that he might be alive and in need of care.”
This is religious rule-making justifying a lack of compassion. Caird says that, “Jesus deliberately shocks the lawyer by forcing him to consider the possibility that a semi-pagan foreigner might know more about the love of God than a devout Jew blinded by preoccupation with pettifogging rules.” Who do we, as the Church, stay away from because we are afraid of contamination or defilement? What aspects of scripture do we use to justify our lack of contact?
Jesus told this story in order that we reach out across the divides and barriers that people and groups and communities and nations construct between each other. He told this story so that Christians would be in the forefront of those who look to tear down the barriers and cross the divides. To the extent, that we fail to do this we are more like the priest and Levite in this story that the Samaritan who was a neighbour to the person in need.
Samaritans were contemptible people, as far as the Jews of Jesus’ day were concerned. They were of mixed Jewish and Gentile ancestry, claimed descent from Jacob and worshipped the God of Israel. So, they were close to the Jews in their birth and beliefs but they were also different in significant ways, a volatile combination in any era. As a result, Samaritans and Jews engaged in bitter rivalries, which in Jesus’ day could lead to political hostilities that sometimes required Roman intervention.
For Jesus to tell a story in which a Samaritan was the neighbour to a Jew was therefore deeply shocking (Luke 10: 25-37). We can sense this in the story as recorded for us by Luke, as the lawyer in the story is unable to bring himself to utter the word ‘Samaritan’ in answering Jesus’ question. The story is doubly shocking because the Jews in the story, the Priest and Levite, do not act as neighbours to the man. And trebly shocking, because it was probably their expression of devotion to God that prevented them from being neighbours. Priests were supposed to avoid impurity from a corpse and Pharisees thought that one would contract impurity if even one’s shadow touched the corpse. It was safer, therefore, not to check than to risk impurity.
Perhaps we can get a sense of how shocking this was by asking ourselves who, in our own day, are we least likely to think of as neighbours? Who do we think of as those least like us? Who do we think of as enemies? Who do we think of as contemptible? The point of the story is that Jesus says our neighbour is not our own people but those we think of as enemies or as contemptible because of their birth or beliefs. The least likely people, the people least like us, these are the people that Jesus calls our neighbours.
They are the people to whom we should give – “go and do likewise”, Jesus said to the lawyer - and they are the people that we should love as we love ourselves. They are also the people from whom we should receive because it was the Samaritan in the story who provided help, not any of the Jewish characters. So, we need to ask ourselves how we can receive, grow, learn from and be blessed by those we think of as enemies or as beneath contempt because of their birth or beliefs.
We often protect ourselves from the need to engage with, learn from or show love to those who are different from us by using aspects of the Bible to justify our lack of contact or compassion. But Jesus rules this approach out for his followers by giving us the examples of the priest and Levite.
George Caird has written that “It is essential to the point of the story that the traveller was left half-dead. The priest and the Levite could not tell without touching him whether he was dead or alive; and it weighed more with them that he might be dead or defiling to the touch of those whose business was with holy things than that he might be alive and in need of care.”
This is religious rule-making justifying a lack of compassion. Caird says that, “Jesus deliberately shocks the lawyer by forcing him to consider the possibility that a semi-pagan foreigner might know more about the love of God than a devout Jew blinded by preoccupation with pettifogging rules.” Who do we, as the Church, stay away from because we are afraid of contamination or defilement? What aspects of scripture do we use to justify our lack of contact?
Jesus told this story in order that we reach out across the divides and barriers that people and groups and communities and nations construct between each other. He told this story so that Christians would be in the forefront of those who look to tear down the barriers and cross the divides. To the extent, that we fail to do this we are more like the priest and Levite in this story that the Samaritan who was a neighbour to the person in need.
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The Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields - When I Needed A Neighbour.
Saturday, 3 October 2020
ArtWay Visual Meditation: Confluence
My latest visual meditation for ArtWay explores the theme of confluence through an installation by Caroline Bugby and Maureen Jordan at St Mary Burham church in 2019:
'A confluence is an act of merging that also describes the junction of two rivers. ‘Confluence’ was an art installation in the beautiful 12th-century St Mary Burham church, inspired by a recent archaeological project ‘Finding Eanswythe’ which explored the life of St Eanswythe, the Anglo-Saxon, Kentish royal saint and granddaughter of Ethelbert, the first English king to convert to Christianity under Augustine. The installation was a collaborative project by two artists – Maureen Jordan and Caroline Bugby - who met while both attending Vermont Studio Center in Johnson VT, where each came to see connections in the other’s work.'
My visual meditations include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton and Anna Sikorska.
My Church of the Month reports include: Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.
Other of writings for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Church Times can be found here. Those for Artlyst are here and those for Art+Christianity are here.
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'A confluence is an act of merging that also describes the junction of two rivers. ‘Confluence’ was an art installation in the beautiful 12th-century St Mary Burham church, inspired by a recent archaeological project ‘Finding Eanswythe’ which explored the life of St Eanswythe, the Anglo-Saxon, Kentish royal saint and granddaughter of Ethelbert, the first English king to convert to Christianity under Augustine. The installation was a collaborative project by two artists – Maureen Jordan and Caroline Bugby - who met while both attending Vermont Studio Center in Johnson VT, where each came to see connections in the other’s work.'
My visual meditations include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton and Anna Sikorska.
Interviews for ArtWay include: Sophie Hacker and Peter Koenig. I also interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar Rookmaaker for Artlyst.
I have reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe, and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals.
My Church of the Month reports include: Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.
Other of writings for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Church Times can be found here. Those for Artlyst are here and those for Art+Christianity are here.
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The Police - Synchronicity I.
Windows on the world (298)
Compton Verney
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Ricky Ross - Holy Night.
Friday, 2 October 2020
Conversation that will transform creation for good
Here's the reflection that I shared during today's lunchtime Eucharist for St Martin-in-the-Fields:
The book of Job is told as a series of conversation – conversations between God and Satan, between Job and his friends, and between Job and God - because being in conversation with God is what the book is all about. At the end of the book Job says to God, “In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” and this is perhaps the key statement to understanding what is going on in this book.
The book of Job is concerned with the problem of pain; why does suffering occur and why do good people suffer? But the book does not provide answers to these questions. Job’s friends try to tell him that because he is suffering then he must be at fault in some way. But Job knows that that is not the case and this is confirmed at the end of the book when God is angry with Job’s friends because they did not speak the truth about him as Job did. Instead of accepting the advice of his friends and saying that he is at fault, Job decides to state his case to God and by doing so starts a conversation with God in which he begins to see God with his own eyes instead of hearing about God from what others had to tell him. The important thing that happens in this book; the thing that changes Job and his situation is that he begins this conversation.
It is part of this conversation with God that we have heard read today (Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5) and what we have heard is mainly God’s contribution to the conversation. One of the most obvious things to jump out at us from what God says is that he doesn’t provide any answers to Job’s questions. Instead, he asks a series of other questions which give Job a sense of the awesome nature of God as creator and sustainer of life. It is God who created and ordered the world and who understands its patterns and cycles of life: the times of birth for mountain goats and wild deer; the freedom of wild donkeys; the strength of wild oxen and horses; the speed of the ostrich; the flight of the hawk and the nesting of the eagle. All of these and more God created and understands their pattern of life and their place in the tapestry of nature and circle of life. All of these and more God understands while Job does not.
It is easy to read these passages and think that what God wants to do is to belittle Job by making him realise just how insignificant he is as a human being and therefore that he should simply respond by accepting what God does and says. Job seems to feel like that too because when God challenges him to answer his questions Job throws up his hands and says, “I spoke foolishly, Lord. What can I answer? I will not try to say anything else. I have already said more than I should.” Often people read the book of Job as though that is the answer to the problem of suffering; it is all in God’s hands, we can’t understand and therefore we should just trust him.
But that isn’t what God wants at all. Instead, God goes on to say, “Stand up like a man, and answer my questions.” God challenges Job to give an answer to his questions and says that it is in the nature of his humanity that Job should answer these questions. God wants to be in a conversation with human beings where we take responsibility for our lives and our world. Where we find answers to the questions that God poses to human beings but where we find those answers in conversation with God.
When we are out of conversation with God or only have knowledge of God through others, then we are not working in partnership with God for the benefit of the world in which we live. That is the situation in which humanity finds itself in relation to the questions that God asked of Job: Do you know when mountain goats are born? Do you know how long wild deer carry their young? Will the wild ox work for you? Human beings now know the answers to these and many of the other questions that God asked of Job. That is not wrong. God wanted us to be able to explore his creation and find answers to those questions. But he wanted humanity to do that together with him, in conversation with him. Instead for most of human history, we have ignored God and explored his creation on our terms and in our way exploiting creation for our own gain. We know now where that has got us; that we stand in danger of destroying God’s creation and ourselves along with it. We have a desperate and urgent need as human beings to be talking to God about the answers to the questions he posed to Job.
God wants us to be in conversation with him and when we are, as Job found, it transforms our understanding of ourselves and our world. Throughout history God has been seeking people who will be in conversation with him and who through that conversation will transform his creation for good and not for ill. Because of our selfish exploitation of the world and its resources it seems that we stand on the precipice of an ecological disaster. Will that realisation be sufficient to bring our generation back into conversation with God just as the destruction of his world propelled Job into his challenge to God which opened a life-changing conversation through which he saw God with his own eyes?
The book of Job is told as a series of conversation – conversations between God and Satan, between Job and his friends, and between Job and God - because being in conversation with God is what the book is all about. At the end of the book Job says to God, “In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” and this is perhaps the key statement to understanding what is going on in this book.
The book of Job is concerned with the problem of pain; why does suffering occur and why do good people suffer? But the book does not provide answers to these questions. Job’s friends try to tell him that because he is suffering then he must be at fault in some way. But Job knows that that is not the case and this is confirmed at the end of the book when God is angry with Job’s friends because they did not speak the truth about him as Job did. Instead of accepting the advice of his friends and saying that he is at fault, Job decides to state his case to God and by doing so starts a conversation with God in which he begins to see God with his own eyes instead of hearing about God from what others had to tell him. The important thing that happens in this book; the thing that changes Job and his situation is that he begins this conversation.
It is part of this conversation with God that we have heard read today (Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5) and what we have heard is mainly God’s contribution to the conversation. One of the most obvious things to jump out at us from what God says is that he doesn’t provide any answers to Job’s questions. Instead, he asks a series of other questions which give Job a sense of the awesome nature of God as creator and sustainer of life. It is God who created and ordered the world and who understands its patterns and cycles of life: the times of birth for mountain goats and wild deer; the freedom of wild donkeys; the strength of wild oxen and horses; the speed of the ostrich; the flight of the hawk and the nesting of the eagle. All of these and more God created and understands their pattern of life and their place in the tapestry of nature and circle of life. All of these and more God understands while Job does not.
It is easy to read these passages and think that what God wants to do is to belittle Job by making him realise just how insignificant he is as a human being and therefore that he should simply respond by accepting what God does and says. Job seems to feel like that too because when God challenges him to answer his questions Job throws up his hands and says, “I spoke foolishly, Lord. What can I answer? I will not try to say anything else. I have already said more than I should.” Often people read the book of Job as though that is the answer to the problem of suffering; it is all in God’s hands, we can’t understand and therefore we should just trust him.
But that isn’t what God wants at all. Instead, God goes on to say, “Stand up like a man, and answer my questions.” God challenges Job to give an answer to his questions and says that it is in the nature of his humanity that Job should answer these questions. God wants to be in a conversation with human beings where we take responsibility for our lives and our world. Where we find answers to the questions that God poses to human beings but where we find those answers in conversation with God.
When we are out of conversation with God or only have knowledge of God through others, then we are not working in partnership with God for the benefit of the world in which we live. That is the situation in which humanity finds itself in relation to the questions that God asked of Job: Do you know when mountain goats are born? Do you know how long wild deer carry their young? Will the wild ox work for you? Human beings now know the answers to these and many of the other questions that God asked of Job. That is not wrong. God wanted us to be able to explore his creation and find answers to those questions. But he wanted humanity to do that together with him, in conversation with him. Instead for most of human history, we have ignored God and explored his creation on our terms and in our way exploiting creation for our own gain. We know now where that has got us; that we stand in danger of destroying God’s creation and ourselves along with it. We have a desperate and urgent need as human beings to be talking to God about the answers to the questions he posed to Job.
God wants us to be in conversation with him and when we are, as Job found, it transforms our understanding of ourselves and our world. Throughout history God has been seeking people who will be in conversation with him and who through that conversation will transform his creation for good and not for ill. Because of our selfish exploitation of the world and its resources it seems that we stand on the precipice of an ecological disaster. Will that realisation be sufficient to bring our generation back into conversation with God just as the destruction of his world propelled Job into his challenge to God which opened a life-changing conversation through which he saw God with his own eyes?
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Marvin Gaye - What's Going On?
Living God's Future Now - w/c 4 October 2020
'Living God’s Future Now’ is HeartEdge's online festival of theology, ideas and practice.
We’re developing this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
Monday 05 Oct
See www.heartedge.org to join HeartEdge and for more information.
Over the next few months we are looking at everything from growing online congregations, rethinking enterprise and community action to doing diversity, deepening spirituality and responding to social need.
Are we missing something? Be in touch about your ideas for development and change.
Please note that invitations will be sent 24hrs, 12hrs, 1hr and 10 mins before an event, mostly to minimise the chance of misuse. Thank you.
We’re developing this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
Monday 05 Oct
- In What Do We Trust? Autumn Lecture Series: Monday 5 October, 19:00 (BST), SMITF facebook page. Lecturer: Rowan Williams. Register here.
Tuesday 06 0ct
- Sermon Preparation Workshop, Tuesday 06 October, 16:30 (BST), livestreamed here. Sam Wells & Sally Hitchner explore the weeks lectionary readings and how they could be used in a sermon, with a chance to ask questions.
- 'Reimagining music in church post Covid-19': Tuesday 6 October, 18:30-19:30 (BST), zoom register here. Part 4 - Voluntary Choir focus.
Wednesday 07 Oct
On Friday 02 Oct the HeartEdge series, Let's Talk about Death and Living Well with Grief started. Dr Kathyrn Mannix - the palliative care doctor, best-selling author and campaigner - opened the series with a pioneering, moving and practical account of dying and how to be with those dying. Please watch her opening presentation here.
Telling Encounters: Stories of Disability, Faith, Church & God
10.00-16.30, Saturday 17 October 2020, Zoom
Click here to register
Our 9th annual conference on disability and church. It’s a partnership between St Martin-in-the-Fields & Inclusive Church, this year hosted by HeartEdge. It’s a space for disabled people to resource each other and the church.
Through art, Godly Play, music, public narrative, storytelling & theology. In talks, small groups, workshops & liturgy. We explore the stories that shape our lives.
Twitter @livingedgeconf
#TellEnc20
- Community of Practitioners workshop, Wednesday 07 October, 16:30 (BST), Zoom meeting. Email Jonathan Evens to register. Church leaders join in community to explore a text, and to share and reflect together on their recent experiences.
- ‘Living God’s Future Now’ - HeartEdge monthly dialogue: Thursday 8 October, 18:00 (BST), Zoom, register here. Sam Wells in dialogue on improvising the kingdom with Barbara Brown Taylor.
- Living Well with Grief: Friday 9 October, 16:30-18:00 (BST), zoom, register here. Carla A. Grosch-Miller is a practical theologian, minister and poet. For the last three years, she has been working with a team researching, teaching and writing about congregational trauma. Their academic book is titled Tragedies and Christian Congregations: The Practical Theology of Trauma (Routledge, 2019).
On Friday 02 Oct the HeartEdge series, Let's Talk about Death and Living Well with Grief started. Dr Kathyrn Mannix - the palliative care doctor, best-selling author and campaigner - opened the series with a pioneering, moving and practical account of dying and how to be with those dying. Please watch her opening presentation here.
Telling Encounters: Stories of Disability, Faith, Church & God
10.00-16.30, Saturday 17 October 2020, Zoom
Click here to register
Our 9th annual conference on disability and church. It’s a partnership between St Martin-in-the-Fields & Inclusive Church, this year hosted by HeartEdge. It’s a space for disabled people to resource each other and the church.
Through art, Godly Play, music, public narrative, storytelling & theology. In talks, small groups, workshops & liturgy. We explore the stories that shape our lives.
Twitter @livingedgeconf
#TellEnc20
See www.heartedge.org to join HeartEdge and for more information.
Over the next few months we are looking at everything from growing online congregations, rethinking enterprise and community action to doing diversity, deepening spirituality and responding to social need.
Are we missing something? Be in touch about your ideas for development and change.
Please note that invitations will be sent 24hrs, 12hrs, 1hr and 10 mins before an event, mostly to minimise the chance of misuse. Thank you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Case - Somebody Told The Truth.
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